ROMERO INSTITUTE
210 HIGH ST 2ND FLOOR, SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060 www.romeroinstitute.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: EXPOSE SYSTEMIC INJUSTICE AND IMPLEMENT STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS FOR GLOBAL WARMING, ECONOMIC INEQUALITY, HUMAN AND INDIGENOUS RIGHTS. INTERFAITH LAW AND POLICY CENTER USING IMPACT LITIGATION, INVESTIGATION, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE GOALS.

ADDRESS SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS. APPLICATION OF RESEARCH, INVESTIGATION, LAW, AND EDUCATION TO DEVELOP PROJECTS THAT EDUCATE AND ACTIVATE THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY TO SOLVE HUMAN RIGHTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS.

THE LAKOTA PEOPLE'S LAW PROJECT CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR THE RIGHTS AND SOVEREIGNTY OF THE LAKOTA SIOUX PEOPLE. WE PROVIDED LEGAL, INVESTIGATIVE, COMMUNICATIONS, AND GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING TOOLS NEEDED BY THE TRIBES TO SAFEGUARD SACRED LANDS AND PROTECT WATER.OUR THREE RESPECTED LAKOTA LEADERS SET PRIORITIES AND WORKED COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR CALIFORNIA TEAM; PHYLLIS YOUNG, MADONNA THUNDER HAWK, AND CHASE IRON EYES.THIS SPRING, TWO "BOMB CYCLONES" HIT THE MIDWEST AND DEVASTATED THE OGLALA LAKOTA COMMUNITY AT THE PINE RIDGE RESERVATION. ONE OF THE POOREST REGIONS IN THE ENTIRE U.S., PINE RIDGE WAS STRUCK BY MOUNDS OF SNOW WHICH MELTED QUICKLY CAUSING UNPRECEDENTED FLOODS DEVASTATING HOMES, ROADS, AND LIVES. FOUR PEOPLE DIED WHEN THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET TO THE HOSPITAL, AND OTHERS WERE STRANDED FOR WEEKS WITHOUT ACCESS TO FOOD, WATER, AND MEDICINE. THE SITUATION WAS DIRE AND CHAOTIC.WE HELPED DEVELOP STRATEGIES, ASSEMBLE RECOVERY TEAMS AND SUPPORT STAFF, BUILD A MEDIA PRESENCE FOR PINE RIDGE, AND HIRED EXPERTS WHO CAREFULLY DOCUMENTED THE DAMAGE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY-ULTIMATELY CONVINCING THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA) TO DECLARE IT A FEDERAL DISASTER AREA AND PROVIDE OVER $2 MILLION IN RECOVERY FUNDS.WE JOINED WITH THE TRIBES AND ACTIVATED OUR NETWORKS TO SEND 25,000 LETTERS TO THE NORTH DAKOTA ENERGY COMMISSION TO STOP THE DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE FROM DOUBLING THE AMOUNT OF OIL PUMPING THROUGH THE LINE. WE JOINED WITH OTHER ALLIES AND TRIBES TO STOP THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE, FUNDED A MEDIA ORGANIZER IN MONTANA, AND BEGAN INTENSE LEGAL RESEARCH TO SUPPORT BOTH OF THE ONGOING LEGAL FIGHTS ON THE PIPELINES WITH STRATEGIC LEGAL AMICUS BRIEFS IN 2020.

