Larry Glass, NEC Board President
Caroline Griffith, NEC Executive Director
Let’s Start With the Good News!
In a turn of events that thrilled environmental activists on the north coast, the Surface Transportation Board (which regulates rail travel) announced on June 10 that it was rejecting the bid by a shadowy LLC to rebuild the rail lines along the ecologically fragile Eel River to haul coal up to Humboldt Bay for export to Asia. We are waiting to see whether they appeal the decision and what the next steps are, but it looks like this particular flim-flam has been defeated. There was swift and strong opposition to this proposal from a local coalition of environmental, labor and faith-based groups that the NEC was proud to be a part of. Thank you to everyone who took action locally to stop big coal from coming to Humboldt. Whether the attempt by the Mendocino Railway to take over a 13-mile stretch of the right of way will be successful and how it will impact the Great Redwood Trail remains to be seen, so stay tuned.
Housing in Humboldt
With the expansion of Cal Poly Humboldt, the likely development of offshore wind projects and the associated industries, and the general appeal of our coastal climate and natural spaces, we need to be prepared for the growth that is headed our way in Humboldt County. (Whether we like it or not.) Specifically, we need to make sure we can house everyone, and not just new residents; we also need to effectively and affordably house all of our existing community members. The very same things that attracted many of us to this area are increasingly attractive to others and, although the estimated numbers of potential new residents vary, no matter what, it seems that we are on the cusp of change. Although that may be hard for some to accept, we need to plan for this growth to make sure that it’s done thoughtfully, but we also need to do it quickly enough that we don’t find ourselves making bad decisions and accepting bad projects out of necessity.
Humboldt County is already behind on building new housing: Our Regional Housing Needs Allocation (the number of units that the State is requiring the county to plan for) is 3,390, but that requirement was made before Cal Poly Humboldt announced it expected to add 5,600 new students by 2028. Ask anyone who has looked for housing recently and you will hear just how difficult and expensive their search has been, highlighting the need for more housing options.
While many of us agree that there is a problem, agreement on a solution is more elusive. Both Eureka and Arcata have come up with plans for infill housing; in Eureka, the City is actively working to develop affordable housing projects on city parking lots, while in Arcata they are working to update the zoning code to allow for and incentivize infill development, which can help the environment by reducing dependency on cars for transportation as well as preventing sprawling development into forests and agricultural lands. Both of these plans are getting pushback, some of it unexpected.
For the most part, those who are opposed to the plans are not presenting alternate ways to solve our housing problem. Some of the arguments that are being raised are about environmental concerns, so it’s up to us as people who care about the environment and the people who rely on it to come up with solutions rather than just saying no to the plans and hoping that our communities never grow. We can’t simply shut the door on newcomers and say no to all new housing development. The NEC, along with other local environmental groups, is working (as always) to push for the best possible development so that we can equitably house new and existing residents while protecting this amazing place that we call home. If you support the development of housing, especially infill housing, in Eureka and Arcata, please get in touch so we can work together to make it happen in the most climate-friendly, people-friendly way possible.
The War in Ukraine and the Military Industrial Complex
As the war in Ukraine was starting, we were fortunate to make contact with a Ukrainian environmental organization, Ecoaction, that was starting the process of documenting environmental atrocities resulting from the Russian invasion. Their findings have been compiled into an online map that can be found at en.ecoaction.org.ua/warmap.html. Many of the actions used by militaries in war involve destruction of infrastructure for strategic reasons, resulting in environmental devastation from bombed oil and gas infrastructure, hazardous waste and sewage leaks, fires that lay waste to forests and destroy habitat, contaminated waterways, and, in the case of Ukraine, radioactive leaks.
Although some of the impacts of war on the environment are very obvious, another way that militarism harms the environment is through funding. The U.S. Defense Budget for 2022-23 is $752.9 billion, as much as the next nine countries combined. Although $617 million of this budget will go towards “adapting to and mitigating climate change”, this is a pittance compared to what is being spent on militarization. Resistance to war and the war machine peaks when we are actively engaged in conflict, but it is important to note that every year the US Defense budget grows larger without a fight while lawmakers quibble about funding for the environment, climate change solutions, healthcare and pretty much everything else. Imagine if instead of building new bombers, we prioritized climate change solutions, green infrastructure, low-carbon jobs, healthcare, education and the arts. Let’s make that happen.