Last Chance Alliance, a coalition of more than 750 climate, environmental justice, and public health groups, has turned up the heat on Governor Newsom and launched an ad campaign calling on the Governor to phase out oil drilling as part of his plan to address the climate crisis.
Two 900-foot vertical billboards, featuring floating embers over a photo of a California fire, are located at the corner of 5th and L—just blocks from the Sacramento Capitol—calling on Newsom to phase out oil drilling. Other digital billboards can be found along the 5, 99, and Bus 80 highways around downtown Sacramento.
Radio ads also started playing today on popular Sacramento stations, voiced by frontline leader Nalleli Cobo, who was sickened by oil wells across the street from her childhood home in South Los Angeles starting at age nine. Now nineteen years old, Nalleli is battling cancer.
Nalleli said about the ads: “We hope that Governor Newsom will get the message loud and clear. His announcement banning new gas-powered cars by 2035 doesn’t provide the protection that millions of Californians living near oil wells need right now.”
Cesar Aguirre, a community organizer in Kern community featured in another radio spot, lives around oil wells as well.
Aguirre says in the ad, “You’ve expanded oil production in my community, where we breathe the industry’s toxic pollution every day. California’s frontline communities need real action.”
The radio ads point out that Governor Newsom has expanded oil production in communities of color and call on him to phase out oil drilling. His administration is supposed to issue a draft health and safety rule before year’s end. Last Chance Alliance has demanded a 2500-foot set back between oil wells and homes, schools and communities.
The ads direct audiences to fuelingtheflames.org where they can take action.
Activists Last Chance Alliance took to the smoky skies in Greenpeace USA’s hot air balloon over wildfire-impacted Chico to tell Governor Gavin Newsom that he must phase out fossil fuels and stop exacerbating the climate crisis that is worsening California’s wildfires.
The text of the radio ads follows:
RADIO SPOT 1:
Narrator: Nalleli Cobo
V.O.
Governor Newsom, I’m Nalleli and I grew up across the street from oil drilling. Millions of Californians have been sickened from oil wells near our homes and schools, like I was starting when I was just nine years old. The more oil we drill, the more pollution we breathe. Stop fueling the flames of California’s climate emergency. Phase out oil drilling and protect us with health and safety setbacks now.
ANNOUNCER: Governor Newsom has expanded oil production, drilling and polluting in communities of color. Take action at fueling the flames dot ORG. Fueling the flames dot org. Paid for by Last Chance Alliance.
RADIO SPOT 2:
Narrator: Cesar Aguirre
V.O.
Governor Newsom, I’m Cesar, a community organizer in Kern County. You’ve expanded oil production in my community, where we breathe the industry’s toxic pollution every day. California’s frontline communities need real action. Stop fueling the flames of our climate emergency. Phase out oil drilling and protect us with health and safety setbacks now.
ANNOUNCER: Governor Newsom has expanded oil production, drilling and polluting in communities of color. Take action at fueling the flames dot ORG. Fueling the flames dot org. Paid for by Last Chance Alliance.
