Club, Allies Strike Historic California Conservation Deal

After years of legal wrangling, on May 8, the Sierra Club and partner groups announced a deal to protect the largest contiguous parcel of land designated for conservation in California history—240,000 acres of stunningly diverse landscapes on the privately-owned Tejon Ranch south of Bakersfield. At 375 square miles, the preserve of desert, woodlands, and grasslands is eight times the size of San Francisco and nearly the size of Los Angeles.

"For Southern California, this is the ecological equivalent of the Louisiana Purchase," says Sierra Club Senior Regional Representative Bill Corcoran, pictured above speaking at a press conference with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and others to announce the deal. "It is the keystone for protecting Southern California's natural legacy, a crossroads where our state's mountains, valleys, and desert meet. Visitors to the heart of the ranch see California as it was—wild and achingly beautiful."

Tejon Ranch's vast scale and unique combination of rolling plains, steep ridges, and oak-studded hills have made protection of the ranch the long-dreamed prize of conservationists—in 2005 the Sierra Club made the ranch its top priority in California. Corcoran, who began working on the issue eight years ago, has been negotiating the conservation deal for 20 months; he describes the negotiations as "often difficult but always in good faith." Longtime Club activist Jim Dodson, a key player in the California Desert Protection Act victory in the 1990s, was Corcoran's volunteer partner at the negotiating table, and local Club activists from the Kern-Kaweah and Angeles Chapters were briefed throughout the process.

The Club worked in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Audubon California, the Planning and Conservation League, and the Endangered Habitats League. "It took a village to preserve the ranch," says Corcoran. In return for keeping 90 percent of the property in its natural state, the Club and its allies agreed not to challenge proposed development on the western and southwestern edge of the ranch, near Interstate 5.

"In my opinion," says Corcoran, "California will never again see a private land conservation agreement of this size and ecological importance."

Top photo by Jeff Gantman. Bottom photo by Bill Corcoran.

Arizona Adopts Clean Car Standards

By a 5-2 vote, the Arizona Governor's Regulatory Review Council on May 6 approved adoption of the California Low Emission Vehicle program, or Clean Car standards, making Arizona the fourteenth state to do so. Starting on January 1, 2011, manufacturers of passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in Arizona must meet tougher average emissions standards for greenhouse gases than federal standards now mandate.

The Sierra Club's Grand Canyon Chapter has been promoting the Clean Car standards for years. Last year the chapter collected hundreds of postcards thanking Governor Janet Napolitano for signing an executive order establishing a statewide goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the 2000 level by 2020 and 50 percent below that level by 2050. Sierra Club intern Stephanie Russo then shaped the postcards into a car to present to the governor. Above, Club organizer Tiffany Sprague, chapter director Sandy Bahr, Russo, and Lori Faeth, the governor's Natural Resource Policy Advisor, display the postcard car.

"Most of Arizona's pollution comes from cars and trucks, and about 39 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions come from vehicles," says Bahr, below, who served on the state Climate Change Advisory Group in 2005-2006. "Adopting Clean Car standards was one of our recommendations to the governor, and now we're finally there."

Automobile manufacturers said the standards would add at least $6,000 to the cost of new light cars and trucks, and a lobbyist for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers argued that the state Department of Environmental Quality lacks the legal authority to adopt the standards, saying state laws covering regulation of air "contaminants" do not include carbon dioxide. But the Regulatory Review Council rejected these contentions. At the hearing, Bahr quoted a 1973 claim by Chrysler that mandating catalytic converters on vehicles would put 800,000 people out of work and decrease tax revenues by $5 billion. "The car companies survived, and so did our economy," Bahr said.

Bahr cites the efforts of Grand Canyon Chapter Energy Chair Jon Findley for his work on the campaign, and thanks "a bunch of volunteers," including chapter leaders Danny Ruppert, Dan Steuter, and Sarah King for attending the hearing.

Hawaii Passes Landmark Solar Roofs Bill

 

The Hawaii state legislature passed a landmark measure on May 1 that would make the state the first in the nation to require solar water heaters as a standard feature on all new homes. The solar roofs bill, which received unanimous support in the House and only two dissenting votes in the Senate, was the top priority of the Hawaii Sierra Club this legislative session.

"This is the type of transformative policy that will define Hawaii's clean energy future," says Hawaii Sierra Club Director Jeff Mikulina, above left. "The solar roofs bill brings the benefit of free sunshine to new homeowners across our islands. We are the Saudi Arabia of sun—every house in the state should be tapping into this free resource."

Earlier this year Hawaii governor Linda Lingle announced a goal of at least 70 percent renewable energy use in the state by 2030. "Achieving this goal is nearly impossible without widespread use of solar water heaters," Mikulina says. "The solar roofs bill is smart policy, sensibly crafted to smooth a transition toward zero-energy homes of the future."

Solar water heaters shave 30 to 40 percent off a home's electricity bill and greatly reduce residential greenhouse gas emissions. Advocates say the policy comes none too soon, as Hawaii faces the priciest electricity in the nation and clear threats from climate change.

Legislators rejected a bill to set lighting efficiency standards and create a compact fluorescent recycling program, and an in-store recycling bill that would have allowed customers to redeem their bottles and cans at retail stores of a certain size. Even so, says Mikulina, "Passing the solar roofs bill was the single biggest step the legislature took this year to increase Hawaii's energy security."

Sierra Club Newsmakers -- 5.2.2008

On May 1, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, above, rejected an ultimatum by the state legislature to approve two new coal-fired power plants in the state. "It's great to see a leader get the big picture," said Kansas Sierra Club leader Bill Griffith. "Governor Sebelius is a rare breed of politician who examines long-term policy implications and truly does what is best for the citizens she represents." Last month Sebelius vetoed a bill to approve the project. The Senate overrode her veto on May 1, but the House fell four votes short of doing so. "Today's vote solidifies Kansas as a true leader in the fight against global warming and opens the door for a new economy based on clean energy technologies," the Kansas Sierra Club said in a statement to the press.

Longtime Mississippi Sierra Club activist Becky Gillette, above, who broke the story about Gulf Coast hurricane refugees being poisoned by formaldehyde in FEMA-issued trailers, was the subject of a lengthy profile in USA Today. After a local FEMA manager alerted his supervisors in 2006 about the problem but was told "not to worry about it," Gillette organized the testing of 69 FEMA trailers and mobile homes, 60 of which showed high levels of the toxic gas, forcing the agency to act. "For the longest time, it looked like they would never admit it was a problem," said Gillette.

The Sierra Club's burgeoning alliance with hunters and anglers made headlines this week. The partnership, said national Sierra Sportsmen organizer Jon Schwedler, is long overdue. "We've come full circle. John Muir was encouraged to start the Sierra Club by Teddy Roosevelt, a sportsman. Sportsmen were some of the first conservationists, and have always been an important part of the Sierra Club." Associate Press Secretary Kristina Johnson told reporters that the newly-launched SierraSportsmen.org will help connect sportsmen across state lines on conservation issues.

Seattle vaccine scientist David Sylvester was about to apply to graduate school when he decided instead to embark on a 15-month bicycling and hiking tour of the continental United States with his best friend, a shepherd/husky mix named Chiva, to raise awareness and money for protecting the environment and preventing animal cruelty. "Hiking with Chiva is my biggest passion in life and I love to bike," the 26-year-old Sylvester said. "This is about following my dreams and living by the principles of public service and outdoor adventure." Sylvester plans to summit the highest peak in each of the lower 48 states en route. His charities of choice are the Sierra Club and the Humane Society.

The Sierra Club made a big splash on and around Earth Day, the biggest coup arguably being CBS Early Show's seven-minute feature on location in the Everglades, which included an interview with the Club's Florida field rep Jon Ullman and national publicist Orli Cotel. Ullman spoke of the risks facing the Everglades and why it's so important to protect this national park. After correspondent Dave Price presented some Earth Day tips, Cotel handed him a compact fluorescent bulb and said, "if every family in America just changed five of their lightbulbs to these, it would be the same as getting ten million cars off the road."

Also on Earth Day, the Sierra Student Coalition at West Virginia University gave a Toxic Tour of Morgantown, which contains the highest concentration of power plants in the nation. Co-organizer Christy Hartman said students can "go home and tell their parents about it. Focus on the solutions, too, because it's not all gloom and doom. There are a million opportunities to address the problems we face, which is why we're out here." For a lighter take on the tour, check out this 1-minute YouTube video, and note the subtle message just before the end.

Sierra's green living guru Bob Schildgen, author of "Hey Mr. Green," popped up in a McHenry County, Illinois, newspaper story about the environmental implications of colleges and high schools that now require graduates to buy gowns as opposed to renting them. Mr. Green comes down solidly in favor of renting. "It's not that much trouble to launder a graduation gown," he said.

In Arkansas, Sierra Club forest specialist Tom McKinney urged a slowing of prescribed burns that would torch more than 200,000 acres of Forest Service lands in the state. Much of the forest doesn't need fire to rejuvenate itself, he said—the wet climate rots dead trees and leaves, unlike western forests in drier climates. McKinney advocated a return to burn levels of the 1980s, about 20,000 acres a year.

Fast-growing Bakersfield, California, which lost more than 30,000 acres of rich farmland to development between 1994 and 2004, has recently begun to rethink the wisdom of yet more sprawl. In an April 30 op-ed, the author asked whether an already-approved 79-acre development was worth the traffic, bad air, and loss of agricultural lands. No, said local Sierra Club leader and air quality specialist Gordon Nipp: "Hold off, figure out what to do about the traffic situation, and give the community a chance to say what they want."

A California grandmother who led Sierra Club outings for 25 years has recently been leading far tamer "Sex on the Mountain" hikes on Mount Tamalpais, Marin County's much-beloved local landmark. What? Tame X-rated tours? "I talk mostly about insects, and I throw in a couple of flowers, how they keep the gene pool wide," said 77-year-old Nancy Skinner. "Then I talk about genetics, that sort of thing." Skinner is the Mount Tamalpais Interpretive Association's official historian.

Sierra Club Says "Happy Birthday" to César Chávez

During the week of March 31, Sierra Club joined allies in the Latino, labor and civil rights communities to honor the legacy of American hero César Chávez by recognizing his birthday. César Chávez, best remembered as a champion of workers rights who fought to ban dangerous pesticides, co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW), an organization dedicated to garnering better wages, working conditions and respect for farm workers. Events honoring his March 31, birthday took place in cities across the country, from Los Angeles, CA to Boise, Idaho. 

Sierra Club Regional Conservation Organizer, Juana Torres, attended the César E. Chávez National Holiday campaign press conference held on March 26, in Los Angeles. During the event, co-chair of the campaign, Carlos Santana expressed his commitment to work to win support for a national holiday. Evelina Alarcón, Executive Director of the campaign for the national holiday, in her introduction, recognized Juana Torres from the Sierra Club, and mentioned the work and support the organization has given to the campaign. 

 

In DC, Congressman Baca (D-CA) held a press conference in support of the holiday. He was joined by Isabel Long, Sierra Club Associate Representative for Latino Programs and representatives from the League of United Latino American Citizens (LULAC) and the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), as well as AFL-CIO Executive Vice President, Arlene Holt Baker, among others.  Sierra Club marched along side allies in San Antonio from Guadalupe Church to the Alamo, joining in the chant of “¡Sí se puede!”

The Sierra Club has endorsed the César Chávez National Holiday Campaign. Carl Pope explains that César Chávez’ advocacy work for “justice, public lands, citizen action, corporate accountability and the rights of workers and communities to a safe and healthy environment are core values of the Sierra Club.”

César Chávez’ vision and leadership continue to inspire us today as we organize to confront global warming, environmental injustices and other threats to our health and families.

Toxic Tour Raises Awareness, Emphasizes Solutions

The West Virginia University Sierra Student Coalition organized a Toxic Tour of Morgantown, W.V., on Earth Day, to raise awareness of health hazards in the community and urge residents to make environmentally conscious choices.

"The university and the city need to work together to reduce emissions and improve air and water quality," student organizer Christy Hartman, above left, told WBOY-TV news. Helping Hartman organize the tour were fellow student activists Joe Gorman (above right, in green shirt), Caroline Copenhaver, Thomas Richards, Jessica Domer, Joe Moore, Morgan Ames, Nate Askins, and Ethan Wells.

Morgantown has the highest concentration of power plants in the nation. In addition to visiting the city's downtown power plant, the Toxic Tour made stops at the proposed site for a new coal-fired power plant, toured a solar-powered house, and demonstrated how to power a car with vegetable oil.

Hartman stressed that the group's aim is not only to inform, but to focus on solutions. "It's not all doom and gloom," she said. "There are a million opportunities to solve the problems we face. That's why we're out here."

Student activists have been meeting with WVU President Mike Garrison to get him to commit to reducing campus emissions 30 percent by 2015, beginning with a greenhouse gas inventory. "He has committed to doing the inventory," says Hartman, "so now we're working with the university to try and get a firm commitment. Our resolution was unanimously passed by the Student Government Association last spring, but the administration has yet to act."

Other WVU SSC projects include increasing solid waste recycling on campus from 23 percent to 50 percent next year, a campus-wide interfaith coalition, and establishing a Green Endowment Fund.

Learn more about the Sierra Student Coalition and how you can get involved.

Green Awakening Fashion Show Benefits Sierra Club

Kayla Bonczek, a senior at North Haven High School in Connecticut, says she has always loved fashion. But she developed another passion during her junior year after taking an advanced placement class in environmental science. "After learning about the importance of sustainability in our environment I decided I wanted to meld these two interests together," she says.

