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[Sustain] BAEHP Environmental Justice Air Pollution Protocol
by Eric Brooks 19 Nov '09

19 Nov '09

Hi all, See the alert below for more information about the Bay Area Environmental Health Collaborative and its proposed new pollution protocol; which we discussed at tonight's GM meeting. I've also attached the protocol as a pdf in case you'd rather read it as a file, instead of following the links in the email. peace Eric /* /Please forward widely (apologies for cross postings).../ ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ACTION ALERT!* Join the Bay Area Environmental Health Collaborative in demanding that the Bay Area Air Quality Management District acknowledge and address cumulative and inequitable impacts of toxic air pollution on low-income communities of color! BAEHC is demanding that the District adopt our proposed <http://www.baehc.org/downloadables/baehc_PollutionReductionProtocol_March20…>Pollution Reduction Protocol <http://www.baehc.org/downloadables/BAEHC_PollutionReductionProtocol_March20…>, which calls for an end to new pollution and the implementation of pollution reduction plans in overburdened communities. Recently, the District proposed regulatory changes that were a step in the right direction and would have created stricter air pollution thresholds in highly impacted communities. / However, after pressure from industry forces who demanded to conduct "business as usual," the District has now withdrawn their proposal for more health-protective standards in communities most impacted by pollution./ _* We need your support. Here's what you can do to help :*_ __* *(1) *Add your organization's name* to <http://baehc.org/AlliesSupport.html>our <http://baehc.org/AlliesSupport.html> <http://baehc.org/AlliesSupport.html>sign-on letter <http://www.baehc.org/AlliesSupport.html>. (2) *Mobilize with us* for the upcoming Air District Board meetings on *Nov. 18th and Dec. 2nd*. Get to the BAAQMD building at 9:30 to check in and tell them you're there for the Board meeting at <http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=1765079976699026846&q=939+ellis+st,+s…>939 Ellis St. in San Francisco <http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=1765079976699026846&q=939+ellis+st,+s…>. Transportation is available from the East Bay and Southeast San Francisco (contact BAEHC for details). (3) *Call the Air District *Board Member <http://www.sparetheair.org/sitecore/content/Home/The-Air-District/Board-of-…> <http://www.sparetheair.org/sitecore/content/Home/The-Air-District/Board-of-…>who /should /be representing you. Tell them to protect community health and adopt BAEHC's Pollution Reduction Protocol. BAAQMD should create regulations and guidelines that provide additional protection for communities most impacted by pollution. */It's time to speak up loud and clear...// /No more business as usual! Stop the pollution in our communities! * * * Bay Area Environmental Health Collaborative (415) 994-2496 www.baehc.org <http://www.baehc.org> /

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[Sustain] FW: Eco-Action Draft on BioFuels
by Martin Zehr 16 Nov '09

16 Nov '09

The Eco-Action Committee's current draft on biofuels http://gpus-food-water-energy.wetpaint.com/page/Biofuels Mato Ska Windows 7: It works the way you want. Learn more. _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft's powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/177141664/direct/01/ http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/177141664/direct/01/

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[Sustain] SF Community Choice RFP Released! Forward Widely & Quickly!
by Eric Brooks 06 Nov '09

