Sarah Wolfe - 12/26/2023 - Fresno group hopes to offer a more natural way to be buried

 

https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article283413633.html

Fresno group hopes to offer a more natural way to be buried

BY SARAH WOLFE

SPECIAL TO THE FRESNO BEE

December 26, 2023

Picture this: a beautiful meadow, natural flora and fauna abound — sunlight peeks through trees as they stretch toward a blue sky, wildflowers sway in the breeze as a butterfly flits past. Now, where are you in this picturesque scene? Well, you’re dead, and your body is located three-and-half feet beneath the soil, providing much needed nutrients to this marvelous, magical meadow. 

If this sounds good to you, keep reading, and if it doesn’t, keep reading anyway because it may sound amazing to someone close to you. What I’m describing is a “green burial.” This type of burial is perfect for those who are minimalist, environmentally conscious, generally opposed to the high-cost funeral industry, or any combination thereof.

Green burials are done without embalming and all the toxic chemicals that come with that process. The deceased is interred in a three-and-a-half foot deep grave after being placed in a biodegradable casket, a simple shroud, or any other natural material you choose. This three-and-a-half foot depth is optimal for allowing the microbiome to work its magic. Unlike most burials, the grave is not lined with concrete and is even dug by hand, avoiding the CO2 emissions caused by the heavy machinery used to dig traditional graves. 

Your loved ones will be able to locate your grave using GPS coordinates, and they can memorialize the spot with something native to the area like a tree, plant or stone. One important point: just because the burial process is being simplified in a green burial, that doesn’t mean the burial has to lack ritual or ceremony. Family members are encouraged to include whatever ritualistic or ceremonial practices they desire. 

By this point you may be wondering, what’s wrong with the “traditional” burial practice? The one where someone dies and their embalmed body is placed in a nice casket and buried in a vault six feet below ground in a cemetery. 

First, we should consider the environmental effects of “traditional” American funerals. For example, “American funerals are responsible each year for the felling of 30 million board feet of casket wood (some of which comes from tropical hardwoods), 90,000 tons of steel, 1.6 million tons of concrete for burial vaults, and 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid.”

Additionally, traditional American burial practices take up much needed land that could be used for other purposes. Green burials allow for the space to be used over and over again since a body that is buried this way will completely decompose after about 20 years. 

If any of the foregoing resonates with you, allow me to introduce Ash Tree Green Burial. A 501(c)(3) non-profit “[o]n a mission to open Fresno’s first green burial cemetery.” The company was started by Cecily Callahan who, after the loss of her grandmother, felt like she wanted to see a change in the funeral industry, as well as keep the honor of taking care of a deceased loved one within the family. 

As a hiker and occasional backpacker, I live by the “leave no trace” motto, so why shouldn’t I be able to die by it as well? Perhaps you prefer the traditional burial method, with a permanent casket, concrete lined grave, and all the accoutrement. Maybe this doesn’t appeal to you and that’s OK.

The heart of the issue is, shouldn’t we all have access to the death care that we want? Whether you want to be placed into a casket full of fluffy pillows and soft silk, or straight into a hole in the ground, I want you to have the burial you want and the best way to make that happen is by supporting Ash Tree Green Burial. It is trying to shake up the funeral industry locally, and is in the process of finding, and purchasing land for its cemetery. 

You can help

Support Ash Tree Green Burial’s cemetery project by donating through Facebook, Instagram, or the website: www.ashtreegreenburial.org. 

Sarah Wolfe is a freelance writer in Fresno and a volunteer with Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

Ruth Afifi - 10-15-2023 - GOP Must Rethink Views

 GOP MUST RETHINK VIEWS 

October 15, 2023

“CA’s Kevin McCarthy must take action on climate change,” (fresnobee.com, Oct. 8) 

Young people are demanding action on climate change. I hope that conservative leaders will recognize the importance of the youth vote and promote policies that help combat climate change.The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, “the most significant climate legislation in U.S. history,” passed the Senate with no Republican votes. 

However, its generous tax credits have spurred private investment in solar and wind energy, and many of its clean energy projects are benefitting states whose senators voted against the act. 

Perhaps with pressure from young voters, those conservative senators are now rethinking their stance on climate change and what to do about it. 

Ruth Afifi

https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article280456009.html

C.J. Wilson -- 10-14-2023 - Fresno writer discovers what Yosemite can teach Californians about healthy forests.

