1000 Grandmothers Legislative Working Group signs on to many letters and legislative coalition efforts every month.   For example, this month we signed onto a letter calling on Secretary Haaland and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Lefton to issue a final 5-year plan with no new leases and to phase out existing drilling.  The letter was circulated by the Center for Biological Diversity.

"HAVE YOU HEARD" - Climate News Highlights  

bad news
The Carbon Bankroll is a new report that explains "the climate impact of companies’ banking practices.” They call it a financial footprint. The report calls on companies (and many do have climate impact reduction goals) to put the pressure on banks to decarbonize their climate footprint. The report language is new and a bit tricky, but stick with it if you like to understand the back end of the climate crisis.

good news
SB 54, Solid Waste: Reporting, Packaging and Plastic Food Service Ware has passed the legislature and been signed by Governor Newsom.  SB 54 reduces the amount of plastic packaging over the coming decade.  Climate justice advocates are concerned about some omissions in the bill but it's a step forward in cutting plastic pollution.

Pongamia—A Super Tree?
Canary Media reports on the discovery of a tree that grows world-wide that many think can be a new and plentiful food source and fight climate change.   

Grandmothers are experienced and wise enough to be wary of “miracles” that will save the planet. That said, growing more food with a smaller environmental footprint while reducing carbon on the planet does sound like something we need to hear more about. Clearly it is not a “new” tree, as people in Asia used it for medicinal purposes in ancient times. The startup behind this venture is based in Oakland, so you can easily find out more, including their ideas for biofuel, which is a downside of their program so far.

Largest East Coast Wetlands Get a Temporary Stay from Mining:
The wetlands of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Georgia store as much CO2 as 20 million cars emit in a year.  Green Century management along with the Felician Sisters of North America filed a shareholder proposal with Chemour, the only US miner of titanium, against the extraction of titanium from the swamp. Chemour obliged the resolution by stating it would not mine there for the next five years. In a related struggle, Twin Pines Minerals LLC is trying to conduct mining 3 miles from the refuge. A coalition is fighting that environmental threat. Read more

Recycling Car Batteries in Your Future?
Recycling spent car batteries may not seem like a top-of-our-list issue, but that day will come before we know it. Stay tuned for California legislation that will determine who will be responsible to monitor and ensure car battery reuse and recycling is done properly. This is especially important because of concerns about the environmental justice impact of lithium mining. This Canary Media post explains the four top policy ideas to date. Assemblyperson Ting is crafting a 2023 legislative bill based on recommendations by the California Lithium-ion Car Battery Recycling Advisory Group.

RESOURCES:
Sierra Magazine- Summer Issue on Carbon
The summer issue of Sierra Magazine is devoted to articles that explain different approaches to capturing carbon emissions. It’s a Carbon Capture 101 that doesn’t go as far as Hoodwinked in the Hothouse,  but does take corporations to task and makes the complex science accessible. We especially recommend the article Suck it Up.
Drilled News
This podcast/website by award-winning journalist Amy Westervelt, “investigates the various barriers to delay on climate action.” It has an audience of more than a million, has received rave reviews from The New Yorker, The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Review of Books, and received a 2019 “Excellence in Digital Storytelling” award from the Online News Association.
New Films: Big Oil’s Environmental Racism
See the HipHop Caucus miniseries about grassroots activists stopping the industry from building petrochemical plants on Indigenous burial grounds and former plantations, co-opting residential and commercially zoned land for their heavy industry, shutting down schools and relocating post offices and community centers.
Information and links

BOOK RECOMMENDATION
(2021) by Imbolo Mbue, How Beautiful We Were 
In novel form, both literally and figuratively, Cameroonian-American author Imbolo Mbue captures the pain and the cruelty meted out on the people of one African village whose land has become the object of oil development. Mbue’s rich and unique style reflects both a kind of simplicity and depth in this heart-rending tale. Even though it’s fictional, How Beautiful We Were bitterly describes how the health of communities and their cultures are ravaged by corporate greed in real life, not only in Africa but on nearly every continent. Mbue received the PEN/Faulkner award for her 2016 book, Behold the Dreamers
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GRANDMA SAYS  

Dear Grandma,
It’s really important that grandmothers are showing up at public actions that raise awareness about the urgency of strong climate action and disrupt business as usual. But the power of fossil fuel companies continues, destroying more and more of what we need for a healthy future. What else can we do?
Worried

Dear Worried,
You’re right, we have to work on many levels.  In this election year, we have to do whatever we can to elect people who will stand up to that power – and follow up afterwards to make sure they do. But what the fossil fuel companies need most in order to keep going is: money!  Here's one way to go after the money that gives the fossil fuel industry its power.

