“Once we start to act, hope is everywhere!
So instead of looking for hope, look for action.
Then, and only then, hope will come!”
–Greta Thunberg
At the CEC’s Extreme Heat Forum on August 15, the Fearless Grandmothers recommended these actions:
- Stop Exxon pipeline restart. Send letter to County Supervisors. Attend August 22 hearing in person or by zoom, make a public comment.
- Join a climate group. Sign up with CEC, Sierra Club, 350 SB, Third Act, Fearless Grandmothers, or Gray Panthers to receive updates on local/regional climate actions.
- Get to know your neighbors. Join or help create a neighborhood group. Bring the topic of planning for resilience to groups you already belong to.
Stop destruction. Extreme heat, flooding and other catastrophic climate events are being driven by rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Much of the increase in greenhouse gases has been caused by the production and burning of fossil fuels. So we must phase out fossil fuels. That is why the Grandmothers adamantly oppose increasing fossil fuel production in our region. Beyond the damage to climate, fossil fuels also cause air and water pollution which we also need to prevent.
The current fossil fuel project which must be stopped is Exxon’s plan to restart a pipeline which ruptured and caused an oil spill on our beaches in 2015.
Join a climate group. Find the group that resonates with you. If you are a senior, Third Act and the Gray Panthers are great options. If you are an elder woman, consider the Fearless Grandmothers. Sierra Club, CEC, and 350SB are for all ages. Young people might want to join Sunrise Movement Santa Barbara.
Help build community. Just talking to friends and family about global warming and extreme heat is a great first step. We need to normalize talking about the climate emergency. Something so urgent that will affect everyone’s lives shouldn’t be a taboo topic!
Helping build neighborhood connections is really important. If you can find a neighborhood group to join, you are in luck. Otherwise you might have to start one.
If you are involved with any local group, think about how you can introduce the topic of resilience planning. Can you arrange an educational event? Local climate groups will be happy to provide speakers.