Fresno writer discovers what Yosemite can teach Californians about healthy forests

Special to the Fresno Bee

C.J. WILSON OCTOBER 14, 2023

It was raining when I arrived in Yosemite Valley, and the forest looked more alive than I’d ever seen it. The trees were covered in dark-green moss, and the smell of wet pine made me forget my damp clothes. A small price to pay for an enriching experience. When I returned to Fresno, I find flooded neighborhoods and closed streets. 

Yosemite’s rain was way more intense than Fresno’s, but the park was beautified while my home was disrupted. As Tropical Storm Hilary came through, I thought about why.

The answer was the forest. Not the trees or the soil, or the leaves and soft earth, but all of it, working in tandem to stabilize the environment. Even the smallest parts have a big role to play.

Take mosses, for example. Mosses need the same two things as any other plant: sunlight and water. But, lacking root systems, they can’t take that water from the earth. So, instead, many specialize in holding water when it comes their way. Touch a patch of dry moss, you’ll notice a texture not unlike a dry sponge. Mosses are highly absorptive. Some can hold 20-30 times their weight. With so much moss present in a healthy environment (ground moss, alone, covers as much of the Earth’s surface as the United States), that’s a lot of material to slow flooding. Plus, the environment provided by ground moss is often prime real estate for seedlings, encouraging the growth of new trees.

or players get even smaller. Grocery store mushrooms are only the flowering part of the plant: most of the rest is made up of hair-thin strands running through the soil, called mycelium. These strands number in the hundreds, and act as reinforcing cord that keeps soil bound together to keep from washing away in a flood. These strands also weave through other plants’ roots to create a network of “mycorrhizal fungi,” which distribute nutrients from healthy plants to damaged ones and keep the forest whole. 

Moss and mycelium. Both almost beyond notice. Both are crucial. Without mosses, some trees can’t sprout seedlings, and the forest is inundated even in small rains. Without mycelium, soils are washed away with ease and the trees that buffer floodwaters are blown over or fail to recover from damage. 

Both beings are also vulnerable. Moss is sensitive to air pollution and serves as a canary in the coal mine for air quality. Mycorrhizal fungi is no less vulnerable, and Europe has linked malnourished forests to pollution-damaged fungi.

Healthy forests have become a political talking point. No surprise: we live near three national parks and they play a huge role in air quality, stable climate, and flood control. It’s easy to think of healthy forest initiatives in terms of trees planted. But, if we want to improve the health of our forests — and doing so will accomplish so much more than simply reducing flood risk — then we need to see them not as inert places full of statuesque trees, but as networks of living organisms in constant interaction. This means we need holistic approaches that take all aspects of forest health into account, rather than “magic bullet” solutions. 

In the same way the forest is tied together by the small and unnoticed, our approaches to forest health need to pay attention to the little things. Managing soil health and reducing things like microplastics and air pollution can be as important as planting those big, eye-catching trees. Likewise, we need to remember how our seemingly small actions can do big damage. Remember the moss and the fungus: crucial and fascinating, but overlooked and fragile.

C.J. Wilson is a freelance writer and outdoor/environmental educator in Fresno

https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article280510229.html

Andrea De Zubiria - 9-17-2023 - Leaders Must Act on Climate Goals

Leaders Must Act on Climate Goals

Fresno Bee - September 17, 2023 

Thank you for printing the letter (The Bee, Sept. 2) calling on Republicans to discuss a plan for addressing climate change. 

I watched the presidential debate and couldn’t believe how the candidates barely answered the student who said that young Republicans are intensely concerned about climate change. 

I admire local congressman David Valadao, a Republican from Hanford, for stepping forward to support some bipartisan legislation to try to address air quality and climate chaos. My member of Congress, Democrat Jim Costa, has also shown bipartisan leadership in this area. The higher intensity fires and storms all over the country affect us all. We need strategies to lower greenhouse gases to be supported across the political spectrum. 

Climate smart agriculture, good forest management, planting urban trees and supporting electrification can create good jobs and clean up our air. If we charge oil, coal and gas companies a gradually rising fee to make up for the costs of fossil fuel pollution, we can return that fee to households as a “carbon cashback” . This would be easy to implement without growing the size of government. It would inspire investment in clean energy and would assist low- and middle-income households to meet their needs. 

