Several local climate coalition groups and other advocacy groups convened at Plaza Park on Monday at 5 p.m. to call for continued climate action and to thank the Healdsburg City Council for naming climate mobilization as one of their top priorities for the new fiscal year.
The aim of the rally was not only to advocate for climate action, but to imagine Healdsburg in 2030 and to also make the link between the war in Ukraine and the United State’s dependence on fossil fuels, according to local climate activist Tyra Benoit.
Benoit attended the rally along with people from the Sonoma County Climate Mobilization group, Indivisible Healdsburg, Healdsburg Community for Sustainable Solutions, Sunrise and We are Talking (about Climate Change) Google Group, a group of young climate activists in Healdsburg.
People brought their own signs and kids made their own colorful signs with phrases on them such as “I bike everywhere.”
Benoit said a few words during the rally and recognized that their gathering was held on the lands of the Wappo, Pomo and Miwok people.
“I truly believe that if we had listened to our Indigenous elders and our Indigenous wisdom we wouldn’t be in the shape that we’re in today,” Benoit said.
Benoit asked for a short moment of silence for all of the people who are suffering as a result of the war in Ukraine.
“In our own way, our hearts go out to all of the people in Ukraine,” Benoit said. “Those of us who are climate refugees know how it feels to lose your house, to lose your home … Waking up one morning and listening to the gas tanks and the houses exploding as we were evacuating our house the night of Oct. 8, 2017 gave me a much better idea of how it must be like to live in a war zone. These people are living through this on an ongoing basis. When my husband and I were displaced we were welcomed by the city of Healdsburg. We are the lucky climate refugees, but there are a lot who are not so lucky.”
She said you might think to yourself, “What can I do?” She said while people have donated to the Ukrainian cause and even though the city lit up the Healdsburg Memorial Bridge in yellow and blue, it is not enough.
“That’s the beginning of what we need to do. What is it that we can do to help the people of Ukraine? I say to you here that one of the best ways that we can help is to get off fossil fuels,” Benoit said.
As people in the small crowd cheered this notion, Benoit said that is how people can help climate refugees and Ukrainian refugees.
“Oil companies like Chevron continue to do business in Russia despite the sanctions, but what if none of this was necessary in the United States? What if we didn’t need that oil?,” Benoit said.
Following remarks, the crowd marched down to Healdsburg City Hall on Grove Street just as the city council was preparing for its regularly scheduled 6 p.m. meeting.
During the public comment period on non-agenda items, a few individuals spoke on climate related issues, Benoit and resident Richard Burg, who spoke via Zoom.
Benoit approached the podium and thanked the council for their action in pursuing climate mobilization. “You at your March 7 meeting did agree to go forward with some climate mobilization strategies and hopefully a climate committee, so thank you.”
Burg referenced the productive council goal setting session but implored the council to reconsider the city’s reach code and create an all electric code for new buildings.
“Based upon the very vital conversation you had during your goal setting, I am hoping you will get serious and reconsider the reach code which would eliminate all natural gas infrastructure in new construction,” Burg said.