OUR GREENPOWER PROJECT, CONTINUES TO ENACT HISTORIC SOLUTIONS TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS IN CALIFORNIA. LED BY GREENPOWER DIRECTOR, BENJAMIN EICHERT, WE KICKED OFF THE YEAR WITH A RALLY AT GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM'S INAUGURATION. THERE WE DELIVERED A LETTER, SIGNED BY MORE THAN 60 ORGANIZATIONS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM ACROSS THE GOLDEN STATE, URGING HIM TO PERSONALLY CHAMPION A GREEN NEW DEAL FOR CALIFORNIA. WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES, ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND ORGANIZATIONS READY TO EMBRACE GREEN SOLUTIONS, GREENPOWER ALSO CONTINUES TO REPLACE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF CARBON-EMITTING FOSSIL FUELS WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES ACROSS CALIFORNIA. ONE SUCH INITIATIVE WILL GENERATE A HUGE SOLAR FIELD TO POWER THE BIGGEST INDUSTRIAL ENERGY USER IN OUR REGION.GREENPOWER ALSO FACILITATED A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND BLUEPRINT FOR THE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE BY WORKING WITH THE SAN BENITO HEALTH FOUNDATION (SBHF) TO HELP THIS SMALL-TOWN CLINIC-WHICH SERVES MOSTLY SPANISH-SPEAKING FARMWORKERS-SET A NEW BAR FOR HEALTHCARE FACILITIES AROUND THE NATION. NOW, RUNNING ON ITS OWN SOLAR-POWERED, ZERO-CARBON MICROGRID, SBHF WILL REMAIN OPEN TO PROVIDE SAFETY AND SERVICE TO ITS PATIENTS EVEN IF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA'S UTILITY, PG&E, SHUTS THE GRID POWER DOWN. MOST CRUCIALLY, GREENPOWER'S LEADERS HAVE MOTIVATED CITIES AND COUNTIES THROUGHOUT OUR REGION TO UPDATE THEIR CLIMATE ACTION PLANS. TOGETHER, WE ARE CREATING A REGION-WIDE PLAN FOR CARBON-FREE COMMUNITIES ON THE CENTRAL COAST.

CALIFORNIA GREEN NEW DEAL - ROMERO INSTITUTE PRESIDENT DANIEL SHEEHAN IS SPEARHEADING OUR NEW ROMERO THINK TANK TO RESEARCH AND WRITE A COMPREHENSIVE SUITE OF GREEN NEW DEAL LEGISLATION FOR CALIFORNIA. THE MOST POPULOUS STATE IN THE UNION. WE WILL OFFER THE WORLD'S SIXTH LARGEST ECONOMY A COMPREHENSIVE LEGISLATIVE GUIDE THAT CAN HELP CALIFORNIA REALIZE CARBON-FREE SUSTAINABILITY WITHIN 10 YEARS. WORKING WITH OTHER LAWYERS AND A DEDICATED TEAM OF INTERNS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON LAW SCHOOL, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A 4 PAGE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, A 50 PAGE BLUEPRINT PLAN, AND A 380-PAGE DRAFT LEGISLATION IN CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF ALL SIMILAR POLICY OFFERINGS AROUND THE COUNTRY. THE FORMER PREMIER OF ICELAND SAID, "WE ARE DESPERATE FOR AMERICAN LEADERSHIP ON CLIMATE. I DO NOT CARE WHETHER THAT COMES FROM THE CALIFORNIA STATE HOUSE OR THE WHITE HOUSE."CALIFORNIA, RESPECTED FOR ITS FORWARD LEANING POLICIES, CAN LEAD WITH A BOLD SOLUTION TO MOVE MONEY FROM FOSSIL FUELS TO RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESTORE AGRICULTURAL LAND AND CONVERT IT TO SEQUESTER CARBON; RESTORE OUR OCEANS WITH MIGHTY SEA KELP FARMS; AND PREVENT OUR FORESTS FROM BURNING TO THE GROUND. WE CAN GENERATE NEW, GOOD PAYING JOBS, CREATE A YOUTH GREEN CORPS, AND INSPIRE EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD TO HELP BRING IN A NEW ERA.GRETA THUNBERG OF SWEDEN SAID, "AS LONG AS YOU ADULTS KEEP DOING WHAT IS POLITICALLY FEASIBLE INSTEAD OF WHAT IS NECESSARY, THERE IS NO HOPE FOR MY GENERATION."

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