GENERAL MEETING MINUTES
Minutes from our General Meeting on July 22, are appended to this email.
WRITE LETTERS TO VOTERS
Write letters and sign petitions on your own or join the 350 Humboldt “chat and write” letter-writing group Sunday evenings at 7pm. Here is the zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85643874306?pwd=Tm1yeXJBVVhWMGt5ZjZXVTVYbGFoZz09
POSTCARD WRITING TO VOTERS ORGANIZED BY HUMBOLDT ACTIVIST FREDERICA AALTA
Here is Frederica describes what they are doing:
I am administering a postcarding network in Humboldt County (presently over 300 writers) and we supply postcards and stamps to writers, which are available for cost at several convenient pickup locations. At present, we have just finished postcarding Wisconsin, so are at a lull, but new campaigns will be starting soon for several states. Have anyone interested in joining us contact me. We mostly postcard for ROV (Reclaim Our Vote), which is non-partisan, but have also postcarded for Activate America (which used to be called Flip the West), which is partisan.
She can be reached at: [email protected]
VOTING – VOTE FORWARD
Sending letters to voters thanking them for voting in last election and encouraging them to vote again in upcoming elections.
VOTING – POSTCARDS TO SWING STATES
Please SIGN UP to write postcards to make sure Democrats come out and vote. We’ll send you the postcards, addresses and instructions for free. You provide $0.36 stamps and mail the cards. A number of campaigns are available on the website.
With the help of volunteers like you, we wrote 21 million postcards in 2020, and we saw incredible results! Voters who receive handwritten postcards are significantly more likely to vote. You can help us keep New Jersey and Virginia blue!
Visit our website to learn more about Postcards to Swing States and get answers to our frequently asked questions.
SIERRA CLUB VOTER REGISTRATION
Only 63% of Arizona voters are registered. Send a blank registration form and a letter to unregistered voters:
Print copies of this blank voter registration form and include a blank form with each letter you send. Please do not write on the voter registration forms.
These letters should be put in the mail as soon as you have completed them.
Please follow the instructions here to complete and send your letters: sc.org/LetterWritingInstructions.
When you are ready for your next batch of letters, please request more at sc.org/RequestLetters.
OTHER LETTERS/PETITIONS
350 Humboldt Rooftop Solar Supporters
Diane Ryerson, a member of the 350 Humboldt Steering Committee, wrote the following letter. If you are a rooftop solar owner or supporter please write or call Governor Newsom. You can send either snail mail or use his email contact. The essential message is to void the recent PUC decision on solar.
Governor Gavin Newsom
1303 10th Street, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/
As a retired rooftop solar home owner served by Redwood Coast Energy Authority CCA and the for-profit investor owned (IOU) PG&E utility, I request your help/influence with the CPUC. Despite receiving 7,000 comments from rate payers not to adopt a new system calculator sought by the IOUs, the CPUC made this adoption in June and PG&E is now positioned to increase my added transmission cost from $10/month to $50-$90/month and reduce my net metering credit by 80% as well as being granted an 18% rate increase.
Question: Do you have the power in some form to require the CPUC to conduct a thorough comparative analysis of energy production/demand/distribution modeling applications before the CPUC can change our monthly transmission fees, net metering credit, and rate increases?
A new study was done using WIS:dom-P Total System Planning Tool that optimizes and coordinates the utility-scale electricity grid with the distribution electricity grid and finds rooftop solar and battery storage will save rate payers money, grow more jobs, and avoid increasing CO2 emissions. Specifically, the study states: IF California grows local solar to 65 GW by 2050 and pairs it with distributed storage, THEN (1) all California rate payers save $120 billion over an all-utility scale future; (2) distributed storage will grow by over 60 GW; (3) more CO2 emissions will be avoided; (4) more than 374,000 jobs will be created [including more than 7,500 jobs in Humboldt County where I live.].
Please answer my question in second paragraph above. Thank you.
SIERRA CLUB
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has the opportunity to ensure that 100% of trucks on California’s roads are zero emission vehicles and we need your help to make sure this happens.
California’s heavy-duty trucks produce roughly 40% of the nitrogen oxides that are a principal component of California’s smog. They also emit significant amounts of particulate pollution which causes and exacerbates heart and lung disease.
350 Bay Area Action
Last Wednesday the White House and top Democrats agreed in principle on a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package that includes many critical climate provisions. This could be our last chance to pass climate legislation before it’s too late for our planet, if we soar past 1.5 degrees Celsius in a decade. Now is the time to ensure the passage of the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill in the House and Senate.
