HEAR FROM OUR COMMUNITY
CHAPTER
BLOG
California’s Rooftop Solar Fight: What the Supreme Court’s Decision Means for Homeowners
California’s rooftop solar policy is under renewed scrutiny. In August 2025, the California Supreme Court ordered a lower court to re-examine the state’s controversial “NEM 3.0” rules, which slashed compensation for solar customers feeding energy back to the grid. The decision gives climate advocates a fresh chance to challenge policies they say undervalue clean energy and harm working families. Here’s what the ruling means — and what Bay Area homeowners need to know if they’re considering going solar today.
A New Beginning: Climate Changemakers Joins the Climate Reality Project
Climate Changemakers has recently joined The Climate Reality Project. This new combination of expertise brings us one step closer in finding solutions for the climate crisis and in making change happen. Pairing Climate Changemakers expertise in advocacy and unique tools for community engagement with our training resources and expansive network creates a powerful vessel for effective climate action.
Mapping the Federal Retreat on Climate Action
The Trump administration is rolling back climate science and protections just as climate impacts intensify. Cuts to NOAA threaten weather forecasts and research, a disputed DOE report downplays greenhouse gases, and EPA moves to rescind the Endangerment Finding that underpins U.S. emissions rules. These federal retreats put communities at risk — including here in the Bay Area — but local leaders and residents can step up to defend science and push for action.
Seizing the Mantle in 2025: Turning Climate Setbacks Into Climate Action
The landscape of climate action feels like it’s shifting beneath our feet. From federal leadership relinquishing leadership on climate science and clean energy, to attacks on climate science, the undercutting of the Biden-era EPA Endangerment Principle, and the massive energy consumption of growing AI data centers, where do we stand, how will local communities, and the most vulnerable communities be impact, and where do we make a stand? The answers aren’t always clear. But what is clear is that our local networks, agencies, and grassroots movements are more important than ever. Climate Reality Bay Area (CRBA) is spotlighting four campaigns that invite reflection and action — and we’d love for you to be part of the conversation.
What’s Really Fueling Bay Area Ferries — And Why It Matters
In this article CRBA Leader and CRBA SF Policy activist Dave Rhody challenges the Golden Gate Bridge District’s continued investment in diesel ferries. Drawing on years of persistent advocacy for clean energy solutions, Rhody exposes the myths around “renewable diesel,” questions claims about electric ferry limitations, and urges transit leaders to get serious about zero-emissions transit on the Bay.
Environmentalism: How It Connects Us — To Our World, Our Work, and to Those Around Us or Across the Globe
When you think of environmentalism, you might picture protests or climate reports — but it actually shows up in all kinds of everyday places. From farming and food to clean energy, public health, the arts, and even outdoor fun, caring for the planet is part of how we live and work. This post offers a quick look at how environmentalism connects to so many parts of life, and why that matters more than ever.
Photo Credit: Louis Reed, on Unsplash
What Is Environmentalism — And Why Does It Matter?
In this post we celebrate Earth Month’s 55th birthday by commemorating what environmentalism is about, why it’s a project we can all get behind, and why it matters (so much). And, with climate change leading to more and more frequent and intense disasters and disruptions to health, agriculture, and more, it’s as good a time as ever to show up to work for the planet if you haven’t taken that step yet, or to renew your interest and commitments to the work! Our planet and our kids’ futures depend on us.
Home Electrification: The Shifting Incentives Landscape and What To Know
Under the Trump administration, funds for building electrification incentives are disappearing, so this is a great time to learn more about California electrification goals and what incentives are out there.
Unraveling Fast Fashion: 6 Trends Fueling A New Eco-Business Revolution in the SF Bay Area
Did you know the SF Bay Area is emerging as ground zero for a sustainable fashion revolution? This post explores six regional trends — from eco-conscious values to tech innovations — shaping this movement and providing all the ingredients that can make the SF Bay Area a hub for an eco-business revolution that, with scalable models, offers viable alternatives to today’s fast fashion industry and the harms it inflicts on the planet and workers. Keep reading to see which piece of the puzzle you fit into and how you can support and amplify this uniquely “made in the SF Bay Area” fashion revolution.
Marin County's Electrification Roadmap: A Step Toward a Greener Future!
Marin County is stepping up its commitment to climate action with a newly launched Electrification Roadmap — a community-powered initiative designed to phase out natural gas and accelerate building electrification.
The roadmap outlines ten key steps to optimize alignment and reduce unnecessary red tape. This plan is a call to action for taking a more comprehensive approach to the elimination of carbon fuels and the transition to a fully electric future, cutting emissions, improving public health and unlocking energy savings for all residents.
