Be a Climate Upstander: Join Friday’s Climate March
September 14, 2023
By Alan Hirsch
We are now in a (not so slow moving) crisis of civilization brought on by climate change. It trumps all other issues as the earth is the stage all other human endeavors play out on. Marches, protests gatherings for other issue will fall by the wayside due to heat waves, brown outs, hurricanes, wildfire & smoke. Even the infrastructures that support the food security, housing construction and access to health care is threatened.
It also clear many good people- even in Davis -- are in denial of the crisis: not in theirs word but their actions that signal climate change is a secondary consideration in their decisions.
Planet Upstander gently question all these nice people-- friends and local politicians -- who mouth words and even pass crisis resolutions, but continue to doing the same old things that are killing our planet: Elected bodies in Yolo county and California are filled with business democrats- the Herbert Hoovers of our era when we need FDR’s and a Green New Deal.
Consider the case of a Davis Democratic Party leader who proudly posted to her hundreds of Facebook she flew to Antarctica and from there took a cruise. Upstander might post the gentle question: “Did you buy carbon offsets?” Or a friend or family member who admires a low MPG car? You could raise a concerning for them question about cost of gasoline (and BTW GHG) due to low mileage? Or at least roll your eyes. Or how do to you respond to friend who drives to school to when it is only 1 mile from their home? You might ask what type of bike they own?
The Davis Climate March-part of the international climate strike movement - a chance to show you are one of the growing number of Upstanders for the Planet, It includes march this weekend In Sacramento and SF this weekend of you can’t make the Davis event.
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Please join me in Davis for the march:
When: Friday September 15th End the Fossil Fuel Era Davis Fridays For Future March and Rally
Where: Gather at 14th and B at 12:00 noon in front of Veterans Memorial for March to Central Park (12: 35)
What: March from VMC to Central Park, and hear speakers and how you can register your support an End the Fossil Fuel Era. At about 1:30 there will be group mural painting.
Find Support for the Next Step Actions: This is a social event, not a show and tell. You can link up with like-minded people to continue the work on an planet upstander. Reach out to stranger or acquaintances to own support/activist pot, or link up with larger groups like the youth Sunrise Movement and the Sierra Club or The Third Act group for the 60+ crowd to “pay forward” in fighting for a livable planet for young people.
Bring a sign, wear a button, bring a flag.
What happens next is up to you.
See you there!
There is a nice perspective written by Paul Hockenos about his 12 year old's participation in the civilly disobedient climate strike (he is making the choice to be marked with an unexcused absence from school on Friday)
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/12/opinions/climate-protest-younger-generations-hockenos/index.html
Posted by: Scott Steward | September 15, 2023 at 07:32 AM
Make sure to get there early in order to find a parking space for your car.
Posted by: Keith | September 15, 2023 at 08:22 AM
Killing me, KO!
But seriously, it would be fun to go to the event and give out "Climate Violation Tickets" to anyone who shows up in a car.
Posted by: Alan C. Miller | September 15, 2023 at 09:26 AM
And then if not many people actually showed up in a car, y'all would stop making these veiled insults that have no evidence behind them?
Posted by: Roberta L. Millstein | September 15, 2023 at 11:25 AM
I don't want to speak for Keith and Allen but I'm guessing that like me they actually know the people who drive gas powered cars to "climate protests" (or even better take gas powered UBER so a guy in a gas powered car keeps circling the area until it is time to drive them home). Other than Robb Davis who didn't own a car last time I talked to him (years ago) I don't know anyone over 30 that lives in Davis and does not own a car or fly in planes. Roberta is correct and I do not have any "hard evidence" that these people own cars (the cars in their driveway that they drive every day may be owned by someone else) or fly in planes (the families might be lying about "flying" to Orange County and Palm Springs for soccer tournaments and dance competitions when they really got their by eBike towing a Burly trailers filled with batteries charged by the sun).
Posted by: South of Davis | September 15, 2023 at 12:04 PM
"But seriously, it would be fun to go to the event and give out "Climate Violation Tickets" to anyone who shows up in a car."
Or hand out "Climate Hypocrite Badges".
Posted by: Keith | September 15, 2023 at 12:36 PM
I don't want to speak for Keith and Allen but I'm guessing that like me they actually know the people who drive gas powered cars to "climate protests" (or even better take gas powered UBER so a guy in a gas powered car keeps circling the area until it is time to drive them home).
I went to a similar march a few years ago and don't recall seeing that -- at all. Personally, I biked over there, although TBH I don't get huge points for that, given that I don't like very far from the VMC.
Other than Robb Davis who didn't own a car last time I talked to him (years ago) I don't know anyone over 30 that lives in Davis and does not own a car or fly in planes.
That's a change of subject. Our society is constructed in such a way that it is very hard to go completely carless. Not flying is easier. But again, one can advocate for a society that uses less carbon. It is corporations, not individuals, who produce the lion's share of carbon, and it is not wrong to want to press our government to legislate those corporations more stringently.
