The State of Chickens....
If Georgia were a country, it would be the fifth largest producer of broilers (meat chickens) right up there with China and Brazil. The 17.5 million broilers in Franklin County, Georgia (outnumbering people 22 to 1) produce as much waste as the greater Philadelphia metro area (equivalent of 5.9 million people). The more than 10.7 million broiler chickens on factory farms in Gilmer County, Georgia produce as much untreated manure as the sewage from the Seattle metro area. At any one time, the nearly 205 million broiler chickens, 9 million egg-laying hens, 235,000 hogs, and 35,000 dairy cows on factory farms in Georgia produce as much untreated manure as 85 million people -- nearly 9 times the population of Georgia.
Fortunately, the time is ripe for change. New humane and sustainable chicken farms are emerging, such as Will Harris' White Oak Pastures and Daniel Dover's Darby Farms. They are pioneering tomorrow's chicken production and offering Georgia residents alternatives to a broken food and farming system. Last year the number of farmers markets in the United States increased by 16%. As people become more concerned and educated about where their food is coming from, they are seeking out humane and sustainable alternatives and helping to change the way chickens are treated and the environment, health and community are impacted.
Come learn more and help us form a committee that helps the Georgia Chapter work on these important issues. Monday, June 13th at the Chapter office in Decatur. Contact Leah.Garces@ciwf.org.uk for more info!
Quick Links
Rumor has it that Georgia DOT is moving forward with condeming land at Dobbins Mountain for the proposed US 411 Connector. There are other routes to better connect Rome to I-75 that would be less expensive, less destructive and faster to build. Click here to sign the petition.
Sierra Club Meetings
Beyond Factory Farming Exploratory Committee Meeting, Monday June 13th, 7p.m., Leah Garces - Chair, Leah.Garces@ciwf.org.uk Fundraising Committee, Wednesday, June 22nd, 7:00p.m., Kerry McArdle - Chair, kerry.mcardle@hotmail.com Wildlands and Wildlife Committee Meeting, Tuesday, June 28th, 7:00p.m., Mike Murdock - Chair, murdock1@mindspring.com RAIL Committee Meeting, Monday, June 27th, 7:00 p.m., Jim Dexter - Chair, call 678-313-2407, jimdex@aol.com Atlanta Inner City Outings (ICO), Tuesday, June 28th, 7:30p.m., contact Allison Williams adwilliams8@yahoo.com Smart Energy Team Meeting, Monday, July 11th, 6:30p.m. refreshments, 7p.m. start, Mike Walls - Chair, mwalls@ellijay.com |
Sierra Club 101 -- June 11th
You got on our mailing list because you care about the environment and want help -- now what? Sierra Club 101! Come learn about the Sierra Club and how to get involved in our local efforts. Open to members and non-members alike -- bring a friend! Breakfast and coffee provided. June 11th, 10:30am-12pm. Register online by clicking here.
Transportation Telephone Town Halls - June 13th-June 22nd
Over the coming weeks, the Atlanta Regional Transportation Roundtable
wants to hear about your transportation priorities and concerns.
Roundtable members are working throughout the summer to develop a
project list that voters can decide to fund through a penny sales tax in
July 2012. Click here for more infomation about how to participate.
Mercury Hearing Wrap Up & Back Porch Planning - June 20th
Thanks to everyone who came out to the May 26 EPA Mercury Hearing! Check out more pictures from our awesome hair testing here! The comment period for the EPA Mercury Rule is open until July 1, and EPA is on the verge of issuing its final ozone rule. What does all this mean? We need your brainpower and helping hands to plan for the next six months. Come to the Sierra Club office on Monday night, June 20th at 6:30pm for a patio planning session and wrap up from the mercury hearing. BYOB.
?Hablas?
Diversifying the Sierra Club is a local and national priority. In Georgia, we are forming a team of local Sierrans who are bilingual to assist with speaking to the media and public about important state and national environmental issues. There will be a kickoff social planned for early August. If you speak Spanish and are willing to help or interested in being a part of this team, please email ecoangie@bellsouth.net to join the group. To subscribe for Sierra Club press releases in Spanish, click here.
Interested in reading more?
If you have missed an issue of Footnotes Online you can view them online in our archive by clicking here. You can also sign up for alerts in order to take action at times when we need decision makers to hear from you. We need your help!