Enewsletter for February 2021

NBC News launched an impactful new series about climate change hotspots in the Bay Area, and what we can do to address the mounting threats. Below are two segments featuring Baykeeper staff on important and often overlooked effects of climate change.

Two weeks ago, an oil pipeline at the Chevron refinery in Richmond leaked, spilling more than 700 gallons of diesel mixture into the Bay. Authorities closed Keller Beach and issued a public health advisory.

"The whole area smells like a gas station,” Baykeeper Executive Director Sejal Choksi-Chugh said in a KQED interview, “And there's the possibility of long-term, unknown damage to the Bay itself and to all the wildlife that depend on it."

Baykeeper Field Investigator Cole Burchiel was one of the first people on the scene with our trusty patrol drone, Osprey. Our drone footage revealed that the oil had spread out into a wide sheen, beyond Chevron's containment boom. 

The area affected by the spill included sensitive eelgrass habitat and an important spawning ground for herring populations. But the spill could have been much worse.

Read more about the Chevron spill in Richmond.

Above: Baykeeper drone shot of the spreading sheen in Richmond on February 9. 

All around the Bay Area, upwards of 1,000 industrial facilities allow polluted runoff to seep into the watershed—a slow drip of toxic waste that turns into a deluge every time it rains.

That's why Baykeeper conducts multiple rounds of stormwater sampling every year throughout the rainy season and gathers evidence against the biggest polluters to hold them accountable under the law. 

So to expand our sampling capacity, Baykeeper Staff Scientist Ian Wren conducted a virtual training with staff and experienced volunteers on how to correctly collect and process polluted runoff samples. This allows us to have trained samplers around the Bay to spring into action whenever the moment is right to catch more polluters in the months and years ahead!

Pictured: Staff Scientist Ian Wren takes a storm water sample in the South Bay during a rain storm.

Our annual celebration of San Francisco Bay is going virtual this year!

Join us to travel around the Bay as we share the stories of our latest victories to hold polluters accountable and make the Bay more resilient.

Plus, in this unique interactive event, you can mingle with other guests at virtual tables. Say hello to old friends, chat with Baykeeper staff, or bring friends along to share your table!

And we’re excited to announce a special partnership with Hog Island Oyster Co. You can opt for home delivery of a clam chowder meal kit to enjoy during the event! Add on Rosé for the Bay and Cici’s Cookies to round out your treats for the evening. 

In keeping with Baykeeper tradition, we will honor our Blue Rivet Awardees and hold our popular silent auction featuring Warriors and Giants memorabilia, United Airlines tickets (good through 2022), and much more!

Don’t miss the most fun Baykeeper event of the year. We hope to see you there!

Click here to learn more and register for the 2021 Baykeeper Annual Event.

Photo: Daniel Parks, Flickr/CC

It's no secret—big banks have been funding the climate crisis (as Bill McKibben put it: "Money is the oxygen on which the fire of global warming burns"). There’s an urgent need for the finance sector to pivot from investing in fossil fuels to supporting renewable sources of energy. 

That’s why we’re pleased to announce our new partnership with Atmos, a financial technology company for climate-positive banking. Atmos offers FDIC-insured savings accounts that exclusively support renewable energy and a transition to the clean economy.

Do you have a stash of Bitcoin burning a hole in your digital pocket? In need of a tax break? Why not make a donation to protect San Francisco Bay!

Baykeeper now accepts donations of Bitcoin and other forms of digital currency, including Ethereum and Litecoin, through our Coinbase account. You can give to San Francisco Baykeeper with the email sejal@baykeeper.org.

Use your cryptocurrency for good – defend and protect beautiful San Francisco Bay with a donation to Baykeeper today!