EARTH ACTION IN THE NEWS - January 18, 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 petitions or donation requests without OSC approval.  Thank you for joining us.

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​1) New German Government Would Ban Glyphosate Herbicides in Shock to Monsanto-Bayer Merger
https://sustainablepulse.com/2018/01/12/new-german-government-would-ban-glyphosate-herbicides-in-shock-to-monsanto-bayer-deal/#.Wl3sRzHLced
Sustainable Pulse: "The announcement of a possible complete ban on the world’s most used herbicides in Germany is set to send pesticide manufacturers in to a state of shock globally and may have a serious effect on the $66 Billion Bayer-Monsanto mega merger, as Monsanto receive a considerable percentage of their profit from the sale of Roundup ( a glyphosate-based herbicide) and GM crops that rely on this herbicide to be grown."

2) Honey Bees Attracted to Glyphosate and a Common Fungicide
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2018/01/honey-bees-attracted-glyphosate-common-fungicide/

3) How a Grain and Legume Farmer Harvests Nutrition from the Soil
https://civileats.com/2018/01/09/how-a-grain-and-legume-farmer-harvests-nutrition-from-the-soil/
Civil Eats: "Larry Kandarian grows legumes alongside ancient grains on his California farm, producing a polyculture that benefits both the health of the land and his own."

4) The Netherlands Can Feed the World. Here’s Why It Shouldn’t
https://www.ecowatch.com/netherlands-feed-world-2524872946.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=c34a436e58-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-c34a436e58-86095421

YES! Magazine: "On the surface, it sounds impressive: A tiny, densely populated country has developed the capacity to feed the world, a feat worthy of admiration. And yet this raises other, more critical questions: Is the Netherlands' technology-dependent, high-capital model actually appropriate for other countries? Is it even necessary? And what gets lost when we focus solely on increasing food efficiency?"

5) How Blockchain Can Democratize Green Power
https://www.ecowatch.com/blockchain-energy-trading-2523915351.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=c34a436e58-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-c34a436e58-86095421

6) The Irma Diaries: Hurricane Irma Survivor Stories Should Be a Climate Change Wake-Up Call
https://www.ecowatch.com/irma-diaries-2523944953.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=c34a436e58-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-c34a436e58-86095421

AND
California Mudslides Kill 17 in Areas Wrecked by Wildfires
https://www.ecowatch.com/california-mudslides-2018-2524225464.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=66b100fe74-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-66b100fe74-86095421

7) Recycling Must Be Included in the Infrastructure Bill
https://www.ecowatch.com/infrastructure-bill-recycling-2524851660.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=c34a436e58-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-c34a436e58-86095421

8) BP Accused of 'Side-Stepping' Russian Sanctions
https://www.ecowatch.com/bp-russia-sanctions-2525685917.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=c34a436e58-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-c34a436e58-86095421

Oil Change International: "Yesterday afternoon, activists from the group, BP or not BP? dropped an eleven-metre floor-to-balcony banner refelcting the 2,727 oil spills caused by BP's Russian partner, Rosneft, in a single region in just one year in the British Museum. Performers then showered thousands of paper "oil drops" from balcony in the iconic Great Court to protest against the final day of the BP-sponsored Scythians exhibition, held in partnership with the Russian State Hermitage Museum. "BP is deeply embedded in this Russian oil giant, which is well-known as one of the most corrupt and polluting in the world," said Helen Glynn, who took part in the performance. "So why has the British Museum allowed BP to sponsor an exhibition of artefacts from the very regions and cultures that the company is putting at risk?"

9) District Heating Warms Cities Without Fossil Fuels
https://www.ecowatch.com/district-heating-energy-efficiency-2525685749.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=c34a436e58-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-c34a436e58-86095421

Climate News Network: "A district heating scheme is a network of insulated pipes used to deliver heat, in the form of hot water or steam, from where it is generated to wherever it is to be used. As a way of providing warmth for thousands of homes, typically in multi-storey apartment buildings, district heating has a long history in eastern Europe and Russia. But the hot water it distributes typically comes from power stations burning coal or gas, which means more greenhouse gas emissions. Tapping into other forms of producing hot water, from renewable energy, bio-gas or capturing waste heat from industrial production, supermarkets or IT systems, provides alternative sources of large scale heating without adding to the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."

