Category Archives: Events

Events related to the climate crisis, whether sponsored by OCA or others

350 Leadership Webinar – July 1, 2020

URGENT:  FEDERAL CLIMATE BILLS & STRATEGY
Date & Time: Wed.  July 1, 2020.  Noon-1:30 pm.
Zoom Register.   FB Event.

TOPICS:
★ Federal Climate Bills: What’s Good & What’s Missing?
★ Movement Action for National Legislation.
★ Organizing for Power: A “Climate Bill Package”?

PRESENTERS:
★ Todd Fernandez, Executive & Legislative Director, Climate Crisis Policy
★ Jake Davis, Senior Policy Director, Family Farm Action
★ Etelle Higonnet, Senior Campaign Director, Mighty Earth  
★ Delia Ridge Creamer, Junior Oceans Campaigner, Center for Biological Diversity
★ Andres Jimenez, Senior Director of Government Affairs, Citizens Climate Lobby
★ Karenna Gore, Director, Center for Earth Ethics
★ Michael Gerrard, Director, Columbia Sabin Center for Climate Change Law  
★ Chad Frischmann, Vice President & Research Director, Project Drawdown
★ Others TBA

CO-HOSTS:
★ Climate Crisis Policy
★ Columbia University Sabin Center for Climate Change Law
★ Columbia University Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy, Program in Nutrition
★ Center for Earth Ethics
★ Family Farm Action 
★ Drawdown New York City
★ 350NYC   
★ Action Corps NYC
★ The Climate Reality Project NYC
★ Mighty Earth
★ Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community 
★ Sierra Club New York City Group
★ Others TBA & Welcome!

FEDERAL CLIMATE BILLS:For Discussion Only, April 2020
1. Agriculture Resilience Act
2. The Climate Stewardship Act
3. The Food & Agribusiness Merger Moratorium Act
4. American Innovation & Manufacturing Act
5. The Break Free from Plastics Pollution Act
6. The Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for Our Nation’s Future Act
7. The American Energy Innovation Act
8. The Ban Fracking Act
9. The Carbon Action Rebate Act
10. The Farm System Reform Act

MATERIALS:
1. Detailed Summary of Bills.
2. Project Drawdown:  100 Solutions
3. The Climate Crisis Policy Digest.
4. Sabin Center for Climate Change Law model law initiative.

PLEASE NOTE:   Participation or co-hosting is not an endorsement of any legislation.  

The Destruction of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Photo: Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Go to Earth Day Home

How Trump is destroying Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and what it means for environmental protection laws everywhere

Thursday, April 23, 7pm

On zoom.us,meeting ID: 972 0690 8213, Password: carolyn@riseup.net, or call in at
(253) 215-8782 (more connection information below).

Trump’s border wall is under construction through the most pristine Sonoran Desert ecosystem – Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Endangered species, Indigenous sacred sites, and wilderness lands are being destroyed now.

“Our normal litigious strategies have been rendered useless by the Trump administration’s waiver of almost every relevant environmental and cultural resources law.”
–– Center for Biological Diversity

We have put together a public presentation on this issue and will be hosting a Zoom conference on Thursday, April 23, 7pm. Details are below. While this border wall is far away from the northwest, the legal issues are right in our backyard. Our solidarity with the people of southern Arizona and northern Sonora, and the people migrating through that area, is critical to change the policies that allow this destruction to happen in the first place.

In honor of Earth Day, we have put together a public presentation on this issue. While this border wall is far away from the northwest, the legal issues are right in our backyard. Our solidarity with the people of southern Arizona and northern Sonora, and the people migrating through that area, is critical to change the policies that allow this destruction to happen in the first place. This presentation will allow people to learn about this fragile desert ecosystem, the people on the southern border, how Trump has waived the law to allow this destruction, and how these precedents threaten wilderness ecosystems in the pacific northwest.

Continue reading →

#ClallamTogether: Earth Day comes home & goes virtual

Go to Earth Day Home
Go to Inspire Art Projects

Dear Community Members/Organizations/Businesses/Groups and Allies:

As Wednesday, April 22, the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, approaches, we find ourselves in unprecedented circumstances, as the urgent, evolving challenges of the coronavirus pandemic call on people everywhere to respond to one another and to our shifting circumstances with courage, compassion, ingenuity and open hearts. 

And though our ways of connecting with one another have shifted, Earth itself remains our constant home. 

Continue reading →

Climate Grief Workshop in May

We are finally making it happen! The time has come sweet ones to honor our pain for this world together as a community. 

Our experience of moral pain for our world springs from our interconnectedness with all beings – including humans of all cultures – from which also arise our powers to act on their behalf. When we deny or repress our pain for the world, or view it as a private pathology, our power to take part in the healing of our world is diminished. Our capacity to respond to our own and others’ suffering – that is, the feedback loops that weave us into life – can be unblocked.

We are hosting a 2 day workshop with Oakland facilitator Lydia Violet Harutoonian, assisted by the one and only BJ Star (Barbara Jefferson) from Joanna Macy’s The Work That Reconnects. (See more details below). 

Continue reading →

Learn to Defend Voting Rights and Environmental Justice

WEBINAR INVITATION

The 2020 election is a key opportunity to push leaders to lay out a bold vision for how they plan to combat the relentless assault under way on science, truth, and justice that has weakened our democracy. And throughout the election year, we will need to fight back against attacks on voting rights that deny people their fundamental right to vote, making it harder for them to advocate for policies that benefit their communities.

The Union of Concerned Scientists invites you to a webinar to learn key skills and ways you can join a strong, representative coalition to lead efforts on voting rights and environmental justice in your community.

Our #UnhealthyDemocracy:
Where Voting Rights Meets Environmental Justice
Date: Wednesday, January 15
Time: 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET / 12:00–1:00 p.m. PT

Register Today

Fight for Voting Rights and Environmental Justice

Continue reading →

Attend Environmental Lobby Day on January 30

More than 500 activists gathered on the Capitol steps for Environmental Lobby Day in January 2019 to call for bold action for the Southern Resident orcas, reduction in plastic pollution, 100% clean electricity, and oil spill prevention.

For the upcoming 2020 legislative session, the Environmental Priorities Coalition will continue fighting for policies that will help address the climate crisis and help sustain a healthy environment for all.

Join the fight this legislative session!
Attend Environmental Lobby Day on January 30. 
You’ll have the opportunity to attend issue briefings, learn how to lobby, hear from environmental champions, attend breakout sessions, and meet face-to-face with your elected officials.

The 2020 Environmental Priorities are…

Continue reading →

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.

Walking Tours by North Olympic Land Trust

Visit North Olympic Land Trust’s current conservation project, the 104 acre River’s Edge along the lower Dungeness River. These tours will give you a more in-depth look at this property and the impact it will have in our community. I know this time of year can get particularly busy so I’ve added a couple new dates for tours in the coming weeks and I hope you can attend. 

As the purchase of the property draws near, every gift from $100-$10,000 makes a difference! With 1:1 match, the donation you make today is doubled to help our community make this conservation opportunity happen. 

I’ve currently scheduled a few trips for the coming weeks. If you are interested in attending (and bringing a friend) please RSVP with me.

  • Thursday, December 5th – 1pm  (for folks that are first seeing this date with this email, sorry for the last minute notice)
  • Tuesday, December 10th – 2pm
  • Wednesday, December 11th – 2pm
  • Tuesday, December 17th – 11:30am

For each date and time, we’ll meet at the Dungeness Valley Creamery.

Come prepared for the weather and to walk about a mile on flat terrain (on the levee). Let me know if you have limited mobility, we can make a plan to suit your needs.
Thanks for your fantastic support for local land conservation, and I hope you (and a friend) can join us for one of these dates and see this amazing piece of property.

Contribute to the North Olympic Land Trust

Tom Sanford – Executive Director
North Olympic Land Trust
602 E Front Street (physical address)
PO Box 2945 (mailing)Port Angeles, WA 98362(360) 417-1815 ext. 6
www.northolympiclandtrust.org

Legacy giving transforms communities. Please consider North Olympic Land Trust in your will.
If you have left the Land Trust in your will, please let us know so we can say Thank You during your lifetime.

Stream Walks Offered Starting Dec. 2

Contact:
Robbie Mantooth
ennis@olypen.com
360-808-3139

Guided walks to Ennis Creek are being offered by appointment starting December 2. The free walks will focus on lower Ennis Creek, near Highway 101 and can include opportunities to see some areas where habitat has been improved as well as those still needing restoration.

Friends of Ennis Creek is sponsoring the walks as the group’s first activity after reorganizing earlier this fall, according to the organization’s founders, Jim and Robbie Mantooth.

“The newly expanded Friends group decided the best way to encourage understanding and actions to benefit fish habitat in Ennis Creek as well as in other streams is through helping people see the great contrasts restoration work makes,” Robbie Mantooth said. “Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal members and Fisheries Habitat Biologist/Manager Mike McHenry have made significant habitat improvements on the conservation easement we established with North Olympic Land Trust. We see more salmon in spawning gravels created by strategic placement of logs and boulders.”

In addition to coho salmon, Ennis Creek hosts cutthroat trout and endangered steelhead.

McHenry told Friends participants at a recent meeting that some parts of the creek are confined artificially, resulting in loss of gravel salmon need for spawning, especially on the former Rayonier mill site and on some other areas north of Highway 101. The habitat biologist and a counterpart Rayonier staff member led planning for Ennis Creek restoration on the mill site. Even before that work is completed, he said it is important for property owners along the stream to do everything possible to improve fish habitat.

The habitat program has contributed to stream restoration in the Elwha River as well as many other smaller streams, he said. Logs are used not only to slow water down to benefit spawning gravels but also to help young fish have places to grow and be safe from predators.

The Tribe contributes resources for improving habitat on Ennis Creek as an important part of its history and its treaty rights. The ancient Klallam village is depicted in murals at the Port Angeles City Pier alongside the Puget Sound Cooperative Colony, established in the late 19th century and an important part of the City’s early development. Both were located at the mouth of Ennis Creek.

Snowfields above 6,000 feet elevation in Olympic National Park help maintain the stream temperatures beneficial to salmon and steelhead. Much of Ennis Creek is within Olympic National Park and lands administered by the Department of Natural Resources, reducing impacts from development. It enters Port Angeles Harbor from the former Rayonier mill site, where the Washington State Department of Ecology is coordinating hazardous waste cleanup with estimated completion within 7 to 10 years.

In recent decades, studies of Ennis Creek have described the 8.65-mile-long stream as having the greatest potential among those in the Port Angeles urban area. The State Department of Transportation is designing a replacement for its fish passage under Highway 101, estimated to cost more than $18 million and be completed by 2023. The City of Port Angeles has applied for funding to remedy other fish passage problems on East Ennis Creek Road.

“It’s an exciting time to learn what we can do as individuals and through governments and other organizations to help the fish while other plans are in the works,” Robbie Mantooth said.

Appointments for stream walks are available through ennis@olypen.com or phoning 360-808-3139, she said. “Volunteers as well as professionals are helping so we can provide as many opportunities as possible to fit people’s schedules.”

“Time for a Green New Deal”

Come learn the latest about the fight for climate justice
with Bobby Righi

of Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action (PSARA).

Co-Sponsored by 24th LD Democrats, Indivisible Port Townsend, Local 20/20 Jefferson County, Olympic Climate Action, and Sierra Club North Olympic Group. 

— Thursday, October 24, 6 pm, Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler Street,
Port Townsend

— Sunday, Nov. 10, 2 pm, Olympic Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1033 N. Barr Road,
Sequim 

Artifishal

Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard,
has followed his 2014 documentary DamNation
with a new film:

Artifishal is a film about people, rivers, and the fight for the future of wild fish and the environment that supports them. It explores wild salmon’s slide toward extinction, threats posed by fish hatcheries and fish farms, and our continued loss of faith in nature.

Sign the Petition for the Salmon
See the interview with Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard

Get the Facts

  • What’s The Difference Between Wild, Hatchery And Farmed Fish?
  • Don’t We Need Hatcheries To Make Up For Habitat Loss?
  • How Can Putting More Fish In The River Result In Fewer Fish To Catch?
  • Who Pays For And Manages Fish Hatcheries?
  • What About Tribal Fishing Rights?
  • If We’re Serious About Helping Wild Salmon And Orcas Survive In Puget Sound, What’s The Solution?
  • But Wouldn’t More Hatchery Fish Provide Immediate Relief For Starving Orcas?
  • How Can We Help Klamath River Wild Salmon Recover After The Dams Are Removed?
  • Can I Eat Salmon Without Supporting Hatcheries And Net-Pen Fish Farms?
  • How Quickly Can Wild Fish Recover When We Restore Habitat And Remove Hatcheries And Dams?
  • Won’t Fewer Hatcheries Mean Fewer Fishing Opportunities?

