From the Department of Shameless Self-Promotion, I bring you an announcement of an upcoming event for my recently-published book: The Land Is Our Community: Aldo Leopold’s Environmental Ethic for the New Millennium (University of Chicago Press). Mark your calendars now for this free event, one month from today!
Event info:
Hello fellow advocates for our homeless neighbors,
Please see the letter below. We have created a "Compassion Fund" to provide motel rooms for people who need them this winter. The letter explains this more in detail, but if you can find it in your hearts to contribute, your donation will go a long way toward getting vulnerable folks off the street and into a warm, safe environment, at least temporarily. Each motel night costs $80-100, depending on size and amenities. Donate here.
Secondly, Davis Community Meals and Housing and HEART of Davis would like to make Christmas and New Year's Days special for the guests of the congregate Winter Shelter (1111 H Street). Please consider signing up to bring food for lunch and breakfast on those days. More information here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4CAEAA23A46-53931782-christmas
Additionally, we need 1 volunteer per shift to help out on Christmas day, Wednesday 12/25/2024 and New Years Day, Wednesday 1/1/2025. The volunteers need to be over the age of 18. Responsibilities will be: passing out food and other resources and making sure no one but shelter guests enter Paul's Place.
The shifts available on the 25th and 1st are:
The following was emailed to Chancellor May on December 11, 2024.
Dear Chancellor May:
We write with appreciation for the actions campus staff are taking to reduce UC Davis’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and to ask you to ensure that UCD sets strong goals for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions reductions in response to UCOP’s call for campus targets for all UCs to be submitted by 1/1/2025 (for background see here).
Specifically, we would like UCD to officially establish targets of 75% reductions in Scope 1 and 2 emissions below the 2019 baseline by 2030, 81% by 2035, and 95% by 2040, which are the feasible potential reductions identified by our own Fossil Fuel-Free Pathway Plan (FFFPP).
We view the strong intermediate 2030 target from our campus FFFPP as particularly important, given the urgency of the climate crisis. Communicating around near-term goals that are meaningful for our undergraduate students will show them our commitment to leading on the climate crisis.
We would also like to encourage campus to accelerate the process for tracking and reducing Scope 3 emissions (those generated off-campus, for example by travel and commuting). The state is requiring public and private companies to submit annual reports of such emissions by 2030 (a date which may be moved up to 2027), and strong near-term Scope 3 reductions will be needed to set us on a track toward UCOP’s goal to “reduce total emissions (scope 1, 2, and 3) at least 90% by 2045 without relying on carbon offsets.” We would like to be a part of campus discussions around Scope 3 targets and processes.
Finally, we would like to let you know that a group of us has formally asked the Academic Senate to consider a detailed proposal for a Climate Crisis General Educational (GE) Requirement so that all UCD undergraduates will graduate with some background in climate science, action, and justice concepts. This one-course requirement would probably be allowed to overlap with other GEs so as not to increase time-to-graduation. We are happy to provide further details, and hope we can count on your support to make UCD a climate education leader. UC San Diego adopted such a requirement last year, starting for the class entering Fall 2024.
(From press release) Eleven nonprofit social service groups in Yolo County have received grants totaling $15,950 from a fund established by Congregation Bet Haverim, Jewish Fellowship of Davis. The Biberstein Social Action Fund was established in 2002 to honor longtime Davis residents Ernie and Hannah Biberstein for their contributions to community service and social justice. (Hannah Biberstein passed away in April of 2011.) The fund sponsors efforts to address problems related to poverty, discriminations, abuse and neglect.
The following organizations were funded:
“We are very happy to make these awards,” said Ernie Biberstein. “We think they will make a meaningful difference to the organizations selected and to the Yolo County community.
The winners, who were chosen by a committee of Bet Haverim members, will be recognized at a ceremony at the Bet Haverim Religious School in Davis in February.
“In the current uncertain environment, we feel that it is even more important to show our religious school students, and the community at large, the value of supporting the needs of those who are most vulnerable,” continued Biberstein.
Biberstein Social Action Fund awards are given annually on the basis of proposals made to the synagogue committee. Contributions to the fund may be made through Congregation Bet Haverim, 1715 Anderson Road, Davis, CA 95616. Please note that the donation is for the Biberstein Social Action Fund.
By Dan Carson and Elaine Roberts Musser
This fall, Davis Mayor Josh Chapman and Councilmember Bapu Vaitla asked our city commissioners for feedback on a proposal they offered for “clarification of how items are placed on a commission meeting agenda.” Their plan, which may come before council in the coming weeks, would empower even a single councilmember to sidetrack any commission-initiated proposal he or she didn’t like, for any reason.
