Call for ExCom nominees! The Tennessee Chapter is looking for candidates for the Executive Committee (ExCom) to be elected in November this year. The deadline to submit a nomination to the nominating committee is July 1st.
The nominating committee (NomCom) will select a slate of nominees by August 1. Please submit nominations to TimWeeks@att.net. You can nominate yourself, or another Sierra Club member you think would make a good leader. The NomCom will interview and evaluate potential nominees and develop a slate of formal nominees for the seats on the ExCom that are up for election this fall. If you want to run for an ExCom position and are not selected by the NomCom to be a nominee, you may petition to get yourself on the ballot if you gather the supporting signatures of at least 15 Chapter members. The deadline for a petition by a candidate not selected by the NomCom is September 1, 2024.
Nashville Electric Service has objected to TVA’s gas buildout. But that wasn’t reflected in a TVA meeting. "Last year, the NES Board passed a resolution
that advised TVA to reconsider its Kingston gas plans in favor of a solar and battery option. The NES Board wrote that a solar project would create opportunities for jobs, federal incentives and construction dollars, make Nashville more competitive with other big cities due to less climate pollution, and reduce financial risks for residents." However, at the May 8th Listening Session, Brian Solsbee, Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association Director (which represents about 50% of TVA’s local power companies, including the NES) spoke in support of TVA's gas. Read more by Caroline Eggers - WPLN - May 29, 2024.
Support needed for National Park City campaign in Chattanooga! "The Chattanooga National Park City campaign is a community-driven effort to celebrate, elevate, and conserve the people, places, civic spirit, and cultures that make Chattanooga and the Tennessee River Valley so unique and irreplaceable...While not affiliated with the National Park Service, the movement shares the idea that we protect our most precious resources and places not only today but for generations to come. The goal is for Chattanooga to earn the status of the first National Park City in North America by 2025." Signatures are needed
to support this effort! Anyone can sign; you don't have to live in Chattanooga.
Chattanooga is nominated to be the first National Park City in America, and has the goal of achieving this by 2025. Photo:
NationalParkCity.org
Environmental Updates
Environmental groups welcome federal rules requiring TVA to clean up old coal ash dumps. "The new rules require power companies across the nation to dig up millions of tons of coal ash from defunct power plants and old, unlined landfills that have contact with groundwater and move them to dry, lined landfills. In Tennessee, the rules will apply to sites in Sumner, Anderson, Roane, Hawkins and Humphreys counties owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority. It was at the TVA’s Kingston Fossil Plant in 2008 that disaster struck: an infrastructure breach sent more than a billion gallons of toxic coal sludge into nearby homes and waterways then sickened workers brought in to clean it up. Scores of those workers have since died."
Read more by Anita Wadhwani - Tennessee Lookout - May 8 2024.
TVA’s local solar program is about to get its biggest project yet. "The Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public power utility, has yet to fully jump on the solar trend that’s sweeping the nation. But it has allowed communities within its seven-state service territory to buy some solar power for themselves. Now Tennessee-based developer Silicon Ranch has signed a contract to build the largest community-driven solar plant the region has ever seen." Read more by Julian Spector - Canary Media - May 18, 2024.
Large solar farm coming to Cumberland County. "Silicon Ranch has partnered with MTE to fund, construct, own, operate and maintain the Copeland Solar Farm in Cumberland County. Once construction on the solar farm is completed in 2027, officials said it will benefit more than 750,000 Tennesseans across 11 counties and generate millions of dollars in tax revenue for Cumberland County to support local infrastructure and schools." Read more by Josh Jarnagin - WVLT - May 19, 2024.
Sierra Club establishes a new policy on E-bike use on trails. "E-bikes—bicycles powered by electric motors—have gained rapid popularity and are all around us. Great for urban transportation, but in backcountry trails, their use can lead to serious conflicts and impacts. In May, 2022, the Sierra Club’s Board of Directors adopted a new policy, recommended by our recreation issues volunteers, which promotes the use of electric motorized bicycles in urban and developed areas. For trails on public lands this policy emphasizes that e-bikes must be considered and managed as motorized vehicles. Where motorized use is prohibited, e-bikes should also be prohibited." —Submitted by Vicky Hoover (vicky.hoover@sierraclub.og)
What's new in Governor Lee's budget for 2025? "Compared to the February proposal, the enacted budget includes more money for franchise tax refunds, a potential FY 2024 revenue deficit, and new spending—funded mainly by higher expected treasury investment earnings. Together, this boosts spending from state revenues to an estimated $32.1 billion in FY 2024 and $25.7 billion in FY 2025." Read more by Mandy Spears - Sycamore Institute - May 18, 2024.
South Memphis celebrates its collective power after closure of toxic facility. "After months of vague promises from Sterilization Services of Tennessee about closing, South Memphis residents and environmental advocates believe that the Florida Street facility, known for emitting a cancer-causing gas
, has finally shut down." However, this location is only one of 17 in the area causing air pollution. KeShaun Pearson, president of community group Memphis Community Against Pollution, said, “The fight for environmental justice is going to continue. This fight was never Sterilization Services of Tennessee. This fight was for clean air, clean water and clean soil for everybody who lives here." Read more by Ashli Blow - MLK50.com - May 3, 2024.
