The peace and environmental movements - with their shared goal of ending US dependence on fossil fuels - continue to gather steam in Oregon.  I was reminded of this yesterday evening, at the weekly Washington County Peace Vigil in Beaverton.  Yesterday was the two-year anniversary of the Peace Vigil, and crowd of people who gathered to take advantage of their right to speak out was even larger than usual, numbering over 100 participants.  Cars honked and passengers reached out the windows to make peace signs with their fingers, as we held up signs demanding a non-violent, environmentally sustainable future.

This was my third time collecting signatures on "peace doves" at the WA County Peace Vigil.  I now have forty-three signed, dove-shaped cards asking the Washington County Board of Commissioners to reduce the county's dependence on fossil fuels.  All the signatures come from people who attended the Peace Vigil, or who stopped by our gathering to ask questions and find out how they could help.  I will be delivering the "peace doves" to the Board of Commissioners in person, and asking them to pass the Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration in Washington County.  Forty-three signatures from participants in the Peace Vigil - a group known to be serious about its goals - should be fairly impressive to the Board of Commissioners.  Let's hope they decide to take real action against human-induced climate change, and address the largest environmental problem of our time.  If you want to help this movement roll forward, please SIGN THE PETITION to the Washington County Board of Commissioners, asking them to pass the Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration.  Together, we can make real change.

-Nick