Effects of short-term choir participation on auditory perception in older adults.
— Canadian Acoustical Association

Climate on Tap at FinnRiver Farm & Cidery

Climate on Tap – Monday, October 7th, 6-7:30 p.m.

FinnRiver Farm & Cidery, 124 Center Road, Chimacum, WA 98325

Join us for monthly solutions-oriented sessions on issues related to climate change at FinnRiver Farm and Cidery in Chimacum. Co-sponsored by Local 20/20 Climate Action and Jefferson County Public Health, this is not a lecture series, but a book club and discussion format. Each session includes information to get the conversation started, followed by group discussions that include what locals think and what locals plan to do. 

The next session is called “There is no Planet B – how do Millennials and GenZ envision their future?” This session will be facilitated by Students for Sustainability, a group from Port Townsend High School who are dedicated to taking action to mitigate climate change at their school, in their community, their state, and at a national level. 

The session topic for Monday, November 4th is “How Do You Talk Respectfully With Others About Climate Change?” 

For summaries of all the previous sessions, click here.

For further information email Laura Tucker or call 360-379-4491

Join Climate Strike Week on the Peninsula! Sept. 20-28

Greta Thunberg explains why we must halt business as usual

Beginning September 20, three days before the UN Climate Summit in NYC, young people and adults will mobilize for a week across the world to demand transformative action to address the climate crisis. Millions will take to the streets to demand a right to a future, and we’re inviting you to join us! Activities are planned for a solid week, all across the Olympic Peninsula…join one, or organize one yourself and let us know about it! We will update the list below as additional events get planned. Our house is on fire! There is no time to waste!

MSNBC, Georgetown University, and Our Daily Planet will lead up to this important week by hosting a two-day climate forum with the 2020 Presidential candidates Sept. 19-20.

Date

Time

Place

Event

Friday, 9/20

10 am

Port Townsend HS, Fir and F Streets, baseball field

Climate Strike Port Townsend: Student walkout at Port Townsend HS, Fir and F streets, baseball field–adults welcome

Friday, 9/20

5 pm

Port Angeles: Hollywood Beach, then the Gateway

Climate Strike Port Angeles: Rally/speakers/march/street art–bring signs, washable sidewalk chalk

Saturday, 9/21

All day

Peninsula beaches

International Coastal Cleanup

Saturday, 9/21

7 pm

Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St.

Screening of The Reluctant Radical, with Michael Foster of the Valve Turners speaking

Sunday, 9/22

4 pm

Webster’s Woods, Port Angeles Fine Arts Center

Interfaith Earthcare Coalition Celebration–ceremony & prayer–bring a small vial of water from a natural source and a chair or blanket

Monday, 9/23

All day

Anywhere

“Call Jaime Dimon Day” on the Olympic Peninsula (CEO of Chase Bank, the largest funder of fossil fuel projects)

Tuesday, 9/24

3:30 pm

Sequim Av. & Washington St.

Climate Strike Sequim: Demonstration–bring signs

Tuesday-Sunday, 9/24-9/28

Various

Clallam Bay and Forks

Earth Strike West End: Discussions, action, and potluck

Thursday, 9/26

6 pm

Port Angeles Fountain, 1st & Laurel

Ukulele Flash Mob for Climate–bring ukes or other instruments and see link for song chart
  • Organizers are asking people to wear black and red.
  • Here’s the music Strike Song video:
    • We’re gonna Strike cuz our waters are rising
    • We’re gonna Strike cuz our people are dying
    • We’re gonna Strike for life and everything we love
    • We’re gonna Strike for you, will you Strike for us? (x2)
  • And here are some quick science talking points you can use when talking it up!

Tickets are now available for Antonio Zamora’s launch event

On Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at the Leaven Community Center in Portland, OR. Admission is free for this exciting evening.

Please SAVE THE Seattle DATE for For the People’s annual fundraiser Saturday, November 9
5-8pm in Seattle. Tickets are now available online.

To help us better plan food and logistics, be sure to get your FREE ticket now.

Come gather to celebrate grassroots organizing and meet the founders of For The People. Show up for Antonio Zamora, who relentlessly gives solidarity to many communities struggling against killer cops, climate change, and fascism.
Continue reading →

Film/Discussion: “The Reluctant Radical” Sept. 21

Port Angeles Public Library, 2210 S Peabody St.

Saturday, Sept. 21 — 7-9 pm — FREE

Ken Ward: “Our only hope is to step outside polite conversation and put ourselves in the way.”

If a crime is committed in order to prevent a greater crime, is it forgivable? Is it, in fact, necessary? Olympic Climate Action will present a thought-provoking film and discussion.

Continue reading →

Orca Recovery Day

Volunteers Needed to Help Plant Conifer Seedlings

  • WHEN: October 19, 2019 (Saturday) from 9:00 to noon
  • WHERE: Lake Aldwell Road (follow it to the end for parking), Port Angeles
  • REGISTRATION: Volunteers must pre-register to ensure we have enough tools and parking. Click on the button or call 360-775-3747, ext. 5.
    • Continue reading →

September 20th

Join Fridays for Future Seattle on 8/16 to stand with Zoe

When:8/16 at 1pm, Where: Seattle City Hall

Why: Every Friday from 1-2 a group, called Fridays for Future, of mostly youth Climate Strike in front of Seattle City Hall. They are asking extra people go out on 8/16 to show support for Zoe. Every week they use sidewalk chalk to show their message for climate action. This past week an adult handed Zoe a bottle of spray on chalk that turned out to be chalk paint. As soon as she realized they began making plans to clean it up, but the police intervened and took a 13 year old away in handcuffs.

Climate Strike Training Webinars

350.org

To help prepare for this major mobilization and to share skills, provide key tools and resources and the support of peer learning, we’ve put together a great training series of five webinars. All of the webinars will be on Wednesdays at 5 pm PT/ 8 pm ET. In order to build in enough time for discussion, we’re asking everyone to set aside 1.5 hours for each of the webinars, though some may be shorter.

  • August 14th: Centering Equity & Justice (including how to best support youth leadership) in Climate Strike Organizing
  • August 21st: Communications & Digital Tools for Climate Strike Organizing
  • August 28th: Utilizing the Strikes to Build Our Movement: Strategies for Leadership Development & Plugging People In Post-Sept 20th
  • September 4th: Know Your Rights to Stand Up for Climate Justice! (with the Civil Liberties Defense Center)
  • September 11th: Opportunities & Challenges: Bring your ideas and questions around Sept 20th-27th Organizing

Register here for any/all of these trainings

About the Global Climate Strikes — September 20 & 27

Corny Fun at the Wooden Boat Show

Dammed to Extinction — July 11, 2019

This inspiring film reveals the obvious way to stop decades of ever increasing
ecological devastation and financial misappropriation.

RSVP Donations at Evenbright

Sign the Petition to Breach the Dams

View on Facebook Events

About this Event

As the salmon numbers plummet and orcas starve, weak political will remains the status quo. Four obsolete dams on the lower Snake River kill hundreds of salmon per every megawatt of hydropower produced. These fish killing dams never were an environmentally friendly decision, and with renewable resources on the rise are no longer economically sound. Breaching these dams will not only save salmon and orca, but millions of taxpayer and ratepayer dollars.

You will also hear the story of a Palouse tribal elder from eastern Washington who courageously refuses to let the injustice of constructing the dams go untold. Carrie Chapman Nightwalker Schuster’s family home was drowned by the construction of Ice Harbor Dam, completed in 1961. Since her childhood she has fought valiantly to maintain and restore Palouse culture, language, and land, some of which lies under the reservoir behind Ice Harbor Dam. Carrie gives the vision of steadfast grit to all who take up the mission to “Free the Snake.”

Rise for The Orca Tour

Dana Lyons

June 8th – 7-9 p.m. at Sequim’s Pioneer Park
387 East Washington Street

Dana Lyons with an inspiring musical message of hope
for the Orca to help save
the Southern Resident Killer Whales
from extinction.

Dana has invited the North Olympic Orca Pod to dance,
and specifically the “Stayin’ Alive” number,
which Dana will play and have the lyrics for.

Suggested donation is $10-20 — No one will be turned away

See Dana perform “The Great Salish Sea” — CowsWithGuns.com

Two worthy events this weekend

Orca forum Friday 1-4 pm in Port Angeles

Celebrate science & technology Saturday at PA City Pier

Can our Orcas be saved? – forum Friday

Orca Forum in Port Angeles Friday, May 10, 2019

The Marine Resources Committee (MRC) of Clallam County invites you to attend a free public forum about Southern Resident Orca Whales at the Lower Elwha Heritage Center, Port Angeles on May 10 from 1 to 4pm. Four members from the Governor’s Orca Recovery Task Force will highlight the current status of our Southern Resident Orcas, and some of the Task Force recommendations.
Specifically, they will discuss how the decreasing availability of Chinook salmon is impacting our orcas, the need to reduce toxins in our waters, funding for continuing restoration efforts, and how we can reduce noise or acoustic disturbance affecting the whales. The Forum is supported by the Northwest Straits Foundation and is funded by a grant from the Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau and a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Killer Whale Research and Conservation Program, which is supported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, SeaWorld, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Shell Oil Company. Panelists include:
• Dr. Rich Osborne, Whale Museum/Soundwatch/UW; Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Partnership board, Science Seat on the Washington Coastal Marine Advisory Council; member of Governor Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force
• Dr. Todd Hass, Chair, Puget Sound Partnership, Vessels Task Force Lead; member of Governor Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force
• Dr. Scott Veirs, Chair, Puget Sound ecosystem monitoring program (PSEMP) Marine Mammal Work Group; member of Governor Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force
• Donna Sandstrom, Founder and Executive Director of The Whale Trail; member of Governor Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force and Vessel Impacts Working Group
Facilitation by Anne Murphy, President, Northwest Straits Foundation

Where: Elwha Heritage Center (401 E 1st St, Port Angeles, WA 98362)
When: 1-4 pm May 10, 2019
Cost: Free Space is limited and pre-registration is recommended by contacting Helle Andersen at handersen@co.clallam.wa.us.

Celebrate Sci/Tech Saturday!

Flyer

Celebration of Science & Technology (a.k.a. GeekOut!)

Saturday, May 11, 2019

On May 11, 2019, the Port Angeles City Pier will again host the free, community-oriented celebration of science from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. People of all ages and interests are invited to engage with scientists at booths and presentations, and examine infographic posters that provide examples of how science works locally to contribute to our communities and our quality of life. To put a face on science in the community, Science on Display provides profiles of local active and retired scientists and science educators.

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. at the Port Angeles City Pier stage with a welcome and opening remarks. Dr. Nick Bond will speak about “Hatching a Plan to Save a Northwest Icon,” taking a deeper look at the past, present, and future of salmon in Washington State. Then learn from Erin Gless of Island Adventures Whale Watching the exciting story of humpback whales retuning to the Salish Sea.

At noon, Paul Kolensikoff will enlighten and amaze us again this year with “Einsteins Hair-Raising Story.” Matt Jordon will then take our imaginations to celestial bodies in the night skies and the importance of “Saving the Dark.” Hands-on activity is in store with Brad Griffith as you learn how without power tools or steam wood bending can get the job done.

Also back is Science on Display honoring the broad spectrum of retired and active scientists and science educators living on the Olympic Peninsula. From each profile, learn what inspired him or her to pursue a chosen field. Many residents are not aware of the science education, applied science, and interesting research conducted by their neighbors. Science on Display puts a face from the community on science in the community.

Why celebrate science?

We celebrate science because it helps us understand hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes and how to capture, store, and use power from the sun. Science has shown us that it’s important to wash our hands and to cover our mouths when we sneeze. We use science to heat our homes, grow our food, and predict the weather. Visit with local scientists and scientist practitioners as they show you how they use science in their work and lives. Science is everywhere, everyday.