Sierra Club
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working on new safeguards to tackle methane and associated pollution from new and existing oil and gas operations, but we only have one week, until July 30, to submit official public comments telling them to implement the strongest rules possible, capturing at least 65% of this potent greenhouse gas by 2025. |
https://act.sierraclub.org/actions/National?actionId=AR0333710&id=7013q000002FE83AAG |
Sierra Club
Over the past year, I’ve had the honor of leading an incredible group of volunteers who have made phone calls and written letters to support the freedom to vote and the power of people to make the change they want to see in the world. Our next letter writing task is to call on President Biden to continue to increase his leadership on passing the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act — two critical bills that will expand and protect the freedom to vote for all.
‘Our letters will thank White House leaders for their support of democracy reform, and ask for them to keep it up. Nothing can substitute for the direct engagement and leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris in our efforts to secure the passage of these critical voting rights bills.
- Request a batch of letters.
- Got questions? Email [email protected]
PROGRESS AMERICA
Currently, the federal government is poised to give $6 billion to fossil fuel companies to build new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export hubs. If they move forward with the plan, it would triple the number of LNG export facilities in the country.
The Biden administration is giving the green light due to these projects’ use of controversial carbon-capture technology–despite opposition from climate advocates and local communities. Not only this, but if these fossil fuel projects are completed, the US will not meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement.
Sign the petition: No subsidies for fossil fuel!
NOTES for 350 Humboldt General Meeting, July 22, 2021, 6 p.m. on Zoom
Facilitator: Dan Chandler, Notes: Diane Ryerson
1. Land Acknowledgement – Hayley Wiyot People declared a drought emergency for the rivers in their territory, especially the Eel. We are urged to contribute to the Wiyot Honor Tax at HonorTax.org.
2. Presentation: David Roberts “Volts” podcast on the most important message for activists https://www.volts.wtf/p/on-climate-policy-theres-one-main
“Quiz” in the middle: No one fell asleep! Podcast continued.
· Do you think offshore wind is part of the “main course?”
· Is cleaning up methane leaks part of the “main course?”
3. Check in: What are your feelings about David Roberts ideas and what’s happening nationally and in the state. Where do you see people getting misled into less important actions? Present: Dan Chandler, Cathy Chandler-Klein, Nancy Ihara, Mary Sanger, Katy Gurin, Carol Eileen, Laurel Busse, Richard Kreis, John Schaefer, Deborah Dukes, Hayley Connors-Keith, Randy Carrico, Lee Dedini, Walt Paniak, Diane Ryerson. All present agreed with David Roberts that clean electrification is the entrée: clean electrification of the grid; clean electrification of transportation, clean electrification of buildings to push fossil fuels out of use and reduce GHG emissions by 50-90%. We had varying degrees of hopefulness [Dan mentioned Newsom’s goal for CA to have 90% clean energy sources by 2030 and Biden’s goal for 10% by 2035; we have no money or legislation to implement these goals yet], and various ideas on actions we can take [Katy explained the 350 Humboldt climate pledge and the CAP]. Some think the Democrats will do something; others are skeptical.
4. Committee reports
· CAP/local – Diane Ryerson We are waiting for the CAP draft to be released; Katy explained they are still working on it; the committee had planned on meeting M, 7/26, 1p.m.but this may change without the draft release.
· Art – Hayley Connors-Keith Members are working with Stop the Money Pipeline and NDN Collective Art Action and they put up posters at local banks, Chase and Wells Fargo, to defund line 3. They are starting a Sea Level Rise project; meetings are the first T; next meeting is Aug.3, 6 p.m. Contact Hayley, [email protected]
· Book club – Deborah Dukes Meets the 4th M at 7 p.m. and currently reading Under a White Sky; had to miss part of the last meeting because of Ohm Hour and are meeting M, 7/26, 7 p.m. online to finish discussion of the book. No meeting in August; will resume in Sept.
· Legislative – Dan Chandler Next meeting is F, 7/23, 1 p.m. to discuss legislation to push for 2022 and follow up on this 2021 session’s legislation; more members welcome.
· Offshore wind – Mary Sanger Members participated in the recent CA Intergovernmental meeting [BOEM, CEC, CPUC, CAISO] Morro Bay is requesting an expansion of their call area; both Humboldt and Morro Bay call areas will go up for auction together [cost saving is reason given]in 2022 and a proposed date should be announced soon. Humboldt call area can’t be developed all at once because of transmission infrastructure limitations; CAISO is beginning transmission upgrade process that will take 10 years to complete. There was no more information about the undersea grid option or how community benefit agreements will be worked out to define protections for local fishermen. Members supported the RCEA 140 MW project which can proceed without transmission build out.
5. 350 Humboldt Governance Dan asked members to read the information below in preparation for the next General Meeting.
· Introduction of a new draft of decision making and structure – to be discussed and adopted next month. THE TEXT IS AT THE END OF THE AGENDA, AFTER THE POEM
· Introduction of steering committee and welcome to attend meetings with issues you want discussed or just to see what happens. We are looking for another steering committee member.
