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Dear John |
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350 Eastside ~ SAVE THE DATE Climate Action Forum Date: Sunday, April 27, 2025 Time: 1:30 - 4:30 pm Place: East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue WA 98005 More details are coming soon!
Third Act Washington (TAWA)~ Make Your Voice Heard at “Federal Building Fridays” Every Friday, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm Henry M. Jackson Federal Building 915 2nd Avenue, Seattle
One of the achievements of post-New Deal America is a federal civil service workforce that's professional, diverse, nonpartisan, and union members. Join our partners' Troublemakers, PSARA (Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action), and other groups on Fridays in front of the Seattle Federal Office Building to show solidarity with federal workers, who are now under direct assault by billionaires and MAGA bullies and every vulnerable group scapegoated by the Trump administration. Come for 2 minutes or 2 hours! 350.org ~ For years, schools, hospitals, and places of worship were off-limits to ICE immigration enforcement. These are sacred spaces where people go to learn, receive health care, and worship in peace and without fear. However, one of the Administration’s first acts in office was to revoke these protections, turning these safe havens into targets. It’s beyond time to take action. Fortunately, city and town mayors have the power to fight for migrants in their communities. They can order police not to participate in ICE raids and even block ICE agents’ entry into schools, hospitals, and places of worship. We just need our mayors to hear our call. How? ~~~As climate activists, we have a responsibility to stand in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors because the climate crisis is fueling migration. People have the right to stay in their homes and not be forced out by climate chaos — droughts, floods, rising waters — or by the violence and poverty that fossil fuel extraction drives. That’s why we fight to stop Big Oil. But people also have the right to leave and migrate with dignity to escape these conditions if they need to or choose to. That’s why we advocate for migrant justice. Right now, families are facing the unimaginable: the fear that their children won’t make it safely to school, that seeking health care could mean deportation, or that a peaceful moment of prayer might be shattered by ICE agents barging in. With the federal government moving in the wrong direction, we need our state and local leaders to defend what is right. Please send a message of appreciation and support to the climate scientists facing attacks over their work to protect our planet. ~~~The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are crucial federal agencies on the frontlines of our climate battle. But right now, they’re being attacked in a way that seems straight out of a dystopian novel. Climate science is being systematically erased from government websites, critical data is being hidden, and climate deniers are working overtime to dismantle the agencies meant to protect our planet. And who’s behind this attack? Billionaires, fossil fuel giants, and the Trump administration — all of whom are more than willing to burn our planet down for a quick buck. But we have good news - EPA and NOAA workers aren't backing down. These climate protectors are fighting to keep crucial climate data accessible, inform legislation protecting our environment, and uphold the standards that keep our Earth clean, green, and livable for future generations. Your message will show them we have their backs and are in this fight together.
~~~Our partners at the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) are helping coordinate a sign-on letter for elected local and state leaders to tell Congress to oppose H.R. 32, the "No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act," which could cut funding to 700 local governments in 28 states.
Can you send this sign-on letter to your local and state elected officials and urge them to sign the letter to Congress opposing H.R. 32?
Here is a sample email to send the letter to your local officials. Please adapt it for your local context:
Dear XX,
My name is YOUR NAME, and I'm a member of YOUR LOCAL GROUP. I urge you to add your name to this letter to Congress opposing H.R. 32, the "No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act."
H.R. 32 grants any president the broad authority to block federal funding for essential services that impact all members of our communities, including U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. The bill is far-reaching. Regardless of political affiliation, as many as 700 local governments in 28 states (including D.C.) could face funding cuts that would impact critical programs, including climate programs.
If passed, H.R. 32 would:
H.R. 32 would override local decision-making authority and force the diversion of limited local resources to enforce federal immigration policy. Please add your name to this letter opposing H.R. 32 by Friday, February 21, 2025.
Thank you, YOUR NAME
-- Taylor Smith-Hams (she/her), MPA, CC-P US Senior Organizer, 350.org Piscataway Conoy land (Baltimore, MD) | Eastern Standard Time
Stop The Money Pipeline ~ Yesterday, our friends at the Sierra Club and Stand.earth released a major new annual report: The Hidden Risk in State Pensions: Analyzing State Pensions Responses to the Climate Crisis in Proxy Voting. Public pensions control about $4 trillion in assets and are the longest-term investors in the world. Each year during AGM Season, pensions should use that money to cast votes on climate and fossil fuel-related shareholder resolutions and corporate director elections. Unfortunately, far too many public pensions, even in progressive cities and states, are regularly voting against climate action. This includes opposing climate action at many banks, insurance companies, and asset managers. The analysis finds that no public pension in the country is doing enough to tackle the climate crisis and reduce the climate risk in its portfolio. The findings of this analysis are clear: far too few state pensions are taking adequate steps to address climate-related financial risks and protect their members’ hard-earned savings, raising serious concerns about their execution of fiduciary duty—the obligation that financial institutions have to act in their client's best interest. Every state pension fund could do more to shield its beneficiaries from growing climate—and environment-related financial risks. Urge your state to update and strengthen its proxy voting guidelines. By submitting an LTE to your local paper, we can call attention to the climate crisis and pressure our public pensions to champion sound business practices that respect people and the planet. Our state public pension funds should vote for climate action at this spring’s shareholder meetings for the major corporations in which they are invested. Any refusal to do so demonstrates a shameful lack of accountability regarding the climate crisis. You can read more about the report and find more information to craft your LTE in this toolkit. In Solidarity,
A Green Amendment for Washington state in 2026 ~ Across the US, environmental laws are failing to provide essential protections for water, air, ecosystems, climate, and the environment. Green Amendments for the Generations is working to secure Green Amendments to the state constitutions to protect the rights of all people to clean water and air, a safe climate, and a healthy environment. Diverse states (including Pennsylvania, Montana, New York, and others) are considering or have already adopted Green amendments to enforce these rights against corporate malfeasance and environmentally unsound state policies. If you want to see Washington adopt a Green Amendment in 2026, consider becoming a Green Amendment Ambassador THIS year. To learn more about the power of Green Amendments and how we can organize to get Washington on board, visit www.GreenAmenment.org.
300 Trees ~ Spring 2025 TREE Giveaway~ 300 Trees will hold their Spring 2025 Tree Giveaway on March 14-15 at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in South Bellevue. Open to all of King County!
For the first time since 300 Trees began distributing free trees in 2020, they are opening our program to all King County residents, schools, faith communities, and small businesses!
Order Trees: They aim to distribute at least 1500 trees during this event. We will accept orders while supplies last or until February 28. We have limited quantities of some tree types, so don’t delay!
The trees can be picked up on March 14-15. All trees will fit in normal passenger vehicles, and our volunteers will load them for you.
Subscribe: If you want to be notified about future tree giveaways, subscribe to our newsletter.
Volunteer: If you want to help us during the event, sign up on Sign Up Genius here. Student service hours will be approved.
Pay It Forward: Consider donating to help your neighbors plant more trees. 300 Trees is 100% volunteer-run, and over 90% of funds are spent on trees. We are eligible for corporate matching funds.
Thank you for planting beneficial trees and helping to build a strong and healthy tree canopy in King County. See you in March!
We are grateful for every action you take. Standing in solidarity, Emily, Lin, Lynn, Marilyn, and Phil |
