(A few of these things have passed by already, but if you didn’t open your email last week, there’s still a lot here that’s worth reading! Next month we promise to post this in a more timely fashion.)
Has the B.C. wildfire haze been dogging your summer days? Ours too, and it breaks our hearts to see the world burning, which is why we’re glad for some…
BIG NEWS FROM B.C.
There was good news from across the border Thursday as British Columbia’s Minister of the Environment announced 3 ways the new B.C. government will oppose the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion:
- Demand proper consultation with First Nations;
- Actively support First Nations’ legal appeals to the pipeline’s approval;
- Block pipeline construction on public lands until these conditions are met.
This is a huge blow to Kinder Morgan — but the fight is not over. Kinder Morgan is scheduled to start construction on private land in September. Please, send Prime Minister Trudeau a message asking him to stop the pipeline.
We’re continuing to raise funds for the First Nations’ legal appeals to this dirty tar sands pipeline just 130 miles north of Seattle, by selling these beautiful Pull Together t-shirts especially designed for us.
And if you would like to join the on-water resistance to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, head over to Lopez Island on the last weekend of August for an Oil-Free Salish Sea Action Camp organized by our friends at Mosquito Fleet.
METHANE AND COAL, BROUGHT TO YOU BY PSE
We continue to support members of the Puyallup tribe and other Tacoma groups in opposing Puget Sound Energy’s proposed Liquefied “Natural” Gas (LNG) project at the Port of Tacoma. The LNG plant still needs two permits, including one from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, located in downtown Seattle. Once PSE re-submits its application, there will be a public comment period and, possibly, a public hearing. Stay tuned for more on that.
We’re also involved with the Carbon-Free PSE campaign that demands PSE shut down units 3 & 4 of the Colstrip coal power plant in Montana (the dirtiest in the nation), and not convert them to a fracked gas power plant. If you’re in the South Sound, consider making a public comment at the August 31 rate case hearing in Olympia.
Two recurring themes jump out at us: PSE (an Australian-owned for-profit energy company), and the gas infrastructure that PSE wants to push on us. So, in responsethe Keep it in the Ground workgroup is taking on PSE’s problem with gas. To find out more and get involved, join our…
Keep it in the Ground general meeting: Thursday, August 17, 6:00pm, Prospect Church, 1919 E Prospect St., Seattle
Until then, study up on methane with Bill McKibben’s recent op-ed in the Seattle Times on how switching to gas will not save our planet.
And finally, 350 Seattle is a member of the Stand Up to Oil Coalition, which has an opportunity to receive up to $100,000 from CREDO. Please take less than 30 seconds to vote for them here.
ON OTHER FRONTS
Senator Cantwell’s Dirty Energy Bill
We are demanding that Senator Cantwell hold a Town Hall to explain why she is sponsoring an Energy Bill that contains huge giveaways to the gas industry.Senator Sanders has said this bill would lock us into fracking for decades. And as Bill McKibben wrote in the Seattle Times this week, anything that locks us into gas is a disaster. We need answers! Can you take a few minutes to call and email Senator Cantwell to demand a Town Hall?
DeFund Disaster
On Friday, August 18th, 350 Seattle, Greenpeace USA and Mazaska Talks will occupy JPMorgan Chase, as we deliver a petition with 150,000 signatures calling for Chase to stop financing new tar sands pipelines. Please RSVP and join us!
Nearly 20 organizations have now committed to boycott the banks funding new tar sands projects, and many more are in the process of doing so. If you are a business owner and your business can join the boycott, please fill out this form. If you are part of a faith community, organization or group that might be interested in joining the boycott, please contact Alec.
Pledge of Resistance
With several huge new fossil fuel projects proposed for Washington state, we are actively seeking signers to our Pledge of Resistance. Have you signed? Then, once you have, it’s time to get ready! Join us at this special short form Non-Violent Direct Action training this Tuesday, August 15, 6:30pm.
Valve-Turners Update
Legal wheels are turning, with pre-trial hearings in Minnesota and North Dakota this week. For details and updates, visit ShutItDown.Today. Then on September 7th join author Wen Stephenson and the valve turners in an online conversation about how talking about worst-case scenarios intersect with creating the movement we need. Register here.
Seattle Divest
Now for some sad news. Despite the City of Seattle losing almost $100 million in the last ten years as a result of their investments in fossil fuels, the pension fund continues to refuse to divest. If you know someone participating in the city’s pension program, please, give them a hug.
CONCERT TO BENEFIT OUR CHILDREN’S TRUST
A production of our music team, this concert features musicians on the Protect What You Love album, which launches that day! There will be community art, a raffle with many items, food and socializing with our awesome climate community.
Album Release Show: Protect What You Love: Sunday August 13, 3:00 – 7:00pm. All Pilgrims Church, 500 Broadway East, Seattle 98102. Volunteers might still be needed! Contact Susan.
OUR PEOPLE GONNA RISE
Last call for early registration for this 3-part anti-oppression training series led by the knowledgeable and compassionate Tara Villalba and the Mangrove Collective. 350 Seattle activists have until August 15th to sign up before registration is extended to other orgs!
Our People Gonna Rise
Black Liberation – Sunday, September 10
Allies to Immigrants – Saturday, October 14
Solidarity with Natives – Sunday, November 12
Each session runs 12:00 – 6:00pm, Duwamish Longhouse, 4705 W Marginal Way SW, Seattle. Carpool sites are now on the registration page.