GeekOut! is a self-sustained community event hosted annually at Port Angeles City Pier by Feiro Marine Life Center. Support for this event is provided from across the north Olympic Peninsula by volunteers who are members of Olympic Climate Action, North Olympic Orca Pod, Sierra Club – North Olympic Group, as well as residents and friends, who annually volunteer in the Corn Booth at the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend. These same volunteers fostered this local celebration in 2017 with a shared mission to celebrate the essential role science and technology plays in all our daily lives.

Where: Port Angeles City Pier and Feiro Marine Life Center (315 N. Lincoln St, Port Angeles, WA 98362)

When: 10:00 am (opening speaker) to 4:00pm, May 11, 2019

Cost: Free

For additional information, contact Melissa Williams, melissaw@feiromarinelifecenter.org, (360) 417-6254, or Krestine Reed, NOPVoices@att.net, (360) 397-3420.

Presentations

Special Sneak Preview Showing

“Dammed to Extinction”

Port Townsend — May 4th — 3:45 p.m., doors open 3:30 p.m.

The Wheeler Theater, Fort Worden Conference Center

Four obsolete dams choke off access to thousands of miles of rivers.
Removing these dams will save money, salmon and endangered orcas.
I’d like to watch the movie trailer . . .

$10 general admission, tickets on-line at Brown Paper Tickets

Post-film Discussion

This event features a post-film discussion with Director Michael Peterson, and Cast Members Carrie Chapman Nightwalker Schuster and Jim Waddell.

Michael Peterson, Director – Carrie Schuster, Palouse Elder – Jim Waddell, Ret. US Army Corps of Engineers

Peterson-Hawley Productions 2019. This special preview is part of the Global Earth Repair Conference.

Celebration of Science and Technology

This community event recognizes contributions science and scientists make every day. Activities focus on education and how science informs and is applied by and through technology.

People of all ages and interests are invited to engage with scientists at booths and presentations, and examine infographic posters that provide examples of how science works locally to contribute to our communities and our quality of life. To put a face on science in the community, Science on Display is profiles of local active and retired scientists and science educators.

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. at the Port Angeles City Pier stage with a welcome and opening remarks. Dr. Nick Bond will speak about “Hatching a Plan to Save a Northwest Icon,” taking a deeper look at the past, present, and future of salmon in Washington State.

At noon, Paul Kolensikoff will enlighten and amaze us again this year with “Einstein’s Hair-Raising Story,” which has become an annual GeekOut! favorite.

Science on Display is designed to honor the broad spectrum of retired and active scientists and science educators living on the Olympic Peninsula. From each profile, learn what inspired him or her to pursue a chosen field. Many residents are not aware of the science education, applied science, and interesting research conducted by their neighbors. Science on Display puts a face from the community on science in the community.

Why celebrate science? We use science to heat our homes, grow our food, take pictures of Mars, and send people far beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Science helps us understand why we have wind, tides, fish, and plants. Science has shown us that it’s important to wash our hands and to cover our mouths when we sneeze. Come learn about birds, bugs, tea, trees, water, and how to capture power from the sun. Visit with some of our favorite local scientists as they show you how they use science in their work and lives.

Global Earth Repair Conference

Port Townsend, WA, USA

Fort Worden Conference Center, 200 Battery Way

The Global Earth Repair Conference is for people who have
devoted their lives to Earth repair or who wish to.

Alan Watson Featherstone
will join us as a presenter.

Ceremony – Keynotes – Workshops – Round-table discussions –
Panels – Planning meetings – Caucuses – Indigenous Voices
Honoring our Earth Repair heroes & heroines

Live Streaming during the conference!

Keynote talks will be live-streamed as well as some of the more exciting workshops and panels.

Kids Program

A daily kids program will be offered Friday through Sunday, as well as an invitation for youth to participate in different aspects of the conference throughout the weekend.

Join us in Port Townsend on April 20th

Things to remember:

  • Please wear black and / or bring a black umbrella
  • Pope Marine Park in Port Townsend. (across from City Hall)

Schedule 

12:30pm DamSense and Backbone set up ocra pattern layout.
1:00pm People assemble in the orca pattern layout.
1:15pm Mural assembled and speakers at the dorsal fin to speak.
1:15pm Drone flies over to take video/photo
1:45pm Orca mural wraps up. Participants gather for a group photo and sing “No More BS” lead by Karen Davis
2:00pm NOOP performs “Stayin’ Alive” and other routine. 
2:30pm Socializing and wrap-up. A canopy with table for information materials will be available. 

Port Townsend GND Town Hall Meeting

Learn about the Sunrise Movement, Green New Deal, and ways to get involved around local environmental & climate issues. 

GND local update

From: Mike Ferguson <petitions4bernie@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 8, 2019 8:15 PM

Below are local actions to take and UPDATED INFO for events on the Olympic Peninsula to ensure the Green New Deal gets the support it needs. Continue reading →

Green New Deal

Join livestream kickoff watch parties for a Green New Deal, Tuesday, February 5, from 7-8:30 pm at the Clallam County Courthouse (use the after-hours entrance west of the flagpoles) or in Port Townsend at Rosewind Commons.

The most recent scientific consensus, including the federal government’s own National Climate Assessment, indicates a very short window for a transformation to a clean-energy economy. In response, activists are calling for a Green New Deal to transform our economy in a rapid and just manner, and Senator Ed Markey and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are poised to release Green New Deal legislation in the coming days.

Early support for an ambitious bill like this is crucial, and climate activists plan to send a strong message to their members of Congress in the coming weeks. 

The Sunrise Movement, credited with putting momentum behind the Green New Deal concept, will lay out their game plan via livestream at this event, which will be viewed by thousands of people at more than 400 watch parties around the country. Participants can register for this event at https://actionnetwork.org/events/green-new-deal-kickoff-watch-party?referrer=olympic-climate-action-2&source=direct_link. For more information, contact OCA at olyclimate@olyclimate.org.

This event will coincide with the rescheduled State of the Union Address; we leave it to history to determine which event is the more momentous for our shared destiny.

Peninsula Daily News story

Western Washington Forest Health

Olympic Natural Resources Center Evening Talks

The next Evening Talk is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 25th. We are fortunate to have Dr. Daniel Omdal, Forest Pathologist for Washington State Department of Natural Resources Wildfire Division. Join us at 7:00 pm in the ONRC’s Hemlock Forest Room for another great Evening Talk. 

Title:  Western Washington Forest Health with a Focus on the Decline of Bigleaf Maple.

As of the end of 2018, there has been no sign of recovery of sick and dying Bigleaf Maple though Western Washington. Forest pathologists at Washington’s DNR have been investigating the increase in symptoms and mortality in the Bigleaf Maple trees since 2011. Dr. Omdal will discuss the results of a recently completed Masters Project from the University of Washington, which investigated the spatial patterns and environmental variable associated with the decline.   An update on Swiss Needle Cast Disease and its impacts on Douglas-fir will also be provided during the Evening Talk.    

Please join us for our first Evening Talk of 2019!   Evening Talks at ONRC is funded through the Rosmond Forestry Education Fund, an endowment that honors the contributions of Fred Rosmond and his family to forestry and the Forks community.    Refreshments will be served and a potluck of your favorite dessert is encouraged.  For more information contact:  Frank Hanson at 374-4556 or fsh2@uw.edu.  

 Frank Hanson, Education, Outreach, & NPCLE Facilitator 
 Olympic Natural Resources Center
 School of Environmental and Forest
 Sciences
 College of the Environment
 P.O. Box  1628
 Forks, WA 98331
 Office 360-374-4556
 Cell 360-640-1861

Native Skywatchers

Bringing Together Cultural and Scientific Knowledge of
the Stars

This workshop builds on combined decades of experience in what we come to call “duallearning” – the weaving together of cultural and scientific knowledge, stories, and hands-on activities in an environment where neither is dominant over the other and resonance between the two is easily found. PI A. Lee’s Native Skywatchers initiative and Collaborator D. Scalice’s NASA and the Navajo Nation partnership form the basis of the pedagogical approach of dual-learning.

We will focus on three constellations—Wakinyan-Thunderbird, To Win/Tun Win-Blue Spirit Woman (Lee, 2014), and Maang-Loon (Lee, 2014)—grounding participants in their location in the night sky and the knowledge contained in their stories. Then, we will introduce astronomy and astrobiology concepts that correspond, relate, and resonate: Wakinyan-Thunderbird with precession; To Win/Tun Win-Blue Spirit Woman with stellar nucleosynthesis; and Maang-Loon with Solar System formation. In each case, we will introduce scientific hands-on activities/labs, and participants will work in groups to expand them to reflect and teach the cultural knowledge they learned.

  • WHEN: Wednesday, January 9 at 1PM
  • WHERE: ʔaʔkʷustəŋáw̕txʷ House of Learning,
    Peninsula College Longhouse
  • Contact: Sadie Crowe at Longhouse@pencol.edu (360) 417-7992

We respectfully acknowledge that we are guests at Klallam territories

“The 12 Steps to a Compassionate Life”

By Karen Armstrong

The Compassion Campaign of Clallam County is co-sponsoring this 2019 Compassion Winter Read

12 Steps book cover

As a scholar of world religions, Armstrong extends an invitation to explore the particular place of compassion in religious and ethical teachings. She specifically focuses on the Golden Rule as expressed in each one, which served as common ground for the Charter of Compassion. As she acquaints the reader with various perspectives, she also describes compassion as “Love in Action.”

Invite people from work, organizations, neighbors, friends and family!

SIGN UP NOW: To facilitate or join a group at CompassionCampaignCC@gmail.com or call Marilyn at 360-477-0681

You will receive specific info for that group when you sign up.
More groups are forming. Maybe start an online ZOOM group (We can help with that!)

Groups begin the week of January 6th and run twelve (12) weeks.

SEQUIM
Sundays, 2-3:30pm, OUUF, 1033 N. Barr Rd.
Mondays, 10am-Noon (1st meeting only) 2-4pm all other weeks, Sequim Library
Wednesdays, 10am-Noon, Trinity United Methodist Church

AGNEW
Wednesdays, 10-11:30am, Monterra in Agnew

PORT ANGELES
Sundays, 11am-Noon, Holy Trinity Lutheran
Wednesdays, 10-11:30pm, Eash Home
Wednesdays, 1-2:30pm, CSLPA, 254 N. Bagley Creek Rd.
Wednesdays, 6:30 – 8:00pm, Unity in the Olympics, 2917 E. Myrtle Street
Wednesdays, 7-8:30pm, CSLPA, 254 N. Bagley Creek Rd.
Thursdays, 10:30am-Noon, Port Angeles Library, 2210 W. Peabody St.

“Celebration of the Journey”,
April 6, 2019, 1-3pm at the Shipley Center in Sequim,
where all groups can share what we’ve learned and “what’s next.”

Jan. 10 webinar to provide update on Governor’s proposed budget and policy for Orca Task Force recommendations

From the co-chairs of the Governor’s Southern Resident Orca Task Force:

Please join us on Thursday, January 10, from 10 to 11 a.m., for a Governor’s Office budget and policy update webinar to address questions from members of the Governor’s Southern Resident Orca Task Force.

The following panelists will participate in the discussion:

  • Jim Cahill, Senior Budget Assistant, Office of Financial Management
  • JT Austin, Senior Policy Advisor, Governor’s Office

Task Force and Working Group members are encouraged to participate and ask questions, but no deliberations will take place, and no actions will be taken. The goal of the webinar is for Task Force and Working Group members to better understand this topic and help members formulate their perspectives on how these budget and policy updates will affect Task Force work in 2019.

The public is welcome to listen to the webinar, which will be recorded for later viewing.

How to join the webinar:

By phone
855-929-3239 (toll free)
+1-240-454-0887 (US toll)

Meeting number (access code): 808 330 011

Online
When it’s time, click to start your meeting.

From a video system or application
Dial 808330011@watech.webex.com
You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter meeting number 808 330 011

Need help joining the meeting?

  • Get online help from WebEx
  • Get phone help from Puget Sound Partnership staff, at 360.628.005

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that this WebEx service allows audio and other information sent during the session to be recorded, which may be discoverable in a legal matter. By joining this session, you automatically consent to such recordings. If you do not consent to being recorded, discuss your concerns with the host or do not join the session.

