North Olympic Peninsula residents addressing human-made climate disruption. Washington State, U.S.A.
Contains all blog posts to this site that aren’t on static pages
by Emily Johnston. Cross-posted from the Climate Defense Project. The Climate Defense Project is part of the legal team providing support to Emily and the other valve turners. ______ A certain kind of anxious question comes almost every time we give a talk as “the Valve Turners”: Why would you take such a risk? What brought you …
Continue reading "On Climate Change, Interconnectedness, and Tolerating Risk"
Heat waves that have office workers reaching for the air conditioning will have farm workers facing heat stroke. Rising food prices that hit the rich in the wallet will hit the poor in the stomach. And storms that rattle windows in affluent homes will sweep away poor homes entirely. --environmental economist Jonah Busch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAKxJtczCIk Produced by Daneau Video Productions Photos by Debbi Steele Video from speakers at the march Photos on our Facebook page
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! The event was organized by …
It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. Upton Sinclair, 1878-1968 (cartoon by Port Angeles artist Jim Fetter)
"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 …
Continue reading "People’s Climate March ♥ Olympic Peninsula ♥ 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 …
Continue reading "FAQ: Olympic Peninsula People’s Climate March – Saturday, April 29, 2017"
"Our Peninsula, Our Future, Our Climate"
Start and finish at the stage at City Pier, after the welcoming ceremony.
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 …
Continue reading "Agenda for People’s Climate March April 29"
Gather at the stage at City Pier at 3 pm. Arrive early--it will be crowded!
On the fifth day the scientists who studied the rivers were forbidden to speak or to study the rivers. The scientists who studied the air were told not to speak of the air, and the ones who worked for the farmers were silenced, and the ones who worked for the bees. Someone, from deep in …
Continue reading "On the Fifth Day, A poem about the presidency."
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. Did you see this …
On Saturday, Feb. 25th and March 4, concerned citizens and members of OCA joined other groups around the country to speak truth to corporate executives of US Bank, which is one of the funders for the Dakota Access Pipeline. A worldwide movement is calling to divest from these banks if they won't withdraw their DAPL …
One of Barry Commoner's lasting legacies is these four laws, written in The Closing Circle in 1971: 1. Everything is connected to everything else. There is one ecosphere for all living organisms and what affects one, affects all. 2. Everything must go somewhere. There is no "waste" in nature and there is no "away" to …
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, …
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, …
Video: Scott Pruitt Will Make America Great — For Polluters In this exclusive web essay, Bill Moyers takes on President Trump’s choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has a track record of putting the business interests of the energy sector before the environmental and health interests of the public. …
Peninsula Daily News Tue Jan 31st, 2017 1:30am, Letters to the Editor Far from making America great again, Donald Trump may in fact threaten human civilization by setting in motion runaway climate change beyond the capacity of civilization to cope. The trickiest concept about climate change is the lag time between cause and effect, whereby …
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 …
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 …
Earthjustice attorney Vawter "Buck" Parker, looking back over his 40-year career involving environmental battles on every subject, from wilderness to nuclear power to human health, realized that beneath the complexity was an underlying unity: "The root cause is so often the same: the desire of some to reap the benefits while imposing the costs on …
On January 17, 2017, Resolution #02-17 was finalized after OCA appealed to the City Council for action following up on the climate adaptation plan. Here is a paraphrase of that resolution: "It is incumbent on all local government agencies on the Olympic Peninsula to prepare for natural disasters, sea level rise and potential emergencies related …
Continue reading "Port Angeles adopts climate planning policy"
Peninsula Daily News story here This issue was discussed at the Clallam County Commissioners' work session on Jan. 17. One Commissioner, Mark Ozias, pledged to take action on behalf of our community, and deserves our thanks. At our monthly meeting on 1/8/2017, OCA unanimously directed our Executive Committee to write this letter to Washington's Senators, urging them …
At Tuesday's Clallam County Commissioner meeting, Commissioner Mark Ozias committed to taking further steps with his fellow Commissioners in 2017 to prepare for climate change and reduce Clallam County's climate impact. “I’m looking forward to moving into next year with a much more firm sense of where we’re at and where we would like to …
An artistic tour-de-force by local family physician Ned Hammar (notes here):
A message from Our Children's Trust: As we approach the longest night of the year, this year-end seems darker than years past with White House Cabinet nominations that include multi-millionaire heads of fossil fuel and fast food companies and an attorney general who has fought against environmental protection for a living seeking to head our …