06 Nov '09

Hi all, Crucial news! The SFPUC (San Francisco Public Utilities Commission) has just released its Request For Proposals (RFP) for San Francisco's Community Choice (Clean Power SF) renewable energy project. Please spread the word very quickly to potential bidding companies, and organizers for clean energy. It is crucial that San Francisco's Community Choice project go to contract before PG&E's anti Community Choice measure goes to the California ballot next June; so that we can establish the strongest possible project to lead the way for the rest of the state, the country, and the planet, in reversing the climate crisis. Once a successful bid is accepted for this project, it will become the biggest municipal clean energy network in the world and build enough solar, wind and efficiency projects to power San Francisco on 50% clean, renewable electricity within the next decade. The released RFP is attached as a PDF file. Both it, and other important appendix documents, can be found on the SFPUC's web sit at: http://sfwater.org/custom/bid/planlist.cfm/bidtype/2/MC_ID/15/MSC_ID/147 under the heading "Electric Supply Services for the Community Choice Aggregation Program RFP". Here is the SFPUC's release announcement: http://sfwater.org/detail.cfm/MC_ID/17/MSC_ID/422/MTO_ID/736/C_ID/4789 City Plan to Provide Cleaner Energy to S.F. Residents & Businesses Advances Major Step Published: 11/05/2009 | Updated: 11/06/2009 Published By: Power Enterprise <http://sfwater.org/Dept.cfm/MC_ID/17/MSC_ID/422/MTO_ID/736/MO_ID/73> Release of CleanPowerSF Program Request for Proposals (RFP) Moves City Closer to Clean, Renewable Energy Goals SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) today released its Request for Proposal for the Community Choice Aggregation Program, known as CleanPowerSF. The RFP will bring the City one step closer to achieving its goals of providing electric energy to San Franciscans that is significantly greener than what PG&E currently delivers, all at competitive rates. The final RFP is a collaborative effort between the SFPUC and the San Francisco Local Agency Formation Commission (SF LAFCo). "With the unanimous support of the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor, the City's plan to provide clean renewable energy has reached a major milestone. This RFP positions the city to provide San Franciscans with a meaningful green energy alternative to PG&E's misdirected reliance on fossil fuels," said Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, LAFCo Chair, and sponsor of the CCA RFP legislation. "Selecting a partner to help us achieve the goals of CleanPowerSF -- locally-controlled, cleaner energy at competitive rates -- is the primary objective of the thorough and well balanced RFP that we released today," said Barbara Hale, SFPUC Assistant General Manager for Power. The final RFP clearly states the energy targets for CleanPowerSF. These targets specify: * 51% of electric energy be from renewable sources by 2017; and * 40% of energy needs be met from a combination of local and renewable sources by 2012; and * rates be competitive with PG&E. The RFP invites potential respondents, including large energy trading firms and renewable energy project developers, to submit proposals that are based on the City's renewable energy goals. Community Choice Aggregation, a state law passed in 2002, allows California cities and counties to combine their citizens' purchasing power to buy electricity, reducing consumer costs and enhancing local control and consumer protections. In 2007, San Francisco adopted its own energy blueprint called CleanPowerSF, based on the CCA model, with the specific goal of increasing the City's use of clean, renewable power. The released RFP follows a Request for Information (RFI) released by the SFPUC in 2007 and a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) released in 2009. To view the final RFP please visit http://sfwater.org/custom/bid/planlist.cfm/bidtype/2/MC_ID/15/MSC_ID/147.

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[Sustain] Email Today To Defend Local Pet Stores From Chain
by Eric Brooks 04 Nov '09

04 Nov '09

Hi all, My local owned and operated pet shop turned me on to a proposed invasion of a huge chain (Pet Food Express) into the Marina, which will threaten the survival of many small local independent pet shops. The chain's new location would be within two blocks of two independent locally owned pet stores, and Pet Food Express is also openly engaged in predatory pricing. The conditional use permit goes before the Planning Commission this Thursday, in City Hall Room 400, at 4pm). For details see http://marinasos.com/?p=3 To send a message to defend the local shops go to http://marinasos.com/?p=60 thanks Eric B

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[Sustain] New Transit Fare Evasion Study Shows Inspectors Worthless
by Eric Brooks 04 Nov '09

