October 20, 2009: In This Issue Your Own Farmers MarketNational Weatherization DayCoal Country Sneak PreviewToo Dirty for CollegeBorder Wall Victory
By giving houseplants as gifts, you'll do more than brighten someone's mood: Plants like the areca palm, mother-in-law's tongue, money plant, peace lily, and certain orchids are known for their ability to remove toxins from the air.
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Plan Your Endless Summer
Dreaming of raw, untouched wilderness? Why not head to the heart of the Arctic on one of 15 unique Sierra Club trips to Alaska and Western Canada? You haven't experienced the summer solstice until you've done so at the top of Alaska's Brooks Range.
Check out other great Sierra Club outings.
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Have You Fanned Us Yet?
We were flattered but not surprised when 2nd Six, Tribe Effect, and Chris Lisi Communications named the Sierra Club as the nonprofit organization making the most use of social-networking tools. After all, we're not just an organization -- we're a club, with real members who are working together both online and on the ground to protect the planet. We've been socially networking since 1892.
So whether you become a fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or join our Trails community -- we're here for you.
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This week on Sierra Club Radio:
1) Senator Barbara Boxer talks with us about the new climate bill.
2) Kim Teplitzky and Holly Jones from the Sierra Student Coalition on how to kick dirty coal off college campuses.
3) John Muir scholar Bonnie Gisel talks with us about the life of the conservation hero and her new book Nature's Beloved Son: Rediscovering John Muir's Botanical Legacy.
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When we put out a call for photos for the "Fans of Farmers Markets" group in our Climate Crossroads community, we got hundreds of great submissions. Who knew vegetables could be so photogenic? Still, Perry Jasper "squashed" the field to provide the current photo avatar for the group. Thanks, Perry!
You can see a lot more photos on our new Farmers Market photomap and in the group gallery.
Join the group on Climate Crossroads to find out which markets have been snapped in your neighborhood. If you know about one we've missed, you can still send us a pic.
What's the day before Halloween? National Weatherization Day! Why do we love it even more than candy corn? Let's start with saving $21 billion annually on home-energy bills. Follow up with the potential to lower greenhouse-gas emissions by up to 160 million tons annually by 2020, and you've got a day worth celebrating.
Those figures, by the way, are courtesy of "Recovery through Retrofit," a report released just yesterday by the White House. The "recovery" part of that title comes from the economic boost provided by thousands of new green jobs from energy retrofitting.
Spread the word about energy efficiency by writing a letter to your local newspaper. We make it so easy you don't even have to lick a stamp!
Coal Country is an eye-opening new film that reveals the devastation of mountaintop-removal coal mining. As Appalachian mountaintops are blasted away, the waste is dumped in waterways -- and nearby communities pay the price. You can help spread the word about Coal Country and end mountaintop-removal mining by hosting or attending a Coal Country house party between November 10th and 14th.
Already, more than 300 people across the country have signed up to host a party, show a sneak-preview version of Coal Country, and write letters to the Obama administration to help put an end to mountaintop removal.
There also will be an opportunity to call in for a special message from Appalachian activists, leaders from the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign, and actress Ashley Judd. Each host receives a "how-to" packet along with a free sneak-peek Coal Country DVD.
For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org/coalcountry.
College students aren't exactly famous for their tidiness, but all across the country they're starting to stand up and say there's one thing that's just plain TOO DIRTY for school. And it's not mud wrestling. Check out the Sierra Student Coalition's latest videos to see what we mean.
And if you agree that colleges and universities should be setting a good example when it comes to clean energy, sign their petition.
The U.S. Senate voted today not to
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| Image Credit: Krista Schlyer | fund any more construction of the destructive and unnecessary wall along the U.S./Mexico border. This decision -- a victory for the borderlands region -- marks the first time since border wall construction began that the controversial project will not receive funding.
The more than 600 miles of border walls already built have separated families, caused damaging floods and erosion, and fractured habitat and migration corridors vital to wildlife in danger of extinction.
Learn more about the people and the land of the border region.
Know someone who might be interested in the Sierra Club Insider? Help spread the word by using our online form to tell your friends, family, and co-workers about the Insider or simply forward this Insider on. (Some email clients strip the links out of emails when forwarded. If your email does this, you can also direct friends, family, and co-workers to our online version.) | |
No Tricks -- Just Treats
