Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Demand Carter's get toxic chemicals out of baby clothes

 Carter’s is the #1 seller of baby and children’s clothing in the US, but lags behind competitors in removing toxic chemicals from its clothing.

Join us in calling on Carter's, the largest retailer of baby clothes, to clean up its act and End Toxic Textiles in its supply chain.

Thanks to pressure from nearly 15,000 consumers, in March 2020, Carter's released a public Restricted Substances List (RSL). But, an RSL only limits what harmful chemicals can be present in the products worn by kids in the US and does not limit what chemicals can be used during manufacturing.

This means that garment workers and our planet could still be exposed to harmful and persistent chemicals - Carter's needs to disclose a Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL)!

We're asking Carter's to adopt a strong, public chemical management policy that will protect workers and the planet, by restricting which chemicals can be used in the fields and factories of its supply chain. We also want Carter's to develop plans to restrict/replace the most toxic chemicals with safer alternatives, and we want Carter's to publicly report on its timeline and progress.

Carter's is a leader in selling baby clothes in the country. Join us in encouraging it to become a leader in cleaner clothes that are better for people and the planet.

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

First GM, now Nissan! Demand that Toyota and Fiat-Chrysler also drop their opposition to the Clean Air Act

After Consumer Reports members delivered more than 75,000 petition signatures, the largest automaker in the country, General Motors, dropped its opposition to vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards in California. While GM must do more to earn consumers' trust, this is a step in the right direction for consumers, who will lose out on $300 billion in gas savings over the coming years if the original standards aren’t upheld. And it’s the right thing to do for our climate, too.

Now we need the remaining dominoes to fall. We need your help calling on Toyota and Fiat-Chrysler to withdraw their opposition to the Clean Air Act and support the original clean cars standards.

Can you send a quick message to the executives at Toyota and Fiat-Chrysler asking them to drop their opposition to cleaner air and more fuel savings?


After you’re done sending your message, please forward this email to friends and family to encourage them to send a message as well. 

Link to action:

Saturday, October 10, 2020

TAKE ACTION: DAPL needs a robust environmental review

DAPL continues flowing. 

Despite several victories, the fight to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) continues. After many years in court, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Earthjustice were able to get a court to order the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This is what we’ve wanted — for the Corps to adequately consider the environmental impacts of DAPL — but there’s no guarantee the Corps will partner with the Tribe in a manner necessary to adequately consider DAPL’s impact.

This is where you come in. The Corps is starting what’s known as a “scoping phase” — a period where they will take the public’s comment about what impacts should be included in the EIS. We need you to urge the Corps to work with the Tribe to ensure the EIS is comprehensive and respects the Tribe’s sovereignty. Demand a full assessment of the pipeline's impacts by sending an official written comment before October 26, 2020. 

This scoping phase could make or break the EIS. First, it will tell us whether or not the Corps is willing to engage the Tribe as equal partners and respect their long established treaty rights — something that should have been done from the outset. Second, a successful scoping phase could lead the Corps to study the climate impacts of oil flowing through DAPL, the safety hazards posed by the pipeline, or alternative routes for the pipeline that don’t threaten the Tribe. However, none of this can happen if we don’t show overwhelming support for a robust EIS in the public comment period.

Why is the EIS important? Because as of now DAPL has no permit to operate, and the decision about whether to grant them one will be based on the EIS. An EIS that fully considers the risks of this project and honors the rights of the Tribe will help build our case for the permit to be denied
.
This is why we must push and fight. DAPL was built on stolen land considered sacred by the Tribe — it never should have been built in the first place. Please join us in telling the Corps to chart a new course by conducting a comprehensive EIS that respects the Tribe’s sovereignty

Take action by submitting a written comment before October 26th: 

http://ejus.tc/NODAPL


More information about the rule making process:

https://www.regulations.gov/?tab=learn

Another way to take action: 

The Army Corps of Engineers is hosting two virtual public meetings (October 15th and October 16th from 6-9PM CT) about the EIS. We need you to show up and tell them to conduct a full EIS in close consultation with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Speak out at the Dakota Access Pipeline Virtual Public Meeting 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020 AT 4 PM MST – 7 PM MST

Part of this comment period will be two virtual hearings on Facebook live where we all have a chance to tell the Corps how we feel about this project. Let's all show up for at least part of these virtual hearings to loudly tell the Army Corps #nodapl!

Here's more information on the event hosted by the Army Corps: https://www.facebook.com/events/807308510009638/

Earthjustice will provide the link to their Facebook live where you can leave your comment when it's live.

Friday, October 9, 2020

Chase announces plan to align with Paris Agreement, but....


Amidst all the chaos and anxiety of 2020, a remarkable thing happened this week: JP Morgan Chase committed to align its business model with the Paris Climate Agreement — including all the loans it makes.

JPMorgan Chase has announced it is adopting a financing commitment that is aligned to the goals of the Paris Agreement. As part of its strategy, the firm intends to help clients navigate the challenges and capitalize on the long-term economic and environmental benefits of transitioning to a low-carbon world.

It’s a testament to the years of activist pressure that Chase has finally moved. You can read all about the announcement here.

It’s a significant step, especially for the world's largest funder of fossil fuels. But as our country burns and the Amazon dieswe need leaps, not steps. 

This new commitment doesn’t stop Chase from providing loans to coal companies. It doesn’t stop Chase from doing business with tar sands companies that are violating Indigenous peoples’ rights. It doesn’t stop Chase from loaning to fossil fuel companies that are still aggressively expanding their operations.

Chase’s announcement is a big deal — but it is nowhere near enough.

Can you take 3 actions today to demand that JPMorgan chase follow up this announcement with immediate action?

  1. Call Chase CEO Jamie Dimon at 212-270-1111. There’s a short call script you can use here.
  2. Email Chase executives and board members to demand that they follow up this announcement with immediate action. There is a template email and the email addresses of Chase senior decision makers here. All you need to do is copy and paste the message, and email it to these top two decision makers at the world’s largest funder of fossil fuels.
  3. Click here to Tweet at Chase and spread the word about the announcement — and its shortcomings.

There is no doubt that the only reason Chase is starting to act on climate is the pressure it’s feeling from the climate movement. Now we just need to keep it up until it’s actions match it’s lofty words.

-Stop the Money Pipeline

More information: 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201006006106/en/JPMorgan-Chase-Adopts-Paris-Aligned-Financing-Commitment

https://stopthemoneypipeline.com/chase-climate-announcement/



Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Public Comments: Exploratory drilling in Patagonia Mountains


The San Antonio exploratory drilling project, located on the eastern side of the Patagonia Mountains and owned by junior Canadian mining company Barksdale Resources, is now listed on the Forest Service SOPA page. The scoping period is currently underway, and the Forest Service is accepting public comments through October 19, 2020.

Currently, the Forest Service lists the San Antonio project as a categorical exclusion (CE). This means the project does not need to go through an environmental assessment, as it is “a kind of action that has no significant individual or cumulative effect on the quality of the human environment.”

However, we're skeptical of this decision for many reasons, including project size, safety issues, road traffic, and wildlife impacts on known sensitive, threatened, and endangered species (including the yellow-billed cuckoo).

Patagonia Area Resource Alliance is currently working on writing organizational comments for this project, but we also need individuals to send comments in on this project. The Forest Service must count every comment, big or small—so the more we speak up on this, the better.

However, comments must include specific details to be counted. To help the public write comments, PARA will be hosting two workshops via Zoom at the end of September. These workshops will walk you through the steps and considerations needed to write comments on the San Antonio project.

Tuesday, September 29; 6 - 7 p.m. Arizona:

URL: Join Zoom Meeting > 
Meeting ID: 811 8115 7270
Passcode: 095638

Phone: +1 669 900 6833
Meeting ID: 811 8115 7270
Passcode: 095638

Saturday, October 3; 10 - 11 a.m. Arizona:

URL: Join Zoom Meeting >
Meeting ID: 828 0020 6825
Passcode: 866962

Phone: +1 669 900 6833
Meeting ID: 828 0020 6825
Passcode: 866962

Friday, September 4, 2020

Public Input Invited: Maricopa County Hazard Mitigation Plan


Maricopa County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Begins

Public Input Invited. (Información en español abajo)

Maricopa County is seeking public input on the community risk to natural hazards. This information will be used to assist our planning efforts while updating the Maricopa County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.

More information: https://www.maricopa.gov/1760/Hazard-Mitigation

Click the below link to access the survey:

https://asu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dg0l5C2nWNOKAwl

Se Invita al Público a Dar Su Opinión
Comienza la actualización del Plan Multijurisdiccional de Mitigación de Peligros del Condado Maricopa
El Condado Maricopa busca la opinión del público sobre el riesgo de la comunidad ante los peligros naturales. Esta información se utilizará para ayudar en nuestros esfuerzos de planificación mientras se actualiza el Plan Multijurisdiccional de Mitigación de Riesgos del Condado Maricopa.

Más información: https://www.maricopa.gov/1760/Hazard-Mitigation

Haga clic en el enlace para acceder a la encuesta:
https://asu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8iGTEQSIjxGDiM5

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Tweet your support of this Morning's Border Wall Protest: against the Stinger, Bridge, & Iron - Fisher Industries



Please, share the twitter links below to show support of this morning's this Morning's Border Wall Protest: Akimel O’odham, Hia-Ced O’odham, Tohono O’odham, & Allies Against Stinger, Bridge, & Iron - Fisher Industries.

COOLIDGE, ARIZONA - On August 26, 2020 Akimel O’odham, Hia-Ced O’odham, Tohono O’odham, & Allies will gather at Stinger Bridge and Iron, a bridge manufacturing company that is owned by Fisher Industries, to protest its production of panels for the border wall extension. Fisher Industries prides itself in building “unbuildable’ walls”, using their patented bollard hanging system, allowing them to build one-mile of border wall per day. Located in Akimel O’odham territory in so-called Coolidge, Arizona, Stinger Bridge & Iron loads panels of steel slabs to be transported to Hia-Ced O’odham traditional territory - known to settlers as Organ Pipe National Monument, Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge, and the Barry Goldwater Bombing Range.

Tax fraud, environmental harms, underhanded dealings, and corruption were well documented in the Fisher family business long before Bannon’s ‘We Build the Wall” illicit dealings made headlines. Legal issues with the Fisher family range from tax fraud, to child pornography, to multiple infractions with the Environmental Protection Agency. These types of behaviors are unacceptable on O’odham jeved.

Current harms perpetuated by Fisher Sand and Gravel and its subsidiary companies includes the destruction of sacred sites, burial sites, and environment in unceded O’odham territory. The border wall’s impact is permanent. Depletion of vital water sources for the mixture of concrete and paving of roads has already caused irreversible damage. In the interest of protecting the water, our culture, and the future of our people we must stand together and against this attack on our traditional territory.

We demand that Fisher Industries, the United States Government, and all other occupying entities cease and desist building the wall. We demand that Stinger Bridge and Iron stop assembling panels for transport. We demand that Fisher stop abusing our sacred ecosystem, and stop using groundwater for their destructive projects.

-Dan Millis of the Sierra Club


###


Tweets to share:

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Tell EPA to tighten national limit on dangerous smog pollution



Smog -- pollution caused by emissions from everything from coal plants to cars -- is choking too many of our communities. Even worse, when you look at the communities most impacted by bad air quality, almost all of them tend to be Black, Indigenous, or Latinx neighborhoods -- a remnant of decades of redlining and environmental racism which continues today.

In March of 2018 we fought TEP's proposal to install 10 gas-fired RICE engines at the Sundt power plant in Tucson's South-side. One of the problems the community faced in responding to how TEP's permit complied with PDEQ's code was the absence of cardon dioxide standards. That's right! The code doesn't include carbon dioxide standards because Scott Pruitt put a hold on the Clean Power Plan.

The Trump administration's new proposal for smog pollution is to literally do nothing -- another botched response during a time that demands radical change. Send in an official public comment now and be sure to tell your story about how air quality affects you and your community:

We're in the middle of a major pandemic that attacks our lungs, and the Trump EPA is proposing a 'do-nothing' smog pollution plan that will make it harder for Americans to breathe clean, safe air.

Smog pollution from power plants, factories, cars and other sources irritates the lungs, exacerbates conditions like asthma, and is linked to a wide array of serious diseases and even premature deaths. Children and seniors with respiratory illnesses are especially harmed by smog pollution, as are the people that live primarily in Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities.

To keep us safe from harmful smog pollution, the EPA is supposed to regularly update the national standard based on the best available medical and scientific evidence. But instead of following the strong evidence that the current standard is inadequate to protect Americans from smog, the Trump EPA wants to keep the existing weak standard in place.

Please, tell the EPA to tighten the national limit on dangerous smog pollution -- down to 60 parts per billion -- to protect Americans from smog.

We must raise our voices and demand the EPA stop putting Americans' health at risk, including those living in our most polluted communities. The best way to do this is by sharing your own personal story.

Do you or a loved one have asthma or a respiratory disease that is particularly dangerous by smog pollution? Please tell the EPA your story and why it's important for the administration to strengthen the smog standard today.

EPA is taking comments from the public on its 'do-nothing' smog pollution plan through October 1. The agency is also hosting virtual hearings on August 31 and September 1. Share your story here.

The medical and scientific evidence is clear, and the status quo is insufficient. EPA must strengthen the outdated smog pollution standard now.

- Jonathan Levenshus
Beyond Coal Campaign, Sierra Club

Sign up to testify for EPA's virtual hearings here!  Mon, Aug 31, 2020 8:00 AM (Eastern) - Tues, Sep 1, 2020 6:30 PM (Eastern)

Want to receive a text alert every time the air is unsafe in your area? Sign up here or text BADAIR to 69866.

More Information:

The American Lung Association "State of the Air" report.

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality: Air Quality Hourly Forecast | Tucson


Formaldehyde is top air pollutant in South Tucson, according to EPA’s outdated data - Jan. 2020

Tucson's air pollution violates federal ozone standards for the first time - July 6, 2020


Saturday, August 22, 2020

Say “No” to the Lake Powell Pipeline


There is a massive proposed diversion of the Colorado River to provide municipal water to Washington and Kane Counties in southwest Utah. These municipal water users are among the most wasteful water users in America, using more than twice the national average of water, per-person.

The 140-mile-long Lake Powell Pipeline would pump 86,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water each year to Utah’s Washington County. The proposed routes for the Lake Powell Pipeline would pass through lands that are culturally significant or sacred to the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, potentially disturbing or impeding access to these areas. 

Reducing water consumption through conservation is a better way for Utah to meet its water needs, rather than building the Lake Powell Pipeline. Too much is at stake for the people and wildlife that rely on the Colorado River.

The Colorado River Basin not only supports 40 million people, but also some of the most abundant and diverse bird communities in the arid West. We must find water solutions that work for both people and nature.

Take action, and tell the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that any alternative approving the Lake Powell Pipeline is unacceptable.

The environmental analysis for the Lake Powell Pipeline fails to document the complete range of expected impacts to Colorado River flows and the 27 endangered, threatened, and sensitive species of fish, amphibians, reptiles, plants, birds—such as the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Summer Tanager, Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and Yuma Ridgway’s Rail—and other wildlife that depend on downstream habitats. Compounded by a changing climate and 21-year drought effectively reducing water flows in the Colorado River, the additional depletion of more than 80,000 acre-feet of water annually through the proposed Pipeline will increase the magnitude of these impacts.

Without rectifying these problems, both the environment and the Basin’s communities—including those in Utah—face a great risk.

- Karyn Stockdale
National Audubon Society




The deadline for comments is September 8, 2020.

For more impact, please, include a personalized message with the following statement (follow link to the petition above.) :

Subject: Please reconsider alternatives to the Lake Powell Pipeline

To the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation:

At this time, the only alternative I support for the Lake Powell Pipeline is the "no action" alternative. As presented, this project poses a threat to the Colorado River and the people and wildlife that rely on it. We must find solutions to our water demands that work for both people and nature.

The environmental analysis for the Pipeline fails to document the complete range of impacts expected with development of the proposed project. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has a responsibility--not presently met in the draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)--to provide a full analysis and accounting for all impacts of the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline. The DEIS is based on an incomplete hydrologic assessment, does not adequately address the water conservation alternative, fails to fully consider senior Tribal water rights, and does not take into consideration the unresolved legal implications of inter-basin transfers.

Water demands exceed supply in the Colorado River Basin, and climate change is further exacerbating this supply-demand imbalance. An additional depletion of more than 80,000 acre-feet annually through the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline will increase the magnitude of each of these impacts.

The Bureau of Reclamation should follow past successes by working with the seven Colorado River Basin states, Mexico, and water providers and users throughout the Basin to find solutions that work for both people and nature. The Bureau of Reclamation should not issue a Record of Decision for the Lake Powell Pipeline until the seven Colorado River Basin States reach consensus on the nature of any required legislation to permit the Pipeline's inter-basin water transfer.

At this time, the only supportable alternative is the "no action" alternative for the Lake Powell Pipeline.


MORE INFORMATION

Ad





A county in Utah wants to suck 77 million gallons a day out of Lake Powell - Los Angeles Times

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Protect native voting rights now!


Voting rights are under under attack in America. It's time to pass legislation protecting our most vulnerable communities. The Native American Voting Rights Act (NAVRA) — co-authored by Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and U.S. House Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) — will ensure tribal polling places have proper voting equipment, require tribal consultation on polling site locations, and provide tribes with the resources they need to carry out full and fair elections. Join us in calling on Congress to pass NAVRA. Let's ensure that the voices of Native communities are counted and heard.

Find the call to action here: https://action.lakotalaw.org/action/pass-navra

Watch video: https://youtu.be/MBS6_s6r_vY

You likely recall that, in 2018, North Dakota passed a voter ID law specifically aimed at disenfranchising Native citizens without street addresses. I remain grateful that you leapt into action at that time, helping us Standing Rock the Vote. Together, we put 100 tribal volunteers on the street, printed 800 new IDs, and doubled turnout over the prior midterm.

But other Indigenous communities around the U.S. aren’t so fortunate. Many face significant hurdles, such as remote or difficult-to-reach polling locations, language barriers, and no vote-by-mail option. NAVRA will address these concerns and more.

I also want you to know that we’re just getting started. We intend to engage the members of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Association — the leaders of 16 tribes throughout North and South Dakota and Nebraska. We’ll also organize with tribal nations around the country to gain bipartisan support, and we’ll train a group of ambassadors from Standing Rock to phonebank and turn out the national Native vote, come election time. The tribe has also requested a congressional hearing.

Voter suppression within communities of color must end, right now. We have the opportunity to make a tremendous difference — not just for folks on reservations, but for the future of our nation. Please join us in what could be the most important action we’ve ever undertaken together.

Wopila tanka — my thanks for standing with Native voters!

Phyllis Young
Standing Rock Organizer
The Lakota People’s Law Project

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Calls needed: Congress extend unemployment benefits now



The clock is ticking for many of the 30 million people who have been receiving unemployment benefits. Across the country, those benefits have either already expired or are set to expire tomorrow, because Republicans in the Senate refuse to take action to provide real relief.

Instead, Senate Republicans unveiled a new stimulus package bill that seeks to lower unemployment benefits for folks who are already struggling to put food on the table while, infuriatingly, doubling the so-called "three-martini lunch deduction."1 The Trump administration and Senate Republicans are not listening to the American people, and we need them to do better.

Will you call your senators and demand they extend the $600 COVID-19 unemployment benefit until the pandemic is over?

  • Sen. Sinema - (202) 224-4521
  • Sen. McSally - (202) 224-2235

Under the plan released by Mitch McConnell and the Senate GOP, unemployed workers would receive only $200 per week. This is not enough to survive on, let alone manage household, health care, childcare, food, and transportation expenses. What's more, this plan would require states to switch to a new and complicated system to calculate and distribute payments to jobless workers.

This is especially cruel, given that many states are already struggling to meet the demands of distributing the current benefits, which are much simpler to administer. This would delay payments for many families who are already struggling, nearly 50% of whom are people of color, who have been hardest hit by the pandemic. 

The pandemic is far from over, and the Senate needs to take the kind of action that will make sure each and every American can get through these difficult times. This is why, last week, Move on delivered over 1.6 million signatures in Washington, D.C., to demand that Congress and the Senate extend the $600 COVID-19 unemployment benefit.

We need the Senate to act with the American people in mind and pass the HEROES Act, which will ensure that the $600 unemployment benefits are extended until the end of the pandemic.

- Move on team

Source: 

1. "Senate GOP won't extend pandemic food stamps but doubles 'three-martini lunch' deduction," The Washington Post, July 28, 2020 

More Information:

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Call now: Demand the Senate pass the HEROES Act


The #GOPVacation is over, and we need to make sure the Republican Senate stops blocking relief for essential workers, the unemployed, and all of us still coping with the pandemic. 

Every senator needs to hear from constituents on this: Democrats need to hear that constituents are ready to fight to get HEROES passed—and Republicans need to know we won't stand for their obstruction! Will you call your senators, Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally, today to demand they pass the HEROES Act? 

Here's where to call: 
  • Sen. Sinema - (202) 224-4521
  • Sen. McSally - (202) 224-2235

Congress is back in session after two weeks of vacation, and Republicans are still stalling, even as the coronavirus crisis spirals further out of control and the economy heads toward another cliff. In the two months since the House passed the HEROES Act, there’ve been nearly 2 million confirmed cases and 50,000 more confirmed deaths from COVID-19. Just last week, the U.S. saw a record-setting 77,200 new, confirmed cases in one day alone.1

It’s urgent the Republican-controlled Senate act today, and it’s urgent all senators hear from their constituents today. Democrats must continue to fight for HEROES, and Republicans must be pressured to act.

Call Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally now and ask them to pass the HEROES Act to protect essential workers and provide essential relief to the people who need it most.

MoveOn's executive director Rahna Epting is in Washington, D.C., today delivering your petition signature with over 2.5 million other MoveOn members signatures, all calling upon the Senate to support essential workers by providing critical COVID-19 relief, hazard pay, and funding. Coronavirus is still raging across the U.S., but the Republican-controlled Senate still hasn’t acted to provide essential workers and our communities with relief.

The country is being ravaged by Republican inaction, and the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis have an especially enormous impact on low-wage frontline workers and Black, brown, Asian American, Indigenous, and migrant communities. It’s urgent the Senate act immediately to provide critical relief for all workers and communities in the U.S.

Call now to demand Sens. Sinema and McSally get back to work right away to pass the HEROES Act before essential programs expire. 

Let’s flood their phone lines so all senators hear this loud and clear: Pass the HEROES Act now.

*Also, see links to their website in the column to the right.


1. "U.S. reports 77,200 new coronavirus cases, shattering one-day record," CNBC, July 17, 2020

Saturday, July 18, 2020

Sierra Club 2020 Environmental Report Card

Actions by the 2020 Arizona Legislature and Governor Ducey Doing more harm than good


Sierra Club released its 2020 Environmental Report Card for the Arizona Legislature and Governor. This year’s report card broke heavily along partisan lines and while fewer harmful bills reached the Governor’s desk, the ones that did were detrimental to efforts to address the climate crisis and protect endangered plants and animals.

Two damaging bills reached Governor Ducey’s desk and he signed them. That is enough for him to earn a failing grade on the 2020 report card. He signed HB2686 , a measure that pre-empts local action on climate change relative to utilities within cities and counties and that was promoted by Southwest Gas to keep communities from limiting the expanded use of fracked gas within their jurisdictions. The Governor also signed HB2749, which allows data about endangered species on private lands to be kept a secret from the public. This enables big developers, mining operations, and agribusiness to hide vital information about endangered species from the people and even from other agencies.

You can find the complete report card in English here and in Spanish here.

Contact Governor Ducey

https://azgovernor.gov/engage/form/contact-governor-ducey

Arizona Governor Office, Phone

Thursday, July 2, 2020

ABC's of the ACC - Learn about this powerful AZ commission


One of the most impact things we can do for the environment is to advocate with the ACC regarding energy conservation and clean energy. 

The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) has jurisdiction over the quality of service and rates charged by public service utilities. The ACC also has the power to require energy companies to transition quicker to clean energy.

The Arizona Corporation Commission is a powerful entity in our state and three of its five seats are up for election this year. Join a virtual meeting to learn about the functions and structure of the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Sandy Bahr, Director of Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter, will talk to us about the ACC, the de facto fourth branch of government in Arizona, and the role it plays in determining policy. Learn how to stay informed and shape an ACC that reflects our values.

ABC's of the ACC

Sunday, July 12, 2020 at 3 PM – 4 PM

You will need to register to receive the Zoom link to attend this virtual meeting.

https://www.facebook.com/events/288098225724795/?active_tab=about

More information on the ACC:

https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2020/03/27/arizona-commits-to-100-clean-energy-by-2050/

Thursday, June 11, 2020

PUBLIC INPUT NEEDED on Ordinance 11746 regarding Obstructing an Officer in their Official Duties

Amid backlash, Tucson City Council will review ordinance on ...

PUBLIC INPUT: Ordinance 11746 Obstructing an Officer in their Official Duties

On June 23rd, the Mayor and Council will be discussing Ordinace 11746 related to the obstruction of an officer in performance of their official duties and are collecting public input.

The Ordinance prohibits a person from entering a crime scene or investigation scene without permission of an officer; and prohibits a person from knowingly obstructing or hindering a police officer or Community Service Officer who is exercising his or her official duties.

Please submit your input and please share this survey with others who may be interested.

https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/310/Issue_9027

https://opentownhall.com/p/310

On June 23rd, the Mayor and Council will be discussing Ordinance 11746 related to the obstruction of an officer in performance of their official duties and are collecting public input.

The Ordinance prohibits a person from entering a crime scene or investigation scene without permission of an officer; and prohibits a person from knowingly obstructing or hindering a police officer or Community Service Officer who is exercising his or her official duties.

The Ordinance also expressly codifies a person’s right to record police activities that take place in public. It doesn’t just recognize that right, it puts that right into our City Code.

The Ordinance expressly states that:

the public has a clear right to free speech and to record police activities that take place in public; and
the acts of recording police activity or engaging in constitutionally protected speech alone shall not be considered prohibited conduct under the ordinance.

The Mayor and Council discussed this Ordinance during the 4/21 Mayor and Council meeting. The link to that discussion is here: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/mcc-av/2020-04-21-MC-RS.mp4

The discussion of this item comes up at the 20:01 minute mark.

The ordinance is designed to address a particular practice of persons who interfere with police activities, often by confronting police officers carrying out their duties, interfering with their investigations, filming themselves, and then posting it online to troll for hits and views.

Tucson Police Chief Christopher Magnus explains, during the discussion, that this activity has been ongoing and real, and has happened throughout the city, endangering the safety of the public and officers.

You can read more about it in the story published in the Arizona Daily Star, shortly after the adoption of the Ordinance, here:

AZ Daily Star Article 4/27/2020

You can read a pdf of the ordinance, as adopted by Mayor and Council, here: Ordinance 1174

- Announcements from the City of Tucson

Sunday, May 31, 2020

Time to MOVE TUCSON: Fill out the city's transportation survey and interactive map



All this downtime has given Tucsonans a chance to reflect on how we do things here. When the city shut down, people drove less and air pollution decreased! As soon as the state weakened the stay at home recommendation, air quality got worse. This is a teachable moment!

Join Sustainable Tucson's next virtual Topical Issue Meeting to learn more about the Move Tucson public input process and how you can make your voice heard on a more inclusive transportation plan! 

Tuesday, June 9th, at 6pm

Join with Google Meet: meet.google.com/ehf-xquo-uso

Join by phone‪: +1 252-696-1240‬ PIN: ‪465 615 840‬#


The City of Tucson is preparing a city-wide transportation master plan that will create a mobility blueprint for the City’s future in a rapidly-changing world. The plan will be innovative, creative, and inclusive. By working together, we can commit ourselves to create a mobility future that works for all of us.

How can streets be made safer? How can we expand travel options so more people can walk, bike, or take public transit? How do we improve reliability of travel time, particularly as we grow? You help is needed in shaping the City’s vision and action plan to answer these questions and more. Together, we can create the city we want to be.

The City of Tucson has been hosting town meetings to introduce their mapping app. This app is so cool. You can click on specific areas and add your own suggestions of what should be included there (like sidewalks, biking trails, green infrastructure, shaded bus stops, safer crosswalks, etc.)

Do you know of an area of town that needs any of these features? Do you have your own ideas? This is your chance to share them!

Here is a link to the website with the transportation survey and the interactive map app. 

https://movetucson.org/

The outcome of the planning process will be a document that informs the Mayor and Council’s decisions in the very near future about policy, resources, and how welcoming and livable our city is to visitors, residents, and business owners.

#MoveTucson

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Call our Governor’s office and request some financial help for Borderlands Produce Rescue


During the coronavirus lockdown Bordelands Produce Rescue gave our community  the opportunity to eat healthy at an affordable price ($12 for 70 lbs of produce)  and also helped prevent food waste by keeping produce from being dumped in our landfills. 

Please, take a few minutes and call our Governor’s office and request some financial help for Borderlands Produce Rescue. There is definite power in numbers, please help by asking for some of the Food Bank Dollars set aside by the State to include Borderlands.

Governor Ducey: 602-542-4331 or send an email


TELL CONGRESS: GET PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TO NURSES FIGHTING THE CORONAVIRUS


Coronavirus cases are still on the rise in 17 states, and most health care facilities currently have less than a two-week supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).

In many hospitals, nurses have already taken desperate measures to cobble together their own protection with trash bags, swim goggles, office supplies, and even diapers. If something doesn't change soon, health care workers could be forced to choose between protecting themselves and treating patients.

The House of Representatives has passed new legislation, the HEROES Act, which is our strongest tool to ensure that workers have the equipment they need. Now, the Senate needs to pass this legislation.

The HEROES Act will ensure:
  • A national database that monitors medical supplies, drugs, and vaccines to ensure that progress is made toward closing gaps that lead to shortages;
  • Constant communication with Tribal, state, and local officials to ensure health care facilities have sufficient PPE and other medical supplies;
  • Prevention of price gouging due to demand of critical medical supplies; and
  • Funding to support mobile testing and contact tracing.
Health care workers shouldn't have to risk their lives.

Can you take a moment to ask your senators to get nurses the PPE they need?

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema : (202) 224-4521
Phoenix, AZ: tel: 602-598-7327

Sen. Martha McSally : (202) 224-2235
Phoenix, AZ: tel: 602-952-2410
Tucson, AZ: tel: 520-670-6334

It's best to speak in your own words, but here are some points to get you started:

Our health care workers don't have the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need to protect themselves in the coronavirus pandemic. Losing these workers due to infection or quarantine not only risks their health, but also endangers the stability of our entire health care system. I am calling to urge the senator to support the HEROES Act (S.2248) with all of its current provisions to maintain the medical supply chain. This act would require the White House to get health care workers the PPE they need and create an equitable and transparent process for the delivery of necessary supplies. I urge the senator to protect health care workers by supporting the HEROES Act.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Call Senators: Pass the Heroes Act to protect essential workers


Essential workers are on the front lines of this pandemic, and many are working in high-risk conditions without appropriate equipment, safety standards, compensation, or job protections. Democrats in the House have passed the HEROES Act, which includes an Essential Workers Bill of Rights and direct relief for millions suffering during this crisis, as well as support for state and city governments, the Postal Service, and expanded access to voting.

But now it's up to the Republican-controlled Senate—and all senators need to hear from constituents today so that all Democrats fight for this historic relief package and Republicans feel pressure to act!

Call your senators, Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally, now at 855-912-2982 and ask them to pass the HEROES Act to protect essential workers and provide essential relief to the people who need it most.

You could say this:

 Hi! My name is ____. I'm a constituent in Arizona, and I'm calling to urge you to pass the HEROES Act and include the full Essential Workers Bill of Rights to provide more relief to working people and families, not wealthy CEOs and shareholders. You have a responsibility to ensure ALL essential workers have the protections they need, the rights they are entitled to, and the compensation they deserve.

Today, in Washington, D.C., we're delivering your petition signature with over a million other MoveOn members' signatures to support essential workers. Partnering with Greenpeace, Daily Kos, and Courage Campaign, we've got over 2 million signatures demanding action from senators. We know the House heard us, as they included many of our demands for an Essential Workers Bill of Rights in the HEROES Act. Now we need to keep the pressure up to make sure the Senate follows suit.

Let's flood their inboxes and voicemails so all senators hear it loud and clear: Pass the HEROES Act to get essential workers the protections they need, the rights they are entitled to, and the compensation they deserve.

Call your senators today at 855-912-2982, because essential workers can't wait.

- MoveOn

Monday, May 18, 2020

Tell Congress: Essential workers deserve essential protections

Millions of essential workers across the country are rising to the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic and, unfortunately, are having to put their lives at risk to care for our communities. Essential workers from health care professionals to farm workers and grocery workers to bus drivers deserve support on the same scale they are providing to all of us. Pass an Essential Workers Bill of Rights in the next federal relief package to provide needed protections, compensation, and safety nets to all essential workers.
Why is this important?

Essential workers are on the frontlines of this pandemic, and many are working in high-risk conditions without appropriate equipment, safety standards, or job protections. Workers who remain on the job without the ability to telework during this emergency include doctors, nurses, home care workers and other healthcare workers, grocery store and drug store employees, domestic workers, food service workers, federal, state, and municipal employees, janitorial staff, farm workers, delivery drivers, warehouse workers, transportation workers, and child care workers. These workers put their health on the line when they go to work every day.

In New York City, 41 transit workers have died as of April 8, and reports of essential worker deaths are on the rise. There are grocery workers who are denied sick leave and whose companies won’t provide masks or allow masks to be worn in stores. And health care workers including medical technicians, orderlies, EMTs, nurses, doctors, hospital employees are working long hours to save lives while their own families are on the edge of health and financial disaster.

The country has a moral responsibility to protect essential worker’s health, to create financial security for their loved ones, and to offer peace of mind during a time of heightened mortal and emotional stress.

This includes policies like healthcare, paid sick leave, and workplace health standards to protect against more workers getting sick. We need hazard pay and childcare to properly compensate the risk workers are taking to benefit us, and enable them to keep coming to work. And we need to hold corporations who don’t follow these guidelines accountable because lives are on the line.

Congress continues to debate more relief efforts as the coronavirus pandemic deepens the health and economic crisis hitting our nation. The next bill must meet the needs of people and our communities, with an essential worker bill of rights, and not provide more corporate bailout funds. Congress should ensure that any taxpayer dollars handed to corporations go to help workers, not wealthy CEOs, rich shareholders, or the President’s cronies.

