|
Hello John,
First thing's first:
No General Meeting This MonthThis election season was a wild ride, and we’ve decided it’s best for us as a steering committee to spend this time strategizing about 2021. Please plan to see us next month as we reconnect as a collective, and please submit ideas for 2021 to [email protected] In the meantime, check out our Democracy related resources and consider signing up to help encourage turnout in the two Senate runoff elections in Georgia. Enjoy your Thanksgiving, and join us in our acknowledgement of the true history of the holiday by checking out our Native American Heritage month resources.
|
|
Battle for the US Senate The balance of the US Senate will depend on the outcome of the two Senate runoff elections in Georgia. Both will be close races and a fair result will depend on turnout. If you are interested in encouraging turnout among voters of color to help offset years of voter suppression, please let us know if you can do some postcarding. The postcards need to be sent between December 1st-7th. Contact [email protected] if you would like cards, script, names and addresses, labels. Alternatively, you can go to PostCardstoSwingStates.com.
Defending Democracy
The peaceful transition of power is essential to our democracy, and while Trump’s attempts to delegitimize the results of the election by claiming widespread voter fraud have seen eye rolls across much of the country, the Trump campaign has filed some 21 lawsuits since the election.
Check out these resources in case things take an even more irrational turn:
|
|
Native American Heritage Month
First Nations of Canada Whether you've always or only recently wanted to learn more about First Nations in Canada, consider taking a fabulous free online course, "Indigenous Canada", offered by the University of Alberta. For more information go to: https://www.ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer, a member of the Potawatomi Nation and Professor of Environmental and Forest Biology at the State University of New York, has woven together stories and teachings in Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants. It is beautifully written and deeply moving, Highly recommended. Here are some additional book titles (thanks to Portland’s Powells -- consider buying local independent PNW instead of Barnes and Noble chain) The Library of Congress has many webinars and resources on Native American Heritage month. |
|
|
Greenhouse Gas Assessment Input Needed! Now through November 30, 2020, the Washington Department of Ecology is accepting comments on how to assess greenhouse gas emissions on future fossil fuel projects- and they need to hear from you! Learn more through the webinar presentation and then comment here on how to assess these projects. We encourage that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions be assessed onsite, as well as upstream and downstream- meaning that for a new fossil fuel project like a pipeline, emissions from the point of extraction (often via fracking) through distribution (and the leakage that often happens there) to use by the consumer should be considered. IPL Film Discussion Interfaith Power and Light will be hosting a webinar to discuss the film “I am Greta” -- you can join the webinar with IPL Youth Leaders from across the country immediately following the film. It's going to be an exciting evening! Date: Nov 24 Time: 3:15pm Pacific/ 5:15pm Central/ 6:15pm Eastern Length: 1 hour 42 minutes You can register for your own link here. Immediately following the film please join us for the IPL Youth Leader webinar at 5pm Pacific/7pm Central/ 8pm Eastern. You will be able to click on the "Join the webinar" button at the bottom of the screen at the end of the film. Here is the link to join the webinar just in case you watch the film before Nov 24 on Hulu, and still want to join the Youth webinar. |
|
PUD Update - Taking Back Control The campaign to replace PSE's dirty electrical service with a public utility district in northeastern King County continues to move forward. Now and throughout 2021 we will be focusing on broadening our coalition support, enlarging our financial base, and increasing public awareness to feel confident that we can WIN in 2022. The online signature-gathering effort will begin in January 2022. However, now and throughout 2021, we will be working to make the East King County PUD a campaign issue for city council candidates. Can you help? Please contact Barbra Chevalier ([email protected]) for more information on how to get started. We are also seeking feedback on our website. We need a few folks to review the website content and provide feedback about the design and content presentation. Please contact [email protected] for more information. And, if you have connections to sustainability coordinators, decision makers in the local business community, organizations that know we need a rapid transition to a clean electrical generation, we would love to chat with you! As we develop a diverse coalition of partners and seek Commissioners to run on the ballot at the same time as the initiative, the time is now to bring in local businesses and organizational leaders to support the Yes to EKC PUD campaign. Email [email protected] if you are interested in supporting this campaign, we need YOU. Thanks for your participation! |
|
BLM Flash Stance BELLEVUE Join Fellow UU activists and others on December 6th for a Black Lives Matter Flash Stance on the corner by Dacell's in Factoria. We will be standing against the marginalization of people of color in an attempt to start conversations in the lives of people that see us. When: Sunday, 6 December 2020 from 12:30 PST-13:30 PST Where: Corner by Dacell’s, Factoria (near East Shore Unitarian Church) Facebook Event page: HERE (Protocols: 1. Everyone must wear a mask. 2. If you touch a sign, you need to wear plastic gloves (will be supplied). 3. No one touches the banners. 4. We social distance.) Hosted by East Shore Unitarian Church. There will be more flash stances in future months. WOODINVILLE Join Fellow UU activists and others on November 29th for a Black Lives Matter Flash Stance on the corner of 175th and Garden in front of the Woodinville Jamba Juice. We will be standing against the marginalization of people of color in an attempt to start conversations in the lives of people that see us. When: Sunday, 29 November 2020 from 12:30 PST-13:30 PST Where: Corner of 175th and Garden (in front of Woodinville Jamba Juice) Facebook Event page: HERE (Protocols: 1. Everyone must wear a mask. 2. If you touch a sign, you need to wear plastic gloves (will be supplied). 3. No one touches the banners. 4. We social distance.) Hosted by East Shore Unitarian Church. There will be more flash stances in future months. ANTI-RACISM IN CLIMATE Here is an article in which a climate expert outlines the need for more anti-racism in climate movements. There is a helpful explanation about why POC are more concerned about climate change than white folks -- something to help Aunt Edna this Thanksgiving, probably delivered safely via email (we mean safely for more than one reason) |
350 . org US Solidarity SchoolThe latest piece on 350 National plans for the coming year! This is a 45-minute Webinar recording: From Recovery to Restoration: Holding Politicians Accountable & Organizing for a Just Transition
COVID - Neighborhood PodsAs COVID-19 rates reach record levels and restrictions tighten, we ask you to consider helping those in your local community more heavily impacted by the virus. We now have 40 neighborhood pods and growing in a city-wide network of Mutual Aid to cultivate community resilience. We invite you to take leadership to help grow community within your own neighborhood so that people can help each other where there is need. We’re connected with COVID-19 Mutual Aid, so our pods respond to the needs requested through that site. We’ve shared requests for mask-making, supplies for striking farmworkers fighting for social distancing conditions, and other opportunities to address the huge impacts the pandemic is having on the most vulnerable communities. If this resonates with you, contact Lin Hagedorn ([email protected]) or Neal Anderson ([email protected]). You can Join a neighborhood pod here, or better yet, sign up to be a pod captain and lead your neighborhood organizing efforts! We are in plenty of need for more community captains on the Eastside. |
|
************ In solidarity, 350 Eastside Steering Lin, Sara, Marilyn, Phil, Lynn and Emily |
