climatejustice

Influence Project

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The UUFC Climate Action Team’s (CAT) goals for 2023-24 include: Encourage, support, and provide opportunities for members and friends to engage in solutions-focused climate action.  CAT classifies solutions-focussed climate action in two broad domains: 

  1. Reducing and taking responsibility for personal emissions
  2. Influencing: 
  • National, state, and local legislation and policy
  • Corporate action

Action in both domains is essential to (a) mitigate climate change, (b) adapt and build resilience, and (c) and secure justice for those most impacted but  least responsible for climate change.  CAT suggests there is positive feedback between the two.  Working to reduce emissions increases the likelihood of working to influence legislation, policy, and corporations.  And vice versa.  

Each week, we respond to three, occasionally four, curated weekly actions to influence legislation, policy, and/or corporations.  This includes signing petitions, sending letters, and, occasionally, making phone calls.  The actions support the work of climate-action groups with the highest reputations.  These  weekly actions take about 5 minutes to complete.

The action opportunities are included in the Faith-based Climate Action posting in the Weekly Announcements and on the UUFC website.   Also, participants  can sign up to receive the weekly action opportunities via the once-per-week, Saturday email CATweek.

You are invited and encouraged to sign up here 

to participate in the Influence Project.

Questions: michael.a.hughes1951@gmail.com

Towards Net Zero

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The UUFC Climate Action Team’s (CAT) goals for 2023-24 include: Encourage, support, and provide opportunities for members and friends to engage in solutions-focused climate action.  CAT classifies solutions-focussed climate action in two broad domains: 

  1. Reducing and taking responsibility for personal emissions
  2. Influencing: 
  • National, state, and local legislation and policy
  • Corporate action

Action in both domains is essential to (a) mitigate climate change, (b) adapt and build resilience, and (c) and secure justice for those most impacted but  least responsible for climate change.  CAT suggests there is positive feedback between the two.  Working to reduce emissions increases the likelihood of working to influence legislation, policy, and corporations.  And vice versa.  

In the first step to reducing and taking responsibility for our carbon emissions, we track our use of fossil (natural) gas, purchased electricity, gasoline and/or diesel, and flights taken and calculate the resulting emission. (This spreadsheet can be downloaded and used to track use and calculate emissions.)  Tracking fossil-fuel use takes less than 10 min per month.

Resources:

  1. Download spreadsheet to track use and calculate emissions (Help available)
  2. Reduce emissions: Science News, The Guardian, World Wildlife Fund,
  3. Take responsibility for residual emissions

You are invited and encouraged to sign up here to participate in the Towards Net Zero Project.

Questions: michael.a.hughes1951@gmail.com

Faith Based Climate Action 9/30/23

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Interior announces $40M in funding for orphaned oil wells on tribal lands

LA’s Largest-Ever Land Back an ‘Important Step’ in the Movement

Oregon awarded more than $58M to reduce extreme heat risks with trees

Biden uses executive power to create a New Deal-style American Climate Corps

As Africa Loses Forest, Its Small Farmers Are Bringing Back Trees

80% More U.S. Wind Energy Potential This Decade From Tech Innovation 

EASA To Require 70% SAF Usage By 2050

Can EVs and solar save the world? The IEA thinks so 

Renewable energy boom may help us limit warming this century to 1.5 ̊C

Airlines Ready To Embrace Higher Sustainable Aviation Fuel Costs

Danone Institute North America Awards $250,000 to Five Teams to Advance Stronger and More Sustainable Food Systems

USGC corn program attains sustainability mark

Global use of oil could peak this decade: IEA

Indonesia’s largest floating solar plant to expand to 500 MW

Climate change and the shift to cleaner energy push Southeast Asia to finally start sharing power

Making Air Conditioning More Sustainable

Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act: The Act will (a) push us toward our goal of net zero emissions by 2050, (b) drive energy innovation, giving every American community access to affordable clean energy, (c) help low and middle income Americans afford this transition with a carbon cashback, and (d) keep Americans healthier and living longer by reducing air pollution. We need as many co-sponsors as possible to show support for a carbon fee and dividend. Email your House Representative 

