EARTH ACTION IN THE NEWS - January 11, 2018

1 view
Skip to first unread message

Emerald

unread,
Jan 11, 2018, 10:26:01 AM1/11/18
to OSC - Earth Action Campaign
Occupy Sonoma County
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.

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.

​

​1) Portland, ME Becomes an Organic City, Banning Toxic Pesticides on Public and Private Property
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2018/01/portland-becomes-organic-city-banning-toxic-pesticides-public-private-property/
Portland in Maine is not Portland in Oregon but this is a major community win that took over two years of activism and it paid off.  Now we all have a template for doing this everywhere.  This is awesome!

2) ​A Radical Vision for Food: Everyone Growing It for One Another
https://www.ecowatch.com/growing-food-locally-2520120870.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=81d4d3f9cd-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-81d4d3f9cd-86095421
YES! Magazine: "Capitalism and its cash economy seem to lead inexorably to exploitation and wealth disparity, a few haves and mostly have-nots. But perhaps food can be the leading edge toward a sustainable, resilient economy of abundance."

3) 'Polar Vortex,' 'Winter Storm Grayson' and 'Bombogenesis': What Do They Mean?
https://www.ecowatch.com/polar-vortex-climate-change-2522395530.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=81d4d3f9cd-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-81d4d3f9cd-86095421
AND
'Bomb Cyclone' Brings Freezing Weather as Grid Debate Intensifies
https://www.ecowatch.com/bomb-cyclone-east-coast-2522421312.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=4667ecd3c6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-4667ecd3c6-86095421
Climate Nexus: "Temperatures continue in their second week of freezing lows in much of the U.S. as the Northeast braces for an intense "bomb cyclone" storm expected to hit Thursday."


4) Belize Ends Oil Operations in Its Ocean Waters
https://www.ecowatch.com/belize-offshore-drilling-wwf-2522728566.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=620f00f820-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-620f00f820-86095421
World Wildlife Fund: "Today is a great day for Belize," said Nadia Bood, Mesoamerican reef scientist at World Wildlife Fund. "Not only has its government listened to calls to protect the Belize Barrier Reef, which only last year was under threat from seismic oil exploration, it has stepped up to become a world leader in ocean protection by ending all oil activity in its waters."

5) New Study Showing Ozone Recovery Hailed as Model for Tackling Climate Crisis
https://www.ecowatch.com/ozone-recovery-2522813339.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=620f00f820-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-620f00f820-86095421
Common Dreams: "While CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances were phased out by the mid-1990s, the study notes that the Antarctic ozone hole "is healing slowly" because the man-made substances that caused the hole in the first place "have long lifetimes."  Given that fact, researchers believe that it could be several decades before the ozone hole is eliminated altogether."

6) Severe Coral Reef Bleaching Now ‘Five Times More Frequent’ Than 40 Years Ago
https://www.ecowatch.com/coral-bleaching-climate-change-2522712130.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=620f00f820-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-620f00f820-86095421
Carbon Brief: "The scale of bleaching has been rising steadily in the last four decades, a study author told Carbon Brief, with the global proportion of coral being hit by bleaching per year rising from 8 percent in the 1980s to 31 percent in 2016."
AND
Oceans Losing Oxygen at Breathtaking Speeds
https://www.ecowatch.com/oceans-oxygen-levels-2522696200.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=4667ecd3c6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-4667ecd3c6-86095421
"Ocean dead zones quadrupled in size since 1950, while low oxygen sites around the world increased tenfold, threatening large swaths of marine life, scientists warned in a study released on Friday.  Major extinction events in Earth's history have been associated with warm climates and oxygen-deficient oceans," the analysis published in the journal Science stated."


7) We Ignore Urgent Global Warnings at Our Peril
https://www.ecowatch.com/global-warnings-2522095642.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=620f00f820-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-620f00f820-86095421
David Suzuki: "With a groundswell of organized grassroots efforts, dogged opposition can be overcome and political leaders compelled to do the right thing. It's also time to re-examine and change our individual behaviors, including limiting our own reproduction (ideally to replacement level at most) and drastically diminishing our per capita ­consumption of fossil fuels, meat and other resources."

