I've worked with 350 Bay Area Action for several years, and am in awe as I watch the organization bring in people from all walks of life and help them gain skills and expertise in environmental advocacy. The leaders are dedicated and inclusive, I meet elders and young folks, people from many backgrounds, not only sharing their concerns about our climate crisis, but joining hands to take action. Moreover, there is a spirit of collaboration and coalition with other environmental organizations so we work together to push for environmental safeguards and justice.
One of the most important antidotes to climate anxiety is to take real action, and that is what happens when you become involved with 350 Bay Area Action and 350 Bay Area. This group of committed, knowledgeable, and mostly volunteer activists focuses on local and statewide solutions, and keeps an eye on national issues.
As part of a 350 BAA action team you learn to untangle electoral and legislative processes that are often complex and confusing. The Electoral Team helps voters by identifying and endorsing environmental justice leaders. The Legislative Team targets and tracks state and federal legislation. In partnership with climate justice groups throughout the state, these volunteers advocate with legislators for laws and policies that will help ensure California transitions to a green, sustainable, and just future.
Most importantly 350 BAA is willing to train and support novices, like me. I have been part of 350 Bay Area Action and my local group 350 Contra Costa for only two years. The organization and the diverse group of advocates it attracts are a source of positive, revitalizing energy, which is critically important to taking effective grassroots action.
AS co-lead of Voting4Climate&Health, I can attest 350BAA is and exceptionally effective group of really solid people. They vet, prioritize and channel support for must pass climate legislation.
I really depend on them to help with the daunting task of prioritizing which bills are important to pass- and why.
They stay on top of every step of the process, marshalling support to assure bills move through the legislature at points where most of us would otherwise be clueless. The action alerts they send out make it super easy to provide citizen support at just the right time.
I have volunteered for many groups, but have found 350 Bay Area Action to attract an exceptional crew of passionate, diligent and focused advocates for climate and equitable climate solutions. The Legislative team has honed an incredibly sophisticated process of identifying and advocating for promising legislation to rid the state of fossil fuel extraction and promote the equitable clean energy transition. The Electoral Team identifies, vets and then endorses local candidates for office who prioritize climate forward policy change, helping to bring new council members who support climate action to over 12 Bay Area cities. The icing on the cake is its Federal electoral focus Go Green Vote Blue, which organizes and rallies phone bankers for needed Senate and House seats who will vote for the climate.
Despite its pro-environment reputation, California has a vigorous oil and natural gas industry, which actively lobbies administrators and politicians at all levels, and donates to election campaigns. 350 Bay Area Action is one of the few climate-focused groups that helps voters distinguish the real climate champions from the ones who say 'I'm all for defending the climate' before the election, and then after the election begin to add '...but...'