The Newsletter of the Conservation Committees
Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club Email items or articles to Editor: Robin Ives, Publisher/Webmaster: Lori Ives
The Conservation Committees provide forums for Club members to discuss impending conservation issues and to coordinate efforts of conservation subcommittees with groups and sections. They meet monthly every third Tuesday (Orange County) and third Wednesday (Angeles Chapter). Contact the Conservation Committee Chairs by the end of the previous month for a place on the agenda. Deadline for newsletter submissions is 16 days before the Chapter meeting.

Quote of Note

The President still doesn't get it.
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) in response to President Bush's "additions" to the Supreme Court ruling that the EPA must regulate greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles as pollution.

Index - May 2007

10 Ways to Go Green at Work

A Conversation Between God and St Francis
A Tale of Two Cities

Beyond Hope
Bob Cates Awarded Angeles Chapter's Top Honor: the Phil Bernays Plaque at Chapter Banquet

Drilling Proposed for Wyoming Range

Extend Energy Efficiency

Grant Applications Due June 15

Lobby Day Invitation

San Bernardino County General Plan Challenged For Ignoring Global Warming

Senate Panel's Dems Vote Down Water Bond Over Proposed Reservoirs

Save the Endangered Species Act

Sierra Club Board of Directors Election 2007

Sierra Club California 2007 Priority Bills

Suit Against Federal Government

Utah Doctors Prescribe Cleaner Air

Victory: Protecting Our Forests

Wilderness Revival

Yellowstone and Grand Teton—They Deserve a Quieter Future

 

Environmental Resolutions (none)

Useful Information
Chapter Conservation Committees Calendar
Chapter Conservation Management Committee
Chapter Conservation Grants Committee
Chapter Conservation Committee Preliminary Agenda

Orange County Conservation Committee Preliminary Agenda

 

Victory: Protecting Our Forests

In a huge win for people who hunt, fish and enjoy our national forests, the US Forest Service agreed to abandon nine large timber sales in wild areas of Alaska's Tongass National Forest and not to offer any new timber sales in Tongass roadless areas. The Tongass, which spans 17 million acres in Southeast Alaska, is the world's largest temperate rainforest. The forest is home to old growth trees, wolves, bears, salmon, moose and bald eagles, and provides some of the few remaining wild places after 50 years of industrial logging.

Wilderness Revival

In the coming days, your Senators and Representatives will be voting on the first wilderness bills of the 110th Congress — the Wild Sky Wilderness Act and America's Red Rock Wilderness Act. Together these bills will protect over nine million acres of forests and canyons, saving our wilderness heritage for our children and grandchildren.

Tell Congress to permanently protect wilderness areas in Washington's Wild Sky region and the Red Rock canyons of Utah!

Save the Endangered Species Act

Recent leaks from government employees have revealed that the Bush administration is attempting to re-write the Endangered Species Act through regulations. Almost every aspect of the law will be affected, essentially gutting the Act and leaving threatened game and wildlife vulnerable to extinction.

Congress needs to take back their power to write and change laws from the administration and stop this attack on the Endangered Species Act.

Tell your Congressman that it's time to send the administration a message. Save the Endangered Species Act!

Beyond Hope

At one of my recent talks someone stood up during the Q and A and announced that the only reason people ever become activists is to feel better about themselves. Effectiveness really doesn't matter, he said, and it's egotistical to think it does.

I told him I disagreed.

Doesn't activism make you feel good? he asked.

Of course, I said, but that's not why I do it. If I only want to feel good, I can just masturbate. But I want to accomplish something in the real world.

Why?

Because I'm in love. With salmon, with trees outside my window, with baby lampreys living in sandy stream bottoms, with slender salamanders crawling through the duff. And if you love, you act to defend your beloved. Of course results matter to you, but they don't determine whether or not you make the effort. You don't simply hope your beloved survives and thrives. You do what it takes. If my love doesn't cause me to protect those I love, it's not love.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton Deserve a Quieter Future

Yellowstone's winter health is poised to improve further — or take a turn for the worse. You can help make the difference. Four studies since 1998 have concluded that Yellowstone's air quality, wildlife, and natural soundscapes would be best protected through snowcoach-only access.

Despite this, the Park Service is proposing to allow triple the number of snowmobiles than have been in the Park the last four winters. The latest study, now open for public comment, has verified yet again that a continuation of snowmobile use would result in greater levels of air and noise pollution, and disturbance of Yellowstone's wildlife.

Drilling Proposed for Wyoming Range
Coming soon to a pristine National Forest in Wyoming

Take Action to tell the Bridger-Teton National Forest that the Wyoming Range is too special to drill.

The Forest Service is soliciting comments on a proposed project to drill three exploratory gas wells in the Hoback Basin, seven miles south of Bondurant on the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The 20,000-acre project area offers pristine, roadless habitat for moose, elk and mule deer, threatened species like Canada lynx, and native populations of Colorado River cutthroat trout. It also supports a wide range of recreational activities and sustainable outfitting and guiding businesses. This development threatens to open the door to large-scale industrialization in this special area of the forest. This project is the necessary first step to securing full field development — a prospect that would be devastating to the forest.

We need your help to fight this proposal!


A Conversation Between God and St. Francis

The realities of what we are wasting by not recognizing the value of weeds as food and medicine was subject of a whimsical exchange between God and St. Francis found not long ago on the internet. It is worth contemplating.

Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there in the Midwest? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracted butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.

It’s the tribes that settled there, Lord. The suburbanites. They started calling your flowers ‘weeds’ and went to great extent to kill them and replace them with grass.

Grass? But it’s so boring. It’s not colorful. It doesn’t attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It’s temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

The spring rains and cool weather probably make grass grow really fast. They must make the Suburbanites happy.

Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it sometimes twice a week.

They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

No, sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

Yes, sir.

These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

You aren’t going to believe this, Lord. When the Grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer and evaporation of water fro their leaves provides a natural air-conditioning for the houses under them. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It’s a natural circle of life.

You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and have them hauled away.

No! What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and keep the soil moist and lose?

After throwing away your leaves, they go out and buy something they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

And where do they get this mulch?

They cut down trees and grind them up.

Enough! I don’t want to think about this anymore. Saint Catherine, you’re in charge of the carts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

Dumb and Dumber, Lord. It’s a real stupid movie about....

Never mind. I think I just heard the whole story.

Bob Cates Awarded Phil Bernays Plaque

Robert (Bob) Cates joined the club in 1971 and became an outings leader in 1972. He led outings primarily for the Hundred Peaks Section and Natural Science Section, but also for Desert Peaks Section, Sierra Peaks Section, Camera Committee, Local Hikes, San Fernando Valley Group, and the Desert Committee. He edited the Hundred Peaks Lookout for several years in the late 1970s. He is now in his 10th year of editing Naturalist Notes, the newsletter of the Natural Science Section. Bob also provided historical photographs and captions for 33 covers of the Schedule of Activities, plus one scenic cover. And In 1986 he was in charge of the committee that organized the Chapter's Diamond Jubilee event. In 1976 Bob wrote and self-published the first guidebook to the Joshua Tree National Monument: A Visitor's Guide. It was revised after passage of the California Desert Protection Act in 1994 and is still in print. Frank Wheat saw fit to summarize his contributions in his book California Desert Miracle: The Fight for Desert Parks and Wilderness (Sunbelt Press, 1999).

The following is quoted (pp. 175-178) from Frank Wheat’s book:

Robert Cates was a mechanical engineer working at Litton Guidance and Control Systems, a division of Litton Industries, Inc. He was also an avid hiker and mountaineer who had come to love Joshua Tree National Monument. Surprised by the lack of information about the monument, especially when compared to the plethora of books, magazines, and articles dealing with Death Valley, he decided to put together an illustrated visitors' guide to Joshua Tree. In his words, "It was a niche just waiting to be filled."

Assisted throughout by his wife Maureen and drawing upon Sierra Club hiking acquaintances for companions in field research, he assembled a fat notebook of historical and cultural information about the monument as well as its natural history. It never occurred to him, he said, to seek a publisher for the resulting guidebook. He and Maureen simply created their own company, Live Oak Press, printed up 5,000 copies, and sent samples to potential retailers. In the book he told wonderful stories about the monument, including that of Minerva Hamilton Hoyt, no "sun-hardened desert rat" but a prominent society matron in Pasadena, who had asked then-Governor James Rolph of California to introduce her to newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt. She bearded the President in the oval office and told him he should act to establish a national park or monument in the area. Thereafter she held his feet to the fire and, three years after their first meeting, she prevailed; Joshua Tree National Monument was established by the President's proclamation.

Demand for Cates' book was high, especially at the monument's visitor centers where it continues to sell, joined by an ever-growing host of Johnny-come-lately competitor publications. The revised edition, taking into account the adjusted boundaries and change of status from national monument to national park, was issued in 1995.

After the Desert Bill was introduced in the Senate, Cates found he had several acquaintances in the workplace who were hard-core off-roaders opposed to the proposed legislation. For a while, he gave them copies of articles in the magazines of conservation organizations to introduce them to the problems caused by abuse of the desert by careless off-roaders. "Any form of criticism of their adopted life style just made them madder," he said. He noted that they were long on complaints about the double-damned government and its restrictions on their "right" to use the desert as they chose, but short on doing anything about it. Annoyed, he decided that he would do something, quietly and independently, to help the Desert Bill pass.

Cates had seen a memorandum from the Wilderness Society in 1987 listing some 300 scientists as supporters of the bill and thought he could do better than that. What he needed first was a good solicitation kit. He started with an inspirational letter written by Dr. Robert Stebbins, the great naturalist at the University of California, Berkeley. Editing that letter down to one page, he sent it to Stebbins for approval. He next procured a strong one-page letter from Professor Arthur Montana, chair of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences at UCLA, a strong supporter of the bill. Printing them back-to-back on a single sheet of paper, and including several preprinted endorsement petitions, he had what he needed in the way of a kit.

Who to contact? Most of the original 300 endorsers represented UCLA and UC Berkeley but the original Wilderness Society solicitors had obtained a fair sprinkling of representatives of other institutions, evidently by circulating early petitions at several national scientific gatherings. Off went his kits to these original endorsers, along with a request to circulate the solicitation packet in their respective departments and institutions.

The response was overwhelming. Every week's mail brought in filled-out petitions. In the meantime, Cates spent several weekends at the UCLA Research Library searching the scientific literature for works dealing with aspects of the California desert. The authors of these pieces then would find one of his kits in their mail. He estimated that he obtained a 90% return rate on his investment: that is, nine out of ten contacts eventually resulted in returned endorsements. He never received a negative response.

