On Wednesday, April 22, as part of worldwide VIRTUAL action, the Earth Day Climate Rally brought hundreds of San Diegans together – online – to demand action on climate change. The coronavirus keeps us apart, but it can’t silence our collective voice! Check out photos from the event on our Flickr page. Watch the full Virtual Climate Uprising (or any part) here.

By: Adelka Hancova, Core organizer of the Virtual Uprising and Pt. Loma High School Junior, leads the Greenpeace Club at her school.

Last week, the Virtual Climate Uprising took place to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Due to the restrictions, there were no school strikes which were planned for the 22nd. This wouldn’t discourage me. I knew that there could and would be another way to peacefully demand change on the climate crisis. To enable all to “strike” we went virtual! This uplifting and widely accessible happening came about with many volunteers, hours, and a lot of learning and work. Being 17 and organizing such an unusual event has given me a glimpse of what to expect of the real world.

At first, being the youngest in some meetings intimidated me, but by being treated as anyone else I quickly got comfortable with my role, unafraid to speak up and state my opinions. I gained skills I otherwise would have never acquired. Having to take notes, write agendas, lead briefings and plan sessions offered me real life lessons. Having this newfound confidence gave volume to my voice and gave me courage -- my determination has never been bigger. To stand up together against high positioned individuals to demand change on something we believe in began as a vision and then became a reality. 

On the day of the event, I nearly had forgotten that we were still in quarantine, the days went by too fast!. After concluding my portion of the agenda live, I knew the reckoning would come. Even though it wasn’t the first time that I was behind the scenes, this certainly was the most important and biggest task I have had. It made me nervous and the weight remained on my shoulders. After the beautiful song that finished the whole program, I got texts from friends and other viewers thanking us for a wonderful day, that is when a sigh of relief came out of me.

What did I gain? I gained a passion in me that has been waiting to be poked, I bettered my communication skills, my writing, and my patience was tried. I realized that to be patient, to listen acutely, to embrace others’ opinions and bring it to a fruitful debate is the key to success.

I will always fight for what I believe in and encourage others to do the same. This has been one of the most gratifying experiences I have had.

While the global COVID-19 pandemic has stopped so many facets of our daily lives, it has not halted the need for climate change advocacy and education. Our community and our Earth need our support now more than ever, and every day, our dedicated volunteers are hard at work raising awareness and taking action to address the climate crisis.

That’s why we’re so grateful to everyone who donated as part of Tuesday’s #GivingTuesdayNow campaign to support our community and keep up climate justice activism, outreach and education during the pandemic. We are committed to keeping up the political pressure and shifting the public narrative to keep fossil fuels in the ground and achieve a rapid, just transition to a clean energy economy.

We welcome your support for SanDiego350 any day of the year!

By: Amanda Ruetten, Public Policy Organizer

San Diegans pay higher utility prices than most Californians. The high prices and San Diego’s dangerous air pollution rates are especially hard on vulnerable low-income communities, where family budgets are tight and asthma rates are growing. The utility company rakes in profits while we provide the public land necessary for its business. That’s the way it’s been for 100 years. This year, for the first time in 50 years, we finally have a chance to change our city's outdated, one-sided deal with San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E). 

SDG&E’s 50-year franchise agreement with the City of San Diego to distribute gas and electricity on the City’s public right of way expires in January 2021. The City is required by its Charter to select the next energy franchisee through a “free and open competition”.  

SanDiego350 and its allies are campaigning for a better deal. We are in a climate crisis and the City of San Diego has one of the most progressive Climate Action Plans in the nation, with a goal of getting to 100% clean electricity by 2035.  To ensure we meet that goal, the City must award the next franchise agreement to a company that supports our clean energy goals. There must be guarantees that the utility -- unlike the existing situation -- will not undermine these goals by lobbying against clean energy programs at the state level, or imposing higher fees for solar home owners and low income community members. A shorter term and required penalties for violating any agreement provisions would provide increased accountability, and the franchise fees should be paid for by corporate shareholders rather than the customers.  

The franchise agreement is determined in an open bidding process and then it must be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote of the city council. That vote is expected later this year. There is an opportunity for us to have a voice in what happens. 

Join us to learn more about this campaign and how you can get involved. We’ll have a short presentation at our monthly membership meeting on Tuesday, May 19th, and an in-depth workshop on Sunday, June 7th. Or email me.

SD350: How did you get involved with SD350 and when was that?

Bill Wellhouse: I got involved about 6 years ago after I retired from education. I found SD350 by doing a google search. I really got involved in 2015 when I volunteered to help organize the Interfaith Forum on Climate Justice in 2015--that was timed to coincide with the pope’s visit to Wash DC.

SD350: What are three words that your friends would use to describe you?

BW: Reserved, dependable, stubborn (so my wife says).

SD350: What drives your activism? 

BW: A deep understanding of the science; a profound sense of place and the fear that that might be lost; a lifelong interest in wilderness, especially mountain wilderness, gained both from working there (as a backcountry ranger) and backpacking / trekking in many different wildernesses but especially the Sierra.

SD350: What is something you learned about how to be a good partner with organizations?

BW: There has to be give and take; partners need to feel that they are being listened to and that their input matters; when leading up to a big action you need to keep your partners informed and engaged.

SD350: Was your background with charter schools helpful for what you do now? Can you compare and contrast the two?

BW: Yes, as an administrator/director in several charter schools I learned a lot about working with boards, handling budgets, hiring and managing employees, and the legalities of being a non-profit. I also learned, usually the hard way, how to work with people as a team. What’s different is that charter schools are in the public sector, have more legal constraints, and receive a lot more scrutiny and also have many different stakeholders--parents, students, board members, the public, to deal with. I do miss working with students (I finished my career in high schools), their energy, their liveliness, but I do not miss meeting with parents over discipline issues.

SD350: How did your background and culture form you and play into your considerations on environmental justice?

BW: My mother was from Mexico--her name was Graciela--and all of my uncles, aunts, cousins on that side of the family still live in Mexico or along the border in Texas, so, although, I generally grew up as white middle class, I have a lot of understanding and sympathy for the difficulties people of Mexican heritage face here. I also was the principal of a small charter school in an immigrant and low income community (City Heights) and came face to face with the struggles many of our students endured on a daily basis. During the Vietnam War I was fortunate to receive a conscientious objector classification and worked for two years as an orderly in the emergency room of an inner city hospital in Cleveland witnessing the violence and suffering people in a racialized society face.

SD350: What is something that makes you happy about what you do with SD350?

BW: This is important work and I am able to use some of the skills I’ve developed over a lifetime in education such as planning, coordinating, working with a variety of personalities, and meeting the needs of different stakeholders. There are times when I am being stretched unexpectedly that I appreciate, things I might not ordinarily do, like participating in rallies and marches.