Sunday Dose of Small Victories
Sunday, June 4th
(Adapted from Peace Is Loud)
On this day of rest and reflection, take a look at some small (and not so small) victories from this difficult week.
At home, on Thursday the Philipstown Town Board voted to sign on to "adopting the Climate Smart Community Pledge. Our town will join 192 other New York communities (comprising a third of the state's population) who have partnered with the New York State government to build a resilient, low- emission future." To learn more, take a look at the Climate Smart Communities Guide to Local Action.
The Town will be forming an advisory committee to help us move forward, and anyone who would like to volunteer to be on that committee can send an email to [email protected].
When Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the Paris agreement, people immediately mobilized...
- China and all 28 EU states reaffirmed their commitment to fully implement the Paris Climate Agreement.
- California, New York, and Washington state formed a climate alliance.
- More than 60 mayors of U.S. cities (including Pittsburgh) committed to adopting and upholding the Paris Climate Agreement goals.
- Michael Bloomberg is coordinating a group of corporations, colleges, and mayors who are negotiating their own climate plan directly with the U.N.
- Phoenix, Arizona announced plans to become carbon-neutral by 2050.
- Protesters held rallies outside the White House and across the country.
- Even Weather.com got in on the action!
- Public buildings and monuments around the world were lit up in green:
Paris City Hall
Montreal City Hall
New York City Hall
Mexico City
New York
Brooklyn & Queens
...and pretty much the entire world will continue to take action against climate change:
- India canceled the creation of huge coal power stations, moving instead toward more affordable solar energy—and announced plans to allow the sale of only electric cars by 2030.
- South Korea is beginning to shut down coal power plants, in a move to combat pollution.
- Shareholders approved a proposal for ExxonMobil to report on climate change-related risks, despite management’s recommendation to vote against it.
Find more small victories here: http://www.peaceisloud.org/blog/small-victories-issue-22
Climate Change is Real: Tell Pruitt, Perry, Tillerson & Trump to Keep the Paris Climate Promise
Wednesday, May 31st
(Adapted from Rogan's List)
Amidst the health care madness, the budget madness and the investigation of collusion with Russia madness, things are tilting the wrong way on our participation in the Paris climate change agreement (Read more.)
Please reach out to EPA Chief Pruitt (who wants to break the agreement): [email protected] and Secretary of Energy Rick Perry (who wants revision) [email protected] and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (who wants to stay in the agreement) https://register.state.gov/contactus/contactusform.
Tell them we have no choice but to continue to work against climate change.
And though it may make no difference, because he can't remember what he thinks about anything for more than ten seconds at a time, tell Trump to keep us in the Paris Climate Agreement: https://secure3.convio.net/lcv/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3811&autologin=true.
Thank you.
Tell Attorney General Jeff Sessions: Your Drug Policies Take Us Backward
Tuesday, May 30th
(Adapted from ACLU Action)
JEFF SESSIONS IS WRONG ABOUT THE WAR ON DRUGS
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is spouting rhetoric and promoting policies that we’ve been working hard to put in the past. With near-consensus that the War on Drugs was a failure on all levels, the country is ready to move to smart and commonsense reforms to our broken criminal justice system.
Except for one man: our top law enforcement official, Jeff Sessions.
Sessions has reversed an important charging policy that instructed prosecutors to avoid getting caught in the stranglehold of mandatory minimum sentencing. Mandatory minimums are widely understood as racist, destructive to families and communities, and fundamentally unfair. So why is our attorney general actively undoing policy in order to encourage the harshest possible punishments?
Jeff Sessions has a history of endorsing ineffective policies and positions based on political rhetoric. He wants to put as many people as possible behind bars. And not just anyone – the War on Drugs policies Sessions is rolling out target and harm Black and Brown people and communities.
This has to end. We need smart criminal justice reforms – not regressive, recycled policies.
Action You Can Take Today
- Add your name to the ACLU petition now to tell Jeff Sessions that no matter what he says, the War on Drugs must end.
- Write directly to Attorney General Sessions and ask him why he rescinded the Justice Department's commitment to reduce the use of private prisons. Ask him if his former aides (now lobbyists for the private prison industry) led him to make that decision. Hold him accountable.
Speak Out About Domestic Terrorism
Monday, May 29th
(Adapted from Rogan's List)
While the Trump administration continues to support a crackdown on “dangerous” immigrants, and is going so far as to appeal a ruling to the Supreme Court, what is it doing about the homegrown danger of extremism?
Far right, white supremacists continue to be the real terror base for our country. Three of our citizens were killed by white supremacists last week alone and there was nary a word from the White House:
http://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2017/05/27/19041594/suspect-in-portland-hate-crime-murders-is-a-known-white-supremacist
and
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/page/ct-richard-collins-stabbing-racism-page-perspec-20170526-story.html
Let’s tell our Members of Congress and the White House that it is past time to reel in these terrorists and investigate their wide-spread radicalization for the safety of all of us.
Take a Day to Read and Think
Sunday, May 28th
(Adapted from Jen Hofmann's Weekly Action Checklist for Americans of Conscience)
Memorial Day Weekend Recommended Reading
Thought-provoking, in-depth reading that’s worth your time.
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What the US needs to have a healthy healthcare system (HBR).
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How 45 might successfully wiggle out of special counsel’s scrutiny (Reuters).
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Long game: The true impact of activism isn’t felt for a generation (Guardian).
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Stay woke and share far-left conspiracy theories with caution (Vox).
Please keep taking care of yourself. Your wellness matters as much as your activism.