Nature Conservancy

Conservation funding: Tell Congress and the White House how much you care about our natural world. Tell them how critical it is to rely on science to guide conservation efforts. Tell them you’re counting on them to address urgent challenges like energy use, sustaining endangered landscapes, and protecting critically imperiled species. Protect our nation’s natural heritage and the health of people and our planet.  Speak out now

Stop the Money Pipeline

Fund clean energy, not fossil fuels. Banks, insurers and asset managers are driving the climate crisis by financing and insuring new fossil fuel projects. Send Wall Street CEOs a message 

Tue 10 Oct, 6:30 – 8:15 PM, Corvallis Community Center, 2601 NW Tyler Ave

How Landfills Pollute Our Future and What We Can do About It:  Landfills are silent sources of greenhouse gasses, groundwater pollution, and microplastics pollution. Beyond Toxics is hosting a community education event on the long term risks of landfill pollution and ways to make Oregon a leader in holistic waste management.  Katherine Blauvelt, the circular economy director of Industrious Labs, will speak about the climate change impacts from landfills, and Anja Brandon, director of US plastics policy at the Ocean Conservancy, will discuss microplastic pollution impacts on rivers and oceans.

Wed 18 Oct, 7:00 – 8:30 AM, online

Eco-municipality Webinar 2:  Virtually visit the eco-municipality of Karlskrona in the south of Sweden. Learn about the science-based framework of the Swedish network of ecomunicpalities, SEKOM, and the Karlskrona eco-municipality.  Register

Sat 28 Oct, Doors open 6:30 PM, UUFC

Live Music, Fundraiser for Maui fire relief. $20 donation at door suggested. Suz Doyle & Julie Williams with friends in concert, featuring Absolute Harmony.  https://suznjules.bpt.me/

Questions: juliewawilliams@gmail.com

Faith Based Climate Action 9/9/23

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Faith-based Climate Action Team

  • Business meetings: 1st, 2nd, & 4th Thursdays, 7:00 to 8:15 PM, by Zoom at <Link> 
  • Interfaith Green-teams business meeting: 3rd Thursday, 7:00 to 8:00 PM, by Zoom at <Link>
  • Informal social meeting: 5th Thursday, 7:00 to 8:00 PM, by Zoom at <Link>  

All are invited and encouraged to participate. Contact:Jed Irvine <jedirv@gmail.com> or Michael Hughes <michael.a.hughes1951@gmail.com>

Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni: Nearly 1 Million Acres of Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon Safeguarded

National Park Service Awards Over $603,000 to Indian Country and Native Hawaiian Organizations

After Decades Of Oil Drilling, Indigenous Waorani Group Fights New Industry Expansions In Ecuador

Tribe getting piece of Minnesota back more than a century after ancestors died there

Philippines: Indigenous knowledge takes on climate crisis

Sustainability push: Pacific Northwest to take a green turn in potato farming

Producers  protecting and restoring our lands

India is one of the world’s fastest-growing EV markets. This is why

On the last day of winter, Australia reached record 37.5 pct renewables share for the year 

Electrify America begins operations at 75MW ‘Solar Glow 1’ site

EU fossil fuel burning for electricity fell to lowest on record in 2023, data shows

Coal Stabbed In The Back Again By New Floating Solar Array 

Striking Gold – A Molecular Mystery Solution for Potential Clean Energy

Powered by wind, this $10B transmission line will carry more energy than the Hoover Dam 

Philippines’ Largest Inland Lake To Host Large-Scale Floating Solar Projects Producing Up To 1,800MW 

U.S. Solar Panel Shipments Increased 10% Last Year

Toothpaste Tubes Are a Hot Mess—Here’s the Eco-Friendly Alternative We Love

There is no more important climate work than the influencing of legislation and policy, whether at the national, state, or local level. Climate Action Opportunities, refreshed weekly on Saturdays, provides three or four curated, quick opportunities to do just that.

To help assess the engagement of UUFC members and friends in faith-based climate action and to encourage such action, please anonymously  <Share> the number of the actions below you take this week. Optionally, you may  anonymously also share other recent climate action. 

