1. San Diego’s Clean Energy Future
2. The 5 Big Moves to Sustainable Transportation
   
3. Intersecting Causes in Environmental Justice
4. Flex Your Power: Help SD350 Push for Climate Smart Legislation
5. Exciting Volunteer Opportunities!
6. Upcoming Events
7. In the News

For the first time in 50 years, we have an opportunity to shape San Diego's franchise agreement for gas and electric service. The SDG&E monopoly has repeatedly undermined efforts to get to 100% renewable energy and has imposed household rates that are among the highest in the country. SDG&E’s agreements with the City to distribute gas and electricity to City residents expire in January 2021. The franchise agreements impact the types of energy we buy, where that energy comes from, and how much we pay for it. Providing clean energy at lower rates, reducing air pollution, and achieving climate goals all depend on having well-crafted agreements that ensure accountability. 

The new energy franchise agreements should: 

• Meet our climate and equity goals by providing equitable access to local solar power. 
• Invest in our community by creating good local renewable energy jobs.
  
• Ensure accountability by levying daily penalty fees on the corporate shareholders if the franchise terms are violated.

Please sign and share our petition calling on the Mayor and San Diego City Council to ensure we get a better deal! You can learn more about the campaign at our webpage which features our Franchise Agreements Explainer.

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is working on a 2021 regional transportation plan they have nicknamed “The Five Big Moves.” We must speak up to make sure this plan prioritizes transit over highways.

Although these 40-year plans are updated every four years, what we know of the next plan indicates a marked departure from SANDAG’s highway-centric past plans and could shift our transportation system for years to come. To understand how important this current planning phase at SANDAG is, it helps to know the composition and recent history of the organization.

SANDAG has a large staff led by the Executive Director, Hasan Ikhrata, but ultimately its decisions are determined by a Board of Directors—members representing all 18 local cities’ city councils and the County’s Board of Supervisors. They are appointed by each city council and the supervisors. So the decisions they make reflect local politics. 

Tens of billions of dollars of public tax dollars are spent in the San Diego area for public transportation, which includes the automobile system, the public transit system, and the bicycle system.

Gary Gallegos was the Executive Director before Mr. Ikhrata was hired. However, in August of 2017 he resigned from the position in disgrace. What led to this was the failure of Measure A on the 2016 ballot, which would have increased the sales tax by a half cent for additional revenue for SANDAG. An independent investigation concluded that SANDAG had intentionally misled the public about internal calculations that raised significant doubts that the levy would actually deliver its promised $18 billion over 40 years, and also showed that the existing “transnet” sales tax was failing to meet estimated revenues, creating significant shortfalls in the budget.

Meanwhile, tension had grown between those in urban centers who wanted to focus almost exclusively on new mass-transit projects and those in suburban communities who wanted to focus on highways and auto-centric planning. Politicians and environmental groups—including the Cleveland National Forest Foundation, the Sierra Club, and then Attorney General, Kamala Harris—were especially disgruntled with SANDAG’s plan under Gary Gallegos’ leadership. In 2011, these groups sued SANDAG, but were ultimately overruled by the Calofornia Supreme Court.

When Hasan Ikhrata became the new Executive Director in December, 2018, he inherited the plan being developed under Gallegos that was based on revenue projections that proved to be overly optimistic. That plan was unaffordable and unable to meet the State requirements for greenhouse gas emission reduction.

An extension was granted to allow SANDAG time to start the planning process all over again. The Board of Directors has been approving the plan, now called “The Five Big Moves,” at each vote along the way, but as the deadline approaches, some of the members are pushing for more highway projects that they claim were “promised” and necessary for safety. If they do add more highway lanes, greenhouse gas emissions will increase, and thereby jeopardize the ability of the plan to meet or exceed the State targets for cleaner air.

By law, the public has the right to give input during the planning process. Our voices are needed to let the members of the Board of Directors know that we support “The Five Big Moves” as the best way to solve our transportation problems and the urgent problems of climate change.

