The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has extended the public comment period re 2019 Beaufort Sea oil & gas lease sale. Due to disruptions caused by the Nov. 30 Anchorage-area earthquake, the comment period will now end Jan 4, 2019, 11:59pm EST
Tues – 12/18: It’s time for a holiday postcard to send to your legislators!
Who doesn’t love a festive holiday postcard?
- Print out four at the same time on thick paper, in color or black & white.
- Send one to your senators and your representative. Thank them for the good things they did this year. Everybody likes to be thanked.
- Send the last one to thank a legislator you admire or to one who needs a reminder to be good next year. (Don’t worry! Those who deserve a lump of coal know where to get it.)
Continue reading “Tues – 12/18: It’s time for a holiday postcard to send to your legislators!”
Mon 12/17: Three actions today.
Two proposed rules changes close out today and some continued support for your legislators to do the right thing.
Those of us who aren’t scientists may feel we’re not qualified to write about methane pollution, or offshore oil drilling. Not true. Skim through the postings below to get an understanding of what’s being proposed. Stop and look at the links that interest you and reference them in your posts if you wish.
Your comment can be broad-brush : America’s reputation, our economy, government corruption, unbridled corporate power and greed, the environment, the future. Or just one aspect that affects you deeply: your air, your water, your joy, your health and the health of those you love.
There are no wrong answers. The only wrong action is letting this administration think that we don’t care enough to stop them.
Action #1 – DEADLINE TODAY! – December 17th, 11:59 EST
Fri 12/14: “Once upon a time, there were bears as white as ice…” – Deadline to stop arctic drilling, Dec. 17th.
(While our attention is elsewhere… (Trump: orange or striped jumpsuit? Texas judge screws the ACA, Butina is going to testify? Mulvaney is chief of staff? )
…the dark business of deconstructing our protections continues unabated as corporate-friendly and extremist-backed rule-change proposals roll off the assembly line every day.)
Today, we’re asking you to write comments against drilling for oil in the federal waters off Alaska.
Trump tells us lots of fairy tales…Let’s tell one of our own. A future fairy tale…
Once upon a time, when there were bears as white as ice, high priests worshipped a dark power that dwelt below the earth, a power made of the very essence of what had ruled the earth before the history of man. The priests searched for help in their endless quest for this dark power, which, when restored to the surface, and harnessed to man’s desires, brought them great wealth. An alliance was made with those who ruled the upper lands, those who were the most venal and uncaring of the true nature of that the priests controlled. That alliance begat a ruler, who begat a beast of rules and laws, named for the insatiable dark power it craved.
And as this beast grew, it demanded sacrifice. Sacrifice of the animals of old. Sacrifice of the land. Sacrifice of the water. Sacrifice of the air. Sacrifice of the oldest, the youngest, and the weakest of mankind’s children. Sacrifice until all the dark power had returned, resting on the ground, floating in the oceans, flying with the winds, where it would change the very nature of the earth below and the heavens above. Sacrifice until even the richest and most powerful, gripping hard the dead magic of their wealth, were swept away. And the dark power returned to rule the upper lands, in a time again free of man.
And no one could say “The End”. Continue reading “Fri 12/14: “Once upon a time, there were bears as white as ice…” – Deadline to stop arctic drilling, Dec. 17th.”
Wed. – 12/12: “The World Has Had Enough” – Fight/write against the EPA’s methane rollback. Deadline Dec. 17th.
(attribution – Tea Pain, #BondTrumpBond)
(While our attention is elsewhere… (Trump: orange or striped jumpsuit? Which Dems are missing from the net neutrality petition? 3 years for Cohen…)
…the dark business of deconstructing our protections continues unabated as corporate-friendly and extremist-backed rule-change proposals roll off the assembly line every day.)
Action – Oppose EPA’s Methane Rollback – Deadline Monday, December 17. 11:59 EST
A surprising number of the James Bond movie plots center around the threat of environmental disaster, with the fate of mankind held ransom for money, fame or political power.
Today, with the issuance of alarming government reports at how close we are already to world-wide catastrophe (2018 Arctic Report Card, Fourth National Climate Assessment) one can only wonder if we are inside a real-life James Bond movie. Trump, with his clownishly long ties, the sartorial tic required for any great Bondian villain, is single-mindedly intent on removing all Obama-era protections – including this one which eliminates the requirement that oil and gas companies check for methane leaks from capped wells on public and tribal lands. If he succeeds, hundreds of thousands of tons of methane will be released, polluting our atmosphere while costing us millions in potential royalty revenue. In return, like the proper villain he is, he’ll continue to profit from huge contributions from extractive industries such as gas, oil and mining.
So be your favorite Bond, be it Connery, Moore, Lazenby, Dalton, Brosnan, or Craig, or even better, Miss Moneypenny, and wield your “Q”-enhanced keyboard against this rule. Continue reading “Wed. – 12/12: “The World Has Had Enough” – Fight/write against the EPA’s methane rollback. Deadline Dec. 17th.”
Tues 12/11: No compromise. No deals. No fear. No wall.
“This would be the only wall on earth that would split a continent.”
– Jennifer Miller, co-author and senior scientist at Defenders of Wildlife
Remind your legislators that this is a non-negotiable issue.
- For those legislators who don’t care about the the lives of people or the environment, remind them that they can be replaced. (See “last election”) Call them.
- For those legislators who do, remind them that they speak for us. Give them your backing to do the right thing. Give them your courage to stand up to the opposition and possibly to their friends. Call them.
Minimal Script: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Rep./Sen. [____] to stand firm against any legislation that funds an immoral, ineffective and environmentally devastating border wall.
More script if you need it: Not only is this a waste of money, but it also destroys our national wildlife refuges, as well as the eco-tourism that thrives because of them.
Contact
Continue reading “Tues 12/11: No compromise. No deals. No fear. No wall.”
Help us make more citizens!
One concrete way to help green card holders become safe in Trump-America is to help those who qualify (green card for 5 years, or if married to a US citizen, 3 years) take the next steps to become citizens as quickly as possible.
Every last Sunday of the month, local immigration lawyers and volunteers from Indivisible (Ventura, Conejo, Ojai, Grassroots Ventura), Ventura County Legal Aid, El Concilio Family Services, CLUE, SEIU, Buen Vecino, DSA and amazing community members, come together under tents at the Oxnard Community Marketplace at Oxnard College to provide free assistance to those needing to complete applications for citizenship, DACA and green card extensions, selective service and voter registration forms.
What we need:
#1 – Volunteers at the Legal Aid clinic itself: those who can speak Spanish are especially helpful, but all volunteers who are patient, attentive to detail and able to sit comfortably for the couple of hours an application can take are welcome. Come to a training at 8:30 to learn how to fill out a citizenship form from one of our amazing volunteer lawyers.
#2 – Volunteers who will print out and post our informational posters.