The organizations whose calls to action we amplify, and the number from each organization, are listed <here>

Sat 9 Sep

EarthJustice

Steel-mill Emissions: The 10 steel mills operating in the U.S. release more than 500 tons of toxic metals into the air each year. Despite the need for stronger protections, the EPA has proposed a weak rule to regulate those emissions. Urge EPA to strengthen the rule

Native Organizers Alliance

Block new oil & gas leases: President Biden has committed to honor Tribal treaties and recognize nation-to-nation relationships with Tribes, but he has undermined his promises by approving harmful fossil fuel projects despite Indigenous opposition. Using his current authority, President Biden can block new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters, and deny federal permits for new fossil fuel infrastructure like pipelines.  Start Writing

Sierra Club

Oregon State Forests: Oregon’s Board of Forestry will soon decide the fate of a long-awaited Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) to manage state forests. It is  important for the Board to hear from Oregonians who value healthy forests, strong salmon runs, clean water, recreation, and climate resilience! Take Action

UUs for Social Justice

Climate-Smart Farm Bill: The 2023 Farm Bill presents an important opportunity to create a food and agricultural system that provides healthy food for all while helping to avoid a climate crisis and improving equity for consumers and producers. A climate-smart farm bill can achieve many important goals: protecting soil fertility, improving water quality, helping farmers cope with extreme weather, and saving energy.  Tell Your Senators

Of Note This Week is a source for current climate-change information at the local, state, and national levels.  It is refreshed weekly on Saturday.

Sat 9 Sep

Cosmos

Climate change is messing with photosynthesis

IEEE Spectrum

African Hydropower Confronts Cheap Solar and Wind

Inside Climate News

Green Groups Are Divided Over a Proposal to Boost the Nation’s Hydropower. Here’s Why

Katharine Hayhoe

Weekly Newsletter, 9/2/23

Politico

How the power grid survived a hot, hot summer

Popular Science

What’s the most sustainable way to mine the largest known lithium deposit in the world?

SciTechDaily

Climate Change’s Deadly Legacy: How Rising Temperatures Fueled Ancient Aggression

The Conversation

Research reveals who’s been hit hardest by global warming in their lifetime – and the answer may surprise you

The Guardian

Anger is most powerful emotion by far for spurring climate action, study finds

Tue 12 Sep, 4:00 PM, online

Clean Energy Revolution: What’s the Next Big Step? It’s been one year since President Biden signed the historic Inflation Reduction Act, an unprecedented investment into clean energy. Since the signing, over 211 clean energy projects have been announced across 38 states—a true clean energy revolution! Or so we’re hoping. So far, countless clean energy projects have faced challenges with grid transmission, interconnection, and siting. The clean energy revolution is at risk of being stopped right in its tracks. At this webinar you’ll hear from experts on the most impactful policies for responsible transmission, interconnection, and siting reforms. Register

Thu 14 Sep, 12:00 – 1:00 PM, Corvallis-Benton Co.Public Library 

“GROWING A VEGETABLE GARDEN” LECTURE SERIES

Shonnard’s nursery manager/educator Darren Morgan on how to tend your garden soil, from soil testing and amending to cover crops, mulch and other methods of covering for nutrients, controlling weed growth, and allowing earlier spring planting. 

Sun 17 Sep, 2:00 -4:00 PM, Central Park Gazebo

Local rally to support the NYC March to End Fossil Fuels, prior to the Sept. 20th UN Climate Ambition Summit, urging world leaders to commit to phasing out fossil fuels.  Our house is on fire! All hands on deck!! Join the bucket brigade to muster climate action and nurture hope. Speakers, music, skits, chants, art, and tabling info by climate groups.  Please walk, bike, bus, scoot, or carpool to the rally.

Sun 17 Sep,  5:45 – 7:15 PM, Natural Grocers, 1235 NW 10th Street

WHOLE FOOD PLANT-BASED POTLUCK   We are vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores who are attempting to eat and/or learn more about the health benefits of a WFPB diet. First time attendees do not need to bring a dish. RSVP for more details about this monthly potluck; usually the 3rd Sun. 

