 350 CHICAGO Newsletter
Your bi-weekly newsletter for all things climate-related
March 17, 2020
Good morning!
This week read about some success stories on cleaner energy and the ongoing battle between climate activism and denial.
Please note that physical in-person meetings are subject to change due to the situation around COVID-19. Please contact committee leads for information regarding remote meeting arrangements.
- The 350 Team
Photograph: Oliver Berg/AFP/Getty Images
Moving away from extractive industries
The environmentally destructive oil sands industry faced a setback this month when the Canadian mining company Teck Resources Ltd. withdrew its application for a new oil sands mine in Alberta. Teck had been warned that the mine would not be financially viable and that their forecasts for future oil prices were unrealistic. Banks and investors are backing away from financing any new oil sands projects.
Meanwhile, the US also saw several wins for clean energy. Plans for a major interstate natural gas pipeline were halted, and a Wisconsin utility company is working on an ambitious new solar buildout.
Plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight have been abandoned, and under pressure from customers, Kellogg’s has vowed to acquire all of the palm oil used in its products from sustainable sources. This is an important development, given the palm oil industry’s involvement in deforestation.
Activism: pushing forward (and facing pushback)
In a new book, former UNFCC executive secretary Christiana Figueres calls civil disobedience a powerful tool for shaping climate policy. Figueres says that the coming decade will be a crucial time in the fight against climate change; she calls for a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050. And here is a unique take on using hip hop to get the climate message out to communities of color.
But while climate activists push for change, the fossil fuel industry is pushing back. The American Petroleum Institute has used astroturfing and sophisticated PR campaigns to undermine climate-friendly policies at the state and local levels. A new study by Brown University has found that Twitter bots are being widely used as a weapon for climate denial, and another recent study found that video-sharing platform YouTube has broadcast videos with climate misinformation to millions of people, while benefiting from the advertising revenue.
Other stories to check out
- What could warming mean for pathogens like Coronavirus? (Scientific American)
- Green energy’s $10 trillion revolution faces oil crash test (Bloomberg Green)
- Don’t call it a Senate climate bill: Senators unveil bipartisan energy package (Grist)
- White House likely to pursue federal aid for shale companies hit by oil, shock, coronavirus downturn (Washington Post)
- The case for utility-company reinvestment in Arizona’s coalfield communities (IEEFA)
Upcoming 350 Chicago Meetings & Events
***Important: Please note that physical in-person meetings are subject to change due to the situation around COVID-19. Please contact committee leads for information regarding remote meeting arrangements.***
350 Monthly Research Committee Meeting
*See above bolded text regarding COVID-19.
3/21 Saturday – 10.00am
350 Monthly Outreach Committee Meeting
*See above bolded text regarding COVID-19.
Interested in getting involved in the Outreach committee? Contact committee leads Alex McLeese or Christiane Rey for more details!
3/21 Saturday – 10.00am
Democratize ComEd Town Hall (49th Ward)
United Church of Rogers Park – 1545 W Morse Ave, Chicago, IL 60626
Join the Democratize ComEd campaign for a town hall in the 49th ward!
Democratize ComEd is a campaign of Chicago Democratic Socialists of America (Chicago DSA) and its allies that is pushing for the establishment of a municipal utility in the City of Chicago. In the face of ongoing corruption scandals, the climate crisis, and needless struggle for many Chicagoans, we deserve better. ComEd, our investor-owned utility, stands in the way of the prosperity this city needs. By bringing our power into public ownership, we can deploy green energy, return profits back to our communities, assist low-income Chicagoans, and achieve even greater gains for our city. Will you join us in fighting for a better energy future? Contact Melissa Brice for tabling or additional details.
***POSTPONED*** New date TBD (was 3/25 Wednesday – 6.00pm)
350 Chicago Discussion Group
1821 W Hubbard Street, Suite 207, Chicago
Please join us for an evening discussing the work of Naomi Klein, author of On Fire, The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal. To prepare for the discussion attendees are encouraged to:
We hope you will join us for this interesting discussion; and we welcome suggestions for future discussion group topics, articles, movies, books, etc.
4/4 Saturday – 10.00am
350 Monthly Meeting
In light of the situation around COVID-19, join us for our first-ever virtual monthly meeting! This is a great way to make positive connections with other environmental activists and get energized in the midst of a difficult time. We will be joined by leaders from the Illinois Youth Climate Strike, who will speak about their upcoming actions.
Note: if you prefer to use a telephone instead of your computer’s audio (speakers/mic), you may dial-in with the info below:
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago); Meeting ID: 689 044 431
350 Chicago Education Committee Meeting
*See above bolded text regarding COVID-19.
Interested in getting involved in the Education committee? Contact committee lead Melissa Brice for more details!
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