EARTH ACTION IN THE NEWS - September 12, 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.
If you wish to reduce email volume switch your membership to the digest or abridged version.
Please refrain from posting petitions or donation requests without OSC approval. Thank you for joining us.
Go to our Facebook and Twitter pages to share these articles already posted there.
If you are uncomfortable clicking on links in an email you can cut and paste the link into your browser.
https://youtu.be/QAN4xg8-rrg
Because 'A World Without Insects Is Not Worth Living In,' Germany Announces Plan to Ban Glyphosate
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/09/04/because-world-without-insects-not-worth-living-germany-announces-plan-ban-glyphosate?cd-origin=rss&utm_term=AO&utm_campaign=Weekly%20Newsletter&utm_content=email&utm_source=Weekly%20Newsletter&utm_medium=Email
The Netherlands — Fossil Cars Down 20%, Electrics Up 75%
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/09/02/the-netherlands-fossil-cars-down-20-electrics-up-75/
GMOs, GLYPHOSATE & TOXINS
US Beekeepers File Suit Against EPA Charging “Illegal” Approval of Insecticide
https://truthout.org/articles/us-beekeepers-file-suit-against-epa-charging-illegalapproval-of-insecticide/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=cf23b66d-d3e5-4f18-a353-8046aedcb1c3
FOSSIL FUELS
Major US Insurer Says It Will No Longer Underwrite and Invest in Coal
https://truthout.org/articles/first-major-us-insurance-company-to-stop-insuring-and-investing-in-coal/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=43043bab-a853-4679-8b8e-5a638e149eec
POLLUTION
Garza: Plastic in Lake Tahoe? It’s pretty much everywhere
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/opinion/9971484-181/garza-plastic-in-lake-tahoe?bt_ee=m%2B0KqMsUrupQEpx1F3%2FVuOaHKX8cEifcGFGy2eoAJnrra1PrIwgvTVAQ0O4kyW6F&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pd_daily&bt_alias=eyJ1c2VySWQiOiAiZGY4NDcwY2ItYzQ4NC00MzYxLTk3MDUtNGUyYTIxYmFmOGQyIn0%3D&utm_term=d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e&utm_source=boomtrain&bt_ts=1567199402921&sba=AAS
"Microplastic is what becomes of plastic items that are not recycled orburned. Made from petroleum and natural gas, plastic does not biodegradelike paper or food waste, but breaks down into smaller and smaller bits. And since very little of the approximately 83 billion metric tons of plastic that have been produced in the past 70 years has been recycled, that’s a lot of microplastic floating around out there."
GREEN NEW DEAL
Rep. Mike Thompson emphasizes regional solutions at climate change town hall
https://tinyurl.com/yygp9g3v (Press Democrat)
"The event drew a standing room-only audience estimated at about 400 people between students and community members who attended to hear from the 20-year House veteran and local environmental advocates on the efforts in Washington, D.C., and the region to take on the global threat.“Climate change is the most important issue facing us as a people,” Thompson told the crowd. “We’ve got a lot of other problems that we need to work on, butif we don’t get this one right, nothing else matters. We’ll have no world to pass on to our future generations.” A focus on aspirational goals and action that can help set the nation’s agenda were frequent talking points from both Thompson, who was an early co-sponsor of the Green New Deal legislation, and a panel of experts, including researchers and activists. Each emphasized a need to move quickly to make changes at both regulatory and individual levels to prevent even greater harm to the planet."
After DNC Rejects Climate Debate, Candidates Discuss Green New Deal, Environmental Justice at Forum (video)
https://www.democracynow.org/2019/9/5/after_dnc_rejects_climate_debate_candidates?utm_source=Democracy+Now%21&utm_campaign=077aff9b2a-Daily_Digest_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-077aff9b2a-191276697
WAKE UP CALL
https://truthout.org/articles/alaskas-sea-ice-completely-melted-for-first-time-in-recorded-history/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=3588536e-c215-486e-a157-4bc086011d45
How Bolsonaro’s Climate Change Denial & Anti-Indigenous Policies Led to Massive Fires in the Amazon (video)
https://www.democracynow.org/2019/8/28/brazil_jair_bolsonaro_unprecedented_amazon_fires?utm_source=Democracy+Now%21&utm_campaign=3a1d66831b-Daily_Digest_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-3a1d66831b-191276697
Millionaire CEO Is Bankrolling Think Tank Pushing Climate Denial
https://truthout.org/articles/millionaire-ceo-is-bankrolling-think-tank-pushing-climate-denial/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=7297a691-3349-48aa-9f7f-2610b8841b67
“We Are on the Frontline”: Despite Tiny Carbon Footprint, Bahamas Is Ground Zero of Climate Crisis (video)
https://www.democracynow.org/2019/9/6/dorian_bahamas_climate_crisis?utm_source=Democracy+Now%21&utm_campaign=88803175c8-Daily_Digest_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-88803175c8-191276697
Will Deforestation and Warming Push the Amazon to a Tipping Point?
https://e360.yale.edu/features/will-deforestation-and-warming-push-the-amazon-to-a-tipping-point
The air conditioning trap: how cold air is heating the world
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/29/the-air-conditioning-trap-how-cold-air-is-heating-the-world
"Buying an air conditioner is perhaps the most popular individual response to climate change, and air conditioners are almost uniquely power-hungry appliances: a small unit cooling a single room, on average, consumes more power than running four fridges, while a central unit cooling an average house uses more power than 15. “Last year in Beijing, during a heatwave,
50% of the power capacity was going to air conditioning,” says John Dulac, an analyst at the International Energy Agency (IEA)."