Congress should pass an Essential Workers Bill of Rights, including:
1. Health and safety protections
2. Robust premium compensation
3. Protections for collective bargaining agreements
4. Truly universal paid sick leave and family and medical leave
5. Protections for whistleblowers
6. An end to worker misclassification
7. Health care security
8. Support for child care
9. Treat workers as experts
10. Hold corporations accountable for meeting their responsibilities

Look up your Members of Congress here:

https://contactingcongress.org/

Find out who your Representative is:

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Ask Chase CEO to stop funding fossil fuels


Tuesday is JPMorgan Chase’s Annual General Meeting, which is the bank’s most important shareholder meeting of the year. Over the last few years, climate activists have asked Chase to align its business model with the Paris Agreement and stop violating indigenous rights. They’ve also pushed to get climate denier Lee Raymond kicked off the board.

This year, we can’t go out and protest outside the meeting, but we can still get CEO Jamie Dimon’s attention by flooding his phone and inbox with calls and messages asking him to take climate action. So, this Monday or Tuesday, take a few moments to call or write.

Call: 212-270-1111

Call Script: “I’m calling because I want to ask that JPMorgan Chase aligns its business model with the Paris Agreement goals of limiting global warming to below 1.5 degrees. I hope that JPMorgan Chase will phase out all business with the fossil fuel industry.”

After you call, please consider filling out this survey to let us know how it went.

You can also send Jamie Dimon a personal email urging him to end the bank’s funding of the climate crisis. Jamie Dimon’s email addresses are: jamie.dimon@jpmchase.com and executive.office@chase.com.

- The Years Project

#stopfundingFossils

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Ask your County Supervisors about Chuck Huckelberry's premature call to return to work


On May 4th, 2020 the Pima County Administrator, Chuck Huckelberry, emailed a memo to county employees, demanding they return to work. You can find the “Return to Work Guidelines” memo here: https://webcms.pima.gov/UserFiles/Servers/Server_6/File/Government/Administration/CHHmemosFor%20Web/2020/May/Return%20to%20Work.pdf

It appears the Pima County Supervisors were not consulted prior to the memo distribution to employees (the memo is actually addressed to Supervisors). It does not appear the "Business and Employee Health and Wellness Task Force," set-up by Huckelberry to map out a safe reopening of businesses, was consulted or notified prior to the memo's release. The memo is dated May 4 and the Task Force didn’t have an official meeting until today. You can check out the members of the Health and Wellness Task Force here: https://webcms.pima.gov/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=569992

The membership certainly reflects a Who’s Who of local business interests, but for a “health and wellness” group it seems strange there are no frontline healthcare workers, health scientists, epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists, occupational health experts, teachers, or directly impacted community-members.

We are concerned Administrator Huckelberry has acted unilaterally and prematurely, and that his recommendations put county employees at increased risk. Pima County is the ninth largest employer in Tucson, with over 6,000 employees. The memo ignores important realities for county employees who are parents or caregivers; without school, summer camps, day-cares and other resources available, the administrator is forcing employees to choose between their children and loved-ones and returning to work. It is alarming to see these restrictive and punitive policies outlined in a memo that shows no concern for the difficult circumstances county employees and their families are facing.

·
 
Find which Supervisor District you live in here: 
https://webcms.pima.gov/UserFiles/Servers/Server_6/File/Map%20Room/SupervisorialDistricts/allpc_bosdist.pdf

Ally Miller, district1@pima.gov, (520) 724-2738
Ramon Valadez, Chair district2@pima.gov ,(520) 724-8126
Sharon Bronson, district3@pima.gov, (520) 724-8051
Steve Christy, district4@pima.gov, (520) 724-8094
Betty Villegas, district5@pima.gov, (520) 724-8126.

To help ensure our county employees' health and welfare is protected, we encourage you to contact your County Supervisors with the questions below.

1. Did the Supervisors review and provide input into a draft of this memo? What alternative proposals were considered? Who is advising the Administrator on return to work strategies? What health professionals and infectious disease experts are included in the advisory task forces? What community members and workers are included? Why would Huckelberry require a return to work when the Business & Employee Health & Wellness Task Force hasn’t even had their first meeting?

2. What health data is being considered?
Why isn’t a phased and flexible approach the main strategy? The memo is contradictory in saying departments may use a phased in approach, but then saying all tele-work employees must return to work, at the in-person workspace, immediately.

3. Were the benefits of tele-work to employees, the county, and the community discussed and considered? Many employees can effectively work from home and by decreasing the in-person workforce they contribute to the safety of other employees whose jobs require their physical presence.

4. Other major employers are continuing to require tele-work for employees who are able to do so. Why has Huckelberry decided differently?

5. Why is Huckelberry requiring employees to reveal private personal medical information about themselves or their family in order to continue to tele-work? Why are county employees being required to seek out healthcare (to get a physician note) when physical distancing guidelines are still recommended?

Image: Titled “Has Chuck Huckelberry Gone Rogue?”
Photo of Chuck Huckelberry by Rick Wiley Arizona Daily Star with a list of the Pima County “Business & Employee Health & Wellness” task force members that includes all the Chambers of Commerce, members of the Chambers of Commerce, Downtown Business Alliance, etc.