San Pablo Ridge in El Sobrante (click on photo for full size)

Who are We?

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The El Sobrante Greens is an informal group of "green-minded" El Sobrante activists. Following the maxim, "Think globally, act locally," we are active in local grass-roots groups that are working for livable communities, social and economic justice, peace, and the preservation and restoration of our environment. As each of us is deeply involved in one or more of these "green-minded" organizations, we have decided to continue with this work, and come together as the El Sobrante Greens for special activities. In addition, we help each other whenever one of our groups is organizing a major campaign, such as blocking an inappropriate development in our valley (see landslide photo below). We stay in touch with each other by email and occasionally have meetings at the El Sobrante Library.

Our most visible activity as El Sobrante Greens has been our weekly candlelight peace vigils that we held at the corner of San Pablo Dam Road and Appian Way. This weekly Sunday-evening vigil began the first Sunday after the March 19, 2003, US invasion of Iraq, and continued into July 2003.

We are most widely known for our El Sobrante Greens Community Calendar, which began e-mail distribution in April 2003. This calendar now provides El Sobrante activists and their supporters with monthly information on all the meetings and activities of "green-minded" El Sobrante community groups. Bulletins are issued during the month as needed to keep email subscribers up-to-date on breaking community news. In November 2003, the El Sobrante Municipal Advisory Commission (MAC) added the El Sobrante Greens Calendar to their monthly agenda and minutes packets, which are passed out before each MAC meeting. The El Sobrante Greens calendar is also regularly posted on several local bulletin boards. To subscribe, send an email to Calendar Subscription.

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The El Sobrante Greens is not officially affiliated with the Green Party. However, many of us are registered Green, and some of us are also active in the Richmond Greens (RG), which is a local of the Green Party of Contra Costa. The RG began as a small Richmond group, but as it has grown, it has become active in the surrounding communities, such as El Sobrante. Green Party membership is not required to participate in El Sobrante Greens or RG meetings.

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If you agree with the Green Party Ten Key Values, please join us in making these values a reality in our community and in the world. First, subscribe to the El Sobrante Greens Calendar to learn about what is happening in El Sobrante. Then, come to our next El Sobrante Greens or Richmond Greens meeting listed in the calendar, or send an email introducing yourself to the El Sobrante Greens. Finally, after getting to know us and what we are doing, decide which of our many areas of activities you would like to help us with.

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Some of Our Other Activities

The El Sobrante and Richmond Greens organized an informational table (above photo) at the Annual I Love El Sobrante Community Celebration held in September 2003 and 2004 on the El Sobrante Boys & Girls Club grounds. The Greens were part of a "green row" that consisted of our El Sobrante/Richmond Greens table (left) alongside the El Sobrante Valley Legal Defense Fund (center) and SPAWNERS tables. Appian Creek runs behind our three tables.

Soto, Kucinich, and McLaughlin. To see more photos of this RPA event, click on the photo.

The El Sobrante and Richmond Greens joined other local environmental justice, global justice and anti-war groups in Point Richmond (right photo) on September 9, 2003, to oppose Chevron-Texaco profiting from stolen Iraqi oil and polluting our air, and to oppose the WTO (World Trade Organization) meeting being held in Mexico. The groups had a mass march to, and rally at, the nearby Chevron-Texaco headquarters.

In January, 2004, we began working with the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA). The RPA is an alliance of Progressive Democrats, Greens and Independents who want to restore Richmond's financial, democratic, and environmental health.

We worked on the RPA campaign to elect Gayle McLaughlin and Andres Soto to Richmond City Council seats, Leonard McNeil to San Pablo City Council, and Susan Swift to West Contra Costa Healthcare District Director in the November, 2004, elections. Gayle and Leonard were elected!

In 2006, we joined with the RPA to support Gayle McLaughlin's campaign to become Mayor of Richmond. We continue to oppose inappropriate development of Sobrante Valley by rapacious developers who place profits before the welfare of our community and environment by working with Canyon Park Friends of Open Space .

About El Sobrante El Sobrante Organizations El Sobrante Calendar Richmond GreensContact Us

Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.
Voltaire (1694-1778) ( François Marie Arouet, 1694-1778)