350 Eastside February supplemental Newsletter – so much is happening this month that we needed to send out another Newsletter….

CLIMATE EMERGENCY DECLARATION

One of our favorite bills in Olympia, HB 2829, Declaring a Climate Emergency, received a hearing last week! If passed, this groundbreaking legislation would be the first of its kind in the nation. You can watch the hearing here—set the start cue to 01:13:08 for HB 2829.

The bill is simple: it unequivocally gives the Governor the power to declare a climate emergency and take action and requires that the legislature signed off on the actions the Governor proposes.

Want to support the bill? Call or write Speaker of the House, Rep. Laurie Jinkins and ask her to please do everything you can to move HB 2829 forward: (360) 786-7930, [email protected].

Save the Date!
March 10th, the indigenous-led Protectors of the Salish Sea are hosting a Climate Emergency Prayer Walk starting at sunrise, to call on Governor Inslee to use his executive power to declare a Climate Emergency. More info will be posted here.

You are also invited to join them for their daily sunrise ceremonies at the Olympia State Capitol or email them here to be added to their mailing list.

And please sign the POSS Climate Emergency Petition here. Every voice counts!

LET'S PUT THE PUBLIC BACK IN UTILITIES - EKC PUD CAMPAIGN

What do you think, should our energy infrastructure be publicly owned or run as a for-profit business? Public Utility Districts (PUDs) are usually less expensive and choose to use fewer fossil fuels in their energy supply. For example, Puget Sound Energy gets over 60% of its energy from fossil fuel sources while the Snohomish County PUD uses less than 5%.

Efforts are underway to collect signatures for a 2020 ballot initiative creating an East King County electric PUD, which would cover areas including Kirkland, Bellevue, Kenmore, Issaquah, Snoqualmie, Woodinville, Redmond, Mercer Island, Sammamish, Duvall, Carnation and parts of Bothell.

If you can help with gathering signatures, spreading the word on social media, or sharing the effort to local faith, community, and environmental organizations, please fill out the volunteer form or learn more here!

Ditching PSE is a popular idea! Thurston County is also collecting signatures to create an electric PUD instead of relying on PSE for the 2020 ballot—learn more here!

STOP THE MONEY PIPELINE

Last month, 350 Seattle joined over 35 other organizations to launch Stop the Money Pipeline, a major new campaign calling on banks, insurers and asset managers to stop funding, insuring and investing in the fossil fuel industry.

Since launching on January 10th, with 350.org founder Bill McKibben, and the Hip-Hop Caucus executive director, Reverend Lennox Yearwood, getting arrested in a Chase bank next to the White House, the momentum has only continued.

Here are a few snippets of what's been happening around the country in the last month: Elizabeth Warren wrote to the banks telling them to send her their climate plans; 16 Senators also told the banks to stop funding Arctic drilling; Jane Fonda released a video directly calling out Jamie Dimon; Avaaz took out a full-page advert in the Financial Times calling out Jamie Dimon; Greta Thunberg demanded that the banks stop funding the fossil fuel industry; CNBC's top investment advisor announced that fossil fuel industry is dying because of divestment; XR-LA activists shut down a street in Hollywood demanding Chase stops funding fossil fuels; there were major Chase actions in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Boston, to name but a few; our friends at Rainforest Action Network got in Jamie Dimon's face disrupting a speaking event (for the twelfth time in a little over a year) and delivering a petition with over 700,000 signatures; the Wall Street Journal and Wall Street CEOs publicly whined that our tactics won't work. Do you think we have their attention yet?

This is happening at a time when financial institutions are starting to flee the fossil fuel industry: BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, has told the world that climate change is on the edge of fundamentally reshaping the financial system and has started to divest from coal, Goldman Sachs has committed to stop funding coal mining companies and Arctic drilling projects, and the major insurance company Liberty Mutual has pledged to restrict its insuring of coal projects.

This is only the beginning. The Climate Strike Coalition is calling for Earth Day, April 22nd, to kick-off three days of major action on the streets. Day two is Stop the Money Pipeline day. Expect to see us on the streets.

To stay up to date with everything from Stop the Money Pipeline, sign up for updates here.

UNDOING RACISM RETURNS

Are you one of the folks who missed one or all of the workshops in our Undoing Racism training series? Our People Gonna Rise is facilitated by the Mangrove Collective, awesome and compassionate women of color trainers from Bellingham and Seattle. This work is crucial to the success of our climate movement and benefits everyone by increasing our understanding and compassion for ourselves and others, and our ability to form the cross-cultural relationships we want and need. You can sign up for individual workshops but are encouraged to attend all three.

Our People Gonna Rise
February 15: Allies to Native People and Communities
March 7: Undoing Anti-Black Racism
March 28: Allies to Immigrants
Saturdays from 12:00 to 6:00 pm, in a cozy space with a great view.
El Centro De La Raza, 2524 16th Ave S, Room 310, Seattle, near light rail.
Register here.

