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We all know how much COVID-19 has affected our lives over the last month and we know it's going to continue for the near future. At the same time, this April 22 is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. We can't let that important day pass us by without investing some of our time and energy into the whole meaning of Earth Day.
This April 2020 edition of the Sierra Club Chickasaw Group's newsletter focuses on five things- 1) Some things to do "While We’re Stuck in the House During the Era of COVID-19," 2) Local and National Sierra Club Earth Day Programming Opportunities on Zoom , 3) a suggested "Personal Earth Day Event", 4) the need to remain aware and vigilant regarding what is happening to our Earth, and 5) 2 articles on green transit to stay informed.
Why give Earth Day such strong focus? We activists know there are serious environmental issues that can result in disasters just as severe as the coronavirus. Things like global warming and habitat destruction. Both will also kill millions of people and severely damage world economic systems if we don’t get everyone fully awake, informed, involved, and active - NOW. Earth Day may be our biggest chance this year to reach outside of the Sierra Club and alert the general public and it's only days away!
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While We’re Stuck in the House During the Era of COVID-19
By Tony Cernosek, Sierra Club in Memphis / Chickasaw Group Co-Chair
Being confined at home is frustrating for all of us, but you can make it an opportunity.
Put a sign/poster in your yard to spread the word to the general public - “WE SUPPORT EARTH DAY and you can too. See StrikeWithUs.org for more information.”
Keep a positive attitude. Read the powerful and uplifting article “After Coronavirus the World Will Never Be the Same. But Maybe, It Can Be Better." Find it at SingularityHub.com. Also see "Is the world getting better or worse?" on TED.com (Ted Talks) or YouTube.
Turn down the noise. Have you noticed how many commercials you see on TV? Or how few shows interest you? I was only watching Nature, Nova, and PBS – which were available for free on the internet. So I cancelled my cable contract, and hooked the internet to my wide screen TV.
Discover a gold mine of information. A whole new world is waiting for you to explore on the web. On YouTube there are educational videos on every subject, including environmentalism. On TED.com you can find the latest thinking by experts on many topics. This is a great way to expand your mind.
Become a self-taught environmental expert. Knowledge empowers you to answer questions with confidence. Discover your topic of interest.
Read a book! You can’t get a full understanding of a subject from a Google search, Wikipedia, or a video. You’re getting small disconnected pieces. Lack of broad understanding can lead you to believe fake news. Reading is still the best way to get a complete picture of any subject. Reading empowers you to think for yourself.
Take written notes. None of us can remember all the good things we read or hear. Like fleeting butterflies, you have to capture them. Later, one little idea may be exactly what you need.
Imagine new ways to be an activist. Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than information.”
Re-read your notes and visualize new possibilities. What are other activists doing?
Talk to others that share your passion. Discuss your new ideas, especially with people in your Sierra Club Working Group. Develop new plans to empower what you’re doing.
Write a summary of your vision and action plan. What’s your group’s goal or mission? Why should a volunteer get excited about helping? What specific actions can they do? Type a descriptive handout to give new members.
Create something beautiful. We all know the environment is being destroyed – by habitat loss and by overuse of pesticides and herbicides. To fight back, I cancelled my lawn service and planted a wildflower garden to feed beneficial insects and birds. I’m putting up a sign “I Love Butterflies,” along with a flyer to explain what I’m doing, to draw my neighbors into environmentalism. |
Local and National Sierra Club Earth Day Programming Opportunities
For Earth Day 2020, the Chickasaw Group is hosting a program over Zoom. Local speakers will discuss the history of Earth Day, the formation of the EPA, food security, solar power, and more. To join, go to the Zoom “Join a Meeting” page https://zoom.us/join and use meeting id 988-0349-5555.
The program will be from 5-6pm, central time on Earth Day, this Wednesday, April 22nd. Additionally, the Sierra Club has organized Earth Day Live 2020. More information on how to connect can be found here : https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-live/
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A Personal Earth Day Event
by Dennis Lynch, Conservation Chair
April 22, 2020 is the 50th Anniversary of the first Earth Day. Wow! It's kinda cool to think about what happened 50 years ago when 20 million college students and other Americans created the day of peaceful demonstrations in favor of environmental reform at two thousand colleges and universities, plus thousands of primary and secondary schools, and communities across the United States. The first Earth Day raised awareness and public attitudes about environmental issues. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "Public opinion polls indicate that a permanent change in national priorities followed Earth Day 1970." For more info, see the April issue of Sierra Club's magazine at https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2020-2-march-april.
