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Washington state moves closer to clean cars with key electric vehicle bills advancing in legislature

Highlights: “The Senate voted 26-23 to pass SB 5811, a bill that would enable Washington to join the national Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) program.” The bill requires that automakers produce a minimum percentage of electric vehicles to be purchased. HB 2515 requires that all 2030 and later car models produced be electric within Washington. by … Read more

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Europeans, Chinese, Americans to fly less in 2020 to fight climate change

by Jan Strupczewski, Reuters, January 14, 2020 Highlights: A survey by the European Investment Bank (EIB), reveals that most Chinese, European, and U.S. citizens strive to limit their holiday aircraft emissions. “In the poll, 36% of Europeans said they already flew less for holidays to help prevent climate change and 75% intended to do so … Read more

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New Jersey executive order leverages land use rules to control where and what developers can build

Gov. Philip D. Murphy, a Democrat from New Jersey, (New Jersey National Guard photo by Mark C. Olsen) found on https://www.flickr.com/photos/njnationalguard/44910726671

by Tracey Tully, The New York Times Highlights: A New Jersey democrat has introduced legislation that requires new building projects to account for climate resiliency and mitigating environmental impacts such as GHG emissions in order to receive government approval The state is currently experiencing sinking, accelerated sea-level rise, and flooding along its 130-mile coastline The … Read more

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Lab-grown food will soon destroy farming – and save the planet

Lab Grown Food

Highlights: “Scientists are replacing crops and livestock with food made from microbes and water. It may save humanity’s bacon.” Natural disasters are threatening our food supply. “The UN forecasts that by 2050 feeding the world will require a 20% expansion in agriculture’s global water use.” RethinkX shows that proteins from precision fermentation will cost ten … Read more

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Woody Hastings named Sonoma County Environmentalist of the Year

Woody Hastings and his wife June Brashares accepting the Ernestine Smith Environmentalist of the Year award and the Pat and Ted Elliot posthumous Lifetime Environmental Achievement

by Barry Vesser and Laurie-Ann Barbour On a wet December evening about 100 environmental activists assembled by Sonoma County Conservation Council & Sierra Club Sonoma Group to honor the environmentalist of the year – Woody Hastings, the Energy Program Manager at The Climate Center. Woody was honored for his work on the initiative to start Sonoma … 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

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Peace, social justice, and a new energy system

Destiny Rodriguez with Jim Grant from the Catholic Diocese of Fresno's Social Justice Channel.

During the holidays, the word “peace” is thrown around a lot. It’s usually used to describe a state of being that may feel elusive in a world being swallowed by climate change. For me, peace directly relates to working for social justice. This became especially clear to me in a recent interview with Jim Grant, … Read more

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Climate Tipping Points Are Closer Than We Think, Scientists Warn

From melting ice caps to dying forests and thawing permafrost, the risk of ‘abrupt and irreversible changes’ is much higher than thought just a few years ago “We must admit that we have underestimated the risks of unleashing irreversible changes, where the planet self-amplifies global warming,” said Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate … Read more

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‘Bleak’ U.N. Report on a Planet in Peril Looms Over New Climate Talks

Deeper and faster cuts are now required Global greenhouse gas emissions have grown by 1.5 percent every year over the last decade. To stay within relatively safe limits, emissions must decline sharply, by 7.6 percent every year, between 2020 and 2030. Even if every country fulfills its current pledges under the Paris Agreement — and … Read more