10) All Renewables Will Be Cost Competitive With Fossil Fuels by 2020
https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy-costs-2525682123.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=c34a436e58-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-c34a436e58-86095421

AND
Clean Energy in 2018: Here’s What to Expect
https://www.ecowatch.com/clean-energy-2018-2523968744.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=66b100fe74-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-66b100fe74-86095421

AND
World's Largest Solar Plant Secures Key Milestone in Development
https://www.ecowatch.com/worlds-largest-solar-plant-2524252103.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=66b100fe74-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-66b100fe74-86095421

11) Governors Weigh in on Water, Climate and the Environment: What We Know So Far
https://www.ecowatch.com/governors-climate-circle-of-blue-2524543786.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=0de8bcb641-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-0de8bcb641-86095421

12) U.S. Coal Is on the Up—for Now
https://www.ecowatch.com/us-coal-trump-2524545838.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=0de8bcb641-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-0de8bcb641-86095421

13) Consumer Society No Longer Serves Our Needs
https://www.ecowatch.com/consumer-society-no-longer-serves-our-needs-2524247133.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=0de8bcb641-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-0de8bcb641-86095421

David Suzuki: "How can we have serious discussions about the ecological costs and limits to growth or the need to degrow economies when consumption is seen as the very reason the economy and society exist?"

14) Urban Farming Key in Fight Against Hunger and Climate Change
https://www.ecowatch.com/urban-farming-suzuki-2524555512.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=0de8bcb641-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-0de8bcb641-86095421

15) Diablo Canyon Closure Decision Missing Critical Elements
https://www.ecowatch.com/diablo-canyon-closure-2524855951.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=0de8bcb641-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-0de8bcb641-86095421

Natural Resources Defense Council: "NRDC, Friends of the Earth and PG&E—together with local environment groups and labor unions—in June 2016 hammered out a landmark agreement last year to close Diablo Canyon by August 2025 and replace its output with lower-cost, emissions-free energy. The agreement also recommended significant transition support to communities and workers affected by the shutdown. NRDC estimated that PG&E customers will save at least $1 billion from the implementation of the agreement compared to keeping the facility's two reactors running. NRDC believes the Joint Proposal also is an inspiring model for other states and countries to follow when faced with the need to close aging and uneconomic nuclear plants. However, a California administrative law judge who oversaw the proceeding and prepared a draft decision recommended that the commission largely disregard our groundbreaking proposal."

16) Victory: Constitution Pipeline Request Denied by FERC
https://www.ecowatch.com/constitution-pipeline-ferc-2524882629.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=0de8bcb641-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-0de8bcb641-86095421

Earthjustice: "Thursday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a decision, which spells bad news for the proposed Constitution Pipeline, a 124-mile natural gas pipeline slated to run through New York State and Pennsylvania."

17) 'Clean Energy Is a Fundamental Civil Right': Major Campaign to Expand Access to Solar
https://www.ecowatch.com/clean-energy-naacp-2524858478.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=0de8bcb641-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-0de8bcb641-86095421
"Underserved communities cannot be left behind in a clean energy transition," said NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson. "Clean energy is a fundamental civil right which must be available to all, within the framework of a just transition."

18) China to Plant New Forests the Size of Ireland This Year
https://www.ecowatch.com/china-reforestation-project-2524893906.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=0de8bcb641-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-0de8bcb641-86095421
"China's government announced plans for a major reforestation project. The country aims to grow about 6.66 million hectares of new forests this year, an area roughly the size of Ireland."

19) Trump Expands Offshore Drilling in “Assault” on Biodiversity and Coastal & Indigenous Communities (video)
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/1/11/trump_expands_offshore_drilling_in_assault?utm_source=Democracy+Now!&utm_campaign=d5b8f7b4f5-Daily_Digest&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-d5b8f7b4f5-191276697

Democracy Now: " The Department of Interior released their five-year Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease plan last Thursday, which is really—there is no other way to say it than that it is an all-out attack on our oceans, across the country, and on coastal communities. It is so expansive, it plans to open up more than a billion acres of federal waters. It’s very hard to comprehend the scope of this, from Florida to Alaska, from California to Maine, and every state, as well as the entire Gulf of Mexico. So, it’s a massive plan. There are 47 leases that they plan to offer, which is the largest number of offshore leases ever in the history of the United States. And in terms of acreage, more than a billion acres, it is the largest. And plans to open up the entire Arctic seas of Alaska, the Beaufort and the Chukchi seas, our undeveloped Arctic Ocean. Now, this decision comes on the heels of opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And that came right after the administration offered, on December 6th, what they call the largest lease sale ever within the National Petroleum Reserve in Western Arctic of Alaska. So they’re on an all-out war against conservation and indigenous rights and against small communities across the country."

