Category Archives: Actions

Actions you can take to address the climate crisis

Clallam County Commissioners to consider climate resolution

At their regular meeting of June 19, 2018, starting at 10 a.m., the Clallam County Board of Commissioners will consider a resolution long in the making, shepherded by Commissioner Mark Ozias, to reinvigorate a Climate Action Plan passed in 2009. The draft of the resolution is here.

Passage of this important resolution is not guaranteed; your input may help sway the Board of Commissioners to support it. You can provide input:

  • In person, at the beginning or end of the meeting (agenda here–please note the instructions for speaking given at the end), limiting your comments to three minutes.
  • In writing, either by presenting it to the Clerk of the Board prior to or at the meeting (where you can also read it aloud), or by sending an email to the Commissioners by the prior business day.

BACKGROUND: Clallam County passed a Climate Action Plan in 2009, and a climate-preparedness resolution was passed in 2016 with OCA support, but neither has led to significant action in recent years.  Commissioner Ozias hopes to put life back into the CAP to quantify the actions the county needs to take and to engage citizens in dialogue about their concerns related to climate impacts and mitigation.

GUIDELINES FOR COMMENTS:

  • Speak from your own experience:  Why are you concerned about climate change? What would you like to see County government do about it?
  • The resolution itself has great talking points and is a good place to start.
  • It’s helpful if you can think of ideas that will motivate individual council members to pass the resolution and implement the CAP. In what various ways will the resolution help their constituents?
  • Commissioner Ozias reported that many County department heads are anxious to investigate ways they can help the county save money and reduce our carbon footprint. Getting climate back on the agenda should help to serve both goals.

Climate change is going to occur no matter what we do, but planning ahead can minimize its severity and maximize our resiliency.  Let’s do our part here to come to grips with this reality.

OCA endorses I-1631; time to gather signatures!

State initiative would put a fee on carbon and devote the proceeds to clean energy and climate protection

At its April 2018 monthly meeting, Olympic Climate Action (OCA) agreed by consensus to endorse I-1631, the Protect Washington Act initiative. OCA joins Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, Washington Audubon, a coalition of Native American tribes and 200 other statewide organizations in our endorsement.

We cannot continue to treat our atmosphere as a sewer without incurring a deadly cost, one much greater than the cost of an emissions fee.

We must collect 270,000 signatures statewide by the end of June to get this initiative on the ballot, and residents of the Olympic Peninsula must do our part. To help this signature-gathering campaign, contact:

Links for more information:

Warrior Up! Rally on land & sea vs. Kinder Morgan May 20 in Seattle

The Kinder Morgan pipeline project can and must be stopped! Tar sands are one of the biggest climate threats we face, and Houston-based Kinder Morgan is trying to build a massive new pipeline through British Columbia to export this oil. They’ve encountered much more resistance than they expected so they’ve temporarily stopped investment and will decide whether to proceed on May 31. To send a big message to the company before that decision, there will be a huge indigenous-led rally on May 20th in Vancouver. They’ve asked environmental groups in Washington to help support them, so an event is planned that same day in Seattle with kayaktivists in the water and a big rally in Occidental Park. It’s family-friendly and everyone is welcome. This is a pivotal time to take a stand against this project!

Event registration: https://actionnetwork.org/events/seattle-vs-kinder-morgan?source=fbevent

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1604045999711999/?notif_t=plan_user_associated¬if_id=1525283237248850

Poster: JPG – PDF

Support these climate-related bills now!

Consider sending a message SOON to our state legislators about these pending bills.

Sen. Kevin Van de Wege: kevin.vandewege@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Steve Tharinger: steve.tharinger@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Mike Chapman: mike.chapman@leg.wa.gov

Dear 24th District state legislators:

At today’s monthly general meeting, the members of Olympic Climate Action took a consensus position to support these bills, which will help to pave the way to a safer, more just, and more prosperous future:

HB 1144: Strengthening the carbon-reduction targets to match the Paris accord

HB 2995:Updating the Renewable Portfolio Standard

SB 6081: Solar Fairness Act, encouraging distributed generation

2SSB 6269: Oil Spill Prevention Act

We urge you to help secure the passage of these bills.

