Howdy!

It’s a new year and there is so much going on! I will begin this newsletter with a few NC related articles before moving to events, actions, and more.

 
North Carolina’s Climate Activists Brace for Trump’s Return by Lisa Sorg here.
How the Department of Government Efficiency’s plans will harm Appalachian communities by Chelsea Barnes. Part 1 here. Part 2 here.
Pipeline company misleads the public for profit and fossil fuels by Shelley Robins & Dr. Crystal Cavalier here.
At the heart of the lawsuit is deception’: Inside Carrboro’s case for reparations from Duke Energy by Lola Oliverio here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
January 18, People’s March Raleigh
11 am, North Carolina State Capitol, 1 East Edenton St., Raleigh
One of many events taking place on Saturday. More info and RSVP here.
January 21, National Day of Racial Healing 2025 Virtual Workshop
6-8 pm, online
The National Day of Racial Healing is observed each year on the Tuesday after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The offering in MLK’s memory this year is:”Advocating for Indigenous Rights: Understanding Sovereignty & the Rights of Nature.” More info and register here.
January 22, California Sues ExxonMobil Over Plastic Recycling Lies
7-8 pm, online
Learn about this groundbreaking lawsuit from CA Attorney General Rob Bonta and how residents of other states can urge their own Attorneys General to file similar suits. Register here.
January 24, Climate Strike for Clean Energy

9:30 – 1:30, in front of NC General Assembly, 16 West Jones St., Raleigh
Hosted by Broughton HS SAFE group, join to protest SB 678, which uses phrasing to imply that biomass, including burning wood pellets, is “clean” and “renewable.” Strike against SB 678 to encourage the state to implement better clean energy legislation! More info and register here.
January 30, No SSEP Oak Ridge Community Meeting
6-8 pm, Oak Ridge Town Hall, 8315 Linville Rd, Oak Ridge
Meet others in the community who are concerned about the proposed Transco Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP) methane gas pipeline in Oak Ridge, and take steps to prevent the project from moving forward.
Register here. There will also be a meeting in Greensboro on February 11 and Greensboro February 13. More info on actions to take and upcoming meetings here and here.
February 6, The Hidden Risk in State Pensions: Annual Report & Campaign Briefing
12 pm, online
Too many public pensions, even in progressive cities and states, are regularly voting against climate action. This includes opposing climate action at many banks, insurance companies, and asset managers. Learn more about the report and how to push your pension to do better here.
March 22, 35th Annual Haw River Clean-Up-A-Thon

Coincides with National Water Day. Check out https://hawriver.org/river-cleanup for more information and sign up your team.
ACTIONS TO TAKE!
Support California’s Polluter Pay Climate Superfund Bill, which will require CalEPA to establish a program to assess damages from climate disasters, collect funds from the biggest polluters, and direct funds to impacted communities here.
To Reduce its Carbon Footprint, UNC Could Burn Pellets Composed of Paper and Plasticby Lisa Sorg here.
If you missed the public hearing in Chapel Hill last night about the proposal to burn pellets at the UNC cogeneration plant, there is still time to make comments by January 23rd. Email [email protected] (subject “UNC.24A”) or call 919-707-8448. Lisa’s article above and the document Key Issues Concerning UNC’s Plans to Combust Waste Pellets will help with your comments.
Tell President Biden to Free Leonard Peltier, Grant Clemency NOW here.

Tell Big Banks to Stop Funding Climate Destruction here.

Tell Energy Sec. Jennifer Granholm: No More LNG Exports here.
Submit Your Public Comment: LNG Exports Aren’t in the Public interest here.
Tell Insurers: Stop Fueling the Climate Crisis here.
Send a message to the top executives of Chubb, AIG, Liberty Mutual, the Hartford and Travelers and demand they must insure communities, not fossil fuels!
Time is running out! Send an email to Jane Nishida, Acting Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to obligate all funds for the IRA Thriving Communities Environmental Justice grant program NOW. Sign here.
HURRICANE HELENE
Beloved Asheville aid here.
 
Western North Carolina to receive $1.65B in federal disaster grants by Greg Childress here.
‘Scars of the storm.’ Helene is gone, but its impact is far from over in Mitchell County by Jane Winik Sartwell here.
Conservation groups ask for revision to Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan after Helene by Celeste Gracia here.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
Los Angeles Mutual Aid Network here.
The chronicle of a fire foretold by Rebecca Solnit here.
What do the Los Angeles fires tell us about the coming water wars? by Judith Levine here.
Los Angeles is on fire and big oil are the arsonists by Tzeporah Berman here.
The role of climate change in the catastrophic 2025 Los Angeles fires by Jeff Masters & Bob Henson here.
The Architects Of L.A.’s Wildfire Devastation by Katya Schwenk here.
“Developers and real estate interests crushed efforts to limit development in high-wildfire-risk areas — including in L.A. neighborhoods now in ashes.”
MORE ARTICLES
Ferocious Optimism: Holding on to Hope in an Apocalyptic World by the 350.org team here.
US Supreme Court Rejects Big Oil Attacks on Hawaii Climate Lawsuit by Jessica Corbett here.
“With this latest denial, the fossil fuel industry’s worst nightmare—having to face the overwhelming evidence of their decades of calculated climate deception—is closer than ever to becoming a reality.”
To resist the climate crisis, we must resist the billionaire class by Peter Kalmus here.
Biden’s Lasting Legacy Is Making the World a More Dangerous Place
The president’s last-minute climate announcement doesn’t overshadow the troubling practical tools he’s putting in the hands of his successor. By Kate Aronoff here.
A Coalition of Eight Organizations Hold Statewide Heat and Human Rights Events to Urge Adoption of Federal Heat Standards by NC Environmental Justice Network here.
350 Triangle is now on Bluesky 350Triangle@bsky.social
I will end this very full newsletter with a post by climate scientist Kate Marvel:‬
physics of climate impacts 101:
– Stuff gets hot (worse heatwaves)
– Hot air holds more water vapor (heavier rainfall)
– Hot air is thirstier air (higher drought risk)
– Warm water is hurricane food (stronger storms)
– Hot water expands and hot ice melts (sea level rise)
Thanks for reading and for taking action!
Peace and love for our beautiful Earth, Karen