Dear ,
As another snowstorm hammers New England, it looks like the climate revolution is finally heating up in the U.S. (sorry about the pun). February 17 is a standout date, because of the Forward On Climate Rally at the White House, and others around the country including one you might want to attend in nearby San Francisco.
Five of us are making the journey to Washington to participate in the rally (myself, Batya Kagan, Lynda Marin, Catharine Gunderson, and Michael Weaver).
Many thanks to those who donated to support this effort! We raised enough to pay one person's travel expenses plus enough to create our own signs to carry (see image here). Come to the potluck on the 26th to see our photos and hear our report of what may turn out to be the largest fossil fuel (or any environmental) protest in the history of our country.
The Sierra Club, for the first time in its history, will be organizing a civil disobedience action. They are keeping mum for now on what that might be, but rumors are that it may happen in April. The target: The Keystone XL oil pipeline, a major focus of the climate rallies.
Other pipeline protesters are not being so discreet. A coalition of indigenous people in Canada known as Idle No More have formed to stop the tar sands disaster and the construction of pipelines there.
And in Texas and Oklahoma, where eminent domain laws are being abused to allow construction of the pipeline across private land, there have already been numerous arrests for blocking the "progress," including that of this grandmother who chained herself to an excavator.
One of the exciting things about this rising tide of protest (forgive the pun again) is that people are making the connections between causes that may have once seemed disparate, like indigenous people's rights, the "class warfare" waged on us by corporate power, environmental racism, the need for local self-determination, and the fight for a livable climate.
While protesting and national action are key, so is building the alternatives we want in our own backyard. Here in Santa Cruz County, there is exciting stuff happening. Read in this newsletter about where to learn about our future democratically-controlled electricity supply (called CCA) and our brand new local climate lobbying group (called CCL).
Cheers!
—Michael Levy |
Climate Rally in SF on the 17th
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Sunday, Feb. 17, 1-3 pm
1 Market Plaza, San Francisco
(map)
More info and RSVP here
The U.S. State Department has been the staunchest advocate for the Keystone XL pipeline, despite NASA's James Hansen calling it (and the tar sands it accesses) "game over for the climate." This demonstration will encircle the State Department Office at One Market Plaza and demand that the Department reject the Keystone XL permit.
There will be a sign-painting party in San Jose on the Friday before the rally, at 6:30 pm. For details, contact Victoria at 408-296-6605. |
Local Citizen's Climate Lobby forming
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From Transition supporter Polly Hughes:
A new Chapter of the Nationwide "Citizens Climate Lobby" is forming in Santa Cruz County, and we are recruiting new members who are interested in working towards a Carbon Fee and Dividend Act that will place a fee on carbon emissions and give the income generated right back to the people to help them defray the increased price of carbon-based fuels.
This is one of the most hopeful policy ideas around for shifting our society's fossil fuel use. Those who use a lot pay, and the rest of us break even, or even come out ahead.
Please join us! Email me at phpainter@cruzio.com if you are interested in joining this group! |
Local energy control and green drinks
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Tuesday, Feb. 12, 5:30 pm
Alterra Environmental
207B McPherson St., Santa Cruz
Free
Food and beverages will be provided at this Green Drinks event featuring Gine Johnson, local advocate #1 for CCA (Community Choice Aggregation), our best hope for a locally controlled electricity supply. If you haven't heard Gine speak about this yet, don't miss it! You will be inspired to help make Santa Cruz the next California county (after Marin, San Francisco and Sonoma) to adopt a CCA. |
| Also worthy of attention... |
♦ Community Seed and Food Justice Summit
UC Santa Cruz - February 22-24
$20 general, $10 students
A weekend-long student organized event that brings together students, community members, seed savers, gardeners, farmers, and food justice activists to share skills and resources while building face to face relationships with one another. On Saturday night there will be a panel discussion including Vandana Shiva.
More info and registration here.
♦ Santa Cruz County Climate Action Strategy
Presented at Supervisors' Chambers
County building, Ocean and Water Sts.
Tuesday, February 26, 9 am
To read the Climate Strategy go to this link, and for more information call county planner David Carlson at 454-3173.
♦ UCSC Forest Walks
Feb. 10, 16, 17, March 1 and 6, various times
Free
These walks, led by recent UCSC graduates or students, have various topics including plant sex, medicinal plants, and one designed for children. In part they are designed to raise awareness about what may be lost if the forest is developed for University expansion.
♦ Learn about fracking and what you can do about it
Resource sheet compiled by Transition San Francisco. |
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Potluck with a Purpose
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Tuesday, February 26
6-8:30 pm
Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave.
Free/by donation
Family friendly!
Report-back from the
Climate Rally in Washington
Fresh back from the "Forward On Clmate Rally" at the White House, Transition Santa Cruz' intrepid ambassadors will present a slide show and share stories about the massive demonstration.
We will also give some context about what the rally was supposed to accomplish, why it is so important, and what else is happening now as part of the epic battle for climate sanity.
Potluck 6:00, Program 7:00
Feel free to come for either or both!
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