Footnotes Issue #90: December 21, 2014
A Victorious Year!
This year has been full of victories for the Georgia Chapter. Thanks to our members and supporters, we have made strides in securing solar energy for our state, expanding mass transit in Clayton County, and turning out the largest crowd of clean air and clean energy advocates in the country to encourage passage of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule.
The year started off with a bang when HB 1009 passed the Georgia State Legislature, paving the way for Clayton County's vote to join the Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). After months of work organizing turnout to local meetings in support of expanding transportation options, the Clayton County Board of Commissioners finally gave voters a chance to choose whether to join MARTA at the polls (Click here to thank them!). The focus then turned to voter outreach and the Chapter partnered with many organizations to form the Friends of Clayton Transit Coalition. All the hard work paid off on election night when Clayton County made headlines with a 74% vote in favor of joining MARTA. Public hearings have already been held on the new MARTA bus routes in the county, and we will continue working to ensure smooth implementation of the service.
President Obama kicked off the summer season by announcing his Clean Power Plan, which would for the first time limit carbon pollution from existing power plants. With the nation's top polluting coal-fired power plant in our state, Georgia has historically been a disproportionate part of the problem. Atlanta was named the site of one of only four hearings across the country. Our organizers and volunteers came together to plan a march, promote the hearing, and encourage people to give testimonies. The effort culminated in the largest demonstration of all the hearings: Over 700 people--coming from all over the southeast U.S. and throughout the state--prayed, rallied, played, marched, and testified together in downtown Atlanta to send a powerful message to the EPA on the first day of it's public Clean Power Plan hearings.
And Georgia is off to a solid start on meeting its targets. Last year, with your support, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) approved a motion for Georgia Power, the state’s largest utility, to add 525 MW of solar power generation to its portfolio by 2016. Throughout the year, The Georgia Sierra Club has helped to make the Peach State the fastest-growing solar market in the country. Last Monday, the PSC approved 515 megawatts of solar power purchase agreements from the April 2014 request for proposals, concluding its year of clean energy investments.
This has been a great year! Click here to watch our Holiday Party Slideshow, which features the highlights above and many more from 2014!
#MyWildGeorgia
The Sierra Club has launced "Our Wild America," a campaign that focuses on securing public lands and waters, protected in perpetuity for future generations. America’s most iconic expanses of pristine and wild places are under threat. Mining, drilling, and logging destroy millions of acres. Habitats for endangered species have shrunk to unsustainable levels. Public lands, which support a growing outdoor recreation movement, are cut off from public use—then rendered unusable—by private interests like gas, oil, and coal companies.
By connecting Americans with the great outdoors, Sierra Club’s Our Wild America Campaign builds an engaged and diverse movement to protect lands and waters, reduce climate disruption, and support recreation economies at the community, state, and federal levels. Our 2.1 million members and supporters cover a lot of ground; we’re all working to build the same legacy and we want to hear from you.
We have a new facebook page! Like us at facebook.com/SierraClubGA, and then tell us about your favorite wild places. Post a picture or share a fun experience from a favorite outdoor spot in Georgia on your social media accounts and use the hashtag #mywildgeorgia so we can all find it and enjoy it too!
Sierra Club Meetings
Smart Energy Committee Meeting, Monday, January 12, 7:00 p.m. Wildlands Committee, Monday, January 19, 7:00 p.m. RAIL Committee Meeting, Monday, January 26, 7:00 p.m. |
Don't live in Atlanta? Check out our Local Groups.
Other Events
January 12th - MMGA “People’s State of the State - Forward Together Teach In & Rally” - Moral Monday Georgia's legislative platform is bold and lifts our values and not our fears. Last year we made news; this year we want to make change. The coming legislative session is likely to be brutal. Our most vulnerable communities will surely face new attacks. Join us in Atlanta as we lift our agenda, collective voices and present our demands to the General Assembly. We must move forward together and not one step back. Click here for details.
January 21st - Sierra Club & Beer - Every other month, Sierra Club and Beer provides a space and great beer from Marietta-based Red Hare Brewing Company for meeting like-minded people, while learning something new. This month, the Sierra Club will discuss legislation under the Gold Dome. Come learn about the Sierra Club's annual Capitol Conservation Day. Save the date!
January 24th - Sierra Club 101 - You joined the Sierra Club to help protect the environment -- now what? 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! Please register here so we can bring enough refreshments for everyone!
January 28th - Activist Training - This year, the Georgia Chapter will launch an activist training series. Youth and adults interested in taking actions on issues they care about, from local conflicts to national dilemmas, should attend. Attendees will receive training in leadership and advocacy skills, including practical tips on how to mobilize communities and influence decision makers when advocating for causes they care about. To RSVP, email Brionté McCorkle.
Save the Date! Feb 18 - Capitol Conservation Day - Come down to the Gold Dome and make your voice heard by joining the Georgia Water Coalition for its annual Conservation Day. The day kicks off with an issue briefing and tips on how to lobby, followed by a seasoned lobbyist showing you "the ropes" on the third floor of the Capitol. We'll get our picture taken and our strong presence will remind our lawmakers that their constituents care about environmental protection.
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