Activism
Marin Green Home Tour Set for October 19-20
Marin’s buildings are responsible for as much as 34% of local greenhouse gas emissions, and both homeowners and renters are encouraged to explore opportunities to make their homes more energy-efficient and less reliant on fossil fuels. The Marin Green Home Tour shines a light on the proven strategies that residents can adopt for healthier, more comfortable homes, smaller energy bills, and improved indoor air quality.
Online event will showcase sustainable building practices
Courtesy of Marin County
Left and right, Marin County residents are working to reduce their carbon footprints. The Marin Green Home Tour, an online event set for Oct. 19-20, will be a prime opportunity to see what “green”-minded neighbors are doing to help the environment and address climate change.
Registration is open now for the virtual tour, which will include 8-minute video tours of 10 homes, plus short presentations by experts, links to relevant businesses, and useful resources. There will be plentiful ideas for new construction, remodels, retrofits, and low-cost, low-tech, DIY solutions for homeowners and renters. The tour will highlight energy features, water conservation strategies, and the use of recycled, repurposed, and sustainable building materials.
Marin’s buildings are responsible for as much as 34% of local greenhouse gas emissions, and both homeowners and renters are encouraged to explore opportunities to make their homes more energy-efficient and less reliant on fossil fuels. The Marin Green Home Tour shines a light on the proven strategies that residents can adopt for healthier, more comfortable homes, smaller energy bills, and improved indoor air quality.
Organizers believe the tour is a fun and effective way to inspire neighbors and speed the transition to a more sustainable future. The format relies on neighbor-to-neighbor education and hyperlocal resources. Governments are involved as well; many cities and counties worldwide have set ambitious climate action goals, including the County of Marin.
The virtual tour is organized by a coalition of public agencies, community organizations and individuals, with promotional support from the Marin County Community Development Agency’s Sustainability Team. Other partners include Sustainable Marin, MCE, Bitsa Freeman (Realtor), MarinCAN, Ongaro & Sons, Red Horse Constructors, SunFirst Solar, Bellows Service, Sustainable Novato, Orange Charger, Lucinda Otto (Realtor), SolarCraft Services, Electrify My Home, Soroptomist International, Fairfax Lumber, Marin Realtors, Healthier Dwelling, Kelly Plumbing & Heating, The Switch is On, QuitCarbon, City of Novato, and the towns of Larkspur, Fairfax, and San Anselmo. Sponsorship and donation opportunities are still open.
Stay connected with the Sustainability Team via on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, the event webpage for workshops and community events and the quarterly newsletter. Contact the office via email with questions on our programs or to request more information.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
Oakland Schools Honor Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties
Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice. His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.
By Post Staff
Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice.
His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.
One OUSD school is named in his honor: Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy (KDA) elementary in East Oakland.
Several years ago, founding KDA Principal Charles Wilson, in a video interview with anti-hate organization “Not In Our Town,” said, “We chose the name Fred Korematsu because we really felt like the attributes that he showed in his work are things that the children need to learn … that common people can stand up and make differences in a large number of people’s lives.”
Fred Korematsu was born in Oakland on Jan. 30, 1919. His parents ran a floral nursery business, and his upbringing in Oakland shaped his worldview. His belief in the importance of standing up for your rights and the rights of others, regardless of race or background, was the foundation for his activism against racial prejudice and for the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II.
At the start of the war, Korematsu was turned away from enlisting in the National Guard and the Coast Guard because of his race. He trained as a welder, working at the docks in Oakland, but was fired after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Fear and prejudice led to federal Executive Order 9066, which forced more than 120,000 Japanese Americans out of their homes and neighborhoods and into remote internment camps.
The 23-year-old Korematsu resisted the order. He underwent cosmetic surgery and assumed a false identity, choosing freedom over unjust imprisonment. His later arrest and conviction sparked a legal battle that would challenge the foundation of civil liberties in America.
Korematsu’s fight culminated in the Supreme Court’s initial ruling against him in 1944. He spent years in a Utah internment camp with his family, followed by time living in Salt Lake City where he was dogged by racism.
In 1976, President Gerald Ford overturned Executive Order 9066. Seven years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco vacated Korematsu’s conviction. He said in court, “I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color.”
Korematsu’s dedication and determination established him as a national icon of civil rights and social justice. He advocated for justice with Rosa Parks. In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom saying, “In the long history of our country’s constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls … To that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.”
After Sept. 11, 2001, Korematsu spoke out against hatred and discrimination, saying what happened to Japanese Americans should not happen to people of Middle Eastern descent.
Korematsu’s roots in Oakland and his education in OUSD are a source of great pride for the city, according to the school district. His most famous quote, which is on the Korematsu elementary school mural, is as relevant now as ever, “If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”
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