CHARLESTON, WV - As hundreds of clean air and climate advocates turned out to the EPA’s public hearing on rescinding the Clean Power Plan Tuesday, Appalachian community leaders, elected officials, faith leaders, and public health experts from West Virginia and adjacent communities held a press conference, panel discussion, and transcribed “Hearing for Healthy Communities” in support of the plan across the river at the University of Charleston.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Senate Republicans in the Budget Committee advanced a scheme to slash taxes for corporate polluters and billionaires, opening the door for drilling in the Arctic Refuge and massive cuts to life-saving programs across the federal government.
In response, Sierra Club Resist Campaign Director Maura Cowley released the following statement:
Today, WEC Energy Group, the parent company to We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, announced that it will be retiring Pleasant Prairie coal fired power plant as early as next year. The coal plant retirement marks the 266th nationally, and continues a shift away from coal that has kept pace under the Trump Administration. Advocates are calling on WEC to invest in community conversations around a plan that addresses on-site pollution concerns, continues investment in clean energy, and ensures an equitable transition for the workforce.
Washington, DC -- Today, the Associated Press reported that FEMA awarded an unproven, brand new company, Bronze Star LLC, a $30 million contract to provide emergency tarps and plastic sheeting for Puerto Ricans recovering from Hurricane Maria.
Vet Voice Foundation and Sierra Club Military Outdoors today launched ads in the districts of Representatives Mast and Zeldin, urging them to oppose the current tax scheme being considered by Congress. The tax plan aims to offset tax cuts for corporate polluters by raising revenue through allowing oil companies to conduct dangerous drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The ads make clear that the tax bill’s steps to open the door to drilling the Arctic Refuge and a vote for the passage of the bill itself are unacceptable.
Local activists will gather on Thursday at noon to rally outside Wells Fargo’s headquarters in San Francisco and demand that they divest from Keystone XL.
Washington, DC -- On Wednesday, November 29th at 2:00 pm, Congressman Keith Ellison and Congressman Raúl Grijalva will host a congressional briefing featuring a diverse set of leaders who will shed light on the overlooked impacts of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on workers and communities of color.
The Sierra Club’s Ready For 100 campaign announced today that Gabe Gonzalez has been selected to serve as the new national campaign co-leader for 2017-2018.
Today, a federal judge ruled that a lawsuit brought by environmental and landowner groups over the Trump administration’s approval of the cross-border permit for the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline can proceed. The decision rejects attempts by the administration and TransCanada, the company behind the proposed pipeline, to have the lawsuit thrown out.
Atlanta, GA -- Yesterday, the Atlanta City Council passed ordinance 17-0-1654, which will require all new residential homes and public parking facilities to install the wiring to accommodate the possibility of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The ordinance requires that 20 percent of the spaces in all new commercial and multi-family parking structures and all new residential homes be EV-ready to make it easier for future residents to install EV charging stations.