Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet
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The Story of Beyond Coal In a must-read story, Politico calls the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign "the most extensive, expensive, and effective campaign in the Club's 123-year history, and maybe the history of the environmental movement." Michael Grunwald writes, "It's real and relentless....It has quietly transformed the U.S. electric grid and the global climate debate." Inside the war on coal details the rise of the Beyond Coal campaign and its partnership with former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, allies in the business world, and litigators and organizers who have prevailed in almost every state that burns coal. Read the story. And Here's the Latest Beyond Coal Victory A three-year effort by the Beyond Coal campaign in North Carolina has paid off with Duke Energy's announcement that it will retire its coal-burning power plant in Asheville -- the 190th coal plant slated for retirement since Beyond Coal launched in 2010. The Asheville Plant, one of the nation's dirtiest, will be replaced with a solar farm and a gas-fired operation. The Sierra Club applauds the former but will fight the latter. "I look forward to seeing Asheville residents continue to push for clean energy," says Beyond Coal director Mary Anne Hitt. Read more of what Hitt has to say. Tell President Obama to Say Shell No! With only about six weeks until the summer season for Arctic drilling begins, Shell is pushing hard to get the permits it needs to haul its drilling rigs north and work on creating an almost certain oil disaster. Fortunately, the solution to stopping Shell is simple -- President Obama can deny any or all of the remaining permits Shell needs to move forward with its plan. He's feeling the heat thanks to activists like you who have sent tens of thousands of letters, flooded the White House with calls, and turned out to protest in Seattle. Will you help keep the pressure on? [[S51:inc_insider_nonmember_banner1]] Connect the Dots, Mr. President President Obama deserves credit for major accomplishments when it comes to decreasing demand for dirty fossil fuels. But the president's failure to connect the dots when it comes to oil -- as evidenced by his recent approval of Shell's plans to drill in the Arctic -- is threatening his legacy on climate action and clean energy. "Building a legacy is more than piling up a record of accomplishments," says Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune. "It's the actions you take today that will reverberate far into the future." Read more, and take action to help stop Shell's Arctic drilling plans. It's Not Too Late to Plan a Summer or Fall Vacation Still unsure how you're spending your vacation? Have no fear -- your plans are in safe hands with Sierra Club Outings. Here are a few favorites with space still available:
How Can I Recycle My Camp Stove Fuel Canisters? "I have been trying to find out how best to dispose of or recycle the small canisters that we use for our camp stove," writes a Sierra reader. Until recently, it was impossible to recycle old fuel canisters because of the risks associated with leftover gas. But the Sierra Club's own Mr. Green is a recycling connoisseur -- he shows you how to avert disaster and recycle those single-use canisters safely. Enjoy your camp food, guilt-free, with Mr. Green's recycling tips. Tribes Must Be Heard on Grizzly Delisting Bonnie Rice, the Sierra Club's senior point person for wildlands and wildlife in the Greater Yellowstone region, recently attended a meeting with federal and state agency representatives charged with managing the Yellowstone grizzly bear population and its habitat. A key topic was the potential removal of Endangered Species Act protections for grizzlies in the region. But Rice says a key constituency has been largely left out of the discussion -- local tribes, many with ancestral ties to Yellowstone, who consider the grizzly sacred and a powerful symbol of spiritual regeneration and renewal. Read what Rice has to say about this slight. Gone in a Generation Despite recent greenwashing schemes, Monsanto may be hastening the decline of the monarch butterfly. The mega-corporation continues to churn out the herbicide that has helped wipe out 90 percent of the beloved lepidopterans. Said herbicide -- Roundup -- kills milkweed, which is the monarch larvae's only food source. Even scarier? Monarchs are still not a federally recognized endangered species. Read more, and take action to help give monarchs a chance. Don't Trade Away Our Environment The U.S. Senate recently passed a bill moving Congress one step closer to fast-tracking toxic trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP would grant enormous new rights to multinational corporations and make it harder for governments to safeguard our air, water, and climate. The fight to stop fast track now moves to the House, where a handful of votes will make the difference. Contact your representative now! [[S51:inc_insider_member_banner5]] Fun Without Cell Phones Sierra Club volunteer outings leader Richard Rheder of El Paso, Texas, enjoyed what he calls a "free-range" childhood. Now he tries to give kids who lack easy access to nature the same experience by getting them outside through the Sierra Club's Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) program. "In an environment where most childhood entertainment comes from electronics, ICO trips give kids a wider view of the world," Rheder says. "They quickly learn that it's possible to have fun without cell phones. You can ride a bike into a ditch and get bitten by a turtle, and still have the best day of your life." Read more about unplugging and tuning into the great outdoors. No-Brainer A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that pollution from fossil fuels can inflict lasting damage on human brain development, especially in fetuses, babies, and toddlers. The study also found that Latinos and African Americans are disproportionately affected, as they are more likely to live near polluting facilities or in locales with poor air quality. "Clearly, this is a no-brainer," writes nationally syndicated Latino columnist Javier Sierra. "The EPA has the moral obligation to truly strengthen the nation's air quality standards." Read more of what Sierra has to say. 5 Weird Effects of California's Drought The California drought means reduced snowpack, lake shrinkage, water shortages, and increased risk of catastrophic wildfires (among other severe impacts). And while these consequences are dire, they were expected. Five other ripple effects, however, have blindsided us -- and most of them are happening right now. Get the Buzz In each issue of Currents, the Sierra Club's weekly news and action center, you'll get two "take action" features that let you give voice to your activism, and two grassroots stories to savor and be inspired by. The online newsletter is delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign up now and catch the latest environmental buzz. Appalachian Crayfish on the Brink Just a handful of havens remain for the Big Sandy and Guyandotte River crayfish -- vital Appalachian residents critical to the local food chain that are under attack from mine waste, erosion, and pollution. Polluting industries think that nobody cares about these crayfish, their homes, or the communities that rely on a healthy rivers and safe waters. You can protect their habitats from more destruction, but there isn't much time. Every day we don't act, more mining pollution destroys the Big Sandy and Guyandotte watersheds. Take action now! The Big Sandy and Guyandotte crayfish are similar in appearance to this vintage photo from the EPA archives. Photo by Bill Gillette
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