Strive to be a Role Model for our youth. March 2024

 

Environmental Justice: Water is Life. The Line 5 Oil Pipeline Threatens So Much of It.

Water is Life. The Line 5 Oil Pipeline Threatens So Much of It. By Ben Jealous  For years, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and other tribes of the Great Lakes region have been leading a true David vs. Goliath fight against the Canadian oil giant Enbridge Energy.  Enbridge’s 71-year-old Line 5 oil and gas pipeline, which trespasses through sovereign tribal lands, is an environmental disaster waiting to happen. And not just for the tribes. Every day, the pipeline carries nearly 23 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas from Wisconsin to Ontario, Canada. It has already leaked 35 times over its lifespan and is only getting more dangerous. In addition to running through the reservation of the Bad River Band, it crosses the Straits of Mackinac between Lakes Michigan and Huron. With one-fifth of the entire world’s surface freshwater, more than 40 million people get their drinking water from the Great Lakes. That includes the residents of major US cities like Chicago, Milwaukee, and Cleveland. And of course, replacing our outdated fossil fuel infrastructure with renewable energy is essential to addressing the climate crisis and keeping our air breathable.  Bad River Ojibwe Youth Leader Alexus Koski says, “it is sometimes difficult to remain hopeful about our future but it is far too important and far too dangerous to remain silent, to allow this pipeline to continue operating another day – my future is at stake, my culture is at stake, our climate is at stake.” Alexus traveled to Washington, DC last week with the Indigenous Women’s Treaty Alliance to drive home the urgency of shutting down Line 5. They delivered a petition with over 9,000 signatures calling on Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a thorough review of, and ultimately reject, Enbridge’s proposal for a reroute of the pipeline. Last year, a federal judge ruled that the 12-mile stretch of Line 5 is trespassing on the Bad River Band’s land in northern Wisconsin. Despite part of the pipeline being exposed above ground due to erosion and the risk that a major oil spill could happen at any time, Enbridge was given until 2026 to shut down or move the pipeline. Line 5 also continues to operate in defiance of an order by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to shut down the part of the pipeline running under the Straits of Mackinac. Now Enbridge is seeking permits from the Army Corps to reroute the pipeline away from the reservation – but still within their watershed – in an effort to keep Line 5 alive. Enbridge also wants to construct a tunnel in the bedrock under the Straits that poses a dangerous risk of explosions. Meanwhile, prolonging the lifespan of this pipeline continues to threaten the Great Lakes. And it continues to threaten the tribes’ way of life, which is largely based on the water and the beds of wild rice, or manoomin, those waters feed.   We know where Enbridge’s priorities are. The company rakes in an estimated $1.8 million from the pipeline every day.  Enbridge has claimed to use the Seven Grandfather Teachings in Native American culture as a guide for their dealings with tribes. Those are love, respect, bravery, truth, honesty, humility, and wisdom. But Enbridge’s main case for keeping Line 5 open is anything but honest. The company says shutting down the pipeline would cause energy shortages and price increases. However, a study by the logistics and supply chain experts at PLG Consulting found there are a variety of replacements for Line 5 that would avoid both. Moreover, now is the time we should be replacing outdated fossil fuel energy infrastructure with more cost effective, resilient, and healthier clean energy.  The simple truth is we do not need Line 5.  This is a classic struggle of organized corporate money interests against organized people. Tribes have done a masterful job leading the organizing and building coalitions with environmental groups and clean water advocates. But it is also on the US government to do the right thing. And there are a few things it can do.   First, the Army Corps of Engineers can conduct a more thorough review of Enbridge’s plans than is currently underway and conduct an Environmental Impact Statement. If it is done correctly, we hope that would lead to the Army Corps rejecting Enbridge’s permit request.  Finally, because it is a cross-border pipeline, Line 5’s operation requires a presidential permit. President Biden should revoke that permit, which would shut down the entire 645-mile pipeline – something that is already long overdue. We celebrate World Water Day this week. We should remember that access to clean, safe water is a UN-recognized human right. Line 5 threatens that right, along with our climate and our Indigenous communities. Alexus Koski reminds us, “We owe that much to young people and to future generations. Shut down Line 5! Water is Life!” Ben Jealous is the Executive Director of the Sierra Club and a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

Paid for by Sierra Club Political Committee, www.sierraclub.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Why food matters for climate change. Project Drawdown. Latest News. March 2024

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Feeding the Planet
without Destroying It

To stop climate change and build a sustainable future food matters – a lot! Though fossil fuels, electricity, transportation, and buildings get much of the attention, what we eat and how we grow is directly responsible for around 22% of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. More concerning still, food-related emissions are growing even in countries that are beginning to reduce their emissions in other sectors. 

