Celebrate our hard won climate victories and movement building at our Brighter Future Gala! 

WHEN: Saturday, September 21st 4-6pm
             (VIP pre-event 3:15 - 4pm)
WHERE: Mujeres Brew House 

Get your early bird tickets (price increase after July 31st). Listen to inspiring speakers, live music, and enjoy yummy vegan tacos! See you there!

After months of advocacy and activism from grassroots organizations and frontline communities, including Youth v. Oil, on June 26th Big Oil withdrew its referendum to overturn the oil setback law that was passed in 2022.

 Senate Bill 1137 will take effect immediately, protecting California frontline communities by prohibiting oil companies from drilling new or reworked oil wells within 3,200 ft of places where people work, learn, live, and play, and increasing regulations on existing wells within this zone.

Youth v. Oil, SanDiego350’s has worked tirelessly to pass resolutions at city councils in San Diego County and to educate voters about the referendum.

“I’m grateful for the five cities that passed our resolution and the hundreds of young people who worked on the campaign,” said Abby Deckert, SD350 Board Member and senior at Santana High School. 

“This shows that young people like me have the political power to effect change,” said Daniel Hernandez, Youth v. Oil member and senior at Bonita Vista High School.

As a Mexican-American resident in San Diego with little prior knowledge about climate change, the concerns about how environmental issues affect low-income neighborhoods like mine felt overwhelming. However, my journey to understanding the Regional Decarbonization Framework (RDF) has been enlightening and empowering. Many low-income communities in San Diego, including Barrio Logan, are historically significant and culturally rich areas. Unfortunately, they also face significant environmental challenges. The community is situated near industrial zones and busy highways, contributing to higher levels of air pollution. Residents, including myself, are concerned about the health impacts of this pollution, particularly respiratory issues and other long-term health risks.

The turning point in my understanding of climate change and its solutions came when I learned about San Diego’s RDF. This initiative will guide the region towards a sustainable and equitable low-carbon future. The RDF is comprehensive, focusing on various sectors critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2045, and promoting environmental justice. 

- Monserrat Mejia, Student at USD and SD350 Climate Corps Fellow 

Under the best of circumstances, we will see global catastrophe with highly-populated regions becoming uninhabitable. Billions of people may have to migrate to other geographies just to survive and no wall will stop migration at this scale. We will lose an untold number of species to extinction.

The question is, how far do we let this go? How bad do we let it get? 

A majority of Americans are worried about climate change but vanishingly few are willing to do anything about it, especially if it means changing their lifestyle. I live in a well-educated, generally liberal Democratic neighborhood. I imagine that greater than 90% of my neighbors believe that climate change is real and a huge threat to the planet. However, other than a smattering of electric cars, I don’t see any changes in their behavior whatsoever.

Mass movement starts with passionate individuals. We need to make it socially unacceptable to be a climate criminal. You can make a difference by consuming less: less gas, less travel, less fast fashion, less everything. Get politically active. Talk to family members. … and get out the vote this November!

- Joel Martin, Climate Writer

The Jumping-Off Place.

Introducing the SanDiego350 Podcast, your go-to platform for insightful and engaging environmental discussions. This podcast is designed to provide San Diegans a diverse and inclusive space to discuss crucial issues affecting our planet. 

Meet the Hosts: Anita Martinez and Maria Rivera
Our dynamic hosts, Maria Rivera and Anita Martinez, bring knowledge, passion, and energy to each episode. Maria and Anita are happy to be environmental advocates committed to driving positive change and fostering a deeper understanding of the climate crisis. 

Where to Listen
The SanDiego350 Podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube. Also on: Listen Notes & Apple Podcast 

About the Podcast:
At the core of the SanDiego350 Podcast is a commitment to "keeping it real"—just like the climate crisis we face. Our episodes feature interviews with members of the climate movement, providing a platform for voices often underrepresented in mainstream environmental discourse.

- By Maria Rivera, Co-lead of the SanDiego350’s JEDI team

"As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and an active environmentalist, I represent the diversity in both groups. In fact, I've been a tree hugger longer than I've been out! There's a certain comfort in knowing that I can fight for climate change alongside other LGBTQ members, allies and everyone else. Climate activism is a welcoming community and since climate change and social justice go hand in hand, it feels great when I can support SD350 by being my whole self. Afterall, the climate doesn't discriminate! We're all in this together."

- Jaime Hernandes, SD350 Member 

"Climate justice IS LGBTQIA+ justice. As a nonbinary queer person, I believe in the intersection of environmental and queer justice because there's no Pride on a dead planet. Queer perspectives challenge societal norms and bring crucial insights to the discourse on how climate injustice is rooted in colonialism and capitalism. Colonialism limits us, and capitalism endangers us all."

- Kat Tessero (they/them)

What do you recommend to people who want to have a larger impact through the environmental movement?

"I would say that potential activists should seek each other out, otherwise it is too easy to feel overwhelmed and fatalistic. I have especially loved the energy and actual successes of our youth activists. I believe that our job is to keep climate issues in the front of people’s minds- when they vote, when they make decisions and in their daily lives." 

- Katrina Olson, SD350 Member

Looking for a way to support the work we do at SanDiego350? Visit our donations page to help drive climate-focused policy in San Diego County.