Cates prepared a specific letter of endorsement that he circulated to the executive directors of seven major botanic research gardens and arboreta around the nation. It was signed by every executive director and formally entered into testimony at the 1989 House subcommittee field hearing in Barstow by Dr. Thomas Elias, then serving as executive director of the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, California. By 1991, Cates could list more than 1,600 scientists and academicians nationwide who had endorsed the bill, including 136 scientists and educators from the great California universities, UCLA and UC Berkeley. The list, submitted in petition form to Congress, also represented a corps of scientists who could be and were drawn upon to testify before Congressional Committee hearings in Washington and California. It was a prime example of a highly successful, invaluable, self-imposed task done by a single volunteer.

Sierra Club California 2007 Priority Bills

Support

 

AB 70 (Jones) Would put flood liability on state and local public entities that participate in the design, construction, operation, or maintenance of a flood control project.

AB 224 (Wolk) Would enact the Climate Change and Water Resource Protection Act of 2007 which will make California better prepared for the effects of climate change on the state's water supply.

AB 233 (Jones) Would improve enforcement of protections against toxic diesel exhaust.

AB 1109 (Huffman) Would implement a plan to substantially increase the energy efficiency of lighting products, while reducing toxic and other pollution resulting from electricity generation.

AB 1193 (Ruskin) Would establish a shared responsibility program for recycling of mercury thermostats.

AB 1459 (Levine) Would prohibit motels/hotels in the coastal zone to be converted into timeshares or condominiums.

SB 207 (Padilla) Would establish the Outdoor Education and Recreation Program in the Department of Parks and Recreation that would award grants to increase access to outdoor experiences for at-risk and underserved populations.

SB 466 (Steinberg) Would enact mitigation requirements for the conversion of forest land to other uses.

Oppose

AB 719 (Devore) Would create the California Zero Carbon Dioxide Emission Electrical Generation Act of 2007 that prohibits land use in the state forest nuclear fission thermal power plants or, where applicable, the plants from being certified by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.

SB 59 (Cogdill) Would put a $3.95 billion bond act before the voters in order to fund two new dams.

SB 303 (Ducheny) Would require cities and counties to zone 10 years of housing at once and would limit the ability to deny any housing project and would limit the impact of the use of the California Environmental Quality Act.

SB 670 (Correa) Would prohibit the use of fees on sales of homes; these fees are used to fund preservation of habitat, open space, farmland, and affordable housing.

California to Sue if Federal Government Fails to Act

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today notified the US Environmental Protection Agency of California's intent to sue if the federal government fails to act on California's request for a waiver to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in new vehicles. In a letter, the Governor sent a notice of intent to sue which is required 6 months in advance of any lawsuit to be filed. The Governor also spoke with US EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson today by phone. The US EPA has taken preliminary steps to act on California's waiver.

"I have called on the federal government to expedite California's request, and now with a Supreme Court decision behind us, the time to act is now. If the federal government once again fails to act, we have an obligation to take legal action," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "Californians clearly want to protect our environment. The US EPA must act aggressively to grant our waiver so we can begin reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

Earlier this month, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling saying the US Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate greenhouse gases.

By not acting, the US EPA is preventing the rights of California and other states from taking action to reduce greenhouse gases. Eleven other states have adopted the California standards as their own and two more are now in the process. The group of states makes up about one-third of all US auto sales.

Under the federal Clean Air Act, California has the right to set its own vehicle emission standards, and other states have the right to adopt the California standards as their own. The eleven other states that have adopted California's vehicle emissions standards include: Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington and Oregon. New Mexico and Arizona are in the process of adopting California's standards.

On December 21, 2005, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) requested a waiver of federal preemption of California's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards. The waiver would allow California to enact emissions standards to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles. The waiver was requested after the ARB developed regulations based on the 2002 California law. In addition to the waiver being stalled in the federal process, the law faces a legal challenge by automakers.

San Bernardino County General Plan
Ignores Global Warming

In San Bernardino the Center for Biological Diversity and SB Audubon used global warming as a basis for challenging an inadequately analyzed County General Plan. It was locally focused, but has broader implications for others. Obviously. Should Global Warming concerns be addressed in CEQA analysis? This is of particular importance for large-scale, long term planning projects.

This is somewhat "cutting edge" legally, and strategically sensitive as the suit could encourage action and reaction from statewide "stakeholders".

One can predict that the suit will be watched carefully, once folks realize how important this is.

Lobby Day Invitation

Come join us for our annual Lobby Day on Sunday and Monday August 26 and 27. You will be part of a team that will help us in passing our priority bills during the most exciting and challenging time of the year at the State Capitol. Be prepared for interaction with other activists and our professional lobbying staff, as well as with legislators and their staff.

It is a two-day event with Sunday afternoon consisting of training by our lobbying team about how to lobby and learning about our priority bills so that you can effectively advocate for them. On Monday, you will work the halls of the Capitol as teams, with meetings scheduled from morning through the afternoon.

We will focus on key remaining bills as the session winds down. Hot issues this year are global warming, alternative fuels, water supply, and reform of transportation and land use planning.

You will find out that it possible to have fun and save our environment at the same time! Past participants have found it to be an eye-opening and rewarding experience. We provide your lodging and food. Some reimbursement for travel is provided too.

