Romero Institute

STANDING FOR JUSTICE
A Call to Action Amidst the Israel-Palestine Conflict

The Romero Institute, a nonprofit law and public policy center deeply committed to social justice, the well-being of indigenous peoples, and environmental stewardship, stands united with all innocent civilians affected by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. This crisis, a painful echo of decades-long geopolitical struggles, underscores the pressing need for transformative change in our world.

We unequivocally condemn the horrific violence perpetrated against innocent civilians on both sides of the conflict. The actions of Hamas and the Israeli government do not represent all Israelis and Palestinians. Every civilian life, be it Israeli or Palestinian, deserves protection.

We echo the sentiment that democracies are at their strongest when they uphold the rule of law. We concur that adherence to the laws of war is paramount, regardless of the unspeakable acts that preceded them.

In line with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's sentiments, we believe that “it should not be hard to shut down hatred and antisemitism where we see it.” We should have the capacity to denounce terrifying assaults on innocent civilians and severe injustices endured by Palestinians living under occupation.

We commend those who emphasize the critical importance of adherence to international law. We urge those involved in violence to immediately cease their actions and prioritize peace.

Israel should take all necessary action to prevent civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure while restoring the supply of food, water, and electricity upon which Palestinian civilians in Gaza depend. We call on all nations to collaborate to facilitate humanitarian access to Gaza without delay.

Recognizing that civilian residents cannot be expected to flee their homes within 24 hours, we urge all parties involved in this conflict to take all reasonable precautions to ensure that civilian lives and infrastructure are protected.

Further harm to innocent civilians will only deepen a devastating conflict where dehumanization has already reached unprecedented levels. It will make it even more challenging to ultimately achieve an end to this conflict and secure the peaceful resolution desperately needed through a two state solution.

This conflict is not just a distant struggle; it’s a global call for truth, justice, empathy, and action. Let’s educate ourselves and disseminate accurate information to foster better understanding. Remembering that every life deserves dignity and prosperity, let’s stand together for justice, peace, and human rights.

🌍 Urgent Call to Action for Our Planet 🌍

In the wake of the latest encyclical "Laudate Deum" by Pope Francis, we are reminded of the critical climate crisis we face. Regardless of our backgrounds, we share this one planet and a collective responsibility to safeguard it.

🌱 Climate change is real.
🌊 Extreme weather is on the rise.
🔥 Wildfires and floods are devastating communities.
🏭 Corporations must be held accountable.

We can't wait. We must unite as global citizens, setting aside differences, and work together to protect our environment. We must transition to sustainable practices and advocate for a greener, cleaner future for all.

The signs of climate change are undeniable, and our responsibility is clear. 🌎💚

Francis Issues Urgent Call to Save a Planet Near ‘the Breaking Point’ (Gift Article) Eight years after his landmark letter on humanity’s obligation to protect the environment, Francis warns that there is still a lot to be done, and quickly.

🌍💔 They Knew... and We Won't Stay Silent 💔🌍

Decades of Deceit: California is taking a stand against the fossil fuel industry's decades-long deception. Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta have filed a groundbreaking lawsuit, revealing the truth: 'They Knew.'

California holds ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, Shell, ConocoPhillips, and the American Petroleum Institute accountable for deliberately deceiving the public about the dangers of fossil fuels and their impact on the climate system.

💪 Our state is the eighth to file a climate liability lawsuit, adding significant weight to the growing roster of states taking action.

Let this be an inspiration to others! California encourages states, countries, and entities worldwide to join us in the effort to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable.

🌿🕊️

Did you know August is National Make-A-Will Month? Romero Institute is excited to have partnered with the estate planning tool FreeWill to provide you with an easy and free way to check this important item off your to-do list (and support causes you love!) in 20 minutes online: https://frwill.link/romeroinstitute1 Leave a legacy for your family and for Indigenous and environmental justice today!

🌎 Join us at the Pacific Voices Spring Concert on May 26th and 27th, dedicated to honoring the Earth and its stewards! 🎵

Enjoy a captivating repertoire celebrating nature, featuring guest musicians, a youth chorus, and two digeridoo players. Support local organizations working for Earth's sustainability:

🌿 Santa Cruz Climate Action Network
🌿 The Romero Institute (that's us!)
🌿 CAFF (benefitting Pajaro Valley flood relief)
🌿 Amah Mutsun Land Trust

Performances: Friday, 7:30pm; Saturday (family-friendly), 2pm at PUCC, 900 High St, Santa Cruz. Purchase tickets in advance—see link in bio!

