You are invited you to the Tennessee Chapter’s Fall Retreat at Fall Creek Falls State Park, during peak autumn! Enjoy hikes, campfires, family activities, and more. Don’t miss our Saturday evening program with live music, a silent auction, and a talk by Tennessee’s new Sierra Club State Director, Pat Cupples.
We also encourage families to bring kids, as we’ll have special activities and a bonfire with s’mores! For those interested in becoming Outdoor Leaders, a training session will be held on Saturday afternoon. Scholarships are also available if needed. Register by October 12th for an early bird discount!
Tennessee News
Rally for the Valley, Sept. 21, 2024, Nashville, Tenn. Photo by John Todd Waterman.
Hurricane Helene devastation and updates. Our hearts go out to our members and neighbors in East Tennessee and surrounding areas affected by the flooding and storm damage. For those looking for ways to help, blood donations are always in demand. You can donate financially or schedule an appointment to give blood with the Tennessee Region of the American Red Cross. If you’re near Unicoi County, donations are being accepted at Southside Freewill Baptist Church (1313 Chestoa Pike, Erwin). The center is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. and is collecting new underwear, socks, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and trash bags. As we gather more information in the coming days and weeks, the Tennessee Chapter will share additional ways to support relief efforts.
TVA faces pushback from environmental groups over plan to power Tennessee Valley through 2050. On September 21, over "100 climate activists and community members gathered at Centennial Park [in Nashville] to demonstrate their opposition to the IRP (Integrated Resources Plan) and TVA’s energy policies, saying if the plan moves forward it would bring more extreme weather events, cause more air and water pollution and increase utility bills for customers in the Tennessee Valley." Read more by Audrey Mayer - WKRN - Sept. 24, 2024.
They're smaller, cheaper, but still cost billions. How can TVA fund new nuclear reactors? "The Tennessee Valley Authority is finalizing the design of its small modular nuclear reactors , which received $150 million in additional funding from the TVA Board of Directors in August...But the $350 million allocated by the board for TVA's new nuclear reactors since 2022 is only meant to cover initial design and permitting. The full price tag on the reactors will be in the billions..." Read more by Daniel Dassow - Knoxville News Sentinel - Sept. 27, 2024.
Report: more than $3B needed in next three years to repair Tennessee’s crumbling sewage systems. "Tennessee needs more than $3 billion by 2027 to repair, replace and expand wastewater treatment systems as infrastructure crumbles and population increases, a state analysis released Wednesday found...The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has also found Clean Water Act violations in three Tennessee municipal systems: Springfield, Knoxville and Nashville. Nashville is now under a court-ordered agreement with the federal agency to make nearly half a million dollars in repairs to continue to serve its existing customer base." Read more by Anita Wadhwani - Tennessee Lookout - Sept. 19, 2024.
Bitcoin mines coming to Memphis and Tennessee. "With little regulation, cryptocurrency mining poses challenges to the state’s power supplies and clean-energy goals." Read more by Melanie Faizer & Marc Perrusquia - Sept. 11, 2024.
Public demonstration at the Rally for the Valley on Sept. 21, 2024. The interactive pipeline display doubles as a snake metaphor. The green cart on which the snake's head rests reads "Sun and wind will drive out the black snakes. We have 1 planet." Photo credit: John Todd Waterman.
Update from Political Committee
Your Chapter Political Committee has been hard at work doing candidate research for the general election on November 5th! So far, we have endorsed 29candidates in state races, and several more are in process, including a few running for federal office. The endorsements can be found here.
VOTING DATES TO REMEMBER:
Early voting is Oct. 16 - 31st.
Deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7.
Deadline to request a mail-in ballot is Oct. 29.
Environmental Updates
Lawmakers to take another look at lifting protections for thousands of acres of Tennessee wetlands. “Lawmakers convene next week to consider changes in how the state protects wetlands — reviving an issue that sparked intense debate earlier this year when a bill was introduced to roll back environmental oversight over nearly half a million acres of the state’s fragile ecosystems. The bill, sponsored by West Tennessee Republican Rep. Kevin Vaughan, pitted environmental groups seeking to preserve wetland habitats against developers seeking relief from regulation..." Read more by Anita Wadhwani - Tennessee Lookout - Sept. 23, 2024.
Sixty years after its signing, the Wilderness Act's impact lives on in the South. "Studies show that nine out of ten Southerners support the preservation of Wilderness Areas and think more public lands should be protected...But in the decades since the law was signed (on September 3, 1964), the South has lagged behind when it comes to creating wilderness. Today, fewer than three percent of the nation’s wilderness acres are in the South." Read more by Sam Evans - Tennessee Lookout - Sept. 19, 2024.
Chattanooga National Park City Update. There has been 4,378 charter sign ups as of last week, out of a goal of 5,000! The National Park City Foundation team will review our progress in December and we will find out if we made it! If we are selected, we plan to officially celebrate becoming a National Park City in spring, likely during Earth Week 2025, April 20 - 26th (more details to come). If you haven't signed the charter yet, please do so now!
How NOAA researchers tackled a 'bear' of an air pollution problem. "In the 1990s, the Great Smoky Mountains had a major problem. Air pollution caused by high levels of nitrogen and sulfur was creating an unhealthy situation. Air quality was so bad that the region’s popular National Park was sometimes closed to visitors." The NOAA created a campaign using a stuffed bear wearing a gas mask and kerchief to tell a story about the adverse effects of air pollution. Read more by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), US Dept of Commerce - Sept. 27, 2024.
In 2006, researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) used stuffed bears to communicate the negative effects of air pollution. The black bears currently sit on a shelf at NOAA’s Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Photo credit: Dave Senn/NOAA.