For more information, contact Annie Pham, Legislative Aide at lobbyday@sierraclubcalifornia.org or (916) 557-1100 x107.

2007 Sierra Club Board of Directors Election

* elected

* Sanjay Ranchod 35,034
* Allison Chin 30,816
* David Karpf 30,368
* Lisa Renstrom 30,323
* Robert Cox 30,209
------------------------------------------------
Jerry Sutherland 26,396
Kenneth Langton 25,906
Clark Buchner 23,871
Robert Brashear-Kaulfers 17,996
Alan Kuper 16,679
Ayelet Hines 16,025

Water Bond Over Proposed Reservoirs Voted Down

Senate Democrats voted down a $4 billion water bond backed by Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger and his Republican allies, saying the two new reservoirs in the proposal were costly and wouldn't help repair the ecology of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The bond was defeated in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, but the governor vowed to soldier on at a quickly called Capitol press conference.

"'Yes, it has stalled now. But in the end I think the momentum in California is growing' to build new reservoirs, the governor told reporters after the vote. 'It takes time.'"

Democrats and environmentalists have opposed Schwarzenegger's water bond since he proposed it in his January State of the State speech. Among their criticisms is that feasibility and environmental impact studies for the two reservoirs aren't completed.

Utah Doctors Prescribe Cleaner Air

Increased risk of heart attacks, lung and heart disease and possibly even death — what is causing these serious health threats? Air — toxic air to be precise and doctors in Utah are raising the alarm after the state experienced severe episodes of soot pollution this winter. The doctors' philosophy is simple. Clean air is an inherent right for all citizens. Dangerously contaminated food is not acceptable and neither is dangerously contaminated water, so why should we continue to accept dangerously contaminated air?

Extend Energy Efficiency

Increasing our nation's energy efficiency is good for our economy and good for our environment. Now is the time to move quickly and decisively to reduce our use of fossil fuels by extending tax incentives for energy efficiency. Making buildings more efficient will reduce electricity and natural gas use in our homes and offices, and reduce the need for expensive new power plants. Energy efficiency is the quickest, cleanest, and cheapest way to fight global warming.

Tell your Senator to co-sponsor the Energy Efficiency Incentives Act!

Grant Applications Due Date

Applications due in Chapter Office on Friday, June 15.

If needed, help is available from Jennifer Robinson or Robin Streichler, Conservation Coordinators.
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE if you need help.

10 Ways to Go Green at Work

Greener homes are in the spotlight these days, but what about the other places where many of us spend huge chunks of our time — our offices? Some simple changes of habit can save energy and resources at work, and these small steps can be multiplied by persuading the powers-that-be at your workplace to adopt environmentally friendly (and often cost-effective) policies.

  1. Be bright about light: Artificial lighting accounts for 44 percent of the electricity use in office buildings.
    a. Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you're leaving any room for 15 minutes or more and utilize natural light when you can.
    b. Make it a policy to buy Energy Star-rated light bulbs and fixtures, which use at least two-thirds less energy than regular lighting, and install timers or motion sensors that automatically shut off lights when they're not needed.
  2. Maximize computer efficiency: Computers in the business sector unnecessarily waste $1 billion worth of electricity a year.
    a. Make it a habit to turn off your computer — and the power strip it's plugged into — when you leave for the day. Otherwise, you're still burning energy even if you're not burning the midnight oil. (Check with your IT department to make sure the computer doesn't need to be on to run backups or other maintenance.) During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. Remember, screen savers don't save energy.
    b. Make it a policy to invest in energy-saving computers, monitors, and printers and make sure that old equipment is properly recycled. Look for a recycler that has pledged not to export hazardous e-waste and to follow other safety guidelines. Old computers that still work, and are less than five years old, can be donated to organizations that will refurbish them and find them new homes. (You may even get a tax deduction.)
  3. Print smarter: The average US office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year.
    a. Make it a habit to print on both sides or use the back side of old documents for faxes, scrap paper, or drafts. Avoid color printing and print in draft mode whenever feasible.
    b. Make it a policy to buy chlorine-free paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer recycled content. Also consider switching to a lighter stock of paper or alternatives made from bamboo, hemp, cotton, or kenaf. Recycle toner and ink cartridges and buy remanufactured ones. Office Depot states each remanufactured toner cartridge "keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills...and conserves about a half gallon of oil."
  4. Go paperless when possible
    a. Make it a habit to think before you print: could this be read or stored online instead? When you receive unwanted catalogs, newsletters, magazines, or junk mail, request to be removed from the mailing list before you recycle.
    b. Make it a policy to post employee manuals and similar materials online, rather than distribute print copies. They're easier to update that way too.
  5. Ramp up your recycling
    a. Make it a habit to recycle everything your company collects. Just about any kind of paper you would encounter in an office, including fax paper, envelopes, and junk mail, can be recycled. So can your old cell phone, PDA, or pager.
    b. Make it a policy to place recycling bins in accessible, high-traffic areas and provide clear information about what can and can not be recycled.
  6. Close the loop
    a. Make it a policy to purchase office supplies and furniture made from recycled materials.
  7. Watch what (and how) you eat
    a. Make it a habit to bring your own mug and dishware for those meals you eat at the office.
    b. Make it a policy to provide reusable dishes, silverware, and glasses. Switch to Fair Trade and organic coffee and tea, and buy as much organic and local food as possible for parties and other events. Provide filtering drinking water to reduce bottled-water waste.
  8. Rethink your travel
    a. Make it a habit to take the train, bus, or subway when feasible instead of a rental car when traveling on business. If you have to rent a car, some rental agencies now offer hybrids and other high-mileage vehicles.
    b. Make it a policy to invest in videoconferencing and other technological solutions that can reduce the amount of employee travel.
  9. Reconsider your commute
    a. Make it a habit to carpool, bike, or take transit to work, and/or telecommute when possible. If you need to drive occasionally, consider joining a car-sharing service like Zipcar and Flexcar instead of owning your own wheels.
    b. Make it a policy to encourage telecommuting (a nice perk that's also good for the planet!) and make it easy for employees to take alternative modes of transportation by subsidizing commuter checks, offering bike parking, or organizing a carpool board.
  10. Create a healthy office environment
    a. Make it a habit to use nontoxic cleaning products. Brighten up your cubicle with plants, which absorb indoor pollution.
    b. Make it a policy to buy furniture, carpeting, and paint that are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and won't off-gas toxic chemicals.

