ECOS joint comment letter on County Climate Action Plan

On September 22, 2022, the Environmental Council of Sacramento, the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, the Sacramento Audubon Society, the Sierra Club Sacramento Group, and the Xerces Society submitted recommendations to strengthen the proposed Sacramento County Communitywide Climate Action Plan (Plan) released for public review on August 26, 2022.

Your inclusion of these recommendations into the Plan will increase the County’s preparedness to meet the challenges of our changing climate and its impacts on the region’s water resources and environment. Specifically, these recommendations will promote long term improved quality of life for County residents while contributing to biodiversity and local beneficial species preservation in our region.

Click here to read the comment letter.

Join us 9/25 at the Climate Justice Festival!

Join with us to celebrate our community and restore our energy to keep up the struggle for social, environmental, economic and climate justice. Musical vibes by Mentes Diferentes, Poor Majesty, J Ross Parelli, and Emcee Radioactive. Kids area and educational booths, speakers and food at the NeighborWorks Farmers Market-Oak Park! ECOS will have a table, so come say hi!

Sacramento County Climate Action Plan Comments Due Sept 27 

The Sacramento County Climate Action Plan (CAP) aims to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the unincorporated County and prepare the County for climate-related impacts for decades to come. The CAP proposes measures to put the County on a path toward carbon neutrality and commits to certain actions, including the development of the Climate Emergency Response Plan through the Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.

Based on input from the Board of Supervisors during the workshop on March 23, 2022, County staff revised the CAP. Based on input from the Board of Supervisors during the workshop on March 23, 2022, County staff revised the CAP. The Final CAP, and associated environmental document, are available for review at the links below. Public comments will be accepted through Tuesday, September 27, 2022, when the CAP is expected to be before the Board of Supervisors for approval. Comments can be sent by email to ClimateActionPlan[at]saccounty[dot]gov​.

​​Stay up to date on the CAP by subscribing to receive CAP Email/Text Updates.

The Inflation Reduction Act

From the Citizens’ Climate Lobby Sacramento Chapter, July 29, 2022:

Fellow Climate Advocates –

Again, there is a climate bill in Congress – The Energy Security and Climate Change Investments in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 – the Inflation Reduction Act for short.

We have waited a long time for a climate bill and endured several false starts in the past year. This bill is not perfect, but it has many good things in it for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Passage by August 6, 2022 is critical before the Congressional August Recess and before campaign season ramps up.

The bill includes– a fee on methane – one of the worst greenhouse gases. It would put about $385 billion into combating climate change and bolstering U.S. energy production through changes that would encourage nearly the whole economy to cut carbon emissions. It is the most significant investment in climate action the US has ever taken. And, it could be our last chance for several years to pass strong climate legislation.

The Washington Post has an excellent analysis of the bill. Note the column on the right of the article which allows you to skip to the topics that interest you. https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2022/07/28/manchin-schumer-climate-deal/

Please take action. Write your Senators and member of the House. Tell them to pass this bill. Ask your friends with Democratic Senators to do the same – particularly if they live in Arizona!

For those of you who are focused on the County CAP and City CAAP – there is funding for that affects us locally: $260 billion in clean-energy tax credits, $80 billion in rebates for EVs, new and used (tied to annual income), and $20 billion for agriculture subsidies to help farmers reduce emissions.

Take Action – Call or write your Senators and member of the House today. The vote could be next week. Go here to a CCL website that helps you with a script, FAQs and can identify your senator and member of the House of Representative for you: https://citizensclimatelobby.org/get-loud-take-action/

You can also google them and write through their government emails.

Possible text – feel free to customize and say why you are passionate about climate change.

I’m a constituent and a voter. I’m writing to urge you to support and vote for the Inflation Reduction Act that — when enacted — will make historic investments in clean energy and will finally put America on the path to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with America’s Paris commitment. The quality of life of my children and grandchildren, and yours – depend on it.

PS. Do not allow the Perfect to be the Enemy of the Good. Yes, there is a gift in the bill to the fossil fuel industry. BUT – The bill that can pass is the best one. And we are out of time. Out of time in Congress. Out of time in California. Out of time on Earth.

Write today and call on Monday. Thank you.

Edith Thacher

Chapter Lead, Citizens’ Climate Lobby Sacramento/Roseville

Effective Climate Communication – A Course

11:30 – 1:00 pm on Fridays — July 29, August 5, Aug 12

Click here to sign up.

THIS! Is What We Did is holding a 3-session course for our members and affiliates starting Friday July 29 from 11:30 – 1:00 pm, continuing at the same time on Friday August 5 and 12. There is no charge, and the classes are by zoom.

The name THIS! Is What We Did relates to the idea of what we could say to our grandchildren about what we did to address the climate crisis. ECOS Member Ron Sadler recommends the course: “The communication skills taught are very insightful and effective. The folks who teach the classes are kind, welcoming and knowledgeable on effective conversation skills.”

Jim Thompson, founder of THIS! Is What We Did, says this:

With our country so divided on so many issues, getting meaningful climate legislation enacted is more than challenging. And as we are reminded almost daily, by unprecedented weather events and record-breaking temperatures around the world, we have little time to act. We work with environmental organizations because of our desire to help protect the planet. So, what else can we do?

We need a climate movement large and loud enough to demand of our elected leaders, at all levels of government, to take meaningful climate actions now. The first step in building the movement is having effective conversations with family, friends and colleagues about climate. But as we have all experienced, that isn’t always so easy.

That is where the Effective Climate Communications course comes in. This three-session course that we have arranged for members of Sacramento environmental organizations teaches how to initiate climate conversations to educate and inspire folks into action, without turning them off, and in way that helps build stronger relationships.

We look forward to seeing you on July 29. Meanwhile, test your climate change literacy at https://thisiswhatwedid.org/climate-change-literacy-quiz/

Climate Update

On June 30, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court said that without “clear congressional authorization,” the Environmental Protection Agency was powerless to aggressively address climate change, to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Congress is gridlocked now, but one day Congress will act. Meanwhile the Biden administration is working with many other federal agencies and the private sector to implement clean energy projects and operations.

A few weeks earlier, at the Citizens’ Climate Lobby June 2022 conference, Executive Director Madeleine Para referred to CCL’s extended efforts on carbon fees and dividends with the U.S. Congress, and the sad reality that there isn’t yet enough political will to “pass the biggest, most critical climate policies into law.” So, in addition to carbon fees and dividends, CCL has decided to throw its weight behind Clean Energy and Natural/Land-based Solutions, particularly forests and reforestation to store and remove carbon and help insects, birds and animals adapt to an already-changing climate.

CCL is focused on national and regional issues while ECOS focuses on the Sacramento region. It is important that California and Sacramento lead because “when the people lead, the leaders will follow” – Mahatma Gandhi. We need to get local elected officials to be more aggressive in climate action.

The CARB Scoping Plan states “Many jurisdictions are already asserting bold climate leadership, yet meeting the challenge of climate change requires more widespread action at the local level – roughly 35 percent of California’s GHG reduction potential is from activities that local governments have authority or important influence over.” Here’s a good article, As Federal Climate-Fighting Tools Are Taken Away, Cities and States Step Up, about action by localities on climate change.