EARTH ACTION IN THE NEWS - June 4, 2020

[Emerald]

​EARTH ACTION IN THE NEWS  

Welcome to the people who have joined recently.  This is a simple weekly newsletter.  Your participation is encouraged.  Please share information and actions about climate change, climate justice, GMOs, toxic chemicals, and Earth-related topics.
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This newsletter is focused on Earth-related topics within the context of intersectionality recognizing that the same capitalist system responsible for environmental harm is the white supremacist system perpetrating oppression and brutality.  Each of us is doing our part to uphold or dismantle this system in our daily choices.  We also create a collective reality by envisioning a world that we choose and live within that: a world of equality, love, and reverence for the sanctity of all life.

BREAKTHROUGH!

Rise of remote working is 'biggest threat to oil demand,' says analyst

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/rise-of-remote-working-is-biggest-threat-to-oil-demand-says-analyst/ar-BB14IgiC?ocid=st

40 Million Health Workers Endorse Green Recovery

https://www.ecowatch.com/health-workers-endorse-green-recovery-2646106256.html?rebelltitem=3#rebelltitem3

"More than 350 health organizations representing some 40 million medical professionals, as well as more than 4,500 individual health workers from 90 countries, signed a letter to the G20 leaders Tuesday urging them to craft what they are promoting as a #HealthyRecovery by taking measures such as reforming fossil fuel subsidies and fighting pollution and deforestation."

LOCAL REPORTS

Victory Garden give-aways attract a big crowd
https://www.kenwoodpress.com/pub/a/11031

"Cars lined up for blocks on Saturday, April 25, in the City of Sonoma to receive Sonoma Ecology Center (SEC) Victory Gardens – a garden starter pack of plants and seeds."

FOSSIL FUELS
Equity, Climate Justice, and Fossil Fuel Extraction: Principles for a Managed Phase Out

http://priceofoil.org/2020/06/01/equity-climate-justice-and-fossil-fuel-extraction-principles-for-a-managed-phase-out/

Why an Alberta court decision to quash an oilsands project affects Treaty Rights cases in B.C.

https://thenarwhal.ca/why-alberta-court-decision-quash-oilsands-project-affects-treaty-rights-cases-b-c/

New Report Details How G20 Nations Spend $77 Billion a Year to Finance Fossil Fuels

https://www.ecowatch.com/government-fossil-fuels-2646114463.html

Drilling on Public Lands: Native American Voices Frustrated by Virtual Public Hearings Over Zoom 

https://www.ecowatch.com/blm-public-hearings-zoom-native-americans-2646042202.html?rebelltitem=3#rebelltitem3

PLASTIC & POLLUTION

Do Fuels Made From Plastic Make Eco Sense?

https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-fuel-2646025410.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

Protecting Argentina's Imperiled Penguins From Plastic Waste

https://www.ecowatch.com/penguin-argentina-plastic-2646066218.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=fa8e5b24a3-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-fa8e5b24a3-86095421

Ocean Microplastics Are Drastically Underestimated, New Research Suggests

https://www.ecowatch.com/ocean-microplastics-estimate-research-2646051708.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=4341b8b058-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-4341b8b058-86095421

WAKE UP CALL
Thousands of Species Are Fleeing to Earth's Poles en Masse, And a Pattern's Emerging

https://www.sciencealert.com/as-the-world-gets-hotter-thousands-of-species-are-fleeing-to-earth-s-poles?amp=1

Climate Change Driving Forests To Smaller And Younger Trees

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2020/05/31/climate-change-driving-forests-to-smaller-and-younger-trees/

Green Snow Is Spreading in Antarctica Due to the Climate Crisis

https://www.ecowatch.com/green-snow-antarctica-algae-2646064741.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

Harmful Algal Blooms Are Increasing Across the U.S. 

https://www.ecowatch.com/harmful-algal-blooms-2646107064.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=23b80a6beb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-23b80a6beb-86095421

THINK TANK & STRATEGY
Scientists and Art Historians Are Studying Art for Climate Change Clues

https://www.ecowatch.com/art-climate-change-2646125754.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=91e8b6e6f9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-91e8b6e6f9-86095421

How Can We Stop Climate Change?

https://earth911.com/eco-watch/pollution/how-can-we-stop-climate-change/

Instead of a 'return to normal,' let's pursue a profound transformation

https://www.ncronline.org/news/coronavirus/instead-return-normal-lets-pursue-profound-transformation

What is ecological sin?

https://www.ncronline.org/news/earthbeat/what-ecological-sin

"Theologians say that ecological sin highlights the relational aspect of sin. People tend to think of sin as something against God or against other people. But ecological sin shows how the relationship can also be broken with the natural world, too."

