Howdy!
We are in a CLIMATE EMERGENCY! Thankfully momentum is growing in the past couple weeks with a huge push urging Biden to declare a climate emergency. Just this morning 165 staffers at federal health and environmental agencies and at more than 80 congressional offices released an open letter calling on President Biden to declare a Climate Emergency. Details here. Later this morning 17 Congressional staffers staged a sit-in at Sen. Schumer’s office. Story here.
Three actions you take this week!
1. Tell Biden: Choose People over Fossil Fuels and Declare a Climate Emergency here!
2. Call the White House and urge President Biden to declare a #ClimateEmergency, stop fossil fuel leasing, export, and project approvals, and speed a just, renewable energy transition. The White House Comment Line (888-431-7599) is open Tues-Thurs 11 am – 3 pm. Please call during these hours and leave a message using the sample script below:
– Hi, my name is ____, and I’m from ____. I’m calling with the #PeoplevsFossilFuels coalition. With climate disasters mounting and Congress at a standstill, we’re counting on Biden to declare a climate emergency NOW and stop approving fossil fuel leases, exports & projects.
3. Join the People vs Fossil Fuels coalition for a MASS MOVEMENT call Tuesday, July 26th at 8 pm to outline the scope of powers Biden has to stop the climate crisis without Congress – and mobilize our movement to increase pressure on him to use them!
Last week, Biden again pledged to take a series of executive actions to tackle the climate crisis after climate negotiations in Congress were killed once again by Sen. Manchin. But after reportedly considering declaring a climate emergency, he has yet to follow through.
With this latest and likely final Congressional setback, NOW IS THE MOMENT to push hard for Biden to use his full executive authority to take on the climate crisis.
>>> RSVP HERE <<< to join us to find out what you can do to make sure Biden takes bold action to protect communities from the climate emergency, keep fossil fuels in the ground, and speed a just transition to renewables.
Carbon Plan Public Hearings
After the Durham and Wilmington hearings, there are still two more in person Carbon Plan public hearings in Asheville and Charlotte this week, plus, a virtual hearing next month! As a reminder, at the end of May, Duke Energy released its draft carbon plan. Duke still wants to rely on polluting fossil fuels like fracked gas, which is unacceptable! The NCUC will be the one who will craft the final carbon plan, so we need to let them know what WE want that plan to look like!
Learn more Does Duke Energy’s Draft Carbon Plan Make the Grade? A Report Card, published in June by the People Power NC coalition. People will have 3 minutes to speak. Share your personal experience with the Commission. You can also attend to listen and support the speakers and send written comments. You can send written comments here. The docket number is E-100, SUB 179.
July 27: Asheville
Buncombe County Courthouse, Courtroom 1-A, 60 Court Plaza, Asheville
Rally 5:30 pm in Pack Square, Public Hearing 7 pm
Parking information for Downtown Asheville
July 28: Charlotte
Mecklenburg County Courthouse, Courtroom 5350, 832 E 4th Street, Charlotte
Public gathering 4:30-6:15, press conference at 5 at Marshall Park, 800 E 3rd Street
Food/music/spoken word/chanting. Public Hearing 7 pm
August 23: Virtual hearings
Aug. 23, 1:30 pm
Aug. 23, 6:30 pm
Participation in the virtual hearings is limited to 20 people per session, so register now! Details here.
MORE EVENTS
July 27, Financial impacts of climate-resilient agriculture in North Carolina
6-7 pm, online
Are you interested to learn how farmers are adapting to climate change? Join others for a short-film screening highlighting the experience of three North Carolina farms adopting climate-resilient agriculture practices. Register here.
July 27, Envisioning a Just Transition
6:30 pm, Duke Park, 106 W Knox St, Durham
What would a Just Transition towards an equitable future look like for Triangle residents? Join as we learn from speakers Jane Harrison, Crystal Cavalier, and Trey Anthony, followed by a creative community visioning session. We will focus on how environmentalists and organized labor can work together to win environmental and materials gains, with key insights from a regenerative economics and indigenous perspective. Register here.
July 28, Toxic Money Webinar: Using Regulation to fight for Racial, Housing & Climate Justice
7 pm, online
This webinar will explore The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and its history of combatting the legacies of redlining, as well as highlight coalition and grassroots actions that have leveraged the CRA to bring investment to communities of color. Register here .
July 29, Virtual Film Screening: Invisible Hand
7pm
Hosted by 7 Directions of Service. Let’s come together as a community to watch this iconic Rights of Nature Documentary, as we prepare for our August 17th Rights of Nature Workshop. The film follows rural and Indigenous communities across Turtle Island fighting to achieve Rights of Nature through their respective legal and frontline battles. Register here .