Wed 20 Sep, 7:00 – 8:30 AM, online

Eco-municipality Webinar 1:  Virtually visit the rural Arctic Circle, Swedish community, Overtornea, that was inspired to rise up from population loss and other hardships by taking an ecological and participative approach to economic revitalization. Join us to celebrate their 40 years and to learn about the evolution and ongoing success of the eco-municipality of Overtornea with the founder and leader of the Swedish Eco-Municipality Movement, Torbjorn Lahti, co-author of The Natural Step for Communities.  Register

Thu 21 Sep, 5:30 – 7:30 PM, Common Fields, 545 SW 3rd Street

INVASIVE ASH BORER AND AREA FORESTS   Ecology Pub Talk by Jennifer Killian, City of Corvallis Urban Forester, presenting information on the invasive Emerald Ash Borer and its impact on area forests. A portion of food/beverage sales benefits Marys River Watershed.

THUR 21 SEP 21, 7:00 – 8:30 PM, Corvallis Community Center, 2601 NW Tyler Ave. Online option, contact: audubon.corvallis@gmail.com

“The importance of Fire in Ecosystem Restoration” Aaron Groth

Wed 18 Oct, 7:00 – 8:30 AM, online

Eco-municipality Webinar 2:  Virtually visit the eco-municipality of Karlskrona in the south of Sweden. Learn about the science-based framework of the Swedish network of ecomunicpalities, SEKOM, and the Karlskrona eco-municipality.  Register

Faith-Based Climate Action 8/26/23

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Tribal Clean Energy Programs Will Benefit From New Tax Credits

RFP – Geothermal development strategy in Lakeview, Oregon

The Clean Energy Future Is Arriving Faster Than You Think

LanzaTech: ‘We’re converting pollution into packaging’

Wealthy oil nation lays groundwork for ‘eye-popping’ climate fund

Wind-powered cargo ship sets sail in a move to make shipping greener 

ClearVue releases results from first long-term study of clear solar glass

This Solar Farm in California Promises 225 GWh of Energy for EVs

Solar Up 20X, Fossil Fuel Use Down In California

University of Cincinnati founds School of Environmental and Sustainability Studies

MANUFACTURA AND LA METROPOLITANA USE 3D PRINTING TO TURN WASTE WOOD INTO SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURES

Bringing sustainable and affordable electricity to all

Growing The Geothermal Energy Workforce — 1st Cohort In US DOE’s INTERN Program

Colorado Adopts Its First Building Energy Performance Standard

If you have only 10 minutes this month to do something about climate change, you can still make a significant impact!  Join with thousands of Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) members and advocate for climate solution legislation.  CCL is specifically asking members of Congress to cosponsor the Increased TSP Access Act (S.1400/H.R.3036), which already has both Republican and Democratic support.

What is TSP Access and why is it relevant to climate change?   Farmers, ranchers, and forest-owners are on the front lines of climate change, and they can also play a large role in mitigating its effects through resilient and climate-smart practices.  We must make sure that farmers, ranchers, and forest-owners have access to the technical expertise they need to fully utilize agricultural and forestry conservation programs.     

Technical Service Providers (TSPs) are certified workers who help people understand and use federal climate-smart agriculture and conservation programs.  This bi-partisan bill would address the shortage of Technical Service Providers, making it easier for farmers and forest-owners to take advantage of federal conservation programs that keep their land resilient and healthy.

Take action now by writing a quick email to your members of Congress asking them to cosponsor.

There is no more important climate work than the influencing of legislation and policy, whether at the national, state, or local level. Climate Action Opportunities, refreshed weekly on Saturdays, provides three or four curated, quick opportunities to do just that.

To help assess the engagement of UUFC members and friends in faith-based climate action and to encourage such action, please anonymously  <Share> the number of the actions below you take this week. Optionally, you may  anonymously also share other recent climate action. 

