Current news and opportunities...
April Is Earth and Ocean Month on Whidbey!
This years theme is "Caring for our common home". We love Whidbey Island. That is why we live here. And we wish to keep our home beautiful and healthy for many generations to come. We have been working with Goosefoot and other local earth conscious groups to offer activities during the month of April that honor the traditions of Earth Day. Much is happening!
To learn more about all the activities that are being planned, please visit this website: https://whidbeyearthday.org
Please scroll down for details on some exciting offerings!
To learn more about all the activities that are being planned, please visit this website: https://whidbeyearthday.org
Please scroll down for details on some exciting offerings!
Whidbey 101 — Living on an Island

Look for us 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 29 at the Whidbey 101 finale for Earth and Ocean Month 2023. Come to the Trinity Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, 8341 WA-525 B, Freeland.
If you live on Whidbey, especially if you just moved here, this free event will help you settle in. Find out about the best trails, how to live with a septic system and what programs are available for seniors. Learn about the free bus system, how to manage yard waste and recyclables, prepare for emergencies, prune an orchard, start a garden, or landscape for wildlife. Volunteer to help clean beaches, maintain trails, greet park visitors. Sign up for educational programs, or get expert advice on forest or pasture management. Bring your questions and meet your neighbors.
Our table is featuring Water Justice and promoting the June 10, 2023 forum, Whidbey's Water Future in Changing Climate. The forum is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, 565 Camano Ave, Langley. The Langley Climate Crisis Action Committee are collaborating with scientists and water experts to bring you the Whidbey Water Story in an all-day event. Featured speakers include Dr. Richard Gammon, Dr. Paul Belanger, Penny Livingston, John Lovie, Brian Kerkvliet, Jake Stewart and more. Click the image to download a full sizer flier.
We are sharing the International Water Justice Manifesto as well.
If you live on Whidbey, especially if you just moved here, this free event will help you settle in. Find out about the best trails, how to live with a septic system and what programs are available for seniors. Learn about the free bus system, how to manage yard waste and recyclables, prepare for emergencies, prune an orchard, start a garden, or landscape for wildlife. Volunteer to help clean beaches, maintain trails, greet park visitors. Sign up for educational programs, or get expert advice on forest or pasture management. Bring your questions and meet your neighbors.
Our table is featuring Water Justice and promoting the June 10, 2023 forum, Whidbey's Water Future in Changing Climate. The forum is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, 565 Camano Ave, Langley. The Langley Climate Crisis Action Committee are collaborating with scientists and water experts to bring you the Whidbey Water Story in an all-day event. Featured speakers include Dr. Richard Gammon, Dr. Paul Belanger, Penny Livingston, John Lovie, Brian Kerkvliet, Jake Stewart and more. Click the image to download a full sizer flier.
We are sharing the International Water Justice Manifesto as well.
Earth & Ocean Month Kickoff - Wednesday, April 5, 4 to 7:30 p.m.

Join us to start Whidbey Earth & Ocean Month with a bang! From 4-6:30 PM, explore table displays from local environmental groups and non-profits, volunteer opportunities, and activities. Pick up the calendar of events for the month and connect with others of every age, skill set, and background. At 5 PM, enjoy an artist talk and performance with Joan Green and Melissa Koch as part of the Rags, Rubbish & Refuse show. Then at 6:30, join us in the Front Room on the second floor of the Bayview Cash Store for a live talk with Dr. Jennifer Atkinson.
Climate Grief, Hope, and Action: Inner Strategies for our Age of Crisis
As the impacts of climate change worsen, our mental health has joined the ever-growing list of casualties. Across the world, an alarming number of people report anxiety and despair as extreme weather and biodiversity loss unfold around us. To successfully navigate the long emergency ahead, we will need to build inner resilience, not just seawalls and solar panels. This talk outlines some strategies for channeling anxiety and grief into meaningful action and change.
Dr. Jennifer Atkinson is an Associate Professor of environmental humanities at the University of Washington, Bothell. Her seminars on Eco-Grief & Climate Anxiety have been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, National Geographic, Seattle Times, NBC News and many other outlets. Dr. Atkinson is currently working on a book titled An Existential Toolkit for the Climate Crisis, which offers strategies to help young people navigate the emotional toll of climate breakdown. She leads public seminars on climate and mental health in partnership with youth activists, psychologists, climate scientists and policy makers. Her podcast “Facing It” also gives people tools to channel eco-anxiety into action.
A recording of Dr. Atkinson's presentation is found below:
Climate Grief, Hope, and Action: Inner Strategies for our Age of Crisis
As the impacts of climate change worsen, our mental health has joined the ever-growing list of casualties. Across the world, an alarming number of people report anxiety and despair as extreme weather and biodiversity loss unfold around us. To successfully navigate the long emergency ahead, we will need to build inner resilience, not just seawalls and solar panels. This talk outlines some strategies for channeling anxiety and grief into meaningful action and change.
