Dear Supporter,
I hope you are staying safe and healthy indoors, and have socially-distant plans to enjoy these sunny August days ahead of us. This month we're bringing you good news for our Public Lands and for our utility work--ensuring that Washington families have access to water and electricity during this pandemic.
Thank you for your helpful feedback on last month's newsletter. We appreciate your openness and vulnerability as we confront these challenging topics together. As always, we are committed to approaching our work from an anti-racist lens and building a green, equitable Washington state for us all to thrive.
Thanks for all that you do,
Jesse Piedfort
Chapter Director
Washington State Sierra Club |
|
July was a month of historic wins for public lands. On July 22, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) passed Congress and by August 4 it was signed into law. And even avid public lands advocates were surprised to see the Protecting America’s Wilderness Act (PAWA) be voted out of the House as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Here's what these Acts will mean for Washington's wild places:
|
|
|
|
On Friday, July 31 -- Gov. Jay Inslee signed a proclamation extending the Utility Shutoff Moratorium for a third time. That means that until at least October 15th, utilities are not allowed to cut off water, power or phone service to Washington residents who can’t afford them. Here's what we're doing to make sure Washington's families are protected:
|
|
|
|
|
One of the most iconic visions of the Pacific Northwest is a field full of flowers under the shadow of Mount Rainier. For generations, images like this have inspired so many to get out and hit the trails. However, as more people set out on the trails, there is a growing demand to capture the perfect shot despite the possible impacts. Here are 5 tips to getting the perfect wildflower shot while protecting nature:
|
|
|
|
This month, the Trump administration released its plan for the Snake and Columbia River salmon and steelhead. But this plan merely repeats the mistakes of the past and offers only timid interim measures, not real solutions. This plan falls far short of the strong, comprehensive solutions we need to bring these species back from the brink. Learn about how you can push for a comprehensive solution for our iconic Northwest species:
|
|
|
|
For years, we supported First Nations legal fees against the Trans Mountain pipeline in a fundraising effort called Pull Together. We organized events and had a blast building community while we worked to stop the project. Our organizing worked...until Canada outright bought the pipeline. But pipeline and tanker projects need insurance in order to operate -- so we’re intercepting executive's plans to push dirty fuels for profit. Here's how you can take action:
|
|
|
|
The fossil fuel industry is on the ropes: coal is permanently declining and oil companies are announcing bankruptcy left and right. But a third fossil fuel is still expanding into our communities every day: “natural” gas. Now the industry has Washington state in its sights. It's spending millions of dollars to convince Washingtonians to ignore climate science and make the next generation dependent on fracked gas. Here's what you need to know:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County
Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County is a grassroots, volunteer-run, social-justice nonprofit organization focused on the empowerment and liberation of Blacks and other people of color through advocacy and direct action.
BLM Seattle centers leadership on Black femmes, women, queer, and trans people organizing and taking direct action to dismantle anti-black systems and policies of oppression. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Northwest Community Bail Fund
The Northwest Community Bail Fund (NCBF) works to ensure that people accused of low-level crimes have an equal opportunity to defend themselves from a position of freedom.
They provide cash bail for people who are unable to pay due to poverty and who are charged with crimes in King and Snohomish Counties and have no other holds. They also provide support to navigate the legal process with the aim of reducing pre-trial incarceration and its consequences, reducing the pressure to plead guilty. |
|
|
|
|
|
This week, the U.S. Department of the Interior formally opened up Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling, an unprecedented decision that threatens Gwich’in lifeways and sacred lands, while exacerbating both climate and extinction crises.
Tune into this conversation with Faith Gemmill and Princess Lucaj, about the fight to protect this life-giving ground has been going on for decades and continues to this day. |
|
|
|
Our Reading List:
As sprawl became the default, it increased the reliance on cars. Today, super-commuters who live hours from their jobs are driving up carbon emissions. Experts say tackling climate change will mean reshaping neighborhoods with a new focus on public transit, biking and walkability.
Oil and gas companies, fossil fuel-burning utilities and the banks that fund drilling donate heavily to police departments’ charity foundations, according to a new report published Monday by the anti-corruption watchdog Public Accountability Initiative and the nonprofit research database LittleSis. That money in many cases directly supports the purchase of weapons and gear.
The research is abundantly clear. Decreased access to healthy foods increases risk of diet-related diseases like obesity and diabetes — conditions that already shorten life expectancy and now are top risk factors for infection and death by COVID-19. Improving access to nutritious foods is critical for the majority people of color living in South Park, and the promotoras are shining leaders in that needed health justice work.
Air pollution leads to almost 250,000 premature deaths a year in the US. Within a decade, aggressive decarbonization could reduce that toll by 40%; over 20 years, it could save around 1.4 million American lives that would otherwise be lost to air quality.
Washington Post: To fix our cities, we must reckon with our racist urban past
Building just, healthy and inclusive cities requires far more than protected bike lanes and alfresco dining. We cannot fulfill plans for safer, cleaner, more sustainable cities without addressing the racialized history of redlining and the modern segregation that allows inequality to thrive. We must understand our past and commit to fix it systemically. We can no longer perpetuate wrongs through inaction.
|
|
|
|
|
| As people across the country protest in defense of Black lives, the Sierra Club recognizes the need to dismantle systemic racism in the United States and within our own organization. We must reckon with how white supremacy -- both past and present -- has shaped our institutions and do the critical anti-racism work necessary to repair the harm done. The environmental movement does not exist in a vacuum, and it is our responsibility to use our power to help abolish systemic racism, which is destroying lives, communities, and the planet. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
