EARTH ACTION IN THE NEWS - June 13, 2019

[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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BREAKTHROUGH!

Sonoma County Pulls Plug on Roundup, other Synthetic Herbicides

https://newsofthenorthbay.com/2019/06/sonoma-county-pulls-plug-on-roundup-other-synthetic-herbicides/?fbclid=IwAR0VRxBy7egagYC_Vv6ifQfw8TZCnNJtu8X6omayorypYGXbHgE_ekkilVg

Great news! Now let's go for a total ban in the whole county including residential.

Urban Leaders Gather in Tokyo to Urge Climate Action

https://thediplomat.com/2019/05/urban-leaders-gather-in-tokyo-to-urge-climate-action/

These 27 Women Are Leading the Charge to Protect Our Environment

https://www.elle.com/culture/a27733802/women-in-conservation-list/

BAYER/MONSANTO
Iowa couple's lawsuit blames Roundup for cancer diagnosis
https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-couples-lawsuit-blames-roundup-for-cancer-diagnosis/27758466

GMOs, GLYPHOSATE & TOXINS

USDA investigates unapproved GMO wheat found in Washington state

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-wheat-gmo-idUSKCN1T900O

Pesticide Use Kills Off Mosquito Predators Faster than Target Mosquitoes

https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2019/06/pesticide-use-kills-off-mosquito-predators-faster-than-target-mosquitoes/

Study Documents Playgrounds Contaminated with Pesticides from Neighboring Chemical-Intensive Ag Land

https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2019/06/study-documents-playgrounds-contaminated-with-pesticides-from-neighboring-chemical-intensive-ag-land/

FOSSIL FUELS

Top climate scientist blasts UK’s fracking plans as 'aping Trump’

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/13/top-climate-scientist-james-hansen-attacks-uk-fracking-plans?CMP=share_btn_tw

PIPELINES

Exclusive: Enbridge Is Behind This Front Group Pushing the Company’s Line 3 Oil Pipeline Project

https://www.desmogblog.com/2019/06/06/enbridge-minnesotans-line-3-front-group-oil-pipeline

PLASTIC & POLLUTION

You eat thousands of bits of plastic every year

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/06/you-eat-thousands-of-bits-of-plastic-every-year/?cmpid=org=ngp::mc=social::src=twitter::cmp=editorial::add=tw20190606env-eatingmicroplastic::rid=&sf213895399=1

Just 10 streams carry 95% of all river-borne plastic into the ocean

https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/these-10-rivers-carry-95-of-all-plastic-into-the-ocean?xrs=RebelMouse_tw#b49de

Will Ohio River Get Optional Pollution Limits as New Fracking-Reliant Plastics Industry Moves in?

https://www.desmogblog.com/2019/06/05/ohio-river-valley-commission-pollution-standards-petrochemical-plastics

GREEN NEW DEAL

The climate crisis is our third world war. It needs a bold response
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/04/climate-change-world-war-iii-green-new-deal

WAKE UP CALL

Satellite data shows Amazon deforestation rising under Brazil's Bolsonaro

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-environment-deforestation-idUSKCN1T52OQ

Scotland faces climate 'apocalypse' without action to cut emissions

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/may/31/scotland-apocalypse-action-cut-emissions?CMP=share_btn_tw

India heat wave triggers clashes over water

https://www.dw.com/en/india-heat-wave-triggers-clashes-over-water/a-49110943?maca=en-Twitter-sharing

Climate change is already affecting global food production—unequally

https://phys.org/news/2019-05-climate-affecting-global-food-productionunequally.html

Industrial methane emissions are 100 times higher than reported, researchers say

https://phys.org/news/2019-06-industrial-methane-emissions-higher.html

The end of the Arctic as we know it

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/07/oceans-demise-the-end-of-the-arctic-as-we-know-it

The Climate Crisis Is Here. It’s Time We Started Acting Like It
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-06-07/mike-bloomberg-s-beyond-carbon-the-climate-crisis-is-now

THINK TANK & STRATEGY

Finland pledges to become carbon neutral by 2035

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/04/finland-pledges-to-become-carbon-neutral-by-2035?CMP=share_btn_tw

'This Is an Emergency. We Need the Democrats to Act Like It': Outrage as DNC Announces It Will Not Host 2020 Debate on Climate Crisis

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/06/06/emergency-we-need-democrats-act-it-outrage-dnc-announces-it-will-not-host-2020?cd-origin=rss

The Future of Bay Area Open Space and Housing

https://baynature.org/2019/06/04/the-future-of-bay-area-open-space-and-housing/#.XPmOYK3PVCU.twitter

Rewild a quarter of UK to fight climate crisis, campaigners urge

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/21/rewild-quarter-uk-fight-climate-crisis-campaigners-urge?CMP=share_btn_tw

DIRECT ACTIONS

Judges Give Both Sides a Grilling in Youth Climate Case Against the Government

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/climate/climate-lawsuit-juliana.html

9th Circuit Panel Hears Arguments in Youth Climate Lawsuit
https://www.klcc.org/post/9th-circuit-panel-hears-arguments-youth-climate-lawsuit

