Wednesday, January 22nd, 3-4:30 pm

Meydenbauer Center – 11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue, WA 98004

https://www.facebook.com/events/848305128959345/

Costco advertises itself as an ethical company for eco-conscious consumers. Yet a closer look at the company’s products and business contracts tells a different story. Costco’s top suppliers are among the most environmentally destructive companies in the world - Cargill, JBS, and Tyson Foods. Cargill and JBS played lead roles in driving the devastating fires in the Amazon last summer, while all three are responsible for widespread water pollution, soil erosion, and runaway climate emissions.

That’s not all. Costco’s own toilet paper brand is destroying boreal forests. Other toilet paper and paper towel brands on its shelves including Charmin and Bounty by Procter & Gamble, are both made with 100% virgin forest fiber, including from clear-cut Canadian boreal forest. Toilet paper made from boreal forest fiber destroys one of the most climate-critical forests in the world, and puts threatened species like the boreal caribou further at risk. Despite overwhelming evidence of environmental destruction, Costco has so far refused to cut contracts with these eco-villains or change its own destructive ways.

Wednesday, January 22, 2-8:00 pm

Bellevue City Hall - 450 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA

Puget Sound Energy(PSE), a for-profit gas and electric utility provider has filed for another rate increase for residential customers, even though they already raised rates by 14% just a couple months ago!

Can you attend the PSE Rate Hike Public Hearing at Bellevue City Hall on Tuesday January 22nd from 6-8pm?

So what does this rate increase have to do with climate???

To transition away from fossil fuels, we must stop funding new gas infrastructure & stand up to companies slowing down progress!

*PSE is the company building the controversial Tacoma LNG fracked gas refinery and storage project. Although less than 2% of this infrastructure is designed for their residential customers as backup power on the coldest days of the year, PSE expects to pass on over 40% of the construction costs in the form of higher utility rates.

*PSE chooses to get over 60% of their energy from fossil fuels and according to their most recent 20 year plan, want to expand "natural gas" infrastructure while ignoring the potential of solar, wind and grid optimization. "Natural gas" is really just methane gas, a potent heat-trapping greenhouse gas, mostly sourced from fracking--which causes severe health complications, groundwater contamination, earthquakes near extraction sites and is often located near or on indigenous land. In contrast, Snohomish County PUD only gets about 2% from fossil fuel sources.

*PSE is holding back local clean energy initiatives. As part of the newly formed group “Partners for Energy Progress” PSE plans to launch a $1M campaign in the PNW to push back against any local initiatives designed at transitioning away from fossil fuels, such as banning gas hookups in new infrastructure. According to Sightline Institute, between 2008 & 2018, PSE spent about $7 million in WA, funding political candidates, PAC’s and lobbying!

Please wear red in solidarity, and plan to give public comment to the WA Utilities & Transportation Commission (UTC), letting them know we are tired of being forced to prop up the fossil fuel industry, tired of unnecessary rate increases, and ready to demand better!

Share the Facebook event with friends and co-workers!  find or offer a carpool!

Can't make it? Find talking points and submit online comments through February 6th here!

Wednesday, January 29th

350 Eastside – Sunrise GND Launch Party

6:30 pm

Eastshore Unitarian Church - 12700 SE 32nd St, Bellevue, WA 98005

We were unable to have our January 15 meeting due to weather, but here is a treat not to miss!

350 Eastside is supporting the Sunrise Movement and the Green New Deal Campaign by joining in a nationwide kick-off event from 6:30 to 8:30 with video and a discussion of strategy and program for the rest of 2020.

https://www.facebook.com/sunrisemvmt/videos/192348015250893/

Saturday, February 1st - TWO EKC PUD Launch EVENTS - Belleuve & Woodinville:

EKC PUD District # 1 Launch (Bellevue, Mercer Island, Beaux Arts, Clyde Hill, Hunt’s Point, Medina, Yarrow Point

Eastshore Unitarian Church - 12700 SE 32nd St, Bellevue, WA 98005, 10:00 - Noon

AND.......

EKC PUD District #7 launch (Woodinville, Redmond, Kenmore, Bothell, Duvall)

18900 168th Ave NE, Woodinville WA 98072 (Northshore UCC), 10:00 - Noon

PSE is the dirtiest electrical utility in the state. It emits more greenhouse gases than every other utility in the state--combined. It's among the most expensive and least reliable. PSE bet big on natural gas in the 1990s, and are doubling down today. They are actively fighting to ensure that dirty fossil fuels are used for the foreseeable future.

PSE lacks an interest in our welfare and local values

The Eastside is one of the world's premier tech industry centers. 60% of our electricity coming from fossil fuels is embarrassing. We're buying more electric cars than just about anywhere else, but we're charging them up with coal and natural gas.

We can do better. We have to do better for future generations. We don't have a lot of time to cut back emissions, but PSE burns more fossil fuel than it did 10 years ago.

PSE can't kick its fossil fuel habit, even if it wanted to. We should form a public utility district to replace PSE. Help us get one on the ballot for 2020.
Keep in mind, switching to a public utility makes financial sense as well.

The alternative is to keep burning fossil fuels, letting our grid deteriorate, and sending a tenth of our power bill off to private equities and investment banks.

The choice is ours. Come and join us and get EKC PUD initiative on the ballot in 2020!!

Saturday, February 15th

Soil, Food and Climate Change workshop

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 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

Thank you for showing up and doing all that you are to ensure a livable planet for all!!!

350 Eastside

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