Rev. Dr. Ambrose F. Carroll, Swiss Seniors Sue Europe Over Climate Change, EPA OK’s California Phasing Out Diesel Trucks By 2035!

 CLIMATE CRUSADER, REV. DR. AMBROSE F. CARROLL

Reverend Dr. Ambrose F Carroll, serves as the Senior Pastor at The Church by the Side of the Road in Berkeley, CA. Born and raised in Oakland, CA, Ambrose proceeded to complete his undergraduate degree and further received a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Morehouse School of Religion in Atlanta, GA, a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) from United Theological Seminary in Dayton Ohio, and a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, CA.  

After serving at many churches, Ambrose took his skills and well-rounded education back to the Bay Area to create a national campaign to “Green The Church”, a non-profit leading the creation of sustainable programs to undergird the work of creating green and efficient church buildings.  By providing a framework for mobilizing Black churches to combat climate change, Rev. Dr. Ambrose and Green the Church are ensuring that community members are able to stay in their communities with hopes of a sustainable and equitable future. Much of his efforts center around the importance of transitioning to a clean energy economy and away from dirty fossil fuels; and ensuring Black churches and green theology are a part of local and national environmental policy conversations. 

Click on the link in the Deeper Dive Section of TheClimate.org/episodes to  Read more about Green the Church and Ambrose’s work. 

DEEPER DIVE: Green the Church 

SWISS SENIORS SUE EUROPE FOR ITS LACK OF EFFORT TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

This is such a heartwarming story. A group of Swiss retirees took their government to a top European court Wednesday over what they claim is its failure to take sufficient action on climate change. Lawyers and members of the group Senior Women for Climate Protection appeared before the European Court of Human Rights for a rare public hearing that activists say could mark a legal milestone in efforts to force governments to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The group, which counts around 2,000 members across Switzerland with an average age of 73, argues that older women’s rights are especially infringed on because they are most affected by the extreme heat that will become more frequent due to global warming, which current Swiss climate policy contributes to.

Plaintiff Rosmarie Wydler-Waelti, 73, from Basel said, “It’s been proved that we older women are particularly sensitive (to climate change). We get sick a little bit faster due to heat waves than older men or other groups.” After exhausting domestic legal avenues, the group has taken its case to the Strasbourg, France-based tribunal in the hope of winning a ruling that applies to all signatories of the European Convention on Human Rights. “We are suing for our human right to life,” said Lore Zablonier, a 78-year-old from Zurich who stood outside the court. “With this case, we want to help spur politicians into action a little bit.”

Lawyers for the Swiss government said they want the court to dismiss the case. They argue that “Switzerland is not alone (in being affected by global warming) and this problem cannot be solved by Switzerland alone.” Georg Klingler, a climate campaigner with the environmental group Greenpeace that supports the case, said seeing the Swiss government having to defend its climate efforts before the court “is a very exciting moment.”

A verdict is expected next year.

And what else do we learn, listeners?  Never discount the power and drive of senior women!!!

DEEPER DIVE: CC Health Crisis

U.S. EPA ALLOWS CALIFORNIA TO PHASE OUT DIESEL TRUCKS BY 2035!

According to the AP:   The Biden administration cleared the way Friday for California’s plan to phase out a wide range of diesel-powered trucks, part of the state’s efforts to drastically cut planet-warming emissions and improve air quality in heavy-traffic areas like ports along the coast.

The new truck standards are aimed at companies that make trucks and those that own large quantities of them. Companies owning 50 or more trucks will have to report information to the state about how they use these trucks to ship goods and provide shuttle services. Manufacturers will have to sell a higher percentage of zero-emission vehicles starting in 2024. Depending on the class of truck, zero-emission ones will have to make up 40% to 75% of sales by 2035.

The EPA typically sets standards for tailpipe emissions from passenger cars, trucks and other vehicles, but California has historically been granted waivers to impose its own, stricter standards. Other states can then follow suit, and eight other states plan to adopt California’s truck standards, Newsom’s office said. In a letter last year, attorneys general from 15 states, Washington, D.C., and New York City urged the EPA to approve the California truck standards.

Gov. Gavin Newsom applauded the state’s role as a leader for setting ambitious vehicle emission standards. He said in a statement, “We’re leading the charge to get dirty trucks and buses – the most polluting vehicles – off our streets, and other states and countries are lining up to follow our lead.”.

Why does this announcement matter to us? Jan Victor Andasan, an activist with East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, said it best.  “We don’t just fight for California, we fight for all of the communities.” The group advocates for better air quality in and around Los Angeles, the nation’s second-most populous city that is known for its dense traffic and intense smog.