Dr. Jennifer Atkinson is an Associate Professor of environmental humanities at the University of Washington, Bothell. Her seminars on Eco-Grief & Climate Anxiety have been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, National Geographic, Seattle Times, NBC News and many other outlets. Dr. Atkinson is currently working on a book titled An Existential Toolkit for the Climate Crisis, which offers strategies to help young people navigate the emotional toll of climate breakdown. She leads public seminars on climate and mental health in partnership with youth activists, psychologists, climate scientists and policy makers. Her podcast “Facing It” also gives people tools to channel eco-anxiety into action.
A recording of Dr. Atkinson's presentation is found below:
The GCC table at the Bayview Cash Store

Brian Reid of St. Augustine's Episcopal and Donna Vanderheiden of Unity on Whidbey staffing our table. Later Sheryl Norris took a shift .
Laudato Si Action Platform
Drawing on the Pope's encyclical published in 2015, this is an organized and structured process that people, organizations, businesses, schools etc. can join and go deeper in action to implement the many significant concepts in Laudato Si. Sign up as an individual, congregation, family, etc.
Click here for more info. and to register: www.laudatosiactionplatform.org
Click here for more info. and to register: www.laudatosiactionplatform.org
The WAY of the Labyrinth — Earth and Ocean Month 2022

Whidbey Institute
6449 Old Pietila Road,
Clinton 98236
Way of the Labyrinth for Restoring Earth
Join in a meditative journey of reflection toward restoring hope and action for a future on Earth. The Greening Congregations Collaborative of Whidbey Island welcomes all interested to walk the labyrinth at the Whidbey Institute. Following the quiet walk is an opportunity to share with others your concerns about how climate change is affecting you and your family? Are you frustrated, angry or in despair about how to reverse the effects of climate change? Is it too little, too late? By sharing, renewed action is possible and hope may be restored. The Sanctuary is open for private reflection, please wear a mask. Accessibility options are available when you register. Carpools encouraged. Please dress for the weather. Take the Institute driveway 1/4 mile to the Lower Parking Lot. Gather in the lot at ? p.m. before walking the flag-marked trail in a small group to the labyrinth.
6449 Old Pietila Road,
Clinton 98236
Way of the Labyrinth for Restoring Earth
Join in a meditative journey of reflection toward restoring hope and action for a future on Earth. The Greening Congregations Collaborative of Whidbey Island welcomes all interested to walk the labyrinth at the Whidbey Institute. Following the quiet walk is an opportunity to share with others your concerns about how climate change is affecting you and your family? Are you frustrated, angry or in despair about how to reverse the effects of climate change? Is it too little, too late? By sharing, renewed action is possible and hope may be restored. The Sanctuary is open for private reflection, please wear a mask. Accessibility options are available when you register. Carpools encouraged. Please dress for the weather. Take the Institute driveway 1/4 mile to the Lower Parking Lot. Gather in the lot at ? p.m. before walking the flag-marked trail in a small group to the labyrinth.
Our first edition of Green Good News! We wish to celebrate good news right here on whidbey that is related to working with Mother Earth rather than against her. If you have suggestions for a future edition, please contact us! Email USHERE
We're pleased to share the following offering by Margaret Klein Salamon of Climate Awakening:
The Climate Emotions Conversations in 2022
(Three conversations expected per month throughout the year)
If you are feeling grief, terror, rage, guilt, or other feelings— you are not alone! Come to a conversation and share your climate emotions, and hear others share theirs.
Register Now!We hope you take the leap and join one of the conversations! And if you have already come— you are welcome to join again.
The Climate Emotions Conversations in 2022
(Three conversations expected per month throughout the year)
If you are feeling grief, terror, rage, guilt, or other feelings— you are not alone! Come to a conversation and share your climate emotions, and hear others share theirs.
- Thursday April 7th, 2022 at 1pm ET/10am PT/5pm GMT
- Monday April 18th, 2022 at 8pm ET/5pm PT (Tuesday April 19th at 10am AEST)
- Saturday April 30th, 2022 at 1pm ET/10am PT/5pm GMT
Register Now!We hope you take the leap and join one of the conversations! And if you have already come— you are welcome to join again.
A Nature Conversation hosted by Trust for Public Land (CA)
Join us this Earth Day, Friday, April 22, at noon (PDT) / 3:00 p.m. (EDT) for a conversation about good times in nature and what inclusiveness in outdoor spaces really means. Learn about our impressive panel’s journeys pursuing a mix of outdoor passions and hear lessons from the challenges they’ve faced along the way, and get motivated by tales of how their passions inspired them to start movements of their own.
