The on-going global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging to grasp. In the United States alone, millions of individuals have lost their jobs, hundreds of thousands have tested positive for the virus, and daily life has changed in ways we cannot fathom. Understandably, the news cycle and our collective attention are focused on the virus, economic recovery, and what the future will hold when social distancing and safer at home orders are lifted.

A few weeks ago, STAND-LA, SoCal 350, and fellow climate change activists in Southern California celebrated the official closure of a neighborhood drilling site near the University of Southern California. While the fight to stop neighborhood drilling is critical and essential to ensure the health and wellness of California residents, demand for oil continues.

Making physical signs, marching, and participating in community gatherings are second nature to SoCal 350 and our fellow activists. With the spread of Covid-19 and the need for social distancing to protect the health and wellness of our society as a whole, it’s time to innovate and embrace remote activism. Here are a few recommendations to help further the cause online and by phone.

All of us at SoCal 350 envision a world with equitable clean air and water and a stable climate through a fossil-fuel-free future. We strive to empower Southern California communities to join together for environmental, social, and economic justice. This pursuit is on-going. Our actions have taken place rain or shine, but today we face an entirely new and widespread issue with coronavirus (Covid-19.)

Neighborhood Drilling in the greater Los Angeles area has been a point of contention amongst affected communities for decades. In fact, nearly 580,000 Angelenos live within a quarter-mile or less of an active oil well. While the need for actions, activism, and legislative changes to shut down oil wells in the name of health and wellness for people and the planet continues, the STAND-LA (Stand Together Against Neighborhood Drilling) coalition, with SoCal 350 as a member, can celebrate a major accomplishment this month.