Useful Information

Sierra Club Legislative Hotline: (202) 675-2394
Sierra Club National: (415) 977-5500
Sacramento Legislative Office: (916) 557-1100;
    fax (916) 557-9669

SIERRA CLUB LINKS
Sierra Club World Wide Web: http://www.sierraclub.org
Angeles Chapter site: http://angeles.sierraclub.org
Sierra Club California: http://www.sierraclub.org/ca/
Sierra Club Vote Watch Website:    http://www.sierraclub.org/votewatch/
National Clubhouse activist resource site:    http://clubhouse.sierraclub.org/

E-MAIL LISTS. There are four important discussion lists for Angeles environmental activists:
Angeles Chapter Cons Listserve
   angeles-conservation@lists.sierraclub.org
Angeles Chapter Conservation Committee Newsletter    (Angeles Cons-News)
Angeles-Alerts Listserve
  
angeles-alerts@lists.sierraclub.org
California/Nevada Listserve
   calif-activists@lists.sierraclub.org
  
(moderated list for announcements)
California/Nevada Listserve
  
calif-activists-forum@lists.sierraclub.org
   (unmoderated discussion list)

Subscribe to California Activists:
   calif-activists-request@lists.sierraclub.org
Subscribe to California Activists Forum:
   calif-activists-request@lists.sierraclub.org
For either list, send your name, email address,
Sierra Club membership number, your position in the Club. Subscription is processed by one of the list
owners, usually the same day.

Subscribe to the listserve:

send an email to listsserve@lists.sierraclub.org
with the message "subscribe angeles-conservation" or "subscribe calif-activists"  or "subscribe angeles-alerts" Note: it's "listserv," not "listserve".

To leave a list:

send an e-mail to listserv@lists.sierraclub.org.
In the text of your message (not the subject line), write: "signoff calif-activists" or "signoff angeles-conservation"
or "signoff angeles-alerts"

ACTION DIRECTORY
White House Comment Line: (202) 456-1111
White House Fax Line: (202) 456-2461
President George W Bush: president@whitehouse.gov
Vice President Dick Cheney: vice-president@whitehouse.gov
White House: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington DC 20500
US Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121

To contact your senators:
   Senate Office Bldg, Washington DC 20510    http://www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cfm
To contact your representative:
    House Office Bldg, Washington DC 20515     http://www.house.gov/writerep

California Capitol Switchboard: (916) 322-9900
Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger: (916) 445-2841
    fax (916) 445-4633;
  
governor@governor.ca.gov
   State Capitol Bldg, Sacramento CA 95814
Need help contacting your US representatives or
    finding out about legislation?

US House of Representatives: http://www.house.gov/
US Senate: http://www.senate.gov/

Calif State Assembly: http://www.assembly.ca.gov/
Calif State Senate: http://www.sen.ca.gov/
California State:    http://www.ca.gov/state/portal/myca_homepage.jsp
California Legislative Information: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/
California Secretary of State voter information:
http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections.htm

The California/Nevada Directory (RedBook) is available online. It also includes the Handbook of Sierra Club California Bylaws and Standing Rules (GreenBook). Contact Lori Ives (lori.ives@angeles.sierraclub.org) for the online address and password. Send your membership number, your position in the Club, and your reason for needing the information. The paper edition ($20) is available on special order. Contact Lori for information.

The Angeles Chapter's web site is http://www.angeles.sierraclub.org/

 

This Electronic Conservation Newsletter is emailed automatically, free by listserv, to all activists who hold any of the following positions in the Angeles Chapter or its entities: Executive Committee Member; Entity Chair or Conservation Chair, Political, and Newsletter Editor, Conservation Subcommittee or Task Force Chair. Also, many activists throughout the Chapter and state receive it free by email. Distribution is approximately 350 by email, 45 by postal copy. If you no longer hold the Club office with the automatic pull and wish to continue to receive it, email ivesico@earthlink.net. If we do not have your email address — please let us know. If you wish (and tell us), it will be tagged "private" and not printed or given out. The Newsletter is available on the Chapter website at http://angeles.sierraclub.org/home.html Paper postal copy is available for those who are technically challenged or simply don't want to be bothered. To receive The Newsletter by first class mail, send a donation of $25 (payable Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club) to (almost) cover costs to Conservation Newsletter, 112 Harvard Ave PMB 297, Claremont CA 91711.

 

A Tale of Two Cities

Wednesday, April 25, 2007, Columbia SC. This southern capital, where a Confederate soldier still stands guard looking north on the lawn, might seem to have little in common with New York City. But both are finally engaging with the reality that the first half of this century will be dominated by the reshaping of America's uncompetitive and sluggish energy economy. Yes, this is because we need to deal with global warming, but it's also because fossil-fuel addiction no longer makes technological or economic sense and because our national security requires that we diversify and give our nation genuine energy independence.

Until now, New York has lagged behind other big cities like Chicago and San Francisco because the city's government lacked a single energy focus. Mayor Michael Bloomberg fixed that, and more, on Earth Day by laying down the most aggressive change benchmarks on energy of any big city mayor to date.

Bloomberg called for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by 30 percent, adopting a citywide plan to adapt to already-occurring climate change, building 265,000 new homes near mass transit, accelerating cleanup of "brownfields" sites, and creating a new financing authority for mass-transit improvements.

Key to the latter is a program to start charging drivers for the right to use the congested streets of lower Manhattan at peak hours, as drivers who cross certain bridges already do. These congestion charges would be a first for a major American city, although London has enjoyed enormous benefits from a similar program. Bloomberg will run into major political obstacles to some of his ideas — but the Big Apple finally has the big new energy ideas it needs.

Here in South Carolina, the big issue is how the state can reconcile its increasing anxiety over global warming with its enormous need for new jobs and economic development, captured by a brochure I picked up in the State Capitol: "South Carolina Means Business." Governor Mark Sanford, a libertarian and conservative who proudly proclaims himself an environmentalist, has just appointed a new Task Force on global warming to help the state respond to the crisis. State Senator John Courson, who proudly describes himself as a "Green Marine," chairs it. Courson is a long-time Republican associate of former Senator Strom Thurmond, but he also understands global warming in the most powerful way — he's
experienced it in a series of trips to Churchill, Manitoba, where he witnessed the change in the migration cycles of polar bears. State Senator Gerald Malloy, a member of the legislature's Black Caucus, refers to global warming as intergenerational tyranny." And on the morning I arrived here, more than half of the state legislature, including leaders of both parties, released a statement calling on the Presidential candidates to step up their conversation on global warming — just a day before New York Times Columnist Tom Friedman issued a call for a Presidential debate on global warming in New Orleans on the anniversary of hurricane Katrina.

So, while the old forces that kept change out of the energy sector are still at play here in Columbia, just as they are in New York, you can sense things breaking loose, and new ideas finding a niche in unexpected places. As Friedman quoted me as saying, "A new conversation has started in the country — a new energy economy is what the people want."

 
Angeles Chapter Conservation
Management Committee
Chair/Policy/Grants: Bonnie Sharpe
Vice Chair/Outreach: Marcia Hanscom
Secretary: TBD
Newsletter Editor: Robin Ives
At Large: Carmelo Alvarez, Jay Matchett,
Lynne Plambeck, Virgil Shields, Rosemarie White
Not Voting:
Cons Coordinators: Jennifer Robinson, Robin Streichler
Publisher/Webmaster/Circ: Lori Ives (909) 621-7148

 

Grants Committee
Bonnie Sharpe/Ch
Judy Anderson
Marcia Hanscom
Robin Ives
Jay Matchett
Virgil Shields
Rudy Vietmeier

The Chapter Conservation Committees
Motions should be submitted in advance, together with objective background material and supporting and opposing arguments, both to the Chapter Committee Chair and the Orange County Committee Chair and Newsletter Editor (Robin Ives), for distribution with the agenda. Other motions will be postponed for action at a later meeting unless the motion is submitted in writing and unless the Committee votes (by a two-thirds majority) an exception to the ordinary procedure. Motions needing further action by the Angeles Chapter ExComm or some higher level of the Sierra Club should start out: "The Angeles Chapter Conservation Committee recommends that the Sierra Club..."

Angeles Chapter
3435 Wilshire Blvd Ste 320
Los Angeles CA 90010-1904

Preliminary Agenda: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Conference call access: (866) 501-6174
Conference Code: 1000400#

  1. Approval of allocation of facility rental (Eaton Canyon Nature Center Auditorium) for Water Conference,
    July 14
  2. Report on Orange County Board of Supervisors discussion/action of privitizing Orange County public lands (Jay Matchett/Newport Back Bay TF)
  3. Discussion of Angeles Chapter's position on the proposed "Discovery Center" at Whittier Narrows
    (Jeff Yann, James Odling
    )

      Next meeting June 20

 

Orange County
David Perlman/Chair — http://angeles.sierraclub.org/ocosc/

LOCATION: Inn at the Park, 10 Marquette, Irvine. Take the 405 to Culver and go west towards the beach. Follow Culver past Michelson and University and turn right on Harvard. Take Harvard to Marquette and turn right. It's on the corner of Harvard and Marquette on the right hand side.

 

Preliminary Agenda: Tuesday, May 15, 2007

7:00 Introductions and Announcements

7:10 Staff Report (Robin Streichler)

(Jennifer Robinson will be on a catamaran in the Caribbean, sipping pina coladas.)
7:15 Cell Towers proposed for Mission Viejo Parks and
       Open Spaces (Kay Stockwell)
7:30 Update of the Environmental Coalition for the OCGP        (Stephanie Pacheco)
8:00 Sacred Sites Update (Report by Rebecca Robles,
        read by David Perlman)
8:10 Discussion of County Parks Antics by the OC
        Supervisors and What We're Going to Do About It
       (Theresa Sears and Committee)
9:00 Adjourn

             Next meeting June 19

Conservation Committees Calendar
If you have an upcoming meeting or event to be listed in this calendar:
In Los Angeles County, contact Lori Ives (ivesico@earthlink.net)
In Orange County, contact Dave Perlman (dperlmansr@cox.net)
MAY 2007
Thu May 10, 2nd Thu odd months 7 pm, 658 Venice Bl, Venice - Ballona Wetlands, Marcia Hanscom (310) 821-9045
Sun May 13, 2nd Sun, 2:45 pm, San Pedro Public Library, 9th & Gaffey - Harbor Vision TF, Tom Politeo (310) 833-1421
Mon May 14, 2nd Mon (Feb/May/Aug/Nov) - Native American Sacred Sites, Rebecca Robles (949-369-0361)

Mon May 14, 2nd Mon, 7:30 pm - Santa Monica Mountains TF, Mary Ann Webster (310) 559-3126

Mon May 14, 2nd Mon monthly, 7:30 pm, Chapter Office - LA Political Committee, Susana Reyes (818) 242-8589

Mon May 14, 2nd Mon, 7:15 pm, 217 E Chapman Ave, Orange - Orange Hills TF

Tue May 15, 6 pm, before OCCC at The Inn at the Park - Open Spaces, Wild Places (OSWP)

Tue May 15, 3rd Tue, 7:00 pm, Inn at the Park, 10 Marquette, Irvine - OC Cons Comm dperlmansr@cox.net

Wed May 16, 3rd Wed monthly, 7:15 pm Chp Office - Chp Cons Comm Bonnie Sharpe besharpe@pacbell.net

Wed May 16, 3rd Wed odd months, 7:00 pm - Friends of Foothills Steering Comm, Bill Holmes (949) 496-5323

Wed May 16, 3rd Wed, 7:30 pm - Banning Ranch Park and Preserve Task Force, Terry Welsh (949) 548-5635
Wed May 16, 3rd Wed, 6 pm, Carrow's, 2501 Via Campo - Montebello Hills TF, Linda Strong (323) 810-6278

Thu May 17, 3rd Thu, 7 pm, Chapter Office - Griffith Park Planning TF, Delphine Trowbridge delphinetr@sbcglobal.net

Sat May 19, 3rd Sat odd months, 10 am to 1 pm - LA River Comm, Roy van de Hoek (310) 821-9045

Sat May 19, 3rd Sat odd months, 3-5 pm, UU Church, Mission Viejo - Santa Ana MTF, Robin Everett (949) 338-5356

Sun May 20, 1 pm, Chapter Office - Chapter ExComm. Contact Mike Sappingfield mikesapp@cox.net

Mon May 21, 3rd Mon monthly, Trail Access Comm - Joe Young (310) 822-9676

Wed May 23, 4th Wed odd months, 7:30 pm, Eaton Cyn Ctr (potluck) - Forest Comm, Don Bremner (626) 794-2603

Thu May 24, 4th Thu monthly, 7:15 pm, North County, Carole Mintzer's - OC Political Comm, cmintzer@socal.rr.com
Mon May 28, 4th Mon, 6:30 pm - PV-SB Cons Comm, potluck, then mtg. Barry Holchin, Chair (310) 378-3780

JUNE 2007

Fri Jun 1, Southern Sierran Deadline for July, 2007
Mon Jun 4, 1st Mon monthly, 7 pm, Silverado Comm Ctr - Saddleback Cyns TF, Rich Gomez (949) 882-0071
Mon Jun 4 Mar/Jun/Sep/Dec, Crystal Cove TF, Murray Rosenthal (310) 391-7562
Wed Jun 6, 1st Wed, 6:00 pm, Carrow's, 2501 Via Campo - Montebello Hills TF, Linda Strong (323) 810-6278
Thu Jun 7, 1st Thu monthly, 7 pm Chapter Office - Transportation Comm, Darrell Clarke (310) 453-1218
Sat-Sun Jun 9-10 Calif/Nev Regional Conservation Comm (CNRCC) - San Luis Obispo, Lori Ives ivesico@earthlink.net
Sun Jun 10, 2nd Sun, 2:45 pm, San Pedro Public Library, 9th & Gaffey - Harbor Vision TF, Tom Politeo (310) 833-1421
Mon Jun 11, 2nd Mon monthly, 7:30 pm, Chapter Office - LA Political Committee, Susana Reyes (818) 242-8589
Mon Jun 11, 2nd Mon, 7:30 pm - Santa Monica Mountains TF, Mary Ann Webster (310) 559-3126
Fri Jun 15, Grant Applications Due at Chapter Office

Mon Jun 18, 3rd Mon monthly, Trail Access Comm - Joe Young (310) 822-9676

Tue Jun 19, 6 pm, before OCCC at The Inn at the Park - Open Spaces, Wild Places (OSWP)

Tue Jun 19, 3rd Tues, 7:00 pm, Inn at the Park, 10 Marquette, Irvine -  OC Cons Comm, dperlmansr@cox.net