Learn just how comprehensive Marin County’s Roadmap is, how it will roll out, and ways to get on the electrification bandwagon, whether you live in Marin County or elsewhere in the SF Bay Area.
Toxic City: A Must-Read for Anyone Committed to Climate Justice
None of San Francisco’s political scandals, past or present, match the depth of its racial and environmental injustice toward the Bayview Hunters Point community. In Toxic City, released in 2024, UC Santa Cruz Sociology Professor Lindsey Dillon explores the city’s decades-long betrayal of this predominantly Black neighborhood. Dillon presents the environmental racism there as part of a broader history of harm, including decades-long struggles to fight against environmental injustice, as linked to the legacies of slavery.
For Your Climate Activism Bookshelf
In this post CRBA Writers Team contributor Keith Nickolaus shares reflections on four very different books exploring the climate crisis. From Greta Thunberg’s urgent call to action in The Climate Book, to a new book on slow-growth economics titled Slow Down that claims a growing audience around the world, and including the highly regarded Doughnut Economics as well as Siddhartha Kara’s harrowing exposé titled Cobalt Red, we hope these reflections lead readers to new titles for their climate activism bookshelf and inspire deeper conversations and reflections on the roots of the climate crisis and the scope of our collective approaches to combat it.
“Everyday Climate Champions” Podcast Episode 18: What We’ve Learned in Season 1 (co-host conversation)
In this episode, Everyday Climate Champion Podcast co-hosts Dalya Massachi, Sean Mendelson, and Ellisa Feinstein reflect on what they’ve learned in their many conversations with community members here in the San Francisco Bay Area. They explore what has been most memorable for them and what drives them to do this work to create a “homegrown supplement to the mainstream climate news.” We also hear from some of our listeners, sharing what they find most inspiring and educational – and how the podcast helps them discover new ways they can take climate action in their own communities.
How Plastic Pollution Is Killing Our Planet and What We Can Do To Save It
In our rapidly industrializing world, plastics have become an inescapable part of daily life. Yet, the convenience of plastics comes at a devastating cost to our planet. From polluting oceans and altering landscapes to threatening wildlife and their habitats, plastic waste is leaving a permanent mark on the Earth's ecosystems. This post provides an eye-opening, panoramic view of the scope of the impact plastic waste has on our planet, but it also reveals some of the many innovative solutions that offer hope and underscores the critical need for a global plastics treaty that will broaden and deepen international efforts to limit the relentless production of plastic and protect our world for future generations.
Electrification in the Bay Area: Paving the Way to a Sustainable Future
This blog post explores the Bay Area's leadership in electrification across transportation and building sectors, highlighting both the benefits and challenges of this transition. Learn about the broader benefits of electrification beyond environmental gains and discover some of the less talked about challenges and downsides.
Bay Area Ablaze: Unmasking the Climate Crisis Through Wildfires
The Bay Area's beautiful landscapes are under threat from climate change-induced wildfires. These fires, which have grown more intense due to rising temperatures and drying forests, pose severe risks to our environment and health. While human activities are responsible for starting 90% of wildfires, climate change has heightened their intensity and scale. As weather patterns change, rising temperatures, and drying forests have made wildfires a disastrous outcome of climate change…
Navigating the State’s Water Crisis: New CA Laws Will Impact the Bay Area
In recent years, California's persistent battle with water scarcity has intensified, particularly impacting the iconic Bay Area. With dwindling rainfall, escalating drought conditions, and the looming specter of wildfires, the region's water woes have reached a critical juncture, necessitating immediate attention and collective action from its residents. In this post we explore new water conservation measures in California enacted with passage of the Making Conservation a California Way of Life law on July 3, 2024.
.
Victory for Climate Justice in California! Big Oil Drops Effort to Overturn Drilling Restrictions
California's environmental advocates have achieved a monumental victory! Big Oil has withdrawn its attempt to overturn Senate Bill 1137, clearing the way for the bill’s implementation. SB 1137 safeguards neighborhoods from toxic drilling and was a major target of the oil industry, making recent events a victory for coalition building and the fight for climate justice, for reducing fossil fuel extraction, and for putting the interests of public health before corporate greed. And, with big oil polluting the environment and tainting state politics for decades, is this week’s victory just one more battle of a long war, or does it herald big oil’s fading dominance?
EVs Leading the Charge for Cleaner Air in the Bay Area
EV adoptions in the Bay Area far outpace the national average. Now a recent study by researchers at UC Berkeley suggests electric vehicles are having a positive impact on CO2 levels. This blog post examines the study's results and highlights implications for larger efforts to combat global warming.