5 Reasons Why Biodiversity Matters – to Human Health, the Economy and Your Wellbeing

https://www.ecowatch.com/why-biodiversity-matters-2646065739.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

Coral Rescue Team Races to Save Endangered Corals From Mystery Killer

https://www.ecowatch.com/coral-rescue-team-florida-2646064185.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=4341b8b058-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-4341b8b058-86095421

Is Mexico's Wind Sector Repeating Fossil Fuels' Mistakes?

https://www.ecowatch.com/aoc-green-new-deal-2645318946.html?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2

DIRECT ACTIONS
Climate Activists Protest Germany's New Datteln 4 Coal Power Plant

https://www.ecowatch.com/datteln-4-coal-power-plant-protest-2646137253.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=e44f91befb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-e44f91befb-86095421

Extinction Rebellion stage silent socially-distanced climate protests

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8372119/Extinction-Rebellion-stage-silent-socially-distanced-climate-protests-Britain.html

SUSTAINABLE LIVING
Plunging solar energy prices spell bright future for clean electricity

https://www.dw.com/en/cheap-solar-energy-prices-explained/a-53590607

CATCHING UP
The Surprising Benefits of Taking Cars off Our City Streets

https://www.ecowatch.com/car-free-day-benefits-2641150453.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=24b0b3aa97-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-24b0b3aa97-86095421

Most Americans Don't Consider Environmental Impacts of Food Choices, but Are Willing to Eat More Plants, Study Finds

https://www.ecowatch.com/food-choices-environment-climate-meat-2645152026.html?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2

Los Angeles City-Owned Buildings to Go 100% Carbon Free

https://www.ecowatch.com/los-angeles-buildings-carbon-emissions-2645100854.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=682f5cedd4-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-682f5cedd4-86095421

New Solar Panels Power 66% of Government Operations in Fayetteville, Arkansas

https://www.ecowatch.com/solar-panels-in-arkansas-2645087270.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=e0b093eafa-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-e0b093eafa-86095421

Tesla, PG&E to Help Build World’s Largest Energy Storage Facility in California

https://www.ecowatch.com/tesla-megapack-2645326345.html?rebelltitem=4#rebelltitem4

AOC Reads the Green New Deal Into the Congressional Record

https://www.ecowatch.com/aoc-green-new-deal-2645318946.html?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2

Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg Finally Meet in Oxford, Famous Activists Unite

https://www.ecowatch.com/malala-yousafzai-greta-thunberg-2645273777.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

60,000-Strong Fridays for Future Protest in Hamburg, Germany Prompts Question: 'Where Are You, USA?'

https://www.ecowatch.com/fridays-for-future-germany-us-2645235046.html?xrs=RebelMouse_fb&ts=1582563914&fbclid=IwAR0GOcKn0dqSzvB3enKiV3mszo1C5KgzOrq-6P-zSrmD4ZdZTE49gn1n4EQ

Can civil disobedience be seen as ‘good behavior’ in a time of climate crisis?

https://wagingnonviolence.org/2020/02/can-civil-disobedience-be-seen-as-good-behavior-in-a-time-of-climate-crisis/

Fire Drill Fridays sounds the alarm in California

https://wagingnonviolence.org/cnv/2020/02/in-los-angeles-for-fire-drill-friday/

“Civil disobedience has to become the new normal,” Jane said as we left City Hall. “We have marched, we have petitioned, we have written, we have lobbied — and they haven’t listened. So we’re going to have to become bigger and bigger and become an army that shuts the government down if needed.”

Youth Climate Strikers In Rural Areas Are Protesting Alone

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/youth-climate-strikes-rural-areas

“Bee-Washing” Hurts Bees and Misleads Consumers

https://truthout.org/articles/bee-washing-hurts-bees-and-misleads-consumers/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=b2613721-88df-411b-b7bf-10f255a7ed9b

"As awareness increases about native bee death, some companies are taking advantage of public concern by touting their products as bee-friendly or making other claims. This marketing strategy, called bee-washing by critics, uses the plight of bees to mislead consumers. While many people are worried about honeybees, it’s also important to understand the jeopardy that native bees face."

How a new generation of climate activists is reviving fossil fuel divestment and gaining victories

https://wagingnonviolence.org/2020/03/climate-activists-reviving-fossil-fuel-divestment/

Will Climate Change Provoke a Widespread Revival of Socialism?

https://truthout.org/articles/will-climate-change-provoke-a-widespread-revival-of-socialism/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=57dd118a-741f-44e1-8672-bd2591f96841

by Richard Wolff

ENDING ON A POSITIVE

World's Largest All-Electric Airplane Flies for Historic 30 Minutes

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a32702802/all-electric-airplane-first-flight-cessna/

Call To Action! 
We urge all groups including schools, neighborhood associations, organizations, clubs and groups of any kind to adopt a Climate Declaration.  Adopt ours or write your own.  Share your Climate Declaration with local governments, the media, write articles, and share information. 
Occupy Sonoma County Climate Declaration

Occupy Sonoma County, along with concerned, forward thinking people all over the world, declares that climate change has reached catastrophic proportions as evidenced by the current level of CO2 in the atmosphere, the melting of polar ice caps, and the continual rising of global temperatures.  This is a global emergency, and we must act immediately.​  We invite all forces of life to join together for our survival.  We stand up for life.

We recognize that the root of climate change is a capitalist system run by money greedy corporations and the governments that they control.  We actively oppose greenhouse gas producers, nuclear power investors, and fossil fuel companies by boycotting their products, developing alternatives, divesting from corporations that endorse them and insisting that governments at all levels take action.  We call on all governments and corporations to adopt life-sustaining practices immediately.

The people must act now to stop this destruction from continuing and reverse the damage this has caused​.  The future is in our hands.  We are the 99%!

What Earth Actions are you taking?

707-877-6650
http://OccupySonomaCounty.org
http://OccupySonomaCounty.org/es ​ (en español)
http://www.facebook.com/OccupySonomaCounty
https://twitter.com/OcSoCo
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmJoCP-ePUTPWNgHZwtBelg

Occupy Sonoma County embraces the egalitarian, deep democracy principles of the Occupy Movement with a regional strategy for effectively organizing countywide social justice campaigns that are globally relevant.