Wed Jun 20, 3rd Wed monthly, 7:15 pm Chp Office - Chp Cons Comm Bonnie Sharpe besharpe@pacbell.net

Wed Jun 20, 3rd Wed, 6:00 pm, Carrow's 2501 Via Campo - Montebello Hills TF, Linda Strong (323) 810-6278

Wed Jun 20, 3rd Wed, 7:30 pm - Banning Ranch Park and Preserve Task Force, Terry Welsh (949) 548-5635

Thu Jun 21, 3rd Thu, 7 pm, Chp Office - Griffith Park Planning TF, Delphine Trowbridge delphinetr@sbcglobal.net
Sun Jun 24, 1 pm, Chapter Office - Chapter ExComm. Contact Mike Sappingfield mikesapp@cox.net

Mon Jun 25, 4th Mon, 6:30 pm - PV-SB Cons Comm, potluck, then mtg. Barry Holchin, Chair (310) 378-3780

Mon Jun 25, 4th Mon, 7:00 pm, 170 Copa de Oro Rd, Brea - Puente-Chino Hills TF, Eric Johnson (714) 524-7763

Wed Jun 27, 4th Wed, 7:30 pm, Chapter Office - Livable Cities, Tom Politeo (310) 833-1421

Thu Jun 28, 4th Thu monthly, 7:15 pm, North County, Carole Mintzer's - OC Political Comm, cmintzer@socal.rr.com

Thu Jun 28, 4th Thu monthly, 7 pm, Chapter Office - Green Building Committee, Lore Pekrul (310) 798-9830

Sat Jun 30, 9:00 am, the Carlab in Orange - Orange Hills Task Force

JULY 2007
Mon Jul 2, Southern Sierran Deadline for August, 2007
Mon Jul 2, 1st Mon monthly, 7 pm, Silverado Comm Ctr - Saddleback Cyns TF, Rich Gomez (949) 882-0071
Wed Jul 4, 1st Wed (odd months) - Conservation Legal Comm , Vic Otten (310) 798-7725
Wed Jul 4, 1st Wed, 6 pm, Carrow's, 2501 Via Campo - Montebello Hills TF, Linda Strong (323) 810-6278

Thu Jul 5, 1st Thu monthly, 7 pm Chapter Office - Transportation Comm, Darrell Clarke (310) 453-1218

Sun Jul 8, 2nd Sun, 2:45 pm, San Pedro Public Library, 9th & Gaffey - Harbor Vision TF, Tom Politeo (310) 833-1421

Mon Jul 9, 2nd Mon, 7:30 pm - Santa Monica Mountains TF, Mary Ann Webster (310) 559-3126

Mon Jul 9, 2nd Mon monthly, 7:30 pm, Chapter Office - LA Political Committee, Susana Reyes (818) 242-8589

Mon Jul 9, 2nd Mon, 7:15 pm, 217 E Chapman Ave, Orange - Orange Hills TF

Thu Jul 12, 2nd Thu odd months 7 pm, 658 Venice Bl, Venice - Ballona Wetlands, Marcia Hanscom (310) 821-9045
Mon Jul 16, 3rd Mon monthly, Trail Access Comm - Joe Young (310) 822-9676
Tue Jul 17, 6 pm, before OCCC at The Inn at the Park - Open Spaces, Wild Places (OSWP)

Tue Jul 17, 3rd Tue, 7:00 pm, Inn at the Park, 10 Marquette, Irvine - OC Cons Comm dperlmansr@cox.net

Wed Jul 18, 3rd Wed monthly, 7:15 pm Chp Office - Chp Cons Comm Bonnie Sharpe besharpe@pacbell.net

Wed Jul 18, 3rd Wed odd months, 7:00 pm - Friends of Foothills Steering Comm, Bill Holmes (949) 496-5323

Wed Jul 18, 3rd Wed, 7:30 pm - Banning Ranch Park and Preserve Task Force, Terry Welsh (949) 548-5635
Wed Jul 18, 3rd Wed, 6 pm, Carrow's, 2501 Via Campo - Montebello Hills TF, Linda Strong (323) 810-6278

Thu Jul 19, 3rd Thu, 7 pm, Chapter Office - Griffith Park Planning TF, Delphine Trowbridge delphinetr@sbcglobal.net

Sat Jul 21, 3rd Sat odd months, 10 am to 1 pm - LA River Comm, Roy van de Hoek (310) 821-9045

Sat Jul 21, 3rd Sat odd months, 3-5 pm, UU Church, Mission Viejo - Santa Ana MTF, Robin Everett (949) 338-5356

Sun Jul 22, 1 pm, Chapter Office - Chapter ExComm. Contact Mike Sappingfield mikesapp@cox.net

Mon Jul 23, 4th Mon, 6:30 pm - PV-SB Cons Comm, potluck, then mtg. Barry Holchin, Chair (310) 378-3780

Wed Jul 25, 4th Wed odd months, 7:30 pm, Eaton Cyn Ctr (potluck) - Forest Comm, Don Bremner (626) 794-2603

Thu Jul 26, 4th Thu monthly, 7:15 pm, North County, Carole Mintzer's - OC Political Comm, cmintzer@socal.rr.com

Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Conservation Committee
112 North Harvard Avenue PMB 297
Claremont CA 91711-4716

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