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/86943045708?pwd=clVqWVJZNEFQSVl0QWd6VCtOZGtWZz09

URGENT: WRITE TO THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

 

Under its new chair Richard Glick FERC issued a very welcome guidance on how they would apply greenhouse gas tests to proposed new gas facilities. (https://insideclimatenews.org/news/21032022/ferc-natural-gas-pipeline-emissions/?)

Now they are backing off of that guidance due to fossil fuel interest pressure. (https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/599743-energy-regulator-backtracks-on-assessing-climate-impacts-of-natural)

But they have opened an opportunity for climate activists to weigh in. Below is a letter template for writing to FERC and submitting your comment online. Please modify by putting in details of your own about the impact of climate change.

Here is the policy: https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/ferc-seeks-comment-draft-policy-statements-pipeline-certification-ghg-emissions

Here the place to file: https://ferconline.ferc.gov/eFiling.aspx

Although there is a “Quick Comment” option I was unable to make it work for the Docket numbers below. So to file a comment you probably have to Register and confirm your email address. Then click on “E-file” and follow the instructions to submit (in PDF). Follow the little “Next” buttons.

Thanks very much,

Dan Chandler

350 Humboldt Steering Committee

TO: FERC Commissioners Richard Glick, Chair, James P. Danly, Allison Clements,
Mark C. Christie, and Willie L. Phillips

RE: Docket Nos. PL18-1-001 and PL21-3-001

Submitted March 26, 2022

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has backed off its February 19, 2022 policy decision on the certification of new interstate natural gas facilities taking into account the greenhouse gas emissions from the proposed facilities, and is not applying those standards to proposals before FERC at this time. FERC now is asking for public comment on these new standards, due by April 25th.  News reports indicate that this retrenchment is based on fossil fuel interest backlash.

We would like, in the strongest possible terms, to tell you that we – as citizens of the United States and of aworld that is endangered by climate change – want you to end certification of all new interstate gas facilities.

The International Energy Agency a year ago made this statement:

“Beyond projects already committed as of 2021, there are no new oil and gas fields approved for development in our pathway, and no new coal mines or mine extensions are required. The unwavering policy focus on climate change in the net zero pathway results in a sharp decline in fossil fuel demand, meaning that the focus for oil and gas producers switches entirely to output – and emissions reductions – from the operation of existing assets.”[1]

On March 22 an even more dire call for action resulted from a new study by the United Kingdom-based Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.[2]

“The carbon budgets associated with “keep 1.5°C alive” and “stay well below 2°C” imply much more urgent cuts in emissions than any government is considering, and require the rapid and complete phaseout of all fossil fuel production. The maths are clear: for a 50:50 chance of not exceeding 1.5°C, the carbon budget equates to ten years of current emissions. For a 67% or better chance of 1.5°C this falls to just seven years. For a 50% chance of 1.7°C it only increases to eighteen years. For the wealthiest group of ‘producer nations’, with the highest capacity to achieve a ‘just transition’, output of oil and gas needs to be cut by 74% by 2030, with complete phase out by 2034.”

The fossil fuel interests that are lobbying you are living in a fantasy world. Please don’t join them in its destructive delusion.

To put it simply, FERC’s job with respect to natural gas is to “close up shop” in a responsible way by 2034. Your overall job must be to make the transition to renewables as fast and easy as you possibly can.

With great urgency,

Your name,

________

[1] IEA. Netzero by 2050. https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050

[2] Calverley, D., & Anderson, K. (2022). Phaseout Pathways for Fossil Fuel Production Within Paris-compliant Carbon Budgets.

 

****

A.    Here are some petitions to sign and letters to write. It won’t take more than a few minutes and every action we take counts in the climate crisis. Below the petitions are opportunities to write postcards to voters in important elections.

Union of Concerned Scientists

Now, for the first time in 20 years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed stronger tailpipe standards to reduce toxic emissions from heavy-duty diesel trucks. Unfortunately, the rule falls short in setting a clear path to zero-emissions trucks and addressing disproportionate health impacts from truck pollution.

Tell the EPA and President Biden you want the strongest possible heavy-duty truck standards with a clear path to zero-emission trucks to clean up the air.

Build Back Fossil Free

Send a letter to the Army Corp of Engineers about Line 5.

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-the-biden-and-thee-army-corps-to-reject-line-5

Evergreen Action

The SEC just opened the public comment window for this proposed rule requiring firms to divulge all climate risks. This is our chance to flex our grassroots power and demand they strengthen this rule before the deadline closes. Will you sign an official public comment right now? We’ll submit it on your behalf directly to SEC decision-makers!

 

Build Back Fossil Free

Linked here is the Ban LNG by Rail public comment form hosted on the Build Back Fossil Free (BBFF) action network. Here is the toolkit as well to use for amplifying the public comment form. These will go out formally on Friday to the BBFF individual list but if you are able to send in your own networks/organization as well beforehand that would be great.

Stop LNG in its tracks! Transportation of liquid gas via rail is a recipe for disaster for frontline communities. Join us in calling on @JoeBiden and @USDOT to ban LNG by rail once and for all.

Submit a public comment before March 31: https://bit.ly/NoLNGbyRail

Green America

Even President Biden’s pledges to cut methane emissions to address the climate crisis do not require ranchers and feedlots to reduce emissions!