Spread the word, bring your open hearts, and join us in making a difference for our planet! 🌍💚

This Saturday, come see our President and General Counsel Daniel Sheehan at the 20th annual New Living Expo in San Rafael, CA. New Living Expo - Mindful Body Awareness

Danny is on a panel at 4pm discussing “UFOs, ET and the Awakening of Humanity” and will lead a workshop at 7pm called “This Cosmic Moment” where he will review the current state of our United States Government’s Disclosure Process pertaining to the existence of Extraterrestrial Intelligence & The UFO Phenomenon.

To learn more about Danny and get tickets to his workshop visit https://newlivingexpo.com/sessions/daniel-sheehan-workshop/

To check out the free panel, visit https://newlivingexpo.com/sessions/ufo-panel/

The history of the Romero Institute started with , an atomic safety union representative who was killed attempting to expose the dirty secrets of the nuclear industry. While the whole shocking story has never publicly come to light, enough was revealed in court to change the laws protecting nuclear companies from the damages they inflicted on innocent Americans. This effectively made private nuclear power plants prohibitively expensive, as the risk of catastrophic public harm could not be removed, and is one of the primary reasons the U.S. doesn't rely on nuclear power as heavily as many other industrial countries.

Graphics by Bijan Ashtiani-Eisemann

Join us for the first Romero Institute Roundtable on Dec. 12! Donate any amount to get your invitation to this virtual Town Hall where we'll go over this year's accomplishments and lessons learned and, together, set the vision for 2023.

As more years go by without serious investment in real climate solutions, expect to see false, unjust solutions like natural gas and nuclear power hailed as our saviors. These unsustainable energy sources aren't good for you or the planet, but they are good for one thing: maintaining the status quo.

Is nuclear sustainable? Read the label By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or updates from POLITICO and you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. You can unsubscribe at any time and you can contact us here. This sign-up form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

ICYMI: Romero Institute's new newsletter launched last month! Check out the first issue of this monthly series below for a personal letter from our Executive Director Sara Nelson, as well as interviews with her and our President Daniel Sheehan, important readings and resources, and updates from our two projects, Lets Green CA and Lakota People's Law Project.

https://romeroinstitute.org/blog/2022-06-28/convergence-june-2022

After the recent blow to the EPA’s regulatory authority, now is the time for California to step up as leader in the climate movement.

📢Tell Newsom: we need California climate leadership NOW: https://action.greencal.org/action/ca-climate-leader

America’s ability to meet the challenge of climate change has been crippled.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/6/30/2107506/-The-Supreme-Court-has-Lit-Our-Planet-on-Fire

Surprised? Didn't think so.

Every human being has the right to be free.

Faith-based organizations — which often have large properties — are stepping up to be part of the solution.

Bay Area churches build tiny homes for their homeless neighbors A nonprofit that helps churches build tiny homes has nearly 200 units in the works.

"If 10 to 15 percent of developed agricultural land could be covered with mirrors, Tao has calculated, it would return Earth’s heat to safe preindustrial levels, providing a range of local benefits to agriculture and water in the meantime."

Volts podcast: Dr. Ye Tao on a grand scheme to cool the Earth Some people -- including Harvard researcher Ye Tao -- believe that even aggressive decarbonization will still leave the Earth too hot to bear. He has developed a new idea for large-scale geoengineering: he wants to directly cool the Earth's atmosphere by covering large swathes of land & ocean with c...

Tanksi Clairmont, a citizen of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and director of Grid Alternatives’ Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund, describes renewable energy projects as “energy resilience.”

Renewable Energy Projects Power Up in Tribal Nations Dozens of tribes are investing in solar, wind, and hydro projects, building toward a more sustainable future.

reminds us of the urgency to !

United Nations World Oceans Day The United Nations has designated 8 June as World Oceans Day. A day for humanity to celebrate the ocean.

INCREDIBLE win!

🏳️‍🌈 Happy ! 🎊
Diversity makes the world more beautiful!!
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎

Our Let’s Get Charged Up! benefit in support of our ! campaign designed to support rapid electrification and decarbonization of personal cars and homes in California was a delightful success!

Our sincere thanks to the many wonderful donors and volunteers for their ongoing support, and to our Romero Institute / Lets Green CA team for their event planning and organizing efforts!