Register Now
Panelists:
•Nick Offerman is an actor, author, and woodworker, best known as the characters Ron Swanson on NBC’s Parks & Recreation; Forest in Devs, the FX limited series from writer-director Alex Garland; Karl Weathers in the FX series Fargo; and cohost and executive producer of NBC’s Making It. Offerman has written five New York Times best-selling books, including his latest, Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside (Penguin Random House, 2021), and publishes the Substack newsletter Donkey Thoughts. In his spare time, he can be found at his woodshop in Los Angeles building handcrafted items from wood, ranging from spoons and canoes to ukuleles.
•Tykee James is a passionate birder who aims to make the outdoors more inclusive at every chance. A co-organizer of the first #BlackBirdersWeek, he is also cofounder of Amplify the Future and hosts the podcasts On Word for Wildlife and Brothers in Birding. His day job involves birding too (naturally!): he works to build and empower bird-friendly communities as president of the D.C. Audubon Society
•Danielle Williams, founder of Melanin Base Camp and Diversify Outdoors, is a skydiver, hiker, and disabled military veteran. Melanin Base Camp is a popular diversity blog that amplifies the presence of Black, Indigenous and people of color in outdoor spaces. Diversify Outdoors is a coalition compromised of digital entrepreneurs, affinity groups and allies, and a vibrant online community that shares the goal of promoting diversity in outdoor spaces. The hashtag #DiversifyOutdoors has been used over 124,000 times across digital media.
This conversation will be moderated by Trust for Public Land Equity Director Ronda Lee Chapman
When: Friday, April 22 (Earth Day) at noon (PDT) / 3:00 p.m. (EDT)
Space is limited so I hope you’ll register today!
Register Now
Panelists:
•Nick Offerman is an actor, author, and woodworker, best known as the characters Ron Swanson on NBC’s Parks & Recreation; Forest in Devs, the FX limited series from writer-director Alex Garland; Karl Weathers in the FX series Fargo; and cohost and executive producer of NBC’s Making It. Offerman has written five New York Times best-selling books, including his latest, Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside (Penguin Random House, 2021), and publishes the Substack newsletter Donkey Thoughts. In his spare time, he can be found at his woodshop in Los Angeles building handcrafted items from wood, ranging from spoons and canoes to ukuleles.
•Tykee James is a passionate birder who aims to make the outdoors more inclusive at every chance. A co-organizer of the first #BlackBirdersWeek, he is also cofounder of Amplify the Future and hosts the podcasts On Word for Wildlife and Brothers in Birding. His day job involves birding too (naturally!): he works to build and empower bird-friendly communities as president of the D.C. Audubon Society
•Danielle Williams, founder of Melanin Base Camp and Diversify Outdoors, is a skydiver, hiker, and disabled military veteran. Melanin Base Camp is a popular diversity blog that amplifies the presence of Black, Indigenous and people of color in outdoor spaces. Diversify Outdoors is a coalition compromised of digital entrepreneurs, affinity groups and allies, and a vibrant online community that shares the goal of promoting diversity in outdoor spaces. The hashtag #DiversifyOutdoors has been used over 124,000 times across digital media.
This conversation will be moderated by Trust for Public Land Equity Director Ronda Lee Chapman
When: Friday, April 22 (Earth Day) at noon (PDT) / 3:00 p.m. (EDT)
Space is limited so I hope you’ll register today!
Legislative update courtesy of Earth Ministry
March 2022
Bills that passed SB 5042: Growth Management Act - Sprawl Loophole
Protects our wildlands, ecosystems, and communities by removing a loophole in the Growth Management Act (GMA) that allows urban sprawl. Closing this loophole will ensure that controversial land use changes are reviewed by the Growth Management Hearings Board before going into effect.
HB 1694: Accelerate PFAS Protections
Moves up timelines for the Department of Ecology to limit toxic PFAS chemicals in consumer products under the Safer Products for WA program. This win will accelerate Earth Ministry/WAIPL's ongoing advocacy for toxic chemical reform!
SB 5974, SB 5975: Move Ahead WA Transportation Package
The legislature passed a transportation package that will fund transit operations, make transit fare-free for riders under 18, and improve walking, rolling, and cycling infrastructure in communities across the state. While this package demonstrates important and historic progress in providing funding for accessible public transit and a transition away from fossil fuels, it also funds highway expansion that will induce more driving and create more pollution in overburdened communities.
Earth Ministry/WAIPL followed the leadership of Front & Centered in response to the Move Ahead WA package this legislative session. We encourage you to read Front and Centered's response to Move Ahead WA and learn more about their vision for a just transition in transportation that is anchored in environmental justice.
