Oregon Global Warming Commission Launches New Website and Climate Change Blog

Contact:
Angus Duncan 503-248-7695
Jennifer Kalez 503-480-9239

SALEM – The Oregon Global Warming Commission announced today its new, improved website and climate-focused blog at www.keeporegoncool.org. The site hosts information about the Commission, its work, climate actions in Oregon, links to other sources of reliable climate information, and information about how the state is addressing its greenhouse gas reduction and climate change preparation goals.

“Since its creation in 2007, the Commission has been the authoritative source for information about Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions and policies,” said Angus Duncan, Commission Chair. “Ten years in, we decided it was time for a new website with new features to help Oregonians better understand the data, how climate change affects Oregon, what it will take to reach our emissions reduction goals, and simple steps we can each take to do our part to fight climate change in our communities. We also wanted to refresh the site’s scientific content, especially with the latest research from the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI), to ensure that Oregonians understand the science and can track the accelerating effects of climate change on our state.”

In addition to information about the Commission, the new website also hosts a Climate Conversation blog, where the Commission will invite guest bloggers to share their take on how climate change is affecting the state, and what actions are needed in response. One of the first guest authors, the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division Director Lillian Shirley, dives in to how changing climate conditions are increasing the reach of wildfires – and the subsequent effects on public health in our communities. It follows an OCCRI entry about 2018’s limited snowpack, and an introductory essay by Commission Chair Duncan.

The new website was built by Oregon Department of Energy staff, following the Commission’s original site created and supported in 2009 by Fish Marketing, a Portland-based marketing and strategy firm. “The Oregon Global Warming Commission is grateful to Fish Marketing for generously hosting our website pro bono for nearly a decade,” added Duncan. “Their work helped the Commission get off the ground and better serve Oregonians. We look forward to continuing to tell Oregon’s story on our new website.”

The Oregon Global Warming Commission is a 25-member governor-appointed body tasked with recommending ways to coordinate state and local efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as helping the state, local governments, businesses, and other Oregonians prepare for the effects of climate change. The Commission is staffed and supported by the Oregon Department of Energy. Learn more about the Commission and its members at www.keeporegoncool.org.