It's September? Cue Green Day! You can look forward to the O2 PUNCHLIST the first week of each month. This newsletter gives us an opportunity to keep you in the know with both our work and our community. None of this would be possible without your support, so we want to give you the inside scoop every month.
We're excited to announce our current slate of candidates for the upcoming General Election. We have identified key competitive races throughout the state and will spend the coming months working to bring strong voices to the table in order to impact Utah's environmental outcomes.
You can expect to see this list grow as we continue to hand-select legislative candidates who we know are dedicated to cleaning our state's air and maintaining our quality of life.
Elections are where we make our greatest impact. To learn more, stay updated and get involved, visit our website!
Last week we officially said goodbye to our Political Director, Marcus Stevenson.
Marcus was one of the minds behind o2 Utah back in 2019, and we simply would not be here if it weren’t for Marcus and his incredible work. From his time as Chief Operations Officer to his guidance as Political Director, Marcus has been instrumental to o2 Utah’s success. He spearheaded some of our most exciting political innovations like our Legislative Report Card, and ramped up the group coolness factor with his skateboarding skills and legendary taste in music.
We knew when Marcus decided to run for mayor of Midvale City it would mean big changes for o2, but we are so excited for the impact he will make on Midvale and its residents. To say he will be missed is an understatement! Thank you, Marcus!
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"In late 2019 I helped to start o2, and the entire journey since then has been incredibly challenging and rewarding. We need more environmental groups to get involved in elections and to push bold policy, which is exactly why I think o2 is such a special organization.
I need to give a special thank you to the entire o2 team who supported me in my run for mayor and has always given me the space to prioritize that role. Thank you!
It’s been quite the journey and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do next!"
For those of you who are new here, we do a biweekly interview series/podcast called O2 & You! Our Executive Director and host, David Garbett, meets with voices from both environmental and political spaces. We've had on some pretty incredible guests over this past year, and we invite you to get caught up! Each episode is presented as a Facebook Live event, but if you're unable to join you can access all episodes on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
UPCOMING GUESTS
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9/28 | O2 & You! feat. Marcus Stevenson. This episode, we're sending off Marcus Stevenson, the former Political Director at o2 Utah and current Mayor of Midvale City. To say he will be missed is an understatement!
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TBD | O2 & You! feat. Eliza Cowie and two other guests (TBD). David and Eliza will be joined by some of our community partners to talk through the Inflation Reduction Act (and what it means for state policy). Stay tuned!
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TBD | O2 & You! feat. Isabella Gentile, the Communications Director at o2 Utah. Together, David and Bella are deep diving on one absolute truth: everything comes down to communication! Stay tuned!
LAST MONTH GUEST RECAP
8/31 | O2 & You! feat. Zachary Frankel, the Executive Director at Utah Rivers Council. Together, they discussed the issues surrounding our Great Salt Lake and how we can work toward a solution!
Each month, you're invited to come hang with the the o2 Utah team! We have a busy year ahead of us, but continuing to engage with this community is at the top of our list.
Summer is almost over! Grab a friend or come meet new ones at one of our monthly outdoor group activities. If you like to hike or bike, join us for Twin Peaks Tuesdays and Bikes & Brews!
We'll see you soon!
We're enacting change with bold environmental policy. Each month, we want to keep you updated on our policy development: what we're focussing on, facts to help connect the dots, and progress on o2 Utah policy.
Federal
As many of you saw, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act this past month. This marks the largest federal climate investment in U.S. history and allocates $369 Billion to climate and energy-related provisions. This means big investments on things like clean vehicles, energy and homes, investment into our communities and providing equitable access to low income families. If allocated correctly, the Inflation Reduction Act will provide a future that includes a massive reduction in emissions.
Now it’s up to the state and local government officials to ensure Utah takes advantage of these federal grants and subsidies. We need to pressure our local leaders and those running for office to allocate this funding and provide a better, more efficient future for all Utahns. Please join us in this effort. We will be hosting a series of webinars and events to detail out specific programs and initiatives that we can all get behind.
State
o2 Utah attended the August Interim Session where issues related to transportation, public utilities, and natural resources were discussed.
In September, the Business and Labor Interim Committee will review the recommended building code updates from the Uniform Building Codes Commission. If adopted, Utah would take necessary steps to ensure that our buildings are the most up to date when it comes to energy efficiency, among other standards. We will continue to advocate for home and building energy efficiency because we know this saves residents money and reduces our air quality emission impact.
Local
We continue to monitor updates to the community renewable energy program.
This week, UDOT identified a gondola as the preferred alternative for addressing skier traffic jams in Little Cottonwood Canyon. It suggested this might also “improve air quality.” However, as our friends at Save Our Canyons stated, by widening the road and adding a gondola, UDOT is encouraging more cars–and their emissions–not less.
UDOT’s purpose in studying the gondola was addressing skier traffic. It wasn’t to ask what was best for Little Cottonwood. And it wasn’t to solve the Wasatch Front’s air quality challenges. If Utah wants to address air quality, let’s spend the cost of the gondola–$550 million–on real transportation solutions with broad benefits, like an emissions-free FrontRunner. But don’t use air quality as an excuse for bad public policy.
If your last two years were anything like ours, you blew through just about every show, book, podcast, and playlist—leaving you searching for something new. Worry not, we've got you! Every month, you can look forward to recommendations for listening, watching, and reading from our team.
WHAT DAVID IS LISTENING TO
Podcast Episodes | Diving further into the Inflation Reduction Act: Parts One & Two (Volts by David Roberts)
"They jump into key details around this huge piece of climate legislation and talk about why it should make such a significant difference on greenhouse gas emissions in the United States."
WHAT ELIZA IS RECOMMENDING
A New Hobby | Kickball
"It’s officially fall! Which means it’s the perfect time of year to try a new (or forgotten!) hobby and get a jump start on those pesky New Years resolutions. Try something you're bad at. I’m trying kickball."
WHAT TRAVIS IS READINGBook | “The Rise of Ultra Runners” by Adharanand Finn
“As I train for a few ultra marathons of my own, I found this book explains what goes through the mind and body for before and during a long distance run so well."
WHAT BELLA IS WATCHINGSeries | Schitt's Creek
"Comfort watch, anyone?"
WHAT GREG IS LISTENING TO
Podcast | Behind the Bastards
"This podcast takes a deep and surprisingly funny dive into some of the worst people in history. Just finished learning about Saddam Husseins erotic novels, which were just as bad as you think they are."
WHAT BRONTI IS RECOMMENDING
Super Fun Activity | Bikes & Brews
"Come out to enjoy a nice little ride around SLC and then a cold drink in the summer nights!"
Thank you for being in our corner. We'll see you next month!