Commissioners pushed back against the proposal in a recent series of commission hearings:
David Sandino, Fiscal Commission: “The danger of this is [it] is pretty bureaucratic … I would personally be comfortable with the chairperson working with staff to craft agendas, and not have to have additional review by a council subcommittee or a council liaison…It seems to me too many cooks in the kitchen… I’d hate to stifle commission thought and initiative because you had a few major examples that have ruffled some feathers.”
Mitchell Marubayashi, Fiscal Commission: “I don't really understand… the problem that this is solving…”
John Reuter, Climate & Environmental Justice Commission: “This is something the whole city is going to have to live with… If someone has to check on every agenda item, this is a logistics nightmare…an outrageous effort and waste of time…. I think we should be allowed to set [our] own agenda… If you go down that flow chart…where does the commission’s point of view come in?”
Today's article is a video against Measure Q. This was going to be my testimony before the Davis City Council, but they didn't meet last week. Or the week before that. Or next week. What do they think this is, summer break?
Here's the three-minute video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2mXBTMCgRo
Of course, as always at Al's Corner, other subjects welcome! 😉
Davis Citizen (sung to the tune of "Witchita Lineman" by Glen Campbell)
I am a citizen of Davis
And I bike the main roads
Searching in the street for another pah-ah-ot hole
I hear far-lefties call “more taxes!”
I can hear the fire fighters whine
They say the City budget
Is still on the line!
You say we have to save the planet
Cuz it don't look like rain
And the more we subsidize housing
The more the budget won't stand the strain
You say you need Q more than want Q
And you need Q for for all time
But this doubling of the local sales tax
Is all a lie!
Vote NO on Measure Q, Mildred!
(Original Glen Campbell version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8P_xTBpAcY )
By Scott Steward
I am motivated to keep Venessa Chang, Lina Khan and Julie Su in power (see bios below). These women are in charge of our government’s renewable energy future, market, and wage equity. That goes very much away if Trump wins.
Against Trump’s authoritarian challenge, good men and good women have come together in associations where differences are put aside to elect Harris/Walz.
Indivisible Yolo (Indivisibleyolo.org) has built a platform of action here at home. For the next two weeks, the aim is to prevail in defending democracy.
Get involved. IY has already paved the way – training at no cost. indivisibleyolo.org. Weekdays and weekends. Canvassing to win congressional districts in California. Calls to win abortion rights in Arizona. Volunteers virtually go where they are needed. You need a computer and a cell phone to be fully able to help. It's the most important 2 weeks ever.
When we call, text, knock we win! Come join in!
(this message is provided by the author alone and not any organization)
Storer Lecturship in the Life Sciences: How Decades of Climate Denial, Disinformation and Doublespeak by Big Oil Fueled the Climate Crisis
Tuesday October 22, 4:00 – 7 pm ARC Ballroom (and Zoom)
Register here: https://bit.ly/102224StorerReg (or use QR code in flyer). All are welcome. Please register soon to help ensure an accurate headcount.
Speakers:
Storer Lecturship in the Life Sciences: How Decades of Climate Denial, Disinformation and Doublespeak by Big Oil Fueled the Climate Crisis
Tuesday October 22, 4:00 – 7 pm ARC Ballroom (and Zoom)
Register here: https://bit.ly/102224StorerReg (or use QR code in flyer). All are welcome. Please register soon to help ensure an accurate headcount.
Speakers:
Open to all topics of course, but this month we'll focus on cutting off the City Council's allowance money!
To highlight this month's primary topic, here is my testimony sing-a-long from last night's City Council meeting (2 minutes):
Here are the lyrics:
Spend On (sung to the tune of "Dream On" by Aerosmith)
Every time that I look at the budget
All these lines on the books, they try to fudge it
The money's gone
It went by like a unwatered lawn
Isn't that the way?
The City always spends more than it can pay, yeah
I know, nobody knows
Where the money comes and where the money goes
I know it's the City Council’s sin
You've got overspend in order to win
[ kazoo bridge ]
Half the spending is on bottomless budget pages
Ladder trucks, zip lines and climate changes
You know it's true, oh . . .
All this spending, come back to you
Spend with me, Spend through the years
Spend on the soccer field, and on housing crisis fears
Spend with me, not just for today
Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take the City Debt, away
But until then . . .
Vote No, Vote No, Vote No
Vote No on Measure Q!
Vote No, Vote No, or Spend On! Spend On!
Vote No!, Vote No!, Vote No! – Waaaaaaaaa-oooooooo!
[ kazoo piano fade ]
Davisite 