S. Arjumand Mansour Mubaarak

Welcome Arjumand, tell us a little about yourself:
I’m a country boy turned cosmopolitan.  Not the drink.  My engineering, grad business school and law education landed me into dispute & litigation consulting for the construction industry.  I have an easy-going manner on the surface but there is a raging pit bull right beneath.  I am a strong advocate about things I am passionate about.  And I am passionate about protecting the environment and the other critters that we share this world with.

While most people are focused on the minutiae of daily life, a few of us must be the vanguard for protecting mother earth for our future.  I feel honored and privileged to be admitted into that group.

Describe the first time you felt a strong affinity for nature?
Being a small-town boy, I enjoyed fishing, hunting, hiking, and swimming naked in the river, lakes and creeks.  Things began to change as more industry and housing developments moved in.  No fishing/No swimming signs went up. The type fish changed to boney and mud type fish. Ok, we boys fished any way.  The forested areas became smaller, the animals became scarce; which adversely affected our hunting and hiking.  An environmental engineering college course made me realize the impact of human activity on nature and more importantly on me, as a small-town boy.  I begin joining environmental groups and causes right after college.  I’m still that boy on the inside and remain very cognizant of the damage that we humans can bear on nature.

Describe a time you participated at a Sierra Club event?  What did you do and what motivated you to participate?
One project that stands out is the time that we, Houston Sierra Club, vetted political candidates for endorsements.  I saw how working with politicians could immensely leverage the impact of our votes or agenda.  Many of my peers with the Club, felt it was a contradiction for me to be a sincere member of the Sierra Club while also being a chemical engineer and Republican.  I volunteered to be on the Political Action Committee to be a small counterweight to the more left-leaning Democrats within our club.  Ultimately, we endorsed only Democrats.  It made me realize that the struggle, to shake that anti-environment image of industry and Republicans, is real. But I believe it is worth fighting for.

What kind of activity or activities would you like to see the Houston Sierra Club to do more of and why?
I would like to see us, Houston Sierra Club, to be on the speed-dial of news agency reporters when there is a ship channel spill, chemical plant release, chemical spill on the roadways, new concrete crushing plants permitting, etc. I don’t see us mentioned in the Houston Chronicle, local television news or radio shows.  We are invisible, locally. We need to come out of the “forest”, show ourselves and make a difference.

What environmental message do you have for young people?
I am encouraged to see how many young people in school are participating in cleaning up our environment, Arbor day, recycling and so on.  The challenge is inspiring the young adults, aka the Millennials, to put down their cell phones and pick up some paper, plant a tree, or hug a bear (with caution).

S. Arjumand Mansour Mubaarak