Currently in Portland — September 21, 2023: Plenty of sunshine

The weather, currently.

The sprinkles I expected turned out to be a heavy, if brief, downpour in my part of town! It’s a preview of what’s to come in just a few days. But first, we’re getting a couple of days of sunshine. I’m going to have to switch from suggesting the cool days for yardwork to the warm ones—if you’ve got outdoor tasks to complete, get them on the schedule for Thursday and Friday. Because after the end of this week, we’re going to be seeing a lot more moisture. And that’s a good thing, of course! Also, it makes the end of this week a great time to throw down any seeds you’ve got lined up. I’ll be putting out some clover and calendula. Some will germinate now, and some will overwinter and get a head start this spring. But after my heatwave adventure in July, I’m sticking to rain for keeping newly planted seeds moist.

— Stella Harris

What you need to know, currently.

On Wednesday, President Biden announced the creation of the American Climate Corps — a bucket-list item for youth climate organizers for years.

CNN has more on the backstory, but suffice it to say that a climate corps was originally a Bernie Sanders pledge when he was running for president. It was then part of the Build Back Better plan during the initial Covid response, but got cut — and then it was also part of Joe Manchin’s Inflation Reduction Act — and got cut.

Now it’s a reality, by executive order. So this is a big deal.

Here’s the options for training with the American Climate Corps, according to the brand-new White House signup form:

• Deploy low-cost, reliable, clean energy

• Implement energy-efficient solutions to help families save money on their energy bills

• Rebuild coastal wetlands to protect coastal communities from storm surges and flooding

• Manage forests to prevent catastrophic wildfires

• Protect America’s public lands and waters for future generations

• Enhance agricultural systems to protect natural resources and conserve water during droughts

• Advance environmental justice to ensure all Americans live in healthy, thriving communities

— Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

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One of my favorite organizations, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, serves as a hub of mutual aid efforts focused on climate action in emergencies — like hurricane season. Find mutual aid network near you and join, or donate to support existing networks: