Working Together
Working Together Locally...Thinking of our only Home on Earth Day
“The climate crisis is heating up, plastics are choking our waterways, and pollution is harming our people, wildlife, & environment”— California's Attorney General Rob Bonta
It is a time to reflect, tune in and not tune out. We are the only ones who are going to save “us” as the pressures placed on this miracle planet are causing unpredictable and increasingly abnormal climate shocks. We all know that human impacts are causing the global warming that has brought us the crazy ups and downs of extreme climate change events. Burning of fossil fuels, endless wars and unchecked consumerism all generate carbon pollution. Many of our self centered actions have brought our living planet out of balance. Earth cannot keep up fast enough with our demands of her. Even insurance companies are bailing out on coverage of properties and structures. There is no Plan B or another planet Earth to run to. Our planet does not have the biocapacity to sustain our current levels of growth and resource consumption.
Yet, all is not doom and gloom. We each can take action and care for this earth. We are seeing the beginning of efforts that are working to protect the ecosystems that support all life on earth. All actions make a difference.
What if people only consumed what they actually needed?
“The climate emergency demands action from all of us. We need to get to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and everyone has a role to play,” said Niklas Hagelberg, UNEP’s Climate Change Coordinator. “We, as individuals, must change our consumption habits and pressure those who represent us – our employers, our politicians – to move rapidly to a low-carbon world.”1
Call for action- an Indigenous Elder speaks
Each year communities around the world gather around to celebrate Earth Day. Since 1970, millions of people across the globe have been organizing and coming together to call for increased protection of the planet. I was honored to interview Edwina Lincoln, a descendant of the Yuki people2 on April 21, 2024, at the Noyo Food Forest Earth Day Celebration. Edwina has been working with The Coalition to Save Jackson- The People’s Forest3— an intergenerational local and statewide alliance of environmental justice advocates. “ Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF) is the largest state forest in California at nearly 50,000 acres. It is located in located in Northern California, in the unceded ancestral Northern Pomo and Coast Yuki territory of the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians. Since its inception in 1947, the State has primarily managed this forest to cut it for profit, not preserve it.” 4 Here is the link to her message:
It's time to talk about how Tribal Nations will adapt to climate change.5
Indigenous peoples have the knowledge and firsthand practices needed for the global community to implement and scale-up climate action.
Local governments have a role to play in helping the State achieve its climate goals.
California’s Climate Change Scoping Plan encourages local governments to adopt goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15% below 1990's levels by 2020, 40% below 1990 levels in 2030, and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The 2050 target is roughly equivalent to a per capita annual emission target of less than 2 metric tons of CO2e. Read the executive summary of the 2017 Climate Change Scoping Plan for more information.
FACT SHEET: President Biden Marks Earth Day 2024 with Historic Climate Action https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/04/22/fact-sheet-president-biden-marks-earth-day-2024-with-historic-climate-action/?utm_source=link
RESOURCES
Two Years to Save the World: Simon Stiell at Chatham House. The following is the transcript of a speech delivered by UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell on 10 April 2024 at Chatham House in London, England. https://unfccc.int/news/two-years-to-save-the-world-simon-stiell-at-chatham-house The speech can also be watched on YouTube
The Biden administration marked Earth Week with grants for solar power for lower-income communities, an expansion of the Climate Corps and Clean Air Act rules.
The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) has released the final update to its 2023 Billion-dollar disaster report, confirming a historic year in the number of costly disasters and extremes throughout much of the country. There were 28 weather and climate disasters in 2023, surpassing the previous record of 22 in 2020, tallying a price tag of at least $92.9 billion. This total annual cost may rise by several billion when we’ve fully accounted for the costs of the December 16-18 East Coast storm and flooding event that impacted states from Florida to Maine. Please read this article from climate.gov: https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/beyond-data/2023-historic-year-us-billion-dollar-weather-and-climate-disasters
How Native Tribes Are Taking the Lead on Planning for Climate Change
https://e360.yale.edu/features/how-native-tribes-are-taking-the-lead-on-planning-for-climate-change
As climate crisis alters their lands, Indigenous Peoples turn to the courts https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/climate-crisis-alters-their-lands-indigenous-peoples-turn-courts
Tribal Nations: Working alongside Native Americans in a changing climateThe USDA Climate Hubs actively engage and collaborate with Tribal Nations and communities to provide climate tools and guidance that incorporate Tribal perspectives. The USDA Climate Hubs translate climate science into action, bridging research and on-the-ground management. Through tools, technologies, and outreach the Climate Hubs are empowering the Nation’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to reduce risk through climate-smart practices and build a more climate resilient future. https://youtu.be/a2ZKFOIidC0?si=yhlVcJRb_TSXwT0O
10 ways you can help fight the climate crisis https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/10-ways-you-can-help-fight-climate-crisis
The Yurok Tribe is currently the largest Tribe in California, with more than 5,000 enrolled members. https://www.yuroktribe.org/
Protect Pomo Homelands and Redwood Forests Petition https://epic.salsalabs.org/protectpomohomelandsandredwoodforestsjacksonfores
Save Jackson Demonstration State Forest https://savejackson.org/news/
Oregon State Productions in collaboration with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.