In our next Drawdown Ignite webinar, happening March 28, executive director Jonathan Foley will present a new framework for addressing climate change from food, agriculture, and land use. Plus, he will offer a glimpse into a Project Drawdown Food initiative launching this year that will bring sharper focus to solutions in this space. Register now >>
 

Have you made your job a climate job?

Project Drawdown is seeking stories of employees who have made their jobs climate jobs using our Job Function Action Guides. If you haven’t already, check out the guides, and if you use them to take climate action at work, let us know! >>

Indré Rockefeller x Project Drawdown

In the coming weeks, we'll be collaborating with environmentalist and businesswoman Indré Rockefeller to spread the word about climate solutions and individual action on social media! Be sure to follow Indré and Project Drawdown on Instagram so you don't miss a post, and check out the first in the series now >>

Identity and resilience as climate superpowers

“They say 80% of the job is just showing up, show up to the march, make the phone call, send the email, write the newsletter blurb…all of this work is ultimately little pieces stitched together,” says Nathaly Agosto Filión, deputy climate resilience officer for the state of New Jersey. For more on how Nathaly maintains her resilience as a climate hero, check out her Drawdown’s Neighborhood episode >>

Project Drawdown on Climate One

Project Drawdown executive director Jonathan Foley recently joined the Climate One podcast to discuss all things climate action, including the most important levers to pull as a society and as individuals to stop climate change. Listen and share now >>

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Want to connect your friends, family, and colleagues to the most promising solutions to climate change? If so, share this newsletter with them using the links below so they can stay updated on the latest and greatest from Project Drawdown!

Credit: Kouji Tsuru / Unsplash

One last thing: Springing forward

It’s not just you – climate change is leading to an earlier start to spring across much of the United States. To see the difference in your local community, look outside…or check out this fascinating data visualization from The Washington Post >>

UN Global Compact 2024 Climate Ambition Accelerator? It is a six-month programme. Q&A session on 2 April (in English) and 3 April (in Spanish

 

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Dear Charles, Are you interested in participating in the UN Global Compact 2024 Climate Ambition Accelerator? It is a six-month programme that will help you get started and make progress towards setting ambitious science-based emission targets - no matter where you are in your sustainability journey.   We invite you to register for our live Q&A session on 2 April (in English) and 3 April (in Spanish) to learn how your company can prepare for the move to net-zero by joining this programme. This virtual, interactive session will help you better understand the inner workings of the Accelerator, what you can expect to learn and achieve, and provide answers to any other questions you might have. Select the session that works best for your time zone:  Session 1: 2 April, 2:00 a.m. EST [English] Session 2: 2 April,10:00 a.m. EST [English] Session 3: 3 April,10:00 a.m. EST [Spanish] For additional insights on Climate Ambition Accelerator, we encourage you to explore the brochure here and review our frequently asked questions guide here.        Register Today

 

