Category Archives: Actions

Actions you can take to address the climate crisis

OCA has Endorsed the National Fracking Ban Act

Now, here’s what we can do about getting it passed . . .

Hello everyone, thank you so much for endorsing the Fracking Ban Act introduced by Senator Sanders and Representative Ocasio-Cortez! My name is Thomas, I’m the National Climate Organizing Manager at Food & Water Action and I’ll be sharing update on the bill via this list.

This morning, we publicly released the letter with over 570 organizations signed on in support of the bill. The letter will remain open throughout the year, but is an incredible show of strength just two weeks after the bill was first introduced. Here are a few materials to share and promote:

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Help the 350.org WA — Civic Action Team

Hello Civic Action Team!
1020: Climate calls made to legislators!
411: Climate comments left on bills!
1490: Climate emails sent to legislators!
2921: total legislator contacts made by the Civic Action Team in 2020!

We’re now half way through the session, with a big cut-off looming on Wednesday at 5pm when bills must be voted out of their chamber of origin. Climate bills are in relatively good shape, with many already on the floor of each chamber ready for a vote. But there’s still plenty to do!

House bills that need a floor vote

Here are three House climate-related bills that are already on the floor and deserve a vote.  Please call these Majority leaders to ask that these bills receive a floor vote before Wednesday’s cut-off:

Majority Leader, Rep. Pat Sullivan (D-47) — (360) 786-7858 — Pat.Sullivan@leg.wa.gov
Majority Floor Leader, Rep. Monica Jurado Stonier (D-49) — (360) 786-7872 — Monica.Stonier@leg.wa.gov
Majority Whip, Rep. Marcus Riccelli (D-03) — (360) 786-7888 — Marcus.Riccelli@leg.wa.gov

Script : “Hello, I’m calling Rep. [Name] because of his/her role in House leadership and I have three bills that I would like to see receive a floor vote. Can I give you the bill numbers?”

  • HB 2405, Commercial Property Clean Energy Program (creates a program for financing clean energy retrofits)
  • HB 2570, Accessory Dwelling Units (allows low-impact density to expand housing options)
  • HB 2586, Electrification of Homes and Buildings (creates incentives for the electrification of homes and buildings)

Next, click on each bill link below and click on the “Comment on this bill” button. Verify your address and ask your Representatives to Please support this bill with a floor vote . Asking for a response gets a bit more attention, and bonus points if you can thank either of your Reps for co-sponsoring the bill!

Commercial Property Clean Energy Program , HB 2405
Accessory Dwelling Units , HB 2570
Electrification of Homes and Buildings , HB 2586

Senate bills that need a floor vote

There are also four climate-related Senate bills that deserve a floor vote. We’ve already told you about the Bottled Water Production bill, the Offshore Oil bill, and the Greenhouse Gas Emissions bill this session, but not the Styrofoam bill, which would prohibit the sale and distribution of styrofoam.

Please call these Majority leaders to ask that these bills receive a floor vote:

Majority Leader, Sen. Andy Billig (D-03) — (360) 786-7604  — Andy.Billig@leg.wa.gov Majority Floor Leader, Sen. Marko Liias (D-21) — (360) 786-7640 — Marko.Liias@leg.wa.gov
Majority Whip, Sen. Mark Mullet (D-05) — (360) 786-7608 — Mark.Mullet@leg.wa.gov

Script : “Hello, I’m calling Senator [Name] because of his role in Senate leadership and I have four bills that I would like to see receive a floor vote. Can I give you the bill numbers?”

  • SB 6213, Polystyrene Products (prohibits sale and distribution of styrofoam products beginning June 1, 2022.) 
  • SB 6278, Bottled Water Production (recognizes that bottling groundwater is not in the public interest)
  • SB 6432, Offshore Oil (bans offshore drilling and the infrastructure to support it)
  • SB 6628 Greenhouse Gases (fixes the state Clean Air Rule by including fossil fuel distributors)

Next, click on the bill link below and click on the “Comment on this bill” button. Verify your address and ask your Senator to Please support this bill with a floor vote . Asking for a response gets a bit more attention, and bonus points if you can thank your Senator for co-sponsoring the bill!

Polystyrene Products, SB 6213
Bottled Water Production, SB 6278
Offshore Oil Extraction, SB 6432
Greenhouse Gases, SB 6628

As we mentioned last week, before a bill gets to the floor, the Rules Committee needs to “pull” that bill to make it available for consideration. So in terms of the legislative process, the next two sets of bills are still alive, but at the back of the pack. Let’s give them a push.