AND
Majority of National Parks Panel Quits in Protest of Ryan Zinke
https://www.ecowatch.com/national-parks-zinke-2526263781.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=7b166b950f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-7b166b950f-86095421

20) Patagonia’s Puelo and Cuervo Rivers Win Crucial Protections in Supreme Court of Chile
https://www.ecowatch.com/patagonia-puelo-river-2524218684.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=66b100fe74-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-66b100fe74-86095421

21) Aviation Emissions Rising Steeply, With 'Colossal Gap' Between Carriers
https://www.ecowatch.com/airplane-emissions-climate-change-2526268805.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=7b166b950f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-7b166b950f-86095421

22) 100+ Candidates for Congress Want to Win in 2018 on a Platform of Decisive Climate Action
https://www.ecowatch.com/candidates-congress-climate-action-2524267690.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=66b100fe74-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-66b100fe74-86095421

23) 'Tide Is Turning': Cheers Erupt for NYC's Suit Against Fossil Fuel Giants and for Divestment
https://www.ecowatch.com/nyc-divestment-2524285373.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=66b100fe74-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-66b100fe74-86095421

AND
Empire State Building Shines Green After NYC's Decision to Take on Fossil Fuel Industry
https://www.ecowatch.com/new-york-fossil-fuel-divestment-2524494059.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=66b100fe74-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-66b100fe74-86095421

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!

Two Upcoming events from 350 Sonoma:

Workshop: Build your own Solar Notebook-Emergency Preparedness Charger

Sunday, Jan 21, 1-4 PM
Sebastopol Grange, $80 includes all materials
Participants will build their own Solar Notebook Charger, designed to charge your cell phone or a powerbank (portable battery), and provide lighting using a USB LED light bulb & stick.
To learn more and to register visit: http://solarschoolhouse.org/grange/ 

Conversations Around the Fire: Rebuilding in a Fire Ecology

Monday, Jan 22, 6-8 PM

Christ Church United Methodist: 1717 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa

How do we plan thoughtfully and creatively to live cooperatively in a fire ecology? What resources already exist to help us? How can we learn from our past?.
Confirmed speakers: Julie Combs, Ray Kraus
Click here for more information

Community Seed Exchange
Sat. 

​Jan. 27​

(the last Saturday every month)
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 500 Robinson Rd., Sebastopol
For more info: communitys...@gmail.com

Sonoma County Climate Change Activists Meeting
Monday,  January 28​, 7-9 PM, Peace & Justice Center
Climate change groups and individuals working together to coordinate efforts and make action plans.
At the last meeting we all agreed to support the 350 Sonoma Green Rebuild Campaign.  We encourage you to get involved.  Contact http://350SonomaCounty.org or 350Sono...@gmail.com to endorse their proposal and support their work.

Connecting the Dots - Climate Change and Our Food Choices
Tuesday, January 30, 6:00 to 8:30 PM

Petaluma Seventh-Day Adventist, 2695 Petaluma Boulevard North, Petaluma

Free with food provided by Chipotle

Contact VegCurious Petaluma at https://www.meetup.com/VegCurious-Petaluma

Fossil Free California –  Divest CalSTRS/CalPERS from Fossil Fuels
Monday, February 5, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Contact Jane at calstr...@gmail.com for more information and location in Santa Rosa

Fukushima Response
Thursday, February 8, 10:00–11:30 AM
Redwood Cafe - 8240 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati

​​

​P​

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ning for an event on the 6th anniversary of the the disaster on March 11.
See fukushimaresponse.org  or call 707-823-9203 for more info

Sonoma Solidarity with Standing Rock Meeting
Saturday, February 10, 2-5 PM​
2nd Saturday of each month:
2-3:30 pm Divestment & Public Banking
3:30-5 pm Main Meeting
Peace & Justice Center - 467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa
For more info: www.facebook.com/SonomaNoDAPL/, Email sonoma.solidarity@gmail.com​
 
Attend our next Earth Action Campaign meeting

Monday, February 19, 7-9 PM
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.

Rebuild Green Expo

February 23, 10-7
Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building

Free

This expo will provide a great opportunity for rebuilders, the community, and community organizers to learn more about what each other are doing, how best to collaborate on the rebuild and what support is still needed. The morning session will consist of educational presentations and breaks outs for community organizers, while the afternoon will be open to the public with tabling from local organizations. Check out more details here.

 

Look for Public Bank Santa Rosa on Facebook or email them at in...@publicbanksantarosa.com.  Be sure to read and endorse their new resolution.

 

Volunteer Opportunities

• Shopper's Guide Research

We are updating our shopper's guide. If you use a product that is not in our shopper's guide you can help research it or send us the name for us to scrutinize. We are expanding to include more categories. What pet foods do you buy?
• Adopt-A-Bulletin Board

What locations do you already go to that have bulletin boards?  Where can you easily go to in your own neighborhood to help us publicize teach-ins and events?  Download our latest flyer from our website and let us know where you are posting.  We especially need help covering Petaluma, Cotati and Rohnert Park.

• Graphic Artist Needed For Converting Our New Logo To Vector Art

We have a logo design that is 8-10".  We would like to be able to scale it up to 3-4'.

• 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.

Can you help us upload some video clips to our Youtube page?

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 county-wide social justice campaigns that are globally relevant.