October 20, 2022
by Ellen Cardone Banks
As most of our readers know, the Sierra Club is the oldest and largest environmental advocacy organization in the United States with 3.8 million members and supporters according to the national webpage, and a strong volunteer activist presence. The Atlantic Chapter, covering New York State, has about 47,000 members and supporters. Each member and supporter adds to the power of the Sierra Club in our mission to “Explore, Enjoy and Protect our Planet.”
Members have many commitments to career, family, and often to other organizations. Sometimes members say that they have very packed schedules but would like to volunteer some of their time within those constraints. If that includes you, here are some suggestions:
If you have five minutes: Sign a petition! You may receive an email asking for your signature to support environmental legislation or to protest actions that are harmful to our land, water or wildlife. Unlike some organizations and candidates who ask for your support, you do not have to worry about being bombarded with frequent requests if you sign something once, as we have limits on the number of communications per month with our members. Elected officials are influenced by petitions from their constituents. For example, the fracking ban in NY State was advanced by petitions and rallies. We need similar actions to make our climate-protecting policies happen and to protect our water, land, air, and health. Usually there are links on a petition drive to your state legislators, so you do not need to look them up. If you have a few more minutes, you can personalize your petition signature with a message about how the issue matters to you.
If you have an hour: Log on to a webinar. You will receive notice of webinars that may be sponsored by the Atlantic Chapter, your local Sierra Club Group, or allied organizations about such diverse topics as renewable energy, environmental threats like gas pipelines and energy-wasting cryptocurrency, dangers to wetlands or forests, or electric vehicles. Many such webinars are recorded in case their scheduled times are inconvenient for you.
If you have a couple of hours a month: As a Sierra Club member, you are also a member of the Atlantic Chapter and one of ten regional groups. You can find your group on the Chapter website by clicking the “About” tab. Group websites have contact information for leaders and usually announce monthly Executive Committee meetings and occasional issue-focused seminars, live, virtual or both, on Sierra Club initiatives and projects. Some groups sponsor hiking excursions or events such as tree-planting, beach clean-ups, or programs to promote recycling, composting, and reducing plastic waste.
Get involved in local government: Municipal governments throughout the state have issues related to water safety, development proposals that threaten wetlands and other rural land, water and air pollution, and fossil fuel infrastructure expansion. Participate in person or virtually in hearings and council meetings on these matters and submit letters to editors. Town governments have citizen committees, including Conservation Advisory Councils, Energy, Waste Management and others, that are often seeking members. New York State has two climate and energy programs, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Clean Energy Communities and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Climate Smart Communities, that award certification and grants for climate and energy progress. Find out if your municipality participates, and join the relevant committees or work with other Sierra Club volunteers to start them.
VOTE!!! Whether it takes you a few minutes, or a wait in line, in-person or by mail, vote November 8!!!