Page 21 - Sonoma County Gazette November 2018

FOR THE PLANET cont’d from page 20
bacterial infection, and sending a man to the moon, all together.” But we
can do it! As the Times says “we’re perfect for the job.” If there’s one thing humans are really good at “it’s taking on the impossible.” In the past we’ve often faced terrible seemingly unconquerable challenges—the Black Death killed at least one-third of Europe’s population in the Middle Ages; 50 million died in World War II. The 1.5o goal is technically possible. Do we have the political will to make it happen?
Keep it in the Ground!
To do so, we have to keep coal, oil, and gas in the ground—now! Delaying doing so is simply denial. We’re all so dependent on using fossil fuels that it’s going to take a radical shift to do this. We’ve started here in California, and especially in Sonoma County. Sonoma Clean Power’s energy mix is 87% fossil free; Evergreen customers have 100% renewable energy.
What you can do NOW.
• Sign up for 100% renewable energy with Sonoma Clean Power’s Evergreen program.
• Trade your gas guzzler for an electric vehicle with SCP’s EV program, ending November 16th. Join nearly 750 Sonoma County customers who drive fossil-fuel free. Go to sonomacleanpower.org/programs/drive-ev for more information.
• Write letters to all of these:
The editor of your local paper; local businesses, asking them to commit
to lowering their business’ climate impacts; members of Congress, urging immediate action on climate change; to all candidates—at any level— asking them to sign the Candidates Pledge for Climate Action, tinyurl.com/ y8awjuwo.
• Vote Green!
I can’t stress enough that you NEED to vote. The fossil fuel companies are
counting on you to NOT vote—remember only 20% of people stating their
commitment to the environment voted in the 2014 mid-terms.
• Vote NO on 6. This gas tax helps fund public transit, as well as helping
fix our roads and bridges. AND, very importantly, when the price of gas goes down, people drive more and buy low mileage vehicles, generating more emissions, so our higher gas prices translate to cleaner air and lower global warming.
© Tish Levee, 2018
11/18 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 21