Celebrating a Summer of Climate Action

Published on August 30, 2023

Activists across North America joined SAFE Cities in their first ever Climate Emergency Kit Mobilization this past summer.

Here I am testifying to Bell Gardens’ City Council about the need for urgent climate action

Nothing hits quite like the frigid central AC of city hall after the relentless heatwaves of summer. Especially when it’s coupled with a Climate Emergency Kit delivery to your local electeds. 10/10, would recommend.

This summer, advocates across North America joined the SAFE Cities Organizing Network in its first ever Climate Emergency Kit Mobilization. We delivered kits to local governments all across North America, with people from Los Angeles to North Carolina to Vancouver taking part.

Each kit included climate-friendly policy recommendations and climate testimonies cataloging the very real climate impacts folks are experiencing today – particularly the unrelenting heat waves and rampant wildfires that have become synonymous with summer. The Emergency Kit mobilizes urgent action by local municipalities in response to accelerating impacts of the climate crisis.

Here are some of the highlights:

Councilmember Nithya Raman, third from the left, expressed her commitment to climate action for Los Angeles
Councilmember Nithya Raman, third from the left, expressed her commitment to climate action for Los Angeles

In the city of Los Angeles, volunteers from East Valley Indivisible Group spent weeks gathering climate testimonials from their neighbors in the San Fernando Valley. The Valley regularly experiences heat dome events – resulting in temperatures that are often  5-10 degrees hotter than the rest of Los Angeles. Additionally, volunteers gathered testimonies from the American Actor’s Union (SAG-AFTRA) who’ve spent the better part of their summers picketing prominent studios. East Valley Indivisible presented their findings to the Los Angeles City Council, urging the Council to prioritize cooling solutions for the city’s renters, low-income, and unhoused residents. 

In Bell Gardens, East Yard Communities for Justice and Stand.earth petitioned the city to pass the very first Climate Emergency Resolution in the region. Bell Gardens is a predominantly Latino, working class, majority renter city in Southeast Los Angeles. The city historically lags behind others in Los Angeles County when it comes to progressive environmental action.

Mayor Pro Tem Jorgel Chavez (far right) joins local activists for a photo at City Hall while they delivered the climate emergency kit
Mayor Pro Tem Jorgel Chavez (far right) joins local activists for a photo at City Hall.

Additionally, the city has a fraught environmental justice history. It sits adjacent to the industrial City of Vernon that long housed polluting factories – including Exide Technologies that for years emitted exceptionally high levels of  lead and arsenic. We’re proud to see Bell Gardens take its first steps in a new direction – one that values the health and safety of its residents by considering a Climate Emergency Resolution. 

Here I am testifying to Bell Gardens’ City Council about the need for urgent climate action
Here I am testifying to Bell Gardens’ City Council about the need for urgent climate action

In Vancouver, Washington, the incredible Heidi Cody (ACE and Washington Conservation Action) took her Climate Emergency Kit in a different direction. Using her creative genius, Heidi took her Climate Emergency Kit to a local festival and gathered climate wishes from folks young and old. Even as the climate crisis accelerates, it’s important to find joy and keep dreaming about a different, climate safe future.

Paper that reads, make a climate wish
SAFE Cities is working with people across North America to help make their climate wishes a reality
One of my favorite wishes (pictured here pasted to the climate emergency kit) came from a 12 year old volunteer who said “single use plastic factories should be shut down.” I agree!
One of my favorite wishes (pictured here) came from a 12 year old volunteer who said “single use plastic factories should be shut down.” I agree!

It’s amazing to see how quickly momentum builds when we collaborate across communities to advance more efficient energy solutions for all. Together, we can turn local victories into a powerful global movement for health, safety, equity, and climate security. 

 

 

 

Join the SAFE Organizing Network today and gain access to a vast network of activists and changemakers pursuing meaningful, local, climate wins,

Hope to see your face in our organizing space soon!

Michelle Piñon (she/her)
Senior Distributed Organizer – SAFE Cities
Stand.earth

 

A young climate activist poses next to the climate emergency kit with her climate wish
A young climate activist poses with her climate wish