BAA’s Environmental Eating Action Team, Decadent Dinners, and Peaceable Plate Lunchtime Program helped spark society’s awareness of the importance of fresh foods and the connections between food and the environment.
Created community gardens
Bay Area Action volunteers established community gardens in three cities, including East Palo Alto, a food desert.
Promoted EVs
BAA’s EV Project promoted electric vehicles before any big companies manufactured them (and converted two cars to electric DIY style!).
Saved Xerox Corp. over $200 million
BAA founding member Abhay Bhushan became Xerox’s first sustainability guru, saving the company more than $200 million per year by reusing, remanufacturing, and recycling old equipment, recycling copy cartridges, and minimizing and reusing recycled packaging materials.
Warned about urban sprawl
Through articles, editorials, forums, and events, Bay Area Action warned the public about urban sprawl, traffic congestion, and the threat of overpopulation on the SF Bay Peninsula.
Alongside Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, and Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters, BAA called for a national boycott against purchasing old-growth redwood. Over 400 building professionals and thousands of citizens joined the boycott.
Brought Earth Day to tens of thousands
Each year, Bay Area Action built a coalition of dozens of like-minded organizations to coordinate Earth Day celebrations around the Bay Area, giving tens of thousands of people their first experiences with environmentalism.
Helped establish recycling
Bay Area Action members were instrumental in establishing Palo Alto’s municipal recycling program in the early 1990s. The High Schools Group started recycling programs on many campuses throughout the Bay Area.
Rallied against sweatshop labor
BAA’s High Schools Group brought public awareness of the plight of sweatshop laborers who made most people’s clothes which were falsely labeled “Made in USA” in overseas compounds where human rights abuses werethe norm.
Shined a light on war and human rights
BAA hosted the Anne Frank in the World exhibit, bringing attention to human rights and the attrocities of war to over 7,000 area students and 10,000 visitors overall.
Warned about toxics
BAA educated about toxics in our soil and ground water by telling people about Superfund Sites, urban runoff, plastic garbage, and more.
Influenced policy
BAA members regularly endorsed pro-environment candidates and positions, helping move city and county governments toward more sustainable practices.
Used citizen initiatives
BAA members actively campaigned around numerous citizen initiatives, helping to pass pro-environment legislation in several Bay Area counties.
Fostered public debate
BAA’s many events, particularly the long-running Bay Area Environmental Forum series, brought community attention to myriad social and environmental issues over ten years.
Restored nature
BAA volunteers helped restore baylands, wetlands, beaches, creeks, and hillsides at dozens of sites in multiple counties. From Montara on the coast, to San Bruno Mountain near SF, from the baylands to the hillsides of Palo Alto — BAA’s raddest sheep weren’t afraid to get sweaty.