Sliding scale: $15 – 50 per workshop, $40 – 100 for the series. No-one turned away for lack of funds. Please contact Diane if you would like a scholarship.

There is an elevator from the ground level. Please contact Lisa if you have food restrictions or accessibility needs. Volunteers may still be needed; please contact Diane if you can help (registration is still required).

SOIL, FOOD, and CLIMATE CHANGE WORKSHOP

Saturday, February 15th, 8:00am – 1:15pm

Chief Kanim Middle School, at the Commons Room – 32627 SE Redmond-Fall City Rd., Fall City, WA 98024

Speakers:

Anne Biklé author, biologist & gardener, co-author The Hidden Half of Nature will speak on “Soil, Close Up.”

Professor David Montgomery, Professor of Geomorphology, University of Washington.
“How to Build Healthy Farm Soil.”

Chad Kruger, Director of WSU's Washington Center Research and Extension at Mount Vernon and the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources.
“Agriculture and Climate Change.”

Breakout Sessions: “Where can we, individually and together, make a difference?”

For more information Visit www.fallcity.org/climate
for day's schedule and a link to the registration page at mgfkc.org

Cost: $25 per person includes coffee, tea, water
Bring your own snacks and/or lunch, (pre-ordered sack lunch available from Farmhouse Market)

Sponsors include Sno-Valley Tilth, Fall City Community Association, Master Gardener Foundation of King County, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, King County Local Services, King Conservation District, www.fallcity.org/climate

TRADE 101 FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS

February 16th, 6:00 pm

Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Kirkland - come join us for this interactive workshop that will explore why environmental activists from different organizations have invested time and energy into trade policy. Sponsored by Washington Fair Trade Coalition

350 EASTSIDE GENERAL MEETING

Wednesday, February 19th

6:30 – 7:00pm – Potluck and socializing (please bring a dish to share if you are able).

7:00 – 8:30 pm – Saving the world

East Shore Unitarian Church, 12700 SE 32nd St, Bellevue, WA 98005

Google map and directions

KIRKLAND TALKS ABOUT RACISM: DRIVING WHILE BLACK

February 19th, 6:00-8:30pm

Lake WA Institute of Technology

Location details, program information, and registration here.

Join us as we learn together as a community:

· What is the history that sets the context for interactions between police and People of Color today?

· What do the data show about the present state of affairs?

· How do we engage productively in a discussion where people have such different experiences and perspectives?

James Whitfield of Leadership Eastside will be the presenter for this Community Learning session.

KIRKLAND TALKS: COMMUNITY DIALOG

Select one of two dates: Saturday, Feb. 22nd 9:00-11:30am or Thursday, Feb. 27th 6:00-8:30pm

Location: Kirkland Teen Union Building

Through sharing and listening to others, we discover how our diverse experiences have shaped us, divided us, and linked us. The inclusive dialogue format emphasizes listening to understand rather than debating to persuade. Participants are guided through a structured, facilitated conversation in a small group setting where everyone has an equal chance to share. Dialogues are places to build tools and practice connecting across differences. The skills and relationships developed support our ability to take meaningful action – both in our individual lives and together, as a community.

The topic for this dialogue session is a follow up to “Kirkland Talks About Race: Driving While Black,” where we’ll reflect on the ongoing harm resulting from institutional racism and implicit bias against people of color. We’ll explore how to close the gap between people whose lived experiences are so different.

Please note that we do not put participants of color in a position of having to recount racist incidents or to justify/prove/defend their lived experiences. We ask that all dialogue participants refrain from persuading others or putting others in a position to defend their perceptions and realities. Come practice skills for moving past uncomfortable moments toward ways of engaging with others that allow for a shift in perspective and inspired actions.

We kindly ask that all participants who sign up, arrive on time and plan to be present for the entire 2.5 hours. Arrive early for light snacks and refreshments.

Registration required. Please select one of two dates:

“Kirkland Talks about Race” is part of the Welcoming Kirkland initiative, a community engagement partnership between the City of Kirkland and Leadership Eastside, developed in response to expressed concerns that People of Color in general, and Black people, in particular, have lived experiences of an unwelcoming and inequitable community in contrast to the City’s stated goal to be safe, inclusive and welcoming for all. Developed to address concerns that were identified in a 2018 incident at a Menchie’s in Totem Lake, Welcoming Kirkland seeks to engage Kirkland residents, businesses, nonprofits, and the City on how we function together for the health of the overall community. The process will include a review and recommendations for business and police protocols, plus town hall events and a community learning series envisioned and supported by Eastside for All, entitled “Kirkland Talks About Racism.”

Looking forward to seeing you at an upcoming meeting or ACTION soon,

Phil, Lynn, Bonnie, Marilyn, Emily, Sara, Lin

350 Eastside