community
december19
2019
9
Port Commissioner Signs “No Fossil Fuel Money” Pledge
Columbia County Port Com-
missioner Nancy Ward has signed
on to the “No Fossil Fuel Money”
Pledge.
Taking the pledge means
that a politician or candidate’s cam-
paign adopts a policy to not know-
ingly accept any contributions over
$200 from the PACs, lobbyists, or
SEC-named executives of fossil fuel
companies – companies whose pri-
mary business is the extraction, pro-
cessing, distribution, or sale of oil,
gas, or coal.
“I want to be aligned with
the future,” says Ward about her rea-
soning for signing the pledge. “And
I don’t believe that fossil fuels are our
future. This really was a no-brainer for
me and easy for me to sign on to.”
The Pledge reads: “I pledge not
to take contributions over $200 from oil,
gas, and coal industry executives, lob-
byists, and PACs and instead prioritize
the health of our families, climate, and
democracy over fossil fuel industry prof-
its.”
“I also want to be clear that I
participate in our world as it is given to
me – meaning I drive a car, I occasion-
ally, when I have no choice, buy things
packaged in plastic,” says Ward. “I’m
not able to escape it, and I understand
explains Ward. “Money isn’t impor-
tant to me as an elected official, what’s
important to me is who I’m aligned
with. I would really like to try and
promote us getting back to more lo-
cal influence in our elections and get
away from corporate money.”
Ward moved to Columbia
County 13 years ago. She engages her
interest in the political process both
locally and at the state level where she
has advocated for a wide spectrum of
issues – from more options and educa-
tion at end of life, to a more inclusive
that we are where we are today because
of this long history, ever since the indus-
trial revolution. But where is our future?
I want to be aligned with renewable fu-
els, with wind and solar, and all the other
alternative means, so we can get our-
selves weened off fossil fuels.”
Ward was elected to the Port of
Columbia County Board of Commis-
sioner Position #1 in May of 2019. She
is currently serving as the Secretary for
the Board. She said she was slightly sur-
prised that the pledge was available to
local elected officials, after first hearing
about it.
“The other thing is that I really
just disagree with money in politics,”
democracy through Community Rights.
She has been an involved observer of the
Port for many years. Ward also co-hosts
a radio program on KOHI about every-
thing local, environmental, and political.
“Even if you’re not against fos-
sil fuels from a climate change position,
this is a finite resource, so at some point
it’s going to disappear,” says Ward. “If
we do nothing, and obviously this isn’t
going to happen in my lifetime, but if we
do nothing to move towards a different
energy source, then we’re going to be
caught off guard at some point.”
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