With spring solidly here, we hope you\u2019re enjoying the sunshine and warmer breezes.<\/strong> May is Bike Month \u2014 bicycling, not only good for the climate as a way to get around, is also a lot more fun than driving. (At least when those spring breezes are at your back.) Local businesses<\/strong><\/a> are getting into the spirit too \u2014 you might even have your compost picked up by bike!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The spring weather also helped 350 Humboldt as we held our first in-person events in more than a year. On April 23 activists met at Chase Bank and the County Courthouse in Eureka to protest Chase\u2019s role as the world\u2019s largest corporate funder of fossil fuel projects. <\/strong>Two weeks later 350 Humboldt supporters rallied at Arcata\u2019s Wells Fargo branch protesting that bank\u2019s financial support of the Line 3 project, a large oil sands pipeline being built in Minnesota. (Both rallies followed Covid-19 precautions.)<\/p>\n Events like these are meant to join the momentum of hundreds of similar rallies at Chase and Wells Fargo banks across the country so we can stop the pipeline of money<\/a> <\/strong>funding fossil fuel development. But much of 350 Humboldt\u2019s focus is on our local contribution to the global climate emergency we all face.<\/strong><\/p>\n A case in point is the huge salmon farm proposed on the Samoa Peninsula. The environmental review (see this<\/a>, or this summary by Humboldt Baykeeper<\/a>) shows that the development would consume a vast amount of electricity \u2014 as much as an entire small city.<\/strong> Whatever other issues this development might raise, we feel strongly that the project should be powered by renewable electricity, not fossil fuels. We hope you can join us to convey that point, along with any other comments you may have, at the Planning Commission\u2019s public hearing on Thursday, June 3, at 6 PM.<\/strong><\/a> You may also email comments by May 24 to Planningclerk@co.humboldt.ca. Another local issue is the upcoming release of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) to guide Humboldt County and local cities in doing right by the climate. <\/strong>We\u2019re asking for a \u201cqualified\u201d CAP \u2014 a term meaning that it’s consistent with SB 32, the law that established California\u2019s climate goals, and will ensure that future development must conform to those goals. Some local leaders are pushing back, arguing that rural counties shouldn\u2019t face those limits. Now is a good time to attend your local city council<\/strong> or board of supervisors meeting <\/strong>to let them know you support a \u201cqualified\u201d CAP, and a livable climate. Reply to this email if you\u2019d like more information. <\/strong><\/p>\n Of course we can\u2019t always count on the decision makers of the State of California to make wise decisions. On the day before Earth Day,<\/strong> a State Assembly committee approved AB 1139, a bill to charge a monthly penalty of $50 to $90 on solar projects, including every small rooftop project in the state, and slash credits for energy generated. The bill would kill California\u2019s solar industry. Let Assemblymember Jim Wood know what you think about this (call his office at 916-319-2002),<\/strong> and contact the Solar Rights Alliance<\/a><\/strong> for more information.<\/p>\n Another one to tell Assemblymember Wood about is AB 386,<\/strong> which would shield from public view the investment decisions of CalPERS, the huge retirement fund for most State of California retirees. CalPERS has been facing a lot of heat for favoring investments in fossil fuel projects \u2014 many of which have flopped.<\/p>\n