This month, we remember the extraordinary Dr. Jane Goodall, whose lifelong work for animals, people, and the planet continues to inspire action across generations. Her words remind us that real hope is not passive, it’s what we do when we choose to care and to act.
“Hope is often misunderstood. People tend to think that it is simply passive wishful thinking: I hope something will happen but I’m not going to do anything about it. This is indeed the opposite of real hope, which requires action and engagement.”
— Jane Goodall, The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times
Her message captures exactly why we keep fighting for clean air, climate justice, and a livable planet for all.
How many of us know a child who carries an inhaler or a friend who struggles to catch their breath on bad air days? It’s hardly surprising here in Contra Costa County, where pollution from refineries, freeways, and heavy industry has left a visible mark on our health.
The American Lung Association reports that about 6 percent of Contra Costa children and nearly 9 percent of adults live with asthma, while another 4 percent of adults cope with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Rates are even higher in neighborhoods along refinery corridors and major transportation routes where families live closest to the sources of pollution.
The Bay Area now ranks among the nation’s worst regions for air quality:
As pollution intensifies and the climate grows hotter, we have a responsibility to act. Supporting stronger clean-air rules from the Bay Area Air District is one important step we can take to protect our health and our communities.
We can stand up for stronger clean-air standards that protect our families and our future. The Bay Area Air District is deciding how to move forward and now is the time for our communities to speak up. See below for more details.
In 2023, the Bay Area Air District adopted strong clean-air standards Rules 9-4 and 9-6 to reduce dangerous nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution from fossil-fuel appliances in our homes and buildings. These rules set a path toward zero-emission water heaters and furnaces, beginning in 2027 for water heaters and 2029 for furnaces.
With these deadlines approaching, the Air District is considering updates to ensure low-income households are supported through the transition. Unfortunately, the gas industry and its allies are using this moment to push for rollbacks that would undo years of progress toward cleaner, healthier air.
Take Action: Tell the Air District Board you support protecting these clean-air standards while ensuring fairness and accessibility for all families. It only takes a minute and your voice matters.
Send a Letter:
Letter to Contra Costa County Board members
Letter to Solano County Board members
Letter to Alameda County Board members
The energy we use in our homes matters for both our personal health and the planet’s. Getting gas out of buildings is now a priority for government agencies and a growing desire among residents. By switching to electric heat pump technology, we can power our homes with cleaner, climate-friendly electricity while eliminating the indoor and outdoor air pollution that harms our health.
350 Contra Costa has taken a major step to promote an equitable transition from gas to clean electric heat pumps for low-income homeowners in Pittsburg and Antioch, convening a coalition of East Contra Costa nonprofits into the East Contra Costa Healthy Homes Collaborative.
The collaborative, funded by California Jobs First through the Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative is now planning a project to retrofit homes for comfort and safety while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It will also create pathways for local residents to access good-paying clean-energy jobs, ensuring a just transition as California moves toward a clean-energy future. Tired of that gas smell when you turn on your stove? So is Mother Nature!
The Healthy Homes Project is helping Antioch and Pittsburg residents replace gas appliances with efficient, electric alternatives. Gas fumes not only affect indoor air quality but also contribute significantly to air pollution outdoors.
Collaborative partners include RCF Connects, 350 Contra Costa, Lift Up Contra Costa, CocoKids, Healthy and Active Before 5, GRID Alternatives, and others working together to design a blueprint for clean, healthy homes, train a local workforce in home electrification, and support contractors in building a more resilient East Contra Costa.
The project is now in its early outreach phase, sharing information about the benefits of moving away from gas and gathering community input on how best to implement the program.
If you live in Pittsburg or Antioch and are interested in helping spread the word in the community about this project, please contact us at info@350contracostaaction.org.
Read this article on a webpage here.
The California state legislative session that ended on September 12 was mostly a letdown for people who care about the climate. Both legislators and Governor Newsom prioritized bills they perceived as reducing utility costs and increasing housing over efforts to promote a clean, equitable future for all.
We know better: now is not the time for short-term rollbacks or weakened environmental protections. Global warming is intensifying wildfires, drought, heat waves, and flooding right now. Setbacks are part of the political process but we must keep working with legislators to restore California’s role as a beacon of climate hope for the nation.
Governor Newsom did approve three worthwhile bills supported by 350 Contra Costa Action that move us toward a clean-energy economy:
Public Campaign Financing
Your November 2026 election ballot will include a proposition allowing state and local governments to fund election campaigns giving progressive candidates without deep-pocketed donors a fairer chance and more support for pro-climate initiatives.
Public Transit Funding
A new Bay Area–wide transit revenue district will ask voters in November 2026 to approve a 0.5–1 percent sales tax increase to stabilize our financially struggling transit systems. Reliable public transportation is vital for reducing greenhouse gases from personal vehicles.
Transit Project Environmental Review Exemptions
This law exempts climate-friendly projects like bike lanes, pedestrian plans, and transit-station construction from lengthy environmental reviews making them easier, cheaper, and faster to complete.
Thank you—
350 Contra Costa Action
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The time for climate action is now!
©350 Contra Costa Action
This message has not been expressly authorized, requested, or approved by any federal, state, or local candidate, candidate’s committee or their agents, or by any ballot issue committee.
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