"Human limitlessness is a fantasy. . . . Our great need now is for sciences and technologies of limits. . . . We are not likely to be granted another world to plunder in compensation for our pillage of this one." --Wendell Berry
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe will pick up donations Saturday, Nov. 19 in Port Angeles--plus other ways to donate Suggestions from the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe: - Camp support: http://standingrock.org/ - Legal support: https://fundrazer.com/d19fAf?ref=sh_25rPQa Indian Country Today - Special Issue on Standing Rock The members of Olympic Climate Action, a network of some 500 grassroots activists living on …
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 3 pm - Gateway Center - Front & Lincoln - details here To make a donation: - Camp support: http://standingrock.org/ - Legal support: https://fundrazer.com/d19fAf?ref=sh_25rPQa Indian Country Today - Special Issue on Standing Rock The Lower Elwha Klallam and Jamestown S'Klallam Tribes stand in support of the Standing Rock protesters. JAMESTOWN S’KLALLAM TRIBAL COUNCIL RESOLUTION …
Paul Krugman makes clear how crucial this election is to the fate of our climate. He's talking at the national level, but that's true at all levels. OCA endorses these state initiatives: I-732 would put a tax on carbon that would be balanced by reductions in other state taxes plus a Working Families Tax Rebate. I-735 …
OCA has taken a position in favor of state Initiative 1464, a reform of state campaign finance and lobbying laws. One root cause of climate change is the undue influence of money in politics, so by limiting that influence, we hope to rein in climate change too. From the Yes on 1464 website: Big money interests …
from sciencedebate.org Climate Change The Earth’s climate is changing and political discussion has become divided over both the science and the best response. What are your views on climate change, and how would your administration act on those views? Hillary Clinton (D) When it comes to climate change, the science is crystal clear. Climate change …
wamend.org/ facebook.com/WAmend.org twitter.com/WAmend_I735
OCA endorses these state initiatives: I-732--a revenue-neutral carbon tax I-735--calling for a constitutional amendment to enable better regulation of campaign finance
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 …
Belated kudos to the City of Sequim! This is a far-sighted resolution unanimously adopted on July 25 calling for incorporating climate into all planning instruments, working with other regional parties, learning and educating, and monitoring and evaluating. Thanks to OCA members Bob Sextro and Brian Grad, who testified before the City Council. Here is the resolution: …
Occupy.com has posted a story about “6 ballot initiatives to watch in 2016.” Author Matt Stannard calls I-732 “absolutely the most important initiative in the country.” From the story: “At the top of the list is the first and only carbon tax and rebate initiative in the United States, an idea championed by a variety of …
In a presentation to the Dungeness River Management Team, CarbonWA executive board member Mike Massa made the case for the I-732 revenue-neutral carbon tax and refuted the statements that the Clallam County PUD had made opposing the initiative at a previous DRMT meeting. Here are his slides in Powerpoint and PDF format. Note the projected economic impacts: …
"If there was one thing I would like to see, it would be for us to be able to price the cost of carbon emissions." * That's President Obama responding to a question from Thomas Friedman about the single most important thing we can do to solve climate change, from a forthcoming episode in the new …
Continue reading "Raves for I-732 and putting a fair price on carbon"
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 …
"We are disappointed that the Clallam County PUD Board of Commissioners voted against supporting Initiative 732, a measure designed to accelerate the switch to affordable clean energy." In a guest opinion piece in the Sequim Gazette, OCA members collaborated on a response and appeal to the Clallam County Public Utility District Commissioners to rescind their …
Continue reading "PUD Commissioners: fulfill your mission and support I-732"
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% …
Continue reading "Pacific NW activists call for a clean break from fossil fuels"
On May 9, members of OCA presented this statement to Clallam County PUD commissioners regarding their ill-considered opposition to I-732, the state carbon-tax initiative that will be on the ballot in November. In spite of substantive refutations from OCA, OCA members, and a representative from the I-732 campaign, pointing out that I-732 will have very little economic …
Continue reading "OCA responds to PUD misstatements about I-732"
Urges consideration of climate change in guiding the City's future OCA delivered these comments to the Port Angeles Planning Commission, which is charged with taking public input and drafting a periodic required update of the Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan. This plan guides decision-making of the City as it strives to meet its mission to enhance the quality …
Continue reading "OCA comments on Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan"
No problem. Palm trees are beautiful and we can develop a love for the stark beauty of the Saguaro cactus. This is what we get when the developed world's sense of entitlement leads it to a per capita carbon footprint 17 times larger than than the 2 billion food and water starved. American forests face …
Mass actions in Anacortes May 13-15...part of worldwide actions to break free from fossil fuels...OCA will organize participation from the Olympic Peninsula.
