Environmental Justice

On December 19, 2021, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced that he would not support the Build Back Better bill (BBBB), which contained a number of climate actions as well as social programs. The Biden Administration has worked with Senator Manchin and other legislators on compromises to make it possible to pass BBBB to no avail. As one of the Board Members of the UU Ministry for Earth, Doris Manchin, stated, "Joe Manchin announced that he will not support Build Back Better. Which only means that STRENGTHEN LOCAL CLIMATE COMMITMENTS (the work of cities and states and industry / sectors)" is even more important. If you are not already involved, please sign up here.

• For a full report of COP 26 (November 2021) see https://enb.iisd.org/Glasgow-Climate-Change-Conference-COP26
• Washington State is not directly a party to the climate change agreement, but we are a member of America is All In, an organization that represents states, cities and private organizations at COPs.
• At the COP 26 venue, a number of side agreements were made among governments, businesses and civil society. Agreements were made on coal, methane, fossil fuel subsidies, oil and gas production, deforestation and finance. Since the U.S. did not join all of them, you can take action using the information here.

The Environmental Priorities Coalition, which includes environmental groups such as the Washington Environmental Council and the Sierra Club, and faith groups such as Faith Action Network, met recently to set priorities. The following is a list of top priorities as described by the Sierra Club:

Salmon Recovery (SB 5665)-- From the coast to Puget Sound to the Snake River, bold action to recover endangered salmon populations across the state.

Unfortunately, this bill is dead for the session because of landowner opposition. It may be revised and reintroduced at the next session.

Fighting Sprawl to Protect Climate (HB 1099 and SB 5042) -- Futurewise-led Washington Can’t Wait campaign to pass two bills that will revise the Growth Management Act to better plan for climate and close development loopholes that exacerbate urban sprawl. SB 5042 has passed both the Senate and House.

Clean Buildings (HB 1767 and SB5666) -- Buildings are WA’s fastest growing source of climate pollution. Action is planned to expand the availability of incentives for utility customers to switch from fossil fuels to clean electric appliances. Both bills failed to pass.

Hearings: January 14, 2022. House Environment and Energy Committee: Notes on the hearing are here. Also, on Feb. 17: Hearings in House Committee on Environment & Energy on SB 5722, a similar bill.

Buy Clean Buy Fair (HB 1103 and SB 5366)-- State investments should support manufacturers who utilize clean manufacturing practices and strong labor standards.

Source: https://www.sierraclub.org/washington/2022-legislative-session

In addition, discussion during the January 2022 JUUstice Washington Summit suggested that the following could be priorities:

Energy Efficiency for New and Existing Buildings (HB 1770)--  require construction of increasingly low-emission energy efficient homes and buildings and achieve construction of zero fossil-fuel greenhouse gas emission homes and buildings by 2030.

Hearings: January 19, 2022 Hearing Notes Here House Passed 1770 and it is pending in the Senate.

Housing Equity and Proximity to Transit (HB 1782) – create additional middle housing near transit and in areas traditionally dedicated to single-family detached housing.

Hearings: January 18, 2022: House Committee on Local Government: Hearing Notes Here 

Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government has approved the Senate companion bill SB 5670, but both bills missed the March 4 cutoff and are dead for session.

The UUJEC is, of course, very interested in democracy. We need more of it in our own operations. Participating in a task force that conducts our work is a good way for you to promote justice in the denomination and in the world. Please, examine this task force list to decide where you can make your best impact on the world. When you find one (or two), click on the adjacent survey monkey link. Ehttps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9CSTZM3ach link opens an eight-question survey that asks when and how you can meet with other interested members.   Program Task Forces:

  Health Care     Leader: Judy Deutch     https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9CSTZM3

Green New Deal    Leader: Lucy Hitchcock    https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9YZVWSP

Reparations for Racism      Leader: Carl McCargo       https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9CB9W6Z

Housing Justice        Leader: Sally Gellert                   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9JYGXCC

The Lakota People’s Law Project has put out a call to action to advocate against HR1374, the “Enhancing State Energy Security Planning and Emergency Preparedness Act of 2021” – a bill that has already passed in the House and is heading to the Senate. This bill would worsen the already dangerous and complex dynamics of state-backed and corporate-funded violence against and criminalization of water protectors. More Information  

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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth’s atmosphere reached 419 parts per million in May. These are the highest carbon dioxide levels in over four million years. The last time that the atmosphere held comparable levels of CO2 was during the Pliocene period, when the Earth looked completely different from what it does today. Sea levels were 78 feet higher, temperatures were 7 degrees Fahrenheit warmer and large forests covered parts of the Arctic tundra. What do these record CO2 emissions mean for climate change? The atmosphere acts as a heat-trapping blanket. Greenhouse gases, like CO2, keep temperatures on Earth comfortable for human survival. Read more here.

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Governor Inslee signed several of the big environmental bills
of the 2021 session on Monday, May 18 in Seattle at various locations.  
Bills included SB 5126 (the Climate Commitment Act),  HB 1091 (Clean Fuels); 
and SB 5141 (HEAL Act). He vetoed provisions in 5126 and 1091 that would have made them contingent on passing a 5 cent per gallon gas tax.

The legislature passed HB 1287, the zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) bill, after it was amended to “establish a goal that all publicly and privately owned passenger and light duty vehicles of model year 2030 or later sold, purchased, or registered in Washington state be electric vehicles, contingent upon vehicle participation in a new road usage charge or equivalent tax or fee policy.” Note that is a “goal,” not a mandate, and it is contingent on a new road usage charge for electric vehicles (to fund transportation like the gas tax does). Because of this contingency, Governor Inslee vetoed provisions of the bill referring to the 2030 goal. Other provisions remain intact, including some that require the state to plan for increases in electric vehicle chargers.

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Netse Mot:  Support Lummi Nation and Xw’ullemy (the Salish Sea) 

2nd Call for Support:  Bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut Home!

Have you?

Netse Mot 2021-Call to bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut Home

1. For individuals, they are asking that we sign the petition established by Earth Law Center that is collecting signatures to go to Miami Seaquarim and its parent and affiliates—Palace Entertainment and Parques Reunidos Servicios Centrales SA.
2. For groups and organizations, they are asking that we sign a request to Governor's Inslee (WA) and Brown (OR) and BC Premier John Horgan to sign a proclamation to support the efforts to bring her home.  Please sign by 24 May 2021.  We'd like to present it to the Governors in June during Orca Action Month.
3. We are also being asked to reach out to other Indigenous connections we may have and invite them to sign the Indigenous Statement of Solidarity.  The request also includes a video of ceremonies in solidarity.  If you have connections with an Indigenous group, please ask them to contact  Julie at info@sacredsea.org.

JUUstice WA has not made the Climate Commitment Act a priority because there is some opposition from frontline communities on equity issues (see the detailed hearings report, below).  Some members have asked about the bill, so it is described here. It passed the legislature with amendments to meet some of the objections of frontline communities. The “Cap and Invest” program directs Department of Ecology to set a cap on emissions and set rules for compliance. Allowances are used to invest in clean energy projects. By 2022 Ecology must set caps and rules for allowances. Reductions begin in 2023 and are made more stringent during each period. The caps are set on a sliding scale according RCW 70.235 as follows:

• By 2030, reduce overall emissions of GHGs in the state to 45 percent below 1990 levels,

• By 2040, reduce overall emissions of GHGs in the state to 70 percent below 1990 levels,

• By 2050, reduce overall emissions of GHGs in the state to 95 percent below 1990 levels,

For the past few weeks, UU Ministry for Earth and Elders Climate Action have been busy with the UU Project Drawdown Initiative 2021. UU DD 21 mobilizes teams or individuals to earn points for taking a variety of actions for climate and environmental justice. You can SIGN UP and take part in the challenge at any time until June, when the collective efforts will be compiled in a video to be shared and celebrated at UUA General Assembly. Get inspired with these highlights of progress so far.

Learn More

Watch Robert Colón's amazing presentation on Electric Vehicles, Smart Growth, Environmental Justice, and Avoiding Eco-Colonialism.

Watch it by clicking here: SolutionaryRail.org/yesand

Washington state has made significant commitments to and investments in the protection and recovery of these killer whales, their critical Salish Sea habitat, and their food web, which hinges on the availability of Chinook salmon. The terminal will threaten the progress made to date on recommendations of the Governor’s Orca Task Force and on state legislation that has ensued from its deliberations. Even ignoring the added risks of oil spills and ship strikes, there would still be a major increase in underwater noise levels from these massive container ships that will further limit the orcas’ ability to echolocate, communicate and hunt. Over 40 organizations and nearly 100,000* individuals have asked Governor Inslee to oppose the Roberts Bank terminal project, signing a petition addressed to him. And they have asked that if the project is approved in spite of their strong objections, he should insist that robust risk-mitigation measures — such as an emergency tug strategically located along the vessels’ path — be required to protect the orcas, salmon and Washington state environment. Read more here.

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As currently planned, Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2) would be built in the sub-tidal waters of the Fraser River delta adjacent to the Westshore coal terminal, on 437 acres of critical habitat for salmon and migratory birds. Once in existence, it would significantly increase the Port’s capacity for larger container ships and also induce more container-ship traffic through the trans-boundary waters of the Salish Sea — by up to 520 transits per year. The massive “Mega-Max” container ships that could call on this terminal typically carry 18 to 24 thousand containers. They can also carry much larger amounts of propulsion fuels, in some cases over 4 million gallons worth, which could dramatically increase the extent of an oil spill from a container-ship collision or grounding. Read more here.

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The maps, commissioned as part of InvestigateWest's yearlong reporting project, Getting to Zero: Decarbonizing Cascadia, span Washington and Oregon and provide digital windows into vulnerabilities that are likely to worsen with climate change. Montana-based Headwaters Economicscreated the interactive visualizations using a pair of powerful mapping tools that the community planning firm launched last year. The maps created for this project are an example of tools undegoing growing use in Cascadia, where equity advocates, academic researchers and governments are teaming up to create new data-driven methods to identify and address unequal environmental risks. A movement that began several years ago accelerated in 2020 as the skewed death tolls from COVID-19 laid bare systemic social and economic inequalities on both sides of the border, and surging outrage amidst police shootings spurred governments into action. Read more here.

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Washington’s salmon are “teetering on the brink of extinction,” according to a new report. It says the state must change how it’s responding to climate change and the growing number of people in Washington. Washington’s State of Salmon in Watersheds report says time is running out for the Northwest’s iconic fish. The report shows a trend of warming waters and habitat degradation is causing trouble for its salmon runs. Ten of the 14 threatened or endangered salmon and steelhead runs in the state are not getting any better. Of those, five are “in crisis.” Read more here.

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Tom White, one of the lead authors of the Amtrak Cascades LRP, and Solutionary Rail Project Lead Bill Moyer, wrote this article about the future of rail in our State:

by Thomas White and Bill Moyer

Washington state has two potential tracks toward a 21st century rail future, with starkly different outcomes.

One provides higher speed, climate-friendly passenger service linking as many as 13 communities on the Cascadia corridor, with increased capacity for freight trains. It has been in development since 1991 and some elements have already been completed. It would provide clean, electrified Amtrak Cascades passenger service at up to 110mph along existing lines. The phased effort would rapidly create jobs, upgrade service and cut carbon pollution. It could be completed in a decade.

Tragically, this shovel-ready plan is being ignored while another flashy vision grabs the spotlight. That is the “ultra-high-speed rail” (UHSR) project proposed by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee’s administration and developed by WSP, a giant engineering firm. It offers a maximum of five stops along the route. To facilitate speeds up to 220mph, it would require an entirely new passenger-only corridor acquired through costly land acquisitions and the controversial use of eminent domain, with many environmental challenges. While science tells us we need to dramatically cut carbon pollution this decade, UHSR would take many years before the first track is put on the ground and decades more to completion — if it happens at all.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

@Washingtonians: there's still time to reach out to State Legislators & ask that the Amtrak Cascades LRP be funded.

1. State funding to update the Amtrak Cascades Long Range Plan
2. Legislators to work with WSDOT to request that Federal Railroad Administration grant programs be generously funded by the federal government.

Send this letter ("Legislative Sponsors Needed") by email:

• Click to download the suggested text
• Copy and paste the subject line and text
• Send today to each of your State legislators

More info HERE

Let's do this, Washington!

Have you ever wondered, Why were the minority neighborhoods in Texas the first to lose power during the recent power blackouts? Why are polluting industries and waste dumps always sited where Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC) folks live? Why has the Covid pandemic been particularly devastating for the poor, marginalized BIPOC communities? And, yet, why have they been deprived of early vaccination? The list of injustices is never ending!

So, why do climate justice work in a UU church? Our faith calls us to build the Beloved Community that Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King dreamed of. We cannot build a Beloved Community when racism, oppression and discrimination is the custom of the land. Our principles call on us to uphold the inherent worth and dignity of all and to respect the interdependent web of all existence. And the proposed Eighth Principle calls us to accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions. Then, how can we not, as UUs, dedicate ourselves to finding justice for the most vulnerable who are least responsible for the continued destruction of our environment but are ignored time and time again. Indeed, the BIPOC are hardly ever at the table to represent their own interests!

In collaboration with the UU Ministry for Earth, we are privileged to the recent launch of a caucus for BIPOC UUs who are passionate about the intersections of racial, environmental and climate injustices.

Why a separate caucus for BIPOC? As we said above, we have long witnessed the disproportionate and disastrous impacts of climate change on communities of color. The BIPOC caucus will create a space for us to meet with others devoted to environmental and climate justice work, and also be a voice for us in the broader environmental and climate justice movement. It will allow us to form bonds with other BIPOC who fight not only racial and environmental injustices but are also the embodiment of living through a long history of injustice and cruelty.

Meetings of the group are open to everyone right now, irrespective of their racial identity, with time set aside for BIPOC and White caucusing. Starting this summer, the mutliracial group will meet approximately once a quarter, and the BIPOC caucus will meet roughly monthly.

We are grateful for the UUMFE for giving us a home as we begin this journey, and for offering time, energy and support. And, we thank all those who joined us for our first meeting and hope to see more folks attend the second session, on Thursday, March 18 at 5pm PT / 8pm EDT - you can find more information below in this newsletter. We pray that they keep coming back, that the caucus grows, and that we can engage in meaningful and spiritually fulfilling work. Amen.

In faith and solidarity,