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Policy

Board Blog: Vice President, Renee Goddard

April 10, 2018 by Sustainable Fairfax

By Renee Goddard, Vice President, Sustainable Fairfax

It was July 2006. I collapsed in my chair at the Embarcadero Center Theater, mind and body overwhelmed, and completely terrified. Where normally the credits would roll at the end of a film, instead a list of “Never fear, What To Do’s” filled the screen.

The film was Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. The list was the first of many such lists that I would see and put on the shelf. I felt the tension ease as I read, slowly relaxing enough to begin to absorb what the words were directing me to do.

The movie subsequently inspired volumes of lists, books, and calendars of daily actions, which people initially consumed voraciously. These urgent calls to action, prescribing behavior changes critical to combating Global Warming were published and illustrated with breathtaking photographs of the wonders of nature and heartbreaking photographs of our planet in peril.

My mind raced on that July night as we drove home from San Francisco. What needed to be done seemed so tangible and so achievable. I expected to see the townsfolk of Fairfax out in the street, ready to make the changes the list instructed us to make in order to sustain our ability to live on this earth.

But where was the Town Crier in the Parkade calling us to take action? After seeing Al Gore’s crystal clear depiction of climate science and gripping teaching of the facts underlying human contribution to the massive acceleration of the planet’s warming, it seemed impossible that we were not responding as if our lives depended on it.

As a mother of a 5 and 8 year old I saw no other choice but to mobilize. Certainly other parents of young children would be equally desperate to join together.

I put a homemade banner in the window of The Fairfax Scoop announcing a call to action and community gathering at the Tree Park at the bottom of Cascade Drive.

I called the meeting at dinner time the next day knowing that the time was most likely inconvenient for young families. We would gauge people’s sense of urgency by whether they showed up, choosing to prioritize human existence over serving dinner on time.

50 + adults answered the call and brought their children.

People participated enthusiastically, expressing a collective relief to find others who were ready to combine their individual efforts and knowledge into a larger local movement of people to make a bigger impact impact.

We discovered that we all had lists tacked to our walls, but the number of things that we were told we “SHOULD” have been doing was weighing us down and draining our energy to act.

Our collective was a renewable source of energy and we all tapped in. We became known as The Inconvenient Group, and we gathered weekly.

We made new lists and distilled the larger actions into bite sized pieces. We committed to making homemade yogurt in order to avoid purchasing plastic containers. We learned basic biking skills to encourage biking as a viable means of transportation. We held a screening of “Synthetic Seas”, a film about the Pacific Gyre garbage patch, and learned how plastics are suffocating our oceans. We supported one another’s desire to make lifestyle changes that would decrease our individual generation of greenhouse gas emissions and slow the rate at which our planet is warming. We were discovering distressing truths but were motivated to work for solutions.

Organizations began to seek us out. A group of energetic action- oriented people is a gold mine for a non-profit organization.

I received a call from Pam Hartwell, who was at the time the Executive Director of Sustainable Fairfax. She came and spoke to our group and described the community actions already in progress, as well as the history of the organization whose founder was a key player in the inception of Marin County’s Community Choice Aggregate (Marin Clean Energy). She made very clear the efficacy of combining resources.

With a little courting and a lot of coaxing we joined Sustainable Fairfax.

It has been 12 years since An Inconvenient Truth took the world by storm. Over the course of these 12 years, Earth’s atmosphere has exceeded over 400 parts per million of CO2 warming gases in the atmosphere and the climate is increasingly chaotic, threatening humanity’s ability to survive on our planetary home.  The threat is more pressing than ever, and our message all the more urgent.

Sustainable Fairfax has been and continues to be the Town Crier, the spring board for community action, the hub, the home and the hope.

Please join us!

Filed Under: Board Blog, Climate Justice, slider Tagged With: climate change, Sustainable Fairfax

Reflections on the Women's March on Washington

February 7, 2017 by Jennifer Hammond

FullSizeRender (7)The Women’s March on Washington that took place on January 21, 2017 will go down in the her-story books.

When I learned about the march, I felt a strong urge be part of it and quickly made my travel plans, yet became apprehensive about what to expect: would there be riots, terrorism or violence?

We started the day at a breakfast with the inspiring Rep Barbara Lee (see video). She emphasized the historic nature of the event, the importance of youth involvement, and that we must never return to the archaic policies of the past.

After the breakfast, we made our way to the rally and were astounded by the size of the crowd – we could barely move; it felt like being inside of a mosh pit at a punk rock concert, yet everyone was polite and apologetic for the cramped conditions. We inched through the crowd, shoulder-to-shoulder surrounded by pink pussy hats. I had some pangs of claustrophobia (how would I escape in an emergency?), but let those feelings roll away and focused instead on the significance of the moment.

There was an extraordinary and overwhelming sense of peace, power, love, humanity and kindness that permeated the entire event. The signs were creative, provocative and funny, and speakers were powerful- the message was clear: all people must be respected, valued and celebrated, no matter what group they are or are not a part of; and we must fight against regressive policies that undermine the rights of women, minorities, immigrants, LBGTQ community and under-served populations.

I marched to prove to this administration and the world that democracy is alive, and that people still care about liberty and justice for all.  And that includes “climate justice for all” – an important, yet sometimes overlooked part of climate change activism. FullSizeRender (8)Climate regulation and research is clearly under attack by the new administration. Yet poor communities throughout the US are subject to lethal levels of pollution, or are at risk of sea level rise, such as Marin City right here in Marin County. And there are other countries are in great peril such as drought-ridden Africa.

Sustainable Fairfax is committed to supporting climate activism and climate justice. Stay tuned to learn how you can help resist a dangerous rollback of climate policy. I am confident that the historic marches and activism taking place will keep building. Lets work together towards positive action to support the values we all hold dear.

 

Filed Under: Climate Justice, Policy Tagged With: climate change, climate justice

List of Weekend Marches & Rallies

January 18, 2017 by Jennifer Hammond

Since there are several local rallies and marches happening this weekend, I thought it would be helpful to summarize them all in one place.

Here’s the list I have for Friday and Saturday:

1)  Friday, Jan 20 (Inauguration Day), Bridge Together Golden Gate– 10am-noon

Participants will form a human chain across the Golden Gate Bridge in a “peaceful demonstration and performance art piece” beginning at 10 a.m.

2)  Friday, Jan 20:  Marin is Marching!

People’s March & Unity Rally- for Love, Peace, Justice & Truth. This event is being organized by members of the Marin community.

Schedule: 

1:00 pm- Gather in San Anselmo (at the HUB/Creek Park) OR in The Canal (at Pickleweed Park)
2:00 pm- Groups March from East and West to San Rafael City Hall
3:00 pm- Groups Arrive at San Rafael City Hall for Unification
3:30 pm- Unified Group Walks from City Hall to Community Center
4-6 pm-  Unity Rally in San Rafael Community Center Auditorium, 618 B St, San Rafael  (Kid-friendly event with a kids activities room adjacent!) 

Volunteer:  If you want to help out before or at the march, contact Craig Slater (415 721.7241)

3)  Friday, Jan 20: 6:30-7:30pm- “An Inauguration Day Interfaith Gathering”

First Presbyterian Church, 1510 Fifth Ave., San Rafael

Join Congressman Huffman and religious leaders to celebrate religious freedom, social justice and community engagement. The event is free and open to the public. Tables will be provided to share materials for volunteer opportunities. Please bring materials to share.

Please note the event will also be live streamed on www.facebook.com/rephuffman.  Register here.

4)  Saturday, Jan 21: 10am- Fairfax Parkade

Fairfax residents are organizing a “standing” march in solidarity with the Women’s Marches across the country. They will not be marching to another location, but will be showing their support together downtown. (Note: I do not know of any marches in Marin on Saturday)

5)  Saturday, Jan 21: 10am-3pm- Women’s March in Oakland

Schedule: 

10am: Meet at Madison Park, Oakland

11am: March to Frank Ogawa Plaza (2 miles)

12:30-3:00pm:  Rally at Frank Ogawa Plaza

6)  Saturday, Jan 21: 3pm-8pm: Women’s March in San Francisco

Schedule: 

3-5pm: Rally at SF Civic Center

5-8pm: March to Justin Herman Plaza (1.7 miles) (Note: there will be no official event at the end of this march)

**Take Golden Gate transit with Sustainable Fairfax to the SF Women’s March. Lynette Carlton, our Fairfax on Foot organizer, will lead the way. Meet at the downtown Fairfax bus stop at 1:45pm. Find out more info here.

