October 13, 2021
by Kate Bartholomew, Chapter Chair
Currently, the Atlantic Chapter has eighteen Conservation Issue Committees on record that focus on topics ranging from Energy to Wildlife & Wilderness; from Environmental Justice to Water; from Transportation to Environmental Education. Unfortunately, some of these committees have become inactive, partly due to the pandemic and partly due to volunteers turning to other areas of concern. Chapter Conservation Chair Ellen Banks and I are in the process of assessing each of the Conservation Committees, contacting members and determining the level of interest present to remain with the committee. This will be a rolling process, with critical committees chosen first.
And which, you may ask, are critical committees? Well, the most obvious answer is those linked most directly with the global crisis of Climate Disruption. Hence, Energy; Water; Gas Action; Nuclear; Environmental Justice; Farm & Food and Transportation would be in the first round of attention, followed closely by Environmental Education; Population, Environment & Consumption; Open Space/Sprawl and Pollution, Waste & Toxics. The remaining committees would then be assessed. Our goal is to ensure that we have viable, functioning committees peopled by members determined to achieve measurable active goals, whether by lobbying, letter writing, working with like-minded partners in communities to pushback against an environmental injustice, attending rallies or hearings, or any other form of ACTIVE PARTICIPATION with the committee’s issue. And we will expect a brief report from each committee at our quarterly Chapter ExCom Meetings.
This is the grassroots, “boots on the ground’ part of the Sierra Club — the people power — and the power responsible for so many of our recent victories. With like-minded action-driven folks we prevented fracking in New York, stopped major pipelines, shutdown Indian Point and many others. Here are our Conservation Committees:
Adirondacks
Biodiversity/Vegetarian Outreach
Energy
Environmental Education
Environmental Justice
Gas Action Committee
Farm & Food
Great Lakes
Hudson River Committee
Indian Point Task Force
Nuclear
Open Space/Sprawl
Pollution, Waste & Toxics
Population, Environment & Consumption
Transportation
Water
Westchester Airport
Wildlife & Wilderness
If reading this has ignited a fire in your belly and you feel drawn to one or more of these committees as a way to get involved and fight back against the impending global catastrophe or to give back to the earth and the future, then simply send an email to: atlantic.chapter@sierraclub.org or call: 518-426-9144, and we will respond immediately to get you connected and involved.