Top PrioritiesOur three priority bills were ambitious environmental justice efforts that would have introduced historic protections across the state. It’s not uncommon for bills to take several sessions to pass after first being introduced. This session laid the groundwork for multi-year efforts to pass these bills.
SB 5727/HB 1838: Lorraine Loomis Act for Salmon Recovery
Provides habitat protection and restoration to recover salmon populations in Washington by increasing the focus on salmon recovery in land use planning for the future, with important financial assistance, monitoring, and accountability to address the urgency of the salmon crisis. Importantly, this bill was created in collaboration with Northwest Native Nations. While the bill didn’t pass, the supplemental budget does include a significant investment of more than $120 million to improve salmon habitat.
HB 1490: Energy for All
Establishes access to home energy as a basic need and an essential resource that should be available in full dignity without uncertainty about affordability and threats of disconnection. Equitable energy access is a crucial component to a just transition off fossil fuels and we're grateful to our partners at Front and Centered for leading on this legislation.
SB 5697: Renew Act
Modernizes Washington’s recycling system to reduce waste by creating a set of graduated fees on packaging manufacturers based on how readily reusable, compostable, or recyclable their products are. The final budget does include a $150,000 recycling rate study to assess what materials are actually being recycled and the risks to our health and environment due to contamination.
Visit Earth Ministry/WAIPL's legislative webpage to learn more about all of the bills we supported this year.
Protects our wildlands, ecosystems, and communities by removing a loophole in the Growth Management Act (GMA) that allows urban sprawl. Closing this loophole will ensure that controversial land use changes are reviewed by the Growth Management Hearings Board before going into effect.
HB 1694: Accelerate PFAS Protections
Moves up timelines for the Department of Ecology to limit toxic PFAS chemicals in consumer products under the Safer Products for WA program. This win will accelerate Earth Ministry/WAIPL's ongoing advocacy for toxic chemical reform!
SB 5974, SB 5975: Move Ahead WA Transportation Package
The legislature passed a transportation package that will fund transit operations, make transit fare-free for riders under 18, and improve walking, rolling, and cycling infrastructure in communities across the state. While this package demonstrates important and historic progress in providing funding for accessible public transit and a transition away from fossil fuels, it also funds highway expansion that will induce more driving and create more pollution in overburdened communities.
Earth Ministry/WAIPL followed the leadership of Front & Centered in response to the Move Ahead WA package this legislative session. We encourage you to read Front and Centered's response to Move Ahead WA and learn more about their vision for a just transition in transportation that is anchored in environmental justice.
Top PrioritiesOur three priority bills were ambitious environmental justice efforts that would have introduced historic protections across the state. It’s not uncommon for bills to take several sessions to pass after first being introduced. This session laid the groundwork for multi-year efforts to pass these bills.
SB 5727/HB 1838: Lorraine Loomis Act for Salmon Recovery
Provides habitat protection and restoration to recover salmon populations in Washington by increasing the focus on salmon recovery in land use planning for the future, with important financial assistance, monitoring, and accountability to address the urgency of the salmon crisis. Importantly, this bill was created in collaboration with Northwest Native Nations. While the bill didn’t pass, the supplemental budget does include a significant investment of more than $120 million to improve salmon habitat.
HB 1490: Energy for All
Establishes access to home energy as a basic need and an essential resource that should be available in full dignity without uncertainty about affordability and threats of disconnection. Equitable energy access is a crucial component to a just transition off fossil fuels and we're grateful to our partners at Front and Centered for leading on this legislation.
SB 5697: Renew Act
Modernizes Washington’s recycling system to reduce waste by creating a set of graduated fees on packaging manufacturers based on how readily reusable, compostable, or recyclable their products are. The final budget does include a $150,000 recycling rate study to assess what materials are actually being recycled and the risks to our health and environment due to contamination.
Visit Earth Ministry/WAIPL's legislative webpage to learn more about all of the bills we supported this year.
Participate In The Legislative Process
There are new ways that you can take part in the 2022 session of the Legislature. Here are some quick links to ways you can learn, watch, research, or testify:
- Learn—The whole legislative process, from start to finish, is explained at leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Overview.aspx
- Watch—Go to TVW.org for broadcasts of debates, votes, committee meetings, and other events in the House and Senate. There’s also an extensive archive of past events, if you couldn’t watch it live.
- Research—To look up legislation by lawmaker or topic, visit app.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/
- Testify—The 2021 legislative session proved that remote testimony is a great way for everyone to have a chance to share their voice. The remote committee testimony system will continue to be in use for all testimony for all bills.
The Nature Conservancy’s Virtual Earth Day Summit April 21, 2022
On Thursday, April 21, join to learn how you can help fight climate change and solve the biodiversity crisis.
