2022 Action Report

2022 ACTION REPORT
on Monthly Actions

January 2022: NY Times: Prevent Starvation in Afghanistan This card was in response to the concern that with the US pullback from Afghanistan of troops and billions of monthly aid, there could be a million Afghan children dying of famine. We asked Pres. Biden to loosen some of the sanctions against the Taliban, the new government of Afghanistan, to allow more Afghan children to survive. He did that. In addition, we asked you to contribute to the UN World Food Program, which still needs donations now.

February 2022: Prevent a Russian Invasion of Ukraine With Russia having more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine's borders we urged Secretary of State Blinken to announce an update to post-cold war security arrangements in Eastern Europe. Despite efforts by the US and many other countries the invasion began and has continued. Pres. Putin's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty disregarded both international law and the condemnation of the international community. This, combined with loosely veiled nuclear threats raised alarms worldwide leading many observers to characterize the current situation as the closest we have come to nuclear war since the Cuban Missile Crisis.

March 2022: The Forest Act We urged support of the proposed Forest Act that would require corporations to prove their ingredients do not derive from illegal deforestation and the abuse of Indigenous Peoples’ rights before foreign products are allowed to enter the U.S. This would curb rainforest destruction, which is happening at a frightening pace and is a major driver of climate change. This bill was referred to the Senate Finance Committee but did not receive a hearing. It remains a high priority for Senator Schatz, who intends to reintroduce it in the next Congressional session. Greater cooperation from companies such as Proctor and Gamble would be helpful in securing Congressional support. Sadly, tropical deforestation has continued unabated. Much of the deforestation is for the purpose of growing palm oil; you can still do your part by avoiding foods, mainly snacks, containing palm oil.

April 2022: Declare Nuclear Weapons off the Table in Ukraine  President Biden stated that he will not send American troops into Ukraine. We asked Biden to pledge further that the US will not use nuclear weapons in the conflict, and to call on all countries to press President Putin to make the same pledge. President Putin's repeated threats of nuclear use since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February has the world on high alert. President Biden has not declared that the US will never use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict.

May 2022: No Mow May  We suggested you put away your lawnmower or contact the person who mows your lawn and give them a month off. In Appleton, Wisconsin, citizens organized their own No Mow May, and the results were impressive. Researchers reported a threefold increase in bee species diversity and a fivefold increase in the number of bees in no-mow yards compared with neighboring yards that were mowed as usual. The city of Portland took “No Mow May” to a whole new level. They have more than 30 acres of park space that they only mow once a year.

June 2022: Heat Pumps—A Triple Whammy Win!!!  With Europe reducing oil purchases from Russia to reduce its financial ability to attack Ukraine, and Russia cutting natural gas deliveries to Europe, Europe is facing a cold winter. We urged Pres. Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act to build electric heat pumps here, that we could sell to Europe. He took this action.

July 2022: Think Ahead to Do Your Part in Getting to Global Zero  We urged our members and their relatives and friends to plan ahead for installing an electric heat pump, which, along with 100% fossil-free electricity, would furnish 100% fossil-free house heating. Many of us have learned that it takes significant planning ahead to install a whole-house heat pump. It's not just buying a heat pump and signing a check. We suggested you get information and bids from several installers, and check with their previous customers - that's critical.

August 2022: Nuclear Weapons Are Not the Answer  We asked our members of Congress to bring us back from the nuclear brink and to get the US and all countries onto the path to abolishing nuclear weapons. Specifically, we asked them to work for the US to join the 86 nations that have signed the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The US has not yet signed this critically important treaty. We also asked our representatives to do all they can to decrease spending on nuclear weapons and to increase funding for other pressing needs that would directly and immediately improve human security. This includes investments in clean energy technology and infrastructure that will accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and toward climate stabilization. Congress has made available funding to accelerate the construction of fossil-free electricity production facilities. This is showing up now in increased investments in clean electricity facility construction, which is an important step away from climate disaster.

September 2022: Fight Disinformation  We urged our members to ask their Representative to support the Digital Services Oversight and Safety Act of 2022, HR 6796, as disinformation is increasingly filling social media. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has focused on combating these false messages for years. This bill would empower the fight. USC offers a "how to" approach on its website. This bill did not pass the House and there is no companion bill in the Senate.

October 2022: Make a Difference in the Fall Elections November 2022:  Our October action alert suggested that because the fall elections were key to the issues we care about, concerned individuals should participate in the efforts of Swing Left to promote progressive electoral candidates. The results of your efforts were spectacularly successful. Swing Left is incredibly proud of its impact on mobilizing volunteers and turning out voters in what turned out to be the most successful midterm in decades for a party in control of the White House. The Swing Left community made more than 3.5 million voter contacts and raised more than $11 million for competitive Democratic candidates and critical civic organizations. We were pleased to have helped.

November 2022:  Backing Away from Nuclear Armageddon:  We urged President Biden to revoke the President's authority to launch nuclear weapons on the President's authority alone, and we urged Congress to incorporate this revocation into law. In addition, we urged the President to call a World Nuclear Weapons Elimination Congress. It's only been a month, but at this point, none of this has happened.

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