DC WOMENS MARCH: I will be attending the DC march and will be reporting from the march via the Sustainable Fairfax social media accounts. Be sure to follow Sustainable Fairfax if you want my updates at:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SustainFX

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sustainfx/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SustainableFairfax/

These events were created to bring people together to stand in solidarity with the other marches all over the world aiming to protect civil liberties, civil rights, women’s rights, LBGTQI rights, immigrant’s rights, the environment, healthcare, education and other important issues. By coming together in such great numbers, we will show the incoming administration that we are unified, engaged and ready to take a stand for what is right.

Be safe, and enjoy all of the passionate and energized people participating in these historic marches!

Filed Under: Community, News, Policy, Transportation, Youth Corner Tagged With: fairfax on foot, reducex2

Collecting Supplies for Standing Rock Sioux

November 6, 2016 by Jennifer Hammond

The STANDING ROCK SIOUX are in need of many items to sustain them in their fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Local Fairfax resident Peter Anderson has recently returned from a 3-week trip to the reservation to support them, and will be returning soon to bring them additional supplies.

SUSTAINABLE FAIRFAX IS HELPING PETER COLLECT ITEMS that are on on their supply list. In terms of clothing, they ONLY want very warm, good condition coats, sweaters, and other winter wear and insulated Carhartt type coveralls, overalls and coats. They also need heavy duty tarps, lighters, sleeping bags (only 0 degree F or lower), fur blankets, battery packs / solar chargers for charging phones, tents (that can stand up in high winds, snow, subzero temps), and small wood stoves. For a full list of supplies requested, see http://sacredstonecamp.org/supply-list/. (Note: firewood is being handled locally).

Please bring your items to Sustainable Fairfax, 6 School St, Suite 150 on Wednesday, Nov 9th between 11am-3pm, or you can deliver directly to Peter Anderson’s house at 19 Claus Drive in Fairfax (behind Museum of Bicycling)- leaving items on the porch is fine.

Filed Under: News, Policy

Youth Blog: Get informed about the Plastic Bag Ban Propositions!

November 6, 2016 by Jennifer Hammond

By Lexi Neely, Drake High School SEA-DISC student & Sustainable Fairfax Intern

We often hear about how Americans buy too many products we quickly dispose of or don’t really need. However, many overlook the wastefulness of the packaging and transport of the products we buy. The amount of single-use plastic bags we consume is no small issue; in fact, the United States goes through over 100 billion plastic bags annually.

Plastic bags put an enormous burden on our environment and our wildlife. We use 12 million barrels of oil every year to produce the number of bags we use in this country. Plastic bags are responsible for the death of over 100,000 sea creatures when these animals mistake them as food. On top of that, plastic doesn’t biodegrade, it only photodegrades, meaning it will break up into extremely small pieces resembling dust but it will still be harmful to the environment.

With this ominous and foreboding status of plastic bag use today, it seems like reducing or stopping their production and use is unsurmountable. When looking at this issue as a whole, it can seem overwhelming and hopeless. We must focus on how to change our plastic bag use at the individual, local, state and eventually national level. With the upcoming election this November 8th, I urge you to take a stand against the use of plastic bags and take a stand for our earth.

Two years ago in 2014, California passed the first statewide single-use plastic bag ban in the nation, following the lead of cities and towns all over the state (Sustainable Fairfax initiated one of the first successful plastic bag bans in the country here in Fairfax!). Plastic bag companies from all over the country were distressed that they would lose their biggest consumer of plastic bags. So they hastily challenged this law and placed Proposition 67 and 65 on the November 8th ballot in an effort to complicate, distract, and repeal the existing law.

Proposition 67 puts the California statewide single-use plastic bag ban before the voters, as the result of a referendum on the law sought by the American Progressive Bag Alliance, a coalition of plastic manufacturers. Proposition 67, if passed, would essentially eliminate the use of single-use plastic bags, as well as charge a 10¢ fee for any reusable or paper bag. Prop 67 would give the money collected from the 10¢ bag fee to the grocer. This way, the grocer could use the 10¢ to help abide with the new law requiring them to use more expensive reusable or paper bags.

