By Kobi Schneider (he/him), Federal Policy Lead for Youth v. Oil In an unexpected twist, former Republican president Donald Trump has wrenched control of the White House from the Democrats, starting his historic second term. He quickly released a flurry of executive orders targeting progressive initiatives in America, including environmental policy. In his first month of office, Trump pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement, withdrew from the World Health Organization, withheld leases for sustainable wind projects, and declared a National Energy Emergency to shift the country away from renewable sources (Holland and Knight). He also vowed to ‘drill

By: Vivian Zhang (she/her), Youth4Climate Volunteer 100 years, 70 billion gallons of sewage, 1,000 days of beach closures, and at least 2,000 residents affected. The Tijuana River Crisis has had far too little attention considering the size of the issue and its destructiveness to the well-being of bordering communities. The city of Tijuana, Mexico has experienced extreme population growth during the last decade, at a rate of 1.66% increase per year. The overwhelming amount of sewage produced by the increasing number of residents and corporations is far too much for the already-aging treatment plants to handle.  The Sweetwater Union High

Hello, my name is Emma Rodriguez, and since August 2024, I’ve been SanDiego350’s Volunteer Coordinator. Like many climate activists, I came to this issue from somewhere else in the social justice realm. I’ve long struggled with mental illness, and that personal struggle spurred me to action in mental health advocacy when I was in high school. But I always devoted some time to climate advocacy, because to me it has always been the existential threat.  I was born in Virginia, then moved to Irvine, and have been in San Diego since I was 8 years old. While I was not

By Katharine Harrison, Legislative Team Co-Lead Do you know what can make a long-lasting impact on climate change? Legislation! So let’s dive into the process of California legislation and how it plays a role in our work here at SanDiego350. This work is done primarily by SD350’s Legislative Team and Youth v. Oil’s Legislative Team, a group of middle and high school students, working in tandem. Our priorities for legislation and regulatory policy are:  Why is state legislation so important to climate activism?  Actual solutions to global warming and environmental justice (pollution, lack of access to the green economy) arrive

New year, New you! Get involved in climate action this year! We need everyone part of this movement, now more than ever. Hear from four of our volunteers on why they got involved, how they got involved, and what they are working on as part of their volunteer teams at SanDiego350. Chris Roberts, SD350 Transportation Team Co-Lead How did you feel before & after you started volunteering? Before I started volunteering for SD350, I was getting used to being retired, and even though I was keeping busy bicycling, birding, and had taken up swimming with a masters group, I had

By Jaidacyn Madrigal, Marketing & Fundraising Coordinator MLK Day and the Inauguration all on the same day? Seems like an oxymoron, right?  MLK Day is a day to remember Martin Luther King Jr., a fierce leader and a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement, which fought back against racial discrimination and injustice. Martin Luther King Jr., led with peace and courage, and was a voice for the oppressed. He stood up for justice and equity and demanded change. In many ways Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement started the foundation for many of today’s mass people’s movements including peaceful

By Taarika Sethee (she/her), Youth Volunteer Coordinator In today’s world, we use AI in our daily lives, and this usage will only go up as technology develops and we become further dependent on it. However, as an environmentalist, I only recently discovered the negative impacts this new technology has on our environment. In this article, I’ll explain some of AI’s major harmful impacts on the environment and finally, what we can do about it. AI systems use an incredible amount of energy to run, and often they must run continuously. One form of energy used is electricity, which emits various

This is a letter written by Youth v. Oil and signed on by our allies.    Dear President Biden, Senator Padilla, and Senator Butler, We need YOU to protect our fundamental rights and our futures by enacting climate protections before the inauguration and beginning of the new legislative session. We are a youth-led campaign of dozens of high schoolers from across San Diego County under climate action non-profit SanDiego350 called Youth v. Oil working to end reliance on fossil fuels and promote a just, rapid transition to renewable energy.  From setting a timeline to cut emissions by 2030 to passing

By Emma Weibel (she/her) Youth v. Oil Intern There is no denying that the past couple of weeks have been unmeasurably stressful and heartbreaking. At times like these, it can feel like we are screaming our worst fears into the void while those in power shrug off our pain.  I know that feeling all too well. As someone who is extremely anxious, I have had my share of politics-driven despair; yet, in the aftermath of the election, I am not falling apart. It’s not because I care any less about the climate crisis or the state of human rights, but because

