Forty members of the League of Women Voters gathered June 22 in Pasadena to unite for local and state action on climate change. The forum was hosted by the LWVC Climate Change Task Force and attended by members of ten local Leagues, primarily from the Los Angeles Basin. Attendees pictured above.

Reports from Local Leagues

• Beach Cities – forum planned for September; major issue: ground water
• Fullerton – just beginning climate work
• Los Angeles – worked with the Mayor’s office to help pass LA’s sustainability plan
• Orange Coast – hosted several forums; published letters to the editor; collaborated with other organizations on local issues
• Pasadena – so far have sponsored eight annual climate forums; got climate speaker for annual League Day; working on electrification; planning a city forum
• Santa Barbara – working with Sustainable Communities Committee that included attention to affordable housing; testified to the Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors on the Green New Deal; held a forum on sea level rise and public health; working with the Environmental Defense Council
• Santa Monica –  involved with Climate Action Santa Monica, group focuses on climate-related refugees; city budget focuses on “well being” including climate change; worked on climate action plan, $800 million budget, involving recommended legislation for disposing of old refrigerators;  Solar Brunch to foster solar energy; sponsored an educational forum that led to the establishment of a climate group made up of young people – Climate Corps; supports the upcoming youth climate change strike in September
• Torrance – arranged for a speaker on petroleum at the annual meeting; partnered for a National Electric Drive event; screened a documentary, The Age of Consequences, with discussion; hosted a forum in San Pedro on water, co-sponsored with CIVITAS; linking with cities and companies to plant trees; civil discourse re waste
• Mount Baldy – supported the Claremont sustainable city plan and are monitoring; co-ordinates a monthly dialogue on sustainability with Sustainable Claremont; supported a locally resourced power facility in Pomona  – Claremont-Pomona Locally Grown Power; a regular column on sustainability in the local newspaper
• Glendale – working on a protest of Glendale’s proposed gas-powered power plant for July 9 at the Glendale City Hall; www.gec.eco

Areas for Action

• Carbon Drawdown using the ranked list of solutions for Hawken’s book, Drawdown
• Climate Activism by partnering with organizers, media, and particularly youth
• Building Electrification in cities with local sponsored events
• Transportation-Housing-Land Use by engaging with local groups and monitoring plans

Resolved: The participants unanimously agreed that we must work to assure climate questions are included in the upcoming Presidential debates at all levels.