04 Nov '09

Hi all, I just got through watching today's Municipal Transportation Agency commission hearing in which the MTA staff announced the release of its fare evasion study. The study shows the following key results: 1) The fare evasion rate is only 9.5% (costing the system about $22 million at most). 2) Even when MTA fare inspectors and SF Police engaged in highly focused and expensive 'saturation' enforcement actions at specific transit access points, the evasion rate was only lowered to about 4% (a 60% reduction) 3) Fines for fare evasion are now $75 - The previous, much higher fines for second and third offenses have been abandoned due to the difficulty of establishing prior evasions when writing a ticket. 4) People cited with fines only pay them 60% of the time. (A police chief describing the saturation actions, and MTA chief Nathaniel Ford, both admitted openly that these saturation actions do not pay for themselves in fine and fare revenues.) 5) The transit lines that experience the highest rates of fare evasion, also have some of the highest rates of low income and people of color ridership. MTA staff recommended enforcement at targeted locations to make enforcement more efficient. (This would absolutely result in biased racist and classist enforcement.) 6) 50% of riders boarding at back do not have proof of purchase. (Anyone who has ridden the bus frequently, knows that many of the people who board at the back without paying are doing so because they are too poor to pay the fare.) What all of these revelations show is that the revenue from punitively deploying fare inspectors and police enforcement will never exceed the actual cost of deploying the inspectors and police in the first place. The only way to achieve better results with this punitive model would be to -reduce- the number of inspectors and then more selectively target lines and transit stops on which the poorest riders and people of color access the system. On the other hand, simply enabling most riders who -can- pay, to much more easily buy fast passes and multi-month passes would likely bring in just as much revenue if not more, without paying any fare inspectors at all. And of course, -free- Muni, paid for with business and car taxes would solve the problem entirely. Finally, on an ominous note. MTA staff indicated that they will soon move to the Translink system for Muni passes. Translink is the system in which you carry an electronic card charged with funds for Muni riding (much like a phone card). Once this Translink system is put in place, poor people are going to have a much harder time circumventing the system so that they can ride free... It's been a while since we had a Transpo working group meeting. Let's do one soon to develop a response strategy based on this report. peace Eric B

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[Sustain] Clean Power SF Strong! Join Global Climate Action Tomorrow!
by Eric Brooks 23 Oct '09

23 Oct '09

Hi all, Big News! We managed to leverage sufficient pressure, scrutiny, and input on the Request For Proposals (RFP) process for Clean Power SF, that the RFP is now strong enough to truly get us to 50% clean, renewable electricity in San Francisco within the next decade! The RFP release just passed out of committee yesterday and is headed for a likely successful adoption at the full Board of Supervisors this coming Tuesday :) The next crucial step is to join tomorrow's 3pm rally at the SF Embarcadero as part of a huge global day of action on the climate crisis in which over 4000 actions have been organized worldwide to call for the world's governments to much more rapidly reduce carbon emissions, in order to avert a global environmental collapse. The rising success of Clean Power SF, which will create the largest municipal clean energy project in the world, will be a beacon for this movement, so let's show up tomorrow to celebrate and to help energize the global climate justice movement for victory! Here are the details: http://members.greenpeace.org/event/view/3491/ ***THE BIG ONE*** - Global Day of Action for Climate Justice! WHEN: Saturday, October 24, 3:00 PM WHERE: Justin Herman Plaza/Ferry Building, San Francisco (near Embarcadero BART/Muni at the pierside foot of Market St.) WHAT: Greenpeace joins with 350.org, the Mobilization for Climate Justice, Global Exchange and a variety or other Bay Area organizations to throw a massive event calling on our leaders to join the global community of countries that are committing to strong action on global warming. On Saturday October 24th, citizens from the Bay Area will join thousands around the world in calling for real science-based global warming solutions at the UN Copenhagen climate talks. Starting at 3:00pm on October 24th, we will gather at the Justin Herman Plaza/SF Ferry Bldg. (Embarcadero BART), near foot of Market St., San Francisco. The event will be a culmination for multiple morning events and will include a massive group photo at 3:50pm. There will be a program including climate activists and local poets and performers. The aerial photo will include a massive parachute banner and hundreds of homemade, hand-painted visuals. The message will be calling on Obama for 350 and climate justice. Joining us will be 350 surfers that took action at the beach earlier that day as well as a dozen of bikers finishing a 350 mile bike ride from Northern California, hundreds of folks finishing a bike ride through the city and doing local 350 events at their local BART stations that morning. Contact Lauren Thorpe to get involved: Lauren.Thorpe(a)greenpeace.org. ### peace Eric Brooks 415-756-8844