(Peninsula Daily News 4/12/16) PORT ANGELES — Clallam County commissioners have approved a work plan to adapt to potential impacts of climate change. After hearing testimony from a split group of public speakers Tuesday, county commissioners voted 3-0 to pass a resolution directing six county departments to consider impacts and strategies contained in a North …
Continue reading "Clallam commissioners adopt climate change work plan"
Thanks to individuals and groups such as OCA across the state, the CarbonWA revenue-neutral carbon tax initiative 732 has met its signature threshold and stands before the state legislature, who can either enact it, propose their own version, or pass it on to the voters untouched. OCA, with the consensus of our membership, has sent …
At the end of the Paris Conference of Parties meeting #21 on Dec. 12, spontaneous celebrations around the globe marked the mood of relief that political leaders from 187 countries had just agreed to acknowledge responsibility for turning the climate change ship around. The significance of this agreement at the two-week COP21 climate summit in …
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 …
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 …
"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 …
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 …
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 …
Continue reading "Plant-for-the-Planet Academy inducts new Climate Ambassadors"
Ballots to be mailed Oct. 14 Here are the candidates for Clallam County Commissioner speaking on climate change: League of Women Voters Port Angeles Rotary Club PA Chamber of Commerce
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 …
Continue reading "Film series kicks off with Yes Men Oct. 12"
Celebrate our local farms and farmers! OCA will have a booth at Jardin du Soleil about climate change and agriculture.
OCA is sponsoring this event in conjunction with 350.org and other climate-action organizations worldwide. This year's climate talks in Paris will be crucial, and we need to join hands around the world to tell our leaders that it's time to get off of fossil fuels and onto clean energy, now! Power Through Paris Workshop Saturday, …
Continue reading "Help plan for global climate mobilization Sept. 26"
Promoting the CarbonWA carbon-tax initiative to bring clean energy to WA and the WAmend big-money-out-of-elections initiative to restore balance to our democracy. OCA has sponsored several events centered around the CarbonWA initiative to enact a revenue-neutral tax swap which will tax "bads" (fossil fuels) instead of "goods" (sales, business activities, and working families). Signature-gathering will continue through …
Continue reading "OCA gathering signatures on I-732 & I-735"
Promoting the CarbonWA carbon-tax initiative to bring clean energy to WA OCA is sponsoring several events centered around the effort to enact a revenue-neutral tax swap which will tax "bads" (fossil fuels) instead of "goods" (sales, business activities, and working families): July 30, 1:05 PM: KONP Radio 1450's (and FM 101.7) Todd Ortloff will interview Yoram …
Continue reading "OCA sponsoring events in support of I-732"
League of Women Voters Candidates Forum Sunday July 12 Shipley Center, 921 E Hammond St, Sequim 1.00 PM - 3.45 PM Candidates for Clallam County Commissioner District 1 Jim McEntire, Mark Ozias, Bryan D. Frazier __________________________________________________________________________________________ Please Vote in the Primary Election August 4 Ballots Mailed Out on July 15
Troubadours Dana Lyons and Anne Feeney to perform July 6 at UU Hall Join us for a benefit concert by environmental troubadour Dana Lyons and labor hell-raiser Anne Feeney in the only North Olympic Peninsula stop on their "Teamsters and Turtles: Together at Last" tour. Starting in Bellingham and sweeping south to Oregon, the duo will marry song and …
Continue reading "Teamsters and Turtles: Musical benefit for OCA"
Dear Senator Hargrove and Representatives Van de Wege and Tharinger: We represent some 500 residents of the Olympic Peninsula, concerned about the impacts of climate change which are already affecting us all, and hoping to reduce our collective carbon footprint as much and as quickly as possible, as well as preparing for the impacts we …
Continue reading "Legislators: Continue the WA solarization program"
It's important to shout out not only what we oppose (Shell Oil, Arctic drilling, coal & oil ports, secret trade agreements), but also what our positive vision is. Luckily, a couple of state initiatives encapsulate that positive vision: CarbonWA and WAmend. OCA has committed to gather signatures on both. Won't you help? Memorial Day pays …
