EARTH ACTION IN THE NEWS - April 27, 2018
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. Please refrain from posting
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https://www.ecowatch.com/environmental-victories-2561818321.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=1db4b0c0eb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-1db4b0c0eb-86095421
World’s Largest Environmental Prize Honors Historic Number of Women, Including Flint Water Activist
https://www.ecowatch.com/environmental-prize-winners-2018-2562602008.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=d7ad9f9195-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-d7ad9f9195-86095421
2) Current Energy Plans Aren’t Enough to Meet Paris Goals, But an Amped Up Transition Is Possible
https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy-paris-goals-2561536635.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=1db4b0c0eb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-1db4b0c0eb-86095421
Americans Increasingly Certain About Climate Change, But Uncertain It Will Be Stopped
https://www.ecowatch.com/survey-climate-change-americans-2561514336.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=515d609753-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-515d609753-86095421
3) UK to Review Climate Goals, Explore 'Net-Zero' Emissions Strategy
https://www.ecowatch.com/uk-paris-agreement-emissions-goals-2561223168.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=1db4b0c0eb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-1db4b0c0eb-86095421
UK Goes 55 Hours Without Coal Power, Breaking Record
https://www.ecowatch.com/uk-coal-power-wind-2561756716.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=1db4b0c0eb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-1db4b0c0eb-86095421
4) Hope for Great Barrier Reef? New Study Shows Genetic Diversity of Coral Could Extend Our Chance to Save It
https://www.ecowatch.com/great-barrier-reef-50-years-2561790398.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=1db4b0c0eb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-1db4b0c0eb-86095421
New Jersey Passes Nation's Toughest Ban on Offshore Oil Drilling
https://www.ecowatch.com/new-jersey-offshore-drilling-ban-2562603514.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=d7ad9f9195-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-d7ad9f9195-86095421
5) 'A Scourge on Our Seas': UK Government Takes Aim at Single-Use Plastics
https://www.ecowatch.com/uk-plastics-ban-2561478381.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=515d609753-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-515d609753-86095421
AND
https://www.ecowatch.com/arctic-sea-ice-plastics-2563231747.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=c161155f25-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-c161155f25-86095421
https://www.ecowatch.com/indonesia-plastic-pollution-army-2561770693.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=1db4b0c0eb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-1db4b0c0eb-86095421
"Indonesia is one of five Asian countries that accounts for 60 percent of the plastic entering the world's oceans, a 2015 study found. Another 2017 study found that 86 percent of the plastic currently flushed through the world's rivers came from Asian countries, including Indonesia. The huge quantities of plastic pollution are the result of economic growth and increased quality of life in these countries, which have meant that waste collection has not kept pace with changing consumption patterns.
In Indonesia, plastic packaging has begun to replace traditional, biodegradable food storage devices like banana leaves, the BBC reported. Further, there is a local culture of disposing of waste in ditches and streams, which cannot support the quantities of plastic waste now being discarded. "
6) Act Out! [156](video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4QsX0WSMfs&feature=youtu.be
Keep Saying “No.”
https://www.artkillingapathy.com/keep-saying-no/
7) Healthy Diets Lead to More Food Waste, But You Should Still Eat Your Vegetables
https://www.ecowatch.com/healthy-diets-food-waste-2561463281.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=515d609753-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-515d609753-86095421
Modern Farmer: "The majority of cropland in the U.S. is used for feed for animals; when you eat meat, you're also relying on that cropland. And a previous study found that producing meat is significantly-more energy intensive than growing plants."
AND
Chris Darwin Would Really Love It If You'd Eat Less Meat: An Exclusive Interview With Charles Darwin's Great-Great-Grandson
https://www.ecowatch.com/chris-darwin-eat-less-meat-2559303786.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=3a42669ac5-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-3a42669ac5-86095421
And in the oceans, it's overfishing. Overfishing is caused by the fishing industry, which is providing food for humans but also for other fish because we feed a lot of fish to fish in aquaculture.