SanDiego350 has the unique opportunity to meet with SANDAG's Executive Director, Hasan Ikhrat, to discuss the most pressing issues in regional transportation and climate change. Join us virtually on Wednesday July 22nd at 7:00 pm by registering here.

Image Source: Photo of Traffic with Smog from the EPA.

Those interested in environmental causes, like ecological protection or climate change mitigation, often consider issues of racial or economic justice as separate causes: While we work to protect the environment, others labor against systemic oppression. Though it has never been entirely true that they are separate, it is even less so now, and recent events have highlighted how inescapably intertwined these two issues have become. 

The concept of intersectionality allows us to understand the connections between environmental issues and those of racial justice. Each of us lives at the intersection of multiple identities: racial, economic, gender, ecological, and so on. Each of these identities becomes, in an oppressive system, a way by which a person might in some cases experience injustice, or in others, privilege. 

Systems of oppression built around one form of identity often spill over into others. For example, people of color more often bear the burden of environmental degradation, as explained by this 350.org article on the intersectional effects of climate change. This realization—that Black and Brown people are often first on the front lines of rising seas and temperatures—forces those in the environmental community to confront the fact that focusing solely on the environmental effects of climate change is not enough; one must also understand its intersectional social effects. 

Environmentalists of color have renewed their arguments for an intersectional approach in the wake of protests responding to the police murders of George Flloyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others. In the pages of the New York Times, Black environmentalists called on the environmental community to address these issues more prominently in their advocacy. And many environmental institutions have listened, committing to fight for racial justice alongside the environmental causes they champion.

While this may be a new concept for some in the environmental community—and especially for those most privileged—it’s important to note that for people of color, fighting for their right to a safe, clean, and ecologically sound place to live has long been part of the fight for justice. Our contemporary conceptions of environmental justice owe their development to Black leaders, a history discussed in this article, also from 350.org. 

For those new to the environmental justice movement who wish to become more effective advocates and activists, it is important to start by learning. As a White person or other person of privilege, you should focus on becoming an ally: someone who is not the direct subject of oppression but who stands with and supports those who are oppressed. The first step is listening to the needs and views of those who directly experience oppression, as described recently by a guide in Vox. By listening, understanding, and acting strategically, environmental activists can learn to become effective allies, and stand in solidarity with those fighting for racial and environmental justice. 

If you’re interested, please take the time to read the articles linked within this piece. Additional readings are linked below:

• What environmental nonprofits can do to help the movement
  
• A class-focused analysis of environmental justice 
  
• Why Black Lives Matter should be a focus for environmental orgs
  
• Constructive critique of the Ally concept by indigenous leaders, advocating instead for an accomplice framework

SanDiego350 is working hard this summer on state legislation. We kicked off the effort to organize meetings with our legislators this past Sunday, June 28, at the Legislative Training where SD350 members met virtually to learn how to combat climate change with legislation and which bills are currently priorities. 

The SD350 community, members from several 350 groups around the state, and individuals from affiliated organizations gathered for the event. Attendees heard presentations on the bills that SD350 is advocating for this year, how bills become law in California, and advocacy best practices. 

Nine bills were highlighted within the presentation. Among the 2020 California climate bills are AB 345, SB 54, and AB 1080. AB 345 would require a 2,500 foot buffer between new oil drilling sites and homes/schools/businesses. Even now, with oil demand down, the governor is approving new drilling sites in California. We need to protect working families from the toxic environment created by oil drills. California Climate bills AB 54 and AB 1080 are both two-year bills that would move California toward eliminating 75% of single-use plastics by the year 2030. The mandated recycling proposed by these bills would reduce greenhouse gases in both production of materials and degradation of said materials if put in landfills or littered rather than recycled.