8) Good News: EVs Are Not Crashing the Grid
https://www.ecowatch.com/electric-vehicle-news-2520451145.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=620f00f820-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-620f00f820-86095421
Natural Resources Defense Council: "California brings welcome news for all states experiencing and accelerating EV growth. Rather than crashing the grid, grid impacts from EVs to date in the country's largest market have been marginal. Moreover, time of use rates are transparent, effective tools for contributing to grid reliability and flexibility while driving greater fuel cost savings for EV drivers. Therefore, states, utilities and grid planners need not fear transportation electrification; they should embrace it."

9) What Can Be Done to Make Computers More Efficient?
https://www.ecowatch.com/computer-waste-2520685997.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=620f00f820-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-620f00f820-86095421


10) China Ends Production of 553 Car Models to Fight Air Pollution
https://www.ecowatch.com/china-air-pollution-solutions-2522103145.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=78ed347af1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-78ed347af1-86095421
Climate Nexus: "While the government estimates the suspension will affect only 1 percent of vehicle production, the move is the latest effort from China to crack down on air pollution, promote electric vehicles and phase out fossil fuel cars. "
AND
China Leading on World’s Clean Energy Investment, Says Report
https://www.ecowatch.com/china-clean-energy-investment-2524206487.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=2a120f5d18-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-2a120f5d18-86095421


11) Cuomo Commits to Set Energy Efficiency Goal for New York
https://www.ecowatch.com/energy-efficiency-new-york-2522115900.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=78ed347af1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-78ed347af1-86095421
Natural Resources Defense Council: "Cuomo's commitment to achieve 50 percent renewables supply by 2030 has transformed the state's renewable energy landscape, an ambitious efficiency target announced on Earth Day, combined with a plan to support efficiency investments necessary to reach that target, could transform New York into a national leader on energy efficiency."

12) Pennsylvania Suspends Mariner East 2 Pipeline Construction
https://www.ecowatch.com/mariner-east-2-pipeline-construction-2522380926.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=78ed347af1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-78ed347af1-86095421
DeSmogBlog: "Pennsylvania suspended permits for Sunoco Pipeline on Wednesday, LP's $2.5 billion Mariner East 2 pipeline project, after finding that the company committed "egregious and willful violations" of state laws. The order directs Sunoco, a subsidiary of Dakota Access Pipeline builder Energy Transfer Partners, to stop Mariner East II construction activities across Pennsylvania... Energy Transfer Partners, parent company of Sunoco Pipeline, said that it did not plan to abandon construction efforts... The announcement is a small step in the right direction, but the responsible course of action for Gov. Wolf is to stop Mariner East construction until and unless a public safety risk assessment is available," Caroline Hughes, a representative from Goshen United for Public Safety said. "Del-Chesco United intends to use this temporary halt to continue to call for the Mariner East risk assessment which Gov. Wolf should have undertaken from the beginning."  Other grassroots activists have staged tree sits and other protests to halt Mariner East II's construction at a Camp White Pine in Huntington County."

13) Beijing Meets Air Quality Improvement Goals With Crackdown on Polluters
https://www.ecowatch.com/beijing-air-quality-improvement-2522381997.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=78ed347af1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-78ed347af1-86095421
"Brought about in 2013 by public anger over frequently hazardous air pollution levels, the initiative received a late push from the government in October to ensure 2017 targets were met. The push included 27 other northern Chinese cities.
To reduce air pollution, Beijing closed nearly 2000 factories in the cement, foundry and furniture sectors and shut down coal power plants in the past five years. The city also took nearly 2 million high-emission vehicles off the road.In north China's drive to switch to residential winter heating systems, it began phasing out coal-powered boilers to switch to gas or electric-powered equipment. It also shut down or curbed production at heavy industrial plants."

