Welcome to the November 2024 Climate Action Newsletter

Quote of the Month:

“ Making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century. It must be the top, top priority for everyone, everywhere. The door is open; the solutions are there.”

– Secretary General Antonio Guterres

Action of The Month: 

Go and vote with the climate and human rights in mind!

Take action for climate solutions in Colorado

🗣️Comment on “Class VI” (carbon sequestration) rulemaking at the ECMC:

• • When:
    • November 26, 2:00 pm: Deadline to submit written comment
    • November 26, 2:00 pm: Deadline to sign up to give oral comment in the December 2-6 rulemaking
  • Where: Online – stay tuned for toolkit and more information!
  • What: The Energy and Carbon Management has authority over geologic sequestration. 350 Colorado sees carbon capture and sequestration as a distraction from the need to rapidly decarbonize our power plants and factories! But since factories are already trying to capture some of their carbon dioxide, it would be better if it is safely and permanently stored underground rather than used to extract more oil and gas from the ground. Give a comment that we need strong rules to ensure that disproportionately impacted communities are protected, that there are strong setbacks, that our drinking water will be kept safe, and that the carbon dioxide is really permanently stored and not leaked back into the atmosphere.

☢️ Write and submit a letter to the editor or create a social media post on produced water from fracking (It’s toxic!)

• • One of the ways to get your opinions on social issues out in front of others is to write a letter to the editor, a short, written piece for your local paper. You can also create a social media post to share out to your networks!
  • Here is a toolkit on writing an LTE on produced water from fracking. It includes a couple of templates for a letter on this topic that you’re welcome to use and modify. And here’s a quick guide on how to write and submit an LTE!

 💬Attend a free NVDA (Nonviolent Direct Action) Workshop this month!

• • When: Sunday, 11/10 from 12-4pm
  • Where: Room 444 Tivoli Student Union, Auraria Campus
  • What: Join 350 Colorado for an empowering Non-Violent Direct Action (NVDA) workshop! Learn the principles and tactics of peaceful resistance, build community with others committed to climate justice, and gain the skills needed to take meaningful action. Whether you’re new to activism or a seasoned advocate, this workshop will equip you with tools to make a powerful impact in the fight for a sustainable future. All are welcome – lunch will be provided for this free event! 
  • Register here

👥Come to a climate cafe!

• When: Wednesday, November 13th, 12pm-1:30pm
• Where: Stompin Groundz, 2050 Jet Wing Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80916
• What: Join 350 CO to connect at the Climate Café! A welcoming and open space to talk about the climate crisis, and all of the overlapping emotions and crises that come with it, in a supportive environment. Whether you want to share your thoughts, listen, or find resources, this is the perfect opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations! We will have the first 45 minutes for drop in’s and casual conversation, and the second 45 minutes for more structured discussion! This is a free event – come hang out, grab a coffee, and talk about what has been on your mind!
  
• Register here

☁️ Attend an air quality workshop with us!

• When: Saturday, November 16th, 1:30-3:30pm
• Where: Greeley, CO (exact location shared after registration)
• What: Led by community members, health experts, and members of 350 Colorado! Resources for those that have asthma and upper respiratory issues will be provided, while learning about air quality and air pollution in Greeley and how we can work together to breathe cleaner air and have a healthier environment! **Lunch, childcare, Spanish interpretation, entry for gift card giveaways, and stipends for participation will be provided to community members.**
• Register here

🌿Build Community Resilience with 350CO + Climatique in Boulder

• When: Wednesday, November 20th , 6:00-8:30pm
• Where: The Coffee Stand, Boulder, CO
• What: Join Climatique and 350 Boulder County for a night focused on Building Community Resilience in Boulder! Jonathan Koehn, Chief Sustainability & Resilience officer for the City of Boulder, will come and speak on the newly proposed Climate Action Plan for the City of Boulder. Hear what Jonathan has to say, learn from other community leaders what they see Climate Resilience as, and then stay later to listen to Frog Rock, a local social justice band, perform!
• No RSVP for this, currently. Just drop in!

Organize & Meet Other Activists:

• Join the tabling & outreach crew: We’re so excited to get you connected to this new team! Tabling and Outreach are important and essential tools for organizing – we recruit new volunteers with diverse backgrounds, gather signatures for sign on letters and petitions, and build support for all of our campaigns and committees! Please fill out this form so can get an idea of your background and skillset. Reach out to Melissa (melissa@350colorado.org) if you have questions!
• Join one of our committees or local teams! To get involved, check out this committee list or sign up for a local team near you! See our calendar for all upcoming committee meetings. No matter your experience level with climate activism or organizing, we’d love to meet you and work together. Local teams include Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Northern Colorado, and Roaring Fork.

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Recent news:

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The 2024 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: facing record-breaking threats from delayed action

“Despite the initial hope inspired by the 2015 Paris Agreement, the world is now dangerously close to breaching its target of limiting global multiyear mean heating to 1·5°C. Annual mean surface temperature reached a record high of 1·45°C above the pre-industrial baseline in 2023, and new temperature highs were recorded throughout 2024. The resulting climatic extremes are increasingly claiming lives and livelihoods worldwide.”

