News: San Diego's climate change plan gets final OK
San Diego's climate change plan gets final OK
City Council approves blueprint for significantly reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by 2035
Continue reading
California Misses the Mark on Water Restrictions
We can all do more: we can conserve grey water for other uses, we can shorten our showers, we can install water saving nozzles and high-efficiency appliances. We need to do as much as we can as individuals, congregations and communities to reduce our unnecessary use of water.
And industry can do more, too. The mandatory restrictions imposed are only on residential consumers -- they exempt big ag, the fracking industry and water bottling companies. These policies put profits over people and go against our UU values. Stay tuned for next steps...
Continue reading
Bay Delta Conservation Plan
There has been an on-going controversy surrounding the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP). Since December 13, 2013, this plan has been under-going public scrutiny; alongside Governor Jerry Brown, who endorses it. The plan claims that the “BDCP would secure California’s water supply by building new water delivery infrastructure and operating the system to improve the ecological health of the Delta”, so as to transport water across the state.
Continue reading
Farmworker Reality Tours
Human Agenda is a non-profit organization that reaches out to the Central California community, in an attempt to enlighten people about the injustices that migrant workers face on a daily basis. This organization is lead by Executive Director, Richard Hobbs; who is well known for his activism work, as well as his career as an immigration attorney; and Ann Lopez, the Director of the Center for Farmworker Families. On July 27th, The UUJMCA interns had the opportunity to attend one of the Human Agenda “Farmworker Reality Tours”. Here we met with migrant workers, and listened to their stories.
Continue reading
Thirsty for Justice - Human Right to Water Film Released!
As many as 2 million Californians face significant challenges with water and sanitation. Water that is contaminated with nitrates, arsenic, lead, pesticides, and industrial chemicals.
Continue reading
Worship Resources for Water
Who Carries Their Water? Excellent Sacramento Bee article on toxic pollution of water sources in the Tulare basin and Salinas Valley, 2012.
Who Owns the Water? By Rev. Darcey Laine, 2007 Selected passages from the Rev. Thomas Starr King's Writings on God, Humans, and Nature, including "Living Water from Lake Tahoe" (116K PDF file) Water: Sacred and Profane by Mary Evelyn Tucker (Excerpt from a talk given at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, Nov. 7, 2001) (20K PDF file) A Guided Meditation on The Interdependent Web by the Rev. Craig H. Scott (52K PDF file) Gathering the Waters of Our Lives: A responsive reading for Homecoming Sunday by the Rev. Lindi Ramsden (41K PDF file) Waters of Summer a poem by the Rev. Dori Jeanine Somers from her book Pineapple Sage (7K PDF file)Continue reading
Links to Organizations that Work on Water Justice
Environmental Justice Coalition for Water
The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water's (EJCW's) mission is to educate, empower, and nurture a community-based coalition that will serve as a public voice and be an effective advocate of environmental justice issues in California water policy. EJCW recently issued “Thirsty for Justice: A People’s Blueprint for California Water” a comprehensive overview of the environmental justice issues in California water.
Water Education Foundation
Provides educational materials for adults and youth, hosts “Water Tours” offering a first hand look at some of the regions critical to the debate about the future of water resources in California, publishes the magazine “Western Water” and offers an annual briefing in Sacramento for policy makers and stakeholders.
Planning and Conservation League
For more than 30 years, this California nonprofit lobbying alliance of individuals and conservation organizations has worked to protect California’s environment.
The PCL Action Center tracks environmental bills in the Legislature.
The PCL Investment Strategy for California Water sets forth priorities to provide water quality, environmental restoration, social equity, a strong economy, viable agriculture and preservation of open spaces, as well as integrated resource management.
Continue reading