Action Team

BAA’s Action Team was ready to mobilize members to participate in hands-on activities (from rallies to letter-writing to creek clean-ups and human signs) that raised public awareness about important environmental issues or solved an immediate need with action.

From a 1991 flier: “The Action Team engages in a wide range of activities designed to foster environmental awareness and promote positive change. We believe nonviolent, direct action is a powerful way to change institutionalized patterns of social behavior which have adverse environmental impact. We also operate on the principle that actions should include a wide spectrum of individuals and they should be fun!”

In the early years (1990–1992ish), the Action Team mobilized volunteers for pretty much everything BAA did, from concerts to fundraisers, letter-writing to attending Board of Forestry meetings. Frequently the goal was to mobilize participants for another organization’s event, such as Redwood Summer, Livermore Labs demonstrations, or Earth Week.

Often an action could be both a project-based one and an Action Team one; for example, an event promoting Beat the Back-Up Day in advance of the parade could be considered part of the Alternative Transportation Taskforce project while at the same time mobilizing participants via the Action Team. This fluidity of project resources was one way BAA worked well — people could be interested in and involved in more than one thing, and there were no major boundaries to inhibit cross-pollination of projects.

Other monikers

In 1990, when projects were called committees, it was the Action Committee. On at least one set of meeting notes from 1991, it was referred to as the Action Response Team (BAART). The Action Team also crossed over quite a bit with the Forest Action Team (FAT) during Redwood Summer and the early ’90s period.

BAA folks are punsters and love their cheeky acronyms. The Action Team was sometimes known as BRAT (BAA Radical Action Team, playing on the “rad sheep” term), when the particular action needed particular discretion.

Ebb and flow of activity

The Action Team was most active in the period between BAA’s founding in spring 1990 and circa 1992, after which separate, more discreet projects grew to take on much of the organizing need previously fulfilled by the Action Team. For example, the Habitat Restoration Project maintained a database of people interested in creek clean-ups, who might not be the same people called on to drive to Humboldt County for a forest defense rally.

Thus, in later years (1993–2000) the Action Team was activated less frequently, but still often enough for it to remain listed as a project on things like the newsletter and website, through at least 1999.

Action Team actions, 1990–1991

(compiled circa Feb 1991)

Apr 1990
EARTH AIR FIRE WATER postering
Raised community awareness of Earth Day 1990. Coordinated national effort demonstrated large, grassroots support for environmental issues. Specific posters were removed at the request of the city, many others are still visible!

Jun 1990
Baylands Cleanup Day
Encouraged citizen participation, increased awareness of landfill issues and the “disposal society” mentality, support community programs. Implemented recycling of specific materials.

Jun – Sep 1990
Redwood Summer
Participated in nonviolent rallies and demonstrations to increase awareness about the destruction of Ancient Forests. Attended Dept. of Forestry hearings to show citizen support for sustainable timber practices. Engaged in letter writing campaign to develop support of legislators. Fifteen people were required to hug a single tree!

Jul and Nov 1990
Pomponio State Beach Cleanup
Adopted Pomponio state beach and assumed responsibility for organizing cleanups four times a year. Unearthed an enormous water tank so rangers could remove it. Recycled materials whenever possible. Enjoy the beautiful California coast.

Oct 1990
Livermore Weapons Lab
Participated in march and rally protesting the development of nuclear weapons. Peaceful rally with civil disobedience resulting in arrests. BAA experienced the power of nonviolent direct action.

Letter-writing tables
Pre-war peace rally in Palo Alto and at the Rainforest Day in San Francisco. Raises public awareness of specific issues and resulted in hundreds of letters being sent to policy makers in government and industry.

Oct and Nov 1990
Public engagements
Presented slideshow and lecture at PCCF about Redwood Summer activities. Co-led session on energy policy and the gulf crisis at Stanford University.

Jan 1991
Nevada Test Site
Attended international citizens conference on a comprehensive nuclear test ban. Participated in workshops, lectures, and grassroots networking. Attended peaceful rally at test site, 700 arrests including BAA members. Media coverage reaches national audiences, supports activities of peace movements around the world.

Peace activities
Attended several marches and rallies in Palo Alto and San Francisco protesting US-Iraq war. Two BAA members speak about environmental impacts of the war. Formed BAA Peace project to coordinate response to environmental impacts issue. Major player in the formation of a regional eco-peace coalition (BAEPAN).

Feb 1991
Peace Fair
Co-sponsored local event in Mitchell Park. Supply food, educational materials, speakers and public outreach. Heighten awareness of environmental impacts of war, keeps pressure on public officials to end war and address environmental and social concerns.

March 23, 1991
Festival for the Forests
A full day of activities, letter writing, speakers, and music to raise public awareness about forest issues and promote passage of state laws to protect old growth and improve sustainable timber harvest practices.

Apr 3–8, 1991
Spring Peace Encampment at Nevada Test Site
In light of the US failure to support the comprehensive test ban treaty proposal in Jan, a broad-based coalition of peace and environmental groups are working to make this year’s encampment the largest and most successful ever. BAA role: local awareness campaign, organize transportation, nonviolence trainings, and support group formation.

Apr 22, 1991
Earth Week activities
This year “Earth Day is a Work Day”. Theme will focus on doing something positive. Ideas include building a recycling area in your home or workplace, making energy and water conservation improvements, avoid using automobiles, eating vegetarian foods only, reducing consumption of non-essential items, and letter writing. Many BAA members plan a full week of practicing minimal-impact lifestyles. Join them in reducing the Bay Area’s demand for energy, water, imported food and materials, and non-essential luxury items.

Editor’s note: More will be added here as we go through the archives.