Together, we can create a future where people and nature thrive. Check out their website as the date gets closer to learn how to watch/participate... tncearthday.org
On Thursday, April 21, join to learn how you can help fight climate change and solve the biodiversity crisis.
Together, we can create a future where people and nature thrive. Check out their website as the date gets closer to learn how to watch/participate... tncearthday.org
Local Youth in Action
Fossil Free Future
A student lead and run group from the South Whidbey High School, called United Student Leaders, or USL for short, is active in making the change they wish to see in the world; their future! They would love your support!
USL took part in a Fossil Free Future global event last week, Friday Oct. 29th. Protesting in front of JP Morgan Chase Bank in Freeland, Whidbey Island. Chase Bank is currently the biggest investor in the fossil fuel industry in the world. They are a threat to the future and must divest from the destructive fossil fuel industry.
USL has taken several actions in the past to call for Chase and Wells Fargo banks to stop their investments, including a 30-week long protest and action in 2019. They are now reinvigorating the old campaign in solidarity with the global Fossil Free Future movement. Check out these articles: SW RECORD & NEWS ARTICLE
If you currently have an account with Chase Bank and want to move your money and close your account, please fill out the survey here. Moving your money is the first step to stop supporting fossil fuels and will show JP Morgan Chase just how seriously the Whidbey Community is taking their investments.
Look for opportunities to join the future, these students, at future protests in front of Chase Bank. They have created a new website: USL WEBSITE
A student lead and run group from the South Whidbey High School, called United Student Leaders, or USL for short, is active in making the change they wish to see in the world; their future! They would love your support!
USL took part in a Fossil Free Future global event last week, Friday Oct. 29th. Protesting in front of JP Morgan Chase Bank in Freeland, Whidbey Island. Chase Bank is currently the biggest investor in the fossil fuel industry in the world. They are a threat to the future and must divest from the destructive fossil fuel industry.
USL has taken several actions in the past to call for Chase and Wells Fargo banks to stop their investments, including a 30-week long protest and action in 2019. They are now reinvigorating the old campaign in solidarity with the global Fossil Free Future movement. Check out these articles: SW RECORD & NEWS ARTICLE
If you currently have an account with Chase Bank and want to move your money and close your account, please fill out the survey here. Moving your money is the first step to stop supporting fossil fuels and will show JP Morgan Chase just how seriously the Whidbey Community is taking their investments.
Look for opportunities to join the future, these students, at future protests in front of Chase Bank. They have created a new website: USL WEBSITE
Washington was the 8th state to pass a bag lag. The bill was championed by Representative Strom Peterson (D-Edmonds) and Senator Mona Das (D-Kent) and passed with bipartisan support.This law is among the strongest in the nation because it applies to all retail, incuding restaurants and because it incorporates a charge, which helps motivate people to bring their own bag.
The 8 cent pass-through charge is retained by the retailer to cover the cost of the bags and in 2026, the charge for paper bags will go up to 12 cent.
The law was originally slated to go into effect January 1, 2021. Due to COVID and paper bag supply issues, the governor delayed implementation. In July, he announced that it will go into effect on October 1, which is a date that syncs with the Department of Revenue’s quarterly tax reporting schedule. The 8 cent charge is taxable.
The 8 cent pass-through charge is retained by the retailer to cover the cost of the bags and in 2026, the charge for paper bags will go up to 12 cent.
The law was originally slated to go into effect January 1, 2021. Due to COVID and paper bag supply issues, the governor delayed implementation. In July, he announced that it will go into effect on October 1, which is a date that syncs with the Department of Revenue’s quarterly tax reporting schedule. The 8 cent charge is taxable.
Something to Celebrate!
A big thing happened in May at the start of the summer: Washington State joined California, Oregon and British Columbia in passing a Clean Fuel Standard into law, creating one of the largest clean fuels markets in the world. This means we can power more vehicles big and small with low and zero-pollution fuels, such as clean electrons and sustainably produced biofuels.
This is an incredible win for Washington, our lungs, our community and our climate.
People Power!!
This is an incredible win for Washington, our lungs, our community and our climate.
People Power!!
2021 Legislative Session Wrap Up
Curtesy of Earth Ministry

The Legislative Session concluded on April 25, and what a session it was! Seeing how constituents like you adapted to participate in the online format was a testament to our collective commitment to democracy. Thank you for taking action from afar to support policies for environmental justice!
We’re thrilled to share that our two top priorities passed, as well as three of the bills on our supplemental list! See Earth Ministry’s legislative webpage for more details.
HEAL Act – SB 5141
Passing the HEAL Act is a massive win with sweeping implications for a just transition. This legislation will require state agencies to apply environmental justice principles and practices to future policies and programs. It incorporates community engagement and establishes an Environmental Justice Council with majority representation from overburdened communities. Many thanks to our partners at Front & Centered who led this multi-year effort to ensure accountability to frontline communities.