The organizations whose calls to action we amplify, and the number from each organization, are listed <here>

Sat 26 Aug

Environment Oregon

Protect Kelp Forests:  America’s kelp forests provide crucial habitat for wildlife including seals, sea otters and octopuses. But warming oceans, pollution and unchecked populations of kelp-eating sea urchins are rapidly degrading these underwater forests. We’re calling on President Biden to conserve all of our country’s kelp forests. Send a message to the president 

Interfaith Power & Light

Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Standards: Passenger vehicles are a major contributor to climate pollution. This year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has the opportunity to propose new federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for vehicles sold in 2027 and beyond.  Submit your comment to NHTSA 

Nature Conservancy

Conserve America’s Forests:  Catastrophic wildfires, pests and diseases are decimating forest land across the country.  Without stronger conservation policies and programs, we could lose even more.  Without healthy forests, the clean air and water, habitat, recreation and timber they provide is at risk. Their loss would be a massive blow to the economy and a setback in the fight to store carbon and keep climate change in check.  That’s why The Nature Conservancy is calling on Congress to support strong forest conservation programs in the upcoming Farm Bill. Email your U.S. Senators & Representative.

Tue 29 Aug, 1:00 PM, online  

Federal Clean Energy Funding:  Our UU  faith calls us to work to ensure the people most impacted by climate change benefit most from clean energy funds. Join Sylvia Chi, Just Solutions Collective; Sonia Kikeri, Emerald Cities Collaborative; Jamal Lewis, Rewiring America; and Miguel Yanez, Energy and Environmental Study Institute to learn how your congregation can put your faith into action to advance visionary approaches to clean energy funding with justice at the center. Register 

Thu 7 Sep, 4:00 – 5:30 PM, online

Inflation Reduction Act Resources to Help You Electrify Your Home:  

Interfaith Power and Light Webinar. Jamal Lewis, Director of Policy Partnerships and Equitable Electrification for Rewiring America, joins us for a conversation on electrification, what it looks like, and what federal resources are available to help you do it. Learn more about the incentives that will be available to help make your home healthier and more efficient.  Register 

Faith-Based Climate Action 8/19/23

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Good news is a powerful motivator  for action, &  there‘s lots of good news  about climate mitigation, adaptation/resilience, and justice. .

Indigenous knowledge holders share thousands of observations on the changing Arctic in a new study

U.S. to restore more bison herds on tribal lands by tapping Indigenous knowledge 

Including Native knowledge in climate science 

WHO to host first global workshop on biodiversity, traditional knowledge, health and well-being

Maxeon is going to open a 3 GW solar factory in New Mexico 

First Solar, the US’s largest solar panel maker, to spend $1.1B on its 5th factory

Mission Possible: Northeast Ohio business designs solution to wind industry’s turbine blade problem 

Advanced transmission technologies help U.S. utilities update the power grid

Could Reuse Be the Future of Wine Packaging?

Microsoft Agrees To 14 Ton SAF Purchase With IAG

How This Luxury Hotel Brand Is Making On-Site Events More Sustainable

UK homes install ‘record number’ of solar panels and heat pumps 

In effort to cut costs, remote Alaskan village turns to renewable energy

35-MW Menengai geothermal power plant, Kenya starts grid supply

France’s FloWatt sets the course for tidal energy growth

There is no more important climate work than the influencing of legislation and policy, whether at the national, state, or local level. Climate Action Opportunities, refreshed weekly on Saturdays, provides three or four curated, quick opportunities to do just that.

To help assess the engagement of UUFC members and friends in faith-based climate action and to encourage such action, please anonymously  <Share> the number of the actions below you take this week. Optionally, you may  anonymously also share other recent climate action. 

The organizations whose calls to action we amplify, and the number from each organization, are listed <here>

Sat 19 Aug

Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Carbon price and dividend. Pricing carbon will drive energy innovation, giving every American community access to abundant, affordable clean energy at a predictable price. Email your members of Congress 

Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Protect and strengthen our forests, food and agricultural systems. The bipartisan Increased TSP Access Act (S.1400/H.R.3036) has been introduced in the Senate and the House with bipartisan support. The act will (a) help farmers, ranchers and forest-owners access critical conservation programs, (b) empower producers to put climate-smart programs into practice on their own land. Email your members of Congress

EarthJustice

Keep pollution out of Hawai‘i’s coral reefs. We have long fought alongside the communities of Maui. Right now, we have an opportunity to support Maui residents in their decades-long effort to uphold the Clean Water Act. Since the 1980s, Maui County’s Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility has discharged millions of gallons of treated sewage into groundwater every day that reaches the coral reef off Kahekili Beach, an area traditionally called Hāʻenanui. In 2012, Earthjustice and our partners sued the county under the Clean Water Act to hold Maui County accountable for its pollution. Now we can finally do something about it. Message the Hawai’i State Dept. Of Health

Of Note This Week is a source for current climate-change information at the local, state, and national levels.  It is refreshed weekly on Saturday.

