September 2004
Welcome to e-Sierra
The email newsletter of the Sierra Club North Star ChapterSeptember 2004 / Issue 27
WELCOME
The North Star Chapter welcomes you to our monthly e-Sierra. Please find updates on critical environmental issues; upcoming events; opportunities to become involved; and a North Star Chapter calendar of events. For additional Sierra Club information visit our website at http://www.northstar.sierraclub.org/.
DON'T AGONIZE, ORGANIZE - SIERRA CLUB LAUNCHES VOTER EDUCATION CAMPAIGN
This year's election is crucial to the future of our environment. The North Star Chapter has launched Sierra Club Votes, a campaign to organize volunteers to talk with their neighbors about the very different environmental records of George W. Bush and John Kerry. Together, we will educate thousands of Twin Cities' voters on the environmental issues affecting our community, and we will encourage everybody to vote on election day. In 2000, literally millions of committed environmental supporters did not vote in the presidential election. In many states, just a few hundred or a few thousand votes decided the election. We're confident that environmental voters can make a difference in 2004! The environment is depending on you. Learn more at http://www.sierraclubvotes.org Sign up to volunteer today! Click here Check out the calendar below and come on in and help make the difference.
HELLO IS JOE HOME?
On Wednesday, September 29, 2004, Sierra Club's Voter Education Campaign is hosting Fun Family Phone Night. The Sierra Club office is the place to be, and it's fun for the whole family! We'll kick things off with an inspirational speaker and calling instructions, then go to the phones to educate Twin Cities residents about why the environment matters and about the records and positions of George W. Bush and John Kerry. For kids, there'll be a coloring/drawing contest and word find puzzles with environmental themes. We can all enjoy delicious pizza and other refreshments. From 6:30pm to 9:00pm. To RSVP or for more information, call Jill at 612-659-9124 or email .
FIGHTING FOR CLEAN AIR AT THE EPA: AN INSIDER'S ACCOUNT
Tuesday, October 5th
7:00pm Keynote by Eric Schaeffer
Macalester College - Chapel
1600 Grand Avenue (for directions www.macalester.edu)
Call Michelle, 612-659-9124 for more info
Hear the story of Eric Schaeffer, a veteran of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who served as Director of the Office of Regulatory Enforcement for the EPA for five years. For his work, Schaeffer was awarded the Justice Department's prestigious John Marshall Award as well as the Presidential Rank Award — the highest honor presented to career government employees. In February of 2002, however, Schaeffer publicly resigned from the EPA after 12 years of service, saying he could no longer pretend that the White House and the Department of Energy were not undermining the law and his department's ability to enforce it. "I'm not naïve; I live in Washington and everything's political, but enforcement was one of those areas that was fairly well protected," Schaeffer said. Eric Schaeffer now is the Director of the Environmental Integrity Project ( style='mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>www.environmentalintegrity.org). You can read a Sierra Club interview with Eric at http://www.sierraclub.org/scoop/eric_schaeffer.asp. For more information or to learn about other events, visit northstar.sierraclub.org.
JOIN YOUR NEIGHBORS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
On Saturday, October 9, 2004, Sierra Club's Voter Education Campaign is hosting The Road to Somewhere Voter Education Community Walk. This large action event will be full of excitement and a sense of unity as travelers from all over Minnesota and from out of state join with Twin Cities activists to educate Minnesota residents and encourage them to vote. We will kickoff the day with a national VIP speaker from the Sierra Club and head out as an unstoppable force to knock on as many doors as possible doing voter education. That evening, with great food and entertainment, we will celebrate our accomplishments and the company of those who traveled so far to help us! For more information, or to sign up to attend or host travelers, please contact Cesia (Say-sha) at 612-659-9124 or email .
FOREST FOR OUR FAMILIES AND FOR OUR FUTURE
New plans for Superior National Forest will permit more logging each year than has occurred since the 1890s. Sierra Club is fighting to preserve our natural heritage with research, field trips, and a town meeting in November. Join us on Wed., Sep. 22 at 7pm to help plan the town meeting, or email ! Read more about the new plans at http://northstar.sierraclub.org/campaigns/forests/plan/.
THE STATE OF THE STATE FORESTS
Jump into our new campaign to save wild forests! We're starting a new campaign to protect roadless areas of our state forests. It will be full of field trips to explore the places we aim to protect, and meetings with the DNR and your local elected representatives. Get involved in kicking off the new campaign — come to our planning meeting on Wed., Oct. 6, at 7pm at the Sierra Club office, or email . See a map of state forests at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/map.html.
WASIOJA GROUP: UTAH REDROCK WILDERNESS MULTI MEDIA SLIDE SHOW
Presentation by Bob Brister, Outreach Coordinator, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. Wild Utah: America's Redrock Wilderness is a multi-media slide show featuring stunning images by noted wilderness photographers and the voice of Pulitzer Prize winning author Wallace Stegner. After the show, Bob will give a brief update on Utah wilderness issues including America's Redrock Wilderness Act, which would add over 9 million acres of spectacular Utah federal lands to the National Wilderness Preservation System. Everyone is welcome. Thursday Sept. 23, 7PM-8PM at the Quarry Hill Nature Center, 701 Silver Creek Road NE, Rochester. For more information contact Jon Rosenblatt at 507-282-7911 or send an e-mail to .
POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Learn about the links between population and the environment, as well as opportunities to help support the 10th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development. Representatives from several organizations will discuss their work on the population issue. For the Sierra Club, Steven Mills, National Director of the International Program, will present and answer questions. The moderator will be Arvonne Fraser, a former US Ambassador to the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Tuesday, Sept. 28, 1-3:30 p.m.: ICPD + 10 Town Meeting Humphrey Institute Conference Center - Cowles Auditorium University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
UN ASSOCIATION SERIES: POPULATION STABILIZATION
September lecture: A Mother's Promise the World Must Keep: The Critical Link between Access to Family Planning and Population Stabilization, Thursday, Sept. 30: Registration and refreshments 5:30 p.m.; program 7:00pm Humphrey Institute of International Affairs. Peter Kostmayer served 14 years in the House of Representatives where he earned a reputation as an environmentalist and advocate of voluntary population stabilization. He led the fight to increase funding for international family planning and to overturn the Mexico City policy. He authored and co-authored legislation enlarging and creating wilderness areas and national parks in more than a dozen states. He chaired the subcommittee on Energy and the Environment. For more information or to register contact .
FABULOUS FALL IS HERE - ENJOY THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Here is just a sampling of some of the Chapter's fall outings. See http://northstar.sierraclub.org/activities/outings/ for a complete listing of outings.
October 9 · Inner City Outing - Hiking · Lebanon Hills Regional Park — This outing is part of the Inner City Outing program and is a children's outing. The event runs from 10:30am to 5:00pm. For more information or to volunteer, contact Nicholas Schumm at 952-417-9838 or
October 10 · Hike/Bird Watching · Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area — Meet at 8am for a hike/birdwatching trip to Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area in the northern suburbs to see what migration birds are coming through (maybe some cranes), meet at Black Bear Crossing coffee shop on Como Lake off Lexington in St. Paul (north of Como Ave), carpool up and return by early afternoon. Please RSVP by calling Mike Taylor at 651-488-2345 or .
MEET UP OR MISS OUT
Meet up and join others who share a love of the environment.
PRESIDENT BUSH AND CONGRESS WATCH
Keep tabs on President Bush and Congress.
http://www.sierraclub.org/politics/http://www.sierraclub.org/wwatch/
SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING EVENTS
Tues. Sept 21: International Committee
Tues. Sept 21: Voter Education Calling (all
calling starts at 6:30 pm unless otherwise noted)
Wed. Sept 22: Forest Plans Town Meeting Planning
Wed. Sept 22: Voter Education Calling
Wed. Sept 22: Water Committee
Thurs. Sept 23: Voter Education Doorknocking
Sat. Sept 25: Voter Education Doorknocking (10:00 am)
Sun. Sept 26: Voter Education Doorknocking (1:00 pm)
Sun. Sept 26: Voter Education Calling (6:30pm)
Tues. Sept 28: Clean Air Committee
Tues. Sept 28: Voter Education Calling
Wed. Sept 29: Voter Education Calling
Wed. Sept 29: Excom Meeting
Thurs. Sept 30: Voter Education Doorknocking
Sat. Oct 2: Voter Education Doorknocking (10:00 am)
Sun. Oct. 3: Voter Education Doorknocking (1:00 pm)
Mon. Oct 4: Forest Watch Meeting
Tues. Oct 5: Voter Education Calling
Wed. Oct 6: Voter Education Calling
Wed. Oct 6: State Forest Wilderness Planning Meeting
Wed. Oct 6: 9:00 Address by Eric Schaeffer
"Conflicting Values Underlying Air Standards and Enforcement at the EPA"
Inver Hills Community College —
Liberal Arts Room 210
2500 80th St East
(for directions
http://www.inverhills.edu/Maps/directions.htm)
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota 55076-3224
Wed. Oct 6: 6:30pm Reception and Registration 7:00pm Keynote by Eric
Schaeffer "Fighting for Clean Air at the EPA: An Insider's Account"
Inver Hills Community College — Liberal Arts Room 210
2500 80th St East (for directions
http://www.inverhills.edu/Maps/directions.htm)
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota 55076-3224
Thurs. Oct 7: Voter Education Doorknocking
Thurs. Oct 7: 8:00am Breakfast Keynote by Eric Schaeffer "Fighting for
Clean Air at the EPA: An Insider's Account"
Quarry Hill Nature Center, 701 Silver Creek Rd. NE,
Rochester, MN
Sun. Oct 10: Voter Education Calling (6:30pm)
Sun. Oct 10: Voter Education Doorknock (1:00 pm)
Tues. Oct 12: Voter Education Calling
Wed. Oct 13: Voter Education Calling
Thurs. Oct 14: Voter Education Doorknock
Sat. Oct 16: Voter Education Doorknocking (10:00 am)
Sun Oct 17: Voter Education Doorkocking (1:00 pm)
Sun Oct 17: Voter Education Calling (6:30 pm)
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For More Calendar Information or for Interesting Submissions Contact: heather.cusick@sierraclub.org
For More Calendar Information or for Interesting Submissions Contact:
Our postal address is:
Sierra Club - North Star Chapter
2327 E. Franklin Ave
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55406
United States