Gather for orcas in Olympia Nov. 16

An important rally for the orcas is scheduled at the Capitol complex in Olympia on Nov. 16, 2-5 pm.  There will be representations of all 74 living wild Southern Resident Killer Whales, plus Tokitae, aka “Lolita,” held in captivity at Miami Seaquarium.

Nov 16 is when the Orca Task Force final recommendations go to Governor Inslee.  The rally is to support breaching the Lower Snake River Dams a.s.a.p. for the sake of our salmon and orcas!

There is a big need for people to hold one of the 75 orca replicas. Interested people should let the organizers know they want to hold an orca by posting on the event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/254931905370101/

Event poster:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JIu1idaBW6zNejmqu3igFrYRqz4uNc9I/view?usp=sharing

Here is a site for both drivers and passengers to carpool to the event: https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/9yo54z

Ask about climate at candidate forums

Coming soon is the time to exercise your democratic right to vote. Inform yourself (and others) about the candidates’ views on climate change and what to do about it. As has been noted elsewhere on this site, individual acts of conscience will simply not be sufficient to avert a catastrophic climate crisis in the coming decades; therefore we must muster the political will to take collective action, and this election will be all-important in forming that political will, at every level of government.
Questions to ask local candidates about climate

Let us know if you know about other upcoming forums!

Wednesday, October 3, noon, Rotary Club, Asian Buffet.
Candidates for Clallam County Director of Community Development Mary Ellen Winborn and Julie Gardiner.

Wednesday, October 3, 6 pm. League of Women Voters, Port Angeles City Council Chambers.
Candidates for Clallam County Director of Community Development Mary Ellen Winborn and Julie Gardiner. Candidates for Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols and Selinda Barkhuis. Candidates for Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict and James (Jim) McLaughlin.

Thursday, October 4, 7 pm. League of Women Voters & AAUW, Tri-Area Center, 10 West Valley Rd, Chimacum.
Candidates for District Court Judge Noah Harrison and Mindy Walker (non-partisan position). Candidates for County Prosecutor Michael Haas (D) and James Kennedy (D).

Tuesday, October 9, 1 pm, KONP Radio.
Candidates for Clallam County Director of Community Development Mary Ellen Winborn and Julie Gardiner.

Thursday, October 11, noon, Kiwanis Club, Joshua’s Restaurant.
Candidates for Clallam County Director of Community Development Mary Ellen Winborn and Julie Gardiner.
Thursday, October 11, 7 pm, League of Women Voters & AAUW, Port Ludlow Beach Club, 121 Marina View Drive.
Candidates for County Sheriff Joe Nole (D) and David Stanko (No Party Preference). Candidates for Public Utility District Commission District 3 Tom Brotherton and Dan Toepper (non-partisan position).
Tuesday, October 16, 6 pm, League of Women Voters, Peninsula College Forks.
Candidates for Clallam County District Court 2 Judge Erik Rohrer and John Black. Candidates for Clallam County Commissioner (District 3) Bill Peach and Howard (Mike) Doherty, Jr. Co-sponsored by Peninsula College Associated Student Council.

Tuesday, October 16, 7 pm, League of Women Voters & AAUW, Tri-Area Center, 10 West Valley Rd, Chimacum.
Candidates for 24th Legislative District Position 1 Mike Chapman (D) and Jodi Wilke (R). Candidates for 24th Legislative District Position 2 Jim McEntire (R) and Steve Tharinger (D).

Wednesday, October 17, 4 pm, League of Women Voters, Peninsula College Little Theater, Port Angeles.
Candidates for PUD Commissioner (District 3) Ted Simpson and Jim Waddell. Candidates for US Representative Derek Kilmer and Douglas Dightman. Co-sponsored by Peninsula College Associated Student Council.

Wednesday, October 17, 7 pm, League of Women Voters & AAUW, Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St.
Candidates for Board of County Commissioners Greg Brotherton (D) and Jon Cooke (R). Candidates for Congressional District 6 Douglas Dightman (R) and Derek Kilmer (D)—will only occur if Kilmer can attend (empty-chair debates not allowed by League).

Thursday, October 18, 6 pm, League of Women Voters, Port Angeles Public Library.
Candidates for Clallam County District Court Judge Dave Neupert and Suzanne Hayden. Candidates for State Representative Position 1 Mike Chapman and Jodi Wilke and Position 2 Steve Tharinger and Jim McEntire. Co-sponsored by North Olympic Library System.

Friday, October 26, noon, Soroptimist Noon Club, Joshua’s Restaurant.
Candidates for Clallam County Department of Community Development Mary Ellen Winborn and Julie Gardiner.

Salish Sea Day of Action coverage

http://www.ptleader.com/news/community-gathers-to-save-our-salish-sea/article_c1a50c38-bb9f-11e8-a30f-e7d966ce6d05.html

Welcome to nəxʷsƛ̕áy̕əm Territory – Peninsula College – Thursday, Sept. 27

Studium Generale will open its fall season with a presentation that has become an annual event but with an important change to the title. Instead of the English language, the Klallam/S’Klallam language will take precedence. “Welcome to nəxʷsƛ̕áy̕əm Territory” will begin at 12:35 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, in Peninsula College’s Little Theater in Port Angeles, followed by a reception in ʔaʔk̓ʷustəƞáwt̓xʷ House of Learning, Peninsula College Longhouse. This is an opportunity for people to gain a deeper understanding of the culture and history of this area and to know that these are traditional Klallam and S’Klallam lands. All tribal members and the general public are invited to attend the event, along with the Peninsula College community. Leaders from the Port Gamble S’Klallam, Jamestown S’Klallam and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribes will offer their expertise on a number of related topics. All are invited to a reception in ʔaʔk̓ʷustəƞáwt̓xʷ House of Learning, Peninsula College Longhouse, directly following the presentation. The first longhouse built on a community college campus, ʔaʔk̓ʷustəƞáwt̓xʷ was named in nəxʷsƛ̕áy̕əmucen the Klallam/S’Klallam language because of its location on the traditional territory of the Klallam and S’Klallam people. This longhouse was designed and built through partnerships with six area tribes including the Hoh, Makah, and Quileute tribes, as well as the Klallam/S’Klallam tribes whose language, history, and culture we honor and celebrate in this “Welcome”.

Both events are free and open to the public. Please follow the link for campus map and visitor parking pass. http://pencol.edu/sites/default/files/PC-Campus-Map-Parking-Pass-I.pdf

 

 

 

The Lorax – speaking for the trees – Sunday Sept. 30 at OUUF

The ‘Olympics’ join to present the film The Lorax. Olympic Climate Action will join Olympic Unitarian Universalist Fellowship from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30. More information here: https://olympicuuf.com/lorax-movie/

Save our Salish Sea featuring singer/guitarist Dana Lyons, Sept. 15 in PT

Salish-Sea-Poster (002)

On September 15th, from 2-4 pm at Pope Marine Park in Port Townsend, there will be a free concert featuring singer/songwriter and guitarist, Dana Lyons.  He will be sharing his “Songs of the Salish Sea” focusing on the health and restoration of our important waterway.

Our local community is joining other communities around the bioregion to build broader awareness and advocacy for protection for our Sacred Sea and all living creatures. While the sea itself may separate us physically, we are uniting to face these growing threats together.  #WeAretheWater

The event will feature song, art and education integrated together to raise awareness of how we all can help Save the Salish Sea. Interspersed with Dana Lyons’s songs, leaders in the community will talk about the challenges the Salish Sea faces and how we all can protect it. The family-friendly event will also include inter-generational art creation and information tables. Speakers include Deborah Stinson, Mayor, City of Port Townsend; Laura Tucker, Climate Educator; and others.

The event is being organized by the Sierra Club North Olympic Peninsula Group, Local 20/20, QUUF’s Green Sanctuary Environmental Action Committee, and Olympic Climate Action in partnership with organizations throughout the peninsula.

RSVP here or on the Facebook event. Bring an umbrella, and a chair to guarantee yourself a seat!

And of course, please bike, bus, walk or carpool to the event if possible! The event is fully accessible.

Additionally, for those interested in direct action before the event, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center is hosting an International Coastal Cleanup day from 12pm – 4pm on the same day, September 15th. Go to PTMSC.org for more information. 

CONTACT:   Cherri Mann, cherrimann@aol.com, 360-390-4877.

Rise for Orca and Climate Justice – Saturday, Sept. 8 – Port Angeles

Our action is part of a national day of observance sponsored by 350.org. and a prelude to the Global Climate Summit being held in San Francisco September 12-14. Activities include:

* Hollywood Beach Party, meet and greet, potluck/picnic

* Kids’ activities all day long (see press release below for details)

* Storytelling and music

* Orca vigil & Kayaktivists invocation

* Featured speakers at Feiro Marine Life Center:

  • Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research, on the plight of the orcas.
  • Eric de Place, Sightline Institute, and Verner Wilson, Friends of
    the Earth, on fossil fuel impacts to Puget Sound & the Thin Green Line.

* Evening program at Elwha Klallam Heritage Center: Multi-media
presentation of The Road To Athabasca, a chronicle of an epic
bicycle journey along the route of the Trans Mountain pipeline.

This event is free, but donations will be collected to fund OCA’s activities and the opposition to the Trans Mountain Pipeline. Please RSVP here so we can add our numbers to the overall count of people who are gathering on this day for Climate Justice internationally.  You can also keep up to date on this event on our Facebook page.

Activity schedule

Speaker bios

Press release with more details

B&W flyer for the day’s events

Poster: Rising for Orca & Climate Justice

Poster: The Road to Athabasca

Rise for Orca and Climate Justice

* Part of a National day of observance sponsored by 350.org.
Prelude to the Global Climate Summit
being held in San Francisco September 12-14

* Beach Party, meet and greet, potluck/picnic

* Kids activities all day long

* Story telling and music

* Orca Vigil

* Kayaktavists Invocation ceremony asking protection for our waters and Orca

* Featured speakers: Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research.
Eric de Place, journalist, researcher
on fossil fuel impacts to Puget Sound, Verner Wilson of Friends of
the Earth, Gavin Wukttken of Point Defiance Zoo.

* Evening program at Elwha Klallam Heritage Center. Multi-media
presentation of The Road To Athabasca. A chronicle of an epic
bicycle journey along the route of the Trans Mountain pipeline.
401 E First St. Port Angeles. Doors 6:30. Show@7pm

This event is free. Please RSVP here so we can add our numbers to the overall count of people who are gathering on this day for Climate Justice internationally.  You can also keep up to date on this event on our facebook page.

#2 Final---12x18-Poster---Rising-for-Orca-&amp;-Climate-Justice---8-16-18-new-proof copy.

Ask your candidates about climate

With primary election season coming around, it’s time to exercise your democratic muscles and get involved! One way is to inform yourself (and others) about the candidates’ views on climate change and what to do about it. As has been noted elsewhere on this site, individual acts of conscience will simply not be sufficient to avert a catastrophic climate crisis in the coming decades; therefore we must muster the political will to take collective action, and that is what politics is supposed to be about.

Questions to ask local candidates about climate

League of Women Voters candidate forums: July 16 in Port Angeles; July 18 in Forks

League of Women Voters candidate forum in Port Ludlow: Wednesday, July 18, 6-8 p.m. will bring together candidates for Jefferson County Commissioner, District 3: Greg Brotherton, Jon Cooke, Ryan McAllister and Craig Durgan at the Beach Club at Port Ludlow, 121 Marina View Drive .

Many civic groups, such as Norwester Rotary, the Port Angeles Business Association, and the American Association of University Women, also sponsor candidate forums–check their social media for schedules.

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.

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

Celebrate science at PA Pier April 28

On April 28, 2018, Feiro Marine Life Center, Olympic Climate Action, and Sierra Club North Olympic Group are again hosting a free, community-oriented celebration of science at Port Angeles City Pier from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. People of all ages and interests are invited to engage with scientists at booths and presentations, and examine infographic posters that provide examples of how science works locally to contribute to our communities and our quality of life. To put a face on science in the community, Science on Display provides profiles of local active and retired scientists and science educators.

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. at the Port Angeles City Pier stage with a welcome and opening remarks. Jim Waddell, Civil Engineer, PE USACE Retired, will speak about how a non-scientist evaluates the massive amount of scientific claims. Most science is done out of the public eye in labs or remote field sites and presented in specialized journals. As a result, there’s limited awareness of the rigorous, self-correcting scientific process: a method based on evidence and experiments that can be replicated, tested, and scrutinized by other professionals. This scientific process, scientific consensus, and evidence-based models are the tools that help make sense of science.