Andrea De Zubiria, Fresno

https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article279312334.html#storylink=cpy

Ken Wall - 9-17-2023 - State Sen. Grove omitted key points in her Bee op-ed about oil production in California

State Sen. Grove omitted key points in her Bee op-ed about oil production in California 

Fresno Bee - September 17, 2023

In a recent opinion piece in The Bee (Aug. 30), Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove of Bakersfield (who represents parts of Fresno County) presented a case for expanded oil exploration and production in California. Her argument centers on the fact that California does not currently supply enough oil for the state’s energy needs. 

In her piece, Grove brought up Ecuador, where on Aug. 20 the voters approved (with 59 percent of the vote) a referendum calling for the prohibition of oil production in a portion of Yasuni National Park. The park encompasses a wildly diverse portion of the Amazon rain forest and is home to several indigenous tribes (North American Congress on Latin America). 

The referendum in question apparently culminated a decade’s worth of effort that started with those indigenous people who were fighting to preserve their homeland from the ravages of oil companies and from the loggers that followed. The tribes were eventually joined by environmentalists and others, who mounted a grassroots campaign resulting in the voters’ approval of the referendum. The measure was vigorously opposed by the Ecuadoran state-run oil company, government officials and citizens concerned about the loss of potential oil exports and oil-based jobs. 

Grove mentioned the Ecuadoran referendum because she sees it as an argument in favor of expanded oil efforts in California, since California depends on oil imports from other countries, Ecuador being one, to satisfy current demand for oil-based energy. Her argument is that less oil from Ecuador means California should produce more for its own use (apparently California doesn’t use much oil from other U.S. states). 

Contrary to Grove’s claim, reports indicate that oil produced in California is among the most polluting in the world (Center for Biological Diversity, June 28, 2021). It is also worthy of note that petroleum workers (drillers and refiners) suffer a relatively higher degree of serious health problems (National Library of Medicine, April 4, 2021). 

Petroleum workers aren’t the only ones affected by oil and gas extraction. In recognition of the risk to people near drilling sites, the state of California recently established a law (SB 1137) requiring 3,200-foot minimum setbacks between future oil wells and dwellings, schools and other public buildings. The oil industry has vigorously opposed the law and has qualified its own referendum, negating AB 1137, for the next election . 

While the circumstances of the Ecuador and California referendums are different, the overall thrust is the same. Oil interests are pushing hard to continue expanding their extraction while disregarding opposition from people concerned about the negative health and climate outcomes associated with oil and gas production. 

Grove’s opinion piece doesn’t discuss the health and pollution problems associated with oil production, nor does it mention the economic benefits to be realized by the transition to clean energy. The benefits of the clean energy transition include new jobs in various economic sectors, such as solar and wind power installations, batteries, electrical grid enhancements, etc. 

As the transition proceeds, there is also widespread recognition that oil workers should be given the opportunity to be retrained. Those wishing to keep doing the kind of work they are already doing can also be offered the opportunity to help plug the nearly 250,000 orphan oil wells in California still leaking greenhouse gases and abandoned by oil drilling companies. 

An interesting aside is that one study estimates that the cost of sealing these orphan wells will exceed $21 billion, while the total future profits expected from California oil production are estimated to be only $6 billion (ProPublica, May 18, 2023). It seems likely, therefore, that taxpayers will ultimately be on the hook for these costs. 

Even the oil companies know that the transition to clean energy is happening, and that it needs to accelerate to avoid the worst impacts brought about by climate change. There is also no serious scientific doubt that burning fossil fuels has been the primary cause of the planet warming that has resulted in natural disasters of increased severity. 

At the next election, I suggest California voters follow the example of the people of Ecuador. Let us overwhelmingly vote against the oil industry referendum, and metaphorically consign it to one of those abandoned orphan wells, sealed off and rendered harmless. 

And in doing so, say no to increased oil and gas production in California. 

Ken Wall is a retired banker and bank regulator in Fresno, and is a local environmental advocate.

Read more at: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article279352109.html#storylink=cpy

C.J. Wilson - 8-24-2023 - Republican Denial

 REPUBLICAN DENIAL 

“Presidential debate shows how GOP candidates are struggling to address concerns about climate change,” 

(fresnobee.com, Aug. 24)

 During the recent Republican presidential debate, candidates were asked whether they believed in human-caused climate change. Not a single one raised their hand. One was openly hostile to the idea and endorsed coal and oil. Meanwhile, the likely frontrunner for the nomination, Donald Trump, actively rolled back climate protections in office. 

This is a humiliating situation. Over half the country — 54%, according to the Pew Research Center — views climate change as a “major threat.” Yet when “polarizing” terms like “climate change” are replaced by green policy suggestions, like swapping fossil fuels with renewables, the percentage of supporters spikes dramatically (to 69%, in that specific case). 

Putting aside, for a moment, the scientific validity of human-caused climate change (it’s valid), Republicans lack a presidential candidate that represents the opinions of a major segment of the public. For Republican voters, this should be worrying. Electability is hurting their party. 

Some Republican representatives in the Valley only won in the last election due to abysmal voter turnout. Meanwhile, disagreements on what’s important prevents working across the aisle. If Republicans want to remain relevant, they need to push candidates who actually represent them on issues like climate change. In the meantime, Democrats will finally get to have a conversation about real, meaningful solutions. 

C.J. Wilson Fresno

Read more at: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article278866019.html#storylink=cpy

Scott Lecrone 8-2-2023 - Thankful for Valadao's focus on sustainability

Thankful for Valadao's focus on sustainability

Aug 2, 2023

Bakersfield Californian

The Citizens Climate Lobby Bakersfield chapter would like to express our gratitude to Rep. David Valadao for his dedication to bipartisanship in various policy areas for the good of his CA-22 constituents and the well-being of the earth.

In particular, we applaud his recent decision to join the congressional Climate Solutions Caucus, which is composed of 29 Republican and 29 Democrat representatives who are working to address climate change and protect the economic prosperity of the USA.

While we are waiting to see what the Caucus can accomplish, Valadao has already taken steps of bipartisan climate action by co-authoring the Converting Our Water Sustainably Act to support dairy/livestock manure management (reduce methane air pollution) and the Rural Energy in America Program Modernization Act to make it easier for individuals to achieve renewable energy and energy efficiency.

CCL supports the aforementioned, and also clean energy permitting reform, carbon pricing fee and dividend, healthy forests initiatives (like the Save our Sequoias) and building electrification and efficiency.

Let us work together for a sustainable future.

— Scott Lecrone, Bakersfield

https://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters-to-editor/letter-to-the-editor-thankful-for-valadaos-focus-on-sustainability/article_dde8e05c-309f-11ee-b109-2f329da56b48.html

Devin Carroll 7-25-2023 - Save Our Sequoias Act is Controversial, But Would Be a Bipartisan Climate Win

 Save Our Sequoias Act is Controversial, But Would Be a Bipartisan Climate Win

GV Wire - July 25, 2023

Kudos to all of our local Members of Congress for coming together in support of the bipartisan Save Our Sequoias Act (H.R.2989). Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is the bill sponsor, joined by Republican cosponsors David Valadao, John Duarte, and Tim McClintock, and Democrat Jim Costa. Total California House support includes 13 Democrats and 12 Republicans.

Devin Carroll

Opinion

The S.O.S. Act seeks to protect the Giant Sequoias, following the unprecedented death by wildfire of 20% of these iconic trees in just two years. Wildfires have grown more destructive from a combination of changing climate and a history of misguided policies of fire suppression. S.O.S. would speed clearing out underbrush around the remaining Sequoia groves.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby supports this bill. CCL is a nationwide non-partisan organization dedicated to climate solutions. CCL especially applauds the bipartisan cooperation. Bills need to pass to do any good.

Some respected environmental organizations oppose S.O.S. They say redwoods are adapted to fires. Many seedlings have already germinated around the dead giants. S.O.S. might allow logging where it is not appropriate.

Fast Action is Critical

Other environmentalists counter that fast action is critical. The current rate of clearing will take 50 years to complete. Environmental reviews will be streamlined, not eliminated. Restorative thinning is not the same as logging.

We need the current Congress to pass bipartisan legislation that will build on the climate progress made in the last session. Under the Paris Agreement of 2015, the United States committed to a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, starting from 2005 levels. Models estimate that even with last year’s Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, we will achieve only 28%.

CCL has four goals for policies that, if passed, would take us below our commitment, to about 60%.

Goal #1 is permitting reform. Our investments in clean power and power transmission will not help much if permitting for energy projects takes 10 years. Streamlining the process could reduce emissions by another 12%. But haphazard repeal of environmental review is not acceptable.  Good legislation should protect people’s health and safety, and encourage early input from local communities.

Compromise Will Produce More Clean Energy

Bipartisan legislation will include streamlined permitting for fossil fuel projects. This will alarm many environmentalists. But under present rules, fossil fuel permitting is often easier than for renewable energy. Interstate pipelines are easier to approve than electrical transmission. Drilling for natural gas is easier than drilling for geothermal energy. Plus, many more clean energy projects are already awaiting approval. So, this compromise seems worth it, since it will lead to many more clean energy projects than fossil fuel projects.

Goal #2 is Carbon Fee and Dividend. Charge oil, coal, and gas companies a fee when their fossil fuels leave the ground. Use the money to pay dividends to us, the people. Carbon fees are a policy favored by most economists, conservative and liberal. Models say they will give us another 12% reduction. A carbon fee would also allow America, under international rules, to impose a carbon border adjustment mechanism on goods coming from countries that don’t have  a market mechanism for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Europe already has a carbon border adjustment that American companies will pay, until we pass our own fee.

Goal #3 is promoting Healthy Forests, to increase carbon sequestration. The Save Our Sequoias Act is in this category.  Well-managed forests and more urban trees brings another 5% reduction.

Goal #4 is Electrification. Electrifying buildings, transportation, and other energy users could reduce emissions by 3%.

If we achieve all four of these goals, our emissions will be 60% less than in 2005, more than achieving our Paris commitment.

About the Author

Devin Carroll is a semi-retired Agricultural Pest Management Consultant.  He volunteers with Citizens’ Climate Lobby Fresno as the Lobby Team Leader and Youth Team Advisor.  He can be reached at fresno@citizensclimatelobby.org.

Lesa Schwartz - 8-13-2023 - Climate Reality

 CLIMATE REALITY 

Congressman Tom McClintock’s latest letter to his constituents explains the importance of “not hamstringing the economy with climate regulations.” He explains that we have experienced warm periods and major ice events before. But this is not the complete picture. Our planet has always gone through changes in climate, however, these changes in climate historically took hundreds of thousands to millions of years. 

The drastic changes happening now have taken place over the last hundred years or so and have brought about an increase of 2°F. This has occurred, for the most part, due to human-caused fossil fuel emissions. As a result, we are spending billions of dollars addressing the havoc that resulting extreme weather events have caused. 

In addition, the deadly effects to our health from these emissions costs us billions each year. Green energy solutions such as wind, water and solar technologies have the ability to create jobs, help our economy grow and make us a major player in the world of green energy production. We all need to understand what must be done. 

Most importantly, without intelligent, informed action from members of Congress, we will live on a planet that will be very difficult to inhabit. 

Lesa Schwartz Fresno

Read more at: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article278148017.html#storylink=cpy

Bruce Ratcliffe - 7-9-2023 - Youth Voice on Global Warming

 

YOUTH VOICE ON GLOBAL WARMING

Fresno Bee, July 9, 2023

The Bee is to be commended for its recent publication of an Opinion piece by Shiv Mehrotra-Varma recounting his trip to Washington DC to lobby on behalf of Citizens Climate Lobby. Considering his age, his writing is stellar, but far more impressive is his dedication to urging our representatives to support climate action. My sister's daughter recently confessed she was jealous of her parents, who are in their 70's, because "You'll be dead before it gets really bad." Shiv is sixteen.  His impressive motivation makes even more sense:  He'll be around a long, long time.

Bruce Ratcliffe, Fresno

https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article277074883.html

Shiv Mehrotra-Varma - 6/30/2023. Fresno teen walks U.S. Capitol’s halls to bring a message about climate change

 

Fresno Bee

July 9, 2023

Fresno teen walks U.S. Capitol’s halls to bring a message about climate change | Opinion

My heart races as I stroll briskly past the U.S. Capitol, sweat dripping down my back. The unforgiving heat does nothing to stem the surges of nervous adrenaline running through my veins. The grandeur of the place stirs me, yet its ostentation pales in comparison to the weight of the mission I carry: advocating for urgent climate action. As a 16-year-old from Fresno, I grew interested in learning about environmental issues when I witnessed the beauty of our national parks being threatened and local communities destroyed by a series of wildfires that ravaged central California in recent years. I never imagined my evolving passion for the environment wound send me to the epicenter of American political power — D.C. — in a bid to voice my concerns about the impending climate catastrophe.

My fully funded trip was courtesy of Citizen’s Climate Lobby’s; I’m the co-leader of the Fresno Youth Action Team. We’re an international organization, with a shared vision to address the climate crisis through meaningful action. Our lobbying efforts specifically focused on clean energy permitting reform, aimed at accelerating the process of building infrastructure for renewable energy sources, and the EICDA, which is designed to place a fee on carbon emissions while generating revenue to be returned to households as a dividend. My journey to the Capitol, accompanied by fellow CCL members, was dedicated to urging the passage of nonpartisan pro-climate bills. This nonpartisanship is what I admire most about CCL. People can have their own opinions; that’s one of the most crucial aspects of democracy. But my fellow lobbyists and I understood that to tackle a problem as momentous as climate change, we all need to come together as a united front. The importance of this front was underscored during the CCL conference, in the days of preparation leading up to Lobby Day. I encountered some of the most diligent and determined people I’ve ever met there. Among them were representatives from Ghana, who taught me that environmental degradation is not just a regional or national crisis, and CCL higher-ups from diverse backgrounds, who taught me that anyone can make an impact.

I had the privilege of meeting with four congressmen and their staffers on lobby day. The meetings were not without their challenges. While many congressional offices were warm and welcoming, several openly scoffed at the thought of supporting our main requests. I stuttered at first, but with each meeting — even the most demoralizing ones — I grew more confident in utilizing the skills I’d learned as a debater in high school and during the conference. Each skeptical glance and dismissive comment served as a stark reminder of the uphill battle we were fighting.

And each interaction taught me something valuable. The congressmen, even those who disagreed, showed me the complexity of the decision-making process. Each voice had its own priorities, its own concerns. I learned the importance of understanding their perspective, not just promoting my own. As the youngest in the room, I wasn’t just representing myself or CCL — I was representing a generation, one that will inherit the consequences of decisions made today. I finished the trip off with a bang by facing a fear that may even be shared by some congressional members: public speaking. Cracking (dumb) jokes in front of a thousand other CCL members while recounting my experiences was daunting, and perhaps a bit embarrassing, but I am so grateful for the warm reception my comments received. Today, I’m not just a 16-year-old from Fresno, but a climate advocate and youth leader committed to inspiring my generation to act for a more sustainable future. And I plan to fight for this cause for the rest of my life. This story was originally published June 30, 2023, 5:30 AM.

Shiv Mehrotra-Varma

Andrea De Zubiria - 4/11/2023 - After a three-year pandemic break, Earth Day Fresno returns this month at City College

 After a three-year pandemic break, Earth Day Fresno returns this month at City College

by Andrea De Zubiria

April 11, 2023

https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article274205340.html

I grew up in the ‘70s with Woodsy Owl saying “Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute”, the crying “Indian” public service announcements and Smokey the Bear cavorting with Disney animals to tell us that only we could prevent forest fires. I had no idea that such “environmentalist” messages were kind of a new thing at the time.

I also did not know that prior to the 1970s there were minimal legal or regulatory mechanisms to protect the environment. Imagine a time when there was no Environmental Protection Act, no Clean Air Act and no Clean Water Act. Factories were free to spew pollutants into the air, urban water supplies were being contaminated with impunity, hardly any Americans had heard of recycling and the pesticide DDT (along with lax hunting laws) almost wiped out the bald eagle.

But in 1962, Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring,” about the indiscriminate use of pesticides, brought attention to the interdependence of humans and nature. Then some dramatic disasters like a giant oil spill around Santa Barbara and a contaminated river that burst into flames near Cleveland heightened Americans’ awareness of our effect on the air and water that we depend on.

As a result of heightened public concern, Republican President Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency in December 1970. According to the EPA, he presented the House and Senate “ a groundbreaking 37-point message on the environment. “ These points included: requesting $4 billion dollars for the improvement of water treatment facilities; asking for national air quality standards and stringent guidelines to lower motor vehicle emissions; launching federally-funded research to reduce automobile pollution; ordering a clean-up of federal facilities that had fouled air and water; seeking legislation to end the dumping of wastes into the Great Lakes; proposing a tax on lead additives in gasoline; forwarding to Congress a plan to tighten safeguards on the seaborne transportation of oil; and approving a national contingency plan for the treatment of oil spills.

Back in 1970, April 22 was chosen for Earth Day because it was between spring break and midterms, which would make it easier for students to participate. So it is fitting that this year, Earth Day Fresno will occur on the campus of Fresno City College on Saturday April 22. This is a free family friendly event sponsored by the Environmental Collaborative of Central California and Fresno City College’s Division of Math, Science and Engineering. There will be entertainment and educational booths. Citizens’ Climate Lobby Fresno will be there with opportunities to tell your members of Congress to support legislation that lowers greenhouse gases in our atmosphere like healthy forests, urban trees, electrification and carbon pricing. A yard sale at CCLF’s booth will raise funds to send area young people to attend a conference and meet with our members of Congress in Washington, D.C. You can visit with other Earth Day Fresno participants, like The Central Valley Young Environmental Advocates and learn about the critical work of the San Joaquin Valley Air District. There will also be vendors, food trucks, electric vehicle test drives, a bike clinic, kids activities and more.

April offers more local events to honor Earth Day and to learn about environmental challenges and solutions that we can all participate in. These include: Fresno Interfaith Climate Summit, Saturday, April 15, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno Earth Day at Fresno State, Wednesday, April 19, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (near the bookstore) Twenty million people participated in the activities and “teach-ins” on America’s first Earth Day. It is now estimated by EarthDay.org that a whopping 1 billion people will participate in Earth Day activities in 193 countries. Due to the pandemic, the last Earth Day Fresno was in 2019 at Radio Park, so you won’t want to miss the come-back event April 22 at Fresno City College, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Andrea De Zubiria is the group leader for the Fresno Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, which helps pass legislation that supports climate change solutions.

Ken Wall - 2-22-2023 - Housing projects in Fresno that add to sprawl deny the reality of climate change

 

https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article272572379.html

Housing projects in Fresno that add to sprawl deny the reality of climate change

By KEN WALL FEBRUARY 22, 2023

Ever wonder who pays for sprawl? Sprawl costs everyone who lives in and travels around the Fresno region with traffic congestion and increased air pollution, but it turns out we all offer financial support as well. I read the news that the Biden administration has set aside $25 million for road improvements in rural Madera County, specifically getting a four-mile stretch of Highway 41 between Avenues 12 and 15 freeway-ready. The primary purpose of this project is said to be for “improving access to some of the fastest-growing communities in Madera County.” There has been considerable residential development in that general area in recent years, so it’s no wonder there is now more traffic congestion. It seems federal taxpayer money is to be used to solve the traffic congestion problem created by sprawl. As an aside, any traffic congestion relief from higher-capacity roads is apparently temporary. According to Matt Turner, a PhD economist who studies such things, “If you keep adding lanes because you want to reduce traffic congestion, you have to be really determined not to learn from history.” Roadway expansion apparently does not relieve traffic congestion, at least not for long.

A recent Fresnoland article described the potential 1,000-acre Leo Wilson project on a rural part of Sheppard Avenue near Clovis. The article says that taxpayer money from Measure C in the amount of $33 million was earmarked for this project, not only for road improvements, but to fund high-speed internet access for the new development’s residents. Measure C, the Fresno County transportation sales tax, was up for early renewal in the November 2022 election, but came up short of the required two-thirds majority. During the same election, Madera County’s version of a transportation measure funded by sales taxes, Measure T, failed to achieve enough voter support and was turned down. To me, residential development in the two areas I described represents sprawl. Sprawl contributes to climate change and more air pollution primarily because it encourages more vehicle traffic to and from outlying areas. Sprawl also can have a negative impact on the quality of communities far from the new developments because the transportation needs of existing neighborhoods often are neglected, over time, in favor of newer, more affluent developments in rural areas.

It is helpful to remember that Measures C and T provide funding for transportation projects using a sales tax, a type of tax that imposes an equal burden on all purchasers of goods subject to the tax. Accordingly, such a tax is a relatively heavier financial burden for lower-income residents than for higher-income residents because they can less afford higher prices; air quality is also worse for residents in lower-income communities. I wonder if this is what the voters felt or had in mind when they voted down renewal of Measure C and implementation of Measure T in November. I wonder if voters are convinced that, with the evident local and federal political support for sprawl, there is no way to stop rapid residential developments in Fresno / Madera agricultural areas. But maybe voters are saying no to using local taxpayer money, raised through regressive sales taxes, to contribute to the sprawl, no matter what other good outcomes Measures C and T might have achieved. It’s clear that climate change is upon us, and that a rapid and effective response from all levels of government is required to limit the impact of the changing climate. Continuing the business-as-usual approach to land use and transportation decisions, specifically encouraging sprawl, is inconsistent with the climate challenges we see now and with others that are surely coming. That it causes additional grief to lower-income communities makes it even worse to continue the sprawl mindset.

