Newsletter- February 2021 update from Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter

 

...plus our usual recommendations feature!
 
Black text Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter banner with green pine tree logo image
Hi Supporter,

Greetings friends! We hope you have stayed safe and warm this winter. 

Here at the Hoosier Chapter, we have one eye on spring, the warmer weather, and the possibilities it brings.

Perhaps you’re also contemplating coming out of winter hibernation, and are looking for ways to get involved with your community? Why not consider volunteering with the Sierra Club! We have many opportunities for local volunteers. Whilst most of our activities are virtual right now, there are still lots of ways to get involved. Read on to find out more!

Also in this newsletter- actions you can take right now to help our environment in Indiana, info on the national Sierra Club elections, and of course our usual list of recommendations. 

Get involved!

At the Sierra Club, our power comes from the grassroots. With over 3 million supporters nationally and over 66,000 in Indiana alone, we rely on our people power. Here are some activities volunteers have done in the past:
  • Organized around climate issues including organizing actions, testifying at hearings, fighting bad legislation such as attempts to slow or stop the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, tabling for community events, hosting environmental presentations and connecting with people locally.
  • Raised our voice on social media, through Letters to the Editor, and blog posts.
  • Organized invasive plant removal, litter clean-ups, and community garden pollinator planting 
  • Assisted with our annual art show
  • Organized and led outings and hikes
  • Met with public officials
  • And much, much, more!

Sounds good? Why not take a look at our website, and complete this volunteer interest form. Someone from our team will be in touch to discuss next steps!

We are also starting regular volunteer orientation webinars, where you can learn about our work and volunteer opportunities.

Our next session will be on Sunday, April 18, at 5pm. Register here!
A large group of people, outdoors, some holding umbrellas, holding a banner. The banner has a red sun rising and text that says RISE in black.
Joining environmental partners to rise for climate justice at the People's Climate March in 2018
A father and son, both wearing I Heart Clean Air shirts, both holding saxophones, looking at the camera.
Musicians lending their talent to our 2019 art show opening event

Reader's photographs

In this new section, we highlight a photograph taken by a reader in our beautiful state of Indiana.

This month: Sunset on a farmer’s field in New Palestine, by Hoosier Chapter Executive Committee member Michelle Carr.

Have you taken a photograph you'd like to share? Let us know!
 
The sun sets over a farmer's field, which shows corn and trees in the background.

National Sierra Club Elections are Underway - VOTE!

A Democratic Sierra Club Demands Grassroots Participation

The annual election for Sierra Club’s Board of Directors is now underway.

Those eligible to vote in the national Sierra Club election will receive in the mail (or by email if you chose the electronic delivery option) your national Sierra Club ballot in early March 2021. This will include information on candidates and where you can find additional information on Sierra Club’s website.

Your participation is critical for a strong Sierra Club!

Read more on our website.
 
A ballot box saying VOTE 2021 Sierra Club Board of Directors

Take action!

This month, we want to lift up the following local campaigns:

Eleven-year old Leo Berry has created a petition to save Indiana's wetlands.

At the time of writing, almost 20,000 people have signed! Add your name here.

Stop the Mid-States Corridor!

A group of 'farmers, homeowners, business people, environmentalists, hikers, hunters, and concerned citizens of Southwest Indiana that do not support the building of the new terrain highway called the Mid-States Corridor' have created a website in opposition to this highway

They are urging folks to find their legislator and send a message to stop the highway.

Read our director's midway update of the legislative session, including more actions you can take, below.
A snowy wetlands scene in Indiana
Swamp Angel in Noble County.
Be sure to check out the wetlands action page on the Hoosier Environmental Council website!
The words Mid-states corridor in a circle with a line going through it diagonally to denote NO

Indiana legislative session midway review 

The Indiana legislature ended the first half of its 2021 session in the last week of February. Bills that received approval from their house of origin now move to the other chamber for review and approval, amendment, or rejection.