14) 10 Top Conservation Tech Innovations From 2017
https://www.ecowatch.com/conservation-tech-innovations-2522754536.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=ce735a4595-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-ce735a4595-86095421

15) Scorching Heat Melts Highway in Australia
https://www.ecowatch.com/australia-heat-wave-2523549263.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=ce735a4595-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-ce735a4595-86095421
"Extreme weather is blasting opposite ends of the globe.  As the northeastern U.S. faces freezing winds and record snowfall, a “catastrophic" heat wave in Australia has prompted warnings of dangerous bushfire and has literally melted part of a busy highway. "
AND
Hundreds of Flying Foxes 'Boil' in Extreme Australia Heat
https://www.ecowatch.com/australia-heat-wave-flying-foxes-2523930457.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=2a120f5d18-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-2a120f5d18-86095421
"About 204 dead bats, mostly juvenile, were collected. However, the final death toll "could run to thousands," WIRES Wildlife Rescue group said. The bats “basically boil" in the extreme heat. “It affects their brain—their brain just fries and they become incoherent." Because of climate change, there was not much that could be done to prevent a similar incident from occurring again. Scientists have declared 2017 as one of the hottest years in modern history. EcoWatch reported earlier this week that the triple-digit heat wave in several parts of Australia has also prompted warnings of dangerous bushfire and has literally melted part of a busy highway."


16) Fears of Environmental Disaster After Oil Tanker Collision
https://www.ecowatch.com/oil-tanker-china-2523581855.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=5e610f577a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-5e610f577a-86095421

17) Washington activists launch ‘Climate Countdown’ to push lawmakers for urgent action
https://wagingnonviolence.org/2018/01/washington-activists-launch-climate-countdown-urge-action-lawmakers/
Waging Nonviolence: "As Washington state senators prepared for the first legislative session of 2018 at the capitol building in Olympia yesterday, their traditional welcome ceremony was disrupted by at least a hundred activists who had made their way into the balconies. From there they delivered a loud message for all in attendance: “We have a climate crisis. You need to act now!” The demonstration was part of an effort organizers are calling Climate Countdown, a campaign pressuring Democrats to pass and implement legislation that reduces carbon emissions. With a Democratic majority in both legislative chambers, organizers from a handful of organizations, from local 350.org chapters to indigenous groups, believe this is the perfect — and perhaps the only — opportunity to act."

18) South Australia is GM-free-secure till 2025
http://www.gmwatch.org/en/news/latest-news/17981-south-australia-is-gm-free-secure-till-2025
GM Watch: "South Australia [SA] is set to extend its ban on the growing of GM crops until 2025 after a bill put forward by the Greens passed the Upper House by a single vote."

19) America’s Corn Syrup Habit Could Fill New Jersey
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-20/america-s-corn-syrup-habit-could-fill-new-jersey
Bloomberg: "The sheer productivity of the corn crop—the weight of the grain grown for syrup alone tops the combined mass of every U.S. adult—and its versatile uses are what’s made the $51.7 billion crop the American farm king, said Pat Westhoff, an agricultural economist at the University of Missouri in Columbia. "

20) UK Bans Microbeads to Protect Oceans as Lawmakers Eye More Anti-Plastic Laws
https://www.ecowatch.com/microbeads-ban-uk-2523906473.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=2a120f5d18-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-2a120f5d18-86095421

21) World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm Could Send Power to Five Countries
https://www.ecowatch.com/offshore-wind-farm-netherlands-2523620979.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=5e610f577a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-5e610f577a-86095421
"The proposed wind farm, spearheaded by Dutch electric grid operator, TenneT, could produce 30 gigawatts of power—or enough electricity to power a city of 20 million people. That's more than twice the amount of offshore wind power installed across Europe today."

 

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!


Sonoma Solidarity with Standing Rock Meeting
Saturday, January 13, 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, January 15, 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.


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


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.


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.
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages