Local Action for a Better World

Top Priorities for 2024

Like many of us in Contra Costa, you may have “do something about climate change” at the top of your to-do list for 2024. And you know that shrinking your own carbon footprint is necessary but not sufficient—it’s all-hands-on-deck time to shift society away from fossil fuels and create our clean-energy future. 

But how? Below are seven very worthwhile ways you can work for real climate solutions. 

Elect climate champions to our state legislature

This election year, we have a fantastic opportunity to send bold new leaders from Contra Costa to represent us in Sacramento. 

• In Senate District 9, Marisol Rubio is seeking to succeed Steve Glazer.
• In Assembly District 15, Monica Wilson is running for the seat currently held by Tim Grayson. 

Both Wilson and Rubio have been endorsed by 350 Bay Area Action. Your help is needed to get them elected! Click here for more info. 

End oil and gas drilling in Contra Costa

Contra Costa County is seeking your input for the draft 2045 General Plan, a compendium of policies guiding land use and infrastructure decisions in unincorporated areas for the next two decades. Voice your support for:

• banning all new oil and gas drilling and phasing out existing sites

• increasing the required setback between wells and sensitive areas like schools and hospitals 

• better monitoring of toxic emissions such as methane.

For excellent guidance in making your comments, see this article by our friends at Sunflower Alliance. The County’s deadline for comments is April 5th.

Stop carbon waste dumping

The Montezuma CarbonHub is a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project proposed for southern Solano County and northern Contra Costa County. If the project is permitted, it will collect carbon dioxide from power plants and refineries in Contra Costa and Solano; transport it via barge and pipeline under Suisun Bay; and inject it into a massive well drilled into wetlands in southern Solano County, across the bay from Pittsburg. 

But CCS is an unsafe, expensive, and false climate “solution.”  

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Region 9 is now considering a permit application for the injection well. It’s time to stop Montezuma before it starts by building strong opposition! Find more information here. 

Pass strong climate laws

Getting sensible policy turned into state law is an extremely effective way to fight for climate solutions. This year, several important bills from 2023 are returning to the legislature as two-year bills, including:

•  SB 674, the Refinery Air Pollution Transparency and Reduction Act, ensuring that refineries monitor their noxious emissions and notify their neighbors of hazardous pollution levels.

•  SB 233, Bidirectional Electric Vehicle Charging, requiring that EVs be equipped to power homes and businesses during outages.

•  AB 591, the Electric Vehicle Charging for All Act, requiring all EV charging stations to be accessible to all electric vehicles.

•  SB 529, the Electric Vehicles for All Act, setting up EV car-sharing programs at 100 public and low-income housing facilities.

Of course, the new climate bills to be introduced this session will also need our support. Find out how you can get involved here. 

Decarbonize buildings

Residential and commercial buildings account for about 25 percent of California's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, so a big part of climate strategy is shifting away from gas-powered appliances to all-electric heating/cooling systems, stoves, and water heaters. Find out more here.  

In 2019, Berkeley became the first US city to ban “natural” gas hookups in new construction; unfortunately, the courts have ruled that law invalid. But there are other ways to move ahead with decarbonization in our cities and towns. Your help is needed! Get started here. 

Advocate for action in your city or town

Is your city or town doing all it can to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? At the local level, a small group of residents can have a big impact on climate strategies like decarbonizing city buildings; planting trees to mitigate extreme heat; and making the town more walkable and bikeable. 

Local lawmakers are open to engaging with their constituents, and many of them are not familiar with climate solutions. As a city liaison working with 350CCA, you can educate them to do what’s right for your community’s future.

City liaisons are part of our policy team. They monitor what’s happening at the council and planning commission in their city and report back to the team when climate issues come up. They might interact with city staff as well as councilmembers, building relationships and keeping the need for climate action on the minds of policy makers. 

If you live in any of Contra Costa’s 19 cities and would like more information about becoming a city liaison, please shoot an email to lisa@350contracosta.org. 

Connect with a climate community

Climate activism is crucially important work. It’s more effective—and more fun—to join with others who share your desire to bring in a livable future for our children. Please get in touch to find out more about working with 350 Contra Costa Action!

Thank you—

Emily and Lisa

The time for climate action is NOW!

Follow us on Facebook @350contracosta, Twitter, @350ccaction

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