BEC's Mission is to protect and defend the land, air and water of Butte County and the surrounding region through action, advocacy and education. Our monthly newsletter is designed to keep our community informed about local issues that impact our region's environmental quality and bring you opportunities to become involved.
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YOU are the reason BEC thrives! |
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BEC is a grassroots non-profit dedicated to a healthy environment for us all. Our work is made possible by people like you! Our newsletter is sent to thousands of folks each month, however, we currently have just over 300 active members. Being a BEC member means sustaining the work we do for the environment of Butte County and the surrounding area.
There are two levels of recurring membership:
Angel Members contribute $35 or more each month, or $420 annually.
Sustaining Members contribute between $4 and $34 a month, or $48 annually.
Unsure about your membership status?
*Contact our office to make sure you are a current BEC member!*
You can support BEC by making a One-Time Donation of any amount and/or volunteer. We have many events planned for 2021 and we can't do it without YOU
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UPCOMING EVENTS - SAVE THE DATES! |
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March 13 - Spring Tree Planting Spectacular! |
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BEC is partnered with the City of Chico to plant over 700 trees in underserved neighborhoods in Chico for the Urban Forest Revitalization Project. Teams of volunteers will be planting over 30 trees on March 13 in celebration of California Arbor Day. Scroll down for more information about our Urban Forest Program. |
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March 25-26 - This Way to Sustainability Conference |
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Resilience from the Ground Up: Strengthening Diversity in Soil, Communities, and Economies
The annual event by CSU, Chico, This Way To Sustainability (TWTS) Conference is a nationally recognized, student-run conference focusing on challenges, ideas, solutions, and resiliency in planning our sustainable future. The conference hosts 1,400 participants each year with a variety of respected students and professionals speaking on the many aspects of sustainability. The goal of the conference is to educate students, staff, faculty, and community members; providing attendees an opportunity to network, discuss, and become more aware of pertinent environmental and social issues we all face.
Admission for ALL STUDENTS of all ages is FREE
General Admission: 2-Day is $75*, 1-day is $50* (*plus processing fees)
This year The 2021 TWTS will be held entirely virtually, connecting colleagues and peers from across the globe. The TWTS Conference brings expertise and experience from a variety of presenters in 7 tracks:
- Environment, Land Planning & Natural Systems
- Built Environments, Engineering & Waste Management
- Health, Wellness, Diet & Nutrition
- Sustainable Food Systems & Regenerative Agriculture
- Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Supply Chain Management
- Social Justice & Public Policy
- Arts, Humanities & Creative Expression
The full program with breakout session topics and speakers are currently being confirmed and will be updated as confirmations come in so make sure to check their program page
for updates!
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March 25 - Environmental Community Gathering (Virtual) |
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The Environmental Coalition of Butte County and Butte Environmental Council are pleased to announce that the Environmental Community Gathering will occur this year, as with all things, in a virtual version and in conjunction with the This Way to Sustainability Conference at Chico State. The virtual Gathering will be held on Thursday, March 25, 4:30-6:00, following the first day of the TWTS Conference.
In this annual event, we will capture the "spirit" of the traditional ECBC/BEC-sponsored gathering. The Gathering is a place to provide opportunities for TWTS conference-goers and the general public to meet local environmental leaders, share common concerns, and engage in environmental work. We're inviting everyone to pull up to their screen, bring their own beverage, and mingle with each other.
Stay tuned for information on how to join us at the gathering! We will be sending out a separate email invite, post to the BEC page and social media, as well as post to the TWTS program page. We are looking forward to a fun, interactive evening with fellow environment-enthusiasts! Click the link below to check for updates about the event.
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April 8 - Transportation and Climate Change Community Forum |
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The forum will focus on current transportation issues, changes, and innovations, and potential actions our community, organizations, and leadership can take to ensure a sustainable and equitable transportation system. Our main topics include transportation’s impacts on climate change, sustainable multimodal transportation possibilities for Butte County, shifting commute patterns sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic (and the need for rural broadband), and transportation equity.
Stay tuned for information on how to join us at our first 2021 Forum!
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May 1 - Endangered Species Faire |
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This year's 42nd Annual Endangered Species Faire is going virtual, and the Procession of Species will carry on! In the coming weeks, we will be sending out instructional videos for interested youth to create an endangered species puppet to be part of the virtual "Procession of Species" parade. All families or classrooms interested in entering puppets into the virtual parade will have the opportunity to submit a 15-30 second video introducing their endangered species puppet. The videos will be combined for all to see during this year's event, with more online attractions planned! Click below for details about the Faire and updates. |
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2021 BEC Calendar of Events |
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Other Upcoming Community Events where you will see BEC
April 4 - Wildflower and Nature Festival 10am-4pm Click HERE for more information
April 24 - Chico Spring Clean: Community-wide cleanup day hosted by the City of Chico
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Butte Environmental Council invites members of the community to join our working committees. Each committee, described below, generally meets once per month to plan events, fundraisers, and promote awareness as well as encourage membership participation. Please read the descriptions of BEC's working committees and express interest you have in joining as many as you would like. By expressing community interest, you will be added to our committee email list and can expect communication about the next committee meeting very soon. All Committee meetings are currently being held virtually. Thank you for your continued support!
Click the button below to learn about our committees and submit your interest in joining any number of BEC's working committees: 1. Outreach, 2. Advocacy, 2. Garden, and 4. Fundraising and Membership. This is also an opportunity to express your interest in joining the Board of Directors. Join our team and help us do amazing things with our community!
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Our Urban Forest Program - revitalization with the City of Chico
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Tree-planting Event
Chico Residents: Don't miss out on the opportunity to have a free tree planted for you on Saturday, March 13th! Only a few reservations are left for this community-wide BEC event, so call or visit our website today to sign up. The Urban Forest Revitalization program is always looking for volunteers! Please contact us for more information.
Tree-planting Wednesdays
Inspired by the last December tree planting event, a group of volunteers reached out to ask if they'd be able to plant trees every week rather than wait for our seasonal tree planting events. This group of volunteers invited their friends and partners to form a group of 5-7 volunteers that have planted trees in Chico's parkways and at residents' houses every Wednesday since the beginning of February. As of February 24, they have planted 15 trees! We are grateful that this team decided to begin their Wednesday mornings with tree plantings; because of them, Chico’s parkways and neighborhoods will be much greener in the future!
The Urban Forest Revitalization Program, a partnership between BEC and the City of Chico, is funded by a grant from Cal Fire. One goal of the project is to plant over 700 residential trees in disadvantaged communities in Chico by Spring 2021. If you or someone you know might be interested in a free tree or to volunteer for the program, please visit www.becnet.org/urbanforest, call 530-891-6424, or email urbanforest@becnet.org.
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The RARE Program Tackles Oil Recycling |
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Are you a do-it-yourself oil changer? Did you know that used motor oil never wears out? It simply gets dirty, but it can be recycled, re-refined, and used again! When you take your used oil to a certified recycling center, you are protecting the environment, conserving a valuable resource, and getting paid for it! The RARE program offers free workshops about the proper handling and disposal of used motor oil and the environmental impacts of improper disposal. Most recently, RARE has been working with the automotive department at Butte College to deliver oil recycling lessons to auto-shop students. Certified Collection Centers in Butte County. The RARE Program’s full-length video versions of the Recycling and Composting workshops are now posted on our Youtube Channel. If you watch these videos with your kids, students, or as a class - please fill out this Video Workshop Survey. Your feedback is very important to us! Please feel free to share any comments, critiques, and/or ideas in the feedback survey to help us make these videos as impactful as possible for our community. To book a live, virtual or in-person workshop on recycling, composting, or oil recycling.
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New Children’s Book Release:
Planet Ocean
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Dive in with author Patricia Newman and photographer Annie Crawley--visit the Coral Triangle near Indonesia, the Salish Sea in the Pacific Northwest, and the Arctic Ocean at the top of the world. Find out about problems including climate change, ocean acidification, and plastic pollution, and meet inspiring local people who are leading the way to reverse the ways in which humans have harmed the ocean.
Planet Ocean shows us how to stop thinking of ourselves as existing separate from the ocean and how to start taking better care of this precious resource.
A Robert F. Sibert Honor recipient from the American Library Association, Patricia Newman’s books have received starred reviews, Green Earth Book Awards, a Parents’ Choice Award, and Bank Street College’s Best Books honors.
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Deregulation Leads to Less Resilience in the Face of Disaster
article by Neil Bajaj, local high school student & BEC Member
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The country's largest two states experienced power outages caused by Natural disasters such as wildfires and winter storms. Texas is experiencing what California did during the wildfires. Both states have adopted vastly different approaches to managing their energy needs — Texas has deregulated aggressively, while California has espoused environmental regulations. Yet, the two States encounter the same ominous reality: Unpreparedness for natural disasters caused by climate change. There is a need to change the paradigm of electricity grids against the threat posed by climate change and look for fossil fuel alternatives to mitigate global warming. The two states' common theme coal plants and gas plants have problems in both heat and cold.
What failed in Texas?
Texas generates about half of its electricity by burning natural gas. The system relies on just-in-time logistics; gas is delivered to power plants as it is combusted. Texas does not maintain much natural-gas storage because it treats the ground as its reserve: If it needs more gas, it can always drill. This system was unprepared for a polar vortex. As temperatures plunged, the pipelines delivering gas to power plants froze and depressurized, while demand surged. The imbalance caused massive outages. There are similarities here and shortages during the pandemic last year. Another common-necessity is toilet paper: There was enough toilet paper for consumers to buy every few months, but not for everyone to buy it at the same time. Whether by pipeline or supply chain, just-in-time logistics seems to make good economic sense; it is a system built on current demand built-in shock absorbers. However, when something unusual happens—such as winter storms or wildfires, or the pandemic—the system fails.
When a shortage like this hits a grocery store, it means less toilet paper. When it hits the power grid, it means people freeze to death in their homes. We need to rethink our utility system management and develop more resilient systems that will stand up to future disasters and ensure equitable distribution of necessities.
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Thank you for your continued support of the Butte Environmental Council. |
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Caitlin Dalby
General Manager
Butte Environmental Council
(530) 891-6424
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