Three news items we noticed within the last two days…
- 600,000 gallons of Canadian tar sands crude just spilled out of the Keystone pipeline into a Kansas river. This type of oil is the hardest to remediate, as the sticky gunk sinks to the bottom. (Who profits?) (CA’s oil is even dirtier!)
- ‘Firmageddon‘: Researchers find 1.1 million acres of dead trees in Oregon as the climate change heats up the earth.
- (Politico) “Even though Big Oil CEOs admitted to my Committee that their products are causing a climate emergency, today’s documents reveal that the industry has no real plans to clean up its act and is barreling ahead with plans to pump more dirty fuels for decades to come,” Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) said in a statement.
Action #1: LOCAL – #DeclineToSign! Watch out for paid signature-gatherers trying to reverse SB 1137 – humane setbacks from oil wells. (Deadline Dec. 15)
This video posted below is from 2017. SB1137, just signed by Gov. Newsom, would create a 3200 foot margin between people and oil production…unless it’s stopped by the oil industry’s multi-million dollar referendum, now in the signature-gathering stage!
What to do if you are confronted by petition gatherers against SB1137 who are making false claims?
- If a anti-SB1137 signature-gatherer states that their petition would BAN oil wells near homes, schools, hospitals, etc..: File a complaint here! Misrepresenting the contents or effect of a petition to a prospective signer is an elections code violation.
- AAUUUGH! I was fooled! Now what?: Ventura County’s election office has this nifty form here. (People from other counties can use the form too or make their own, they just need to send it to their own county’s official.) Email or FAX BEFORE DEC. 15.
- Become aware of oil operations near where you live. Check out “Well Finder.” Open the app and type in your city or exact location. Look for any patterns of environmental racism. Definitions of the well status symbols are here.
More information:
There is no longer any question of what happens to those living in predominantly poorer and minority neighborhoods next to oil production facilities. Studies show that the closer one lives to an active or recently idle well site, the poorer that person’s lungs function, along with an increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and chronic cases of fatigue, nosebleeds and headaches. Babies born to women living in the vicinity of drilling operations are more likely to have birth defects and lifelong health problems linked to entering the world too early or underweight.
It was just a question of what we were going to do about it.
But hot off the industry’s multi-million dollar victory over up-to-date drilling requirements for decades-old wells in Ventura County, their money machine has been revved up again – already spending over $17.9 million to collect 625,000 signatures to overturn SB1137.
However, their paid signature gatherers are being reported for gaslighting voters – “sign this petition to put a measure on the ballot to BAN new oil and gas wells near schools, hospitals and homes.” “A complaint investigator with the Secretary of State’s elections division told her that the office was seeing a “large number of complaints.”
”Kobi Naseck of VISIÓN (Voices in Solidarity Against Oil in Neighborhoods) stated: “The behavior that we’re seeing from these signature gatherers undermines our democracy. Big Oil is paying people to lie to the general public. They’re effectively buying the policy they want.”
SB 1137 is scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1. If the oil industry gets their minimum signatures, the law will be put on hold until the next election in 2024.
Action #2: STATE – Seriously, Gov. Newsom! We expect you to do EVERYTHING in your power to protect rooftop solar and make it more affordable for all! (Deadline Dec. 15)
The LA times is interviewing the investor owned utilities about the upcoming CPUC NEM decision but NOT interviewing the 120 groups that signed the letter to Gov Newsom.
We are scared!!
Gov Newsom needs a massive amount of calls today and Monday-Tuesday before the Thursday vote to get his attention that this is a big big mistake and its unacceptable!.
Governor Gavin Newsom: email, (916) 445-2841
Minimal email or call script to Governor Newsom: I’m calling from [zip code] I want Govenor Newsom to know that the CPUC’s latest rooftop solar proposal is still too extreme and we need him to step in to keep rooftop solar growing, and his climate change agenda on track.
More email or call script if you want it: California should be doing more, not less, to promote rooftop solar.
More email or call script if you want it: This is a test of his climate change leadership, so please tell him we’re watching and do not accept any hiding behind the CPUC. This test on his watch and he needs to be the leader for environmental progress.
More information:
- Environmental groups have been working non-stop for over a year to stop Gov Newson and the CPUC (California Public Utilities Commission) attempt to push rooftop solar off a cliff so PG&E can make MORE profits even while burning down California.
- We made progress but this is it! The vote will be Dec. 15. CPUC has stated that they still want to cut the solar credit by 75%! This would be catastrophic – other states have tried this before, and every time, solar adoptions drop by half or more.
- This will undercut California’s clean energy and climate change goals. How do we know? Because the state itself says we need to triple all forms of solar by 2035. The state can’t triple solar by slashing rooftop solar in half!
- If enacted, it would be the deepest and most sudden cut to solar ever attempted in the United States. This will make solar too expensive for most people to afford because the monthly bill savings will be too small to make it worthwhile. Churches, schools and businesses will also be affected.
Action #3: FEDERAL – No #DirtyDeal. Stop Manchin’s fast-track fantasies AGAIN! Pipelines aren’t climate solutions.
Minimal script to your representative AND senators: I’m calling from [zip code] because I want Rep/Sen. [___] to know that I oppose ANY legislation that fast-tracks fossil fuel projects, hurts our climate and sacrifices communities. I expect [him/her/them] to vote “NO” on either supporting or advancing Senator Manchin’s Dirty Deal.
Contact:
- Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26): email, DC (202) 225-5811, Oxnard (805) 379-1779, T.O. (805) 379-1779
- or Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24): email. DC (202) 225-3601, SB (805) 730-1710 SLO (805) 546-8348
- Senator Feinstein: email, DC (202) 224-3841, LA (310) 914-7300, SF (415) 393-0707, SD (619) 231-9712, Fresno (559) 485-7430
- and Senator Padilla: email, DC (202) 224-3553, LA (310) 231-4494, SAC (916) 448-2787, Fresno (559) 497-5109, SF (415) 981-9369, SD (619) 239-3884
- Who is my representative/senator?: https://whoismyrepresentative.com
More information:
Update 12/7/22: “A last-ditch effort to force through legislation that would weaken environmental protections and fast-track energy projects has failed…But progressive lawmakers and hundreds of climate, public health and youth groups opposed the move to pass such consequential reforms without proper scrutiny. Manchin’s legislation would weaken environmental safeguards and expedite permits to construct pipelines and other fossil fuel infrastructure while restricting public input and legal challenges…
The deal was ditched – for now at least – amid mounting criticism aimed at the Democratic leadership. Environmental groups welcomed the news, but warned the fossil fuel industry would not give up. Ariel Moger, government and political affairs director at Friends of the Earth, said: “Manchin’s efforts to tie his dirty deal to any must-pass legislation he can get his hands on are undemocratic and potentially devastating for the planet. With momentum on the side of frontline communities, the fight will continue until the bill dies at the end of this Congress.”
“We came together in September and we stopped Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer’s “Dirty Deal” to fast track building new fossil fuel projects across the country. This plan was designed by and for the fossil fuel industry and it would have given the green light to build polluting projects they want, wherever they want. We won the first round, but Joe Manchin and his fossil fuel ceo friends aren’t giving up without a fight.
The house is voting this week (as soon as tomorrow) to add the dirty deal to must pass legislation which will be very hard to stop. We need to mount huge public pressure for our congressional reps to stop the dirty deal before it gets added to a giant bill that congress must pass every year.We beat this bill once and we know that we can do it again. They are counting on the public being distracted by the holiday season to sneak through devastating legislation for our climate, but we are staying vigilant. Email your rep today to tell them “say no” to the dirty deal.”
INDIVISIBLE VENTURA 