By Jaidacyn Madrigal, Marketing and Fundraising Coordinator We’re not going to sugar coat it – electing a climate denying president is a major setback for climate. The UN recently announced we are in “climate crunch time,” with just 10 years to dramatically change policies to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. Our country is just starting to recover from the damage of two major hurricanes that hit the Southeast last month, and California is currently suffering from an intense wildfire season. In the midst of all this – we have chosen a leader who doesn’t care about the health

By Roran Ausman and Emma Rodriguez The federal election results are alarming and tragic. Clearly, the climate was not a top issue for most voters, and climate action on the national level may stall or even go backwards.  “Will we succeed in turning back the Trump tide and continuing to make progress on climate? I don’t know. But we definitely won’t if we don’t try.” Said Masada Disenhouse, our executive director, at our recent climate justice vigil.  SanDiego350’s work is far from over. We will ramp up efforts to lobby, educate, outreach, and organize as we fight for our future. 

By Sophia Tada (she/her), Youth volunteer with Youth v. Oil Let’s Go San Diego is a coalition advocating for adults to vote “yes” on Measure G on the November 2024 ballot. This measure addresses traffic, smog, and congestion problems in San Diego County and aims to improve transportation infrastructure (Let’s Go San Diego). Measure G holds particular importance for San Diego youth, promising a future with better transportation options and a healthier environment. One of the key promises of Let’s Go San Diego that directly impacts young people is expanding the Youth Opportunity Pass program. This program has already seen

By Sofia Carrasco, Youth v. Oil Resolution Team Lead Following the highs and lows of climate action in the United States can be daunting, and when some of the most extreme and anti-climate legislation comes along, it is easy to feel scared or hopeless. However, it’s a good idea to remain educated on these topics in order to ensure an effective vote. This remains highly prevalent when it comes to the document developed by the Heritage Fund: Project 2025.  Much can be said about the social and economic ramifications of Project 2025, but even from a purely environmental perspective, it

By Daniel Hernandez (he/him) South Bay Community Liaison Intern ¡Por fin! (finally!) I’m excited to announce SanDiego350’s South Bay Clean Energy Education Program as the youth intern. We will work together to end our overreliance on fossil fuels by educating students about clean energy and how we can contribute to a greener future as high-schoolers. Growing up as a first-generation Mexican American, I understand the need for the South Bay to unite against climate injustice. As a Senior at Bonita Vista High School and an environmental activist, I’m looking forward to providing a youth perspective to this program. Through a

By Emma Rodriquez, SanDiego350 Volunteer Coordinator Since 2022, SanDiego350 has advocated for Let’s Go! San Diego- a county-wide, half cent sales tax that will permanently fund our region’s badly-needed transportation projects. This week we’ve got the official designation, straight from the County Registrar of Voters, that will appear on millions of ballots: Measure G!  Measure G is expected (based on comparable taxes) to raise over 300 million dollars a year, which will be leveraged to raise over 1 billion dollars in matching funds from state and federal sources. This windfall would enable local agencies to embark on projects like moving

By Sofia Carrasco (she/her) and Kobi Schneider (he/him) Vote for Climate Campaign Co-Leads The upcoming November election is critical for many reasons, one of the most urgent being our response to the climate crisis. That is why, beginning this August, Youth v. Oil will be officially kicking off its Vote For Climate campaign, an effort that involves getting adults to focus on environmental issues this election as if they were a sixteen-year-old facing their future. But what does this entail, and what are our main goals? One of our main objectives is to gather support for the Let’s Go campaign,

The local youth-led campaign was instrumental in securing City resolutions in support of keeping the law to protect neighborhoods from toxic drilling San Diego, CA – After months of advocacy and activism from grassroots organizations and frontline communities, including Youth v. Oil in San Diego, last night (June 26) Big Oil withdrew its referendum to overturn the oil setback law that was passed in 2022. Despite spending nearly $61 million on deceitful efforts, Big Oil conceded defeat. 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