What would it look like to join a team committed to bold civil disobedience at the intersection of climate emergency and racial justice? At our November Climate Hub meeting, we’ll explore this question with Tim Nafziger, a local organizer. He’ll talk about why in this moment when the Amazon is burning and oil pumps are still pumping in our backyards, creative nonviolent direct action (NVDA) is one of the tools we need to draw on as a community.

Come learn more about an emerging network committed to facilitating concrete acts of reparations and atonement. You can read more about this Yet-to-be-Named network here: http://eastpointpeace.org/east-point-climate-crisis-yet-named-network/  or check out a zine about the network: https://earthlingopinion.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/yet-to-be-named-network-zine-single-pages.pdf

We’ll discuss what we can learn from movements like Extinction Rebellion, Youth Climate Strike and Showing up for Racial Justice.

Speaker Bio:
Tim (he/him) has been experimenting with team based NVDA (Non-Violent Direct Action) for 20 years. He is a Mennonite who lives with his partner Charletta in the Ventura River watershed on the traditional lands of the Chumash people. He works as a web developer, writer and organizer. He is part of the leadership of Showing Up for Racial Justice (Ventura County) and Extinction Rebellion Ojai. He thrives on cross-pollination, relationship building and small teams agitating for social change.

Letters to the Editor on the General Plan Update

On August 6, the VC Board of Supervisors decide what policies will go in the county’s Draft General Plan Update. Adding strong environmental policies will become more difficult after that, so now is the time to speak up.

Following the release of the Preliminary Draft of the VC General Plan 2040 update, 350 VC Climate Hub submitted recommendations on changes to reflect the increased urgency with which our county must respond to the Climate Crisis.

We need people from throughout the county to let the VC Board of Supervisors know that care for our environment is essential, and that they need to incorporate those recommendations to build  strong policies for environmental sustainability in the VC General Plan update.

Letter-writing will make a big difference in the campaign to add strong environmental policies in the General Plan Update.

Click on the topics below for guidelines on writing letters to the editor, where to send them, talking points and topics to choose from.

How to Write a Letter to the Editor

Where to Send it 

Top Priorities – The Green 13

Other Topics

Microgrids

All-Electric New Housing

Electric Transportation

Make Polluters Pay

Regenerative Water and Agriculture

Increase Green Space

Water – Slow it, Spread it, Sink it

Grey Water

Water Resilience

Sunset Oil Production by 2040

Cut Green House Gas Emissions

Carbon Tax on Oil and Gas Extraction, Flaring and Leakage

Strengthen Environmental Policy in the General Plan Update

Housing and Zoning

MORE INTERESTING THAN YOU THINK!  These documents we’ve just turned over to the county are a lot more interesting than people imagine! Think of them like a Sci-Fi for Ventura County set around  2030 when whatever the County decides to do now will be coming to maturity. If you see the year 2030 differently, now is the time to write that vision down and email it to Clerk of the Board <[email protected]>. For distribution to the Supervisors. Subject line: vc2040 on (your passion) so they can consider your ideas on August 6.

These Policy and Program Recommendations to the Ventura County Planning Commissioners for the “General Plan Update” will be discussed at a third work session on June 20, 8:30 to 4, County Administration first floor, 800 Victoria, Ventura.  Discussions are about the county’s priorities until 2040 (this week’s focus on ag, water and the economy).  Learn about the process at vc2040.org.  Link to watch the Planning Commission meetings on this page: https://vcrma.org/planning-commission-hearings-live-broadcasts-and-video-archive

Documents we submitted:

Economic Vitality to be discussed on Thurs 6/20  350 VC Climate Hub EconVit comments June 19 2019 FINAL

Water Resources to be discussed on Thurs 6/20 350 VC Climate Hub WATER comments June 18 2019 FINAL

Agriculture to be discussed on Thurs 6/20 350 VC Climate Hub AG Comments June 17 2019 FINAL

Hazards and Safety was discussed on 6/13 350 VC Climate Hub HAZ comments GenPlan June 12 2019 FINAL

Conservation and Open Space was discussed on 6/13 350 VC Climate Hub COS GenPlan June 11 2019

Public Facilities, Services and Infrastructure was discussed on 6/13  350 VC Climate Hub PFS GenPlan Comments June 12 2019

Circulation, Transportation, Mobility and Land Use was discussed on 6/6  350 Submission to Planning Commission on LU & CTM

20 YEAR OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD POLITICAL WILL AT THE COUNTY AND TO THE CITIES: The current General Plan is over 25 years old . All aspects of the update intersect with climate. That is where we focused our input along with equity and the housing crisis. Our recommendations are extensive but not complete; some are revolutionary. Many solutions are new or strange to the general public, so we need to communicate our restorative visionary proposals — some are already happening and  many more can only happen through building political will and showing how they are smart investments. It is easy to build our movement by sharing the link world.350.org/ventura and ask friends to sign up on the webform to learn and to get involved.

AUGUST 6: The VC Board of Supervisors will hold one session on August 6 to review all input and give guidance to the planners for the Environmental Impact Review to be done this fall.  In other words, it’s not over on August 6, but what we do until then could make a big difference, not just to build political will with the Supervisors, but with leaders in all the cities who are affected by the Supervisor’s decisions.

WHERE IS THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN? This Plan includes within it a Climate Action Plan. Policies and programs in every Element relate to climate change and are tagged for inclusion in “Appendix B” along with a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory. The goals and targets for GHG Emissions are found in the Conservation and Open Space Element. Environmental Justice is also a requirement of the plan. We have compiled those policies and will be preparing comments on them to the Board. Healthy Communities policies are also spread among many of the Elements.  We need a volunteer to put all of those into a googledoc so we can see how that theme is covered and see what we might recommend.

GLOSSARIES ARE GREAT: For some of the above submissions we created a GLOSSARY at the end. They are amazing!  It is easier to agree on a policy when everyone is talking about the same thing! Much appreciation to all who read the drafts, made contributions, and signed on (dozens of co-signers can be seen on each of the seven cover letters).  Email vcclimatehub @gmail.com if you want to be added as an endorser of any or all.

350 VC CLIMATE HUB AGENDA FOR JUNE 20 MEETING: Monthly meeting June 20, 6:30-8:30 at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Ventura: choose our top priority recommendations to communicate to the Board of Supervisors. How can we share with public officials and community leaders  the new possibilities we each imagine and that we are all working so hard on in our various paths of service?

Were you in the Chamber January 31 of this year when we asked the Planning Commission to support the Wildlife Protection Corridor Plan?  August 6 with the Supervisors should draw similar excitement! Photo thanks to Kathleen  Wilson of VCStar.