350 CHICAGO

Your bi-weekly newsletter for all things climate-related

April 29, 2021

Call Your Legislators about the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA)

The Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) is crafted to simultaneously combat the climate crisis and expand the renewable energy sector in Illinois. CEJA will establish goals for 100% clean energy, provide equitable and inclusive economic opportunities to Illinoisans statewide, and deliver racial and environmental justice to communities affected by carbon-based pollution while retraining displaced workers in the fossil-fuel industry. You can find out more about CEJA’s benefits here.

1. Find your elected officials (State Senator and Representative) by entering your address here. (Your State Senator will be listed second, under “Senate District #...”, and your State Representative will be the third person listed, under “Representative District #...”)
2. Call their office numbers, which are listed with their information when you look them up. Tell them you’re a constituent calling in support of the Clean Energy Jobs Act (HB 804/SB 1718), and that you want them to do everything in their power to pass CEJA as soon as possible.
3. If you want, you can also look up ahead of time to see if your legislator is a co-sponsor. If they’re a co-sponsor, thank them! If they’re not yet, ask them to become a co-sponsor! (You can check whether they are one for the House here, and for the Senate here.)
4. One of the major components of CEJA is a goal to decarbonize the power sector by 2030. Achieving this goal is very important if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Please consider mentioning to your representatives that you support legislation that includes this decarbonization goal.

Despite Pollution Fears, Judge Refuses to Block Southside Recycling

On April 14, U.S. District Court Judge Mary Rowland ruled that she would not block a controversial car-shredding operation from setting up shop on the Southeast Side. Rowland conceded that pollution from Southside Recycling poses a danger to the community but denied that a lawsuit had proven racist motivation for moving the plant from majority-white Lincoln Park to a majority-Latinx neighborhood.

The proposal to move the plant, which is owned by General Iron, has faced stiff opposition from community members. Earlier this year, a group of local activists staged a hunger strike to protest the move.

World Leaders Convene to Change the Climate Narrative

After a dismaying pause in substantive climate discussions, the United States and leaders from every major nation on the planet convened on April 22 in the first of a series of virtual climate talks ahead of the annual UN summit this November.

Leaders from the United States, Japan, Brazil, and Canada all increased targets for emission reductions in the coming decades. The new US targets nearly double the commitments set by the Obama administration. While any dialogue on the topic is welcomed, certain political caveats persist. China, the world's leading polluter, remained firm in their net-zero carbon target for 2060 but indicated commitments will be more feasible if the US refrains from meddling in the country’s “internal affairs.”

Many nations that have previously hidden behind the United States’ inaction on global warming are now forced to address the threat of global temperatures rising beyond 1.5° Celsius. And while there are many challenges to come, as the US climate envoy John Kerry expressed, “the importance of this day in my judgment is that the world came together.”

Upcoming 350 Chicago Meetings & Events

Please contact committee leads or [email protected] for assistance with remote meeting arrangements.

University of Chicago
Harris Finance Group Guest Speaker: Sylvia Panek

Friday, April 30, 2:00 pm CST

Divestment has long been a tool of economic influence, dating to anti-apartheid solidarity movements around the world that used the tactic in the 1960s and 70s. Most recently, some analysts have argued that in addition to being a useful way to pressure companies with damaging environmental practices, divestment can actually be a driver of positive financial returns (more detail on that here).

THIS FRIDAY, April 30, the Harris Finance Group and 350 Chicago will moderate a virtual discussion with our very own Vice Chair Sylvia Panek about divestment from fossil fuels: what it entails, how it works, and the current state of Chicago’s fossil fuel investments, among other topics. You can register for the Zoom event here, and you can learn more about Sylvia Panek here.

VIRTUAL May Monthly Meeting - Democratize ComEd

Saturday, May 1, 10:00 am CST

#DemocratizeComEd is a campaign of the Chicago Democratic Socialists of America and its coalition partners. The purpose of this campaign is to achieve the municipalization of the Chicago utility assets of Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) and the creation of a democratically controlled municipal utility. In light of the expiration of ComEd’s thirty-year franchise agreement with the city, today is the opportune moment to seize control of our energy and democratically determine the future of our energy policy. More information on this campaign can be found here: https://demcomed.org/.

The presentation will focus on the core messages of the campaign and the reasons why the municipalization and democratization of our electric utility is the best path forward for the city. Chicagoans have an opportunity to end the status quo of ComEd and build a public utility that provides clean, affordable energy to everyone. This presentation will outline a vision for a democratically run utility and our plan for achieving it.

In addition to the above, 350 Chicago will give a brief outline of our group work and ways to get plugged into campaigns we're currently running.

350 Chicago Committees

350 Chicago Research Committee Meeting

Tuesday, April 13, 6:00pm CST

Are you interested in getting involved with our group’s research efforts? We have plenty of projects in progress, including research on Chicago climate policy, nuclear energy, right-to-repair legislation, green hydrogen, and divestment. Please join us via this meeting link!

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, this meeting will be hosted via Google Hangouts.

Contact Alex McLeese for meeting access information and/or if you have any questions or would like to join us via Google Meetings.

350 Chicago Outreach Committee Meeting

Wednesday, April 21, 6:00pm CST

Interested in getting involved in coalition-building and other grassroots efforts? We will discuss outreach to ally organizations, grassroots tactics to promote the Clean Energy Jobs Act, and strategies for building support for our divestment campaign. Please join us via this meeting link!

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, this meeting will be hosted via Google Hangouts.

Contact Alex McLeese for meeting access information and/or if you have any questions or would like to join us via Google Meetings.

Editors’ Picks

A list of top picks from our editors...

"350 Chicago's Clean Energy Jobs Act Forum"
350 Chicago hosted its CEJA forum last month!
Check it out in case you missed it.
Watch video on YouTube

Source: THE ATLANTIC / GETTY

"The Weekly Planet:
An Outdated Idea Is Still Shaping Climate Policy"
Biden’s team is split on how to think about climate change.
Read article on The Atlantic

"Everyone Loses”: The Government Is Rationing
Water at the California-Oregon Border"
A major drought has forced farmers and Indigenous tribes
to compete for water in a situation nobody ever wanted.
Read article on Vice

"Biggest Coal Mine Workers Union in the US
Supports Switch to Renewables"
The union said it would support Biden administration climate legislation
if workers have job protection now and in the post-coal future.
Read article on Vice

Source: The Guardian via WPA/Getty Images

"Boris Johnson Must Push G7 to Pay
Billions More in Climate Aid, Say Experts"
Rich countries urged to stump up to help
developing nations cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Read article on The Guardian