Translate FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 20, 2024

LA County Awards Nearly $10 Million in Community Grants to Advance Food Equity L.A. Food Equity Fund to support 46 nonprofits working to transform region’s disconnected food system and improve resident food access The LA Food Equity Fund, managed by Community Partners, today announced $9.8 million in community grants to alleviate food insecurity and build a more resilient food system across Los Angeles County. Tapping into federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, Los Angeles County’s Chief Sustainability Office and Community Partners are supporting 46 organizations working to create more just access to affordable and nutritious food across the Southland. Nearly 3 in 10 County households experienced food insecurity in 2023, according to USC researchers. The investments, guided by the ambitious recommendations of the Los Angeles Food Equity Roundtable Action Plan, range in size from $100,000 to just over $400,000. The Roundtable, a private-public partnership of government, philanthropy and community based organizations, seeks to fundamentally transform our region’s disconnected food system. The grants will fund a wide array of local community groups striving to improve food access and affordability as well as greater resilience and sustainability within food supply chains. Capacity-building grants comprise the bulk of investments. Food production organizations supported by the Fund reflect a wide range of diversity, from ALMA Backyard Farms’ urban agriculture programs in Compton to Street Company’s efforts to better feed unhoused people in Lancaster through indoor hydroponic farming. Supply-chain resilience groups receiving funds include Prosperity Market, which has created a distribution hub for small local farmers and underrepresented food businesses, and Special Services for Groups/Asian Pacific Islander Forward Movement, which supports BIPOC farmers by creating better markets for culturally relevant crops like cassava and taro. Food access grants range from SÜPRMARKT’s campaign to provide nutritious meals to 2,500 South L.A. residents living in so-called “food deserts” each week to El Nido Family Center’s partnership with the Pacoima Community Center to teach local residents how to sustain their families by planting, harvesting, and cooking their own organic produce. Nutrition education awardees include Antelope Valley Partners for Health, which offers food outreach to vulnerable populations such as foster youth, justice-involved youth, and parenting students, and Mujeres Extraordinarias Foundation, which aims to empower 800 Latino families with the hands-on skills and knowledge needed to make healthier food choices year-round. Benefits enrollment grantees aim to increase the number of eligible families who complete applications for government food assistance programs. Some 322,000 L.A. County residents are eligible for monthly CalFresh benefits but do not receive them, according to the California Department of Social Services. Among the groups looking to close the gap: Hunger Action LA, the National Health Foundation, and Neighborhood Legal Services of LA County. Food as medicine awardees include Northeast Valley Health Corporation, which provides bilingual diabetic screenings and food-support referrals for high-risk residents, and Maternal and Child Health Access Project, which helps at-risk individuals access Medically Tailored Meal Plans with coverage from Medi-Cal. Other grants awarded provide a wide range of support services, from incubating small food businesses in underserved communities to aiding street vendors through food-handling certification programs. For more details, please see this full list of awarded grantees. “The County has a responsibility to act as a safety net for our most vulnerable communities, who disproportionately suffer from food insecurity,” said L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who helped create the Food Equity Roundtable. “This new round of funding marks an important first step in bringing the Roundtable’s Action Plan to life and helping those most in need. Today’s investment in our neighborhood partners will pay dividends throughout the County for years to come.” Due to systemic biases and injustices, Latino and Black households in LA County report higher rates of food insecurity than White households, nearly 2 to 1. The Roundtable’s Action Plan outlines 14 priority population segments most likely to experience food insecurity, from immigrant families to transgender individuals. “This funding will certainly help these organizations make a tangible impact on our food insecurity crisis here in Los Angeles and that is exciting news,” said Cinny Kennard, the executive director of the Annenberg Foundation and co-chair of the Los Angeles County Food Equity Roundtable. “At the same time we will press forward with our partners on the Roundtable to achieve our shared goals of eliminating food inequality in our city by providing a crucial coordinating board where we can all work together even as the crisis of food insecurity worsens in our region” While $1M of grant funds support direct distribution of culturally relevant food items, infant formula, diapers, and personal hygiene items, the bulk of awards aim to drive systemic transformation of inequitable food production models and outdated supply chains. “We’re thrilled to partner with LA County to get these funds into neighborhoods across LA. This effort mirrors Community Partners’ commitment to racial equity and supporting the development of strong, healthy communities that, historically, have been marginalized. We’re especially excited to see local residents involved in this work for systemic change,” said Alicia Lara, President and CEO of Community Partners, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit intermediary that manages the LA Food Equity Fund and selected the 46 awardees in partnership with a panel of expert advisors. The American Rescue Plan Act provides $1.9 billion in funding to LA County to build an equitable economic recovery from the devastating socio-economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. L.A. County is working to address inequities and transform underserved communities that have been hard hit during the pandemic with investments from the American Rescue Plan Act and other funding sources. For more information visit ceo.lacounty.gov/recovery. Media Contacts: Britney Hernandez, Public Information Associate L.A. County Board of Supervisors Executive Office pio@bos.lacounty.gov,�213-359-9920 Alicia Lara, President & CEO Community Partners alara@communitypartners.org, 213-346-3200