All posts by BenIndy

Benicia, Benicia CA, Benicia City Council, Benicia City Council Member Kari Birdseye, Benicia High School, Benicia Police, Benicia Police Department, Benicia School Board, Benicia Unified School District, La Migra

‘La Migra’ – It’s Everyone’s Issue!

Sheri Leigh speaks with Benicia City Council Member Kari Birdseye for a City – and Parent – Perspective

Sheri Leigh
Sheri Leigh, Benicia resident and educator.

This is the perspective of Benicia City Council Member Kari Birdseye, a 23-year Benicia resident and parent of two Benicia public school alumni.  As an elected official and a full-time communications manager for a non-profit environmental organization, Kari is a busy woman.  I ran into her at a recent Benicia Arts Council event and was grateful that she was willing to give me her perspective on the La Migra Games.  We had a very informative phone conversation between her work-related engagements.  

Benicia City Council Member, 23-year Benicia resident, and parent of two speaks to Sheri Leigh about ‘La Migra.’ | Photo from Kari Birdseye’s 2022 Campaign.

Benicia City Council Member Kari Birdseye and the other members of the Benicia City Council stand together with the Benicia police and the Benicia Unified School District (BUSD) on the matter of the student-orchestrated, traditional annual chase game they call La Migra.  Recognizing the racist overtone that is self-evident in the title of the game, the potential physical and emotional harm to individuals, and the ongoing threat to public safety, they want the games stopped – permanently.  This year, City Council and staff publicly acknowledged that this is a community issue that affects everyone in Benicia and teamed up with other municipal stakeholders.  

Ms. Birdseye is proud of the efforts that took place between City Hall, the police, and the school district this last year.  All three agencies worked together to notify the public about the upcoming game, sending out emails and issuing warning notices on their websites, in local news publications, and on social media pages.  The school district actively reached out to BUSD parents to educate them about the dangers of the game, urging them not to allow their children to participate.  Student leaders also urged their classmates to stay away from the games and out of trouble. The police department put extra patrols on duty on the night that was selected for the game.  

Click to enlarge. On March 29, 2023, BUSD issued a warning to parents and families of students that the game was imminent, describing its rules and warning of the potential physical and emotional harm.

According to Council Member Birdseye, the coordinated agency efforts made some impact: student participation was down from the previous year.  Over the course of the evening, police ‘apprehended’ dozens of students, keeping them at the station until they were safely remanded to parent or guardian custody.  When parents and guardians arrived at the station, they were provided with information about the game and warned to be more cautious about and aware of their children’s activities.  

The La Migra “games” has been going on for decades. They were happening when Ms. Birdseye’s children were in high school, and they vividly recall the experience.  Her daughter, who graduated in 2017, was (and still is) a social-justice warrior.  She was offended by La Migra games as a high school freshman, immediately seeing the racial harm.  Ms. Birdseye’s daughter actively advocated to her friends and classmates NOT to participate, continuing her efforts throughout her high school years.  She is now pursuing her Master’s degree in Education at San Francisco State.  

Some Benicia High School students have taken action against the game, posting warnings to discourage peers from participating. | This image is a still from a 2023 NBC Bay Area report.

Ms. Birdseye believes that the underclassmen are highly influenced by their desire to fit in.  They might not yet understand the harm or the danger of the game.  It’s the seniors, she feels, who should know better.  They are deliberately choosing to be in the role of pursuer, emulating and perpetuating a painful history, in effect weaponizing that history against our community’s Latino citizens and immigrants, and against those who are most vulnerable in our society.   

The work that the municipal agencies have begun towards dismantling this damaging tradition is just the beginning.  Ms. Birdseye assured me that each of the agencies, City government, police and the school district, are committed to maintaining their efforts to curtail the La Migra games.

But this is not just an agency problem.  We are all affected by this issue. 

Air Monitoring, Air Quality, Keeping Watch on Earth News

This replicable model for urban air quality management is a breath of fresh air

The future of clean air is collaborative 

 

Comprehensive urban air quality management sometimes feels like pipe dream, but what if we’re closer than we give ourselves credit for?  What if stakeholders – from communities, regulators, and analysts to tech and industry ‘partners’ – have already deployed a collaborative model for accurate air quality management that could deliver “democratized, hyperlocal air quality data” and ultimately help us improve the air we breathe?

Clarity, a climate-tech startup founded by a Berkeley grad, is marketing a new vision  for air quality monitoring. Using both existing and supplemental air monitor networks to provide all those stakeholders listed above with “real-time air quality data at a higher resolution,” its goal is to “[make] air quality management more accessible, cost-effective, and actionable than ever before.”

