EARTH ACTION IN THE NEWS - November 8, 2018 (Lots of good news this week!)

[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!

1) Putting Speed Bumps in Hurricane Alley

https://www.ecowatch.com/putting-speed-bumps-in-hurricane-alley-2616963339.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=d8075a2a1c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-d8075a2a1c-86095421

AND

2) UN: Healing Ozone Layer Shows Why Environmental Treaties Matter

https://www.ecowatch.com/un-healing-ozone-layer-environmental-treaties-2618070206.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=01274f3ae4-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-01274f3ae4-86095421

AND

3) Will This Case Finally Bring Down ExxonMobil’s Culture of Climate Deception?

https://www.ecowatch.com/new-york-attorney-general-lawsuit-exxon-2618069199.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=01274f3ae4-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-01274f3ae4-86095421

AND

4) Island Paradise Palau to Be First Country to Ban Reef-Killing Sunscreen

https://www.ecowatch.com/palau-suncreen-ban-coral-reefs-2617431146.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=b6b52d3a03-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-b6b52d3a03-86095421

AND

5) An Aquifer From the Ice Age Becomes a Battleground in New Mexico

https://www.ecowatch.com/aquifer-ice-age-new-mexico-2616863799.html

GMOs, GLYPHOSATE & PESTICIDES
6) Scientists Call for Ban on Organophosphate Pesticides
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2018/11/scientists-call-for-ban-on-organophosphate-pesticides/

AND

7) GMO Potato Creator Now Fears Its Impact on Human Health

https://www.ecowatch.com/gmo-potato-simplot-health-fears-2618087647.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=01274f3ae4-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-01274f3ae4-86095421

OIL & GAS
8) Oil & Gas Industry Giants Spend Millions in Attempt to Defeat Anti-Fracking Proposition in Colorado (video)
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/11/6/oil_gas_industry_giants_spend_millions?utm_source=Democracy+Now!&utm_campaign=4c466ddbaf-Daily_Digest_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-4c466ddbaf-191276697

PIPELINES
9) Big Banks Just Flunked Their Own Test on Climate, Indigenous Rights
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/06/big-banks-just-flunked-their-own-test-climate-indigenous-rights

ZERO WASTE

10) Ditch the Disposables (And What to Use Instead)

https://www.ecowatch.com/sustainably-sourced-products-2617388522.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=b6b52d3a03-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-b6b52d3a03-86095421

There are some good suggestions in here that you might not have thought of.  This is an ongoing process of reduce, reduce, reduce.  OSC does not recommend shopping at Amazon as suggested in this article, and if you buy wool products please research the source for animal cruelty.  I have a friend who cuddles her sheep and brings them into the kitchen to sleep on cold nights but few sheep farmers are this nice to their animals.  This is mostly a deplorable industry.  Look for second-hand wool instead.  Let us know about the recommended wool balls if you have information about them.  Not on this list is Bee's Wraps which OSC promotes as an alternative to plastic wrap in the kitchen.

WAKE UP CALL

11) The Best and Worst Midterm Results for the Environment

https://www.ecowatch.com/midterm-results-environment-climate-change-2618493194.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=d8075a2a1c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-d8075a2a1c-86095421

AND

12) A ‘great and merciless thinning:’ the vanishing world of insects  
https://www.opendemocracy.net/transformation/michael-malay/great-and-merciless-thinning-vanishing-world-of-insects?utm_source=Transformation&utm_campaign=2016276f10-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9f93c95423-2016276f10-408171033

AND
13) How the loss of Native American languages affects our understanding of the natural world
https://theconversation.com/how-the-loss-of-native-american-languages-affects-our-understanding-of-the-natural-world-103984

AND
14) New UN Report Warns of Impending Catastrophe as World Warms, Glaciers Melt
https://truthout.org/articles/new-un-report-warns-of-impending-catastrophe-as-world-warms-glaciers-melt/

AND

15) 5 Countries Control 70% of the World’s Remaining Wilderness

https://www.ecowatch.com/wilderness-countries-conservation-2617143636.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=63c7c8d099-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-63c7c8d099-86095421

