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Biofuels, Meeting reflections, Renewable energy

Meeting Reflections – February 8, 2022

General Membership Meeting, Tuesday, February 8

Panel on Biofuels and Expanding PDB Membership

Our February monthly meeting was held on February 8th.

We learned a lot from our distinguished panelists, discussing biofuels, including two projects proposed by refineries in the Bay Area.

Two oil companies, Marathon and Phillips 66, propose to convert their refineries from processing crude oil to possibly vegetable oil, animal fats, or used cooking oil to create biofuels—what the industry refers to as renewable diesel. The proponents of the projects describe these projects as part of California’s plan to transition from fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But local activists and environmental organizations are voicing reservations as Contra Costa County officials consider whether they should grant permits in the coming months. In addition, a local Benicia company has partnered with a Wyoming-based renewable fuels company which converts organic waste to clean hydrogen and synthetic fuels.

Our panelists for this discussion, which was moderated by Kari Birdseye:

A Q&A session followed the presentation by our panelists.

In advance of the meeting, members were encouraged to read DEIR Comments by Jay Gunkelman, submitted for the Phillips 66 proposed biofuels conversion in Rodeo. Jay Gunkelman is our highly respected community expert on refineries and toxic emissions. Of note is Mr. Gunkelman’s second paragraph where he compares Phillips 66 to other refineries including Valero Benicia, with regard to required fence line detection limits to operate a 5 parts-per-billion. Note that Valero’s detection is significantly above that parameter for Xylene.

The second part of our program was open to PDB voting members only.  We concluded our previous discussions on expanding PDB membership, voting on two motions:

  • The first motion passed almost unanimously: to appoint an ad hoc committee to plan how to expand diversity within PDB and unite with other Democrats.
  • The second motion failed by a large  margin: to change the name of the club to “Benicia Democrats.”  We remain the Progressive Democrats of Benicia.
Anti-racism, Benicia Black Lives Matter (BBLM), Coming Events

Free Educational Virtual Event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Free Educational Virtual Event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Join Benicia Black Lives Matter for a free virtual event on Monday, January 17, from 1:30 to 3:30 pm, to celebrate the national Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Day of Service. Established in 1994 to honor Dr. King’s life and contributions to advancing civil rights for Black Americans, this Federal holiday was intended to be a day of not just reflection, but also a day of action and self-education.

The free educational Zoom event, which is appropriate for all ages and levels of antiracist work, will feature guest speaker Mark Lampkin and focus on Dr. King’s “Three Evils of Society” speech. In 1967, Dr. King identified these three evils as racism, consumerism/poverty, and militarism/war, and he called for a “radical revolution of values” in pursuit of a more just and equitable future for all. And yet, more than 50 years later in 2022, these three evils Dr. King described are as rooted in our daily lives as—if not more entrenched than—ever.

So what have we learned in the last 50 years, and where do we go from here? Which of these three evils affects Benicia, and how can we join together to address it? BBLM is a grassroots community organization that was organized to address anti-Black racism by actively committing to building a better Benicia, one commitment and one change at a time. Join this timely discussion and learn more about the historic urgency that calls everyone to radical change, hope in action, and loving pursuit of improving our shared communities.

ZOOM INFORMATION
Topic: Benicia Black Lives Matter ML King Jr. Day Event
Time: Jan 17, 2022 01:30 PM Pacific Time

Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86881752473?pwd=QUk0dlB6M2tRejJvanBXZ2IyNzA5dz09
OR
https://bit.ly/bblm-mlk2022

Meeting ID: 868 8175 2473
Passcode: 171213
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,86881752473#,,,,*171213# US (San Jose)

Image:  Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial sculpture in Riverside, CA by Lisa Reinertson

Meeting reflections

Meeting Reflections – January 11, 2022

General Membership Meeting
Tuesday, January 11th
7:00 pm

Featured Speaker:
Congressman John Garamendi, Congressional Dist. 8

Our January monthly meeting was held on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 7:00.

U.S. Representative John Garamendi

Our program featured Congressman John Garamendi, who represents Congressional District 8, which now includes Benicia. Cong. Garamendi announced last month he is seeking reelection in 2022 and will introduce himself to Benicians, share with us his priorities for Congress this year, and let us know how we can support his efforts. The newly drawn lines for Cong. Dist. 8 now mean that all five oil refineries in the Bay Area are located in an area represented by one U.S. Representative, John Garamendi. Let’s have our questions ready for Cong. Garamendi!

We also continued discussion from our last meeting on possible changes to the Club and votes on any motions that may arise. We announced appointments to vacated Officer and Steering Committee positions, including a new Interim Chair, Kathy Kerridge, and Treasurer, Nathalie Christian – and two new Steering Committee members, Lisa Reinertson and Terry Mollica. But, we still need to fill the Vice-Chair position who will be assisting the new Chair in overall club responsibilities, and we need 2-3 additional members to join the Steering Committee to help lead the Club into 2022 in supporting candidates and actions at the local, state, and national levels. It’s time to step up!!!

Non-members were welcomed to participate in the discussion and Q&A with Cong. Garamendi. The remainder of the meeting on Club issues was open only to current and lapsed PDB members.