Clean Fuel Standard – HB 1091
In the final hours of the session, legislators got a clean fuel standard over the finish line! This climate action requires fuel producers to sell a cleaner product or invest in clean, low-carbon choices such as electricity and local, sustainable biofuels to power our transportation. The final version of the bill requires a 20% reduction in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels by 2038, which will benefit our climate, clean our air, and help spur jobs in the local, green economy.
Clean Cars 2030 – Originally HB 1204, amended onto HB 1287
We passed the most ambitious gas car phase-out target in the USA! All new light-duty vehicles of model year 2030 or later will have to be electric to be registered in Washington. This is also the first gas car phase-out target to be passed into law by a state legislature.
Billy Frank Jr. Statue – HB 1372
A statue of Nisqually Tribal member and fishing rights activist Billy Frank Jr. will now represent Washington State in the National Statuary Hall. This honor recognizes all that Billy Frank Jr. did to advocate for tribal treaty rights, restoration of salmon, and co-management of natural resources by Native nations.
Plastics Reduction and Recycling – SB 5022
This bill will result in increased recycling and an overall reduction of plastic packaging and products. It establishes a recycled content standard (requiring bottles to be made of more postconsumer recycled plastic), bans an expanded list of styrofoam products, and requires restaurants to only provide single-use utensils upon request.
We acknowledge that there has been much conversation around the Climate Commitment Act, SB 5126. Earth Ministry did not support this legislation at the request of our partners at Front and Centered, the largest coalition of communities of color-led groups in the Pacific Northwest. They have repeatedly raised concerns about the mechanism of cap and trade that, as we’ve seen in California, exacerbates harm in frontline communities already overburdened with pollution. You can read more in this post by Front and Centered as well as in their legislative recap. Earth Ministry believes that while the climate crisis is a moral crisis, how we respond to it is also a moral issue. We are disappointed that this policy and its process did not reflect our values of justice, equity, and inclusion and will now look toward helping to minimize harm in its implementation.
Passing the HEAL Act is a massive win with sweeping implications for a just transition. This legislation will require state agencies to apply environmental justice principles and practices to future policies and programs. It incorporates community engagement and establishes an Environmental Justice Council with majority representation from overburdened communities. Many thanks to our partners at Front & Centered who led this multi-year effort to ensure accountability to frontline communities.
Clean Fuel Standard – HB 1091
In the final hours of the session, legislators got a clean fuel standard over the finish line! This climate action requires fuel producers to sell a cleaner product or invest in clean, low-carbon choices such as electricity and local, sustainable biofuels to power our transportation. The final version of the bill requires a 20% reduction in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels by 2038, which will benefit our climate, clean our air, and help spur jobs in the local, green economy.
Clean Cars 2030 – Originally HB 1204, amended onto HB 1287
We passed the most ambitious gas car phase-out target in the USA! All new light-duty vehicles of model year 2030 or later will have to be electric to be registered in Washington. This is also the first gas car phase-out target to be passed into law by a state legislature.
Billy Frank Jr. Statue – HB 1372
A statue of Nisqually Tribal member and fishing rights activist Billy Frank Jr. will now represent Washington State in the National Statuary Hall. This honor recognizes all that Billy Frank Jr. did to advocate for tribal treaty rights, restoration of salmon, and co-management of natural resources by Native nations.
Plastics Reduction and Recycling – SB 5022
This bill will result in increased recycling and an overall reduction of plastic packaging and products. It establishes a recycled content standard (requiring bottles to be made of more postconsumer recycled plastic), bans an expanded list of styrofoam products, and requires restaurants to only provide single-use utensils upon request.
We acknowledge that there has been much conversation around the Climate Commitment Act, SB 5126. Earth Ministry did not support this legislation at the request of our partners at Front and Centered, the largest coalition of communities of color-led groups in the Pacific Northwest. They have repeatedly raised concerns about the mechanism of cap and trade that, as we’ve seen in California, exacerbates harm in frontline communities already overburdened with pollution. You can read more in this post by Front and Centered as well as in their legislative recap. Earth Ministry believes that while the climate crisis is a moral crisis, how we respond to it is also a moral issue. We are disappointed that this policy and its process did not reflect our values of justice, equity, and inclusion and will now look toward helping to minimize harm in its implementation.
If you missed our walk in the park, please feel free to use the guide below to go on your own contemplative journey, even if it is in your own back yard!
New Rules for Fossil Fuels - an opportunity and you can participate!
WHAT: WA state Department of Ecology is proposing to hold fossil fuel project developers to account for the full environmental and health impacts of their developments. It proposes that the Department of Ecology conducts its own analysis of the environmental and health impacts of any proposed development rather than accepting the estimates of developers who tend to grossly underestimate likely CO2 emissions and neglect consideration of other impacts such as costs due to negative impacts on health of residents in the area. For instance, the developers of the proposed Kalama methanol plant submitted and estimate that the plant would emit 1 million metric tons of CO2 per year and the Department of Ecology analysis projects that emissions will be approximately 4.8 million metric tons. A main reason for the discrepancy is that the industry figure arises from using a displacement model. That means that they estimated the likely amount of CO2 that would be emitted by a coal-burning methanol-production plant in China and subtracted that from the total CO2 produced, thus proposing that the development would actually decrease overall global CO2 emissions. However, they did not take into account the full costs involved, such as the substantial carbon footprint involved in shipping the methanol to China and the carbon footprint to produce the building materials needed to construct the new plant. They also did not take into account the local effects on health and well-being of the residents living near the plant and threats for contamination to occur affecting water or food supplies. As you are likely aware, most proposed plants are located in less wealthy areas of the state and often in areas primarily populated with minorities. The Department of Ecology’s proposed rules also require considerations around equity in locations of proposed new developments.
How to connect to our Representatives in Olympia
A guide to the first--and hopefully last -- virtual session Every January, your citizen-lawmakers travel to Olympia to carry out the peoples’ business in our state capitol.
This year is unusual due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. It’s unsafe to have lawmakers, staff, and visitors from around the state at the capitol. In normal years, it’s normal to have 10,000 people arrive for special events.
To safeguard everyone’s health, we passed temporary rules for a remote session.
This means that every committee meeting, work session, debate, and vote on the floor of each chamber will be televised and archived by tvw.org.
It also means that we are expanding the ways you can access information, connect with lawmakers, and submit remote testimony for committee hearings.
In this remote session, the people of Washington will have more access to their Legislature than ever before. Any meetings that were public during in-person session will still be accessible remotely.
I’ve advocated for a long time that constituents should be able to testify in committee hearings remotely. This year, no one will have to travel to Olympia to participate in their democracy.
Check out the graphic below or click here for a short video by Speaker Laurie Jinkins and Senator Andy Billig, a Q&A slideshow, and more information on the many ways we encourage you to participate in the legislative process without leaving your house.
This year is unusual due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. It’s unsafe to have lawmakers, staff, and visitors from around the state at the capitol. In normal years, it’s normal to have 10,000 people arrive for special events.
To safeguard everyone’s health, we passed temporary rules for a remote session.
This means that every committee meeting, work session, debate, and vote on the floor of each chamber will be televised and archived by tvw.org.
It also means that we are expanding the ways you can access information, connect with lawmakers, and submit remote testimony for committee hearings.
In this remote session, the people of Washington will have more access to their Legislature than ever before. Any meetings that were public during in-person session will still be accessible remotely.
I’ve advocated for a long time that constituents should be able to testify in committee hearings remotely. This year, no one will have to travel to Olympia to participate in their democracy.
Check out the graphic below or click here for a short video by Speaker Laurie Jinkins and Senator Andy Billig, a Q&A slideshow, and more information on the many ways we encourage you to participate in the legislative process without leaving your house.
Pope Francis issued his third encyclical in early October, named “Fratelli Tutti”. It comprises eight chapters, ranging from topics such as division and politics to justice, social structures and dialogue with one another. The overall message is that we are a global race and thus change is needed on a global scale, made more obviously by the current pandemic. The opportunity exists to use this time for change, rather than go back to what was. He lays out a fairly comprehensive vision of how the world should shift as we move forward and past the pandemic. We can likely all relate to the need for communities and societies that are based on support and care, for basic dignity and human rights, and away from the focus on capitalism. It will require us to rethink our life styles.
We have included several link below. The encyclical is rather lengthy, so if you prefer to get a summary of his points, we offer a link to a youtube video as well as an article in the National Catholic Reporter.
We have included several link below. The encyclical is rather lengthy, so if you prefer to get a summary of his points, we offer a link to a youtube video as well as an article in the National Catholic Reporter.
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Oremus: “Lord, Father of our human family, Pour fourth into our hearts a fraternal spirit. Inspire in us a dream of a renewed encounter, dialogue, justice and peace.”
Other Items to Share:
2020 Legislative Update from Earth Ministry
Bills that Passed!
• The Climate Pollution Limits Act (HB 2311) will update the state’s greenhouse gas limits to reflect current science and lay groundwork to reach net zero carbon emissions and beyond.
• The Safer Firefighting Foam Act (HB 2265) will remove exemptions for oil refineries and chemical plants previously in Washington's first-in-the-nation-ban of firefighting foam containing toxic PFAS chemicals.
