350 CHICAGO Newsletter

- The 350 Chicago Team

Firestorms Across the Globe

ARCTIC CIRCLE

Photo: Julia Petrenko / Greenpeace

GREECE

Photo: Aris Messinis / AFP

BRAZIL

Photo: Gustavo Basso / NurPhoto

ARGENTINA

Photo: Sebastian Salguero / Getty Images

BULGARIA

Photo: Hristo Rusev / NurPhoto

INDONESIA

Photo: Sigit Prasetya/NurPhoto

While wildfires in California take center stage with the images of orange skylines resembling dystopian futures, many other fires across the world are also burning.  Northern California wildfires have always been a seasonal occurrence, but the duration of wildfire season and the intensity of fires has increased dramatically in recent years.  These are not normal fires.  Climate change has altered the land and atmosphere of forests to become more arid, resulting in conditions that trigger larger, more uncontrollable fire destruction.  Read more about the circumstances that enable fires.

These images serve as a reminder to the world of the urgency of the climate movement agenda and the work needed to build a safer, cleaner, more sustainable world for the future. (See additional story and detailed captions of some of the above photos at Heated.World.)

Elections Matter: Democrats Continue to Make Plans

Senate news conference on the THRIVE resolution - Sept 9th, 2020
Photo:  Alex Wong / Getty Images

In previous newsletters, we have covered detailed climate plans of Democrats in Congress as well as from the Biden-Harris Campaign. If the November election brings Joe Biden to the White House and gives Democrats a majority in both the House and the Senate, these climate plans will provide the framework for a variety of climate legislation. But just how well will climate issues rank against other legislative goals?  We received some good news this week when over 80 Democrats sponsored a resolution called THRIVE (Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy) that links green initiatives to economic recovery, jobs, and racial justice issues. Additionally, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated that climate initiatives would be dealt with quickly.

Meanwhile, President Trump’s record on climate issues has been a boon for oil companies, and his team has indicated a second term would mean more of the same. Recent research by global research and consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie suggests a Trump reelection would delay decarbonization of the US power sector by at least 15 years, from 2035 under a Biden presidency to 2050 under Trump. Also, Inside Climate News recently presented a profile of Vice President Pence as a climate skeptic with very close ties to the Koch brothers.

Electric Vehicles: What's Next?

EV's charging at GE's Global Research headquarters in NY
Photo:  General Electric

Boston Consulting Group published an extensive report on the increase in electric vehicle sales, and the good news is that EV adoption is growing faster than predicted in an earlier forecast from 2017. At the current rate, a third of all vehicles sold will be electric by 2025, and that number will grow to more than half by 2030. BCG credits this EV boom to several factors, including government incentives as well as pollution regulations that will pressure automakers to move towards electric in order to meet tighter admissions standards. Better battery technology is also a factor, with EV batteries becoming cheaper and allowing for greater driving range.

Several major companies have signaled their interest in an EV revolution. Automotive giant General Motors is buying a large stake in Nikola, an electric truck manufacturer.  Additionally, rideshare company Uber has pledged to shift to 100% electric vehicles by 2030, although it would not accomplish that goal by paying its contractors to switch to EV's. Instead, it would allow riders request an EV or hybrid if they pay an "Uber Green" surcharge, thus making the assumption the surcharge will encourage more drivers to switch to electric. Switching to electric vehicles will be crucial for the ridesharing industry, since ridesharing produces more emissions than trips made in personal cars and draws ridership away from cleaner forms of transportation.

Additional Reads

Lifetime carbon emissions for EVs is much lower than previously suggested – Green Car Reports

The Daily Newsletter – Climate Crisis – The New Yorker

Rick Perry’s Ukrainian Dream – ProPublica

Bailout: Billions of Dollars of Federal COVID-19 Relief Money Flow to the Oil Industry – Sierra Club

Big Oil’s hopes are pinned on plastics. It won’t end well. – Vox

Solar, Wind Reach 67% of New Power Capacity Added Globally in 2019, Fossil Fuels Slide to 25% – BloombergNEF

Global Power Sector Embracing Renewables but Ditching Fossil Fuels Too Slowly – Greentech Media

Only one in 10 utility firms prioritise renewable electricity – global study – The Guardian

BP buys into U.S. offshore wind market, inks $1.1 billion deal with Equinor – IEEFA

Chicago launches $200M RFP to power city facilities by renewable energy – Utility Dive

Actions You Can Take Today

Support our Zero Emissions Day 2020 Fundraiser
Our inaugural peer-to-peer fundraiser is off to a great start!  Haven't yet had a chance to get set up?  Don't worry - you can still participate, and it's quick and easy.  Visit our website for all the details, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions or need any assistance.

The fundraiser concludes on Zero Emissions Day (September 21st), and we hope you'll help us to reach and then beat our $2000 goal!

Check Out the Power Up Series
Tune into any or all segments of this four-part series during which the Ready for 100 Chicago Collective will be discussing Chicago's clean energy future and how it will incorporate long-term jobs, better health, electric transportation, and saving money.  Learn from community leaders, tech experts, and other participants about what this transition can look like for our city and share your thoughts and ideas, too.  

Brought to you by 350 Chicago, the Sierra Club, and fellow members of of the Ready for 100 Chicago Collective.

Support the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA)
Help pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act and spark our clean energy recovery by contacting your lawmakers. Simply enter your information into this form, and your message will automatically be sent to your state legislators and Governor Pritzker. 350 Chicago along with coalition partners at the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition are working to get all 177 legislators in the Illinois General Assembly to support this important bill.  

Thank you for pitching in!

Take action against Target and Exchange 55
Join us in supporting the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) in the fight against Hilco’s Exchange 55 project.  Post social media messages and send email to Target executives in opposition to Target's lease.  LVEJO has provided a toolkit for doing both. (Note this kit references an action that took place on August 11th, but postings and emails are still urgently needed.)

Your participation in this action is a simple yet powerful one in the movement for environmental justice.

Upcoming 350 Chicago Meetings & Events

***Important:  Please note that most meetings are currently being conducted online, and any physical in-person meetings are subject to change due to COVID-19. Please contact committee leads for information regarding remote meeting arrangements.***

SEPT 15TH, 2020 (Tuesday) 6:00 - 7:00pm CT
350 Chicago Research Committee Monthly Meeting
Interested in getting involved in the Research committee? Contact committee lead Alex McLeese for digital meeting details.

SEPT 21ST, 2020 (Monday) 6:00 - 8:00pm CT
Ready for 100 Chicago Collective POWER UP Series Session #2 - Saving Money and Clean Energy

SEPT 28TH, 2020 (Monday) 6:00 - 8:00pm CT
Ready for 100 Chicago Collective POWER UP Series Session #3 - Better Health and Clean Energy

OCT 3RD, 2020 (Saturday) 10:00 - 11:30pm CT
350 Chicago VIRTUAL Monthly Meeting hosting Aaron Huges of Justseeds

OCT 5TH, 2020 (Monday) 6:00 - 8:00pm CT
Ready for 100 Chicago Collective POWER UP Series Session #4 - Electric Transportation and Clean Energy

350 Education Committee
Interested in getting involved in the Education committee? Contact committee lead Melissa Brice for more details.