Big Coal Threatens American History!Right now, mountaintop-removal mining is threatening one of America's most historic sites: West Virginia's Blair Mountain.
In 1921, 7,000 coal miners began marching to Mingo County, to unionize the southern West Virginia mines. Armed guards and deputies from the Mingo County Sheriff's office met the miners at Blair Mountain and a battle raged for days. Eventually, the miners laid down their arms, but the battle led to the advancement of rights for workers across the country.
The Sierra Club has petitioned the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to make Blair Mountain off-limits to mining. Mountaintop-removal mining has already destroyed 500 mountains and thousands of streams in Appalachia.
Don't let it destroy our history too.
Photo by Mark Schmerling
Grow Your Own GroceriesGardening season is in full swing with delicious backyard mainstays like tomatoes, lettuce, and rosemary. But if you're ready to try some quirkier crops, check out
Sierra magazine's expert recommendations for
offbeat but easy-to-grow fruits and vegetables that you might not have tried yet.
And if you want even more fun edible ideas, be sure to get the new edition of
Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy.
Order online and we'll include this free garden tote (while supplies last)!
They Call Him "Chopper"...Power plants don't just spew pollution into the air, they also suck up more than 200 billion gallons of water daily using outdated cooling systems that kill billions of fish and aquatic creatures each year. Yuck.
It's not too late for the EPA to stop the fish massacre. The Sierra Club teamed up with Pulitzer-winning cartoonist Mark Fiore to draw attention to the problem and urge the agency to protect our fish and waterways by requiring modern water-saving, fish-protecting cooling systems for power plants.
Watch Chopper and take action today.
Refusing to Bend In December 2010, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation approved methyl iodide for use in the state, despite fierce and ongoing opposition from scientists, environmental advocacy groups, and agricultural communities, who say the fumigant poses a danger to farm workers and residents.
So far, though, no growers near the Central California town of Watsonville have dared to apply for a permit to use it. That's in large part thanks to a group of high school activists whose parents are at risk of exposure. An
online exclusive feature from Sierra magazine.
Photo: Rowan Byers
Marine Team Takes on Capitol HillFrom space, the earth looks blue. The oceans cover 70 percent of the earth's surface, and they face environmental challenges ranging from climate change to gigantic "garbage islands" of plastic. That's why volunteers on the Sierra Club's
Marine Action Team joined hundreds of other activists in Washington, D.C. last month for the Blue Vision Summit and a day of lobbying on Capitol Hill. You can
read their behind-the-scenes stories at the Activist Network.
If you would like to join them in speaking up for the oceans, you don't need to travel all the way to Washington, D.C. The Obama administration's National
Ocean Council is hosting listening sessions on ocean policy in Honolulu, Galveston, San Francisco, and nine other cities.
Win a Trip, Kayak, or New Paddling Gear!Are you ready to roll?
Sierra magazine's Sixth Annual Paddling Sweepstakes is underway. Don't miss your chance to win a free trip to the destination of your choice from Caravan.com!
Additional prizes include an AdvancedFrame sport kayak as well as paddling gear from NRS, SPOT, Werner, and SealLine.
The deadline for entries is June 30, 2011, so
stop counting fish and get your stick in.
