Preserving the legacy of Bay Area Action’s environmental work from 1990–2000 and beyond.
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San Francisco citizens have sounded a call to arms to oppose a condominium development targeted for the last piece of undeveloped land on Potrero Hill. A neighborhood group called Potrero Commons has been formed with the goal of purchasing the land, located at Arkansas and 18th Streets, and restoring it to its pre-urban, natural condition. The land is ecologically noteworthy because of an exposed patch of serpentine rock that forms a habitat for several threatened species of flora and fauna. Local residents and businesses have rallied against the proposed 100-unit development. Anchor Brewing Co. has brewed a special Potrero Commons Ale, and is donating the profits to the Commons project. The Commons is a testament to neighborhood organizing in action, but more help is needed if the development is to be stopped. For information on how you can help or donate, or for tips on how to save your own neighborhood from similar perils, call (415) 648-4814.
Menlo Park’s last undeveloped space is threatened by a plan to build 140 million-dollar houses. The seminary, opened in 1891, is home to the last of the area’s original mixed oak forest, as well as a large bird population that includes birds of prey. Two-thirds of this land would be flattened by the development. In 1987, 80 percent of the community voted against development of the land for housing. Unfortunately, that ballot measure was non-binding and the city council has already approved the sale to a developer. Help is needed now: call (415) 369-7512.
The 1990 International Open Space Conference will be held in Palo Alto, September 22–26. With participants from every major Bay Area open space preservation organization, the conference will feature speakers, workshops, tours, and seminars on a variety of issues surrounding the future of open space. Call (415) 949-5500.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, on the north coast of Alaska, is being considered for oil drilling and exploration. Drilling in the area would yield only a small percentage of the oil we use, but would significantly reduce the number of caribou, grizzlies, polar bears, and snow geese that thrive in the area. Furthermore, the Gwich´in native people who depend on the caribou herds would face cultural annihilation. Write to your senators and representatives urging them to support either H.R. 39 (House) or S. 39 (Senate), bills which would preserve the area as wilderness
[Representative’s name]
House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
[Pete Wilson / Alan Cranston]
Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Call (707) 996-5527 for more information.
Eliminate “junk mail” by writing to the Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, 11 West 42nd St., P.O. Box 3861, New York, NY 10163-3861. Ask them to put you on the “delete list.”
Residents of Needles, Calif., are mobilizing to prevent the State of California, the Department of Energy, and US Ecology (USE) from constructing a low-level waste repository only 13 miles from the Colorado River in Ward Valley. Governor Deukmejian recently offered to accept waste generated in New York State, as well as waste from Arizona and the Dakotas. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission would allow long-lived nuclear wastes (300–10,000 years) to be stored at the 70-acre site, but safety monitoring is only required for 100 years after the site closes. The dump will be a shallow burial pit with no precautions for possible offsite migration of wastes. The State Department of Health estimates waste storage costs at $10,000/cubic foot. Call or write the California State Department of Health Services, urging them to postpone construction and extend the review period so that a more sensible plan can be developed: 714 P Street, Room 616, Sacramento, CA 95814, Attention: Darice Bailey; (415) 861-0592.
In April of 1991, hundreds of thousands of people will gather in southwest Nevada to demand an end to nuclear testing. Beginning in Las Vegas and ending with a march to the Nevada Test Site, the event will signify an appeal to the United States to respond to the Soviet Union’s request for a Comprehensive Test Ban. (While the Soviets have not performed any nuclear testing for 11 months, the US has performed five full-scale detonation tests this year.) Organizers expect not only to appeal to the public and the government through media exposure, but also to educate people on the principles and practice of the non-violence ethic. The name of the project comes from a Japanese parable that describes the ideological breakthrough that occurs when a sufficient number of minds are aware of an idea. Help is needed now to organize and support this project: call (707) 826-2641.
The Concord Naval Weapons Station Vigil is an ongoing protest against the maintenance of nuclear and other weapons by the US military. For information on protesting and on non-violence training, call (415) 458-5299.
The Coyote Point Museum in San Mateo needs docents for its wide range of environmental education programs. The unique museum offers workshops in subjects ranging from photography to falconry, and features exhibits spotlighting the unique ecology of the Bay Area. For information call Cathy LaPorte at (415) 342-7755.
Environmental Volunteers in Palo Alto is a group that teaches elementary school students about natural science and environmental awareness. Their docent training course teaches the basics of urban, baylands, and forest ecology, as well as classroom and field trip teaching techniques. For more information call (415) 424-8035.
Organically Grown Week, a celebration of organic food and sustainable agriculture, is September 10–16. Call (916) 346-6366.
World Vegetarian Day is October 6th; speakers and panelists will be featured at San Francisco State University. To volunteer call Ann at (415) 322-2017.
The 6th annual California Coastal Clean-up will be held on September 22 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. To volunteer, call Maria Brown at the Center for Marine Conservation, (415) 391-6204.
Catalyst: the National Student Environmental Conference will be held October 5-7 at the University of Illinois. It is the next in a series of hugely successful national student conferences sponsored by the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC). For information call (217) 333-2440.
The Green Calendar for Social Change is a monthly publication with information on events of interest to the Bay Area peace, ecology, and social justice community. A donation of $10 or more entitles individuals to a one-year subscription. Make checks payable to Earth Island Institute and send to: GAIA, c/o Earth Island, 300 Broadway, Suite 28, San Francisco, CA 94133.
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Send it to BAA and we’ll help you get the word out:
Newsletter Editor
Bay Area Action
P.O. Box AA
Stanford, CA 94309
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Published in Action, vol 1, no 2 · Sep–Oct 1990
