MG Webinar: Wildfires, Shutoffs, and a Just Transition
On Tuesday, Nov 5th we hosted a live webinar to discuss the wildfires and PG&E shutoffs in California, and to hear from current organizing happening in the Bay Area to build real, on-the-ground solutions. As Californians go through the shock of this year’s wildfire crisis, we are once again hustling to respond and recover while making sense of this ‘new normal’. We are experiencing the consequences of deep ecological and economic devastation created by the racist, capitalist extractive economy. And also, we are witnessing those on the frontlines answering it with radical resistance and resilience – building solutions and people power towards a Just Transition.
Speakers included:
Tré Vasquez from North Bay Organizing Project / Sanación del Pueblo
Stacey Park from Disability Justice Culture Club
Mari Rose Taruc from the California Utility Justice Campaign
Hosted and moderated by Ellen Choy of Movement Generation
WATCH THE RECORDING:
DOWNLOAD THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION:
NOTE: This is the powerpoint used during Ellen’s opening framing. It doesn’t include notes or a script, so on its own is not a full resource/curriculum (just FYI). If sharing this or any parts of it with others, please appropriately credit MG and/or the photographers and sources of the images. Thank you.
FOLLOW UP AND DIG DEEPER:
Donate to communities impacted by the Kincaid Fire & PG&E Shutoffs
Corazon Healdsburg Unity and Community fund
Movimiento Cultural de Union Indigena (MCUI)
Power to Live Fundraiser: DJ Culture Club & Others (Note: For non-tax deductible donations, you can also Venmo stacey-milbern or or PayPal stacey.milbern@gmail.com to buy solar generators, batteries, hotel rooms, and rides for disabled people. A small group of people will track the funds and make consensus decisions where the money goes.)
Mutual Aid DJ Access tools/resources organized by DJ Culture Club
If you need SUPPORT, contact us at https://tinyurl.com/disneeds
If you have RESOURCES, contact us at https://tinyurl.com/disresources
SURVIVAL SKILLSHARE doc is at http://tinyurl.com/dissurvival
From PG&E to Our Power!
Utility Justice Campaign description
1-pager on the PG&E Bailout
Newsweek article “Billionaires Won’t Save Californians From PG&E Disasters. It’s Time We Owned Our Power” by Sylvia Chi and Jessica Guadelupe Tovar
In These Times article on the PG&E Shutoffs and Public Ownership by Brooke Anderson
Movement Generation Resources & Articles
Movement Generation’s Just Transition Zine
“Native Sovereignty Tends the Fire” by MG’s Carla Perez
Interview with MG Planning Committee member Gopal Dayaneni on 2018 Wildfires
Transition Is Inevitable, Justice Is Not: A Critical Framework for Just Recovery
Stats and Official Info of the California Wildfires
Facts and Statistics: Wildfires (Insurance Information Institute, 2019 – useful stats on recent wildfires)
GIF on the increase in fires & damage in CA (Berkeley Earth)
Cal Fire (current incidents and stats on wildfires)
Other Articles/Resources on Wildfires, Housing, Climate, Power, and More
“Native Tribes Are Taking Fire Control Into Their Own Hands” (Wired.com, Nov 2018)
“California is becoming unlivable” article on wildfires & housing (The Atlantic, Oct 2019)
“California can expect blackouts for a decade sayd PG&E CEO” (NPR, Oct 2019)
Earth’s Future July 2019 Study: Observed Impacts of Anthropogenic Climate Change on Wildfire in California (Note: this is a dense academic paper, but the study is quoted often in terms of recent conventional scientific research on the impacts of wildfire in CA)