Pearl Means was a compassionate and wise woman, a leader who devoted her life in service to the rights of Indigenous Peoples. A warrior woman, she was an articulate advocate of the pivotal role of women in guiding us all to a new and more humane future. She was a mother, a wife and life partner with Russell Means, and an active communicator pointing the way forward for all of us. We at the Romero Institute are blessed to have known her, and honored that she served on our Board of Directors. She is a precious relative, and I, for one, am a better person because of her. She is now in the Spirit world with the ancestors, the celestial realm, and others she has loved. I know, if she can, she will help all of us who struggle daily to stop systemic injustice and provide positive solutions. May she find peace, healing from the physical, and luminous joy as her spirit flies with the Great Spirit of love birthing constantly on Mother Earth and pervading the Universe. — Sara Nelson, Romero Institute Executive Director

With a heavy heart, we share the walking on of Pearl Daniel-Means. She was one of our most incredible supporters and board members. We will share more about her impact and life in the near future. Until that time, here is the immediate release from Red Queen Media.

PEARL DANIEL-MEANS, NAVAJO FILM PRODUCER, ACTIVIST, AUTHOR, TRANSCENDS AT 62 SCOTTSDALE, AZ —

Pearl Daniel-Means (Diné) has passed away at the age of 62. Born into the Ashiihi (Salt) Clan of the Navajo Nation, Means was a film producer, activist, and author who spoke around the world—from New Zealand to South Africa, and from Ecuador to Finland—on matters concerning Indigenous issues, human rights, and environmentalism. Her Lakota name, Iyoyanbya Izanzan Win, translates loosely to “Bright Light.”

Means walked alongside the late American Indian activist, author, artist, and actor Russell Means, as his wife, business manager, and collaborator. In recent years, she served on the board of directors of several Indigenous organizations, including Romero Institute, which works to confront the climate crisis. She was chair of the T.R.E.A.T.Y. Total Immersion Educational Endowment Fund from 2012 to 2020. In this capacity, she worked tirelessly in support of Indigenous culture, arts, education, and spirituality.

Means is co-producer of the feature documentary END OF THE LINE: THE WOMEN OF STANDING ROCK, about a small group of Indigenous women who establish a peaceful camp in protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline. It premieres on Peacock on June 2.

Means is survived by her father, Ernest Wayne Daniel; her sisters, Patricia Rose Daniel, Rebecca Ann Daniel, Naomi Kathleen Daniel, Roberta Lea Daniel-Trotter; her children, Tessica Dawn Baca, Trista Cheryal Baca, and Brandon James Norwick (Alexandrea); her granddaughter, Arya Kaya-Pearl Robertson; and her life partner, Dr. Edmund Keli’i Paki-Silva, Jr.

"Nearly half of existing fossil fuel production sites need to be shut down early if global heating is to be limited to 1.5C..."

Shut down fossil fuel production sites early to avoid climate chaos, says study Exclusive: Nearly half existing facilities will need to close prematurely to limit heating to 1.5C, scientists say

BREAKING: Robert Rivas, a Democrat from Hollister who grew up in a farmworker family on the Central Coast, confirms he has votes to be next speaker of the California Assembly.

We’re thrilled there be an assembly leader who consistently demonstrates leadership on environment and brings a unique understanding of the needs of rural Californians, like those who live on the Central Coast.

We look forward to working with Speaker Rivas on greening California!

Climate of Hope Forum/ Foro - Clima de Esperanza Join us to envision climate justice for our agricultural community! ¡Únete para imaginar la justicia climática en nuestra comunidad !

Join our Let's Green CA! team at 8:30am on Thursday, June 9 in Sacramento. RSVP and help us tell CARB: California wants 100% sales by 2030!

Rally for Clean Cars June 9! I’m heading to Sacramento June 9 to end the gas car era and accelerate California’s transition to . Join me!

Divesting from toxic fossil fuels is the right fiscal and moral thing to do. Well done !

BREAKING: the California Senate just passed , the Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill. Read the full press release on our website through the link in our bio.

Read the press release: https://fossilfreeca.org/california-senate-passes-fossil-fuel-divestment-billcalifornia-communities-celebrate-growing-momentum-around-pension-divestment/

So much love & gratitude to Senator Lena A. Gonzalez & Scott Wiener for their leadership, the additional 19 Senators for their votes, our 127 amazing coalition members for their hard work & the THOUSANDS of Californians behind this bill!