The fascinating mini-documentary above shows how London deployed over 400 “Clarity Node-S sensors” to provide “hyperlocal insights” to their population of 8.8 million. Apparently, Clarity is active in 60 cities worldwide, including Los Angeles, Perth and Singapore.

And, get this – in August 2022, the Los Angeles Unified School District installed these sensors at 200 school locations across their 710 square-mile footprint, “providing students, parents, teachers and the community with important real-time data about their local air quality.”

It’s a beautiful, well-marketed vision, and hopefully a peek into a future where communities like ours can access – and act on! – real-time insights on air quality  . . .  instead of relying on a plodding, recalcitrant, polluting industry to provide that data in a clear, reasonable and timely way.

Check out the video, it came recommended by a trusted resource. To be clear, we have received no compensation for posting about this, nor did we coordinate with Clarity in any way. This is just cool news worth sharing.

 

Climate action, Climate activists, Climate Change, Young adults, Youth

Gulf Youth Activists say ‘To fight climate change, stop offshore drilling. Now.’

[Note from BenIndy Contributor Kathy Kerridge: We’ve just gone through the hottest summer ever and are seeing severe weather disasters almost daily.  Biden canceled drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  Now he must stop more drilling in the Gulf.  Please read this excellent op-ed by Gulf Youth Activists.]

Photo by Maria Lupan on Unsplash.

Houston Chronicle, by Armon Alex and Maggie Peacock, September 9, 2023

This summer set all kinds of records, but they aren’t the kind of records we should be proud of.

First, we had the hottest June ever recorded on Earth. July 4 became the globe’s hottest day in history — until that record was shattered in the following days. And here in Texas, we’ve just finished the most extreme summer yet, with weeks straight of unusually high temperatures.

The reality is, we know exactly what’s making these life-threatening heat waves worse and more common: fossil fuel-driven climate change. And despite the widespread data, reports and studies that all confirm the root of the issue, we have leaders in the United States and across the world ignoring the solutions and continuing to push us to the point of no return.

We’ve been given a dire warning — the continued reliance on fossil fuels is incompatible with a liveable future. But despite this clear instruction from the world’s leading scientists, the Biden administration has issued numerous oil and gas permit approvals, including liquefied natural gas projects, the Mountain Valley Pipeline, the Willow project and multiple leases for offshore drilling.

Despite receiving the necessary approvals to begin construction, these projects will cause irreparable damage to the public’s health and the climate. The estimated emissions of the Willow project alone — the equivalent of about 4 percent of U.S. annual emissions — should be enough of a concern to stop all other oil and gas permit approvals. Unfortunately, there’s another looming carbon bomb on the Biden administration’s list.

This month, the Biden administration will release its Five Year Plan for offshore oil and gas drilling in Alaskan and Gulf waters. The draft plan proposed anywhere from zero to 11 potential leases — 10 here in the Gulf of Mexico and one in the Cook Inlet of Alaska — which is in direct opposition to President Joe Biden’s campaign commitments to end new drilling on our public lands and waters.  If Biden and his administration decide to move forward with all 11 leases, the result could be anywhere from the same amount of carbon emissions as the Willow project to 10 times as much.

Even though Biden has the authority to include no new leases in the final plan, many — including us  — are worried that this won’t be the case, especially given recent remarks by the plan’s head. U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said that when it comes to drilling for oil and gas, “I’m not running this department for the progressives who want to keep it (oil) in the ground. This is for the whole country.”

In response to Haaland, we respectfully say that this country cannot afford more oil and gas drilling while we face this urgent moment in the climate crisis. The oil and gas industry doesn’t need access to any more of our public lands and waters; they already hold nearly 12 million acres of non-producing federal land with 9,000 approved but unused production permits. Any new leases for offshore drilling could lock in additional oil and gas production for decades to come — going way beyond Biden’s goal to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

The vast majority of us will not experience any benefits from new leasing in the Five Year Plan. Instead, the oil and gas companies that are driving our planet to destruction and making record-breaking profits while doing so will win from the continued use of fossil fuels. Coastal communities such as ours in the Gulf will still be forced to live with the consequences. We will face the brunt of the pollution — swimming in oil-slicked water, eating contaminated fish, and suffering from devastating consequences to our health and environment.

We cannot continue to accept the status quo of drilling for oil and gas, especially when our communities here in Texas and nationwide face record heat, extreme weather disasters and deadly air conditions exacerbated by the continued use of fossil fuels. Biden must listen to the United Nations secretary-general, who has called for “ceasing licensing or funding of new oil and gas” to avert the most catastrophic climate change impacts. He must heed the call of the majority of Americans who oppose new offshore drilling off of our coasts.

We urge Biden, Haaland and the rest of the administration to choose to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels and finalize a plan with no wiggle room for new leases for offshore drilling. Our oceans, climate, communities and future depend on it.

 Armon Alex and Maggie Peacock are co-founders of the Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit and Youth Leadership Council, and are members of EarthEcho International. They live in Corpus Christi.

California Forever Inc., Flannery Associates, Solano County CA

What survey results reveal about tech moguls’ bid to build utopian city in Solano

[Note from BenIndy: There is no shortage of coverage regarding Flannery Associates’ strides (and stumbles) since the group announced, finally, its grand vision for eastern Solano County. The BenIndy is focusing on making sure local responses reach your inboxes (vs. broad coverage), but there are some great articles linked below so you can continue exploring on your own. One item of note – Flannery says they’re “working collaboratively with county officials and a team of experts” in this next, slightly less secret phase.  Our first question is this: which county officials? Our second and third questions: who is in this team of experts, and which disciplines, special interests and agendas do they represent? There are some clues on the californiaforever.com website that we hope to dig into soon.]

What survey results reveal about effort to build new city on Solano Co. farmland

The firm that purchased nearly $1 billion worth of Solano County farmland is sharing its vision to build a city and how some people feel about it. | Video from ABC7 Bay Area.

ABC7 Bay Area News,  by Stephanie Sierra, October 11, 2023

The investment firm that’s purchased nearly $1 billion worth of Solano County farmland is sharing its vision to build a city and how some people feel about it.

After years of speculation as to what Flannery Associates would do with more than 55,000 acres acquired since 2018, the I-Team got an exclusive first look at how some constituents feel about it change coming to the county.

According to the firm, over the past two years, residents have been surveyed and interviewed about a wide range of topics – including proposed ballot measures discussing things like clean energy, sustainable infrastructure and affordable housing.

The following data comes from two scientific polls conducted in July and August this summer that combined contacted around 1,400 residents via landline, cell phone, or online in multiple languages.

The key findings from the July poll show voters are dissatisfied with the direction of Solano County and with the direction of things in their area. According to those surveyed, 39% said they’re mixed, 29% said they believe the county is headed in the wrong direction, only 21% said the county is headed in the right direction, 11% of others don’t know.

The survey also found voters are worried about affordability for the next generation. An overwhelming 81% of parents say they believe most kids in the county will not be able to afford to live in their current neighborhood when they grow up. Only 13% said they will and 6% said they don’t know.

Among other things, voters indicated the county needs big changes to bring in more jobs, revenue, and improve quality of life. And when it comes to the issues most important when voting for county officials — crime, homelessness, and cost of housing topped the list.

While the survey results show an overwhelming level of support for change, local officials say they still have concerns.

“I just don’t think building a city the way they intend to is feasible,” Catherine Moy, the mayor of Fairfield told ABC7 on Sunday. “Lack of water, infrastructure, plus how will it be powered?”

Flannery says eastern Solano County would maintain significant agricultural operations. But, the firm says they’re interested in exploring new models that would combine solar farms with agriculture by having sheep graze under the solar panels.

“That’s a problem or it could be a problem with the Air Base because of the reflection, but there are new solar panels that you can use on bases and some do,” said Moy.

“We know that PG&E does not have the power grid to hold up a new city, they can’t even open up some of our new car dealerships.”

The August poll found Solano County voters are more likely to support a project that brings in good permanent jobs, protects the environment, and delivers revenue for safety and education.

According to the firm, the polls have a margin of error of approximately 3.5% to 4% in 95 out of 100 cases. The firm added their project would protect and support Travis Air Force Base – respecting the county’s general plan and the area that has a security buffer to protect operations around the base.

The survey also revealed potential future projects that received support from those surveyed – including a new trade school, shortened commutes with reduced traffic congestion, millions of new olive trees and a new oak forest. Plus, thousands of acres of projects that restore ecological habitats and help keep the Delta and the Bay healthy and resilient against climate change.

Flannery says they’re working collaboratively with county officials and a team of experts who are committed to solving northern California’s most important challenges.

This and four more stories on the Flannery land grab: https://beniciaindependent.com/tags/flannery-associates/
Elsewhere: