WEEKLY CLIMATE ACTIONS

FEATURED ITEMS

CALIFORNIA ACTIONS

From Food & Water Watch: The California Air Resources Board (CARB) staff deliberately excluded dangerous factory farm biogas from discussions surrounding the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), one of California's key climate programs. Urge CARB and Governor Newsom to address the exclusion of factory farm biogas from the LCFS discussions HERE

NATIONAL ACTIONS

From Sierra Club: The Biden administration just announced historic new protections that will slash air, water, and carbon pollution from power plants. This is a HUGE win for the health of our communities and the climate. But Republicans in Congress are trying to undermine the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority and undo this great work. Tell your Senator to vote NO on any vote aimed at weakening crucial public health and climate protections HERE 

From Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL): The UN Ocean Conference has become one of the most important spaces for high-level discussions on ocean protection policy. But the topic of “oil and gas” and its impacts and risks are currently not on the agenda of the next UN Ocean Conference (UNOC). Send an email to the host countries to let them know how important it is for countries to address the threat to oceans posed by oil and gas HERE 

From Environment America: With just 75 Southern resident orcas left on the planet, we need action to save them from extinction. Dams along the Lower Snake River have cut spawning salmon off from the ocean, resulting in far less salmon to go around.Tell your U.S. senators to support breaching the Lower Snake River dams HERE 

From Center for Biological Diversity:  Next year nations from around the world will meet at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species meeting — CITES for short — to decide which animals and plants will be protected from global trade. Add your voice to declare that we must get serious about reining in the wildlife trade as it accelerates the global extinction crisis HERE 

From Earthjustice: The Biden administration has finally announced a new rule that increases minimum bonding rates, requiring oil and gas companies to take more responsibility for covering the costs of well clean-up, contamination, and remediation, and making it harder for operators with poor safety track records or a pattern of violations to obtain new leases.Tell the Biden administration to align fossil-fuel decisions on public lands and waters with our commitments o tackle climate change HERE 

From Environmental Action: U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.) recently introduced a bill to block the Biden administration’s proposed National Forest Plan Amendment, which would advance protections for old-growth forests. Tell your U.S. senators to stop this bad bill and protect our oldest forests HERE 

From NRDC: Extremist members of Congress have now introduced a new bill, H.R. 7408, that amounts to little more than a blatantly partisan effort to undercut the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and make it harder to protect imperiled wildlife and their habitats. Tell Congress that you strongly oppose any legislation that would undercut the ESA and threaten the recovery of our most vulnerable species HERE 

From The National Wildlife Federation: The insects, sagebrush, and flowering plants that provide protection and essential nutrition for sage-grouse chicks are disappearing. Speak out in support of  the federal government’s new proposal for the restoration of habitat that sage-grouse and more than 350 other species of conservation concern depend on HERE 

From Union of Concerned Scientists: With Texas and Florida barring local life-saving standards for workers facing heat exposure, now is the time to enact nationwide protections. Tell Congress to  pass the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act HERE 

INTERESTING & RELEVANT ARTICLES

Bill McKibben on Climate Crisis: How we got here and what we can do now. In this Earth Day special on environmental protection, Bill McKibben talks about the oil industry's PR campaign, how renewable energies can not only help the planet but also curb power abuse, and why global warming is an urgent matter that can only be solved if all generations work together HERE

Hot Science, Ten of the Hottest Stories: This edition from World Resources Institute and Bezos Earth Fund highlights the most significant climate science papers published in leading peer-reviewed journals with a focus on global temperature rise and surface albedo; GHG emissions and carbon removals; climatic changes across ice, permafrost, and the ocean; extreme weather events; and climate risks and impacts HERE 

The 15 Countries Using the Most Material Resources: To achieve our climate goals, material consumption needs to decline by more than half by 2050. Yet consumption is still increasing among nine of the fifteen countries with the largest material footprints. Explore the data and learn more about the Circular Economy with Systems Change Lab HERE 

Survey finds that 60 firms are responsible for half of world’s plastic pollution. Study confirms Altria, Philip Morris International, Danone, Nestlé, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola are worst offenders HERE Read the report HERE 

Plastic-production emissions could triple to one-fifth of Earth’s carbon budget – report. By the middle of the century, pollution from plastic industry could ‘undermine world’s effort’ to control climate crisis HERE 

Jeff Bridges - Plastic Poisons People. We Need a Strong Plastics Treaty Now. The evidence is clear. Plastic poisons people. For the sake of our own health, future generations, nature, and all life on our beautiful planet, we need a Global #PlasticsTreaty that limits plastic production and supports communities—especially people living near petrochemical, plastic, and waste facilities around the world. Watch the video HERE and sign the Plastics Treaty petition urging real solutions now HERE

Is There Such a Thing as “Better” Meat? It’s Complicated. More information HERE Download the report HERE 

Mexico City’s Metro System Is Sinking Fast. Yours Could Be Next. Subsidence is causing parts of Mexico City to sink, and it’s happening at an uneven rate. That’s bad news for its sprawling public transportation system HERE 

Clean energy’s dirty secret: the trail of waste left by India’s solar power boom. As vast solar plants multiply, so does the scrap, set to reach 19m tonnes by 2050. But disposing of the waste often falls to informal traders who risk injury when dismantling broken panels HERE