Science on Display is designed to honor the broad spectrum of retired and active scientists and science educators living on the Olympic Peninsula. From each profile, learn what inspired him or her to pursue a chosen field. Many residents are not aware of the science education, applied science, and interesting research conducted by their neighbors. Science on Display puts a face from the community on science in the community.

Why celebrate science? We use science to heat our homes, grow our food, take pictures of Mars, and send people far beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Science helps us understand why we have wind, tides, fish, and plants. Science has shown us that it’s important to wash our hands and to cover our mouths when we sneeze. Come learn about birds, bugs, tea, trees, water, and how to capture power from the sun. Visit with some of our favorite local scientists as they show you how they use science in their work and lives.

Feiro Marine Life Center, Olympic Climate Action, and Sierra Club – North Olympic Group created this local celebration in 2017 with a shared mission to celebrate the essential role science and technology plays in all our daily lives.

KWEKWECNEWTXW – Protect the Inlet

March 10, 2018:  Representatives from OCA, Sierra Club and thousands more joined with First Nations in Vancouver BC to resist the Kinder Morgan tar-sands pipeline. They sent a clear message to Prime Minister Trudeau that he does not have consent to allow the Kinder Morgan Trans-Mountain pipeline expansion.Surrey2b

For more information or to donate: https://protecttheinlet.ca/

Articles: https://other98.com/coast-protectors-occupation-kinder-morgan/

 

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/its-standing-rock-north-trans-mountain-pipeline-in-canada-stirs-strong-opposition/

Surrey5b

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.

Share this alert on Facebook

Share this alert on Twitter

Climate hope lectures

The Climate Reality Project: Hope for the Future

Thursday, March 1, 6-7 p.m., Peninsula College – Port Townsend

Thursday, March 15, 6-7 p.m., Sequim Public Library, south meeting room

Wednesday, April 18, 6:30 -7:30 p.m., Peninsula College –  Forks

Cost: Free, registration not required. Open to the public

“We’re going to win this thing, but first we have to understand what it is.” With seas rising, global heat records falling, and storms becoming more and more devastating, the reality of climate change has never been clearer. With clean energy solutions like wind and solar getting more affordable, batteries getting better, and buildings becoming more efficient every year, we can see the way forward. The good news doesn’t end there. Thanks to 195 countries signing the historic Paris Agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions planet-wide, the world is united in working for a safe and sustainable future with net-zero carbon emissions by the second half of this century. Climate Reality is working to accelerate the global shift from activities driving climate change to renewables so we can power our lives and economies without destroying our planet. But we can only do it together with a deep understanding of the current global situation and the science behind it.

Presenter: Dr. Adelia Ritchie

Sponsored by Western Washington University & Sierra Club

Net metering discussion Feb. 17 – Sequim

Flyer

Community discussion of the pros and cons of the Feb 1 Clallam County PUD Net Metering rate changes. Learn what the rate change is all about and how it does or does not affect every PUD customer’s power bill. Is PUD threatening the continued development of clean renewable energy from solar power by creating a backdoor method for power companies to not support clean energy and maintain the status quo?

Are environmentalists being inconsiderate and ignoring the effects of electricity rates on their lower income neighbors? Does this disregard hamper those neighbors’ opportunity to help our community transition to clean energy and recognize renewable energy as being in everyone’s best interest?

Discover how the State Solar Fairness Act (SB 6081) would ensure that solar owners own the power they generate, which encourages and supports continued solar power development. Both the State Senate Energy Committee and the Senate Ways & Means Committees voted for this bill. The State Senate must NOW schedule a full floor vote.

Join Richard DeBusman and Paul Hansen on February 17 at the Mariners Cafe in Sequim from 5 to 6:30 p.m. as they lead a broad in depth discussion and answer questions which may help determine the nature of efforts for action now and in the future.

IMPORTANT ~ Please RSVP

https://actionnetwork.org/events/defend-net-metering-own-your-power-2

Or Email NOPVoices@att.net and type RSVP in Subject Line

Facebook Event https://www.facebook.com/events/400377300407113/

Salish Sea lobby day Feb. 12

Salish Sea Protection – Lobby Day 2018

A day of action to protect The Salish Sea! Join Protectors of the Salish Sea and Students for the Salish Sea in a day of constituent conversations with decision makers about key issues threatening our Salish Sea and what it will take to let this beautiful region return to health. This session we are advocating:

  • Orca Whale protection policies
  • Against the Kinder-Morgan Pipeline
  • An immediate halt to work at the LNG facility being illegally constructed on Puyallup tidal flats until a proper EIS has been conducted
  • An immediate lease phase-out on all invasive Atlantic Salmon net-pens
  • Freeing the Snake River from the four lower dams
  • Respect forTreaties signed with Coast Salish Tribal Nations!

What: Salish Sea Protection – Lobby Day 2018
Date: Monday, February 12th, 2018
Register: salishsea.brownpapertickets.com/
Location: TBD
Carpool info: www.groupcarpool.com/t/5ups9x
Questions: chiara[at]studentsforthesalishsea.org

Let’s create a healthier Salish Sea together!

* S C H E D U L E *

8:30-10: Indigenous prayer with Protectors for the Salish Sea and briefing on Indigenous solidarity issues; followed by a briefing on up-to-date policy priorities list.

— During this portion each participant will receive a name tag, an itinerary for constituent meetings and folder with specific policy information —-

12:00 Students for the Salish Sea Kinder Morgan petition delivery to Jay Inslee!

10-4:15, meetings with Senators and Representatives!

If you register here we’ll schedule meetings with your representatives:
https://salishsea.brownpapertickets.com/

**Please let us know if this cost poses a barrier to you and we will do our best to accommodate.**

We’d like to arrange childcare for anyone coming with kids. Message us if this is your circumstance ♥

We will endure: the Climate Resistance

Now that the Climate Resistance event has happened, you can watch highlights here:

…or the full video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1EMCxtpyok&feature=youtu.be

With our federal government seemingly bent on cooking the planet for the sake of corporate profits, we have no choice but to take up the mantle ourselves:  as individuals, organizations, businesses, and local and state governments. It’s on us!

On January 31, we worked with 350.org to kick off a major campaign for 2018… 

Fossil Free US: How We Win from 350.org on Vimeo.

Fossil Free Fast: The Climate Resistance launched its Fossil Free U.S campaign, calling for an immediate halt to all fossil fuel projects with a fast and just transition to 100% renewable energy for all. OCA and other local groups hosted local kickoff watch parties in Port Angeles, Sequim, and Port Townsend, watching Bernie Sanders, Bill McKibben, and other forward-thinking activists speak about a vision for a healthy planet with justice for all, inspiring strong unified resistance against the current federal Administration’s endless attacks on the environment.

To connect with other local activists equally passionate about the work ahead to end oil addiction and transition the world to 100% renewable energy, contact us, and we’ll work together to help solve the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced.

For more information on the campaign, see https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/01/05/350org-launches-fossil-free-us-campaign-large-scale-event-day-after-state-union

Rally vs offshore drilling Feb 5 in Tacoma

Day of Action & Rally – No New Offshore Drilling – Tacoma – February 5 – 5:30 p.m.
Let your voice be heard . . . Say No, No, No!

The current administration wants to open 90% of U.S. coastal waters to offshore drilling between 2019 and 2024. It’s important to have a large turnout attending BOEM’s (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) revised program presentation and other events happening during the day. Make your voice heard and say no to this proposal that would be devastating to U.S. coasts.

Here’s all the details from our friends at Stand Up To Oil:

There is still time to RSVP to attend the Public Meeting about Offshore Drilling & People’s Hearing this coming Monday. We look forward to seeing you there!

Carpool Sign Up https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/y2mpin

Here’s our schedule for the day:

WHAT: Public Meeting about Offshore Drilling and People’s Hearing
WHERE: Tacoma’s Landmark Catering and Convention Center (47 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402)
WHEN: February 5, 1:00 – 8:00 pm
1:00-2:00 Press Conference (Corinthian Room)
2:00-8:00 People’s Hearing (Corinthian Room)  – see detailed schedule below
3:00-7:00 Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Open House
5:30-6:30 Rally and Dinner (outside Landmark Catering and Convention Center)
WEAR BLUE for clean water!

Please share the Facebook event.

People’s Hearing Program:

1:00-2:00 pm Press conference
2:00-3:00 pm People’s Hearing
3:00-3:10pm(approximate) Attorney General Bob Ferguson speaking
3:10-5:30pm People’s Hearing
5:30-6:30 pm Rally and Dinner (pizza)
6:30-8:00 pm People’s Hearing continued
Visit the Public Meeting hosted by BOEM, 3:00-7:00 pm                     

 Activities at the People’s Hearing to include:

  • Volunteer to sit on the People’s Panel to hear testimony
  • Make your Delegation sash or a sign for the rally
  • Take a photo in the photo booth and share on social media
  • Meet organizations

 HOW TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK

We’ll have signs directing you where to sign up – you’ll have the option to sign up throughout the day. Speakers will have 3 minutes to give testimony (subject to change based on the time and number of speakers). We will do our best to accommodate varied travel schedules. A stenographer will record your testimony to submit it to the BOEM as a written comment.

 Here’s a list of sample talking points and facts about the risks of offshore drilling – we’ll have copies at the hearing too. Find sample social media posts at the end of the document.

Bring additional snacks and water – we’ll serve pizza, but it’s a long day!

Questions? Contact Stina Janssen at stina@wecprotects.org or at 360-301-3340.

​Support by: Surfriders, Sierra Club, Stand Up to Oil, 350 Tacoma, Fuse WA, Washington Environmental Council, 350 Seattle, Backbone Campaign and more.

​Still can’t go to Tacoma? You can watch the live feed from home. (You don’t need a Facebook account for viewing ​at 1pm Monday)  https://www.facebook.com/StandUpToOil/videos/2027611667498271/

 

Formal public comment: You are encouraged to submit written comments to inform the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management of specific issues, impacting factors, environmental resources, alternatives to the proposed action, and mitigation measures to consider in its analyses. BOEM prefers online comments. Submit comments at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=BOEM-2017-0074

Contributing Organizers: Sierra Club, 350 Tacoma, 350 Seattle, Washington Environmental Council, and Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association.

Climate Resistance kickstarts across the Olympic Peninsula Jan. 31

With our federal government seemingly bent on cooking the planet for the sake of corporate profits, we have no choice but to take up the mantle ourselves:  as individuals, organizations, businesses, and local and state governments. It’s on us!

Join us January 31 as we work with 350.org to kick off a major campaign for 2018… 

On January 31, Fossil Free Fast: The Climate Resistance launches its Fossil Free U.S campaign, calling for an immediate halt to all fossil fuel projects with a fast and just transition to 100% renewable energy for all. OCA and other local groups will be hosting local kickoff watch parties.

Join your neighbors and friends to watch Bernie Sanders, Bill McKibben, and other forward-thinking activists speak about a vision for a healthy planet with justice for all. You will see a new path moving into the 2018 and 2020 elections with an emphasis on local action that will inspire strong unified resistance against the current federal Administration’s endless attacks on the environment.

Connect with other activists equally passionate about the work ahead to end oil addiction and transition the world to 100% renewable energy. Starting right here on the north Olympic Peninsula, we can work together to solve one of the biggest challenges humanity has ever faced.

For more information see https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/01/05/350org-launches-fossil-free-us-campaign-large-scale-event-day-after-state-union

Please RSVP to a watch party near you.

Port Angeles

Sequim

Port Townsend

If you can’t attend a watch party, you can livestream the national event from home by going to this link: https://gofossilfree.org/usa/. A recording will also be available afterward at the same link.

Climate Resistance kickoff Jan. 31

Fossil Free Fast: The Climate Resistance

On January 31, Fossil Free Fast: The Climate Resistance, launches Fossil Free U.S, a campaign led by 350.org, calling for an immediate halt to all fossil fuel projects and a fast and just transition to 100% renewable energy for all. We’ll be hosting local kickoff watch parties on the Olympic Peninsula.

See Bernie Sanders, Bill McKibben, and a wide array of climate activists speak out on a vision for a healthy planet with justice for all. You will see a new path and be inspired to resist the current federal government’s endless attacks on the climate, with an eye toward the 2018 and 2020 elections and an emphasis on local action.