From nose bleeds to cancer: The public health risks of TVA's gas buildouts. "The Tennessee Valley Authority has been rapidly expanding fossil fuel infrastructure across the region and is on track to construct eight methane gas plants by the end of the decade. The buildout is part of a fossil fuel system that starts with fracking and ends with burning — a system that affects the planet and can harm the health of people living nearby." The combustion stages are known to have "carcinogenic, neurologic and respiratory effects, said Karen Knee, an environmental scientist at American University."
Read more by Caroline Eggers - WLPN - May 18, 2024.
Executive salaries, fossil fuel opposition, and transparency: Understanding TVA's meeting in Nashville this week. "The Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directorsmet at [Lipscomb University] in Nashville twice this week to conduct their routine quarterly business. There was a stark contrast between the two meetings — and what the public asked the board to do versus what the board did." Read more by Caroline Eggers - WLPN - May 10, 2024.
Community members and climate supporters gathered for the Listening Session on May 8th in Nashville and many made comments to TVA about the urgent need for clean energy. Bill McKibben (pictured, center) traveled from Vermont to give in-person comments. Paul Klein, a climate activist from Memphis, summed up the situation in his comment: “There’s no secret to how we can end global warming. Stop burning fossil fuels.” Photo: Todd Waterman.
Fundraising Corner with Mac Post
STRAWFEST (Saving The Remaining American Wilderness FESTival)
The Saving Art Project (S.A.P.) organized an event in Nashville to raise funds for the Tennessee Chapter Sierra Club. Called STRAWFEST (Saving The Remaining American Wilderness), it took place Wednesday, May 1, at the Eastside Bowl. There was live music, dancing, vendors and more. Folks from the Middle Tennessee Group set up a table and interacted with participants. This was great publicity and an opportunity to connect with an exciting group of folks. We really appreciate the effort they put into organizing this event for us. Check out the Saving Art Project instagram page
. They are young people who are interested in community gardening, hiking and outdoors, and of course - art. They also organize monthly cleanups at Nashville-area state parks.
June Events
Statewide environmental events listed chronologically.
Do you have an event you'd like publicized?
Send it to Enews.sierratn@gmail.com.
June 3 - 10: Free Viewing of "San Onofre Syndrome (SOS): Nuclear Power's Legacy." SOS is an empowering story of successful community action to shut down leaking reactors. The film will be available at no charge, for on-demand viewing, anytime from June 3 through June 10, thanks to an educational grant from the Grassroots Network of the Sierra Club to the Nuclear Free Team. Register on Eventive.org
to view the film. There will be a follow-up webinar and panel discussion with two of the filmmakers and a panel of experts on June 10 at 8:00 pm ET.
June 11 - HBG Program: Cryptocurrencies and Climate Change Casualties. John Nolt, a member of the Harvey Broome Group’s Executive Committee and Professor Emeritus in Philosophy at the University of Tennessee, will present a program about cryptocurrencies and their detrimental long-term effects on the environment. Cryptocurrency “mines” (data centers, really) pull enormous quantities of power from the electrical grid. Thus they are attracted to states like Tennessee where electric power is relatively cheap. The event will be at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church on June 11, 7:00 - 8:30 pm.
June 19 is Juneteenth! Sometimes called Jubilee Day, Juneteenth is a commemoration day in honor of the 250,000 enslaved people in Texas who were notified of their freedom two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed an act recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. There are a variety of events and celebrations across the state to celebrate Juneteenth!
June 22 - Race for Conservation at Lula Lake Land Trust. "The 5 Points 50/25 is Chattanooga’s ultimate endurance mountain bike race and a fundraiser for Lula Lake Land Trust. Racers will enjoy a grueling course packed with single track, climbs, downhills, rock gardens, and smooth flowy trails through the 5 Points Trail system, Lula Lake Land Trust, the Cloudland Connector Trail (including the 6.5 mile Long Branch/Nickajack section) and Moonshine Trails. Post-race activities include camping, music, food, and more!" Volunteers are also needed for the race. Registration here.
Species Spotlight
This month's featured species is: Yellow wood sorrel (oxalis stricta)
The yellow wood sorrel in bloom at Montezuma Bluffs Natural Park in Macon, Georgia. Photo: Alan Cressler, via Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center.
There are hundreds of species in the genus Oxalis. The yellow wood sorrel is a perennial herb which grows 8-15 inches tall. The leaves are palmate compound, and are sometimes confused with clover or shamrock. Leaflets fold up at night and open during day.
It is unclear whether this is a native species. It grows in diverse habitats, and is found in most of North America.
Its bloom time depends on where it is located. Most commonly, it blooms spring to fall, and has yellow flowers with five petals.
All parts of wood sorrels are edible. They are high in vitamin C and contain oxalic acid. Oxalis is sometimes called sourgrass. In Greek, the word oxis means sour or sharp. Other vegetables that also contain oxalic acid are broccoli and spinach.
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