7. Announcements and general feedback
· Our next speaker will be August 9th. Amin Younes from Schatz Energy will present several radically different models of renewable energy in Humboldt over the next 9 years. Put in in your calendar: 7pm on zoom.
· We are looking for an ad hoc group to plan the speaker series and talks at general meetings.
Please email Dan if interested: [email protected]
8. Good news/bad news
· Europe: Europe is stepping up with a new climate plan: The proposals, if passed, would see the last gasoline or diesel cars sold in the European Union by 2035, would require that 38.5 percent of all energy be from renewables by 2030, would increase the price charged for carbon emitted to make the use of fossil fuels more and more expensive and would use some of the money for a fund to assist those most affected by rising prices and to help them purchase more energy-efficient heating systems and transport. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/14/world/europe/climate-change-carbon-green-new-deal.html?
However, ‘Europe’s target is more ambitious than the U.S.’s, and China’s. But it’s still “insufficient” to keep global warming below 2º Celsius by the end of the century, according to the nonprofit Climate Action Tracker. Anything above that will be catastrophic, scientists warn.
“You can’t ignore climate science,” said Greenpeace EU Director Jorgo Riss. “This whole package is based on a target that is too low, doesn’t stand up to science, and won’t stop the destruction of our planet’s life-support systems.”
· Humboldt: The Redwood Coast Energy Authority is excited to offer heat pump rebates for both residential and commercial settings. Heat pumps are an efficient way to use electricity to generate heat; more efficient than other types of electric heating. Switching from natural gas or propane to a heat pump will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and can improve indoor air quality. Please visit the RCEA Heat Pump Rebate page for complete details.
8. Poem: read by Deborah Dukes Deborah credited our local poet laureate David Holper
Anne Fricke. Rehearsal May Be Over, from Behind the Mask: 40 Quarantine Poems from Humboldt County.
******* 350 HUMBOLDT STRUCTURE AND DECISION-MAKING DRAFT********
Dan asked members to read the draft; action on the draft may occur at the next general meeting. 350 Humboldt Structure and Decision Making
General meetings
· General meetings are used to present relevant information by means of invited guests, to plan campaigns, to hear committee reports and recruit committee members, and to make announcements of general interest.
· Decision-making:
-
- Final decision on choice of campaigns need to be approved by the general meeting
- Ordinarily decisions are by consensus. If there is disagreement, time will be taken to try to resolve it. If the disagreement does not seem immediately resolvable, or a method cannot be agreed on that could resolve it, the moderator (a steering committee member) can call for a vote to be decided by the majority of eligible members.
- Only those who have attended at least two general meetings in the last six months are eligible to vote.
Steering committee
· Steering committee members meet at least twice between monthly general meetings. These meetings are held the first and second week of each month. On the second meeting, the steering committee finalizes the agenda for the general meeting, chooses a moderator from among steering committee members, and designates a note-taker
· Steering committee members also respond to some questions that arise between meetings, such as approving signing on the multi-organization petitions or responding to calls for quick action.
· The steering committee shall ordinarily be between three and five members.
· Steering committee members have access to the Zoom account and to the ActionNetwork account, to the 350Humboldt email account, to our social media accounts and our website.
· The steering committee decides which committees to have and identifies a lead person for each. The committees themselves have a large role in determining their structure and ways of operating.
· How steering committee are members chosen:
o People can volunteer or may be asked to join by other steering committee members
o In general, steering committee members are the chairpersons of a 350 Humboldt committee or at least active on a committee. Ideally, the steering committee would be comprised of all committee chairs.
· Anyone may attend a steering committee meeting to observe. Any member may suggest a topic for discussion by the steering committee. Ordinarily this must be requested in advance by asking a steering committee member to put it on the agenda.
· Ordinarily steering committee decisions are by consensus. If there is disagreement, time will be taken to try to resolve it. If the disagreement does not seem resolvable, or a method cannot be agreed upon that might resolve it in a reasonable time frame, decisions are made by majority vote of the steering committee. Decisions on campaigns or money questions must be made by at least three steering committee members.
Treasurer: maintains the 350 Humboldt bank account, manages donations, and disburses funds. A majority of the steering committee must approve of expenditures.
Committees
· Committees may vary in focus and number depending on the need. Currently, we have a Legislative Committee, a Climate Action Plan Committee, an Art Committee, a Offshore Wind Committee, and a Book Club.
· Chairpersons need to either be a member of the steering committee or keep the steering committee apprised of any actions that might involve or reflect upon 350 Humboldt. For example, letters signed using the 350 name or logo, or public actions.
· Ordinarily decisions are by consensus. If there is disagreement, time will be taken to try to resolve it. If the disagreement does not seem resolvable, or a method cannot be agreed upon that might resolve it in a reasonable time frame, decisions are made by majority vote of those present.