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[Sustain] Burning Bunnies For Biofuel!
by Eric Brooks 23 Oct '09

23 Oct '09

As I predicted, animal based fuels are becoming an insanity.. http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/10/21/burning-bunnies-for-biofuel/comm… Burning bunnies for biofuel <http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/10/21/burning-bunnies-for-biofuel/> By Luna Finnsson <http://www.icenews.is/index.php/author/charlie/> on Oct 21, 2009 in Energy <http://www.icenews.is/index.php/news/energy/>, MBL <http://www.icenews.is/index.php/news/mbl/>, Sweden <http://www.icenews.is/index.php/news/countries/sweden/>, environment <http://www.icenews.is/index.php/news/environment/> <http://www.carrentals.is/?cmp=INtop> kanínaStockholm's Kungsholmen neighbourhood has solved the problem of finding fuel for a central heating plant by using thousands of rabbits as firewood. The Local reports that each year, thousands of the animals are culled from surrounding parks, although the use of the cadavers as a bioenergy source has not met with a favourable reaction from animal rights groups. Locals have pointed to the Finnish practice of spraying the plants to make them less appealing as a more practical solution, although Helsinki recently revealed that many carnivores at the city zoo were fed rabbits hunted down by city authorities. Last year a reported 6,000 Swedish rabbits were rounded up and slaughtered before being sent to the heating plant in Karslkoga. Authorities claim the move is designed to protect the city's vast network of green spaces. Rather than dispose of the rabbits, the city froze the carcasses before sending them to the incinerators. Anna Johannesson of the Society for the Protection of Wild Rabbits said: "Those who support the culling of rabbits surely think it's good to use the bodies for a good cause. But it feels like they're trying to turn the animals into an industry rather than look at the main problem". The Stockholm Traffic Office's Tommy Tuvunger said part of the problem was due to delinquent pet owners who allow their rabbits to hop free in the city's parklands. The Traffic Office is responsible for the control of Stockholm's rodent and wild animal numbers and admits that many of those culled are tame animals. Tuvunger went on to state that it only takes a few of the animals to engage in the practice that rabbits are most famous for creating a massive problem for authorities. To counter the population explosion officers use a special rifle, primarily at day break when furry faces first peek out from their burrows. The job is made easier in winter as falling leaves make targets more visible. "People who think that the bunnies are cute and cuddly suddenly don't think they're as fun anymore and put the animals outside. They think: 'there they can play with the other rabbits'," said Tuvunger. 3 Comment(s) 1. *On Oct 21, 2009 <http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/10/21/burning-bunnies-for-biofuel/comm…>, Jim said*: "officers use a special rifle, primarily at day break when furry faces first peek out from their burrows" Aw, poor bunnies :-( 2. *On Oct 21, 2009 <http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/10/21/burning-bunnies-for-biofuel/comm…>, rose_lingerie <http://www.gossard.com> said*: This is rather disturbing. What's next? burning human bodies?? People have to draw a line somewhere. 3. *On Oct 22, 2009 <http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/10/21/burning-bunnies-for-biofuel/comm…>, Eric Brooks said*: // Those rabbits should be culled through reintroduction of natural predators like foxes and wolves, not by burning them as fuel and unnecessarily releasing yet more carbon into the atmosphere. Such insanity heads us squarely back to the nineteenth century, during which massive numbers of whales, fish and other wildlife were unsustainably slaughtered for fuel oil. We had animal based fuels in that day, and it was one of the most destructive mistakes in human ecological history. Eric Brooks San Francisco Green Party Sustainability Working Group -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." -- Che Guevara

