In the February 2021 newsletter, you'll find statements from important Black environmentalists that help to center discussions of equity and justice in our environmental work. You'll also find out about recent wins for our movement, and a new podcast.

1. Learning from Black Environmentalists
   
2. Can San Diego County Reach Zero Carbon by 2035?
   
3. Youth Generations Show they can Change Climate Policy
   
4. Introducing the New Energy Podcast with Sebastian Feye
   
5. Skilling Up for Climate Action Training Series
   
6. Upcoming Events
   
7. Exciting Job & Volunteer Opportunities!
   
8. In the News
   

In order to honor Black History Month, SanDiego350 reached out to leading Black environmentalists we work with. We asked for statements on their work, what they find important, and asked for their perspective on what environmental movements can do to better prioritize racial justice.

As San Diego strives to grow in sustainable ways, what efforts should policymakers prioritize to ensure growth is inclusive?
Maria Muhammad, SD Urban Sustainability Coalition

My father has a saying, folks pay for what they want and beg for what they need.

I have observed nothing greater in my lifetime than the lengths people will go for what they want.

What do this city and its policymakers truly want? Do they desire inclusivity? Are they actually prepared to do the incredible work necessary for inclusivity? Inclusivity requires true grit. It requires getting beyond the rhetoric and hashtags and getting to the root cause of exclusion, a white supremacist ideology. 

If policymakers are committed to striving toward a more sustainable future, the deconstruction of white supremacy has to be at the forefront of their agendas.  That laborious task will surely bring about resistance, misunderstandings, mistakes, human frailty, and excruciatingly uncomfortable conversations. 

The process of deconstructing white supremacy will also require long hours.  This will, of course, lead to bigger budgets, but the benefits of inclusion will ultimately have a positive impact on our collective prosperity. Inclusivity will allow our city to be more competitive regionally, nationally, and globally.  There can be no sustainable growth when a city suffers from social, economic, and political desertification. 

When policymakers prioritize their efforts with collaboration, listening deeply, transparency, accountability, funding, and popular education; we all have the chance to get what we want, leaving none of us having to beg for what we need. 

As a National City councilmember, what environmentally-focused changes would you prioritize for the county? What plans are currently underway?
Marcus Bush, National City City Council Member

National City is one of the most environmentally-challenged cities in the county, particularly when it comes to air pollution, as we suffer some of the highest rates of asthma. This past week I was appointed by Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis and the County officials to represent the South Bay region on the newly-expanded Air Pollution Control District of San Diego County. One of my priorities will be addressing air pollution and emissions by reducing vehicle-miles traveled and supporting alternatives to driving, including walking, biking, and public transit. This is also critical to addressing the climate crisis and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. That's why I strongly support SANDAG's new efforts to overhaul the Regional Transportation Plan with bold investments to expand regional transit.

We as regional leaders also need to support infill housing and job growth around transit stations, while opposing new sprawl development projects in our backcountry and sensitive habitat. More resources are needed for habitat preservation and restoration projects throughout the County.

What drives you to contribute to the environmental movement? What changes would you like to see in it?
Rachal Hamilton, Justice & Equity Intern, SanDiego350

My experience as a young Black girl who grew up in the Midwest really pushed me to understand the impact that environmental racism has on lower-income Black communities. I believe that one’s environment is the biggest factor in their overall mental and physical wellness and that free access to clean resources and basic needs is undoubtedly a human right. I am driven to do my part in the fight for environmental justice because I know that there are so many low-income, Black populations across the globe and the United States that are facing climate injustice due to systems of racism. I believe that in order for the environmental movement to truly begin breaking down these systems, they must unlearn the anti-blackness that has been taught throughout the history of this work, and use an intersectional lens for their activism.

Are there currently any ways that environmental activists in general—or 350 in particular—could improve our work in racial justice? What would you suggest people do to prioritize justice more in their activism?
Tianna Arredondo, 350.org  California/Hawaii Regional Organizer

To improve racial justice, 350 local groups can prioritize listening and connecting as humans first. We will always have a strategy to create or a plan to adjust. What we won’t have unless we make time for it - is space to listen to one another and connect with one another. The more that we listen to each other and take time to be accountable to one another’s needs -  the more we can get into a practice of reciprocity and begin to cultivate integrity based relationships that allow for trust building. We need to learn to prove our reliability to one another so that we can trust one another’s commitment to racial justice.

With a progressive-leaning, newly-elected San Diego County Board of Supervisors, there is hope for an ambitious new plan: a zero-carbon San Diego County by 2035. The County will work with UCSD’s School of Global Policy and Strategy to get the plan moving, which involves transitioning the County toward more sustainable sources of transportation, sustainable housing, and a general push for environmental justice.

SanDiego350 is helping to craft the policies and proposals that will make this effort possible—and, importantly, equitable for all San Diegans.