• The Reusable Bag Act (SB 5323) will eliminate thin carry-home plastic bags at all retail establishments to help Washington address a growing recycling crisis.
2020 was a short legislative session, bills only had 8 weeks to move through many hoops! These bills got stalled along the way:
• Clean Fuels Now (HB 1110) would reduce pollution of transportation fuels. While we are disappointed that this top priority did not pass, we will plan to pick up this important policy for climate justice as part of a transportation package in the longer session next year.
• Clean Air Act Update (HB 2898/SB 6628) would enable regulation of greenhouse gas emissions associated with fossil fuel sellers and distributors.
• Healthy Habitat/Healthy Orcas (HB 2550) would set a new standard, net ecological gain, to protect and restore orca habitat.
• The Climate Pollution Limits Act (HB 2311) will update the state’s greenhouse gas limits to reflect current science and lay groundwork to reach net zero carbon emissions and beyond.
• The Safer Firefighting Foam Act (HB 2265) will remove exemptions for oil refineries and chemical plants previously in Washington's first-in-the-nation-ban of firefighting foam containing toxic PFAS chemicals.
• The Reusable Bag Act (SB 5323) will eliminate thin carry-home plastic bags at all retail establishments to help Washington address a growing recycling crisis.
2020 was a short legislative session, bills only had 8 weeks to move through many hoops! These bills got stalled along the way:
• Clean Fuels Now (HB 1110) would reduce pollution of transportation fuels. While we are disappointed that this top priority did not pass, we will plan to pick up this important policy for climate justice as part of a transportation package in the longer session next year.
• Clean Air Act Update (HB 2898/SB 6628) would enable regulation of greenhouse gas emissions associated with fossil fuel sellers and distributors.
• Healthy Habitat/Healthy Orcas (HB 2550) would set a new standard, net ecological gain, to protect and restore orca habitat.
PAST EVENTS ... but still valuable links to information
For 164 years, since signing the Medicine Creek Treaty, they have had to fight for the guarantees implicit in it. The Earth Ministry along with GCC has stood and continue to stand at the side of tribal members fighting a Liquefied Natural Gas plant that violates that treaty. Ancestral Waters is their story. We follow young Puyallup Water Warrior, Dakota Case and other tribal members as they work to stop a dangerous fracked gas. processing facility on protected treaty territory. Please join us via Zoom on one of the dates listed below.
Ancestral Waters is a documentary film about the Puyallup Tribe’s fight against Puget Sound Energy’s Tacoma Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) project in Tacoma, Washington.
Watch the 80 minute Film: nativedailynetwork.org/ancestral-waters
Watch the 80 minute Film: nativedailynetwork.org/ancestral-waters
The St. Hubert Green Team, along with the GCC And Earth Ministry, hosted a screening of the documentary "The Devil We Know" at St. Hubert Church in Langley on Oct. 1st and
Coupeville Methodist, Oct. 2. Visit Earth Ministry's website or click the picture below for the trailer.
Citizens in West Virginia take on a powerful corporation after they discover it has knowingly been dumping a toxic chemical -- now found in the blood of 99.7 percent of Americans -- into the local drinking water supply. You can watch the trailer by clicking the picture below. Visit Earth Ministry's website for additional showings off the island.
Coupeville Methodist, Oct. 2. Visit Earth Ministry's website or click the picture below for the trailer.
Citizens in West Virginia take on a powerful corporation after they discover it has knowingly been dumping a toxic chemical -- now found in the blood of 99.7 percent of Americans -- into the local drinking water supply. You can watch the trailer by clicking the picture below. Visit Earth Ministry's website for additional showings off the island.
Away From Plastic
Plastic can be considered one of the most successful human inventions. But it has a dark side: the unintended environmental consequences of the widespread use and it's nearly indestructible nature. It has become more and more prevalent in our lives, leading to the feeling of a plastic explosion! But what choice do we have? We asked a number of local households to separate out their non-locally recyclable plastic for a month. The volume was sobering. Eyes were opened. But what can be done? Come visit us at our second display date at The Goose Grocer on Sat. April 27th, 10-4. We have some shocking visuals, and some suggestions on how you can make a dent in your own plastic consumption.
If you can't stop by, "LIKE" the Facebook page "Waste Less Whidbey" for ideas and monthly meeting options, involving locals interested in reducing their plastic consumption. Other local Facebook pages: "WSU Waste Wise - Island County" and "Zero Waste Whidbey"
If you can't stop by, "LIKE" the Facebook page "Waste Less Whidbey" for ideas and monthly meeting options, involving locals interested in reducing their plastic consumption. Other local Facebook pages: "WSU Waste Wise - Island County" and "Zero Waste Whidbey"