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[Sustain] Urgent: Email Public Comments On Clean Power SF
by Eric Brooks 15 Oct '09

15 Oct '09

Hi all, This Friday's hearing for Clean Power SF may have trouble holding a quorum for crucial votes if it goes on too long, so I am avoiding calling for lots of in-person public comment. (Although definitely show up if you can, just to show big numbers in the room.) The hearing is in City Hall Room 250 tomorrow at 2pm. (See http://www.sfbos.org/index.aspx?page=9774 ) In lieu of in-person comment please send an email today encouraging the SF LAFCo/GAO to adopt a Request For Proposals (RFP) with strong local renewables and efficiency mandates which conform to the original project Implementation Plan passed in 2007. And most importantly, ask them to immediately approve funding for the added work that Local Power has said is crucial to producing successful RFP responses. For comment guidelines and a link to the Supervisors/Commissioners (and their aides') emails, see the web page at: http://our-city.org/events/contactsfcityhall.html I'll send another message soon about the Saturday Oct 24, global 350.org action. thanks! :) Eric Brooks

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[Sustain] Action Alert: Kerry/Graham Push More Nukes/Fossil Fuels In Climate Bill
by Eric Brooks 12 Oct '09

12 Oct '09

*Nuclear Information and Resource Service* <http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=3Hd%2BNnaBpVGUucvnXA1…> *SENS. KERRY AND GRAHAM JOIN FORCES TO PROMOTE MORE NUKES, OIL AND COAL IN CLIMATE BILL* *_YOUR ACTIONS ARE VITAL_* *E-MAIL/FAX NOW; CALL-IN THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15* October 12, 2009 The New York Times yesterday published a remarkable joint op-ed from Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Lindsay Graham (R-SC). Remarkable not because Graham became the first Republican to sign on to a climate bill, but because of the enormous price Kerry paid for that support. *Their op-ed calls for vastly increased support not only for new nuclear reactors but also coal and oil as well. *Indeed, their proposal reads like nothing more than a wish list from the dirty energy industry. If adopted, their proposal would make the climate bill one in name only, and instead would provide a dirty energy bonanza that would rival the worst excesses of the Bush administration. *We all must act now.* If you haven't yet sent an e-mail and/or fax to your Senators in the past week (and most of you haven't!!!), please do so now <http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=DBnMKMtzGw7DOyxow0A2v…>. And please prepare for National Don't Nuke the Climate Call-In Day, this Thursday, October 15. By the way, a new support group for the Call-In Day has just formed on the GrassrootsNucleus networking site <http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=mEkgDUb0CCfO4OxgvzyEl…>. We hope you'll use it. Don't be shy about contacting your Senators! Whether you've written them once this year or ten times, do so again. Remember: nuclear and utility lobbyists are contacting your Senators* _every_ _single_ _day_.* We in Washington don't have the resources to match the industry's lobbying effort. _You_ are the most important lobbyists! So please make sure your voice is heard. <http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Tvrper1vlwIV3k4GiDtsm…> Here is a brief excerpt from the Kerry/Graham op-ed: "/Nuclear power needs to be a core component of electricity generation if we are to meet our emission reduction targets. We need to jettison cumbersome regulations that have stalled the construction of nuclear plants in favor of a streamlined permit system that maintains vigorous safeguards while allowing utilities to secure financing for more plants."/ You can read the entire op-ed here <http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=btdrz5hy0zXjXzAf%2B4F…>. Note that the permit system has been repeatedly streamlined over the past two decades, and even NRC chairman Greg Jazcko admits the slow pace of NRC review of license applications is due to the poor quality of applications and their reliance on unapproved reactor designs. The only further streamlining would be an end to public participation entirely! *Again, take action today. **Send an e-mail and/or fax to your Senators now.* <http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2BbvDlHGHVdilxHK14d%…> We'll pay for the faxes, but if you can help with that, even better. You can do so here, with our grateful appreciation <http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=uHIxx4qD6mBJQsvxxeoNa…>. And make sure your friends and colleagues, children and parents, co-workers and congregations, all have the opportunity to make their voices heard too. Forward this Alert, or just forward this url: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5502/t/5846/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2… <http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=oRYyK0oZCvYxUGxfRRc1n…>, so everyone can take action. It will take all of us, reaching out as far and wide as we can, raising our voices as loudly and effectively as we can, to beat back this effort to nuke the climate bill. Thanks for all you do, Michael Mariotte Executive Director Nuclear Information and Resource Service www.nirs.org <http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=b%2FSizadPCuHshjZdxyM…> nirsnet(a)nirs.org <mailto:nirsnet@nirs.org> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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[Sustain] VERY Important: Oct 16 Be At City Hall For SF 50% Clean Energy Project!
by Eric Brooks 01 Oct '09