Earth Day led to passage of landmark environmental laws in the United States, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Toxic Substances Control Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, establishment of the EPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the banning of DDT, and the removal of lead from gasoline. In 2016, the United Nations chose Earth Day as the day to sign the Paris Climate Agreement into force. Unfortunately, many of these successes are now being rolled back and that’s something we must oppose.
It would be a shame to let this anniversary pass us by as a result of being overwhelmed by COVID-19. So, we thought it would be fun to organize a very simple personal Earth Day Event - a walk in your neighborhood park, or if you are in Memphis, a walk in the Old Forest of Overton Park. Protocol allows you to have a walk by yourself or with your housemates while maintaining physical distance from others. Current recommendations also suggest wearing a mask (but not an N-95 mask- Save those for our health-care workers.).
Here's how to have your personal Earth Day:
- At some point on April 22, Earth Day, go to Overton Park and walk the trails of the Old Forest. Maintain your physical distance from others. Of course you can choose another day during Earth Week.
- When you walk the trails, enjoy the flora and fauna, the plants and animals you see along the way. Use the map's notes to teach you about the various plants and birds you see.
- Think about our world and how many ways you enjoy it and how we should all work to protect our world. "We only have one Earthly home!" It’s a beautiful place and there is no “Planet B.”
- Put "Daily Earth Day" as a reminder in your personal calendar.
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Remaining Vigilant and Making Every Day an Earth Day
by Dennis Lynch
The good news is that 60%-70% of Americans now realize that we have to be concerned and act together to protect our environment. For those already sensitized to the need to protect our environment, we know we can't just dump our trash any place that's convenient. Unfortunately, some people either don’t care or think they can use the Earth's resources any way they wish - with no consequences.
We should all make every day an Earth Day by making sure our personal habits and public actions reflect the Sierra Club's mission - to protect the environment. We should also do our best to influence our elected officials to take the right actions for the benefit of the Earth.
There are a bunch of actions we can take to model good behavior for our family and friends. If you're reading this newsletter, you’re probably already recycling, composting, using reusable grocery bags, driving an energy-efficient car, growing some of your own food, reducing meat in your diet, walking to work, etc. For more ideas, check out the Earth Day Network's Earth Day Challenge at EarthDay.org.
Their list of Earth-centric actions is revealed one day at a time-- 22 activities to actualize your own Earth Day experience and to take your environmental actions to the next level. Here’s some of the ideas: 1) do a plastics audit, 2) compost creatively, 3) read, don't stream, 4) go plant-based for 1 meal a day this week, 5) go zero-waste for one day, 6) commit to vote, and 7) measure your carbon footprint.
I encourage everyone to take this Earth Day Challenge, one day at a time during this month. It looks great to me!
I’d personally expand the "Commit to vote" item, and change it to "Work to elect the environmentally conscious candidates." Every vote is important, but even more important is getting the right candidates elected to local, state, and national offices. If we all spend a few hours per week we can really make a difference!
And this year it is ever more critical to affect some significant changes in our government. We have all seen how Trump is cutting back and eliminating many of the environmental laws and regulations which have been built up since the first Earth Day. We need to get the right candidates into office so we can start to rebuild these resources in our government. We can’t let all of our hard work be undone!
So, invest some time and effort in Earth Day! Make every day an Earth Day and work to make things better.
Thank you.
Stay safe and Have a Great and Healthy Earth Day. |
Working to Change Commuting Behaviors
By Alejandro Paredes
When we talk about reducing carbon dioxide emissions, we must discuss changing our commute behaviors. And behavior change is no easy task. But behavior change is the motivation behind the Commute Options program, at Innovate Memphis. We are reducing single occupancy vehicle trips by helping people bicycle, carpool and ride transit to work. Changing these habits reduces carbon emissions, reduces congestion and makes our entire community more livable.
