Soda Industry Money Floods Berkeley to Undermine Measure D
Last week, the No on D Campaign reported a contribution from the American Beverage Association of $500,000, bringing a total of $800,000 that the industry has spent to defeat Measure D in Berkeley. We’re sharing the open letter that the… Read more »
Poster Contest for Berkeley vs. Big Soda Campaign
Berkeley vs Big Soda (BvBS) is excited to announce the launch of a poster contest. Big Soda will spend millions of dollars in their efforts to defeat soda taxes in Berkeley and San Francisco this fall. To win, we’ll need… Read more »
East Bay Express Covers Berkeley Vs. Big Soda
The latest edition of the East Bay Express is out, with a feature on Berkeley’s proposed 2014 ballot measure to place a tax on distributors of sugar-sweetened beverages. The article outlines the Berkeley Vs. Big Soda campaign as a grassroots… Read more »
Help Soda Warning Label Bill Pass Appropriations Committee This Week!
SB 1000 (Monning) is the proposed state law that would put a safety warning label on sodas and other sugary beverages sold in California. This bill would support the health of all Californians, by helping consumers identify risks and make… Read more »
Poet-in-Residence
The Ecology Center welcomes Gabriel Cortez as the poet-in-residence for 2023–2024. Cortez was selected for his use of poetry and arts education to explore the topics of climate justice and food sovereignty.
As Ecology Center’s inaugural poet-in-residence, Gabriel leads an… Read more »
Climate Equity
In 2022, the Ecology Center along with a number of community partners launched the Climate Equity Collaborative (the Collaborative). Our goals in convening the Collaborative are to amplify Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) voices, elevate their experiences, and build… Read more »
Together We Can—Create a Healthy, Sustainable, and Just Future
Dear Ecology Center Supporter,
This spring, we were a cosponsor of the 34th Bioneers conference, hosted in Berkeley for the first time. The event brought together thought leaders in the environmental and social justice movements to discuss practical and visionary… Read more »
Ecology Center’s 50th Anniversary Earth Day Celebration
*CORONAVIRUS UPDATE*:
Thank you for your interest in our Earth Day Celebration scheduled for Saturday, April 18, 2020. In light of recent developments surrounding the COVID-19, and based on guidelines outlined by the City of Berkeley and Alameda County,… Read more »
Links
Check out the resources below for more information on the health impact of sugary drinks and sugary drink taxes.
Diabetes
Risk of Diabetes Doubles as Disease Rises Sharply in U.S.
More Than 1/3 of Kids Born in 2000 Will Be… Read more »
Supporters
Measure D – Berkeley’s soda tax – was supported by prominent, respected organizations and individuals in and beyond Berkeley. The list below contains a number of them.
HEALTH ORGANIZATIONSCOMMUNITY & EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONSPOLITICAL ORGANIZATIONSGROCERS & RESTAURANTSBERKELEY CITY COUNCIL AND SCHOOL BOARD (Unanimous… Read more »
Press Releases
Yes on D Victory Statement: Measure D Passes with Wide Margin!
Press ReleaseNovember 4, 2014
[Berkeley, CA] On Tuesday, November 4, Berkeley resoundingly approved Measure D, becoming the first city in the country to successfully levy a tax on sugary… Read more »
Op-Eds
Part of the strategy used by the campaign was to get our message out to local voters through Op-Eds in local media. These helped create conversation on the soda tax. Click on the links below to read the Op-Eds that… Read more »
Press Coverage
A sample of recent media coverage about Berkeley’s soda tax – click on the links to read the full articles.
“Berkeley’s Soda Tax Appears To Cut Consumption Of Sugary Drinks,” NPR, 8/23/16
“Council approves $1.5M to fight soda consumption,” Berkeleyside,… Read more »
Frequently Asked Questions
Why focus on soda and other sugary drinks?What’s covered by the tax?Who will be taxed?How much is the tax?Where does the money go? How does the Panel of Experts work?How do you know a tax will work?Who led the campaign?How… Read more »
Videos
Share these videos widely on listservs, in social media, and at events, to grow the movement to stand up for health, and fight back against Big Soda.
The story of how a community stood up for children’s health against one… Read more »
It’s time to reduce plastics and return to reality-based recycling
The Ecology Center began one of the nation’s first curbside recycling programs, on the heels of the first Earth Day. As operators of that same recycling program through the decades, we have had a front-row seat to the recycling industry’s… Read more »
For Thirst Water First
For Thirst Water First is a youth-centered campaign to increase awareness about the health risks of sugar-sweetened beverages and promote water consumption. Participants in the Ecology Center’s youth program are empowered to lead peer health education, community outreach in the… Read more »
When Washington Goes Low, We Go Local
On this inaugural day of 2017, a billionaire climate-denying demagogue and his corporate cronies move into the center of our democracy, rebuking the norms, traditions, and institutions that allow us to pursue a more perfect union. We must brace for… Read more »
No Time to Despair. Let’s Get Busy Creating the Future!
Dear Ecology Center Supporters,
The Trump victory has shaken us to the core. It’s a complete repudiation of the values we hold dear. We are awakening to a different view of the work ahead, marked by grave uncertainties. What will… Read more »
Election 2016
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
The Trump victory has shaken us to the core. It’s a repudiation of the values that we hold dear.… Read more »