A lot of bad environmental bills didn't move forward. Particularly bills that would have increased the power of factory farms and other bills that would have further insulated polluters against lawsuits by those most impacted by their pollution didn't advance. But perhaps the worst environmental bill of all, SB 389, which would remove all protections from Indiana wetlands solely regulated by the state, glided through the Senate with little thought or discussion.

The chapter has also become concerned with HB 1367, which would allow predominantly white students to move out of the largely Black South Bend school district to a more rural, mostly white district. We were especially offended by the disrespect shown to Black legislators who spoke against the bill by white Republican lawmakers. We call on House Speaker Todd Huston to reprimand these lawmakers and make sure such disgraceful behavior doesn't happen in our Statehouse again.

Another piece of legislation with detrimental impacts on low-income and disabled people, students, and communities of color is SB 141, which would decrease funding for public transportation in Indianapolis. We urge our members to contact their representatives to oppose this bill.

- Bowden Quinn, Chapter Director, Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter.

Our recommendations this month 


From Indiana:

Interview with Julie Lowe, executive chair of the Hoosier chapter of the Sierra Club (Nuvo)
Growing Places Indy’s new Plant it Forward Program boosts urban agriculture for healthy living (Nuvo)
'The biggest obstacle is change': How farmers are being convinced to update their methods (Indy Star)
Scrub Hub: What are the benefits of composting and how can I get started? (Indy Star)
Other states are making utilities dig up toxic coal ash. Indiana is letting it sit there (Indy Star)
A Walk in the Woods: Winter Hiking (The Preface)
West Lafayette climate strikes working to create climate literacy programs (WLFI)
Six critters to love and why they need Indiana's 'isolated' wetlands (South Bend Tribune)
100-year-old park provided respite amid segregation for Black Hoosiers (Nuvo)

From the rest of the country and beyond:

Challenging the White Narrative of Conservation (Melanin Base Camp)
'Invisible killer': fossil fuels caused 8.7m deaths globally in 2018, research finds (The Guardian)
Pollen season grows 20 days in 30 years as climate crisis hits hay fever sufferers (The Guardian)
'We have a water crisis in our country' Rashida Tlaib on shutoffs, pollution and working in a hostile Congress (The Guardian)
How to connect with nature and improve your mental health this winter (The Conversation)
Biden's new conservation corps stirs hopes of nature-focused hiring spree (The Guardian)

On food and farming:

Biden moves to give low-income families more money to buy food (Politico)
Plant-based diets crucial to saving global wildlife, says report (The Guardian)
From NFL Stardom to Family Farming (Modern Farmer)
‘Doomsday Vault’ Protects Earth’s Food Supply—Here’s How (National Geographic)
The True Cost of Nutrition Neglect — And How Regenerative Agriculture Can Tip the Scale (Triple Pundit)
These widely used insecticides may be a threat to mammals too (National Geographic)

See also: food access and equity resources on our website.

From Sierra Club:

Celebrating Black History
RSVP for the Kiss the Ground Screening and Q&A (Sun, Mar 7 — Thu, Mar 11)
Conversation about the film "Radium Girls" & the campaign to Stop Forever Chemicals (Facebook link)
From Redlining to Restorative Justice (Sierra Magazine)
Autistic Teen’s Memoir Explores the Natural Terrain of the Mind

We want to hear from you! What have you been watching, listening to, or reading, recently? Use the button below to tell us!
I have a recommendation!
Thank you so much for reading and for your continued support of the chapter. Don't forget- we love to hear from you, so please do keep in contact! You can also follow us on social media with the links below. 

With gratitude for everything that you do for the environment in Indiana,

Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter

PS Have you heard about the Winding Waters Group pollinator plant sale? This yearly event is a wonderful way to support a local Sierra Club group, and do a good deed for the planet... and your yard! Find out more on the Winding Waters Group Facebook page.
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