When you put both of those two things together, the greatest cause of the decline of the natural world is the meat industry, providing meat to humans...
But in answer to your question, do we all need to become vegetarians and vegans? No, I think if we all had four meat-free days a week and three meat days, with reasonable portions, that would certainly stop habitat destruction."
8) Honeybees Are Struggling to Get Enough Good Bacteria
https://www.ecowatch.com/honeybees-good-bacteria-2561242307.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=3a42669ac5-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-3a42669ac5-86095421
9) Court Affirms Listing Glyphosate as Probable Carcinogen
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2018/04/court-affirms-listing-glyphosate-probable-carcinogen/
AND
Monsanto Bullies EPA on Glyphosate Ruling
https://www.ecowatch.com/glyphosate-epa-public-comments-2563198754.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=904f0113c6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-904f0113c6-86095421
AND
Germany to Put 'Massive Restrictions' on Monsanto Weedkiller
https://www.ecowatch.com/glyphosate-germany-monsanto-2561181221.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=3a42669ac5-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-3a42669ac5-86095421
"German Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner announced Tuesday she is drafting regulation to stop use of glyphosate in the country's home gardens, parks and sports facilities, Reuters reported. The minister also plans to set "massive restrictions" for its use in agriculture, with exemptions for areas that are prone to erosion and cannot be worked with heavy machinery. "I am planning a regulatory draft as a first building block in the strategy to minimize use of glyphosate," Kloeckner said. She said the proposal would be vetted by other ministries but did not set a deadline to end use of the herbicide."
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/18/magazine/dirt-save-earth-carbon-farming-climate-change.html
11) ‘Business Unusual’ Must Be the Mantra in Bonn as UN Climate Talks Resume Next Week
https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-talks-bonn-wwf-2563292666.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=c161155f25-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-c161155f25-86095421
AND
Michael Bloomberg Pledges $4.5 Million to Help U.S. Meet Paris Climate Commitment
https://www.ecowatch.com/bloomberg-paris-agreement-2562554469.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=fbc4218084-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-fbc4218084-86095421
12) Activists May Argue Pipeline Shutdown Was Necessary Due to Climate Change, Court Rules
https://www.ecowatch.com/pipeline-activists-necessity-defense-2562871500.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=d7ad9f9195-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-d7ad9f9195-86095421
AND
With Treetop Protest, 61-Year-Old Red Terry Leads Fight Against Mountain Valley Pipeline (video & article)
https://www.ecowatch.com/mountain-valley-pipeline-protest-2562562334.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=fbc4218084-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-fbc4218084-86095421
13) Judge allows peach farm's Monsanto, BASF herbicide lawsuit to go forward
https://stlrecord.com/stories/511397019-judge-allows-peach-farm-s-monsanto-basf-herbicide-lawsuit-to-go-forward#.Wt6O9vXZ0xY.twitter
14) One in eight bird species threatened with extinction, global study finds
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/23/one-in-eight-birds-is-threatened-with-extinction-global-study-finds
15) Science is an underutilized tool for progressive change
https://wagingnonviolence.org/2018/04/science-tool-gandhi-progressive-change/
16) 5 Nonprofits Sowing the Seeds of a Better Food System
https://www.ecowatch.com/creating-a-better-food-system-2560963397.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=c161155f25-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-c161155f25-86095421
17) Wind Energy’s Swift Growth, Explained
https://www.ecowatch.com/wind-energy-growth-2562619666.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=c161155f25-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-c161155f25-86095421
World's Largest Offshore Wind Turbine Can Power 16,000 Homes
https://www.ecowatch.com/offshore-wind-turbine-largest-2562912265.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=904f0113c6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-904f0113c6-86095421
We stopped GE from building any more nukes so they figured out a better way to make money. Sometimes we win.