Politico

Article: Montana judge sides with youth in historic climate trial

The Conversation

Article: Indigenous knowledge is increasingly valued, but to fully respect it we need to decolonise science – here’s how

Yahoo!Finance

Article: Combining Genomic Insights and Traditional Indigenous Knowledge for the Conservation of Pacific Salmon

Save the Date is your calendar of upcoming climate-related events and activities.

Thu 7 Sep, 4:00 – 5:30 PM, online

Inflation Reduction Act Resources to Help You Electrify Your Home

Interfaith Power and Light Webinar. Jamal Lewis, Director of Policy Partnerships and Equitable Electrification for Rewiring America, joins us for a conversation on electrification, what it looks like, and what federal resources are available to help you do it. Learn more about the incentives that will be available to help make your home healthier and more efficient.  Register 

Good News

Climate-action Opportunities

Of Note

Save the Date

Faith Based Climate Action 8/12/23

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hand holding a sign reading Climate Action Now at a protest

Good news is a powerful motivator  for action, &  there‘s lots of good news  about climate mitigation, adaptation/resilience, and justice.

Biden’s green energy law is turning out to be huge 

133 self-storage rooftops in 3 US states are about to power community solar

Year after Biden’s climate bill sees spike in renewable energy investment, industry says

Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe acquires 855 acres of ancestral lands

Clean energy can fuel the future — and make the world healthier

Solar, wind provided majority of new US generating capacity in first half of 2023

Offshore floating solar on calm seas could provide unlimited energy

Heatwave energy shortages would have been ‘much worse’ without solar power, experts say

Supercapacitor cement could supercharge renewable energy storage

The potential for geologic hydrogen for next-generation energy

Rivian backs massive solar plant atop old coal mine in Kentucky

How a Former Oil Guy Is Using Fracking Tech to Boost Geothermal Energy

Geothermal technology breakthrough in Nevada could boost the nation’s use of renewable energy

Hello Climate Solutions Advocates!

Remember HB 2021, Oregon’s 100% Clean Energy bill, which with your help was passed by the Oregon legislature in 2021?   Among other things, HB 2021 ​created a $50 million fund, the Community Renewable Energy Grant Program, to support projects in Oregon communities that would bolster renewable energy and strengthen resilience in the event of an emergency. 

Recently, the Oregon Department of Energy selected 39 recipients to receive a total of $12 million in round two from the Community Renewable Energy Grant Program funds.   A variety of renewable energy and resilience projects in counties across state were represented – solar, geothermal, biogas, and micro-hydro projects, as well as paired battery storage. 

One example of a funded project was to the Phoenix Talent School District, which will receive $1 million to install a ground-mounted solar installation with battery storage at Talent Middle School.  The installation will act as an operable microgrid in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency, ensuring the building – which will act as a local emergency shelter – retains critical backup power.  

At least half of the $50 million grant funds will be awarded for projects that serve environmental justice communities, including communities of color, lower-income communities, and rural communities.

Together our advocacy actions do make a difference — making life better for us all!

Deborah Clark, member UUFC Climate Action

There is no more important climate work than the influencing of legislation and policy, whether at the national, state, or local level. Climate Action Opportunities, refreshed weekly on Saturdays, provides three or four curated, quick opportunities to do just that.

To help assess the engagement of UUFC members and friends in faith-based climate action and to encourage such action, please anonymously  <Share> the number of the actions below you take this week. Optionally, you may  anonymously also share other recent climate action. 

The organizations whose calls to action we amplify, and the number from each organization, are listed <here>

Sat 12 Aug

EarthJustice

Restore the Endangered Species Act. The Biden administration just moved closer to undoing the Trump administration’s unprecedented damage to the regulations that interpret the Endangered Species Act. For 50 years, the Act’s served as the last line of defense for countless species and habitats. Today, it is our strongest tool for tackling the worsening biodiversity crisis, which is why the Biden administration must fix the rules that implement it.

