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An Early Spring and Welcome Change
 The calendar says it's still winter, so why does it feel like spring is in the air? It might have something to do with next week's inauguration of a President who stands ready to take serious action on global warming and rebuild our economy with green jobs and clean, green energy.
Pierce Brosnan and other celebrity supporters of the Sierra Club recently got together to say "thank you" and pledge to help President Obama follow through on his historic agenda.
After you watch our video, leave your own message for our new President.
Pitch In for America
 President-elect Obama has called on all Americans to participate in thousands of service projects over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, January 17 through 19. We're answering the call and asking Sierra Club members and supporters to organize service events in the name of the Club. You can visit our National Day of Service webpage for a step-by-step guide to joining this historic event.
We've got lots of Earth-friendly options -- from leading a hike to fixing a bike. So roll up your sleeves and celebrate!
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Tennessee Valley Coal Ash Disaster
 Change in Washington, D.C., is coming none too soon if events in Tennessee are any indication. On Dec. 23, a massive spill at the Kingston Fossil Plant near Knoxville released one billion gallons of coal ash sludge and contaminated water into the Emory and Clinch rivers and onto more than 300 acres of nearby land. "This massive spill reminds us that coal is not clean, and coal is not cheap," said Sierra Club National Coal Campaign Director Bruce Nilles, who has been blogging about the disaster at Daily Kos.
The Sierra Club, together with Earthjustice, Public Justice, and the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment, is requesting that a federal court oversee cleanup and remediation and that the responsible parties compensate local residents.
Unfortunately, there are nearly 100 "wet dump" sites (pdf) for the storage of toxic pollution from coal-fired power plants across the United States, and many of them contain even more toxic heavy metals than were released in the Tennessee disaster.
Photo Credit: Dave Cooper
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A Fresh Face for Sierraclub.org
Change is coming to more than the White House. The Sierra Club's national website features a new design that's already in place on our home page.
We think it's simpler, easier to use, and better reflects the Club's heritage and heroes. But what do you think?
Let us know in the comments!
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We'll Help You Find What You're Looking For
 If you use Google to search the web (and we've got a hunch that some of you do), you can now add a Sierra Club iGoogle "theme" to your search page. Besides putting lots of customizable features and widgets at your fingertips, the Sierra Club iGoogle theme features a dynamic banner photo that highlights some of the places and creatures that the Sierra Club works to protect.
Check out the theme now.
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Know someone who might be interested in the Sierra Club Insider? Help spread the word by using our online form to tell your friends, family, and co-workers about the Insider or simply forward this Insider on. (Some email clients strip the links out of emails when forwarded. If your email does this, you can also direct friends, family, and co-workers to our online version.)
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