3 Things to Do for Climate Action! Will you join us?

Happy May Daily Actors!

Ten years ago tomorrow, Sonoma County came together for the 350 Garden Challenge to plant and revitalize a whopping 628 gardens to grow food, save water, build community and address the climate crisis. Scientists tell us this is the most critical decade humanity has ever faced. So for the 10th anniversary of the Challenge, Daily Acts is partnering with the Regional Climate Protection Authority to launch the Sonoma Climate Challenge. Will you join us? Will you take action, inspire others to act and donate? We need to raise $25,000 in the next month to support this critical climate campaign. To learn more about the Sonoma Climate Challenge, our fundraising campaign, and a recent inspiring climate success in the City of Petaluma, see below.

In the face of urgent climate and biodiversity loss reports, more devastating extreme weather and watching the collapse of populations of trees, butterflies and countless other species, how can we find hope and a meaningful response?

We take heart and take action. We highlight and celebrate what’s working and we inspire and organize to grow more of it. 10 years ago, a group of organizations and agencies came together to set what felt like an impossible goal, of planting 350 gardens in a weekend. It was one of the most empowering things I have ever felt, seeing over 40 schools, churches, agencies and organizations, joined by thousands of people who rose to the challenge. A decade later through the annual Community Resilience Challenge, we have registered over 80,000 actions and projects, over 200 times the previously “scary to mention” goal! THIS is the power of community and what we must tap into as we set an even more critical and transformative goal to radically reduce our emissions and build climate resilience.

Act and Organize. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 350 Garden Challenge (later renamed the Community Resilience Challenge), we are partnering with the Regional Climate Protection Authority to launch the Sonoma Climate Challenge. Sign up your household. Set up a team or group. Then inspire your friends and co-workers to rise to the challenge. Want to spread the word, host a house party or get engaged? Email [email protected] for more information.

Celebrate! Too often, we don’t celebrate the small victories in life. We need to highlight what’s working to grow more of it. In late February, inspired by the Climate Emergency Resolution that 350 Petaluma developed; Daily Acts partnered with WORK Petaluma, Lunchette, Urban Chat and 350 Petaluma to launch the Petaluma Climate Action Campaign. Our focus was to encourage the City to make Equitable Climate Action the number one policy priority and included declaring a climate emergency. Last Monday, the City of Petaluma became the first Sonoma County municipality to join 500 local governments around the world in declaring a Climate Emergency. This happened because of your support and engagement.

One month before, at the city’s policy setting session, over 100 people showed up for a rally to ask the city to prioritize equitable climate action. We had junior high school students leading chants and over 50 businesses and organizations and 450 residents signed on to the campaign. The City Council responded, with each member stating that we need to address the climate crisis.

YOU created conditions conducive for climate leadership to arise. This is the power of community. It’s having amazing daily actors in the community, on city council and staff, like our amazing new City Manager, Peggy Flynn . It’s all of us coming together to encourage the city’s leadership to take bold action AND to say we are here to step up with you, because none of us can rise to this moment alone.

Contribute. In addition to taking strong action to reduce your emissions and get civically engaged, one of the most important things you can do is to support groups like Daily Acts. The truth is, our plate was full before we stepped up to help lead in both the Petaluma Climate Action Campaign and the Sonoma Climate Challenge, two unfunded initiatives. But we absolutely knew that our voice, our leadership and our community needed to step up right now.  And from drought to fires, when we’ve made that leap of faith and stepped up, you have stepped up with us. So we are asking you to do this again. We need to raise $25,000 in the next month to support our action in the 6-month Sonoma Climate Challenge and to support stronger climate leadership in Sonoma County. Will you contribute today?

It’s easy to get overwhelmed and disheartened by the state of our world. But the simple truth is, there has never been a time when your daily actions have mattered more. Your small acts at home, in the garden and neighborhood matter. Your acts of civic engagement, showing up at events and city council meetings matter. Your acts of encouragement, getting your friends, family and co-workers to rise up and show up matter.

Together, with the power of community, we can take heart, take action and unleash our shared genius to transform our lives, cities and world.