Measures C and T, and federal transportation spending, should reflect these realities, with decisions that avoid sprawl and which benefit existing communities. Deciding to curtail sprawl likely would lead to entirely different ways of thinking about planning transportation projects that do not contribute to climate change, poor air quality or the neglect of existing communities in Fresno and Madera counties. That would be worth considering.

C.J. Wilson - 1-29-2023 - A Call To Plant More Trees

 January 29, 2023  

The Fresno Bee

A Call To Plant More Trees

I don’t think I need to remind anyone in the valley that the last few weeks have been wet. While some have (rightfully) pointed out the climate change connection to this spate of storms, it’s important to note that there are solutions we can use alongside fossil fuel reduction.

One that stands out is tree planting and healthy forest maintenance. Healthy foliage is among the strongest buffers to flooding we can hope for: it soaks up the water, breaks up the flow, and spreads out the rainfall. But, after decades of drought and mismanagement, we’ve lost millions of trees in the Sierras and the Central Valley. That’s to say nothing of the lack of urban tree cover in Fresno’s poorer districts.

Luckily, this is a problem with palatable and direct solutions. All of us can take part in helping to strengthen our forests and increase urban tree cover, either on our own or by joining groups like Citizens' Climate Lobby, who has recently launched a new Healthy Forest Initiative. Not only will this reduce the impact of floods: it’ll clear up the Valley’s notoriously bad air and give us shade during our infernal summers. 

https://eedition.fresnobee.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&pubid=d64a689b-eac4-46b5-b76a-4f687dbdd21f

C.J. Wilson

Don Gaede - 1-7-2023 - A healthy climate for our children

 Bakersfield Californian.  Jan 7, 2023

https://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters-to-editor/letter-to-the-editor-a-healthy-climate-for-our-children/article_9351a1d0-8d36-11ed-9e6b-479b76db2192.html?fbclid=IwAR0PlxGS-TxHCeuo621_p4lCq-uS3WNaojDe13vBI-RxBJc1n4Swg2wd_WM 

A healthy climate for our children

After years of drought in California, I was dubious when I first read the study published by the California Department of Water Resources that said catastrophic flooding in California is becoming much more likely as our planet heats up due to buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

In 1861-1862, incessant rains transformed the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys into a vast inland sea, and inundated the now densely populated areas of Los Angeles and Orange counties. The study pointed out that because a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, and because precipitation in the Sierras will tend to be in the form of rain instead of snow, the risk of such a once-in-a-millennium flood will greatly increase if climate change is not addressed. The “bomb cyclones” we’ve recently experienced may be the first sign of more extreme events to come.

The good news is that effective climate solutions are available — but the bad news is that the political will to implement them is often lacking. I encourage folks to join groups such as Citizens’ Climate Lobby, where your voice will be amplified as we work to preserve a healthy, stable climate for our children and grandchildren.

— Don Gaede, San Luis Obispo

Ruth Afifi - 1-1-2023 - Flood control must not be put off

 Flood control must not be put off

Thank you for your Dec. 16 story about the plan of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board to protect us from “mega flooding.” It’s hard to imagine in the midst of a long and terrible drought that someday, due to climate change and rising temperatures, we will have “extreme rain” causing huge floods affecting Sacramento, Modesto, Stockton and Fresno.

The story said there is deferred maintenance of the current flood system and that to protect the Central Valley, $3 billion is needed in the next five years and $35 billion over the next 30 for infrastructure and also floodplain restoration along the Valley’s rivers.

I am concerned that we won’t invest what is need:

I am concerned that we won’t invest what is needed to prevent suffering and enormous losses when the “catastrophic flooding” occurs. I hope the necessary funds for flood control will be provided in upcoming budgets.

- Ruth Afifi, Fresno

https://eedition.fresnobee.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&pubid=d64a689b-eac4-46b5-b76a-4f687dbdd21f

January 1, 2023