Chop Wood, Carry Water 7/1

Hi, all, and happy Friday.

Good Lord. What an awful few days. In a year that was horrific this week still managed to rise to the dubious distinction of “even worse than usual.”

But instead of talking about that, or the fact that Heather Cox Richardson thinks we’ve entered a Constitutional Crisis, or the devastating blow the EPA took yesterday, I’d like to tell you a quick victory story from yesterday.

I have two friends—middle aged women, not really activists—who got active after Trump was elected and decided that their focus was going to be fighting plastic pollution. They started a Facebook group called Ban SUP (Single Use Plastics) and began working on getting a plastics bill passed in the CA legislature. They helped push for the bill that became SB54, and almost singlehandedly began lobbying for its passage.

The first year they made a valiant attempt. It failed. Too many lawmakers bought off by the plastics industry voted against it. They were heartbroken, but they vowed to try again. An ever-growing coalition of organizations vowed to help them.

The bill failed again the following year. Cheryl and Anita refused to give up. They continued to build that coalition, gained powerful environmental partners, and worked with lawmakers to craft a bill everyone could get behind.

Last night, Gavin Newsom signed that bill into law.

Is the bill perfect? No. Far from it. But is it the most significant plastics bill passed at a state level thus far in the country? Yes.

Did these two ladies get this done by themselves? No. Not even a little But would it have happened without them?

I almost guarantee you it would not have.

NEVER underestimate your power, folks. I know times are tough. But YOU are tougher. If you don’t know it yet then join us in this fight. Find the avenue that speaks to you and run with it.

You may find that just through sheer determination, hard work, and persistence…you change the world.

Call Your Senators (find yours here)

Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.

First, I am deeply alarmed that this politicized, extremist Supreme Court has announced that they will take a case that may give state legislatures the ability to decide election results. This is terrifying. It’s a judicial coup in slow motion. Congress needs to act, quickly, while they still can. Expand the court, hold impeachment hearings, make these justices abide by a code of ethics—-do any and all of it. We’re in a constitutional crisis. This democracy is hanging by a thread. Please act like it.

[If Dem add:]

Also, Democrats need to use the reconciliation process to pass climate legislation now. We are running out of time and the Supreme Court’s awful decision in West VA vs EPA has left us no other options. Thank you.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here)

Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.

I am deeply alarmed that this politicized, extremist Supreme Court has announced that they will take a case that may give state legislatures the ability to decide election results. This is terrifying. It’s a judicial coup in slow motion. Congress needs to act, quickly, while they still can. Expand the court, hold impeachment hearings, make these justices abide by a code of ethics—-do any and all of it. We’re in a constitutional crisis. This democracy is hanging by a thread. Please act like it.

One more thing. Is the representative yet a co-sponsor on HR 5253, the Fossil Fuel Finance Act, which would require the Federal Reserve Bank to take steps to stop banks from investing in fossil fuel production? [Press for an answer. If yes thank. If not add:] They need to sign on now. Congress should also act immediately to strengthen the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts with explicit inclusion of greenhouse gasses. We need to get creative about ways to address the climate crisis that the Supreme Court can’t mess with. This is an emergency. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

[Send this to President Biden through Resistbot— text SIGN PMCIVQ to 50409] [H/T]

In June, a heat dome over the central and eastern US caused deaths, power outages, closed schools, and the deaths of 2,000 cattle. More than 100 million people were under heat alert and advised to stay indoors. The 2018 National Climate Assessment found that the frequency of heat waves has tripled since the 1960s, and that the average heat-wave season has increased by 45 days. This, along with the toxic air pollution of power plants, threatens all of us, but especially the poor, children, the elderly, and those who must labor or live outside.

We now face another summer of drought, heat, storms and fires, while the dark-money members of SCOTUS, in air-conditioned comfort, tear down desperately needed climate protections for the profit of corporate polluters. By limiting the EPA’s ability to regulate power plant emissions in West Virginia v. EPA, they made a defacto decision that already-born lives don’t matter.

But Sir, you are president to the rest of us. You recently used the Defense Production Act to boost renewable energy manufacturing under the guidance of workers, environmental justice communities, and other impacted people.

Now, we need you to use your legal authority to declare a climate emergency – ban new federal fossil fuel leasing, halt permit approvals for new pipelines and other fossil fuel infrastructure, and stop new gas exports.

Using authorities under the National Emergencies Act and the Defense Production Act, you can also halt crude oil exports, stop offshore oil and gas drilling, restrict international fossil fuel investment and rapidly manufacture and distribute clean and renewable energy systems. 

By 2019, most Americans believed in climate change, 8 in 10 understood that human activity was fueling it and two-thirds said that President Trump was doing too little to tackle the problem. We were ready in 2020 for a president to take us into the next century of a safer and cleaner world. It’s time for you to do so. Thanks.

Get Smart! 📚

Supermajority is holding an all-member meeting today to discuss the Supreme Court’s Roe decision and how their “Women Are Voting” campaign will aim to fight back. This is for female-identifying folks only, but if you fall into that category it sounds like it’s going to be great, especially because they have Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and AG Dana Nessel coming to speak. Nessel, if you don’t know her, is the Attorney General of Michigan and a total badass. If anyone has ideas on how to get us out of this it’ll be these two.

Today, 6-7 EDT. Register here.

(See the Win Races section below for info on a Michigan textbanking session they’ll be holding right after this.)

Get Social!

Please post this on twitter or Facebook.

Terrible. #SCOTUS says families should keep subsidizing dirty, unreliable oil & gas. Congress must pass #cleanenergy legislation. Otherwise, we may lose out on the transition to cheaper, cleaner renewable energy like wind and solar. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/30/us-supreme-court-ruling-restricts-federal-power-greenhouse-gas-emissions?emci=a2dfa133-59f8-ec11-b47a-281878b83d8a&emdi=68aea3cc-87f8-ec11-b47a-281878b83d8a&ceid=2757459 #DontQuitonCleanEnergy

Win Races! 🗳

From 7-8 EDT TONIGHT Supermajority will be holding a textbank into Michigan. Michigan has dangerous trigger language on the books that may make abortion inaccessible in the state if folks don't turn out to vote in their primaries. You’ll be letting them know. Sign up here!

(See above for an invitation to their info session happening right before this)

Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.)

[to all 3 reps] [H/T and toolkit][quick send text SIGN PLUOWH to 50409]

I’m furious that the Supreme Court has handed America’s energy future over to fossil fuel interests. In its ruling yesterday 6 conservative justices said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, created by a bipartisan Congress to protect Americans’ health and environment from pollution, cannot protect Americans from pollution, namely carbon pollution that causes climate change.

This decision yanks the rug out from clean energy entrepreneurs, innovators, and workers, who built businesses and technologies founded on the promise of clean energy the court just threw out the window. 

This matters to all of us. None of us are exempt from the horrific impacts of climate change, let alone polluted air and water. The Supreme Court is quite literally killing us.

The Court’s decision also endangers the economics of clean energy. As a result, the decision likely will  raise energy costs for families and force them to continue subsidizing dirty, unreliable energy like oil and gas. Plus, now it will be harder for communities to switch to clean, secure renewable energy like wind and solar. That’s really bad, especially when inflation is already taking a bite out of paychecks. 

Congress must act. Legislative investments may be the only tool America has to unleash clean energy manufacturing and jobs in the U.S. and deliver the clean, renewable energy Americans want. Do something, now. We need aggressive climate action—we also need action to rein in this out-of-control, pro-business, anti-American Supreme Court!

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OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.

Talk tomorrow.

Jess