Continue reading "Collect signatures on two great initiatives: CarbonWA & WAmend"
Ten members of Olympic Climate Action (six by land, four by sea) joined in the activities in Seattle to protest the Shell Arctic drilling rig Polar Pioneer May 16-18. Here's an article about the May 16 protest by OCA member Tim Wheeler. Shell acknowledges that human-caused climate change is a problem and that government ought to set a limit …
Continue reading "OCA joins sHellNo protest in Seattle May 16-18"
Members of Olympic Climate Action will participate in some of the activities planned in Seattle to protest the Shell Arctic drilling rig Polar Pioneer May 16-18. Carpooling may be available; contact us for details. Shell acknowledges that human-caused climate change is a problem and that government ought to set a limit on carbon emissions. Yet …
Saturday, April 25, 10-2, Port Angeles Farmers Market, Front & Lincoln Streets Members of Olympic Climate Action will be at the Port Angeles Farmers Market this Saturday to stand in opposition to the Shell oil drilling rig currently moored in Port Angeles Harbor. Shell acknowledges that human-caused climate change is a problem and that government ought …
Continue reading "sHellNo: We Can Do Better than Drill the Arctic"
A drilling rig as high as the Seattle skyline loomed into Port Angeles Harbor for a stay of two weeks before being towed to Seattle and then the Arctic. A quickly-organized demonstration was led by a coalition of groups from the Olympic Peninsula and the region. RainDagger Productions of Port Townsend, video documentary KING 5 TV KIRO 7 …
Continue reading "Protesters “un-welcome” Shell’s Arctic drill rig at Port Angeles Harbor"
In spite of Governor Inslee's attempt to pass a carbon cap-and-trade bill to limit carbon pollution and help fund our underfunded education system, it has become clear that no significant carbon-reduction legislation will be passed in this session of the Legislature, where even the Democratic-controlled State House will not put cap-and-trade on the floor. Once …
Continue reading "Support CarbonWA and WAmend initiatives for a healthy future"
Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek Thursday, March 5: 2 p.m., Peninsula College Longhouse. Free. Derrick Evans, the hero of this film, will be here from Boston to present the film and lead a discussion. Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek follows the painful but inspiring journey of …
Continue reading "Environmental films showing at Peninsula College"
OCA's comments to the Planning Commission on the draft SMP - Part One OCA's comments to the Planning Commission on the draft SMP - Part Two Clallam County is replete with coastal and inland waters, both marine and fresh. These waters, the stuff of life, are at the heart of our unique character and natural systems. Orcas, …
Continue reading "OCA COMMENTS TWICE ON CLALLAM COUNTY’S SHORELINE PLAN"
Three oil train disasters in 72 hours. Forest Ethics of Bellingham asks us to sign 3 petitions: Tell President Obama to protect firefighters from exploding oil trains! Tell BC Premier Clark to do a proper review of the Trans Mountain pipeline! Tell Congress: No more fiery oil-by-rail disasters in our back yards! All three petitions at …
Continue reading "Protect our communities from exploding oil trains"
OCA's comments to the Planning Commission on the draft SMP - Part One OCA's comments to the Planning Commission on the draft SMP - Part Two Clallam County is replete with coastal and inland waters, both marine and fresh. These waters, the stuff of life, are at the heart of our unique character and natural systems. Orcas, …
Continue reading "Comment on Clallam County’s Shorelines Plan by Feb. 27"
DIVESTING FROM FOSSIL FUELS Jim Hallet, financial advisor Friday, February 13, 3 PM, Elwha Klallam Heritage Center Are you an unwitting supporter of Big Oil and Coal? The fossil fuel industry, by spreading misinformation and buying politicians, is arguably the biggest obstacle to avoiding climate chaos. But many people unknowingly have money invested in these companies. …
OCA member Bob Lynette will be the guest speaker at the Sequim Science Café at 6:30 PM Tuesday evening, February 10th, at the Paradise Restaurant, 703 N. Sequim Ave. in Sequim. Admission is free with food and beverages available. Bob will speak about Climate Change on the Olympic Peninsula – what we are already seeing, …