But now, you have an opportunity to finally hold this sector accountable for the pollution it creates.

We are teaming up with our allies to tell the EPA to protect people, animals, and the planet by cracking down on factory farms and treating them like the polluters they are!

https://default.salsalabs.org/Tdf09fe65-3aa2-4d88-95a4-dd8fca1857d5/769d8327-9c4b-4cbe-a2ea-6371ff4eb7f6

EDF

Lovejoy is insisting that only 10% of new mail trucks will be electric and the remaining 90% of their fleet will remain climate harming gas-powered trucks.

This not only goes against our climate goals, but exposes our communities to health harming forms of air pollution. Tell Postmaster General DeJoy you strongly disagree with his decision to choose polluting vehicles.

WRITE LETTERS TO VOTERS

There are some new postcard writing and letter writing opportunities. Check them out.

Third Act – Bill McKibben’s new group is postcarding

Let’s join together as Third Act’s Democracy Force to write postcards and mobilize voters in Arizona and Pennsylvania to request their vote-by-mail ballot in time for Midterm Primary Elections. Learn more below about why postcards and mail voting are vital and effective at increasing turnout.

https://thirdact.org/third-act-postcards-to-voters/

Here is a new advance in targeting letters to where they make most difference. If you write to voters, please take a look.

The redistricting process has changed district lines across the country for this year’s midterm elections. As maps are finalized or congressional districts become more competitive, we’ll add letter writing campaigns to reach those voters–our first congressional district-level campaigns are already live!

If you’re unsure about which state or district to write letters to this year, you can use Swing Left’s new tool to help find your nearest competitive Swing District!

Check out the following email for more details, and head to swingleft.org/targets to get started.

— The Vote Forward Team

Postcards for swing states

We need your help to write 550,000 postcards to rally Democrats to vote in the Pennsylvania primary on May 17. Encouraging Democrats to make voting a habit now will ensure more of them will also vote in November.

Sign up now and we’ll mail you free postcards with the design below, along with instructions and voter lists. Volunteers need to provide the postcard stamps. You’ll pick from three messages that we’re testing as the first step of signing up. You’ll have until May 6 to finish writing the postcards.

ENVIRONMENTAL VOTER PROJECT

Our next postcarding campaign will be to Colorado voters ahead of their June 28th state primary!

We’ll be sending postcards to environmental voters who voted in the 2020 General Election, but are unlikely to vote in midterm elections based on their previous voting history. We expect to begin mailing out packages of postcards to signed-up volunteers beginning in late March, and the required “mail-to-voters” date for this round of postcards is on Monday, June 6th.

 

This sign up form is only for trained EVP postcarding volunteers. New postcarding volunteers should sign up for an orientation below.

If you have not already attended an EVP postcard training, please sign up for one of the 45 minute trainings below. We use very specific designs and messaging that are optimized to increase turnout, so we require all our postcarding volunteers to receive an EVP training before sending postcards.

VOTE FORWARD – NEW CAMPAIGN

Feb. 18 Today, we’re thrilled to announce: It’s time to get started. Vote Forward’s first 2022 letter writing campaigns are here.

Why now? Starting early gives us time to write more letters and reach more voters. And with so much at stake, there’s no time to spare.

Start writing letters today by visiting your Vote Forward dashboard. Remember: Hold your letters until our mail date in late October. Letters mailed now will not work to boost voter turnout this fall.

 

POSTCARD CAMPAIGN TARGETS FLORIDA VOTERS

Florida: Postcards and Letter Writing to Voters

Virtual Postcard Writing · Hosted by Broward for Progress (browardforprogress.org)

https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/417759/

Join us for Postcards to Voters. We’re writing to Florida voters and need your help! Last cycle we sent almost 100,000 postcards out. Will you join us? 15 minutes a day can make a huge difference!

NEW POSTCARD CAMPAIGN FOR NORTH CAROLINA AND PENNSYLVANIA VOTERS:

From Activate America (Formerly Flip the West)

Earlier this week, we let you know about our brand new postcarding program in North Carolina to turn out the vote for Democrat Cheri Beasley.

Today, we’re excited to announce another postcarding program, this time in Pennsylvania. Voting by mail is a relatively recent option for most Pennsylvania voters, and in 2021, the state created an “Annual Mail Ballot List.” People on the list will get a mail-in ballot for every election in a calendar year. However, since it is a relatively new program, voters may not know or remember that they need to reapply each year.

People already on the “Annual Mail-In Voter List” have received a notification from the state that they need to complete a form to stay on the list, and we’re sending likely Democratic voters a postcard reminding them to return that form or to reapply online.

Interested? Sign up HERE.

We ask that all postcards be mailed before April 20th to give voters sufficient time to complete the required paperwork and receive and return their ballot before an upcoming May 17th election.

Pennsylvania is arguably the most competitive Senate election in the country, and there are multiple competitive House races as well, so this is a high priority action. We’re grateful for everyone who joins us in this and other postcard campaigns, and consider chipping in to help us continue delivering the kinds of volunteer opportunities that can make a big difference in a close election.

POSTCARD WRITING TO VOTERS ORGANIZED BY HUMBOLDT ACTIVIST FREDERICA AALTO

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. 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]