01 Oct '09

Hi all! Clear your calendar on Friday October 16th for a -huge- clean energy event! (With an essential follow-up media event on Saturday the 24th.) On Friday Oct 16, after a nine year battle against PG&E and SF Utilities Commission (SFPUC) interference, the Request For Proposals for contractors to bid to build San Francisco's Clean Power SF (Community Choice) Project (which will run the City on 50% solar and wind power within the next decade) is going to a joint Board of Supervisors Committee for approval! Clean Power SF will also bring us fully half the way to public power, because at the end of that first 10 years, the City will -own- 50% of its own energy supply, setting the stage for us to kick PG&E -out- of San Francisco. This crucial vote will come down in a joint Government Audits & Oversight / Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) hearing on Friday the 16th. The hearing time is not yet set but will likely be between 1 and 2pm. Every clean energy organizer's presence will be -crucial- at this hearing to both 1) sound a clarion call to the world that the largest municipal clean energy project in Earth's history is on its way to the Board of Supervisors for its enacting vote, and 2) to make sure that if between now and the 16th the SFPUC staff has interfered with and weakened the Request For Proposals (RFP) that there is a room full of energized, determined and angry activists to -demand- that the RFP be amended and released in he strongest possible form for success. This final point is very important because the SFPUC recently tried to pull a surprise maneuver to take all of the RFP's mandatory requirements for strong percentages of renewables and efficiency, and change them instead into weak optional goals! Core organizers were able to block this cynical maneuver, but over the next two weeks, the SFPUC staff could very well once again try to weaken the project RFP and it will be essential at this vital zero hour for the planetary clean energy movement, that -all- of you are there to fight for the strongest possible Clean Power SF project bid. KEY ORGANIZING NOTE - GLOBAL DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION SAT OCT 24 (UNITED NATIONS DAY): Note that if all goes well on the 16th and we pass a good RFP out of committee, the Board of Supervisors will have its first vote on the RFP implementing ordinance on Tuesday Oct 20, with its second and final confirmation vote on Tuesday Oct 27. This will set us up -perfectly- to join 350.org's global day of climate action on Saturday, October 24. On that day, hundreds of actions will be taking place simultaneously across the planet to announce the emergence of the climate action movement as a worldwide force to save the Earth and humanity. (For more info see http://www.350.org/actions ) All of these actions will center on establishing and photographing the number 350 because rapidly reducing CO2 to 350 ppm in the atmosphere from the current 390 ppm is what scientists are now saying it will take to save the planet from mass catastrophe. Since Clean Power SF is set to give us 360 megawatts of local renewables and efficiency by the end of 2012, our 350 action could be to proclaim that San Francisco is now establishing Clean Power SF to go at least 350 megawatts renewable by Earth Day 2012. This is kismet and Karma and the perfect storm all wrapped into one y'all. Clear your calendars for October 16th and 24th and let's launch Clean Power SF into the stratosphere right in front of the media, so that it will become so politically powerful that no amount of PG&E manipulation can stop it! I'll be in touch soon with Committee and United Nations Day organizing details. peace Eric Brooks

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