VCCool News 10/30/07

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VCCool Newsletter October 30, 2007

Dear Climate Care Activist,

"Welcome!" to all the new VCCool members. Our fantastic new database administrator, Jessica Gomez, tore through the pile of sign-up sheets and scraps of paper, and our e-mail list went from 179 to 325 members. Thank you Jessica!

The big local news in this issue is the Environmental Questionnaire and the informative responses from the Ventura City Council Candidates. It's especially noteworthy that nine local organizations contributed questions.

In this issue you'll also read about the local Step-it-Up event on November 3rd, re-cap on the bicycle summit, the Cloth Bag update, and more.

Peace and Health,

-Rachel of VCCool
www.vccool.org

Are you ready for Ventura's November 6th elections? Do you know which candidates you want for city council?

VCCool has put together a broad-based environmental questionnaire, with input from eight other environmental groups, to help you decide.

The responses are sorted by question and by candidate. So get the facts, get your friends, and get the vote out on Tuesday, November 6th!

Special thanks to all the hard working candidates who took the time to send in their responses to our questionnaire.

Questions and Candidate Answers

Step it Up Ventura County
Be there or be Under Water

Saturday, November 3rd
Noon to 2 p.m.
1900 Spinnaker Drive
Ventura, CA

The national group Step-it-Up is at it again. They want every elected official and candidate to take a hard look at climate change, and then step up to the challenge.

This year the Ventura and Conejo Valley Audubon Societies will sponsor a rally as part of the Step It Up 2007 campaign. "We hope to draw a large crowd and bring attention to the huge problem of global warming and what can be done about it, especially on a political level. Politicians from throughout the area have been invited to attend."
Get-the-word-out flyer.

To RSVP and for More Information

This October, Citizens for a Peaceful Resolution (CPR) gave out thirteen Earth Charter Awards at an inspirational ceremony at Ventura College. Two of the awards went to Elzbet Diaz de Leon and Rachel Morris as representatives of VCCool. Clearly this honor is shared with all of you who have been involved and put your time, your resources, and your creativity toward climate care in Ventura County. Congratulations!
Article from the Ventura Star

On a note of a different scale, Al Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his profound work concerning the climate change crisis. How gratifying that he was chosen; and what a powerful statement about climate change.
Al Gore's Acceptance Speech

Including a kids' bike rodeo, film festival, and city workshops, the bicycle summit was, by all accounts, a raving success.

With a generous financial donation from the Channel Islands Bicycle Club, two new bikes from Bike Depot, training from Uncle Tren, and skilled bicycle repair from Trek, Oak Grove Cycles, and Dale Condra, the kid's rodeo had a real impact. We were able to give out over 50 helmets, get most of the kids' bikes into safe repair, and train close to 200 youths about bike safety and fun. Giant Thank You's.

The city was able to glean a large amount of citizen input on the new master bikeway plan, and they actually got more questionnaires filled out in Spanish than in English (thanks to the bike rodeo).

There was much talk about the next summit, but the more pressing order is to stay in contact with the city, report back on workshop results, and give as much support as possible towards improved bike paths and accommodations. There is also talk of putting together a bike-coop field trip, and local in-town rides. If you have not already, please drop us a note if you are interested in any or all of these pursuits.

Did you know Bank of America and CitiBank have a profound opportunity to change the path of clean energy for the better? Currently BOA and Citibank are investing billions of dollars into coal procurement and processing. With 150 new coal plants on the drawing board, if these two banks would instead, invest in cleaner forms of energy, they could swing the pendulum toward a cleaner atmosphere and healthier, safer jobs.

Please consider contacting your bank to let them know how you feel about coal investments. You can also sign this petition.

After an interesting journey on the quest of the perfect cloth bag, we are looking to go to print in time for the holiday season. The blank bags finally arrived, and they look great: 100% recycled material, black, hefty, made in the USA, and sweatshop free. Local business owners can pre-order the bags in bundles of ten, by filling out the order form and mailing it in.

Family Planning
On September 6th, the Senate passed an amendment that lifts the "Global Gag Rule." The amendment was introduce by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) in concert with Olympia Snowe (R-ME). From Population Action International "The Global Gag Rule denies foreign organizations receiving U.S. family planning assistance the right to use their own non-U.S. funds to provide legal abortion, counsel or refer for abortion, or lobby for the legalization of abortion in their country." The global gag rule had been in effect since President Bush's first day in office, 2001.
In depth Article

Global Warming Solutions Act, AB-32 - Protected
Thanks to Californian's across the state phoning their representatives, and to dedicated congressmen like Pedro Nava, and to the tireless efforts of Governor Schwarzenegger - the attempt to foil AB-32 by blocking the California budget for two months, failed. The Global Warming Solutions Act is viable, defensible, and as powerful as ever.

Thirty years ago, kids used sheets for capes, decorated paper bags, and went out to collect home-made popcorn balls and cookies.

These days it's all about plastic pumpkins, plastic costumes, and corn sweetener in plastic. Or is it...? This will be the third year in a row that throngs of kids troupe by our place for homemade treats. David Goldstein of "Eye on the Environment" has a delightful article about other creative ideas that the whole family can help with. Halloween Waste Can be Frightening

Grave Matters
"In the spirit of Halloween..." Live Earth is doing an on-line forum about "What's Greener, Cremation or Burial?" If you'd like to bone up on the topic, here are three informative links:

Green Burial Council
Grave Matters
Incineration

If you received this message from a friend, and you'd like to be on Ventura's Global Warming email list, send a note to the action@vccool.org with instructions to add you to the global warming e-mail list.

To remove yourself from our list, simply send a note to action@vccool.org with a request to remove you from the global warming list..