Health & Justice
TAKE ACTION: Here are the facts: Fossil fuels kill people. Public health researchers estimate around 7 million people across the planet die prematurely every year due to the air pollution fossil fuels generate. By comparison, globally about 7 million people have died so far from Covid. To put that into perspective: Every single year, fossil fuels kill on the order of a global pandemic. The continued extraction and burning of coal, oil, and gas is calculated violence in the pursuit of wealth. Sierra Club is calling on President Biden to end the era of fossil fuels before he leaves office. Send your message to the Biden Administration today!
TVA plans 9th gas plant since 2020. "The Tennessee Valley Authority is increasing its gas capacity by about 60% this decade. Last month, TVA revealed plans for another methane gas plant in West Tennessee. The TVA Board, the utility’s main regulator, approved funds for a 300-megawatt, or .3-gigawatt, facility in Brownsville, a town about an hour northeast of Memphis. TVA has now proposed nine gas plants since 2020." Read more by Caroline Eggers - WPLN - Sept. 20, 2024.
New children's book teaches young readers ecological concepts. "Written by Smokies Life Creative Services Director Frances Figart and illustrated by Matt Brass, Camilla and the Caterpillars tells the story of a young girl’s encounter with an extraordinary caterpillar in the Great Smoky Mountains — leading her and her family on a quest to create a 'national park' of native plants right in their own backyard." The environmentally themed chapter book is for ages 6 through 11 and introduces young readers to important ecological concepts. Order the book and view book launch events here!
ᎫᏬᎯ: Cherokee name restored to Tennessee’s highest mountain. "The U.S. Board on Geographic Names voted Sept. 18 in favor of the formal request submitted by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to change the name of Clingmans Dome (FID #1326387) to Kuwohi. Kuwohi is the Cherokee name for the mountain and translates to 'mulberry place.' In Cherokee syllabary, the name is ᎫᏬᎯ...Clingmans Dome has always been known as Kuwohi to the Cherokee. The mountain became known as Clingmans Dome following an 1859 survey by geographer Arnold Guyot, named for Thomas Lanier Clingman, who was a lawyer, U.S. representative and senator from North Carolina, and Confederate brigadier general." Read more by Katie Liming, public information officer at Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Hellbender Press - Sept. 18, 2024.
A high-elevation spruce-fir forest on a foggy September day on Kuwohi. Most recently called Clingman's Dome, the name has been restored to its original Cherokee name Kuwohi. Photo credit: Ken Thomas via Wikimedia Commons.
Volunteer Communications Opportunity
Are you interested in building your digital communications skillset while supporting a great cause?
The Harvey Broome Group (Knoxville area) is seeking an editor for their monthly E-Newsletter. You will be trained in the Marketing Cloud email program, and with a few hours a month, you'll be helping the Harvey Broome Group publicize important local news, events, and opportunities. If interested, please call or text Jerry Thornton at 865-719-9742 or email him at gatwildcat@aol.com.
Fundraising Corner
Are You a Defenders Fund Member?
By Susan Johnston
Can you imagine asking people for money and having them thank you for doing so? Well, folks, welcome to the Sierra Club Defenders. I recently sent out letters seeking contributions for our lobbyist, and in addition to a number of contributions I already have had four people thank me for asking!
Clearly they understand how important it is to continue to support Scott Banbury in the work he is doing with our sometimes difficult state legislature. If you want to join the club, you can do it easily here! And you will have the satisfaction of knowing you are helping to defend our exquisite state.
For more information on what Scott has been working on in the last legislative season, check out his column in the Tennes-Sierran (pg 3 in July/August edition). He definitely needs our support!
October Events
Statewide environmental events listed chronologically.
Do you have an event you'd like publicized?
Send it to Enews.sierratn@gmail.com.
Oct. 5th - Appalachian Public Interest and Environmental Law (APIEL) Conference. This is the 15th anniversary of this annual conference, which will be held at the University of Tennessee College of Law. The event will feature engaging keynote speakers, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities with like-minded individuals passionate about environmental justice and sustainability. Visit apiel.net for details.
Oct. 27-29th - Great Smokies Eco-Adventure. Benefitting Discover Life in America (DLiA), this immersive, three-day, two-night “glamping” experience includes cozy and comfortable camping, guided nature hikes and locally sourced meals and drinks. The event also doubles as an important fundraiser for DLiA, funding vital research on biodiversity in the national park. Learn more here.
Species Spotlight
This month's featured species is: Red Spider Lily (Lycoris radiata)
Lycoris radiata in bloom in High Point, NC. This plant has many nicknames, including red magic lily, hurricane lily, corpse flower, and equinox flower. Photo credit: Scott Zona, CC BY-NC 2.0.
This striking plant is a bulbous perennial in the amaryllis family. It blooms in late summer or early autumn, often after a hefty rainfall. It may pop up suddenly, hence the nickname "magic lily."
Its showy flowers are bright red, and adorn the tops of spindly stems which rise 12-28 inches tall. They prefer partial shade.
Lycoris radiata originated in China, then made its way to Japan around 700 CE. There are over 50 local Japanese names for this distinctive plant. It is a cultural symbol which is a harbinger of fall, and may be associated with a Buddhist holiday around the autumn equinox, and is sometimes planted to honor the dead.
Contact Us
Do you have a program or speaker idea for your Group? An issue you're particularly passionate about? Do you have a story idea for the Tennes-Sierran or the e-newsletter? Let us know! Look through our past programs for inspiration. Submit your suggestion here!
The views expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sierra Club.
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We are the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club, the world’s oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization. With over 3.8 million members and supporters, the Sierra Club has the resources to empower people and to influence public policy through community activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation.
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