 

A coalition of more than 200 organizations is campaigning on several levels to “Stop the Money Pipeline” (“If we stop the flow of money, we can stop the flow of oil.”)  They target the main banks that invest in fossil fuels, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Citibank; BlackRock asset management company; and insurance companies like Liberty Mutual. They organize customers and shareholders and keep up public pressure.  They also work with campaigns for divestment from fossil fuels by pension funds, universities, state and local governments, and other institutions, and demand action from government decision-makers.
In its 2021 report,  STMP writes: “Financial institutions ― from banks to asset managers; insurers to pension funds ― remain a million miles away from where they need to be. And yet, we also witnessed some significant developments, in 2021.” Some banks and insurance companies have dropped plans for investment in specific projects like coal mines, tar sands mining, and the Transmountain pipeline. 
Many colleges and universities, including the University of California, have committed to divesting from fossil fuels. And in April, more than 10% of shareholders at Citi, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo voted for resolutions to end support for new fossil fuel projects. According to the STMP website, “Any resolution that receives at least 5% of the vote is eligible to be refiled next year, and anything that receives 10% or more is considered difficult for a company to ignore.  Find ways you can help stop the money pipeline here
In addition to my hope that this is a strategy that is actually effective, I find that activism and helping to build community are both good antidotes to my feelings of hopelessness.  
Warmly,
Grandma 

OUR ORGANIZATIONAL WORK - inside story 

COORDINATING COMMITTEE
The Coordinating committee is having good, long awaited conversations about strategy for 1000 Grandmothers.  Understanding that individuals will come and go, and that this is a moment in history when there are so many things that we all care about, and that need responding to, and good organizing, we are still committed to having a focus on climate justice. This conversation is about how to keep, and communicate about that focus.  Also, we have been planning for our first gathering since Covid!  We hope to see you all there!!!!
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REMINDER*1000 Grandmothers in-person GATHERING*
FRIDAY JULY 15, 12:30-3:30
Potluck
Location: Shorebird Park, Berkeley- at the foot of University Ave. near the Berkeley Pier.  Picnic spot 2.  closest to the playground.  There is a parking lot right near.  Link for map and parking lots: https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/parks recreation/parks/shorebird-park  If you are taking public transportation, or have a question, contact Grace at: gracehisave@gmail.com
* There  is a current Covid surge, so we are requesting that Grandmothers mask at this event, and take a rapid Covid test Friday morning.
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ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP
Looking forward to an Information Session!? We have had such a robust response to our outreach that we now have a bit of a backlog. We're planning two sessions in July and two in August, so if you are on our list, you should hear from us soon. 
These sessions are for women interested in 1000 Grandmothers and for members--new or old--who want to learn more about 1000 Grandmothers.  Each session will outline the organization’s history, principles, structure, etc., and offer various paths to involvement.
To get on the list, send an email to Info@1000Grandmothers.net  asking about sessions in the fall. We can't wait to see you!  

ART IN NONVIOLENT DIRECT ACTION GROUP
Grandmothers who are forming a group to promote art in nonviolent direct action will meet (outdoors) July 12, brainstorming for the logistics of delivering banners, signs, and other art to actions, collecting and storing the art, and creating Art in community. Whether you have done art or not, you are most welcome.  If you cannot make it and are interested in joining the Art Team, please let Jane or Kat know. 
Meeting will be on Jane’s patio, with direct access to a bathroom. Please bring your own snacks/lunch and something to drink out of. Jane will have water and tea. If you feel so inclined, bring any images or words or ideas that speak to you about grandmothers / the sacred / Mother Earth / anything else that is moving you.
The house is about an 18 min walk from BART, with one very steep block at the end. If you would prefer getting picked up at BART, let us know.
jpperry@berkeley.edu
new55kat@gmail.com
Tuesday, July 12, noon
5814 Margarido Drive
Oakland. 94618
(510) 428-2363 Jane’s land line

LEGISLATIVE WORKING GROUP
Bay Area Grandmothers: Sign Up to Meet with Your State Legislators
1000 Grandmothers for Future Generations is working with 350 Bay Area Action, planning to schedule online meetings with Bay Area state Senators and Assembly Members to advocate for environmental bills that 350 Bay Area and 1000 Grandmothers support. Here are the legislators who we hope will be scheduled for virtual meetings: State Senators: Bill Dodd, Steven Glazer, Nancy Skinner, Bob Wieckowski, Scott Wiener, Mike McGuire Assembly Members: Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Mia Bonta, Timothy Grayson, Marc Levine, Bill Quirk, Buffy Wicks, Jim Wood, Matt Haney

If you want to be on the notification list for these meetings, please send an e-mail with “Grandmother” in the subject heading to Susan Penner at susanpennerbybay@gmail.com.  Please reply soon as we hope meetings will take place this month.  If you know the names of your state Senator and Assembly Member, please include that information in your reply.  We will keep you posted when the meetings are scheduled.  Contact Susan any time if you have questions, just be sure to put “Grandmother” in the subject line. Your voice matters! We hope to hear back from you soon!
We need your voice to push these landmark climate bills over the finish line.

Tell your California Assemblymember to support SB 260 (Senators Wiener and Stern). This bill passed the Senate and is awaiting a vote in the Assembly. SB 260 would require corporations with total annual revenues over a billion dollars that do business in California to report the greenhouse gas emissions from their operations.

Tell your California Senator to support AB 2026 (Assemblymember Friedman). The bill passed in the Assembly is awaiting a vote in the Senate.  AB 2026 would reduce single-use plastics used to ship online purchases in and out of California.  Tell your California Senator to support a companion bill to SB54, AB 2026 (Assemblyman Friedman).  The bill passed in the Assembly is awaiting a vote in the Senate.  AB 2026 would reduce single use plastics used to ship on-line purchases in and out of California.

You can find out how to contact your legislator by going to:  https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/who-are-my-representatives.  Click on “State Senators,” “Senate,” then “Senate Roster,” and scroll down to the name of your Senator to get their phone number, mailing address and other contact information.  Click on “State Assembly” then “Members” and scroll down to the name of your Assembly Member and their contact information.