Continue reading "OCA member Bob Lynette to speak at Sequim Science Café Feb. 10"
The goal is 300,000 signatures by December--can you help? Our friends at CarbonWA have eloquently made the case for a revenue-neutral carbon tax that would be offset by reductions in the Sales Tax and Business & Occupations Tax, along with a tax credit for the working poor. Led by Ph.D. economist Yoram Bauman and advised by …
Continue reading "Join the CarbonWA initiative signature drive"
Sunday, February 8, 2015, 4-6 PM Elwha Klallam Heritage Center, 401 East 1st Street, Port Angeles Join Olympic Climate Action (OCA) for its annual general-membership meeting. OCA has numerous climate-action and education initiatives planned for 2015 and invites those interested in protecting our community from climate change to attend. The program will include: A review …
Continue reading "OCA Annual Meeting: “Local Climate Action: Keeping the Momentum Going”"
OCA has joined 45 other organizations in a letter to Congress opposing Fast Track authority on the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. "Under negotiation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), for example, are rules that would grant foreign corporations the right to sue governments, in private tribunals, over …
Continue reading "OCA joins letter to Congress opposing Fast-Track and TPP"
Local climate study and other local/state climate actions to be discussed by DRMT This Wednesday, at a meeting of the Dungeness River Management Team at the Dungeness River Audubon Center, climate change will be the central focus: At 2:20: Climate Change on the Olympic Peninsula Kate Dean and Cindy Jayne, North Olympic Peninsula Resource Conservation …
Continue reading "Local climate presentations this Wednesday"
Last month, OCA sent a letter to the Clallam County Department of Community Development noting a gap in the Department's analysis of threats in its proposed update to its Shoreline Master Program (SMP), required under the state Shoreline Management Act - namely, the lack of any reference to the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe's study of probable climate …
Continue reading "OCA notes gap in draft County shoreline plan"
Governor Inslee proposes plan to limit carbon emissions Declaring it “time for polluters to pay their fair share,” Gov. Jay Inslee just proposed a sweeping new cap-and-trade system that would cut carbon emissions while generating $1 billion a year for schools, transportation projects and low-income tax rebates. Our state is already feeling the impacts of global …
Continue reading "OCA ACTION ALERT: SUPPORT INSLEE CLIMATE PROPOSAL"
The true costs of fossil fuels must be recognized The Governor’s 2014 budget provided one-time funding for Ecology to conduct a Marine and Rail Oil Transportation Study. The objective of the study is to analyze the risks to public health and safety, and the environmental impacts associated with the transport of oil in Washington state. …
Continue reading "OCA sends letter to State re: oil transport"
Measure fails by bare filibuster-proof margin In the last hours of the debate over the Keystone XL pipeline bill in the U.S. Senate, a group of climate-activist organizations, including OCA, sent a letter urging opposition to KXL bill S2280. It's time to get over the paradigms, technologies, and excesses of the past, and to build …
Continue reading "OCA signs group letter opposing Keystone XL pipeline"
The recent election did not prove favorable to climate action in the Washington State Legislature. It is time for the people to bring the issue forward and do what our gridlocked legislative bodies won't do on their own. It is time for our state (and governments around the world) to turn the engines of capitalism in …
Continue reading "OCA endorses CarbonWA’s revenue-neutral carbon tax proposal"
Below are two action requests related to Tuesday’s election, which will influence the course for climate action (or inaction) at the federal level. From Environment America: If we don't do more in the next few days, politicians who deny the science behind climate change and want to dismantle EPA programs will win control of the U.S. …
Continue reading "Tuesday’s election will help determine our climate future"
OCA has signed on to a nationwide letter to state legislators initiated by the Natural Resources Defense Council, asking them to dis-affliate from any connections with the climate-change-denying American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), in spite of ALEC's feeble attempts to deny their denial.