Connect with other activists equally passionate about this work in exploring how to end our oil addiction and transition our world to 100% renewable energy, starting right here on the Olympic Peninsula. Together we can work to solve one of the biggest challenges humanity has ever faced.

Please go to one of the events below for details and to RSVP:

Port Angeles

Sequim

 

Climate Countdown in Olympia Jan. 8

Let’s send a strong message to our state legislators that it’s time for real climate action, now!

Join with statewide 350.org groups mobilizing in Olympia for Climate Countdown: Day 1 on the first day of the 2018 Legislative Session, to let our representatives know we expect them to pass bold and meaningful climate legislation that has a chance of saving our future before it’s too late. (Of course, we can also thank them for past efforts to make Washington and the world a better place!)

OCA is arranging carpools and a van from Port Angeles, Sequim, and Port Townsend. Please go to the carpool link below to sign up. Let’s show that we’re serious!

Car/vanpool signup:  https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/y5drtc.

For more information, see the following:

Web Site: http://350seattle.org/climatecountdown/

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1969448093273005/

Click on “See More” at bottom of “Details” section for additional information. Also, check out the “Discussion” tab for comments.

Twitter: #ClimateCountdown

Continue reading →

Block the Gates – “No LNG in 253″

OCA members participate in the Lock-Down demonstration at the Port of Tacoma Liquefied Natural Gas terminal construction site on December 18, 2017.

By OCA member Michael Clemens

On Sunday the 17th and Monday the 18th, the Puyallup Tribe sponsored a protest of the unpermitted LNG terminal in the Port of Tacoma. 350.org and many other groups were present to support the demonstration. Three activists from the North Olympic Peninsula car-pooled to Tacoma in support: Ed Chadd, Debra Ellers and myself, all three of us clad in orca suits and representing the North Olympic Orca Pod that Debra organizes. (They are still recruiting more pod members—see the NOOP Facebook page for more information.)

Arriving at the Tribal Youth Center Sunday evening, we were welcomed and fed, then briefed on the next day’s action. Accommodation was made for sleeping and we all got as much rest as you can before a big action! Monday morning we arrived at the LNG terminal before dawn to find every gate into the fenced construction site blocked, and the street leading to the main entrance made impassable by the demonstrators. Because it was a work day, some folks had to leave early. However, other arrivals filled the ranks and there was a continuous presence of at least 200 demonstrators. All sides in this action–demonstrators, police and workers–were civil with each other. As one tribal member put it, “We kicked butt today!”

On a personal level, I found a new appreciation for the spirit, commitment and bravery of our indigenous brothers and sisters in arms. Their straight talk about sustainability and care for the Earth is heartening. I am especially impressed with the spirit that comes through their songs, and I would recommend participation in future events to anyone who wants to do some good for the planet and for their own souls as well.

We blocked the gates!

On the morning of Monday, December 18, Water Protectors and community members gathered outside the Tacoma LNG facility to show opposition to Puget Sound Energy’s (PSE) disregard for treaty rights and the health and safety of our communities and planet.

A contingent from North Olympic Peninsula representing OCA and the North Olympic Orca Pod were out there at the gates. Here are a few views from that day; peace prevailed, the workers went home, and the Puyallup Tribe’s treaty rights were asserted, backed by 200 supporters out in the street.

Our gratitude to these stouthearted protectors of the water.

For more info on this resistance:
https://www.facebook.com/ajplusenglish/videos/1106711546137018/

Day of action vs banks that invest in pipelines

OCA joins Global Days of Action vs banks funding pipelines

On October 23, 2017, Olympic Climate Action members participated in the global days of action against major banks funding dirty oil-pipeline money, organized by Mazaska Talks (“Money Talks” in Lakota), a coalition of grassroots Indigenous groups including the 121 First Nations and Tribes of the Treaty Alliance Against Tar Sands Expansion.  The campaign calls for individuals and institutions to close their accounts with banks that finance these pipelines, which trample on indigenous rights and threaten our climate, including the Kinder Morgan pipeline project, which would send hundreds of tar sands tankers through our local waters every year.

We gathered in peaceful protest to deliver petitions to Chase and Wells Fargo branches in Port Townsend, Port Angeles, and Sequim. (U.S. Bank has partially stepped back from certain kinds of funding for pipeline projects, but they are still heavily involved in such projects and should be avoided as well.)

Chart: Does Your Money Fund Pipelines?

Broadside: Don’t Let Your Money Fund a Tar Sands Spill in the Salish Sea!

Please consider closing your accounts in these banks and asking that institutions with which you are involved (churches, nonprofits, taxing districts) divest as well. Also sign up for the Mazaska Talks Boycott of these banks and call for these banks to adopt principles of investment that help rather than tear apart our human and ecological community.

(Click on any image to enlarge it.)

Interview: the case for divestment

On 10/24/17,  Todd Ortloff  interviewed Jim Hallett and Diana Somerville on his KONP radio show.  The topic: The case for divestment from banks that fund fossil fuel projects. Listen to the podcast by looking up the date at http://konp.com/podcasts.php.

Todd Ortloff

 

Todd Ortloff is an Edward R. Murrow award winner and graduated from the Murrow School of Communications at Washington State University.

#DeFundPipelines – join us on Oct 23

We are participating in the Mazaska Talks Global Day of Action on Oct 23 with actions opposing banks funding pipelines with branches in Port Townsend, Port Angeles, and Sequim.

Join our planning group!

Sign up for the event here

 

 

Pull Together Event in Port Angeles

A reminder to join us at 6PM this evening for the Pull Together event of a lifetime.

for more info:

www.olyclimate.org

Pull Together: Keep Tar Sands Oil out of Our Water, Aug. 22-23

Local Groups Fight Pipeline with “Pull Together” Events August 22 in Chimacum ♦ August 23 in Port Angeles  ♦ August 24 in Port Townsend

DONATE TO PULL TOGETHER HERE

DONATE TO STAND WITH KWANTLEN HERE

Olympic Climate Action (OCA) joins with the Sierra Club, the Native Connections group of the Unitarian-Universalist Church in Port Townsend, Pull Together, and Stand with Kwantlen to present three nights of entertainment, food and speakers to educate the community about the hazards of the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion in British Columbia.

The pipeline, which would deliver tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada to port in British Columbia, could increase oil tanker traffic in the region by 700% and would triple the amount of oil currently transorted. At 890,000 barrels a day, it would be bigger than both Keystone XL and the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Tar sands oil sinks rather than floats when spilled and would be virtually impossible to clean up. The spill threat and noise alone could devastate marine life, and the carbon released from burning this oil would compound the already dire consequences of climate change, which have brought this peninsula drought, burning rain forests and receding glaciers.

To fight this pipeline, a cross-border coalition of environmental, indigenous, and social-justice groups has formed under the name Pull Together. This name evokes the traditional canoes that generations of first peoples have used to transit the Salish Sea — the region that encompasses the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, and the Strait of Georgia in Canada. Recognizing that the Salish Sea is a single ecosystem, groups on both sides of the border are recognizing their common interests in protecting this special place. Pull Together is raising funds for a lawsuit against Kinder Morgan based on indigenous rights to clean water, air, and land.

To help this effort, a coalition of local groups are hosting free entertainment / education / fundraising / activism events:

  • August 22, 6-9 pm, Finnriver Farm & Cidery, 124 Center Rd., Chimacum. A veggie/fruit tray will be provided: food and drinks will be available for purchase.
  • August 23, 6-9 pm, Elwha Klallam Heritage Center, 401 E First St in Port Angeles.  The event will feature Indian tacos, entertainment, and door prizes including:
    • A wine basket from Harbinger Winery.
    • A Storm-Tech winter jacket with the Pull Together logo.
    • A framed 16 x 20 photo of the Salish Sea, printed on canvas, by art photographer Lindsey Aspelund.
  • August 24, 6-9 pm, Quimper Grange in Port Townsend. Donations will go to Stand with Kwantlen, a native rights group working to build a healing lodge in the path of the pipeline.

Keynote speaker at the August 22-23 events will be Eric de Place, Policy Director with the Sightline Institute, the leading expert on fossil-fuel export proposals and the threats they pose to our region and the planet.

The program for the August 23 Port Angeles event also features:

NOOP at Tacoma LNG 17362068_10154151870030448_1586903347031512565_n     michael_valve

    • A special performance by the North Olympic Orca Pod.
    • Vanessa Castle, Water Protector, activist and member of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, will address threats to indigenous rights and sovereignty.
    • Michael Foster, member of the “Valve Turners” who shut down all major tar sands pipelines on October 11, 2016, will discuss the movements individuals can join to protect the local community and counter the interventions of Big Oil, Gas, and Coal.
    • Victoria Leistman, Sierra Club regional organizer who is working to stop proposed oil terminals across the region, will show the Pull Together video:

Pull Together Campaign from Made You Look Media on Vimeo.

Peninsula Daily News story

Poster for the Chimacum event

Poster for the Port Angeles event

Poster for the Port Townsend event

Vigil for the Paris Accord

Friends and neighbors gathered Friday evening in front of the old Federal Building in Port Angeles to reinforce each other’s resolve in the aftermath of the current administration’s ill advised decision to pull out of the Paris Accord.

Peninsula Daily News story Continue reading →

Vigil for Paris Accord

Olympic Climate Action will hold a vigil for the Paris Accord on Friday, June 2, from 5 – 6:30 pm in front of the Federal Bldg. at First and Oak Streets in downtown Port Angeles.

We will be there to witness this tragic development and express our profound sadness and disappointment in the President’s decision.

Wear black and bring a drum and candle if you have one–we’ll have some there.

Without the federal government to protect us, it’s up to us make progress.

How Trump’s Paris Decision Hurts America, in 5 Graphics

We’re Already Moving Past Trump–NYT

Bringing Standing Rock Back Home

Come the Elwha Klallam Heritage Center this Friday, May 19, at 6 PM to join in a discussion of the Legacy of Standing Rock.  Speakers:

Vanessa Castle resided at Standing Rock for five months, until the camp closed. She will discuss her reasons for going, the authorities’ brutal treatment of the water protectors, and how we can take the message of Standing Rock home.

Matt Krogh, of Stand.Earth, protects the West Coast from oil, gas, and coal terminals. He will discuss the Kinder-Morgan pipeline and other fossil-fuel initiatives, and sustainable energy alternatives.

Mike Doherty served as Clallam County Commissioner for 20 years. He will discuss local efforts to protect our communities and what you can do to participate.

The moderator will be Mary Lovell of Pull Together, a coalition leading the fight against the Kinder Morgan pipeline.

Donations are encouraged for Pull Together and the Elwha Heritage Center.

For a larger version of this poster, click here.

US Bank Updates its Environmental Responsibility Policy!

People over pipelinesRemember those cold days in February when people in Port Angeles and Sequim were protesting US Bank’s support of DAPL pipeline ?  Well, good news.  US Bank has revised its environmental responsibility policy to state that it will no longer directly fund any oil or gas pipelines! And any relationships with companies/people in the oil or gas industry will be subject to additional checks on the “potential impact on dependent communities and indigenous people.” Activism works!

This Saturday, May 20, from 11am-12 people will be going out to the PA and Sequim branches of US Bank, where we protested, this time to bring flowers and wave signs thanking them for listening to the people. Facebook event here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1348163088552428/

Here is an article: http://www.ecowatch.com/us-bank-divest-pipelines-2408440397.html

and their new Policy:  https://www.usbank.com/pdf/community/Environmental-Responsibility-Policy-Web-Final-April2017.pdf

Walk 4 the Salish Sea

Walk 4 the Salish Sea

This is one of the most important international/local issues we face now.  We encourage you to join in (for as much or as little as you can via any human-powered means of transport).  Or, if you can’t join physically, donate.

When: May 25-28, 2017
Where: from Victoria to Kinder Morgan Westridge Terminal, Burnaby

RSVP if you’d like to join the contingent from the Olympic Peninsula.

For official details and/or to donate, visit walk4salishsea.ca

For large version of the poster (5MB) click here.

