Climate Celebrations & Fast Actions

Cryptocurrency bill signed!
Governor Hochul Signs Precedent-Setting Cryptomining Moratorium

Many thanks to all the IMV members who made calls to legislators and the Governor and rallied for a two year moratorium on cryptomining! Many thanks also to Rachel May who co-sponsored the bill. After grassroots advocacy from NYS residents, business owners, winemakers, electeds, activists, & more, NYS is now the first state to protect the climate, environment, & local businesses & communities from energy-hogging cryptomining.

On November 22, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the first-in-the-nation cryptocurrency mining moratorium. The law will put a two-year pause on new and renewed air permits for fossil fuel power plants that house proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining, and require the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to conduct a study into the practice's environmental impacts. We should take a moment to celebrate the victory of grassroots advocacy and strong climate legislators over the enormous financial pressure by crypto money to kill the bill. Then call Governor Hochul and ask her to shut down the already existing fracking powered crypto mining plants. For more background information, this is a good article.

Action #1: Call Governor Hochul at 877-235-6537 and thank her for signing the two year moratorium and ask her to finish the job by shutting down the existing fracked gas-powered Bitcoin mines Greenidge and Fortistar North Tonawanda.

Reducing plastic waste with an update to the 40 year old Bottle Deposit Law:

Advocates across the state are pushing for a modernization of New York State’s 40-year-old Bottle Deposit Law. The advocates’ proposal would increase the deposit from a nickel to a dime and would expand the types of containers to sports drinks, iced teas, juices, wine, and liquor that New Yorkers consume each year. The law would be a significant help in reducing solid waste and is a climate justice issue as well.

Action #2: Please take a minute to sign the petition asking the Governor to include the Bigger Better Bottle Bill in the NYS budget.
Bigger Better Bottle Bill for NY petition

Reducing plastic by eliminating plastic gift cards:

Did you know that those shiny plastic gift cards sold in many stores are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic?
That's a BIG problem because PVC is not only hazardous to both create and dispose of, it's also not accepted by curbside recycling programs and ends up in landfills, incinerators or being illegally shipped overseas to countries where it harms their health.

The good news is that there are two non-toxic, sustainable alternatives that are available to companies right now - paper gift cards and digital gift cards. In fact, many major brands already make their gift cards out of paper, including Apple, Amazon, and Starbucks. It’s not hard to do!

Action # 3: Will you please take a minute and join us in contacting the leaders of the four biggest gift card retailers in the country—Walmart, Target, Albertsons and Kroger—this holiday season? It's easy: just click here.

Thank you for taking these three important climate actions. Responding to the action items from IMV's Climate Crisis Working Group, you have proven that mass action across NY state can change public policy and protect our climate future. Keep it up!

What's Next?  December 13th IMV Meeting on Zoom

It was so wonderful to see so many IMV friends at our annual Fall Fiesta Celebration in November!   We hope you also had a happy, healthy, and restful Thanksgiving with family and friends.  If you look at the calendar you'll see that it is uncharacteristically sparse with upcoming events and commitments.  That's because you worked hard all year on issues and electoral campaigns, and this is the time to rest and restore energy. 

However, IMV Steering Committee is already looking ahead and doing lots of planning for 2023 and 2024, including work with our NY22 Knit the District partners.  So, we are asking everyone to take just one hour out of busy December schedules to join us for our Monthly IMV Meeting on December 13th 7:00-8:00 pm on Zoom.  It happens to be Sarah Reeske's birthday so you won't want to miss that.  We have a great agenda that will connect us to each other and get the wheels turning for next year. 

Please mark your calendar, and put this zoom link on Dec. 13th 7-8 pm:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87240381633
 

Fuel Our IMV Work With Your Donations

We know our IMV members so we know that you are all giving generously to many, many worthy organizations and political causes, especially on Giving Tuesday and around this holiday season.  If you are able, please include IMV in your giving. We need to replenish our checking account after this election season. As you probably know, our Act Blue account online and Indivisible matching dollars have a lot of restrictions based in election law.  Many of our expenses must be paid out of our checking account, and it is nearly empty. 

We have a very committed and transparent Treasurer in Deborah Wilson-Allam.  Please send checks made out to Indivisible Mohawk Valley to her address: 2 Laurelwood Drive, New Hartford, NY 13413.  Our goal is to replenish our account during this quiet activity period so that we are ready to do postcards and stamps, meetings/rentals, events/food/supplies, and other needed items.  Thank you so much for contributing dollars to our local grassroots group to which you also contribute so much time and energy!
 

An Opportunity to Participate in a Research Study

IMV received this request for study participants through our NYS Indivisible organizer, Sarah Reeske: 

"I'm a current doctoral student at Teachers College, and I'm looking to speak with people who joined Indivisible as new activists after the 2016 Election.  If anyone from your group participated in Indivisible for at least two years from 2017-2020, I’d love to send them information about a Teachers College doctoral research study focused on learning, community, and commitment- https://tccolumbia.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_08OqWNs8WKZ5PRI?Q_CHL=social&Q_SocialSource=twitter. That link to the survey includes some initial demographic questions, and then 1-4 slightly longer questions (the respondent chooses). 

Please email me at jas215@tc.columbia.edu or call/text (917) 658-0904 for more information, or to ask any questions.  I really appreciate your time and consideration!

-Jessica Stockton King, EdD candidate, Adult Learning & Leadership, Teachers College IRB Protocol: 22-343

Phone Bank for Sen. Warnock!

Are you stressing about Georgia?  Want to make sure that we keep the amazing Raphael Warnock in office in the US Senate?  Phone bank for Sen. Warnock's re-election with Indivisible group Downtown East for Progress on Tuesday, December 6th from 5-7 pm. Register here. 

Heads Up for the 2023 Launch of Invest in Our New York (IONY) 

Invest in Our NY Campaign is launching the 2023 campaign on Monday, December 5th at 12pm, where our coalition will roll out our vision for how the state raises and invest public funds. 

We're calling on our legislature and Governor to invest $40 billion geared toward education, childcare, and housing; addressing the climate crisis; and ensuring that New York's workers are adequately compensated. We are also putting forward a plan to raise tens of billions of dollars in new revenue by taxing NY's wealthiest. You can read more about our investment plan here, and more about our revenue-raising plan here.

The campaign will be launched from several sites across the state. The closest for us is Albany, at West Capitol Park (across State Street from LOB).  We are especially excited that Erica Vladimer from Empire State Indivisible was just hired as Comms Director for the IONY campaign.  She has been part of our IONY Generalist group for several years.   IONY meetings are on Saturday mornings from 10-11am, and anyone can get involved in this critical grassroots social justice effort. One of the biggest efforts for the coming year will be figuring out how to message to local communities like the one you live in, whether it is rural/small town or small city.  Please email Becky Saletan at rsaletan@gmail.com to get the Zoom link to join. 
 

Wrap Up: How Are You?

While we have fewer activities on the calendar and fewer times to see one another, we are always thinking about you.  Please keep us updated on how you are doing and what you are thinking about your political activism at IndivisibleMV@gmail.com.  Everyone is always welcome at CAFE Fridays (see calendar below).  And of course, we can't wait to see everyone at our December 2022 meeting on Zoom: Tuesday, Dec. 13th, 7 - 8 pm: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87240381633

Until then, breathe deeply and take the climate three climate actions above.  Democracy is not a spectator sport. 

Follow us on Twitter using @indivisiblemv and of course our Facebook page and IMV Activism Group.