Monthly Archives: August 2014

Climate workshops in NYC

Ayya SantussikaThe People’s Climate March on Sun Sep 21 will be amazing.  Surrounding that day will be other opportunities for activists to convene, converse, and connect.  For example:

Santussika Bhikkhuni will be attending the March with the Buddhists for Climate Action and Buddhist Global Relief. She’ll also be co-leading an event at New York Insight on Saturday morning 10am-1pm called Preparing the Heart for Practice in Action.  Santussikā grew up on a farm in Indiana and has practiced meditation since 1979. She has trained as a nun in California and the UK since 2005 and is co-founder of Karuna Buddhist Vihara, a neighborhood monastery for women in Mountain View, CA. She received bhikkhuni ordination in 2012. The Saturday morning event is by donation.

Earnest conversationOn Saturday evening, 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm: “A Global Climate Treaty: Why the US Must Lead,” at the Ethical Culture Society building, 2 West 64th St. (corner of Central Park West). Doors open at 6 pm. Tickets are $11.49 (includes online fee). It is hard to know whether it will sell out in advance. Though the space is quite  large, it appears that there will be a lot of people coming to NYC to attend the march and the event may be widely publicized.

Speakers include:

Mary Robinson, United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Change
Lester Brown, Earth Policy Institute and the Worldwatch Institute
Bill McKibben, 350.org
Ambassador Marlene Moses, Chair, Alliance of Small Island States
Cecil Corbin-Mark. We Act for Environmental Justice
Donald Brown, Widener University College of Law
Sean Sweeney, Trade Unions for Energy Democracy
Annie Willis, Global Kids

Opening remarks will be made by two members of NY’s City Council

To purchase tickets in advance: https://climate-treaty-event.eventbrite.com

There will be several events before and after the march, so if these don’t work for you, watch for others.  All of the info on the Climate Convergence can be found here: http://convergeforclimate.org/

Coastal Cleanup Day 2014

One long netCalifornia Coastal Cleanup Day may be the largest marine-related volunteer event in the world.  Last year’s slogan was “Help make trash extinct”!  You can help reach this goal and contribute to citizen science while enjoying a day of fresh air and heart-filled service to the environment . . . and who doesn’t love beach-combing?

Where:
1. Marin County.  McNear’s Beach, 201 Cantera Way, San Rafael, a lovely bayside park overlooking the northern bay.
2. East Bay.  Next to the Emeryville Fire Station at 2333 Powell St., across from the Watergate Market.

When:  Sat, Sep 20, 9am – noon.  Cleanup starts with a brief orientation and safety talk.  Come early even if you can’t stay the whole three hours.

McNear’s Beach includes about one mile of shoreline, and is a relatively well-cared-for beach, but in 2012 we still managed to collect 91 pounds of trash and 6 pounds of recyclables!  More about McNear’s Beach here.

Emeryville coordinator Marcy Greenhut promises free refreshments, raffle prizes, and chair massage, provided by local businesses!  More about Emeryville cleanup here.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Bring:

  • Sturdy, closed-toe shoes
  • Hat and other sunblock
  • Sunglasses
  • Water bottle (no single-use plastic, please!)
  • Jacket in case of wind

Also bring your own reusable supplies if possible, to help cut down on waste and save funds.  This could mean a bucket, trash bags, and gloves if you have.

Directions to McNear’s:  Drive out Point San Pedro Road from central San Rafael; signs will show you the park entrance.  Tell the ranger you’re volunteering with the beach cleanup, then park at the far (northerly) end of the lot.  We’ll be at the picnic tables by the snack bar.  Beach captain:  Maeve Murphy (455-9577).  Click here for a map.  Please consider biking, public transport, or carpooling to the site with your friends. Volunteers who drive to the cleanup can park for free (the normal weekend fee is $10 per car); just tell the rangers at the entrance that you’re a CCC Day volunteer.

You are invited to the Bay Model in Sausalito for an after-cleanup barbecue. To prevent waste, please BYO plate, cup, and eating utensils as only throw-aways are provided.

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There are scores of locations around the Bay Area. More information and additional sites listed by the California Coastal Commission here:  California Coastal Cleanup Day.