Climate March OP 2017 video & photos

Produced by
Daneau Video Productions
Photos by Debbi Steele

Video from speakers at the march

Photos on our Facebook page

People’s Climate March Olympic Peninsula

Saturday, April 29 was a day of Climate Awareness marches in Washington, DC and around the world.  In Port Angeles, some 600 concerned citizens from across the Olympic Peninsula and beyond came by bike, by foot, by carpool, and by busloads.  Some presumably swam, like this pod of orcas from Port Townsend!

Lys Burden, Dale Grooms, Debra Ellers and Annette Ruzicka of Port Townsend

Lys Burden, Debra Ellers and Annette Ruzicka of Port Townsend

The event was organized by a tireless group of activists from Olympic Climate Action and supported by the Sierra Club North Olympic Group.  Led by members of the Klallam Drum Group of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, this non-violent march moved with good spirit through the sidewalks of downtown PA in the rain.  The majority of bystanders and local businesses showed their support and expressed an understanding of the importance of the issues being raised on this day.

March starts at City Pier
Local musicians keep the rhythm
March monitors assure safety
Drums and Peace
Lincoln and Front Streets
First and Oak Streets
Railroad Ave.
Harbor Art Gallery, Bob and Cindy
Wet but happy!

More photos available on OCA’s Facebook page.

Climate change is real and now. Most of us get it. Humans must act in ways to limit its effects, and deal with surviving the changes that are here and/or on their way.

cleanup

Give a rousing cheer for the many unsung citizens who took an afternoon out of their lives to make this a worthy event.  Even the clean-up crew!

Check out the Peninsula Daily News story about this March for Climate, and some of the interesting commentary that follows.

People’s Climate March ♥ Olympic Peninsula ♥ April 29, 2017

“Our Peninsula, Our Future, Our Climate”

3:00 PM • Port Angeles City Pier

321 N. Lincoln St., Port Angeles, WA 98362

RSVP here

Contribute here

Map to parking and City Pier

Agenda of speakers and activities

March route

FAQ

Our banners – original artwork by Makah artist Micah McCarty

Video by James Cameron

Article by Bill McKibben

“Why I March”:  A Set of Short Videos

Article in Port Townsend Leader

Article in Peninsula Daily News

The People’s Climate March is a nationwide event to re-energize and build the movement for climate action in order to fight pollution, protect human rights, and transform our economy.

Here on the Olympic Peninsula, we have the opportunity to build a coalition of communities and cultures dedicated to a just transition toward community  resilience. Climate action here can mean moving toward stable jobs with good wages, building and retrofitting infrastructure to generate our own energy, increasing efficiency, and preparing for climate changes to come.

Together we can achieve a better future for us all. This is why we are concentrating our efforts into a joint march for the whole North Olympic Peninsula. This is our Peninsula, our future, and our climate.

In addition to climate action on the Peninsula, we stand up to protect the recently signed Paris accord, in which nations work together to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C, and thereby hopefully sustain a livable planet. We reject the call by members of the current federal administration to pull out of the Paris agreement and unleash a new wave of unnecessary and lethal fossil-fuel extraction.

The Sierra Club North Olympic Group and Olympic Climate Action invite you to join us. Let’s march together for our future.  We have a great lineup of speakers and others to inform and inspire you!

We use non-violent means to achieve change. We are committed to nonviolence, inspired by the spirit of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and other peaceful protesters before us. No violence, no property damage. We believe that this approach offers the best means of creating lasting progress toward a just and healthy world.

Pcm2017-badge-v1

FAQ:  Olympic Peninsula People’s Climate March – Saturday, April 29, 2017

3 pm – Port Angeles City Pier, 321 N. Lincoln St.

Parking is available at the Clallam County Courthouse parking lot, 223 E 4th St. There will be a drop-off area near the pier for people who need it. A map is here.

Gathering will be at the stage on the Port Angeles City Pier. The welcome ceremony will begin at about 3 pm. A map is here. Limited seating is available, so if you need a seat, RSVP or arrive early. Posters and banners are welcome but must be held–they cannot be hung anywhere in the pier area.

March route is just under a mile and will be from the pier to Railroad Ave, where we will walk west along the esplanade. At the end of the sidewalk we will continue through the park by the pocket beaches until we reach the crosswalk at Front and Cherry. We will cross at the crosswalk and continue south on Cherry until we get to First. Once on First, we will walk east on the north sidewalk up to Lincoln. From there we will head north on Lincoln and back to the Pier. A map is here.

The march will be led by local tribal members. Tribal drummers invite others with portable percussion to march behind down along the line to give a beat to the whole march.

We will not be blocking the roads, so marchers must stay on the sidewalks and obey traffic signals. March helpers in orange vests will be at every block. They will be able to call someone who can pick you up if you cannot complete the march for any reason. We will also have doctors marching who have agreed to be “on call”.

Rally: Once we return to the Pier, around 4pm, we will listen to several inspiring speeches from community members and elected officials. The speeches should last about 40 minutes. The Peace Choir will end the march with a song. A tentative agenda is here.

Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. There is no smoking on the Pier or during the march. Well behaved, leashed dogs who like crowds are welcome. Remember to bring water and dress for the weather; there will be no food available at the march. We are committed to principles of non-violence.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Click here to view a fuller description of the event.

— Sierra Club North Olympic Group and Olympic Climate Action

Banners for People’s Climate March 4/29/17

“Our Peninsula, Our Future, Our Climate”

Our banners

March route: People’s Climate March Olympic Peninsula 4/29/2017

Start and finish at the stage at City Pier, after the welcoming ceremony.

March route

Agenda for People’s Climate March April 29

Tentative agenda – People’s Climate March Olympic Peninsula, 4/29/2017 – 3 PM – PA City Pier

 Segment/Speaker Affiliation Topic
PRE-MARCH:    
Melanie Greer March committee chair Welcome and logistics
Jonathan Arakawa Enrolled member of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and a lead singer with the Klallam Drum Group Welcome to Klallam territory
MARCH: Everyone March through downtown
RALLY:
Diana Somerville Local author and activist Master of Ceremonies
Mike Chapman (if not in special session) Washington State House of Representatives My road to climate activism
Vanessa Castle Water Protector, activist and member of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Lessons from Standing Rock
Jon Preston Forks City Council Why we can’t wait
Kate Dean Jefferson County Commissioner Climate impacts on the Olympic Peninsula
Chad Bowechop Manager, Makah Tribal Council Office of Marine Affairs Threats of increased oil shipping in our waters
Deborah Stinson Mayor, City of Port Townsend Moving forward at the local level
Mark Ozias Clallam County Commissioner Greening the local economy
Diana Somerville Master of Ceremonies Closing thoughts
Interfaith Peace Choir Interfaith Alliance Closing song

Gather at the stage at City Pier at 3 pm.  Arrive early–it will be crowded!

Map to Pier

Celebration of Science

Our Celebration of Science, co-sponsored by Olympic Climate Action, Feiro Marine Life Center and others on Earth Day was a wonderfully successful event, in spite of rain showers.

Video:  Electric forces impact both red and blue!

You can click on images to enlarge them and/or to cycle through the slide show.

Dr. Science at work

Did you see this piece by Neil deGrasse Tyson that captures some critical points about Science in America?    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MqTOEospfov

Or this? http://www.sequimgazette.com/news/science-rising-a-celebration-of-science/

Or this? http://www.sequimgazette.com/opinion/water-matters-wall-of-science/

 

March For Science

Stand for Standing Rock

U.S. Bank, Port Angeles & Sequim

Saturday, March 4, 2017, 11 – noon

In response to the sudden announcement that the Trump administration plans to abrogate the Environmental Impact Statement process and bulldoze the sovereign rights of indigenous people at Standing Rock in order to push the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) through their ancestral lands, OCA, in partnership with the Clallam Progressives and the Racial Justice Collective, will picket outside the U.S. Bank branches in Port Angeles, 134 E. 7th St. (corner of Lincoln), and Sequim, 101 W. Washington St. (corner of Sequim Avenue).  Bring signs and dress for the weather.

U.S. Bank is among a number of banks financing DAPL, and a worldwide movement is calling to divest from these banks if they won’t withdraw their DAPL investments.  Seattle just passed a resolution to divest their accounts at Wells Fargo, another DAPL investor.  In Clallam County, several local governments bank with U.S. Bank.  Such demonstrations and divestment demands are being staged around the country.

This protest is not against our local bank branches, staffed by our neighbors and doing everyday community banking.  Rather, this protest is against their corporate executives, who often follow a very different agenda.  In coming weeks, we will start a dialogue about ethics and investments by individuals and institutions.

Here are messages from Sacred Stone Camp and the #NoDAPL 2017 Action Hub.  There the protesters are risking prosecution, jail, and worse to protect their sacred lands and water, and the water supply of millions.  We quite simply do not need any new pipelines, and the sooner we get onto clean energy, the better off we’ll all be.

Finally, a word from Arnold Schwarzenegger about an offer you can’t refuse!

Stand for Standing Rock

U.S. Bank, Port Angeles & Sequim

Saturday, February 25, 2017, 11 – noon

In response to the sudden announcement that the Trump administration plans to abrogate the Environmental Impact Statement process and bulldoze the sovereign rights of indigenous people at Standing Rock in order to push the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) through their ancestral lands, OCA, in partnership with the Clallam Progressives and the Racial Justice Collective, will picket from 11 AM till noon, on Saturday, February 25, outside the U.S. Bank branches in Port Angeles, 134 E. 7th St. (corner of Lincoln), and Sequim, 101 W. Washington St. (corner of Sequim Avenue).

This will be our third week of demonstrating, back by popular demand!  Bring signs and dress for the weather.

U.S. Bank is among a number of banks financing DAPL, and a worldwide movement is calling to divest from these banks if they won’t withdraw their DAPL investments.  Seattle just passed a resolution to divest their accounts at Wells Fargo, another DAPL investor.  In Clallam County, several local governments bank with U.S. Bank.

This protest is not against our local bank branches, staffed by our neighbors and doing everyday community banking.  Rather, this protest is against their corporate executives, who often follow a very different agenda.  In coming weeks, we will start a dialogue about ethics and investments by individuals and institutions.

Here are messages from Sacred Stone Camp and the #NoDAPL 2017 Action Hub.  There the protesters are risking prosecution, jail, and worse to protect their sacred lands and water, and the water supply of millions.  We quite simply do not need any new pipelines, and the sooner we get onto clean energy, the better off we’ll all be.

Rally vs Trump Nominees

image

That pin in the upper left is us, not Victoria…in the entire Pacific Northwest, we and Seattle were the only places to hold “First 100 Hours” rallies to begin the resistance against the Cabinet nominees of Donald Trump.

Twenty-eight hardy souls were out in the middle of the street early this morning to spread the word, and we got much support from passersby.  More support than from the Port Commission, who said it was inappropriate to lobby other government bodies such as the U.S. Senate. This was just prior to a long discussion of whether they should lobby state government to extend the halibut fishing season!  Oh well, Profiles in Courage it wasn’t.

But the good news is that two out of three Port Commissioners acknowledge that human-caused climate change is a serious problem that must be seriously addressed.  That’s a good thing for our local community, as the Port controls some of the most vulnerable assets in Clallam County under the threat of climate change.

Pictures from the rally are on our Facebook page.

“Corral the Climate-Killing Cabinet”

Rally Jan. 23, 8 am – First and Valley Streets, Port Angeles

Climate action is under attack. The Trump presidency threatens to undo all our progress, and set the climate movement back years — years we can’t afford.  In the first 100 hours of Trump’s administration, join Olympic Climate Action and a nationwide resistance to oppose the Trump Administration’s aggressive attacks on our air and water, our economy, our health, our families, and our future.

On January 23 OCA sponsored a rally and sign-waving at First and Valley Streets in Port Angeles at 8 AM to kick off the resistance during Trump’s Presidency.  We brought signs and flags, and dressed warm!  We rallied early that morning because at 9 AM, we crossed the street to the Port of Port Angeles office to ask the Port Commissioners to join us in opposing a Cabinet made up of climate criminals.

See event poster here

It’s up to us to stop these attacks before they can really start.

Stand with Standing Rock in Port Angeles

Tuesday, Nov. 15, 3 pm – Gateway Center – Front & Lincoln – details here

2015-11-15-pa-nodapl

To make a donation:
– Camp support: http://standingrock.org/
– Legal support: https://fundrazer.com/d19fAf?ref=sh_25rPQa

The Lower Elwha Klallam and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribes stand in support of the Standing Rock protesters.