July 30, Stop MVP Southgate: Bannister River Clean up
10 am – 2 pm, Bannister River, 11650 US Highway 29 , Chatham, VA
For this event, teams of volunteers will remove trash from creeks, streams, and trails leading to the Bannister River. We hope to raise awareness about the impacts of our consumption habits, and bring people together in service of our waterways. Register here .
August 11, CEFS Symposium on Agriculture, Food Systems and Climate Change
1-7 pm, James B Hunt Jr Library at NC State, 1070 Partners Way, Raleigh
The symposium will bring together interdisciplinary researchers, policymakers, farmers, and community leaders for interactive discussions to highlight novel ideas and priorities for our agriculture and food systems to address climate change. Register here.
August 11, Secretary’s Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board quarterly meeting
3 pm, online and in person at the Archdale Ground Floor Hearing Room, Raleigh
There will also be a 2 pm subcommittee meeting on cumulative impacts . There will be a public comment period starting at 5 pm. The public will have the opportunity to sign-up upon arrival at the meeting.
To listen via Webex: https://ncdenrits.webex.com/ncdenrits/j.php?MTID=m5dd76c42e716637c2bb6df580879884f
Meeting number: 2424 208 8665
Password: NCDEQ
Join by phone: +1-415-655-0003
Access code: 242 420 88665
Paperhand Puppet’s 22nd annual show The Meanwhile Clock and other Impossible Dances
Opens August 12 and runs every weekend from August 12 to September 25, with shows at both the Forest Theatre in Chapel Hill and the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh. Check out the show calendar here to buy tickets. 350 Triangle LOVES having the Paperhand Puppets participate in our events. Their annual shows are such a treat!
August 17, Rights of Nature, Rights of the River Workshop
1-3 pm, online
7 Directions needs your help to ensure we secure Rights of Nature for our beloved and threatened relative, the Haw River, during the upcoming 2023 legislative session. To prepare, we are teaming up with experts at The Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights to hold a virtual Rights of Nature Workshop. Legislators, activists, and concerned community members are encouraged to attend in order to learn about successful examples across the globe, the legal process, and the legislation. Once the Haw is protected, we’ll get to work on ensuring rights for other rivers across the state. Register here.
August 21, Southeast Indigenous History Teach-In
7-8:30 pm, Durham Central Park (The Leaf Pavilion), 501 Foster St, Durham
Sponsored by 7 Directions of Service. Our monthly Indigenous History Teach-In Series is in collaboration with local Indigenous scholars and historians, namely the brilliant Beverly Scarlett, founder of the nonprofit Indigenous Memories. We are inspired to offer these free, outdoor educational events in popular public spaces across the Triangle to bring to light the true and often untold history of the land we are on, and to center Indigenous perspectives. Bring your lawn chairs! Register here.
Save-the-Date
October 3, Vote for Climate Action, Amen
5 pm, Raleigh
2nd Annual Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle Prayer Chain for the Earth
TAKE ACTION!
Ask FERC to deny MVP’s certificate extension! Tell FERC that Mountain Valley Pipeline does NOT deserve a four-year pass to continue hurting the environment, endangered species, public lands, waterways and Appalachian communities here! The comment period ends July 29.
Climate Emergency: Tell Banks to STOP Funding Fossil Fuels! We are seeing the climate change-fueled consequences of Big Oil’s greed and Wall Street banks’ complicity in keeping them profitable. Send a message to Wall Street banks here.
Defund the Mountain Valley Pipeline! Send a Message to Banks funding the pipeline here.
Demand that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer replace Joe Manchin as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Sign here.
ARTICLES AND VIDEOS
Great op-ed in Common Dreams by Caroline Hansley and Gillian Giannetti FERC: It’s Time to End the Mountain Valley Pipeline here.
Article by Jean Su and Maya Golden-Krasner The Case for Declaring a National Climate Emergency here . Jean and Maya are also co-authors of The Climate President’s Emergency Powers here.
Jean Su was on Democracy Now! last Thursday here and Bill McKibben last Monday heretalking about the climate emergency and what Biden can do.
Bill McKibben’s For the Third Time in Three Decades, Congress Punts on Serious Climate Legislation article here. “So now we’ve struck out three times. The country that historically has put more carbon in the atmosphere than any other, and whose scientists played the lead role in figuring out the climate crisis, has refused to do anything about it.”
Photo below taken of about half the crowd that attended the rally before the July 11 Durham Carbon Plan public hearing. Thanks for reading and for taking action!
Peace and love for our beautiful Earth, Karen
