It Takes a Movement

by Jim Turner, Missouri Chapter Chair

The Sierra Club Board of Directors recently challenged us to gear up for more coordinated action by Club members, to address the politics and culture of global warming and other urgent problems. In coming months we will be hearing more about how activists of the Chapters can make that happen. Without a step-up in actions by environmentalists, social inertia is likely to maintain many habits in how Americans consume and produce goods and services, and those habits will keep on hurting the environment just as they do now. In response, Missouri Chapter leaders are asking all our members to consider joining our on line legislative alert network. Through that network we can provide up to date information so that you will be able to make prompt and targeted calls, letters and emails to our Senators and Representatives in Washington, as well as to our Missouri Legislature during its session. We saw that such calls to Jefferson City this spring really helped. We know that calls can make a difference, even in Washington DC. During the past two weeks, various chapter leaders and I have met with Senator McCaskill's Legislative Counsel Nichole Distefano about the pending energy bill. We also have had follow-up communications with the Senator and Ms. Distefano. However, it's obvious that other constituencies, like auto manufacturers and coal companies, continue to exert pressure against bold action. The present bill certainly will not be enough protect Earth from global warming. We need to be prepared for ongoing action.

Please step up to the challenge and if you have not already done so, sign up for our legislative alerts.

  1. Please provide your email address for receiving occasional notices of developments that need your prompt comment to our legislators: You may do this by accessing the chapter's website and clicking on "Sign up for Legislative Alerts" at the upper right corner of http://missouri.sierraclub.org
  2. If you do not have email and would like to provide your phone number for occasional phone contacts regarding legislation, please send us your number . And if you would like to get our “Green Report” mailed to you during the MO legislative session, also provide your mailing address. The Green Report is our occasional publication covering primarily MO state legislative issues.


Mail your contact information to:

Missouri Sierra Club
7164 Manchester Ave.
Maplewood, MO 63143

Chapter volunteers are presently working out of our homes in or near Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia, Cape Girardeau, St. Louis, and Kirksville. Contacts to our legislators from a wide variety of ZIP codes in Missouri can multiply the effect of what we do.