Understanding the human side of climate change relocation
https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-06-10/understanding-human-side-climate-change-relocation
THINK TANK & STRATEGY
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/09/02/attacks-greta-thunberg-say-allies-show-just-how-terrified-reactionary-forces-have?cd-origin=rss&utm_term=AO&utm_campaign=Weekly%20Newsletter&utm_content=email&utm_source=Weekly%20Newsletter&utm_medium=Email
Austerity-Obsessed Europe Could Combat Climate Change Without Raising Taxes
https://truthout.org/articles/austerity-obsessed-europe-could-combat-climate-change-without-raising-taxes/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=3588536e-c215-486e-a157-4bc086011d45
Shut It Down: Veteran Organizer Lisa Fithian Offers a Guide to Resistance in Era of Climate Crisis (video)
https://www.democracynow.org/2019/9/6/lisa_fithian_activism_shut_it_down?utm_source=Democracy+Now%21&utm_campaign=88803175c8-Daily_Digest_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-88803175c8-191276697
"Our tactics have got to be escalating. They’ve got to be beautiful. They’ve got to be telling our story through the pictures of it, which is why when I block bridges, I like to do it with the image of what we’re fighting for."
The fallacy of climate activism
https://grist.org/article/2009-08-23-the-fallacy-of-climate-activism/
DIRECT ACTIONS
https://www.democracynow.org/2019/8/29/greta_thunberg_nyc_climate_activists?utm_source=Democracy+Now%21&utm_campaign=3c6d84606e-Daily_Digest_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-3c6d84606e-191276697
SUSTAINABLE LIVING
SMART cites its grant haul of more than $300 million in tax renewal pitch
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/9996796-181/smart-cites-its-grant-haul?utm_term=d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e&bt_ee=YNZcIuDO+sZgdIz78koSbJireGRQj29JuDF0TqKW4WEixvSbolXuYCdWfOBcI0kq&bt_ts=1567987201980&utm_source=boomtrain&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pd_daily&utm_term=ad8e6cac3284183e0c31c7abd0557b09&bt_ee=HhPy3aDL8ju%2BWxRMJrPCG3HUqUgwpsih5SIY5GtHq8Wx5B3xiJlxV3tU0klxu8c1&bt_ts=1567987201898&artslide=1&sba=AAS
ENDING ON A POSITIVE
https://truthout.org/articles/global-renewable-energy-has-quadrupled-over-the-past-decade/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=92d24b98-5012-4666-9478-06ad4c553585
Monday, September 16, 7-9 PM (There is NO Earth Action meeting in August)
Occupy Sonoma County Earth Action Campaign Meeting
OSC
will be discussing our Earth Action campaigns and event plans for next
year. Bring your ideas and proposals to this meeting.
Peace & Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa
For more information go to http://OccupySonomaCounty.org or call 707-877-6650
(website contact preferred)
Friday, September 20 noon
Millions of school strikers have shown us they’re serious about climate action. Adults, will you join our youth?
https://globalclimatestrike.net/
Saturday, September 21, 8:30–11:30 AM
Russian Riverkeeper clean up
Ukiah to Monte Rio on the same day as the California Coastal Cleanup
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/32nd-annual-russian-river-watershed-cleanup-tickets-68532862637?aff=odeimcmailchimp&mc_cid=1ad8876823&mc_eid=f2dea150de
UNITED STATES OF DISTRACTION
MEDIA MANIPULATION IN POST-TRUTH AMERICA
(AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT)
Peace and Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
For more info: http://OccupySonomaCounty.org or call 707-877-6650 (website contact preferred)
For more info: communityseedexchange@gmail.com
Permaculture Skills Center, 2185 Gravenstein Hwy S, Sebastopol 95472
For more info contact: permacultureskillscenter.org or 707-824-0836
Monday, October 7, 7-9 PM
Sonoma County Climate Activist Network
(SoCoCAN!)
Peace & Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa 95401
This meeting will be discussing and planning a summit for 2020 to bring together and expand the network
Time will be allocated for all groups to make reports and request help with their campaigns
Facilitator for this meeting: Woody
Notetaker: Jenny
For more info: SonomaC...@gmail.com
or to the SoCoCAN listserv (preferred)
Volunteer
• Make phone calls
from home for 1 hour every other month as follow up to our press releases.
No skill needed other than a pleasant phone demeanor.
Even once would be helpful.
• Please post flyers for our September teach-in at the bulletin boards where you already shop.
Download
event flyers from our website or pick them up at the Peace & Justice Center Monday-Friday 1-4 PM.
Let us know what bulletin boards you can
cover. Thank you.
• Experienced builder to
help us build raised bed garden boxes.
• Help delivering them if you have a truck.
• Help editing our teach-in videos.
•
We need an email list of bars and restaurants in Sonoma County.
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