JAMESTOWN S’KLALLAM TRIBAL COUNCIL RESOLUTION #35-16
The US Army Corp of Engineers authorized the Dakota Access Pipeline’s construction over the objections of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and despite the fact that the environmental assessment failed to account for the health and will-being of the Tribe or the spiritual significance of the purposed development site. The construction of the Pipeline poses a significant risk of contamination of Tribal homeland, water and natural resources and will permanently destroy sites that have sacred and cultural significance to the Tribe.

standingrockprotester12 Ways to Be an Effective Ally at Standing Rock

upliftconnect.com

Here are some important tips for non-native allies who want to support the movement at Standing Rock.

Sept 28: speakers on climate & our ocean

Free Event: Our Marine Resources Facing Climate Change

Flyer     Agenda

Changing chemistry in our marine waters is changing the food web and the industries that depend upon it. How those changes occur, and what each of us can do to help reduce those changes, will be explored at a speaker forum and panel discussion on September 28 at the Red Lion Inn conference room. The free event begins at 6:00 p.m., and is sponsored by Clallam County Marine Resources Committee and Olympic Climate Action.
Forum speakers will examine the ecological impacts of ocean acidification, the impacts of ocean acidification on local shellfish, water availability on the North Olympic Peninsula, and how individuals can be involved to help make a difference.
Ginny Broadhurst, Executive Director at the Northwest Straits Commission, will facilitate the event and the panel discussion. Ms. Broadhurst will also outline actions that individual citizens can take to help reduce the impacts of ocean acidification.
Anna McLaskey, PhD student at University of Washington, will discuss the ecological impacts of ocean acidification. A member of the West Coast Ocean Acidification 2016 Cruise, Ms. McLaskey will introduce the cause and chemistry of ocean acidification. Ms. McLaskey’s research focuses on the impacts of ocean acidification on crustacean zooplankton such as krill and copepods.
Bill Dewey, Director of Public Affairs for Taylor Shellfish, will explore the impacts of ocean acidification on oysters and other shellfish Mr. Dewey states, “Ocean acidification is a big deal. Sea water chemistry is going to change in dramatic ways in our lifetime. We are going to watch all the organisms shift in the ocean in ways we can’t fully understand.” He travels around the world speaking about ocean acidification, how ocean acidification impacts the shellfish industry, and how it will impact the ocean food web. Taylor Shellfish started as a family business in 1890 and today they are the largest producer of farmed shellfish in the country.
Ann Soule, water resources specialist for the City of Sequim, will describe future water availability on the North Olympic Peninsula. Based on future weather predictions with drier, warmer summers and wetter winters, Ms. Soule concludes that we should “harness all possible sources of water for our water-dependent region.” She has worked extensively on surface water and stormwater, and water quantity and quality issues in the Dungeness watershed and Clallam County—and will explore potential relationships between freshwater supplies and marine resources.
Following the presentations a panel will engage the audience in a discussion about ocean acidification and water availability on the North Olympic Peninsula.
This project has been funded wholly or in part by the US EPA under Assistance Agreement PCOOJ90301.

Photos from the event:

 

LOCAL I-732 events today!

Help bring a carbon tax to WA!

At 2:45 today at the Dungeness River Audubon Center, Mike Massa of the CarbonWA executive board will give a presentation on I-732 to the Dungeness River Management Team, refuting the misleading statements made by the Clallam County PUD in opposition to the initiative.  A public comment period will follow at the end of the meeting.  Please attend if you can, and say at least a few words in support at the end of the meeting, and help introduce Mike to local people after the meeting.

This evening, we’ll gather starting at 5:30 at the home of Brian Grad at 245 Jake Way in Carlsborg, for food, drink (feel free to bring potluck items), and strategizing about the local I-732 campaign.  Please attend this important meeting.

If not us, who?

If not now, when?

If not this, what?

In the spirit, Ed Chadd, Mike Massa, and Brian Grad

Pacific NW activists call for a clean break from fossil fuels

OCA participates in regional action in Anacortes

Part of a global wave of resistance to keep coal, oil & gas in the ground

May 13-15, 2016: A global wave of mass actions targeted the world’s most dangerous fossil fuel projects, in order to keep coal, oil and gas in the ground and accelerate the just transition to 100% renewable energy.

With bodies out in the streets, activists around the world called for strong follow-up to the Paris COP21 talks, to shift power from the fossil fuel industry towards grassroots groups working toward an economic and energy transformation of our society.

The Anacortes protest was held at the site of the Shell and Tesoro refineries, the largest source of carbon pollution in the Pacific Northwest.  With the plumes of the refineries swirling all around, a broad coalition of activists, including more than a dozen OCA members, called for a just transition to 100% renewable energy.

Report from the Anacortes Break Free event

Diane Vendiola, Swinomish elder:  these lands were ours

Sequim Gazette article about OCA’s participation in Break Free

The time is now for a just transition to clean energy

Eight ways we can break free from fossil fuels

Break free from fossil fuels!

Actions in the Pacific Northwest will focus on Anacortes, May 13-15

Join a global wave of resistance to keep coal, oil & gas in the ground

May 13-15, 2016: A global wave of mass actions will target the world’s most dangerous fossil fuel projects, in order to keep coal, oil and gas in the ground and accelerate the just transition to 100% renewable energy.

*** Sequim Gazette article about OCA’s participation in Break Free ***

We need to follow up the Paris COP21 talks with a strong call to get serious and break free from this perilous path we’re on, and we can’t afford to go down that path any more.  It’s time to turn the ship around and head for a livable future, and this is a time to make the point with our bodies in the streets, to shift power from the fossil fuel industry towards grassroots groups like OCA who are working toward a great economic and energy transformation of our society.

The Shell and Tesoro refineries near Anacortes, WA are the largest source of carbon pollution in the Northwest and refine 47% of all the gas and diesel consumed in the region; this system must change—within years, not decades.  Join us the weekend of May 13-15 as we take mass action to Break Free from Big Oil and hasten a just transition to 100% renewable energy.

In order to arrange appropriate transportation and accommodation, we need your prompt response as to whether/how/when you would like to join us for this event, so we can minimize our carbon footprint and make it a good experience for all.  We expect to be picking up folks in Port Angeles, Sequim, and Port Townsend on the way to Anacortes.  Transportation might be by carpools, vans, or even buses.

PLEASE fill out this survey so we can arrange logistics and stay in touch: 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NBFDR2P

Climate rally Nov. 29 in Port Townsend

With so much at stake in the upcoming COP21 talks in Paris, climate activists around the world are demanding a global commitment to keep 80 percent of remaining fossil fuels in the ground and transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050.  OCA hosted a rally in Port Angeles on Nov. 21 and Port Townsend will host one on Nov. 29:

PORT TOWNSEND RALLY AT HALLER FOUNTAIN – November 29, 3-4 pm

Join the Green Sanctuary Committee, PT Songlines and friends as we celebrate the miracle of life and our commitment to leave a livable planet for future generations. This Global Climate March with 1,000,000 others around the world will demand that our leaders make a major commitment in Paris next month to preserve our environment and promote climate justice. Bring signs, songs, flags and sidewalk chalk (in solidarity with Paris). Ride a bike, bus or walk if you can and let’s push leaders our leaders to commit to 100% clean energy for everyone. Help make history – RSVP at https://www.avaaz.org/en/event/globalclimatemarch/?slideshow. Just type in Port Townsend, get inspired and sign up.

OCA “puts a cork in it” at climate rally

Put a Cork in it! from Nancy Botta of RainDagger Productions on Vimeo.

50 Olympic Climate Action supporters gathered at the Port Angeles waterfront on November 21 to call upon world leaders to “Put a Cork in It” and leave 80% of the world’s known reserves of fossil fuel in the ground–what scientists say we need to do to allow the planet to remain within the 2 degrees Celsius warming limit set by world leaders as the maximum allowable to avoid catastrophic climate chaos.  OCA’s rally was held against the backdrop of Shell’s oil drilling rig, the Polar Pioneer, back from an unsuccessful $8 billion gambit to drill for oil in the Arctic, in waters only recently uncovered due to the very warming caused by fossil fuels.  With corks made by several local artists, we literally “put a cork in it” and called upon world leaders to get serious about a quick transition to clean energy.

Photos from the rally…

Put a cork in it! - Photos//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Rally for climate action

“Put a Cork in It:  Leave Fossil Fuels in the Ground”

Saturday, Nov. 21, 12:15 pm

Port Angeles Boat Haven east entrance

With so much at stake in the upcoming COP21 talks in Paris, climate activists around the world are demanding a global commitment to keep 80 percent of remaining fossil fuels in the ground and transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050.  Here on the North Olympic Peninsula, we’ll gather on the Port Angeles waterfront with Shell’s “Polar Pioneer” drilling rig in the background, to send a message to world leaders in Paris that it’s time to “turn the ship around and leave the fuel in the ground.”  This rig recently returned to our harbor after a failed attempt to start a big drilling operation in the Arctic, in a place that wasn’t accessible until climate change melted the sea ice–an irony that seemed to be lost on Shell.
At the rally, we’ll hear about what’s at stake in Paris, talk about why we care, sing a few songs, and then take a group photograph holding a big cardboard cork positioned to look as if it’s capping the oil rig, with our message to “Put a Cork in It.”  The event will be kid-friendly, handicapped-accessible, on Bus Route 26 and the Waterfront Trail, and it should only last about a half hour, so you’ll still be able to make it to the Farmer’s Market.  If you so desire, bring an umbrella, a musical instrument, and a sign with your message to our world leaders.

Event signup link:

http://act.350.org/event/global-climate-march_attend/11719

Map wide

Local climate adaptation report released

Presentation at the PA Public Library Nov. 11, 6 pm 2009

The grant project on which OCA served as a partner is now complete, and the Climate Change Preparedness Plan for the North Olympic Peninsula is available online and at the Port Angeles, Sequim, and Port Townsend libraries.  The project coordinators will be giving a talk on this report this Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 6 pm at the Port Angeles Library.  For more information, go here, or contact Cindy Jayne, cindyjaynept@gmail.com.

Plant-for-the-Planet Academy inducts new Climate Ambassadors

On October 24, Olympic Climate Action, Climate Change for Families, and 4-H of WSU Extension Clallam County hosted a Plant-for-the-Planet Academy with elementary and middle-school students.  Seven new Climate Ambassadors learned about the climate crisis, the distribution of wealth, population, and pollution around the world, Plant-for-the-Planet’s 3-point plan to solve the climate crisis, and how to become climate leaders, and they planted trees at the Port Angeles Boat Haven.  A good time was had by all.  Next step:  the students would like to form a club, and 4-H has offered to host the club if adult leaders can be found.  If you’d like to help lead a club with some wonderful young people, contact Jenny Schmidt at 4-H:  jenny.schmidt@wsu.edu.World GameRhetoric practiceSpeak for the TreesPlant it straight

Hands on

Film series kicks off with Yes Men Oct. 12

Doors open at 6:30, film starts at 7:00.

Elwha Klallam Heritage Center, 401 W. First Street, Port Angeles

$5.00 suggested donation

Olympic Climate Action, in conjunction with the Elwha Klallam Heritage Center, kick off an occasional film series with The Yes Men are Revolting, a comedic romp through the dark side of corporate culture, 7 PM Oct. 12 at the Elwha Klallam Heritage Center.

The Yes Men are notorious activists who stage outrageous and hilarious hoaxes to draw attention to corporate crimes against humanity and the environment.  Armed with nothing but quick wits and thrift store suits, the Yes Men lie their way into business events and government functions to expose the dangers of letting greed run our world.

Yes Men films have received numerous international awards, including the United Nations Association Film Festival Grand Jury Award, Best Documentary Award at the HBO Comedy Arts Festival, and the Audience Award at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam.

In this movie, their third, the Yes Men take on their biggest challenge:  climate change, with their usual mix of pranks and a good deal of introspection.  Underlying all the mirth is the pathos of trying to make a difference before it’s too late.

“Who said that a political film can’t be sweet, too? In its grandest triumph, “The Yes Men Are Revolting” is an activist doc inspired by more than just its topical issues.”

Roger Ebert

Admission is by donation ($5 suggested).  Snacks will be available at 6:30, and movie time starts at 7:00, beginning with a couple of light-hearted shorts.  Families are welcome.