Probably the most important thing you can do right now to protect us from climate chaos is to get involved in this year’s elections; OCA does not have an endorsement policy, but here are some ideas for your consideration: QUESTIONS AT CANDIDATE FORUMS: OCA member Brian Grad is organizing people willing to attend one or more …
Continue reading "Election 2014: Forward or backward on climate?"
Here is the letter that OCA wrote to the Clallam County Public Utility District (PUD) objecting to their letter to the Energy Northwest power suppliers' consortium opposing the idea of a carbon tax. This PUD position was taken without public input, and the letter was sent without public notice. It is a great disservice to …
Continue reading "OCA writes Clallam PUD objecting to their opposition to a carbon tax"
The 18th Annual Clallam County Farm Tour is being held on Saturday, October 4th from 10– 4 This year’s theme is “Farming for our Future,” with each stop on the tour featuring displays and activities about the ABCs of preserving our local farm culture: Adapting to climate change, fostering Beginner farmers, and Conservation of farmland. …
People's Climate March: solidarity actions across the Peninsula on Sept. 20-21 On the weekend of Sept. 20-21, people around the world will gather for what promises to be the biggest climate demonstration in history, centered upon the People's Climate March in New York City on Sept. 21, two days prior to a special climate summit …
Continue reading "People’s Climate March–solidarity actions across the Peninsula"
Olympic Climate Action will screen 350.org's newest film, Disruption, which weaves together political intrigue, mind-blowing science, and an insider's view of the largest climate mobilization in history: the People's Climate March in New York City on Sept. 21 and solidarity actions being taken all around the world. It's got some folks you might find familiar (Bill …
OCA is affiliated with the Citizens' Climate Lobby, a national organization lobbying for national carbon fee-and-dividend legislation. Here is an editorial from the Wenatchee World written by two fellow CCL members: Carbon tax commentary. OCA is communicating with U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer to urge him to co-sponsor carbon-tax legislation. We urge letters to Rep. Kilmer …
OCA hosted an event centered around the risks of oil transport in our local marine waters on July 11, 2014, featuring Clallam County Commissioner Mike Doherty and the film The Big Fix. Here is a slideshow from that program detailing the risks to our local marine waters and economy from proposals to expand oil export facilities in …
Olympic Climate Action helped develop this grant , "Planning for Climate Change on the North Olympic Peninsula Summary" and serves as a partner on it. We will encourage local elected bodies to implement the changes recommended in the report, which will be developed with reference to the best available science and in discussion with the …
Continue reading "Climate adaptation grant for North Olympic Peninsula"
This commentary piece in the Port Townsend Leader describes the grant on which OCA is collaborating with the North Olympic Peninsula Resource Conservation & Development Council, to study the probable impacts of climate change on the North Olympic Peninsula and work with local governments to develop strategies to take those impacts into account.
Risks of spills discussed, capped by film The Big Fix Flyer; Slideshow - Oil Transport Risks Olympic Climate Action is sponsoring “Oil in Our Marine Waters”, an evening of education and an invitation to action regarding the burgeoning transport of oil in local marine waters, on Friday, July 11 at 7 pm in the Port Angeles City Council …
Sunday, 6/29/2014, 3-5 pm, Elwha Heritage Center (socializing at 2:30) OCA has joined the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL), a nationwide, non-partisan organization working to create the political will for a livable world. Personal changes to reduce carbon footprints are very important, but if we are going to halt global warming, we need systemic change. CCL is asking Congress to …
Continue reading "Citizens’ Climate Lobby workshop Sunday, June 29"
On June 6-7, 2014, OCA led a series of activities focused on the health of the marine waters that embrace the Olympic Peninsula: an evening of engaging folk music and a day of enlightening speakers and activities for the whole family. Here are some photos of that event. Friday evening June 6: Dana Lyons Concert …
Continue reading "OCA’s “Our Oceans in a Changing Climate” event June 6-7, 2014"
The United States' response to the climate crisis has been beyond pathetic. It is probably the greatest dereliction of civic responsibility in the history of the Republic. James Gustave ("Gus") Speth, former Chair of the President's Council on Environmental Quality , New York Times 2015-05-15.
Olympic Climate Action 