SB 1173 The Fossil Fuel Divestment Act

We are super excited to finally have introduced in the state Senate a bill that would require the country’s two largest pensions, CalPERS and CalSTRS, to divest from fossil fuels. We are extremely honored to be working with Senator Lena Gonzalez, who introduced SB1173 The Fossil Fuel Divestment Act, alongside co-author Scott Weiner and co-sponsors the California Faculty Association and Fossil Free Ca.  Divestment bills have succeeded in California in the past 10 years including 2015’s SB185 a bill mandating the pensions divest from thermal coal. Here is the fact sheet, bill language and press release.  

Here’s how to take action:

You can sign this petition!

As an organization you can join this coalition! 

Consider sending an organizational letter of support directly to Sen Lena Gonzalez’ office!

CTA has a huge role in determining whether CA public employees will have their money put into an industry responsible for ongoing environmental racism, climate destruction, militarism and misinformation. Because of this young people and allies are showing up weekly at the CTA headquarters to urge the teachers union to stand with their students and members for justice and health, and to support SB1173. Please join these youth, teachers, and allies every Friday from 4:30-5:30 to continue to push the CTA to vote yes on SB1173!

#PeopleNotProfit Global Climate Strike

From BlackRock to ICE, no more profits from our pain!  On Friday, March 25th, we invite all youth and allies to join us in a non-violent march calling out those who are profiting from climate destruction and white supremacy. As the IPCC warns us of the urgency of climate action, as California fire season becomes year round, as more and more of us suffer from asthma, as human rights are violated at the border and in the prison system, and as wars are fought around the world over access to oil and gas, young people are rising up.

We say People Not Profit. We say No One Is Disposable. We say climate refugees and immigrants deserve a pathway to citizenship and that the inhumane and illegal "Remain In Mexico" policy must end. We say BlackRock must stop investing in fossil fuels, deforestation, and destruction. We say CalSTRS and the California Teachers Association must no longer stand by while their pension funds pay for this chaos. We say climate justice is migrant justice is indigenous sovereignty is economic justice is divestment from destruction.

We are standing up for our lives, for our neighbors, for our future, for our planet. On March 25th, please join us, and bring everyone you go to school with, work with, or follow on social media. We need all of us.

If you would like to join planning meetings on Monday evenings, please sign up at bit.ly/JOINYVA.

Email youthvsapocalypse@gmail.com with any questions.

No Drilling In Contra Costa Action

Join us on Saturday, March 12th from 1-3 PM at the Antioch Community Center to stop the expansion of fossil fuel production in Contra Costa County! #NODRILLINGWHEREWERELIVING

San Francisco Club Spotlights!

Students at Mission High School have been working hard on poster designs to help spread awareness of the presence of radiation in Bayview Hunters Point & Treasure Island in San Francisco. 

Students from Abraham Lincoln High School in S.F have also been working on the issue of radiation in San Francisco. They’re split into three working groups to plan a mural, a poster, and a community survey. 

Pictured below are drafts of a mural and poster design by Lincoln members. 

WFJ Book Launch Party!

Rooted in a legacy of social movements for change, East Oakland youth and students from Urban Promise Academy in the Fruitvale district have created a social justice club known as Warriors for Justice. Over the last five years, they have compiled political speeches, news features and interviews, spoken word, poetry, street murals, and art that reflects their work as youth organizers and activists. Learn about what these young, inspiring leaders have to say about their journey, in Warriors for Justice: Our Future Has Its Eyes on You. They reflect on what it means to “be the change you want to see in the world,” since “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Warriors For Justice is hosting a launch party for their book March 12, 2022 from 2:00-4:00 PM at the Urban Promise Academy Community Garden. The youth in W4J are amazing, brilliant organizers. Some W4J members even co-founded YVA!

No Coal In Oakland Update

YVA recently learned that the City of Oakland and the developers who had been planning to open a coal terminal reached a tentative agreement that would permanently keep coal out of Oakland.

Its been a long time since yall. Since young people first got word of a plan to build a poisonous coal terminal in West Oakland, and got to work. We testified, we marched, we painted, we died in. We dressed as zombies, we dressed as elves. We spoke with city council members, we spooked developers. We got grown men paid positions trying to take us down. We created YVA, we built a movement of frontline youth ready to call out climate change as just the latest attack from a racist, extractive, exploitative system. And now, we are so glad to see that it looks like coal will never be coming to Oakland. Thank you to all the young people that have been holding this work: little kids when they started who are now young adults, young adults when they started who are now grown. Thank you to all our adult allies from No Coal In Oakland, the Rose Foundation and more. Thank you to the Oakland city council for holding strong on this. And thank you to Oakland for your history and culture of BIPOC led organizing for justice. #NoCoalInOakland #TrynaBreathe

Earth Day Action

This year YVA will be partnering with different community organizations to organize an Earth Day Action! Save the date for April 22, 2022!

If you are a young person and want to help organize this please email: hannah.estrada@youthvsapocalypse.org