Recommended Actions for the Week of 20180309

Source: Fossil Free Bellingham Coalition

Description: Show up in support of a major vote by the Bellingham City Council that will firmly establish our city as a leader in the transition to renewable energy! While the resolution is likely to pass in its current form, we hope allies will attend to support the Members in their votes, to show that we plan to hold our elected officials accountable to their commitments, and to claim this victory for the citizens of Bellingham!

Background:

The Council will be voting at their general meeting on Monday 3/12 on a resolution that does three things: 1) sets new, updated climate action targets for the City of Bellingham, including a goal for 100% Clean Energy 2) establishes a Climate Advisory Task Force comprised of citizens and city staffers and 3) adopts the Bellingham 2017 Climate Protection Action Plan Update.

This resolution was authored and brought forward by the Fossil Free Bellingham Coalition, of which the Riveters Collective is a member, and championed by Pinky Vargas and Michael Lilliquist. The resolution is likely to pass in its current form, as all Councilmembers and the Mayor have expressed support.

Contact Information:

If you can’t attend, please email your support to: ccmail@cob.org, or the individual councilmembers

tbornemann@cob.org;
dchammill@cob.org;
ptmvargas@cob.org;
mlilliquist@cob.org;
abarker@cob.org;
gknutson@cob.org;
rjmurphy@cob.org

Suggested Script: 

As you adopt and direct staff to implement the update to the City’s Climate Action Plan, I urge you to both adopt goals of 100% renewable energy by 2030 and commit to determining actions necessary to achieve those goals.  In addition to contributing to helping meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, taking climate action at the local level will create jobs, cut waste and pollution, improve health, save money, and enrich the community.  Thank you for taking bold action to protect the climate.

Questions? Email Michael Peñuelas at michaelpenuelas@gmail.com

Source: wholewashington.org

Description: Request petitions for universal healthcare I-1600 and get your friends to sign!
Background: Whole Washington needs to gather 300,000 signatures by early July in order to get I-1600 on the ballot in November. You can help by ordering a petition or two and getting everyone you know to sign. Carry it around in your bag and bring it out when you run into people you know. You only need 20 signatures to complete one petition! You can do that at one kid’s sports match.

Contact Information: 

Request petitions here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxKPHbgfVMzRWbh4qjqaqlD82PjUg4c8zEDWzwLuBrFZvjtg/viewform?c=0&w=1&includes_info_params=true

Additional Information:

For more info, contact Paula Smith or visit wholewashington.org (edited)

Source: ENOUGH: National School Walkout

Description: 

Women’s March Youth EMPOWER is calling for students, teachers, school administrators, parents and allies to take part in a #NationalSchoolWalkout for 17 minutes at 10 am across every time zone on March 14, 2018 to protest Congress’ inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods.

So far, WWU, WCC, and several regional high schools are participating. More here: https://riveterscollective.org/2018/02/gun-reform-actions/

Background:

Organized by Women’s March Youth Empower:

https://www.womensmarch.com/empower/
https://www.womensmarch.com/enough

Source: Riveters Collective

Description: The Whatcom County Health Department is planning to outsource the Health Department WIC program that serves 1350 pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants and children in our community.

Background: 

In the past 10 years the Health Department has eliminated most direct services–from most immunizations to the Children with Special Health Care Needs Program to Maternity Support Services that provided nurse visits to pregnant and parenting women. Now the WIC Program is on the chopping block. The Health Department has become a policy-making organization that is losing touch with the community it wants to serve. How can the Health Department improve the public health of our community if they don’t see the community?

ACTION: 1) Email the Whatcom County Council and tell them to keep WIC services in the County Health Department and to provide enough funding to do that. You can leave a message for all County Council members: council@co.whatcom.wa.us.

ACTION 2) Come to the Council meeting on Tuesday, March 13 at 7 pm and sign up for the Public Comment period to tell Council why WIC is important to you. Be there before 7 pm to sign up. Wear BLUE to show your support!

Source: Whatcom Conservation District

Description: Complete and mail your ballot by 3/13 for the election to fill one open seat on the Whatcom Conservation District Board!  Riveters Collective has officially endorsed Alan Chapman.

If you did not request a mail-in ballot, you may vote in person on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at the District’s office at 6975 Hannegan Road, Lynden. Polls will be open between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm.   All registered voters residing within Whatcom County may vote in person at that date, place, and time or by mail.

Responses to RC questionnaire:  Our R&R! committee sent questions to the candidates. Two candidates responded. Their responses are linked below.

1. Alan B. Chapman
   Responses to RC Questions
2. Larry Helm
3. David M. Kroontje
   Responses to RC Questions

For more information, see the WCD Elections Website.

Source: Protect The Inlet, Stand.earth

Description: Building in the courts and halls of Canadian government for years, conflict over the mammoth Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline expansion is expected to spill into the streets of British Columbia Saturday with massive civil disobedience demonstrations. The march will meet in Burnaby by the Lake City Way Skytrain Station and march together in the thousands to our final location. If you can’t attend in person, support on social media or in whatever way makes sense for you!

Background: Indigenous leaders from along the pipeline route and the U.S. are planning a march and rally beginning Saturday in metro Vancouver. Nearly 7,000 Coast Salish Water Protectors — as the pipeline opponents call themselves — have signed up to participate, said Will George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, spokesman for the Protect the Inlet movement.

Additional Information: 

Sign up on the Facebook page, which will also be a great place to find updates throughout the day.

For more information from the organizers, see: Protect The Inlet

Or see a recent article in the Seattle Times: ‘Like Standing Rock’: Trans Mountain pipeline-expansion opponents plan B.C. protest

Source: WA Wild/Surfrider Foundation

Description: Submit comments by March 9 to oppose the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s proposal to open nearly all waters off the nation’s coastlines to oil and gas drilling, including much of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

Background: Last month, U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke proposed a sweeping plan to open nearly all waters off the nation’s coastlines to oil and gas drilling, including a major new lease sale off Oregon and Washington proposed for 2021. The proposal aims to expand offshore drilling on over 90% of the Outer Continental Shelf along America’s coastline, which includes Washington’s own wild and rugged coast. In northern Washington, the proposal includes much of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, where the regulations currently prohibit “exploring for, developing or producing oil.”  In addition, the coast of the Olympic Peninsula is home to the coastal strip of Olympic National Park, most of which is protected as Wilderness. Areas like Second Beach, Ruby Beach and Lake Ozette are a major source of tourism and economic benefit for local economies. Other conservation lands on the Washington coast include San Juan Islands National Monument, Quillayute Needles National Wildlife Refuge, Copalis National Wildlife Refuge and Willapa National Wildlife Refuge. Drilling just offshore of these national treasures is unacceptable and irresponsible.

Contact Information: Click here to submit comment online.

Suggested Script:

I am strongly opposed to offshore oil drilling in new areas, especially off the Washington coast.  From the dramatic headlands and lush forest of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary to the sandy beaches of Ocean Shores, Washington’s Pacific coastal and offshore marine ecosystems are vital recreational, economic, and ecological resources.  

I am very concerned about the substantial environmental impacts of offshore drilling to these resources.  Seismic surveys associated with oil exploration damage or kill marine life and can disrupt migration patterns of marine mammals.  Drilling and processing oil releases contaminants that pollute marine waters and sediments.  Catastrophic oil spills devastate marine ecosystems and recreation- and fishing-based coastal economies and can take years to clean up.  Massive onshore infrastructure associated with offshore drilling destroys coastal habitats and increases air, water, and land pollution to coastal communities.  Finally, continued exploitation of fossil fuel reserves will only exacerbate the climate crisis.

Offshore oil drilling and oil spills have the potential to critically impact our vital marine resources and lead to the industrialization of our coastlines. Ultimately, America cannot drill our way out of an oil consumption problem. Rather than drill for fossil fuels off our coasts, we must instead invest in a sustainable “energy portfolio” that includes renewable sources and conservation.

Additional Information:

• Regulations.gov: Draft Proposed Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program
• Surfrider Foundation Fact Sheet: Stop New Offshore Drilling
• Seattle Times: Surprise Oil Fight May be Part of the Method to Trump’s Madness