David Harris of the Policy Team had this to say, "We applaud the Board for its commitment to bold climate action and encourage the supervisors to adopt a new Climate Action Plan to demonstrate how they plan to meet this ambitious target of zero carbon by 2035. To reduce San Diego County’s carbon footprint to zero by 2035, our elected leaders must focus on decarbonizing on-road transportation, electricity, and natural gas in buildings. These three sectors account for 78% of the County's carbon emissions.This plan must center climate and equity, what we call a ‘just transition’, while also establishing aggressive targets to reduce emissions."

SanDiego350’s priorities, thoroughly outlined in a letter to the County Planning & Development Services department, include the following areas of importance:

• Sustainable built environment and transportation, including improved land use, expanded public transit, and incentives for telecommuting
• Renewable energy, including microgrids with battery storage, and expanding electrification of new building projects
  
• Sustainable food supply that incentivizes purchasing and producing less carbon-intensive foods
  
• Consumption-based GHG inventory to assess the lifecycle of carbon and other greenhouse gasses originating from within the County. 
  
• Social equity plans, including a Climate Equity Index built to advocate for a just distribution of renewable energy and other green advancements

As the County’s ambitious plans continue to take shape, SanDiego350 will continue to advocate for sustainable, equitable, and just development.

By Kate Veder, Campaign Fellow

Although many San Diegans may not be directly affected by oil drilling, youth that reside in environmental justice communities across California are disproportionately facing the worst impacts of oil extraction and climate change. Advocating for climate justice is the first step to achieving a peaceful and healthy future for all youth! Our fight begins with combating the unfairness of the fossil fuel industry and standing in solidarity with individuals that are unequally affected.

In order to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis and fight for climate justice, global leaders must end oil extraction. Governor Newsom continues to accept large numbers of fracking and oil drilling permits. Each new permit that his administration approves will negatively impact our environment for decades. As a youth, I will be facing the future consequences of whatever decisions our local and global leaders make today. In order to protect the future for all planetary citizens, Youth v. Oil started a campaign and mobilized young activists to urge the Governor to phase out oil extraction.

Last month, Youth v. Oil met with 4 school board members from San Diego Unified School District to discuss our campaign. On the 26th of January, SDUSD, the second largest school district in California, passed our resolution that calls on Governor Newsom to create a solid plan to phase out oil drilling! This is a huge victory, and we hope that SDUSD will set an example for other school boards across the state. In the upcoming months, Youth v. Oil will be guiding students to pass a similar resolution within their school district, along with attempting to elect officials that will urge the Governor to end oil extraction in California. We hope to expand our San Diego Eco Club Coalition and help youth from around the county become climate leaders. Within this coalition, we will be giving trainings to club leaders, supporting each other's efforts and collectively using our voices to inspire change.

In other news, Youth4Climate officially started their spring fellowship term last month! Throughout this term, the fellows will be organizing interactive community meetings, spreading awareness via social media, strengthening the Youth v. Oil campaign and giving educational presentations to local groups. In mid April, Y4C will be hosting our 3rd youth summit! The purpose of this event is to guide young activists find their passion, power and purpose. During 2021, Youht4Climate and Youth v. Oil will continue to empower advocates to create a sustainable and just future for all!

By Nicole Muñoz-Proulx, Volunteer Coordinator

Sebastian Feye has started a podcast detailing San Diego's transition to new, clean energy. To find out more about this project and his goals, we sat down for an interview with him.

Hi Sebastian, can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Sebastian Feye, I am a 28-year-old who was born and raised in San Diego and am now working as a Consultant for my family firm helping biotech and medical companies do business in the US. I volunteer with the JEDI and Transportation team and have led the presentation team. I came to SD350 because I wanted to do more to change the narrative regarding our climate crisis, and I have ideas for many of the solutions we as a society need to implement to create a better, more beautiful world.

We are so excited about the podcast “SanDiego350 - New Energy”, can you talk about where you got the idea for it and how it got started? 

I listen to podcasts every day and they have become in a sense my teacher after school. I am able to absorb and learn about so many different people’s lives and experiences and gain new understanding and empathy every time I listen. I saw a real opportunity to dive into longer conversations and really highlight SD350’s work and the work of activists and change agents across the region with deep conversations.

What inspires you to be active in the climate action movement? 

The fact is that humanity is doing too little and too late in changing our economy to zero carbon and changing our society, there is so much room for improvement in almost every aspect of our lives and so much inequality, until these many issues are properly addressed there is no choice but to act and push the powers that be for change.

What topics have you already discussed on the podcast? What topics are you interested in exploring in the future?

We have covered a few big topics including: activism and youth in the climate movement, transportation justice and the many connected issues like redlining, policy and Climate Action Plans, food and gardening. Because the climate crisis affects almost every aspect of our lives and society, future conversations can be very diverse. Expect a focus on: food & water, resilience, jobs, health, well-being, safety, climate protection and energy & mobility.

Why do you think a podcast is an important medium to explore climate change issues? 

