EARTH ACTION IN THE NEWS - March 14, 2024

[OSC]

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!
Animal welfare group turns in signatures to Sonoma County registrar in bid to get ‘factory farming’ measure on ballot
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/animal-welfare-group-turns-in-signatures-to-sonoma-county-registrar-in-bid/

Citing “dangerous health risks,” US adds $1 billion to Superfund cleanup efforts
https://www.thenewlede.org/2024/02/citing-dangerous-health-risks-us-adds-1-billion-to-superfund-clean-up-efforts/

LOCAL REPORTS
Partially treated wastewater spills into Russian River after treatment plant power outage
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/partially-treated-wastewater-spills-into-russian-river-after-treatment-plan/
"Sonoma Water says rain-swollen Russian River quickly diluted spill between Guerneville and Monte Rio. Spill occurred March 1 and 2 after restoration of power at treatement plant reset equipment valves and caused overflow."

City to Implement a Short-term Multimodal Pilot Study

https://www.srcity.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2511

"The City of Santa Rosa is conducting its first school safety pilot study. This project is on Steele Lane from Meyers Drive to Rowe Drive in front of Steele Lane Elementary School. The pilot study will “road diet” Steele Lane from March 18 through May 24, meaning that one lane of traffic will be removed for several weeks."

The power of peer pressure
https://www.petaluma360.com/article/opinion/the-power-of-peer-pressure/
"Humans are pack animals, and we care deeply about our social status."

It’s not just toxic chemicals. Radioactive waste was also dumped off Los Angeles coast
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-02-21/radioactive-waste-ocean-dumping-los-angeles-coast

California Wildfire Smoke Impacts Indigenous Communities Nearly 2x More Than Expected

https://www.ecowatch.com/california-wildfire-smoke-indigenous-communities-impact.html

Don't Move A Mussel

https://www.dontmoveamussel.com

"There are currently no Quagga or zebra mussels in North Coast waterways, including Lake Sonoma, Lake Mendocino and Ruth Lake. Let’s keep it that way!"

GMOs, GLYPHOSATE & TOXINS

About Pesticides, The Precautionary Principle And Agroecology
https://www.panna.org/news/pesticides-agroecology/
"Agroecology embraces the Precautionary Principle by encouraging alternative practices to pesticide reliant farm and food systems. Agroecology seeks to protect human health and the environment, while still providing opportunities to harvest enough to feed our communities and have successful farms."

Phasing Out The Most Dangerous Pesticides Becomes A Global Commitment
https://www.panna.org/news/phasing-out-the-most-dangerous-pesticides-becomes-a-global-commitment/

"Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) are a subset of toxic pesticides that cause the most harm to people, biodiversity, and the environment. This fall, an important resolution on HHPs was adopted by governments and UN institutions at the world chemicals conference."

EPA moves to limit frequent chemical accidents

https://www.thenewlede.org/2024/03/epa-moves-to-limit-frequent-chemical-accidents/
"A network of environmental and economic justice organizations reported that hazardous chemical accidents have been occurring almost every day, on average, in the United States, exposing people to dangerous toxins through fires, explosions, leaks, spills and other types of releases."

Heavy metal exposure linked to problems for middle-aged women
https://www.thenewlede.org/2024/01/heavy-metal-exposure-linked-to-problems-for-middle-aged-women/

FOSSIL FUELS
What Will It Take To Defeat Big Oil?! by Woody Hastings
https://www.pjcsoco.org/article---what-will-it-take-to-defeat-big-oil.html?mc_cid=5b19ee750d&mc_eid=24fd63663b

Shell-Owned ‘Clean Energy’ Startup Features Oil and Gas Projects on Its Job Board

https://www.ecowatch.com/shell-clean-energy-startup-onward-greenwashing.html

Biden hits the brakes on controversial gas export projects
https://www.thenewlede.org/2024/01/biden-hits-the-brakes-on-controversial-gas-export-projects/

PLASTIC & POLLUTION
Can Mushrooms Really Break Down Plastic?
https://www.ecowatch.com/mushrooms-plastic-breakdown-ecowatch.html
"Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus pulmonarius — both types of oyster mushrooms — were found capable of degrading PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) plastic over 30 to 60 days. PET is commonly used to make plastic water bottles, 600 billion of which are produced every year and only a small percentage of which actually get recycled."

WAKE UP CALL
Antarctic Sea Ice Alarmingly Low for 3rd Year in a Row
https://www.ecowatch.com/antarctic-sea-ice-low-2024.html

El Niño Predicted to Supercharge Record Global Heating in 2024
https://www.ecowatch.com/el-nino-forecast-2024-global-heating.html

New report questions USDA support for certain climate “smart” practices
https://www.thenewlede.org/2024/02/new-report-questions-usda-support-for-certain-climate-smart-practices/

"There are a number of other practices, including regenerative prescribed grazing, cover cropping, and increased riparian buffers, that are far more effective at mitigating climate change and which can be employed by far more producers at lower cost per project."

Deforestation Could Put 84% of North American Lizards at Risk, Study Says

https://www.ecowatch.com/deforestation-lizards-vulnerable-north-america.html

Fashion Accountability Report Slams Brands Such as Temu, Fashion Nova and Skims for Environmental Impacts

https://www.ecowatch.com/fashion-accountability-report-remake-2024.html

THINK TANK & STRATEGY
The Ethics of Wildlife Conservation

https://rewilding.org/the-ethics-of-wildlife-conservation/

7 reasons why there’s more good news on climate change than you think

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/7-reasons-why-theres-more-good-news-on-climate-change-than-you-think-q7bmxtwck
"The data scientist Hannah Ritchie cuts through the doomsday warnings to explain the progress we’ve made, the actions each of us can take and why there’s plenty to feel hopeful about."

France Considers Penalties on Fast Fashion Companies to Offset Their Environmental Impact
https://www.ecowatch.com/france-fast-fashion-companies-penalty-fees.html

Biden’s DOE Announces $366 Million for Green Energy Projects in Rural and Remote Areas
https://www.ecowatch.com/biden-doe-renewable-energy-projects-rural-remote.html

Restoring Florida Everglades Depends Upon Fixing State’s Freshwater Flow, Conservationists Say

https://www.ecowatch.com/florida-everglades-restoration-freshwater-conservation.html

Coral Reef Restoration Can Help Provide ‘Full Recovery’ Within Four Years, Study Finds

https://www.ecowatch.com/coral-reef-restoration-recovery-timeline.html

DIRECT ACTIONS
Atlanta Police Foundation ignored records requests about role in Cop City, lawsuit claims
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/09/atlanta-police-foundation-records-requests-cop-city
"University of Georgia filed complaint on behalf of news outlet and transparency research organization, saying queries unanswered."

Supposed Land Back Bill is Really a Greenwashed Campaign to Corporatize Indigenous Lands for Timber (video)
https://youtu.be/K11W88SpxQ8?si=PnelZv4Eo9PIy8kx

See transcript below.

It’s Not What It Seems: French Farmers Protest Outside of Political Ideologies & Astroturfing in Alaska (audio & transcript)
https://www.projectcensored.org/french-farmers-protest-astroturfing-alaska/

(video)
https://youtu.be/8XEs5G4n-h8?si=P4K3dL7JTQU-PO5Q

SUSTAINABLE LIVING
Vertical Farming 101: Everything You Need to Know

https://www.ecowatch.com/vertical-farming-facts-ecowatch.html

Well-Managed Solar Parks Could Boost Pollinators in UK, Study Says
https://www.ecowatch.com/solar-parks-pollinator-habitats-vegetation-uk.html

Coconut Controversy

https://foodispower.org/our-food-choices/coconut-controversy/
"The Heartbreaking Truth Behind Your Coconut Products."

Growing Nut Trees (What You Need to Know)
https://melissaknorris.com/podcast/growing-nut-trees/

For a sustainable option consider growing hazelnuts.  They can even be trained to grow along a fence, more like a bush than a tree.

Hardline US stance ignores non-GM corn opportunity for American farmers
https://www.thenewlede.org/2024/02/hardline-us-stance-ignores-non-gm-corn-opportunity-for-american-farmers/

ENDING ON A POSITIVE

12 Easy Almond Pulp Recipes (Sweet & Savory)
https://minimalistbaker.com/12-easy-almond-pulp-recipes-sweet-savory/
Have you been making your own homemade almond milk and looking for ways to use the pulp?  Look around on this website for lots of other recipes too.

How to Make Almond Meal from Almond Pulp
https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-almond-meal-from-almond-pulp/
Another use for almond meal besides in cooking is to use it as a facial scrub and exfoliator.  No more microplastics in your facial scrub.  Keep a supply in a tight jar in the fridge with a small jar for regular use in the bathroom.

Rosemary Butternut Squash Soup

https://foodispower.org/recipes-meals/rosemary-butternut-squash-soup/

Be sure to use canned coconut milk such as Native Forest brand Classic style organic coconut milk or Simple style without guar gum, both available at Oliver's and Community Market.

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?

https://OccupySonomaCounty.org
https://OccupySonomaCounty.org/es (en español)
http://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.