Cost: sliding scale $30 to $100 for the series (highly recommended) or $15 to $45 per workshop. Full scholarships available. No one turned away for lack of funds. Volunteers very much needed, contact Kara!
FRONTLINE ALLIES AND UNDOING RACISM
Join our workgroup as we examine the ways that white privilege and subtle forms of racism are unintentionally embedded in our climate work, and how we can become allies who effectively work across traditional divides to build the unified and powerful movement we need to stop climate chaos. Many roles available, and lots of ways to contribute. Please RSVP to Mike to be part of this work group.
TRADE AND POLICY
Trump’s announced priorities for the re-negotiation of NAFTA indicate that despite his populist campaign talk, his trade priorities are no different from the corporate priorities that were behind the climate-killing TPP. So, in response we are organizing meetings with Congressional offices to push for a new vision of trade — one that prioritizes workers and climate over corporate profits. Recently Selden met with Suzan DelBene’s office, and with some 350 Tacoma activists, met Derek Kilmer in person.
Our weightiest concern regarding NAFTA is ISDS (Investor State Dispute Settlement) — a process that allows corporations to challenge local laws designed to protect the environment and our climate. Learn more about ISDS here. Our goal is to get our Congressional reps and our two Senators to come out against ISDS in any new NAFTA.
What you can do
Take a moment to look up your Congressional representative and make a date to call them (and our two Senators) to ask whether they agree that ISDS (Investor State Dispute Settlement) should be excluded from any new NAFTA deal.
And if you’re in his district, go to Adam Smith’s Town Hall to ask the same question:
Tuesday, September 19, 6:00pm, IBEW 77 Hall, 19415 International Blvd., Seatac, WA 98188, (Tip: This one is specifically focused on NAFTA!)
In the meantime, we’re working closely with the Washington Fair Trade Coalition to draft a white paper that lays out an alternative vision for trade that meets the needs of workers, local communities and climate. It looks like we’re the only state in the country creating such a document!
GET SMARTER
350 Seattle Book Club
How can we get off fossil fuels and create a better society in the process? In “Principles of a Pluralist Commonwealth,” Gar Alperovitz lays out a strategy for a transition to a more democratic, just, and sustainable society.
“Principles of a Pluralist Commonwealth” by Gar Alperovitz, Sunday, August 20, 10:30am – 12pm, Uptown Espresso Belltown, 2504 4th Ave (at Wall St.), Seattle
“Principles of A Pluralist Commonwealth” is available for free on The Next System website. Please email Barbara if you would like a print copy. At this meeting, we’ll discuss the Introduction and the first three chapters, America, Bureaucracy, and Climate Change.
350 Beyond Capitalism
At the next 350 general meeting on September 6, we’ll be showing a five-minute video on Energy Democracy, which calls for putting the large energy corporations under public ownership and worker/community democratic control. We don’t have a date for our next workgroup meeting yet, so to stay in the loop, email us.
ARTFUL ACTIVISM
Please RSVP to Ellen to join the work group or leads team, and let us know of any particular interests or skills you have in arts or leadership. All levels and time commitments, as well as continuing to welcome the full gamut of skill levels, from completely unskilled to visual artists, dancers, theater people, poets, and musicians of all ages. Connect and have fun, contribute to our imagery through brainstorming, art builds, data work, and deployment at events!
Art Leaders team being formed for all the arts! Work with other fun and awesome people to develop our sub-teams to move people’s minds and hearts with our messages. We are still in need of silk-screening, dance, family art, and more data/computer/librarian/photo, imagery, and theater leads.
RSVP to Shemona for the Imagery Deployment Team – you’ll get trained so you can help other volunteers deploy our art at actions!
MOVEMENT BUILDING
350 Seattle is growing rapidly. Which is what we want! The Movement Building Team helps expand the climate justice movement through outreach, and strengthens our movement through support and training of our volunteers. Want to help? Here’s how:
Outreach Team
Help us get new folks talking about climate change! We’ll be tabling at farmers’ markets and regional events. No experience necessary – come learn how we move our communities to think more about how climate disruptions will affect their daily lives. Contact Eli for more information.
Deep Canvass Team
How do you shift the way people feel about climate change? It starts with a real two-way conversation in which people learn about one another’s experiences and stories. The Deep Canvassing project is going door to door organizing friendly neighborhoods around fossil fuel divestment. If you are looking to try new outreach tactics that involve deep conversations and connection, you may be interested in becoming part of our new Deep Canvassing project. Join us for canvasses Sunday afternoons all Autumn starting with August 27th. Contact Eli to get involved.
Liberating Structures
Join 350 Seattle to learn a set of simple but powerful group facilitation strategies to energize and foster lively participation in meetings, outreach and trainings! Our own Vivien Sharples will be joined by other local trainers to provide a free introduction to Liberating Structures. Experience and learn several Liberating Structures that you’ll be able to apply immediately to make your meetings, planning sessions, outreach, and training more inclusive, creative, innovative, energizing and participatory. Especially recommended for anyone currently leading a team or workgroup, or doing outreach. Send questions to Meg and register here. Come prepared to experience and participate!
Liberating Structures Training, Saturday, September 16, 1:00 – 4:30pm, 2100 Building, 2100 24th Ave S, Seattle 98144. This training is free, though donations are welcome. We’ll have coffee, tea, and snacks to share!
So, until next month
Save the date for the September monthly meeting – Wednesday, September 6th. So many ways to get involved and work toward climate justice!
