PNN’s mission is to engage, educate and empower our neighbors to make our City a better place to live. Here’s what’s coming up in each of these areas:
Engage: Philly Talks Trash Series: From Packaging to Pollution
Educate: Watch Financing Philly's Future; Read "The Big Frack"
Empower: Donate to Holiday Toy Drive; Sign Petitions
Read on to find out the when, where, and how.
Philly Talks Trash: From Packaging to Pollution
Thursday, December 15th, 6:30PM - 8:00PM, Virtual
It’s the annual season for gift giving and that time of year when the U.S. sees an almost 25% increase in waste. This is a bonanza for the packaging industry, a significant boost in demand for plastic products, and further rationale for the fossil fuel industry to continue fracking.
Join us virtually on Thursday, December 15, 6:30 - 8:00 pm, for our next Philly Talks Trash program, “From Packaging to Pollution,” a discussion led by experts who will provide a detailed look at how the fossil fuel industry is responsible for the huge rise in plastic manufacturing. We’ll discuss how this intentional strategy has affected the products we buy and led to overwhelming amounts of pollution on the streets in our local communities and in our local waterways. With a problem at this scale, we need everyone to act.
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Push Congress & the EPA to Act Before End of Year
We have just a matter of weeks to pass critical legislation before Republicans take control of the U.S. House of Representatives. There is an essential piece of unfinished business before we turn over this chamber of Congress.
Pass the Electoral Reform Act
We need to pass the Electoral Count Reform Act. Our friends at Public Citizen have provided us a way to reach our MOCs in a coordinated way, by signing a petition.
Tell Congress: "The bipartisan Electoral Count Reform Act would update allegedly ambiguous provisions of 19th-century laws with clear procedures that maintain appropriate state and federal roles in selecting the president and vice president of the United States as set forth in the U.S. Constitution. Pass the Electoral Reform Act now!"
Adopt Stronger Pollution Standards
Earlier this month, the EPA proposed pollution standards for gas wells and compressor stations that will better protect public health and help address the climate crisis. This rule requires air pollution inspections at all oil and gas extraction facilities regardless of size and includes significant updates to required pollution control technologies.
While the EPA has taken great steps to reduce air pollution from the gas industry, we need them to improve this rule by eliminating the unnecessary flaring of fracked gas.
The EPA will accept comments from the public on this issue until February 13th and there will be two virtual public hearings January 10th and 11th.
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Holiday Gift Idea: "The Big Frack"
The Big Frack, is the second hilarious graphic novel by PNN member Kay Wood. Kay is an artist, writer, and radio show host, who takes on our fossil fuel mania in this fun tale of relationships, romance, and colliding missteps. It contains 190 pages full of colorful drawings for all ages from teens to grandparents. Once again baby boomer couple, Monty Cane and Maureen Able, along with their super-intelligent parrot Fletcher, and amorous French bulldog, François, are in the middle of trying events.
They and a mix of quirky lovable characters work together to try to stop assorted villians from endangering people’s health and lives. Will the great state of Pencilvania be saved from a government/corporate plan to open state parks to drilling and thereby poisoning the drinking water for millions? Read The Big Frack to find out.
For more about Kay Wood and her books, go to:
https://kaywoodart.wixsite.com/graphicnovels.
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Watch "Financing Philly's Future"
On Tuesday, November 29th, the Public Banking Coalition and PNN recorded our 23rd podcast of "Financing Philly's Future" with guest Andy Toy, the Policy Director at Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations (PACDC). He discussed creative ways to take on chronic city problems by utilizing a public bank. Click below to watch.
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Holiday Toy Drive
Donations Until December 21stPhilly Neighborhood Networks is working with Free the Ballot and others to help bring a little holiday joy to kids who have an incarcerated parent by providing toys and clothes (pajamas, socks, coats) to children 0-13 years of age this Christmas. Our allies will be collecting toys until Dec 21st at the following locations and times:
Chill ‘N Cheers, 5835 Rising Sun Av (Every Day 12PM-10PM)
The People's Baptist Church, 5039 Baltimore Av
Lawncrest Rec. Center, 6000 Rising Sun Av (All Days, 1PM-8PM)
Truth Baptist Church, 4666 North 15th St (Tues 8:30-9:30AM)
Mother Zoar African UMC, 3259 North Broad St (Sun 10AM-1PM, Mon 10AM-3PM, Thur 12PM-3PM, call ahead to 215-225-2827)
If you have questions, please reach out to Tim@phillynn.org
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This Week in History
Dec 10, 1906 – First Sit-Down Strike. More than 3,000 IWW workers conducted the first ever sit-down strike and took control of the machinery to defend three workers who had been discriminated against.
Dec 12, 1901 – Transatlantic Radio. Radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi sent the first radio transmission across the Atlantic Ocean, from Cornwall, England, to Newfoundland, Canada, laying the groundwork for instant transatlantic communication.
Dec 14, 2012 – Sandy Hook. Twenty children and six employees were murdered by a former student with known mental health problems, prompting an unsuccessful attempt by President Obama to impose background checks.
Dec 15, 1791 – Bill of Rights Becomes Law. On this day, the first ten amendments to the Constitution were ratified. These laws were designed to protect the basic rights of U.S. citizens, guaranteeing the freedom of speech, press, assembly, religion, and the right to fair legal procedure.
Thanks for your activism!
Tim Brown, Organizing Director