AND

16) Noam Chomsky: The Future of Organized Human Life Is At Risk Thanks to GOP’s Climate Change Denial (video)
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/11/5/noam_chomsky_the_future_of_organized?utm_source=Democracy+Now%21&utm_campaign=c3a37044d8-Daily_Digest_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-c3a37044d8-191276697

THINK TANK & STRATEGY
17) Why I Have Hope in the Face of Human Extinction 
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/03/why-i-have-hope-face-human-extinction

AND

18) The City of Angels Funds Some Hellish Fossil Fuel Projects

https://www.ecowatch.com/los-angeles-fossil-fuels-amendment-2616813329.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=63c7c8d099-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-63c7c8d099-86095421

AND

19) $1 Billion Effort Launched to Protect 30% of the Planet by 2030

https://www.ecowatch.com/hansjrg-wyss-one-billion-wyss-foundation-2617424611.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=b6b52d3a03-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-b6b52d3a03-86095421

DIRECT ACTIONS
20) Students File Climate-Challenge Lawsuit Against R.I.
https://www.ecori.org/green-groups/2018/11/3/students-file-lawsuit-in-climate-challenge-against-rhode-island
AND
21) Australian students plan school strikes to protest against climate inaction 
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/07/australian-students-plan-school-strikes-to-protest-against-climate-inaction?CMP=share_btn_tw

AND
22) 'This Is Our Darkest Hour': With Declaration of Rebellion, New Group Vows Mass Civil Disobedience to Save Planet
https://tinyurl.com/y7aebujw

SUSTAINABLE LIVING

23) It's Time to Stop Paying for Pesticides With Our Health: Organic for All Must Become the Norm

https://www.ecowatch.com/organic-pesticides-health-foe-2617140140.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=01274f3ae4-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-01274f3ae4-86095421

ENDING ON A POSITIVE

24) This Supreme Court Decision Is the Best News of the Weekend

https://www.ecowatch.com/historic-youth-climate-case-moves-forward-2618043269.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=0d35999380-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-0d35999380-86095421

Take Action - Get Involved!

Thursday, November 8, 7-9 PM

The Reluctant Radical - Occupy Sonoma County film showing
Arlene Francis Center, 99 6th St., Santa Rosa
film about activist Ken Ward who turned off the valves to the US oil pipelines
Free with donations welcome
For more info: OccupySonomaCounty.org

Saturday, November 10, 1:30 - 4:30 PM
Sonoma Solidarity With Standing Rock meeting
Peace and Justice Center - 467 Sebastopol Avenue, Santa Rosa 
1:30 to 3:00 PM - Public Banking meeting
3:00 to 4:30 PM - Sonoma Solidarity with Standing Rock admin/divestment meeting
For more info, visit: www.sonomasolidarity.org

Monday, November 19, 7-9 PM

Occupy Sonoma County Earth Action Campaign Meeting
Peace & Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa
For more information go to http://OccupySonomaCounty.org or call 707-877-6650
(No meeting in December)

Wednesday, November 21, 7pm
350 Sonoma
For more info go to Facebook350 Sonoma or webpage 350sonoma.org. Email 350Sono...@gmail.com

Saturday November 24 (the last Saturday every month)

Community Seed Exchange 
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 500 Robinson Rd., Sebastopol
For more info: communityseedexchange@gmail.com
9-10:30 Optional Work Party
12-1 Free Workshop
9-12 Seed Library

Monday, December 3
Occupy Sonoma County Six Year Birthday!
And kick off to our month-long Winter Break (no meetings or newsletter in December)

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

Thurs. Dec. 6, 7:00-8:30 PM

Traditional Environmental Knowledge and Climate Change Presentation with Pomo Tribal Elder
Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa
$12

For more info: (707) 527-9277 or in...@lagunafoundation.org

Monday, February 4, 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: Anne Jacopetti

Volunteer Opportunities

• We are evaluating our practice of posting event flyers to bulletin boards.  The OSC person who does this drives an old truck so the cost to the environment is even more significant than what we are spending financially to cover Sonoma County's bulletin boards six times a year.  Some of us take flyers to the locations where we already shop.  If everyone did this we could cover the bulletin boards without someone driving around in an old truck.  Can you agree to cover the bulletin boards where you already shop?  Please let us know what bulletin boards you can cover.  Flyers can always be downloaded from our website.      

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.