House bills that need to be “pulled” to the floor

Please call or write these members of the House Rules Committee and request that these bills be pulled:

Rep. John Lovick (D-44) — (360) 786-7804 — John.Lovick@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Sharon Wylie (D-49) — (360) 786-7924 — Sharon.Wylie@leg.wa.gov

Script :   “Hello, I’m calling Rep. [Name] because they sit on the Rules Committee. There’s a bill that hasn’t been pulled to the House floor for a vote yet, it’s very important that it move forward. Can I give you the bill number?”

  • HB 2248, Community Solar (equity focussed solar bill creating new incentives and expanding access to the benefits of solar)

Senate bills that need to be “pulled” to the floor

Please call or write these members of the Senate Rules Committee and request that these bills be pulled for a floor vote:

Sen. Bob.Hasegawa (D-11) — (360) 786-7616 — Bob.Hasegawa@leg.wa.gov
Sen. Patty.Kuderer (D-48) — (360) 786-7694 — Patty.Kuderer@leg.wa.gov

  • SB 6536, Single Family Zoning (re-legalizes triplexes and duplexes within urban growth areas, increasing middle housing choices)
  • SB 6617, Accessory Dwelling Units (allows low-impact density to expand housing options, with slightly better details than the House version)

Thanks for your hard work, this was a long one! And as always, please let us know what you did!

Selden, David, and Katherine for the 350 WA Civic Action Team.

LSRD Breach Now! Rally — January 23rd

Facebook Event at Orca Oracle Bus Carpool — https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/a3uj90

Join advocates for salmon,
orcas,
tribal rights and
fiscal responsibility

to rally on the Washington Capitol steps,
Jan. 23, 2020 at 11 am

in support of breaching
the 4 Lower Snake River Dams (LSRDs) now. 

Gov Inslee is taking written comments on his “LSRD Stakeholder Study” through Jan. 24, but has no public meetings set around the Salish Sea, nor is he allowing any public comments at his 3 “Stakeholder Meetings” [set in Clarkston, Tri-Cities and Vancouver].

Speakers, signs and songs will let Gov. Inslee know that the time has come to breach these dams now based on science, economics and treaty rights!

No public comment is taken at the Stakeholder Meetings. 
The Stakeholder Rally welcomes open public comment. Come be heard and seen as
We the People advocate for saving salmon, orca, and taxpayer money.

More info and carpooling link will be available at the Facebook event

You may print and display the Stakeholder Rally Poster.

flyer-handout-1-2Download

FridaysForFuture demonstrations in PA

Every Friday at noon at the downtown fountain

#FridaysForFuture is a movement that began in August 2018, after 15-year-old Greta Thunberg sat in front of the Swedish parliament every school day for three weeks, to protest the lack of action on the climate crisis. She posted what she was doing on Instagram and Twitter and it soon went viral.

Greta decided to continue striking every Friday until Swedish policies provided a safe pathway to well below 2 degrees C, in line with the Paris agreement. Millions of people around the globe have joined Greta, committing to strike every Friday until real action is taken to halt our carbon output. 

In Port Angeles, in solidarity with this movement, we will be striking from noon-1 every Friday in front of the downtown fountain (First and Laurel Streets). We invite all to come join this international movement and add a presence and voice to our town and to the global consciousness around climate change. 

Things to consider from the FridaysForFuture.org website

FridaysForFuture: ActivismRiskZone

  1. Fridaysforfuture want you to only strike in a way, that you feel safe with.
  2. Many Fridaysforfuture strikers have a police approval for their strike.
  3. It is common for these approvals to only allow a quiet, sitting protest.
  4. A. ARZ: ActivismRiskZone is a working group aiming to support activism in risk zones. Use #ARZ_helps if a minor Human Rights violation occurs and you would like to lift awareness
    B. Fridaysforfuture are unlikely to be able to provide legal support if there are problems, so FFF advises strikers to liaise with local Non Government Organisations and email Arz@fridaysforfuture.org. These NGOs, for example, Amnesty, Greenpeace, 350, WWF, usually know local lawyers, who are well versed in protest situations.
    C. Recommended reading for ActivismRiskZone
  5. We are a peaceful and quiet striking organisation, but unfortunately we have already seen examples in some countries, where some individuals or organisations try to join a strike for the purpose of causing trouble. Please take care and prioritise your own safety.
  6. Fridaysforfuture recommends that all strikers at risk use anonymous style emails if you would like to be contactable from the map, e.g. FFF_happystriker@gmail.com

What is Fridays For Future?

