Climate Walkout Strike in Santa Cruz

October 29th Climate Justice Walkout

*Please take a minute to fill out this October 29th Climate Walkout Strike Google Form if you are interested in coming to the event/signing up for our email list: https://forms.gle/ZVsvvThpWjAQe8UP8
*Please fill out this form to sign up for tabling or to speak at the strike: https://forms.gle/PuP6ywKME8egAEvY6
*If you are interested in helping organize—come join our meetings Sundays at 10am at Tabby Cat Cafe!

Organizers:
Youth for Climate Justice: @youth4climatejusticeca
UC Green New Deal Coalition: @ucgreennewdeal
Rachel Carson College Council: @rcc_ucsc
SCHS Coalition for Environmental Justice: @schs_c4ej

Endorsers:
Student Union Assembly: @ucscsua
UCSC Office of the President: @ucscpresident
Santa Cruz Climate Action Network scruzclimate.org
Novasturas @Novasutras

Full Itinerary:

West Side:
* UCSC Walkout (12:00pm)
Meets at 12:00pm in the Quarry in front of the Baytree Bookstore. 15 minute rally. Departs at 12:15 and marches down towards Mission Hill Middle school. Arrive by 12:45pm.
* PCS Walkout (12:30pm)
Walkout at 12:30pm and walk to SCHS.
* Kirby Walkout (1:00pm)
Walkout at 1:00pm and walk to SCHS.
* MHMS Walkout (1:00pm)
Walkout at 1:00pm, and depart around 1:05pm. Walk to SCHS WITH the UCSC students.
* SCHS Walkout (1:00pm)
30 minute student rally with speeches outside of SCHS. PCS, Kirby, and the group of Mission Hill and UCSC students will converge here during this time. Leave at 1:30pm, march down to school offices and then down pacific to Wells Fargo.

East Side:
* Harbor Walkout (12:45pm)
Walkout at 12:45pm and walk to B40
* B40 Walkout (1:20pm)
Walkout at 1:20pm (as soon as lunch is over) and walk with Harbor to Monarch Elementary/BSSC Small Schools Campus
* BSSC Walkout (1:35pm)
Walkout at 1:35pm and join Harbor and B40 in walking to Wells Fargo

All:
* Wells Fargo Convergence (2:00pm)
East and West Side Marchers converge at Wells Fargo at 2:00pm. Tell people to divest.
* Downtown Farmers’ Market (3:00pm)
Everyone ends here at 3:00pm! Speeches, activities, tabling and Youth open mic here.

Full Demands:

We demand an equitable transition to a fossil-free future that centers BIPOC. This means:
1. Recognizing the disproportionate effects of climate change on BIPOC and minorities, and working towards BOTH social and environmental justice
2. Zero Carbon by 2030 in Santa Cruz County
We need to recognize the urgency of the climate crisis, and the limited amount of time we have to stop it.
3. No new multi use parking garage
New structures should work towards goals of social and environmental justice. The proposed 6 story parking garage would create tons of carbon, even after studies have shown we do not need more parking in Santa Cruz. It would also cut down ancient Magnolia trees, force the Farmer’s market to move, and take over the space that could be potentially used as a community commons. A majority of the public disagrees with the idea, and so it should not be moved forward with. New structures built should have affordable housing, and prioritive low income households.
4. GHG inventory and climate action plan for Santa Cruz City Schools
To lower our schools emission levels, we first need to get an understanding of what our current emissions are, and create a structure to get to zero. Youth for Climate Justice is working with and urging the city school board to invest in our futures by setting a goal for zero emissions, and a clear goal to get there.
5. Curricular change in schools and universities to teach about Climate Change
Curriculum at the state level already exists, but is not enforced at a lot of schools, and does not have clear standards. Climate Change should be a focus of not only science classes, but every subject. Students who do not decide to take AP environmental or other advanced optional science classes should still be educated on our current climate reality.
6. CalSTRS divests from fossil fuels
California teacher retirement funds must divest from fossil fuels.
7. UC Santa Cruz must adopt the UC Green New Deal (GND) Coalition’s GND Policy Platform to meet the urgency of this moment to avert the worst consequences of unchecked climate catastrophe.
* 1. To learn more about our current campaign to electrify the UC, visit our campaign website at: electrifyuc.org. The Electrify UC campaign calls for the end of the Carbon Neutral 2025 initiative, and demands that the university instead be fossil-free and fully electrify its energy grid instead of relying on carbon offsets (that offset the UC’s responsibility) to meet its emissions targets.
* 2. As a leader in climate science, the UC has a responsibility to model the types of climate policy that the world should be adopting. While recognizing the effects climate change will have on our own campuses, we stand in solidarity with frontline communities bearing the brunt of climate change. We call on the UC to deploy its investment, procurement, educational, labor, and research power to help drive a just transition to a more equitable, accountable, and carbon-free future.
* 3. Below is a brief summary of the over 140 specific policy demands in the FULL Draft UC Green New Deal Policy Platform: http://bit.ly/UCGNDplatformv5
* 4. Brief Summary
In accordance with what science supports and what justice demands, we (the UC GND Coalition) call for:
1. Environmental Justice measures that promote a just transition for the UC community to sustainable educational, living and working environments, while addressing the disproportionate effects of climate change on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
2. Energy systems at each UC campus to rapidly transition to renewable energy by developing detailed plans for true decarbonization.
3. Transportation policies to be updated to rapidly decrease emissions from commuting and travel and simultaneously promote health.
4. Development standards for new buildings and green spaces that employ environmentally restorative architectural designs.
5. Food systems at UC to be reenvisioned for a sustainable future by increasing sustainable sourcing and reducing the consumption of animal products.
6. Waste disposal and procurement to be redesigned to increase reuse, recycling, and composting systems, with validated endpoints. The ultimate objective should be a zero waste system.
7. Divestment to extend to institutions that support fossil fuel infrastructure, including banks and insurers that directly support fossil fuel projects.
8. Education and practical training about climate to be offered across the UC system that includes the scientific, social, geopolitical, and economic dimensions of the crisis, centered on the voices of the dispossessed.
9. Funding to pay for the UC Green New Deal from federal, state, legislative, and philanthropic sources.

State

* Support and endorse Climate Safe Ca – basically a Ca Green New Deal
* Already endorsed by Sandy Brown, Justin Cummings, Zack Friend, Manu Koenig, Mark Stone and Watsonville City Council

National

* Implement the Green New Deal