March 25, 2019
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day!
Thursday, April 18, 7pm, Benicia Library
Earth Day’s 50th anniversary was this year. At our April meeting we celebrated!!!
The first Earth Day in 1970 enlisted 20 million Americans and is credited with launching the modern environmental movement. The idea for a national day to focus on the environment came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Sen. Nelson announced the idea for a “national teach-in on the environment”; persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman to serve as his co-chair; and recruited Denis Hayes from Harvard as national coordinator. Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land, and April 22 was selected as the date.
On April 18th our program highlighted 350 Bay Area and its Electrify Everything in 2019 program, explaining all the new options for electric alternatives – for cars, air heating and cooling, water heating, and cooking.
What can I do to help avoid climate chaos? – this discussion offered some answers, providing everyday people – just like us – what we can do in our daily lives to move off fossil fuels. Living in California means there is already legislation that makes it easier to accomplish these goals. 350 Bay Area led a discussion of the areas where our choices really can make a difference, including support for AB40.
In addition to the Electrify Everything discussion, Kathy Kerridge, (a PDBer), and David Lindsay of Benicia’s Community Sustainability Commission discussed the commission and it’s current programs.
We began by honoring the hard work and the tremendous accomplishments of the Good Neighbor Steering Committee which recently secured an additional settlement with Valero that brought more money for air monitoring, water conservation and Sustainable Solano.
PDB members are working with 350 Bay Area’s legislative action committee tracking bills to support or oppose those that impact CA’s present renewable energy goals and climate change trends.