Take Action

Native Organizers Alliance

Protect the Grand Canyon. The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument Act has been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate to protect the Grand Canyon region’s sacred and natural resources, manage hunting and grazing, and establish a 12-member tribal commission to ensure tribal co-stewardship. Despite a 20-year uranium mining moratorium, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected claims by Tribes and environmental groups attempting to stop Energy Fuels Nuclear Inc. from mining the Pinyon Plain Mine on this land. It’s critical we fight for the permanent protections granted by designating more than 1.1 million acres within the Grand Canyon as a new national monument. Send a message to your U.S. Senators & Representative 

Sierra Club

Stop Yazoo Pumps Project. Yet again, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced an unprecedented move to resurrect the destructive Yazoo Backwater Pumps in Mississippi’s South Delta by fast tracking efforts to approve the project. If allowed, the Yazoo Pumps project would drain and destroy up to 200,000 acres of wetlands, some of our nation’s richest habitat that supports over 450 species of birds, fish and wildlife. Even worse, the project would not protect communities and only benefit a small number of wealthy agricultural corporations. Communities plagued by flooding in the Mississippi Delta deserve smart safeguards that keep people and property out of harm’s way, such as elevating homes and roads, and compensating farmers to restore cropland to wetlands!  Submit your comment

American Prospect

Article: The Unholy Alliance Between ‘Certified’ Clean Natural Gas Producers and the Certifying Companies

Citizens Climate Lobby

Webpage: Why Put a Price on Carbon? Because it’s the single most powerful tool available to reduce America’s carbon pollution.

 Native News Online

Article: The Fight for Oak Flat: Indigenous voices in the green energy transition

Washington PostArticle: Is it cheaper to refuel your EV battery or gas tank? We did the math in all 50 states. Spoiler: In all 50 states, it’s cheaper for the everyday American to fill up with electrons — and much cheaper in some regions such as the Pacific Northwest, with low electricity rates and high gas prices.

Sun 13 Aug, 5:30 – 6:30 PM, Common Fields, 545 SW 3rd St

Finding Fish in the Willamette River: Do you wonder what is swimming below the surface as you fish or float the Willamette River? Learn about the native, invasive, rare, and cryptic species in the fish community, and what they tell us about the ecological health of a Corvallis water source. Presented by Dr. Brooke Penaluna, a Research Fisheries Biologist with the Forest Service. All day (11 am – 8 pm), enjoy tasty food and drink, and Common Fields will donate 10% of dine-in & takeout sales to support Willamette Riverkeeper.

Contact/Info: linktr.ee/500WomenScientists_Corvallis

Sponsor: 500 Women Scientists Corvallis

Thu 25 Aug 7:00 – 8:00 PM 

Share and Discuss:  Postponed

Thu 7 Sep, 4:00 – 5:30 PM, online

Inflation Reduction Act Resources to Help You Electrify Your Home Interfaith Power and Light Webinar. Jamal Lewis, Director of Policy Partnerships and Equitable Electrification for Rewiring America, joins us for a conversation on electrification, what it looks like, and what federal resources are available to help you do it. Learn more about the incentives that will be available to help make your home healthier and more efficient.  Register

Faith-based Climate Action 7/15/23

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hand holding a sign reading Climate Action Now at a protest

Good News

Climate Solutions Happenings 

Climate-action Opportunities

Of Note

Save the Date

Good News

Weekly Serving of Good News July 15, 2023

Good news is a powerful motivator for action, &  there‘s lots of  good news  about climate mitigation, adaptation/resilience, and justice. Here’s a sample…

The Oregon legislature delivered big for the environment in 2023

Oregon State scientists find better way to capture carbon from industrial emissions 

A Big Step Forward: New Breakthrough Could Lead to Cleaner Hydrogen Energy

Utah’s FORGE geothermal site proves it’s more than just wishing wells 

New Iceland Tech Shakes Up Global Geothermal Energy

France boosts tidal sector with €65m and revenue support for FloWatt

Amazon has 5,000+ Rivian EV delivery vans on the road 

‘Revolutionary’ solar power cell innovations break key energy threshold

TURBINES IN SSJID CANALS COULD GENERATE POWER

US approves construction for Orsted offshore wind project off New Jersey coast 

Sustainability: New catalyst makes chemical processes more efficient and less harmful to the environment

