Feature Archives

On February 3rd and 4th, students at the University of California Berkeley and Stanford University held campus demonstrations calling for solidarity with those uprising in Egypt. In Berkeley students gathered in front of Sather Gate and staged a die-in under the watchful eye of campus police.

Wellington Energy is the company that is installing PG&E’s new wireless ‘smart’ meters in California. A former Wellington Energy employee contacted the Scotts Valley Neighbors Against Smart Meters about his experience installing smart meters from June through September in 2010. The 'Wellington Whistleblower' warns, "I do feel that Scotts Valley, Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Corralitos, to name a few should be informed enough to prepare for what could realistically turn into another San Bruno."

Anarchists Against the Wall (AATW) is an Israeli direct action group established in 2003 to resist the Annexation Wall being built by Israel on Palestinian land in the Occupied West Bank. They support Palestinian civilian resistance to massive confiscation of land and denial of freedom of movement caused by construction of the Wall. AATW activists have joined thousands of demonstrations against the Wall and against the Occupation in dozens of villages throughout the West Bank. They are currently touring in the US, including giving several presentations in Northern California.

Newly elected Governor Jerry Brown’s 2011–2012 budget proposal slashes $12.5 billion dollars from essential health and human services. Brown himself characterized his new budget as "draconian." Immediately following the January 10th announcement of Brown’s new budget, health service agencies held a press conference in the Sacramento State House denouncing the proposal. Statewide actions included similar press conferences and rallies in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and Fresno.

Kwanzaa is celebrated annually from December 26th to January 1st. The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa are considered tools for addressing issues facing the African American community. Events will be held in San Francisco, Sacramento and Stockton.

Under rules adopted this week by the California Air Resources Board, timber firms could earn tens of millions of dollars through the sale of carbon credits. Despite opposition to a provision that would make clearcutting eligible to receive offset credits, the Board passed a plan that critics say was unduly influenced by logging industry lobbyists.

On December 14th, hundreds of PG&E customers, outraged about the health damage caused by wireless 'smart' meters, ramped up protests by testifying at county government meetings and shutting down payment centers in both Santa Cruz and Marin Counties to demand an immediate halt to the program. Protesters are also angry about PG&E's attempts to cover up the growing health scandal and recently revealed espionage carried out against their customers concerned with increasing reports of nausea, headaches, and bouts of dizziness from the meters. The protesters, backed by 22 local governments and an increasing number of scientists and medical professionals, are demanding that PG&E halt any further installation of smart meters.