According to Jessica Connolly, the Recycling Programs Coordinator for Marin Sanitary Service, reusable plastic bags are up to “five times more expensive” to make (a reusable plastic bag is defined as being able to carry 25 pounds across a football field 125 times!)  For this reason, plastic bag companies are strongly opposed to the plastic bag ban, and spent $2.9M to oppose Proposition 67.

Proposition 65 is an initiative that was also placed on the ballot by the American Progressive Bag Alliance. If the plastic bag ban passes, this law would demand that the money collected from the 10¢ bag fee be directed into a California State environmental fund. What could be wrong with that? Not so fast. Many believe this poorly written law was put on the ballot by the plastic industry to confuse voters. Since the grocers would be required to give the money to the State, the plastic bag ban opponents could challenge the law by claiming that the bag fee is actually a tax. Tax measures need a 2/3 majority vote to pass, rather than the 50 percent simple majority needed for initiatives. If Prop 65 gets more votes than Prop 67, but doesn’t get 2/3 of the vote, it likely will be challenged and repealed in court, thereby eliminating any plastic bag ban.

For plastic bag ban proponents, the hope is that people will become accustomed to bringing their own reusable bags. According to Mark Squire, owner of Good Earth Natural Foods, they have never given out plastic bags at checkout and initiated a fee for paper bags years ago. He believes that the bag fee serves as an effective reminder for his environmentally conscious customers to bring their own bag when they can. Squire has seen a steady increase in the use of reusable bags, which is currently at about half and half.

In short, to ensure that single-use plastic bags are banned from our state, it is important to vote YES on Proposition 67. And vote NO on Proposition 65.  I believe the plastic industry is misleading the public about what is best for the grocers, the environment, and the consumers and are only looking out for themselves. Help protect our earth, you have the power to make a difference!

Filed Under: Policy, Take Action, Youth Blog, Youth Corner, Zero Waste Tagged With: plastic bag ban, youth blog, zero waste

ELECTION 2016: Sustainable Fairfax Recommends YES on C, YES on 67, NO on 65

October 10, 2016 by Jennifer Hammond

Sustainable Fairfax strongly encourages everyone to vote on November 8th, 2016! For voting information, including your polling place, please see this link.  Below are our recommendations for the Statewide General Election (Propositions 65 and 67) and Fairfax Special Municipal Election (Measure C) .

YES on Proposition 67. Eight years ago, Sustainable Fairfax initiated the first plastic bag ban in the country that was (overwhelmingly) approved at the ballot box. Since then, plastic bag bans have spread like wildfire around the world, and in September 2014 the Governor approved Senate Bill 270, a statewide plastic bag ban.  The plastic bag maker lobby – the American Progressive Bag Alliance – gathered the signatures necessary for a Referendum placed on the ballot as Proposition 67.  This lobby has spent millions to defeat the ban.  Please help us protect the environment, take steps towards eliminating plastic from our landfills and oceans, and RETAIN this new law.  Vote YES on 67!!!

NO on Proposition 65.  This proposition, put on the ballot by the plastic lobby, conflicts with Proposition 67.  Prop 65 requires grocers to donate the 10 cent bag fee to specific environmental causes, while Proposition 67 allows the grocer to use the bag fee funds to comply with the bag ban law (ie for purchasing reusable bags and providing education about the single-use bag issue).  Some believe the only purpose of this proposition is to confuse voters and divide the environmental vote. We are in favor of bag fees, but taking away these funds from the grocers is not the answer.  And, if Prop 65 received more votes than Prop 67, it may actually supersede Prop 67.  Vote NO on 65!!!

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YES on the Fairfax Measure C.  This is a general tax measure to continue a retail transactions and use tax in Fairfax for an additional ten years, and to increase the Fairfax sales tax rate from ½ % to ¾ %.  We believe this tax measure is necessary to cover increases in the Town’s public service costs and to fund important projects to improve safety for our residents. The ¼% increase (translating to just 25 cents for every $100 spent), will help the Town fund projects such as street paving, sidewalk repair, trail expansion for wildfire safety, community planning for disaster evacuations, and senior and youth programs. The sales tax is a fair way for our many visitors to contribute to our Town livelihood when they enjoy our stores and restaurant. Find out more about Measure C here>>

Filed Under: Policy, Zero Waste Tagged With: plastic bag ban, zero waste

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