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

By Roran Ausman, SD350 Volunteer Also published on The Jumping Off Point Starting off the morning of World Ocean Day (June 8th) eating breakfast on the beach seemed fitting. It should have been serene, but seeing the empty waters of Imperial Beach a few days after reading Surfrider’s Clean Water Report, and knowing it’s been closed for over 900 days because of the poor water quality, was sobering. I thought of the devastating impacts of the flooding in this area earlier this year, and the two hours it would have taken me to get there had I wanted to take

By Chris Roberts, Transportation Team Leader Co-lead, SanDiego350 Also published on The Jumping Off Place On May 31, 2024, a remarkable rally was held at one of San Diego’s most dangerous intersections for pedestrians and bicyclists: Market and 19th Street in Sherman Heights. At that intersection, in 2020, Jason Gordon was crossing the street when he was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver. He left behind his wife Katie and his two one-year-old daughters. The protest, called “Fix the Fatal 15”, was organized by Circulate San Diego, Families for Safe Streets San Diego (FSSSD), BikeSD, and San Diego County Bike

“Under the best of circumstances, we will see global catastrophe with highly-populated regions becoming uninhabitable.” By Joel Martin, Climate Writer Read the original article from The Jumping-Off Place, a new progressive news outlet. There is no point in sugar coating this. We almost certainly passed the 1.5 degree Celsius global temperature increase target last year and 2024 is looking to be even hotter. According to insideclimatenews.org, “the world is on a path to heat by about 2.7 degrees Celsius by 2100, which would threaten modern human civilization within the lifespan of children born today” (emphasis added). A temperature increase of 2.7 degrees Celsius corresponds to a

This month, we interviewed SanDiego350 volunteer, Daniel Hernandez to share about their climate activism. Daniel is part of the SD350’s Youth4Climate and Youth v. Oil. How did you first get involved with SD350, and when was that? I was first involved as a speaker at the Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD) electrification resolution on November 13th, 2023. With an interview with Telemundo and speaking at the rally, it was a lot more than I expected, which was only giving a speech to the board of trustees. That event has inspired me to work on the projects I am doing

By Maria Rivera, Co-lead of the SanDiego350’s JEDI team 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. Whether you’re passionate about climate action or just beginning to explore the world of environmental advocacy, this podcast is for you. 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

By Monserrat Mejia, Student at University of San Diego and Climate Corps Fellow with SanDiego350 Also published on The Jumping Off Place 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