AND
10 Sunny States That Are Hostile to Rooftop Solar
https://www.ecowatch.com/rooftop-solar-state-policies-2563502732.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=c161155f25-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-c161155f25-86095421
18) Across the U.S., Climate Change Lawsuits Are Gaining Steam
Federal Court: Reinstate Fines for Gas Guzzlers
https://www.ecowatch.com/feds-reinstate-updated-cafe-penalties-2562908813.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=904f0113c6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-904f0113c6-86095421
https://www.ecowatch.com/california-climate-change-2562914947.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=904f0113c6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-904f0113c6-86095421
20) Chinese Auto Show Displays a Trend Towards Electric Vehicles
https://www.ecowatch.com/chinese-auto-show-2562657634.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=d7ad9f9195-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-d7ad9f9195-86095421
London Marathon Leads to 89% Drop in Air Pollution
https://www.ecowatch.com/london-marathon-air-pollution-2562991713.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=904f0113c6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-904f0113c6-86095421
"With traffic free streets pollution levels dropped by 89%. Imagine if more people left the car at home every day. We would suffer far fewer health problems from air pollution."
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%!
Take Action - Get Involved!
Community Seed Exchange
Sat. April 28 (the last Saturday every month)
St.
Stephen's Episcopal Church, 500 Robinson Rd., Sebastopol
For
more info: communityseedexchange@gmail.com
9-10:30 Optional Work
Party
11-12 Free Growing Beans
Workshop
9-12 Seed Library
April 29
Clean River Alliance public cleanup
Santa Rosa Creek at Willowside Road
Contact robin@cleanriveralliance.org
Monday,
April 30
Sonoma County Climate Activist Network (SoCoCAN!), 7-9 PM
Peace
and Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa
Climate activist groups and individuals working together to address and reverse
climate change. We meet on months with a 5th Monday. 2018 Meetings: April 30,
July 30, Oct. 29.
For more info: (707) 595-0320 or SonomaC...@gmail.com (email preferred).
Join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SonomaCountyCAN/.
Thursday, May 10
2nd Annual Sonoma County Zero Waste Symposium
Zero Waste Sonoma is
making great strides in reducing waste across Sonoma County through reducing,
composting, reusing, and recycling.Kick off Zero Waste Week (May 6 - 12)
For more info go to: https://zerowastesonoma.org/
Saturday, May 12, 2-5 PM
Sonoma Solidarity with Standing Rock Meeting
1:00-3:00 pm Divestment & Public Banking
3:00-5:00 Main Meeting
Peace & Justice Center - 467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa
For more info: www.facebook.com/SonomaNoDAPL/, Email sonoma.solidarity@gmail.com
Look for Public Bank Santa Rosa on
Facebook or email them at in...@publicbanksantarosa.com. Be sure to read and
endorse their new resolution.
May 12, 5-10pm
Clean River Alliance annual Fun Raiser
Rio Nido Roadhouse
Monday, May 14, 7-9 PM
Attend our next Earth Action Campaign meeting
Peace & Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa
This campaign meets monthly on the 3rd Mondays. Meet in person or call in
from home.
For more information go to http://OccupySonomaCounty.org
or call 707-877-6650.
Wednesday, May 16, 7pm
350 Sonoma
Peace & Justice Center
Ongoing subgroups, Regenerative Agriculture, Zero Waste, Legislative Action.
For more info go to Facebook350 Sonoma or webpage 350sonoma.org.
Email 350Sono...@gmail.com
Saturday, July 14
Healdsburg River Palooza at Veteran's Memorial Beach
B-Rad Foundation, Russian Riverkeeper, & Clean River
Alliance
For more information contact rrke...@sonic.net or Sign up here.
Volunteer Opportunities
• Event Tabling
Tabling season is year-round but Earth Day kicks off several outdoor events where we will have our booth. Help us set up and take down our booth and enjoy the event or stay with us to share information and answer questions with the public.
• Flyer Distributing
Such
as at May Day! We promote our events and campaigns by distributing
small handbills at marches and large events. This is fun and easy and
goes fast when we have a team.
• Video editing help is always needed - even one hour would help
We are behind in our video projects and could use some help in getting caught up. Our teach-in videos provide an ongoing opportunity to share important information with the public. Go to our Youtube page to see some of our videos.
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.