EARTH ACTION IN THE NEWS
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BBC
News: "Young researcher Sarah-Jeanne Royer set out to measure methane
gas coming from biological activity in sea water. Instead,
in a "happy accident" she found that the plastic bottles holding the
samples were a bigger source of this powerful warming molecule than the
bugs in the water. Now she's published further details in a study into
the potential warming impact of gases seeping from plastic waste."3) Egypt set to open its first solar farm – and it’s the largest in the worldhttps://inhabitat.com/egypt-set-to-open-its-first-solar-farm-and-its-the-largest-in-the-world/ Inhabitat:
"Located 400 miles south of Cairo, the $2.8-billion project will
single-handedly revolutionize energy supply for the nation, and none too
soon. The World Health Organization
recently named Cairo the second most polluted large city on the planet.
The Egyptian government, in response, aims to nearly halve its natural
gas consumption and provide at least 42% of the country’s energy from
renewable sources by the year 2025. Investment in Egypt’s clean
energy market has increased by 500% since the announcement."4) Justice Mocked in Pennsylvania
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/08/05/justice-mocked-pennsylvania
Common Dreams: "Ellen Gerhart sat in leg irons and cuffs, a guard standing behind her,
as Houston-based pipeline giant Energy Transfer Partners made its case
against her on Friday in a Pennsylvania courtroom. Seconds after
Huntingdon County Court of Common Pleas Judge George Zanic found the
63-year old retired teacher guilty... Zanic
sentenced Gerhart to two to six months in the Centre County Correctional
Facility about an hour away from her home."
5) A Watershed Moment: Advocates Join Forces to Save the Russian Riverhttps://www.sonomamag.com/a-watershed-moment-advocates-join-forces-to-save-the-russian-river/ The Intercept: "Resistance to the pipeline is already escalating: On July 3, seven
pipeline opponents rappelled from Vancouver’s Ironworkers Memorial
Bridge in a daylong blockade of tanker traffic associated with the
existing Trans Mountain line. Last week, the Tiny House Warriors wheeled
the homes into a provincial park that sits on the site of a historic
village near Clearwater, British Columbia, in an assertion of their
title to the land. On Saturday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
singled out and arrested Manuel, whose livestream
of the incident has garnered more than 500,000 views on Facebook. She
was detained on a charge of “criminal mischief” and released later that
day. The struggle against the expansion, Manuel told The Intercept,
could become “the Standing Rock of the north.”12) Climate Scientist: California Wildfires Are Faster, Stronger, Deadlier & Will Continue to Intensify (video)https://www.democracynow.org/2018/8/2/climate_scientist_california_wildfires_are_faster?utm_source=Democracy+Now%21&utm_campaign=160e60bfa9-Daily_Digest_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-160e60bfa9-191276697 Democracy Now!: "Rob Nixon, professor in the humanities and the environment at Princeton
University... is the author of “Slow Violence and the Environmentalism
of the Poor.”
Democracy Now!: "“Losing Earth.” That’s the title of The New York Times Magazine article
by Nathaniel Rich published August 1 in a special edition of the
magazine dedicated entirely to climate change."
AND
Extreme Weather Is Exploding Around the World. Why Isn’t the Media Talking About Climate Change? (video)Democracy Now!: "Major corporate broadcast networks reported on July’s 2-week global heat
wave at least 127 times, but mentioned climate change only once. That’s
according to a report by Media Matters, which tracked coverage of the
extreme weather by ABC, CBS and NBC."14) Valve Turner Michael Foster released from prison, arriving home in Seattle (from their newsletter)https://www.facebook.com/ClimateDirectAction/videos/2095844753998395/
"Michael
Foster was greeted at the Greyhound station by his community at
midnight -- joyful people, flowers, and hugs abounding. The crowd
scooted off to a late night diner where the waitstaff commented they’d
never taken so many vegan burger orders. Michael had a chance to share
stories and reflections before heading home with sweetie Sue at nearly
3am.