Read this sobering report from The Lancet about the threats we’re facing as a global community and how fossil fuel subsidies and other ways of delaying action tie into the story we’re currently living through.

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Company That Tracks Methane Leaks Says Crisis Worse ‘Than Ever Before’

“The number of methane “super-emitters” detected by a satellite company has surged by approximately one-third over the past year, despite pledges from fossil fuel companies to reduce their emissions of the highly potent greenhouse gas.”

We know that to address the climate crisis, a phase out of fossil fuels is necessary. So is a just transition for energy workers and their families. This article from Common Dreams covers the failures of the oil and gas industry to hold true to their assertions that they are operating with our best interests in mind and that they have been cleaning up their act. Actions speak louder than words!

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Black Friday for Future: Take a Break from Consumerism

“Shopping season is upon us! But just about everything we buy comes with a carbon footprint. Consumer culture plays a huge role in climate. Let’s look at fashion, electronics, and online data.”

As we head into a season of relentless advertising that will attempt to lead you to believe that you must buy and consume more in order to be more, read through this brief and thoughtful piece by 350CO member Miranda Glasbergenon.

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New Polis Administration Rules Fail to Protect the Public from Fracking Impacts

“The Colorado agriculture and recreation industries are already experiencing devastating impacts of climate,” says Heidi Leathwood, a climate policy analyst with 350 Colorado. “We are all suffering from increased heat as Colorado warms faster than the national average, and lower-income communities living in heat islands without access to air conditioning are even more at risk. As the 4th largest US producer of oil and the 8th largest producer of methane gas, we bear an outsized responsibility. Under these rules, Colorado is not doing its part: the Commission should have passed rules to set concrete limits on greenhouse gas emissions, both for each operator and for the industry in Colorado as a whole. We have no time to lose.”

Read this press release in Yellow Scene Magazine about the recently passed cumulative impacts rules, with input from multiple environmental justice organizations from across the state.

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From the Archives: Respect for the environment is a universal moral value by Liz Fuhr

350 Colorado member and past board member Liz Fuhr brings her perspective as a sister in the Franciscan church.

“Something has gone awry. Human lives and a stable climate should not be sacrificed for the financial gains of a few.

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Resources of the month:

• 350CO x Eva Jahn – Climate Wellness & Resiliency Workshop, part 1 of 4 Week 1: Finding your Ground. Coming from Gratitude. In this stage we are learning about our nervous systems, co-regulation, internal and external strategies and how we reset through reclaiming. How to remain open without feeling overwhelmed. We talk about the psychological impact of climate change and what it means to be emotionally resilient. Activities are geared towards breathing and gratitude practices seen as the inner roots of resilience and fostering capacity to develop witness with other beings.
• Artivist Network – Toxic Bonds Tactics Manual – “This little guide is intended to walk you through a number of different creative tactics that you can use to help draw attention to your actions and campaigns on fossil fuel companies (bond issuers), banks (bond underwriters) and investors (bondholders).”
• Book Recommendation: The Ministry for the Future

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A huge thanks to our November Climate Hero of the Month; Monterey Buchanan!

 

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Upcoming Events & Actions

• Monday, Nov. 4th, 4-5pm – Suncor Action Committee Meeting (Zoom) – Sign up
• Wednesday, Nov. 6th, 6-7pm – Promoting Climate Solutions Meeting – (Zoom) – Sign up
  
• Thursday, Nov. 7th, 6-7pm – Fracking Action Committee Bimonthly Meeting (Zoom) – Sign up
• Sunday, Nov. 10th, 12-4pm – Free Nonviolent Direct Action Training Workshop (Denver) – Register here
• Monday, Nov. 11th, 6-7pm – Climate Policy and Regulatory Action Committee meeting (Zoom) – Sign up
• Wednesday, Nov. 13th,  12:00-1:30pm – Colorado Springs Team Meeting: Climate Cafe (Colorado Springs) – RSVP here
• Saturday, Nov. 16th, 1:30-3:30pm – Educational Air Quality Workshop for Greeley Clean Air (Greeley) – Sign up here
• Wednesday, Nov. 20th, 6-8:30pm – BoCO Team Meeting: Climate Cafe @ The Coffee Stand (Boulder)
• Thursday, Nov. 21st,  – Welcome Call for Activists & Volunteers (Zoom) – Sign up here
  
• Thursday, Nov. 21st, 6-7pm – Fracking Action Committee Meeting (Zoom) – Sign up
• Monday, Nov. 25th, 6-7pm – Climate Policy and Regulatory Action Committee meeting (Zoom) – Sign up
• Tuesday, Nov. 26 – Deadline for written comments on the Class VI wells rulemaking, and to sign up for oral comment
• Tuesday, Nov. 26th, 7:00 – 7:30pm – Youth Action Committee Meeting (Zoom) – Sign up

Please view our full calendar to join local team meetings, committee conference calls & more!

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P.S. Please support crucial climate action work in Colorado – become a monthly sustaining donor at $10 or more per month!