#FridaysforFuture is a peoples movement following the call from @GretaThunberg to school strike.

Why are kids striking?

School children are required to attend school. But with the worsening Climate Destruction this goal of going to school begins to be pointless.
– Why study for a future, which may not be there?
– Why spend a lot of effort to become educated, when our governments are not listening to the educated?

The basics on how/when/where to strike

Greta requests that people strike infront of their closest town hall, every friday. With a sign, take a picture and post it with the hashtags
#Fridaysforfuture
#Climatestrike

How supporters can support

Many people do not think they can strike, i.e. they are worried about their school grades. The Belgium schools all used clocks which then ‘struck’ and then took a picture and this was there method to strike on November 30. Other groups have other ways to find a way to strike, even churches have their bells strike! Some empathy strike. All support is welcome.

If you post your work with the hashtag #FridaysForFuture and #ClimateStrike we will be able to find and share your excellent work.

OCA Joins 450 Organizations Calling for Action

Top 10 Climate Actions for the Next President’s First 10 Days in Office  
How Presidential Action Must Address the Climate Emergency

In a letter from Ben Goloff:

About the Plan: The Plan unpacks the top 10 executive actions—that do not require action by Congress—that the next President must take to tackle the climate emergency in her/his first 10 days in office. Uniting our voices now in demanding the next President take these necessary steps is essential to achieving climate leadership that meets demands of science and justice. While the plan is focused on what the President can do, it is designed to work with Congressional action, such as the Green New Deal, as well as action at the community, local and state levels. We’re reaching out to Olympic Climate Action because you have joined us on past petitions that form the basis of this plan, such as ending fossil fuel leasing on public lands.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The plan is designed as a c(3) activity. All organizations including 501c(3)s are able to sign on.

Original signatories include: Center for Biological Diversity, Climate Justice Alliance, Labor Network for Sustainability, 350.org, Greenpeace USA, Oil Change U.S., ActionAid USA, Center for Climate Integrity, Corporate Accountability, Earthworks, EcoEquity, Food and Water Watch, Friends of the Earth U.S., The Democracy Collaborative, NC WARN, Inc, and Rainforest Action Network.

We are grateful if Olympic Climate Action can join us so that we can urge for this bold Executive Climate Action Plan together. Please sign on by Dec. 5.

Ben Goloff
Climate Campaigner, Climate Law Institute
CENTER for BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

Black Friday Climate Strike in Sequim

Friday, November 29, 2019 • 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM

Verizon Store • 1241 West Washington Street, Sequim , WA 98264

Signs will be provided, but if you have the time and materials to make a big banner, we have some ideas! — Host Contact Info: Meigs1@yahoo.com — Dress warm!

Click to RSVP for this Climate Strike Event
Click here to join or offer a Carpool


Host Contact Info: Meigs1@yahoo.com

Comment on Lower Snake River Dams

Stakeholder process through
Governor Inslee’s questionnaire

Thanks to NOOP (North Olympic Orca Pod) for this info!

LSRD Online Engagement Questionnaire

Please respond to Governor Inslee’s “LSRD Stakeholder Survey” this week if possible.

Lower Snake River Dams Stakeholder Process

Background info, including the link to the survey are here

Because Inslee’s consultants have made this process complicated, some folks may want more guidance in filling out the survey. Folks at DamSense have prepared a document as guidance, with the following notes: “Please use DamSense answers as a reference only. It is important that you submit your survey responses in your own words. Feel free to share with your colleagues and networks … We need everyone to complete the survey ASAP as the Draft report will be completed and available for public written comment mid-December,” though comments aren’t technically due till Jan. 24. Inslee’s consultants are planning to issue a draft report later this month for another round of public comments, so individual comments now are important for maximum impact.

LSRD Survey Questions & AnswersDownload

Here’s some guidance for the section on native cultural rights that’s stronger than DamSense’s comments: “The LSRDs were a major devastation to native rights and cultures. They destroyed salmon, steelhead, lamprey and sturgeon runs that tribes had relied on for thousands of years. The LSRDs reservoirs ruined riparian plant gathering areas for food and materials. Their reservoirs inundated tribal burial grounds, village sites and sacred areas. None of the affected native peoples were adequately consulted nor consented to the construction and operation of these dams in their traditional living, fishing, hunting and gathering areas.”

Though the Orca Task Force recommended a more scientific and fact-based LSRD analysis, Inslee’s consultant-heavy and complicated process appears to be political pandering to Eastern Washington, and far apart from OTF’s recommendations. But this process is what we have.

A message from the Office of the Governor

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