“Six months, went by like nothing. Somebody just got released
last month after 43 years of being unjustly imprisoned after a police
raid, I think it was Philadelphia, in the 70s*. And I got to sit in a
retreat center for 6 months. So I feel like the luckiest guy on earth -
and I don’t plan on going back, unless it’s for a really good cause. And
I’m really really really really glad to see people I really love and
people who want to make a difference in the world. Because the city and
complicated life, all this stuff, and the pollution and the crap we have
to do everyday, I didn’t miss any of that… And I’m really not looking
forward to being part of it again. I’m gonna try really hard not to be
part of that.”
This month we’ve seen record breaking temperatures
across the globe, Algeria, Japan, South Korea, and the United States.
Fire hellscapes abound, California, Greece, and even the Arctic, with a
hundred deaths and counting. And in more bad news, it’s reported that by
the end of the century, the North China plain, home to 400 million
people, will be uninhabitable. But, the question is not just when life
will be unbearable but for whom it is already so -- in this dire time
when children are being stripped from their parents and all civil
liberties are under attack, we are being given a preview of what more is
to come under climate change.
It’s ever more apparent that our
disruptive actions are completely necessary, if not restrained. We hope
to have a date for the Minnesota trial next week. And we hope that the
potential jurists in Minnesota are also taking note of the global
climate catastrophe, as the impacts of shifting weather patterns very
noticeably settle into Northern Minnesota."
*The person released from prison was Debbie Africa from MOVE - go to our Facebook page to see that report.
Mongobay: "It can be particularly tempting for climate activists to adopt negative
messages about wildfire and link them with global warming as a means of
building public concern about dangers from anthropogenic climate change.
While such efforts are well-intentioned, in this essay I examine how
negative messages about wildfire will ultimately backfire for climate
activists by inadvertently giving cover to logging schemes that are
harmful to forests and the climate."16) Brazil Judge Suspends Use of Agrochemical Glyphosatehttps://sustainablepulse.com/2018/08/07/brazil-judge-suspends-use-of-agrochemical-glyphosate/#.W2wH6rjLezZ
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!
Saturday, August 11, 2:00 - 3:30 PM
Protecting Sonoma County's Forests--What You Can Do
Northwest Santa Rosa Library - 150 Coddingtown Ctr, Santa Rosa
Forest Unlimited Executive
Director and Educator Rick Coates will lead this presentation.
For more info: https://sonomacounty.libcal.com/event/4295021
Monday,
August 20, 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, August 23, 7pm
350 Sonoma
For more info go to Facebook350 Sonoma or
webpage 350sonoma.org. Email 350Sono...@gmail.com
Saturday, September 8, 10 AM
Embarcadero Plaza, San Francisco
RISE March for Climate, Jobs, and Justice
Get on the bus in Sonoma & Marin County: http://bit.ly/sonmarinrise
Let's mobilize EVERYONE for this important march!
For more info contact 350Sono...@gmail.com
Tuesday, September 11 - Thursday, September 13, 9am-9pm
The National Heirloom Expo
Sonoma County Fairground, Santa Rosa
$30 for 3 days, $15 for 1 day, kids free
The "World's Fair of Pure Food" - exhibits, speakers, vendors, workshops, food, and fun!
(Editor's note: Don't miss this awesome event!)
September 17, 2018
6-8pm – Potential Strategies for Zero
Waste
October 22, 2018
6-8pm - Draft Zero Waste
Plan
Finley Community Center, Person Senior Wing, Room
1
2060
West College Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
December 6, 5-8 PM
Holiday Networking Party
& Awards for Leadership in Post-fire Ecosystem Regeneration
Sebastopol
Grange
Sonoma County Conservation Council: sc...@sonic.net
Volunteer Opportunities
• We need a list of Mexican restaurants and taquerias for a mailing about GMOs in corn products.
* Please help promote and attend the RISE march on September 8: http://CA.RISEFORCLIMATE.org
for bus info: http://bit.ly/sonmarinrise
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.