Capitol Voice May 2019

Tour the Channel Islands National Park

By Katherine Garcia

Hike the windswept trails bordered with blazing wildflowers and kayak along the beautiful coastline. Or, just relax at sea.  There will be lots of opportunities to marvel at sea and land birds and waters teeming with frolicking seals and sea lions. Look for reminders of the Chumash people who lived on these islands for thousands of years.

The cruise departs from Santa Barbara, California. The cost, $730, includes an assigned bunk and all meals, snacks, and beverages. Kayaking will be overseen by our concessionaire; all hikes will be on trails, class 1 terrain.

Upcoming Dates: June 9-11, July 14-16, July 20-23, August 18-20, September 22-24, October 20-22

Participating in the tour benefits the political work of Sierra Club California. To reserve space send a $200 check, written to California Sierra Club PAC to Joan Jones Holtz, 11826 The Wye St., El Monte, CA 91732.

For more information contact leaders: Joan Jones Holtz and Wayne Vollaire.

Sign Up for In-District Lobbying Webinar

By Molly Culton

Legislators care about what their constituents think. They know that your vote is what keeps them in office.

One of the most important things Sierra Club volunteers can do to help pass good environmental legislation is to reach out to their legislators at home. Meeting with your representatives in-district is one of the most effective ways to influence change and make sure your voice is heard regarding the issues you care most about.

It’s also a great way to build a relationship with your elected officials and let them know which issues are a top priority for their constituents.

Sierra Club California will be hosting three webinars this month to train volunteers on best practices for In-District Lobbying. Below are the dates and times of the scheduled webinars, with links to register:

Tuesday, May 21; 12:00PM - 12:30PM - Register here

Wednesday, May 22; 12:00PM - 12:30PM - Register here

Thursday, May 23; 12:00PM- 12:30PM - Register here

For more information, you can email: Molly.Culton@sierraclub.org.

The State of the Air in 2019

By Katherine Garcia

The years 2015, 2016 and 2017 were the warmest ever recorded. As the climate crisis intensifies, cleaning up air pollutants will become more challenging, particularly since the federal administration is threatening to undermine our efforts toward healthier air.

Last month, the Lung Association released the 20^th anniversary edition of its comprehensive air quality report and the state of our air is failing.

The “State of the Air” 2019 studied air pollution data from 2015 to 2017 collected by the federal, state and local governments and tribes. The report found that more cities had high days of ozone and short-term particle pollution compared to earlier years and that many cities measured increased levels of year-round particle pollution.

The Lung Association identified seven critical threats to the nation’s air quality by the federal government. These include the proposal to repeal the Clean Power Plan, to roll back limits for greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy standards and weakening the Clean Air Act. These threats to public health are serious. Undermining protections means people will be forced to breathe cancer-causing emissions that worsen ozone pollution and climate change.

To see the California Report Card, click here. To read the Key Findings, click here.

Luckily, there is some positive news from this report. Four cities in the U.S. had zero unhealthy days for ozone pollution and ranked on the list of cleanest cities for year-round particle pollution. Of these four, one is in California. It’s Salinas!