 

Stop Kinder Morgan: Kickoff March 10

Indigenous-led resistance to the Kinder Morgan tar-sands pipeline will begin March 10 in Vancouver.

From: Victoria Leistman-Sierra Club [mailto:victoria.leistman@sierraclub.org]

(NOTE: Victoria helped organize our local Pull Together events last August in Chimacum and Port Angeles, to raise funds for the fight vs Kinder Morgan.)

ON MARCH 10th, KWEKWECNEWTXW BEGINS
An Indigenous-led Mass Mobilization to Stop Kinder Morgan

As you know, oil giant Kinder Morgan has been pushing a tar sands pipeline that would threaten the land and waterways of dozens of communities and First Nations. The proposed project would make the Kinder Morgan pipeline bigger than Keystone XL, and increase tanker traffic through the Salish Sea by 700 percent.

As Kinder Morgan’s expected construction date inches closer and closer, it’s time to continue to stand with the Indigenous communities that have been protecting this land since time immemorial – and put a stop to this project for once and for all. We have been invited by Coast Salish members, spiritual leaders, and youth to join with them on the land and to use our presence to stop Kinder Morgan for good!

Join them on March 10

Spiritual leaders and members are launching a point of frontline resistance in the escalating struggle to stop Kinder Morgan. Called Kwekwecnewtxw, which means “a place to watch from”, it will be grounded in Coast Salish spirituality and culture.

On Saturday March 10th, they’ll kick things off with a mass mobilization supporting Kwekwecnewtxw in the Metro Vancouver area. They are calling on us to join this action and send a clear message to Prime Minister Trudeau that he does not have consent to build Kinder Morgan.

Will you join on March 10th in a historic stand to protect the inlet and say no Kinder Morgan?

The details are still being finalized so make sure you sign up so we can get you all the information you will need for the day!

Last year, we partnered with First Nations who need help with the legal actions they’ve filed in federal court to stop Kinder Morgan on the Pull Together effort. Together with organizations in British Columbia and Washington state, YOU helped us to organize events, and bring communities together to raise these funds. We were successful in raising that money, and now Washingtonians have another opportunity to show up on the 10th!

Kinder Morgan’s pipeline and tanker project poses unacceptable risks to our oceans and waterways, our climate, economies, and communities. If the project is allowed to move forward, it would threaten tribal rights, resident orcas, and salmon population.  It must never be built.

Join together with Coast Salish Water Protectors, allies and people from all walks of life as we challenge Kinder Morgan on the land together, in a powerful and creative non-violent action on March 10th.

See you in BC!

Victoria Leistman, Sierra Club
Organizing Representative – Dirty Fuels campaign

Bring: Make sure to bring your passport for when crossing the border. Dress for the weather and possible changes. Bring plenty of water, some snacks for the day, a hot drink in a thermos and anything else you think you might need to be prepared to be outside for a full day.

Carpool: Coordinate getting up there with other folks in your area via this carpool link:https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/h4j0ai

Note: Carpool transportation is at the sole risk of the participants.

More info

Tell BOEM we reject offshore drilling

From Sierra Club:

Our coasts are too precious to drill!

RSVP now to join Sierra Club on March 5 to tell BOEM we reject offshore drilling!

We’ve never seen anything like this. Last month, Trump unveiled a plan to hand 90% of America’s coasts over to Big Oil – that means offshore drilling from Maine to Louisiana, and from Alaska down through California.

Drilling off the coast of Washington is a ludicrous idea, putting our coastal communities’ way of life at risk. Community health and safety and precious wildlife like orca and salmon have no price tag. We cannot afford to roll the dice for the interests of Big Oil.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is holding public meetings in coastal states this month. This is our chance to show them how deeply unpopular and destructive this plan is.

