What's So Bad About Tar Sands?
How can we tell people about the most toxic fossil fuel on Earth?
Here's one easy way:
Watch and share this short animated video that shows what's so bad about tar sands. Can you guess which famous Canadian-American actor provided the narration?
(Hint: He once voiced a "hunky environmentalist" on
The Simpsons.)
Great Gifts for Dad
Looking for a Father's Day gift that won't disappear into the back of Dad's closet? We've put together a
guide to Sierra Club books for all kinds of dads, from "Fly-Fishing Dad" to "Bicyclist Dad" to "Backpacker Dad."
Once you've found the perfect gift, enter the code DAD2012 during checkout and you'll receive a 20 percent discount on your purchase.
Another Crazy House Bill
If today's Tuesday, then someone in the U.S. House of Representatives must be attacking the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, or Endangered Species Act.
Actually, the National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act (H.R. 1505) attacks all three, along with about two dozen other environmental laws, by lifting protections from public lands in a zone that extends 100 miles into the U.S. from all land borders. If passed, it would put dozens of national parks, tribal lands, and protected natural areas at risk.
Disguised as a border-security initiative, H.R. 1505 is actually a direct assault on our public lands.
Tell your representative to say no to H.R. 1505.
Volunteer and Vagabond
When Sierra Club volunteer and self-described "vagabond" Japhy Dhungana isn't leading trips in the Sierra Nevada or bicycling from Los Angeles to the tip of South America, he's teaching people how to improve their hiking, navigation, backpacking, snow travel, and rock climbing skills through the Los Angeles Chapter's Wilderness Travel Course.
Here's a question for the history buffs among you:
Why does he call his bicycle "Bucephalus?" Photo courtesy of Japhy Dhungana
Win a Trip Down Under
Enter Sierra magazine's Seventh Annual Paddling Sweepstakes and you could win an outdoor adventure trip to the Australian island of Tasmania from Tasmanian Expeditions. Runner-up prizes include paddling gear from NRS, a deluxe outdoor cook set from Mountain Safety Research, and a Werner kayak paddle.
The deadline for entries is June 30, 2012.
Enter today!
Picking on Polar Bears
Although polar bears and walruses are protected under the Marine
Mammal Protection Act, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife has
now given Shell Oil official permission to "harass" both species
during exploratory drilling in the Arctic this summer.
Shell may
"disturb [them] in the wild by causing disruption of behavioral
patterns, including, but not limited to, migration, breathing,
nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering."
For a look at how animals in the Arctic live without Shell Oil's
harassment, see
Sierra magazine's slideshow of images from
To the Arctic, by Florian Schulz
Photo by Florian Schulz
From the Worst to the Best Job EverRemember the worst job you ever had? We asked some Sierra Club employees to do exactly that -- and then to tell us a little about their current work for the Sierra Club.
Hear for yourself why fish guts and donuts can't compete with protecting the planet.
We want to spread the word that if you're looking for a job (or simply wish you had a better job), the
Sierra Club Careers website is the place to find out about meaningful positions and internships across the country working for America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization.
