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Coronavirus is not just a health crisis — it’s an environmental justice crisis

Nick Fullerton – Richmond oil refinery fire1

 By Yvette Cabrera, Grist Highlights There are large disparities in COVID-19 deaths among people who have historically faced environmental justice issues within the US.  African-American communities have historically been disproportionately housed near sources of large pollution, particularly in the South, leading these communities to develop asthma, cancers, and other respiratory problems This life long exposure … Read more

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A clean, green, and just economic recovery

Take action today for a clean, green, and just economic recovery in California. On April 28, The Climate Center and many of its partners sent a letter to the California legislature asking them to use federal stimulus funds to support proven programs that improve health and resilience, and create jobs for a climate-safe future. We asked that they secure ongoing … Read more

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Earth Day 2030: California celebrates reaching net-negative emissions

Golden Gate by Benjamin W.

Let’s imagine it is April 2030. In the early 2020s, as the coronavirus pandemic swept the world, we in California finally addressed the climate crisis at the speed and scale science demanded. Nation & World Collaborating for Speed & Scale Climate Action Today, Earth Day 2030, we celebrate the deep systemic changes we have collectively … Read more

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Environmental groups sue EPA over ‘reckless’ response to coronavirus

 By Yvette Cabrera, Grist Highlights The National Resources Defence Council (NRDC) is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of a dozen environmental groups. Environmental groups across the country petitioned the EPA to publish an emergency rule that requires polluters to submit a public notice that they are taking advantage of newly relaxed … Read more

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Trump’s move to suspend enforcement of environmental laws is a lifeline to the oil industry

By Marianne Levelle, Inside Climate News Highlights The Trump administration suspended U.S. environmental laws due to calls for help from the American Petroleum Institute. The suspension of the rules will ultimately lead to more pollution, making more people in frontline communities susceptible to health risks, including COVID-19.  The Environmental Protection Agency announced a policy that … Read more

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE – March 27, 2020

Due to the COVID-19 disruption, the legislature has gone into recess until April 13 at the earliest. While the legislature is on recess, The Climate Center continues to analyze the bills that were introduced in February, and is in the process of determining positions on many of them. Below are several, but not all, of … Read more

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Presidential candidates 2020- climate and environmental rankings

Below are some resources highlighting how the presidential candidates rank on climate action and other environmental issues. Greenpeace Greenpeace tells you the stance of the candidates on climate-related issues and also provides a platform where you can contact the candidates to tell them that you care about climate action. Website>> National Resource Defense Council On … Read more

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The toxic legacy of old oil wells: California’s multibillion-dollar problem

by Mark Olalde and Ryan Menezes, LA Times Highlights: 35,000 wells have been sitting idle for years because of suspended production, which can contaminate the water supplies and cause fumes to leak Fossil fuel companies are required by law to set aside bonds for the clean up and remediation of oil well sites but the … Read more

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Kids’ climate lawsuit thrown out by appeals court

Kids want Climate Justice

by David Hasemyer and Nicholas Kusnetz, InsideClimate News, January 17, 2020 Highlights: A federal appeals court on Friday dismissed a lawsuit brought by a group of young people that had sought to compel the federal government to rein in the nation’s climate emissions The Juliana case was thrown out of the Ninth Circuit Court of … Read more

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Youth-led staged “die-in” successful in raising awareness about climate change dangers

A staged "die-in" at Santa Rosa mall to demonstrate the perils of climate change

by Gavin Sellers and Amy Jolly The Climate Center staff members recently turned out to participate in a youth-led climate strike. The action, organized by the Sonoma County Sunrise Movement, began at Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa, where about 50 youth members and supporting individuals assembled at 12:00 pm on Friday, December 6th. The participants … Read more