Norway’s new phosphate deposits are so massive they could guarantee solar power and electric cars keep running for the next 50 years

This Shell station removed all of its gas pumps

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July Climate Solutions Happening

The Oregon Climate Resilience Package! Deborah Clark

 The bipartisan Climate Resilience Package, which was recently passed by the 2023 Oregon legislature, is chock-full of climate solutions that will make life better for all Oregonians! Heat pumps powered by renewable energy will be more accessible. Homes and buildings will be safer and more energy efficient. Electric trucks & buses will replace diesel ones on our roads. Solar and storage will be more affordable for homes and businesses. Resilience hubs will be created by and for frontline communities. Farmers, ranchers, and forest owners will be able to adopt more sustainable practices. Our air will be cleaner. Jobs in the clean energy economy will flourish across the state.

The Climate Resilience Package incorporated climate solutions from about 20 climate bills.  The package included prioritization of Oregonians most vulnerable to climate change: people of color, low-income families, individuals with disabilities, and residents in rural areas.  By investing approximately $100 million, the Climate Resilience Package will enable the state to leverage at least 10 times that amount in federal funding.

This legislative success reflects the hard work of countless advocates such as you, volunteers, and of course, legislative champions.   Together we make a difference!

Jump to Top

Faith-based Climate Action Opportunities

To help assess the engagement of UUFC members and friends in faith-based climate action and to encourage such action, please anonymously  <Share> the number of the actions below you take this week. Optionally, you may  anonymously also share other recent climate action. 

The organizations whose calls to action we amplify, and the number from each organization, are listed <here>.

Sat 15 Jul

Citizens’ Climate Lobby  The PROVE IT Act

The bipartisan PROVE IT Act requires the Department of Energy to study the carbon emissions of certain goods produced in the U.S. compared to other nations.  You can think of this bill as step one in getting a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) in the U.S. We need to show a huge wave of support now to bring CBAMs across the finish line later so they can drive down emissions around the globe. Send a short, customized message to your House Representative and Senators asking them to cosponsor it. 

EarthJustice  Electric Grid

As we move towards a 100% clean energy future, we need to urgently build more power lines to move clean energy across the country. Thousands of solar, wind, hydropower, and geothermal projects in various stages of development are waiting years for approval to connect to the U.S. electric grid. More than 2,000 gigawatts of solar, wind and battery storage projects are languishing in the queue, according to the Department of Energy. That’s more power than the U.S. currently generates. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has a critical role to play in accelerating the transmission infrastructure we need to meet U.S. climate commitments. Call on FERC to act. 

Interfaith Power & Light  2023 Farm Bill

Urge Congress to prioritize the needs of communities and the climate, not corporate profit margins. These include:

  • Expand access to SNAP and other nutrition assistance programs 
  • Fund small-scale farmers, regenerative agriculture, and climate-friendly practices, from planting to packaging to delivery;
  • Eliminate food waste and invest in urban agricultural projects that allow all people access to locally-grown, sustainable fresh food; and,
  • Protect the dignity, health, and safety of those responsible for working the land.
  • Fund international programs that train farmers to adapt to climate change and provide emergency and developmental support to more than 4 billion people around the world.

This is our chance to improve this crucial legislation. It’s time for Congress to invest in long-term solutions that address hunger, food access, and climate resilience.  Petition Congress

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Of Note This Week, Sat 7/15/23

US DOE

Website Investments in American-Made Energy

UUA

Article UUA Board Statement, Post-General Assembly 2023, Regarding Divestment Reparations

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Save the Date

Sun 16 Jul, 6:00 – 8:00 PM, Avery Park (exact location TBD)

Whole Food Plant-based Picnic Potluck & Lawn Games: We are vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores attempting to eat and/or learn more about the health benefits of a whole food plant-based diet.  First time attendees do not need to bring a dish.  Bring your favorite lawn game. RSVP for more details about this monthly potluck; usually the 3rd Sun. 

Contact: 541-908-0864 or wfpbcorvallis@gmail.com

Sponsor: Corvallis Whole Food Plant-Based Support

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