Join Regeneration - Pajaro Valley Climate Action this Thursday May 26, 4-6 pm! Register here.
https://regenerationpajarovalley.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=afceecec6f9704c37d534b9cf&id=ab848b1d0b&e=433fcb3e71

Log on early to view beautiful art slides starting at 3:50 pm. Everyone needs a climate-safe future.

Please check the Regeneration website (https://www.regenerationpajarovalley.org/coh22) for updated information including some watch party locations open to public.

Program includes:

Steven Pratt, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and Land Trust
https://www.amahmutsunlandtrust.org

L. Vance Taylor, Chief of Office of Access and Functional Needs in Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
https://caloes.ca.gov/cal-oes-divisions/access-functional-needs

Video: Visions of a healthy future by Digital NEST members
https://digitalnest.org

Climate Resilience Panel moderated by Michelle Sevilla, Central Coast Climate Justice Network Manager
https://www.cccjn.org

Panelists:
Irene Juarez O'Connell, Co-Director of Food What?!
https://www.foodwhat.org

Roberto C Garcia-Ceballos, Co- Founder Fideicomiso Comunitario Tierra Libre
https://fctl.la

Lani Faulkner, Director- Equity Transit
https://equitytransit.org

Kiki Velez, National Resources Defense Council
https://www.nrdc.org/about/

Art slides from Alma Sagrada - Cultivating Natural Rhythms
https://pvarts.org

Ana Rosa Rizo-Centino, Executive Director, One Step A La Vez
https://www.osalv.org

Tamarah Minami, lead organizer, Youth for Climate Justice
https://scruzclimate.org/youth-for-climate-justice/

Julia Kim, Climate Change and Energy Program Director, Civic Well
https://civicwell.org

Climate of Hope Forum/ Foro - Clima de Esperanza Join us to envision climate justice for our agricultural community! ¡Únete para imaginar la justicia climática en nuestra comunidad !

In honor of we wanted to emphasize the beauty and importance of our diverse world. Our history and culture should always be a source of inspiration for building a more just, beautiful, and peaceful future for all.

Step 1️⃣: Take action to accelerate California’s equitable shift to clean cars by sending a message to the California Air Resources Board https://greenc.al/CarbCommentsMay
Step 2️⃣: Join us in Sacramento for a rally in front of the CARB building June 9! https://www.facebook.com/events/745357829813835/?ref=newsfeed

Step 1️⃣: Take action to accelerate California’s equitable shift to clean cars by sending a message to the California Air Resources Board https://greenc.al/CarbCommentsMay

Step 2️⃣: Join us in Sacramento for a rally in front of the CARB building June 9! https://www.facebook.com/events/745357829813835/?ref=newsfeed

Greenpeace USA held its first-ever protest in solidarity with fossil fuel workers. Here's why.

Why Labor Leader Tefere Gebre Has Brought His Organizing Talents to Greenpeace 'Here’s the core of it. There ain’t going to be any jobs on a dead planet.'

Yes...that's a headline we want to see!

100% Clean Cars by 2030! I just told the California Air Resources Board: California needs 100% clean cars by 2030. Join me!

This is what local climate action looks like! Join Regeneración Pájaro Valley Climate Action at their upcoming Climate of Hope 2022 event to envision climate justice for our agricultural community!

Click here to register:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2843124009324149?ref=newsfeed

Regeneration-Pájaro Valley Climate Action

We encourage you to read this remembrance of our friend Juan Martinez's life. 🙏“We’ve got to keep up the fight,” he said. “Where can you help, what can you do?”

Juan Martinez, a lifelong activist and archivist dedicated to the Salinas Valley's farmworker history, dies at 69. Juan Martinez worked tirelessly to document and preserve farmworker history on the Central Coast. He was an activist, a storyteller and an energetic advocate for the Salinas Valley. After a

We’re sad to share that an incredible member of our community, Juan Martinez, has passed away.

Juan was a key part of the team that helped form the Central Coast’s nonprofit community energy agency: Central Coast Community Energy. A true advocate for the people and evangelist for a clean energy future, Juan engaged everyone with enthusiasm and grace, whether they were regular folks attending church on a Sunday, community leaders in a farmworkers' collective, or elected officials. He believed deeply and was committed to our shared mission; protecting people and our beautiful planet.

As Juan eloquently said when he was a member of our team: “we’re trying to save the planet, it’s a serious adventure.” Juan embodied and inspired that spirit of selfless adventure better than anyone.

Rest in peace Juan, thank you. 🙏