After 13 years, no end in sight for Caribbean sargassum invasion. Thousands of people were hurt by sargassum blooms last year in the Caribbean HERE

CLIMATE VICTORIES

California launches unprecedented targets to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. More information HERE 

Historic Court Decision Puts Big Polluters on Notice in Latin America. An international court ruled in favor of the people of La Oroya, Peru, finding that the government violated their right to a healthy environment. More information HERE

Nexamp nabs $520M to build community solar across the US. Community solar helps people who can’t get rooftop solar access the benefits of solar ownership. Developer Nexamp just raised a boatload of money to build more of it.  More information HERE

The lowly light bulb is the Biden administration’s latest climate-fighting tool. The DOE is tripling efficiency standards for light bulbs, a move that will cut CO2 emissions by 70 million metric tons and save consumers $27 billion over 30 years. More information HERE

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE DATES

Since the webinars are usually only announced a few days before the scheduled date it is best to check via the Green Change Calendar where we are entering them on a daily basis. 

Tuesday, April 30 at noon: Go Electric! - The Benefits of Home Electrification presented by Electrify Now. In this first episode of Electrify Now’s “Go-Electric!” webinar series, you'll learn about the many advantages of electrifying your home—all in 30 minutes. They’ll share insights and practical tips. Register HERE 

Tuesday, April 30 at 5pm: Winning the Youth Vote presented by Airlift. Learn How We Bring Back the Youth Vote. Be Inspired by what Youth are Doing Register HERE

Saturday, May 2 from 8am -5pm: North Bay Zero Waste Symposium at Somo Village, Rohnert Park. The Symposium engages community stakeholders by showcasing zero waste policies, programs, and infrastructure that designs waste out of the system wherever possible and diverts discarded materials through composting, reclaiming, reducing, reusing, and recycling. Register HERE 

Thursday, May 2 at noon: Reducing Power Plant Pollution: An Overview of EPA’s Recent Emissions Rules presented by Resources for the Future. On April 25, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released four rules governing greenhouse gases and other emissions from existing coal fired power plants and new gas-fired generators. Join to hear a discussion of the rules for the electric power sector, for compliance planning by states, and for air quality and the climate. Register HERE 

Thursday, May 2 at 4pm: Plastics and Your Health presented by Beyond Plastics. The negative impacts of plastic on human health are increasingly visible and increasingly costly. This March, the New England Journal of Medicine released the results of a study detecting micro- and nanoplastics in the carotid artery plaque of 58% of patients, and found that it measurably increased the risk of heart attack, stroke, and all-cause mortality in those patients. What does this mean for us? To explore this issue register HERE

Thursday, May 2 at 4pm: Green Finance: Investing in a Greener Tomorrow presented by Climate Action California. This workshop on green finance will give you the knowledge and tools you need to align your investments with your climate goals. Register HERE 

Friday, May 3 at 11am: The Sustainable Homestead: Create a Thriving Permaculture Ecosystem with Your Garden, Animals, and Land presented by Green American. Learn techniques and tips for a homestead with synergy between soil, plants, animals, and trees. Register HERE 

Sunday, May 5 from 1 – 4pm: Clothing Swap: A Fundraiser for Resilient Neighborhoods organized by Resilient Neighborhoods. Event takes place outside at a San Rafael home. Bring your gently worn clothing, housewares and beauty products and take home a wardrobe that's new to you! Fashion show, music, socializing in a beautiful garden. Register HERE 

Sunday, May 5 from 5:30 - 7:30pm: Wilding Documentary & A Symphony of Tiny Lights at Rafael 3 Film Center, 1118 Fourth Street San Rafael. Wilding is a true tale of landscape restoration unfolds in this documentary inspired by Isabella Tree’s award-winning book. In A Symphony of Tiny Lights John Francis from Pt. Reyes is nagged by his conscience after witnessing an oil spill, John Francis gave up motorized vehicles, took a vow of silence, earned a PhD, and roamed the country for decades spreading kindness without ever uttering a single word Get tickets HERE

Tuesday, May 7 at 4pm: Utilities Public Education Series: Community Run Renewables (9 classes in the series from 5/7 - 7/16) presented by 350.org. They plan to shine a light on utility companies and their complicity in the climate crisis by raising awareness, training local and regional activists, and equipping people with the tools we need to take action everywhere. Each session will feature different guest speakers. Register HERE 

Tuesday, May 7 at 6pm: Intergenerational Leadership Panel presented by Fossil Free California. What do people from different generations need from each other to be able to work in tandem effectively to birth a new, far greener and far more just world in which all of us and all of life can thrive? Join to hear multi-generational activists discuss issues and lessons learned about working across the generations for environmental justice. Register HERE

Wednesday, May 8 at 4pm: En-ROADS Demonstration: Exploring Climate Solutions presented by Climate Action California. Join for a live demonstration of En-ROADS, a powerful climate simulation model developed by Climate Interactive. They'll explore various scenarios and solutions to address climate challenges. After the demo they will brainstorm how En-ROADS can help us communicate with policy-makers and regulators. Register HERE 

Did we miss something? Broken links? Contact Marilyn here

Sustainable Mill Valley