A March Through Heat, Felony Threats, and Pollution Brings Louisiana’s Cancer Alley to Governor’s Attention

https://www.desmogblog.com/2019/06/05/march-pollution-coalition-death-alley-louisiana-cancer-alley-governor?amp&__twitter_impression=true

Malibu Youth Join National Movement to Combat Climate Catastrophe

http://www.malibutimes.com/news/article_fcafeb7e-887f-11e9-9b67-27d54e124b8a.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

Teen activists face US government in crucial hearing over climate trial

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/04/teen-activists-face-us-government-in-crucial-hearing-over-climate-trial?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium=&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1559687032

School Strike for Climate: A day in the life of Ugandan student striker Leah Namugerwa

https://www.earthday.org/2019/06/06/school-strike-for-climate-a-day-in-the-life-of-fridays-for-future-uganda-student-striker-leah-namugerwa/?fbclid=IwAR2R7HF6qaCDGNpqnU2wZRJ9GAswRsx42DRD5hj9fbzDM8NVvNT24jVunM4#.XPytWy7N5Co.twitter

US schools accused of censoring climate crisis message in graduation speeches

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jun/07/climate-crisis-emergency-graduation-message-censoring-class-of-0000?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_b-gdnnews&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1559912758

These Canadian students are striking to demand action on climate change. Every single week
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2019/05/31/fridaysforfuture-climate-change-strikes-take-place-across-canada-every-friday.html?fbclid=IwAR3R_TImhG7OaylcnsJ5fEQY2P3mdwOV8IoPY-LXuXIxUOcMRH08mq6DHds

SUSTAINABLE LIVING

Copper Caper: There's a snake in the garden of organic wine
https://www.bohemian.com/northbay/copper-caper/Content?oid=8821999

ENDING ON A POSITIVE

Philadelphia introduces 25 new electric buses, claims largest zero-emissions fleet on East Coast

https://electrek.co/2019/06/06/philadelphia-electric-buses-east-coast/

Take Action - Get Involved!

June 1-30
A Prize If You Took The May Meat Challenge
We have a prize from our co-sponsor at Community Market for everyone who participated.  Please fill out our survey to give us your feedback and claim your prize.  Thank you for participating in the May Meat Challenge to reduce greenhouse gas and the impact of animal agriculture on climate change.
Click this link to fill out the survey and claim your prize: http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SSPJKM2
http://OccupySonomaCounty.org/MayMeatChallenge

Monday, June 17, 7-9 PM
Occupy Sonoma County Earth Action Campaign Meeting
We will be discussing our plans for Plastic Free July - and other stuff.
Peace & Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa
For more information go to http://OccupySonomaCounty.org or call 707-877-6650 (website contact preferred)

 

Saturday, June 29 (the last Saturday every month)
Community Seed Exchange
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 500 Robinson Rd., Sebastopol
9-10:30 Optional Work Party
11-12 Free Workshop

9-12:30 Seed Library
For more info: communitys...@gmail.com

 

July 1-31
Plastic Free July
OSC will be participating in this annual global campaign.  Please join millions of people worldwide and add your number to the count by signing up now at http://PlasticFreeJuly.org. 

 

Monday, July 22, 7-9 PM

Occupy Sonoma County Presents

Fight Climate Change with Zero Waste Strategies
Presented by Portia Sinnott, Zero Waste Action - Sonoma County & Zero Waste USA

Peace & Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa

For more information go to http://OccupySonomaCounty.org or call 707-877-6650 (website contact preferred)

Monday, July 29, 7-9 PM
Sonoma County Climate Activist Network (SoCoCAN!)
Peace & Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa 95401
Please submit campaign proposals in writing: SonomaC...@gmail.com or to the SoCoCAN listserv (preferred)
Facilitator for this meeting: June
Notetaker: You? Please let us know if you can take notes for this meeting

Wednesday, July 31 8 AM - 5 PM

North Bay Zero Waste Symposium

Presentations on how to achieve waste diversion goals, the inner workings of the resource recovery industry, and more
Keynote speakers: Recology CEO Mike Sangiacomo and international zero waste lifestyle extraordinaire Bea Johnson
SOMO Village Events Center, Rohnert Park

Space is limited, register here: https://zerowastenorthbay.org/

Friday, September 20

Global Climate Strike
https://globalclimatestrike.net/

Volunteer

• OSC is putting on teach-ins on July 22 (zero waste), September 23 & 30 (democracy) and in November (effective organizing).  Please adopt the bulletin boards where you already shop.  Download flyers from our website or pick them up at the Peace & Justice Center Monday-Friday 1-4 PM.  Please let us know what bulletin boards you can cover.  Thank you.
• If you are an experienced builder who can help us build raised bed garden boxes please contact us.  We also need help delivering them if you have a truck.  This could be an occasional or ongoing project.

• Help is needed with editing our teach-in videos.  Even just one hour of help would be useful.

• We need an email list of bars and restaurants in Sonoma County for several of our educational campaigns, including one we are planning for Plastic Free July.

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.