Mission

The Columbia Gorge Climate Action Network (CGCAN) educates, organizes and motivates Columbia Gorge activists to reduce and eliminate fossil fuel usage and climate change, at all levels from individual to global.  We encourage clean local renewable energy, conservation, community sustainability and resilience throughout our National Scenic Area.

History

CGCAN is a volunteer-led community organization, formed in 2012 to stop coal and oil terminals along the Columbia River and Pacific Northwest seacoast. Today CGCAN leads or participates in a variety of climate mitigation and adaptation efforts throughout the mid-Columbia Gorge. CGCAN advocated for and still supports the Hood River County Energy Plan. CGCAN regularly addresses an email list of over 500 people, primarily focusing on personal and collective actions to cut GHG emissions while also preserving the natural resources in the Gorge. 

In 2023 CGCAN activities included:

• Co-sponsored various educational meetings, including a Gorge conference on climate change, an electrification meeting with Electrify Now, and a meeting discussing the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission's Energy Vision.  
• A variety of educational and participative Earth Month activities in April. 
• Organized a caravan of e-bikes and electric vehicles plus a float in two local parades.  

CGCAN routinely collaborates with a network of climate-related organizations in the Gorge. All actions are by volunteers, except part-time staff supported by Friends of the Columbia Gorge.

Current projects and call for volunteers

CGCAN envisions an expanding scope and scale of teams making meaningful impacts on three general action themes. We seek more volunteers to passionately lead, or participate in, various teams such as those suggested here: 

1. Talk to others about climate

• Publicity: email blasts, website, social media, local media, and parades
• Book group
• Ecosystem education and restorations
• Recognition
• (CGCAN monthly meetings are organized by a steering committee, open to volunteers)

2. Participate in clean energy

• Active transportation
• “Electrified home” yard signs
• Energy Fairs/Green Home Tours
• Energy resilience
• Electrify vehicles and buildings

3. Support climate-healing policies

• Local watchdog
• Climate plans and energy plans in the Gorge
• Political advocacy at state levels