Bonczek's teacher, Abigail Walston, agreed to let her do an independent study class in environmental science her senior year with the final project being an eco-friendly fashion show. As soon as school started she got permission to hold the fashion show at her school, contacted designers for clothing donations, found volunteers, and organized the show, which she called Green Awakening. "I also had to decide on an environmental organization to donate the proceeds to," Bonczek says. "Right away, I chose the Sierra Club because of its long history of preserving and protecting the outdoors."

The Green Awakening fashion show was held on Earth Day, with clothing and accessories donated by various designers put up for bidding at a silent auction after the show. "More than $1,500 was raised from the admission price and silent auction!" says Bonczek. "It was a pleasure to raise money for such a great organization—I hope to be involved more with the Sierra Club in the future." Starting this fall she will begin a major in fashion merchandising at Marist College, and eventually she hopes to own her own store that sells clothing made by local designers out of organic cotton and sustainable and recycled materials.

It appears that when Bonczek sets a goal for herself, she attains it. "Kayla is an amazing and inspiring young lady," says Abigail Walston.

Navajo Activists Get the Cold Shoulder From Sithe

A delegation of indigenous peoples from all over the world rallied in solidarity with the Dooda Desert Rock Committee outside the offices of Sithe Global Power in New York City on April 25 to make sure Sithe understands the impacts of its proposed Desert Rock coal-fired power plant on the local Navajo people at the proposed site on the Navajo Reservation in northwestern New Mexico.

Elouise  Brown (above left), president of the Dooda Desert Rock Committee, and Enei Begaye, executive director of the Black Mesa Water Coalition, attempted to deliver a letter to Sithe telling them that local people do not support the project. Sithe declined to meet with them. Brown and Begaye were in New York for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

News reporters accompanied the two into the building where Sithe Global's offices are located, but were ordered to "leave immediately." Receptionists called Sithe several times and left messages, but the company did not come down or call back, and the receptionists would not deliver the letter, directing Brown and Begaye to a messenger center at a different location.

"I don't understand how the proponents of the Desert Rock Energy Project from our Navajo Nation can do business with a corporation that will not speak to members of the Nation who would be directly impacted by the project," Brown says. "At least we delivered the letter and they have an idea there are many Navajo people opposed to this project and only a couple who want it."

The Navajo Nation's private energy development firm, Dine' Power Authority, has given Desert Rock the thumbs-up, but most tribal members oppose the project and have been fighting it from the get-go. When the Bureau of Indian Affairs recommended that Desert Rock be built, Navajo grassroots activists called it "a BIA-issued death certificate for the Navajo people."

Photographs courtesy of the Indigenous Environmental Network.

LSU Hosts Third Annual Alternative Earth Day

The Ecological Conservation Organization at Louisiana State University, or ECO@LSU, part of the Sierra Student Coalition, hosted its third annual Alternative Earth Day on the university's main campus in Baton Rouge. Above, LSU student Danielle Sholly staffs a booth for the Sierra Club's Baton Rouge Group. Below, former student activist and current Baton Rouge Group Outings Chair Cameron Walker signs a Save Our Cypress petition.

ECO@LSU began sponsoring its own Earth Day as a grassroots alternative to the corporate-sponsored "official" Earth Day in Baton Rouge, which many people felt suffered from greenwashing. "The official Earth Day in Baton Rouge is sponsored by Coca-Cola and Exxon-Mobil," says local Sierra Club leader Jeffrey Dubinsky. "The LSU event strikes me as closer to the original spirit of Earth Day—people appreciating what they have and trying to protect the earth for future generations by raising awareness and empowering individuals."

This year ECO@LSU expanded Alternative Earth Day from a one-day festival to a week-long educational outreach program focused on sustainability and living simply. Panels discussed issues such as wetland loss, alternative fuels, air quality, and recycling, and supporting events covered topics like global health, environmental economics, bicycling, and gardening. The week culminated on Friday, April 18, with a day of music, art, and activism. Below, LSU student Katie Peterson enjoys the festivities.

All photographs by Jeffrey Dubinsky.

'We Can Do It!' This Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! Today YouTube's front page features a dozen earth-friendly videos, including a spot by the Sierra Club's Owen Bailey on how to compost biodegradable waste for reuse as fertilizer in your yard or garden. The spot is one of four how-to videos by Bailey on the Club's "We Can Do It!" Earth Day Web site, including installing a low-flow showerhead, wrapping your water heater, and installing a programmable thermostat.

Also featured on the Club's Earth Day site are energy-saving success stories, tips on buying renewable energy, home solar projects you can install for under $1,000, cars that never need gas, ways you can volunteer this Earth Day, and much more.

Elsewhere on the Web, Typepad, the world's largest paid blogging service, is featuring the Sierra Club's Green Life blog on its home page today.

Learn how YOU can make a difference, on Earth Day and every day!