Long form conversations are essential in our internet connected world of 15 second videos and constant distraction. Our world and many ideas in it are complicated and nuanced and require time to explore and fuller explain and break down. Podcasting is also very accessible and can be listened to while doing other things like exercising, cooking, driving, etc. It’s also very personable and enjoyable to listen to conversations in our socially distanced society.

What can listeners expect from the podcast? 

Listeners can expect education for the San Diego community about trends in the climate movement and short and long term, as well as society-wide shifts required to create change to mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis.

I also aim to create a respectful and trusting environment in which to build more connection, community, awe and wonder for nature and other life on this planet, which is all interconnected and interdependent.

Where can listeners find the podcast? 

Look for SD350 New Energy on Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts, Breaker ,  Anchor and Apple Podcasts. If you enjoy an episode, please share with your friends and let us know what you’d like to hear about next!

Dear 350 friends, 

We’re excited to invite members of SanDiego350 to participate in a series of five online trainings geared to prepare members across the 350 network to face the new year of organizing with resiliency and power. Trainings are free and last 1.5 hours, followed by an optional 30 minute reflection on the training techniques used for local group trainers. Participate in any or all. 

Get all the details in this flyer and register now. 

All trainings are Saturdays 11:00am - 1:30pm PT / 2:00-3:30pm ET:

·         Saturday, March 6th - Climate Justice: Principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, intersections between climate and social justice movements, how to identify and address white supremacy culture and inequity in our groups and work.

·         Saturday, March 20th - Strategic Messaging: Why storytelling and messaging are essential to our work, how to create a just and equitable narrative that supports campaign strategies using non-extractive storytelling, and best practices for communicating our message. 

·         Saturday, April 10th - Organizing and Movement Building: Why build a movement? How to recruit, engage, and onboard new volunteers, develop volunteer leadership, and build community.

·         Saturday, May 15th - Policy Advocacy: How to advocate, how legislative bodies work, and how to influence elected officials--with examples from local affiliates to demonstrate common tactics and best practices. 

·         Saturday, May 22nd - Strategic Campaigning: How to choose a campaign, map out decision makers, allies and opponents, plan campaign goals, timeline, and roles, and select effective tactics using a justice and equity lens.

Recordings and resources will be available if you can’t make a training. 

We hope to see you there!

Lorenzo

Tuesday, February 16, 7:00pm - 8:30pm

A Tribute to Black History Month

Join SanDiego350 for our February 2021 monthly meeting which will be held virtually on February 16th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. There are so many local leaders paving the way for bold climate action in San Diego. Register now for Celebrating Local Black Environmental Leaders as we discuss the powerful activists at work in our communities. SD350 is so excited for this inspiring line up and we look forward to celebrating past actions and looking to the future to reflect on how we can continue to celebrate and support BIPOC leadership. 

Sunday, February 21, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Everyone can engage in policy advocacy! Join us for this special training to learn tips, best practices, and more for common policy advocacy activities. Policy advocacy is how we influence those with political power to advance our climate goals. At the Policy Advocacy 101 trainings, you will gain the knowledge and skill to engage in a variety of policy advocacy tactics to move climate action forward. 

On Sunday, February 21, we will discuss how to multiply your impact by engaging friends, tips for contacting Elected Officials by phone, email, and social media, and how to influence Elected Officials through Letters of the Editor. 

Note: If you missed Part 1, check out the recording here! 

Tuesday, March 9, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

The Interfaith Coalition for Earth Justice and the Food and Soil Committee of SanDiego350 present, Industrial Farming and Pandemic Risk Today, featuring Dr. Aaron Gross, professor in Theology and Religious Studies at University of San Diego and founder of the food and farming advocacy group, Farm Forward. 

This online talk will discuss the link between our industrial animal agriculture and the creation of pandemics, and how we need to change direction to create a better future. It is the first of ICEJ's Advancing Earth Justice Speaker Series. This talk is FREE and open to the public, happening March 9th 7 PM – 8PM

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 Nicole at Nicole@SanDiego350.org

SanDiego350 is hiring a full time Campaign Coordinator to support our movement-building efforts. As a Campaign Coordinator, you will help develop campaign strategies, build a coalition, develop and implement communication, and support our organization.

To find out more, find the full job listing here.

• Conservation Groups Announce Intent To Sue EPA Over Air Pollution In San Diego (KPBS)
  
• LATEST UPDATES: Tracking COVID-19 | Vaccines | Racial Justice State Launches Salton Sea Restoration Effort (KPBS)
  
• Farmers Want to Create San Diego's Carbon Dumps (Voice of San Diego)
  
• This Popular and Proven Climate Policy Should Be at the Top of Congress’s To-Do List (Vox)
  
• California’s Rainy Season is Starting about a Month Later Than It Did in the 1960s, Researchers Say (LA Times)
• Bernie and AOC Are Right: Joe Biden Should Declare Climate Change a National Emergency (Jacobin)