The presentation included two social justice bills: Senate bills AB 1460 and AB 3121. These bills target racial equity by advocating for an ethnic studies requirement at all California State Universities and by creating a task force to develop a plan for reparations for African Americans, respectively. AB 1460 and AB 3121 will improve exposure to cultural and social justice history and begin to address the disparities of a shameful history. Racial and economic justice are indisputable and essential to climate justice. We, as advocates for climate justice, must strive for a world where people of color have a safe and healthy future on this planet.

SD350 will be urging legislators to think big and invest in systemic changes that will allow us to reduce carbon pollution and prioritize frontline communities and workers. There needs to be a change in our economy that focuses on justice, both racial and environmental, while expanding the scope of cleaner energy. Elected officials need to be reminded that even during this uncertain time, many people are still dedicated to bettering the future for this country. By joining these legislative trainings the SD350 community will help press legislators to invest now in a more sustainable future.

The training was a resounding success with many motivated community activists. The legislative training slide deck can be found here. 

What you can do: 

• Contact local state legislators and ask them to support the important bills above. Call Senator Atkins (619-645-3133) and Ben Hueso (619-409-7690) and tell them to support AB 345, which protects residents near oil and gas extraction sites.
  
• Contact Amanda at Amanda@sandiego350.org to learn how to get involved with advocating for these bills—via meetings, calling our legislators, attending trainings, and more!

If you have PR or communications experience—or if you’d like to learn—contact us about volunteering with our communications team. You will help:

• Develop consistent messaging for SanDiego350 and reach more people with our messages.
• Create powerful social media posts, emails, news releases, website content, and videos.
• Develop and manage relationships with local news media.
• Train SD350 volunteers and teams on these skills.

If you enjoy creating a welcoming environment for others and connecting about Climate Action—contact us to volunteer with our Member Engagement Team. You will help:

• Reach out to new members of SanDiego350 and help them feel welcomed into our community
  
• Assist with planning the content and activities of Monthly Membership Meetings
  
• Develop content that helps new members learn more about SanDiego350
  

For all volunteer opportunities, please email Zoe at Zoe@SanDiego350.org.

When: Wednesday, July 8th, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Where: Virtual
What: We anticipate that the first draft of the energy franchise agreements will be presented at the City Council Environment Committee meeting on Thursday, July 8th. We need a strong presence at this meeting to pressure environment committee members to get the best deal for our clean energy future. Register for this event to get the latest updates about event logistics, what time to call in, public comment instructions, and talking points. 

This meeting date and time is tentative. We will provide you updates as they become available.

When: Tuesday, July 21st, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Where: Virtual
What: Join us for the July Membership Meeting. Monthly meetings are a good way to learn about the organization and meet like-minded volunteers. New and long-time members are equally welcome! We are hosting a climate panel on just recovery with panelists from local organizations. The panel will explore what a just recovery from COVID-19 looks like, including the infrastructure, policy changes, and stimulus funding. We want to encourage your thoughts on what a just recovery is and how we, as climate activists, can show up for communities of color and support racial and economic justice efforts.

When: Wednesday, July 22nd, 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM
Where: Virtual
What: San Diego teeters on the edge of a decision that will impact our community for the next 30 years: Continue building highway infrastructure, which promotes air pollution that unequally impacts underserved communities OR redesign the public transportation network to promote healthier communities and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The SanDiego350 community must raise our voices and mobilize to create a better transportation future for our county. Join us for this momentous opportunity to discuss the most pressing issues in regional transportation and climate change with SANDAG's Executive Director, Hasan Ikhrat.

• Franchise Fee Deal Is a Chance for the City to Make Much-Needed Changes (Voice of SD)—Written by SD350 volunteer, Pia Pia Piscitelli.
  
• California re-evaluating its landmark climate strategy (Cal Matters)
• Nevada to adopt California’s stricter car pollution standards, rejecting Trump rollback (Los Angeles Times)
• California mandates big increase in zero-emission commercial trucks (The Union Tribune)
• Climate activism, racial justice intersect in Bay Area protests (The SF Chronicle)
• Minnesota sues oil companies, institute over climate change (MPR News)