RSVP to join us in Olympia on March 5!

What: BOEM Offshore drilling public meeting

When: Monday, March 5 from 1:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
1:30-2:00 Keynote Speakers
2:00-7:30 People’s Hearing
3:00-7:00 BOEM Open House 5:00-6:00 Dinner provided

Where:  Red Lion Olympia, 2300 Evergreen Park Dr SW, Olympia, WA 98502 (map)

Since the BOEM hearing won’t include oral public comments, we’re also having a People’s Hearing where testimony can be given, taken down by a stenographer, and submitted as official comments.

If you’re traveling to the meeting, we’ve reserved a discounted block of rooms at the Red Lion. Follow this link to reserve yours by March 1st.

Questions? Contact Victoria Leistman at victoria.leistman@sierraclub.org

RSVP and we’ll follow up with talking points and information about what to expect during the public meeting.

Even without a major disaster, offshore drilling is dirty and destructive. The combination of seismic blasts, increased traffic, and smaller spills would do irreparable damage to marine life and coastal communities.

This plan would also force offshore drilling on states that don’t want it. In fact, a bipartisan group of governors and coastal communities have explicitly asked Trump to leave their states out of his drilling plan – and he’s ignoring their wishes. Even the Department of Defense has warned that seismic testing and drilling could pose a threat to naval operations in the Atlantic.

The only people who want this plan are the oil executives who bankrolled Trump’s campaign and staffed his administration. We’ve beaten them before, and in 2018, we need to do it again.

Thanks for all you do to protect our coasts,

Victoria Leistman, Sierra Club
Organizing Representative
Dirty Fuels campaign

P.S. If you haven’t already submitted your comment to BOEM, please take a moment to share your thoughts and concerns about offshore drilling.

P.P.S Please share this with friends and family. The Trump administration needs to hear from as many people as possible.

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Climate/Energy bills in the State Leg

OCA’s Executive Committee just sent these messages to our 24th District state legislators; we suggest you contact them as well, on this and other issues still pending in the Legislature:

Rep. Mike Chapman: mike.chapman@leg.wa.gov 360-786-7916

Rep. Steve Tharinger: steve.tharinger@leg.wa.gov 360-786-7904

Sen. Kevin Van de Wege: kevin.vandewege@leg.wa.gov 360-786-7646

  • 3SHB 1144: OCA commends the State House for passing this bill which would revise the current state-mandated reduction limits to reflect current science concerning the level and rate of reduction that will be necessary to avoid catastrophic climate disruption.
  • SB 6203: OCA would support this carbon-tax bill if the tax were put back at $20/ton and exemptions were removed from the Transalta coal plant and other non-“Energy Intensive Trade-Exposed” (EITE) industries. We neither support nor oppose the current, watered-down version of this bill.
  • HB 2839:  OCA supported the original bill, which gives the Utilities and Transportation Commission authority to assess economic impacts associated with incremental increases in carbon dioxide emissions within a calendar year.
    • However, we do NOT support the added provision requiring that qualified biomass energy be considered a non-emitting resource. First, there is no question that burning material containing carbon will emit greenhouse gases, and even if in the long run the process were carbon neutral (which it is not), we face a climate crisis that is very much going to take place in the short run, and we need to reduce emissions as much as we can, as quickly as we can. Some argue that biofuel is carbon friendly because it displaces the burning of coal in power plants; this comparison is unfair because it compares to the most carbon-intensive energy source there is, rather than cleaner-energy sources. But even so, it is flawed to call biomass burning emissions-neutral. See the following links:

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/05/business/economy/next-renewable-energy-burning-forests-if-senators-get-their-way.html

Letter to the Senate on carbon neutrality of forest biomass | Woods Hole Research Center

EIA-biomass-effects-on-CPP-PFPI-Oct-2016.pdf

http://magazine.manomet.org/winter2012/biomass.htm