October 2004
Welcome to e-Sierra
The email newsletter of the Sierra Club North Star ChapterOctober 2004 / Issue 28
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/.
THE CLOCK IS TICKING! GET IN SHAPE FOR "GET OUT THE VOTE" THIS SATURDAY WITH BARBARA FREESE!
Join us for a "last push" Voter Education effort on Saturday, October 23rd, 10:00am - 2:00pm! Warm up for the Get Out the Vote drive by joining us for our final voter education neighborhood walk this Saturday, October 23rd at the Sierra Club Office, 2327 East Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis. Before we head out to talk to our neighbors, Barbara Freese, former Assistant Attorney General of Minnesota for more than twelve years, will speak about the impact of coal-burning power plants on our environment. She is the author of Coal: A Human History. Learn more about the harmful pollutants of coal fired energy and what is at stake in the upcoming election. If you haven't attended a walk yet, make this the one! Door knocking veterans, help us make our voter education numbers skyrocket! This will be our last big voter education effort before we begin our Get Out the Vote drive.
HELP GET OUT THE VOTE AND HELP MAKE HISTORY
The most important election of our lives is almost here, and we still need more than 100 volunteers to sign up to spend a few hours each between Saturday, October 30 and Election Day. What is our goal? We want to educate 20,000 environmental voters and we want to get environmental voters to vote. We need volunteers to go door-to-door to encourage people to vote, tell them where their polling location is, and answer any questions they may have about registering to vote and voting. Join us on these few days and help make history. All shifts meet at our office at 2327 East Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis. This is an appeal to everyone who believes clean air, clean water, and our public lands are worth protecting. Thanks to many of you, we have already filled some shifts, but we need still need lots of help. To sign up, go to http://northstar.sierraclub.org/campaigns/politics/2004/gotvSignupForm.html or call 612-659-9124 and ask for Margaret.
DEAR GOVERNOR PAWLENTY: CLEAN AIR & WATER ADVOCATE, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TIRE BURNER?
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency approved Heartland Energy and Recycling, LLC's plan to burn 10 million tires annually to produce energy. Heartland's plan is a technology that has never burned 100% tires on this scale before, and, if built, would be the largest tire burner in the nation. Ask Governor Pawlenty to urge his Administration to live up to its values as a Clean Air and Clean Water Administration by requiring an Environmental Impact Statement of the tire burner. Please send a letter to the Governor today, and then visit http://www.semep.org/news.html for information on how to submit a letter to the MPCA. We need your help! Share this information with your friends and family. To send a message to the Governor, please click the link below: http://northstar.sierraclubaction.org/showalert.asp?aaid=900
HOW SHOULD APOSTLE ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK BE MANAGED
The National Park Service will be holding seven public open houses this fall to listen to the public on how Apostle Islands National Lakeshore should be managed over the next 15 to 20 years. Public comments will help shape preliminary alternatives that will be developed over the next year or so. The Bush administration is using the plan as a green wash during election season; we want to get this national treasure protected, and not play political games with it. "What we are getting is less wilderness protection, not more," said Melissa Lindsay, executive director of the Minneapolis-based Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. "The Apostle Islands wilderness study recommends protection of only 80 percent of the lakeshore. But for the past 15 years, under the last plan, 97 percent of the park was managed as de facto wilderness." Go to http://www.friends-bwca.org/press_releases/apostles_09_02_04.html for the full release.
Apostle Islands Management Open Houses
Thursday, October 21 - 6:00pm-8:00pm
Four Points Sheraton Capitol Hotel
400 Hamline Avenue North, St Paul
Friday, October 22 - 4:00pm-6:00pm
Holiday Inn Downtown
200 West 1st Street, Duluth
BE ONE IN A MILLION - PROTECT AMERICA'S LAST ROADLESS AREAS!
The comment period on the Bush administration's attempt to reverse the protection we have for wild areas of our national forests is only open until Nov. 15. Over one million Americans have commented on the decision since it was announced in August! But the Bush administration hasn't heard us yet — send your opinion now, at http://northstar.sierraclub.org/campaigns/forests/policy/roadless.html.
THE LAND OF 10,000 LAKES NEEDS SOME HELP
Care about impaired waters, protection of wetlands, storm water runoff, and clean water? Come help us direct the growth and development of Water Committee! A campaign planning session is scheduled for Saturday, October 30th, 12:30-4:30pm. Because it would be too much of a good thing, our regular 4th Wednesday meeting will not be held this month.
YOU CAN HELP MINNESOTA'S WOLVES - FED'S SEEKING COMMENTS NOW
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced in July
that it will seek to remove the eastern gray wolf from Endangered
Species list and turn management of the wolves over to the states
where they live. Minnesota's wolves have thrived under federal
protection and this ought to have signaled a victory of the
Endangered Species Act. You can submit public input before November
18.
http://www.northstar.sierraclub.org/campaigns/wolves/index.html
SOLSTICE PARTY IS BACK!
Please mark your calendars. The Sierra Club North Star Chapter will host its annual Solstice Party on December 17th at the Izaak Walton League of America Breckenridge Chapter Clubhouse. This is an event to recognize volunteers for their great contributions. More details to come.
MEET UP OR MISS OUT
Meet up http://www.sierraclub.meetup.com/ 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
Wed Oct 20: Voter Education Calling
Wed Oct 20: Letter Writing Workshop on Tire Burner - 7pm, Preston MN
Thu Oct 21: Voter Education Doorknock
Sat Oct 23: Voter Education Doorknocking (10:00 am)
Sun Oct 24: Voter Education Calling (1:00 pm and 6:30 pm)
Mon Oct. 25: Indoor Air Quality Presentation - 9:30am-11am, MPCA (520 Lafayette Blvd, Saint Paul)
Tue Oct. 26: Clean Air Committee Meeting, 7pm, Alliance for Metro Stability (2525 E. Franklin Ave, Mpls)
Tue Oct 26: Voter Education Calling
Wed Oct 27: Voter Education Calling
Thu Oct 28: Voter Education Doorknock
Fri Oct. 29: Deadline for public comments to MPCA on Tire Burner
Sat Oct. 30: Clean Water Campaign Planning - 12:30-4:30pm
Sat Oct 30: Sierra Club Get Out the Vote Drive Begins - all day
Sun Oct 31: Sierra Club Get Out the Vote Drive - all day
Mon Nov 1: Sierra Club Get Out the Vote Drive - all day
Tue Nov 2: Election Day - Sierra Club Get Out the Vote Drive - all day
Thu-Sat Nov 4-6:
Forest Watch exploring trip, Superior National Forest
Wed Nov 10: Forest Campaign Meeting
Mon Nov 15:
National Forest plan town meeting
Tue Nov 16: Land Use Committee
Tue Nov 16: International Committee Meeting
Tue Nov 23: Clean Air Committee
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