I see a lot of grey-haired folks biking around Davis -- granted, not as many as I used to. Demographics show that our population is aging, It happens.
Posted by: Roberta L. Millstein | September 15, 2023 at 01:44 PM
Roberta wrote:
> I see a lot of grey-haired folks biking around Davis
My kids and I often joke that in Davis (other than 1/2 mile from the UCD Campus) you see more older people on bikes than younger people on bikes.
The kids also can't believer it when I tell them that almost no parents drove their kids to school in 1970's (and on rainy days when the parents did drive them the kids would be packed in the car without any car seats or seat belts and the parent was often smoking with all the windows rolled up)...
I have never had a working class person ask me about carbon offsets (it is usually the Davis Mom who drives her kids the 3/4 mile to school each day who just got back from their family place at Sea Ranch and who is planning a trip to Costa Rica)...
Posted by: South of Davis | September 15, 2023 at 04:43 PM
SOD, yeah, there has been a cultural shift away from biking. I'd like to see the City do more to re-encourage younger folks to bike.
I grew up in a place where there were dedicated school buses. All of this driving kids to school is really odd to me, not to mention somewhat dangerous (I see a lot of near misses, parents in a rush and distracted, etc.).
And agreed, people with lower incomes generally produce less carbon simply by not being able to afford a more carbon-intensive lifestyle. It is the wealthier folks -- on average -- who need to be making more changes. I still would say that or main emphasis should be on societal and legislative changes, though.
Posted by: Roberta L. Millstein | September 15, 2023 at 05:29 PM
"And agreed, people with lower incomes generally produce less carbon simply by not being able to afford a more carbon-intensive lifestyle."
I don't believe that this is what SOD said. SOD said that they don't even "ask" about it. In other words, they (as a group average) might not even "care" as much as other groups.
(Referring primarily to "poor" people in this country - the majority of whom can probably afford cars.)
People with lower incomes might drive MORE, for that matter - in cars with more emissions, to boot.
Compare vehicles in the (comparatively-poor) Sacramento region to those in the (wealthier) Bay Area, for example. Guess which "locale" as a preponderance of giant SUVs, trucks, etc.? And guess which one has a higher percentage smaller vehicles, and a higher percentage of electric/hybrid vehicles?
Going beyond that, guess which locale probably has a higher percentage of "healthier" people?
Posted by: Ron O | September 15, 2023 at 07:56 PM
SOD say: "The kids also can't believer it when I tell them that almost no parents drove their kids to school in 1970's (and on rainy days when the parents did drive them the kids would be packed in the car without any car seats or seat belts and the parent was often smoking with all the windows rolled up)..."
All true. And no kids wore bike helmets either.
SOD say: "I have never had a working class person ask me about carbon offsets (it is usually the Davis Mom who drives her kids the 3/4 mile to school each day who just got back from their family place at Sea Ranch and who is planning a trip to Costa Rica)..."
Costa Rica, by jet, using jet fuel, producing exhaust directly into the upper atmosphere at 30,000 feet. When are people going to switch to boats to travel across the sea, and horse and carriage for land ?
RM say: "SOD, yeah, there has been a cultural shift away from biking. I'd like to see the City do more to re-encourage younger folks to bike."
Like not requiring helmets :-|
And placing their parents on Valium :-|
RM say: "I grew up in a place where there were dedicated school buses. All of this driving kids to school is really odd to me, not to mention somewhat dangerous (I see a lot of near misses, parents in a rush and distracted, etc.)."
Yeah, it's a societal sickness, dangerous, polluting, takes daily exercise opportunity away from the kids, makes it more dangerous for the kids who do bike. I truly condemn any parent who does this (he says, inviting defensive, hateful comments directed at yours truly).
Honestly the only way I could see to 'encourage' parents not to engage in this sick behavior is to charge them $5 for each dropoff or pickup at the school, and ticket them $75 for dropping a kid off within 1/2-mile of campus, and $125 for within 1/4-mile of campus.
And . . . I wonder how many parents actually dropped their kids off in a car for the climate rally? I may have to go one of these days and do a rough count.
RM says: "And agreed, people with lower incomes generally produce less carbon simply by not being able to afford a more carbon-intensive lifestyle. It is the wealthier folks -- on average -- who need to be making more changes."
People with lower incomes can't afford a Tesla or solar panels, or keeping their car well maintained, or buying a heat pump system for their house (if they even own), or more efficient appliances, though (as examples). It would take quite a study to determine the balance, so I'd say making such assumptions about carbon footprints vs. income should be shelved.
RM say: "I still would say that or main emphasis should be on societal and legislative changes, though."
Such as?
Posted by: Alan C. Miller | September 15, 2023 at 07:56 PM