What does it take to change your commute behavior? First, you need to know what your other options are. Then, you need to know what resources can help you travel in a more environmentally-friendly manner. In the beginning, this can feel like a difficult task. Leaving your car behind and trying something different that might take more time, and even might be out of your comfort zone prevents many from ever getting started. But trying something different can also have a great impact on improving our air quality and your own health.
We are not asking you to sell your car and ride your bike 15 miles to work. But we are talking about identifying alternatives to driving alone every day. You can ask yourself: Which day of the week does my routine allow me to try something different? Do I have a neighbor who works near my office? How close is my nearest bus stop? How much time am really I spending driving to work (including walking in from the parking lot!)? How much money could I save if I carpooled once or twice a week? If I rode the bus, would the brand-new MATA WiFi service allow me to get some work done during my commute? Is it worth it to join a vanpool to work and is there really a subsidy for that? Commute Options can help you figure it all out! Visit us at commuteoptionsmemphis.com.
Every year we host a city-wide Commute Challenge, during the month of May. Spring is a great time for people who might be ready to try something different but haven’t yet gotten started. Participating in the Commute Challenge is free and fun. Carpooling is encouraged. Transit and bicycle rides are welcome. There are many who even walk to work. You can participate as an individual, and also as a member of your employer’s team. Last year, we had over 300 people from 50 different work sites participating. People and organizations who join may also be eligible for awards and recognition.
It is for us a real honor to have the opportunity to be included in the Sierra Club newsletter, because we know you have a very long history defending our most precious resources and wild places. We hope that this May you will join us for the Commute Challenge, as a way to more sustainably commute in Shelby County. To learn more about how past participants have enjoyed the Commute Challenge, please watch this short video. |
Bus Rapid Transit Is Just Around the Corner
By Laura Haddock
It’s coming, folks. After years of planning, MATA is scheduled to begin construction on the new mConnect/Memphis Innovation Corridor Bus Rapid Transit system in June of 2021.
The $74 Million dollar project, funded from a combination of federal, state, BUILD Grant, and City of Memphis money, will bring nine environmentally friendly electric buses and around 30 new transit stations to a route connecting downtown to the University of Memphis area. A map of the route can be found on the mConnect site, https://memphisinnovationcorridor.com.
So, what should Memphians expect?
As the “rapid” label indicates, the new system will markedly decrease wait and commute time for riders, with buses arriving every ten minutes during peak hours. On segments of B.B. King Blvd and Second Street, there will be dedicated bus lanes. Along Union Avenue and the Eastern stretch of the route, transit signal priority (TSP) will create either an early green light or extended green signal for buses behind schedule. At some key intersections, the TSP system will allow buses to proceed before cars.
Expect a quieter ride, too, on the all-electric RBT fleet.
The transit stations replacing existing bus shelters along the route will have ADA voice announcements of bus arrivals and raised platforms to allow for level boarding, both of which will better accommodate riders with disabilities. They will also have high visibility mConnect signs, and features like bike racks, real time bus tracking, and security equipment including panic buttons. Automated ticket vending machines will be available for fare collection, to decrease boarding time and help keep those buses on schedule.
Where possible, the BRT stations will be located next to pedestrian crossings. And those crosswalks will be updated to current ADA standards with improvements including high visibility pavement markings, pedestrian signals with audible speech messages and tactile arrows for the visually impaired.
The current RBT plans do not require changes to existing roadways, but there is a separate proposal to convert the roughly three-mile section of Union between Manassas Street and East Parkway from its current configuration of six lanes to five with a center turn lane.
Shorter commutes, quieter buses, and safer crossings are significant improvements, but the BRT system will provide more than a better experience for riders.
According to the Memphis Innovation Corridor Project Team, there are five far-reaching goals for the project:
- Enhance - Make transit service in the corridor more compelling
- Connect - Connect neighborhoods and improve local circulation
- Develop - Develop support for local and regional economic growth
- Thrive - Create a thriving corridor of neighborhoods and business areas
- Sustain - Create an environment that will be sustainable
Get ready, Memphis. With the next public meeting scheduled for summer, and project completion expected in 2024, it just may be time to hop on a bus. |
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Who We Are
Founded by legendary conservationist John Muir in 1892, the Sierra Club is now the nation's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization -- with more than two million members and supporters. Our successes range from protecting millions of acres of wilderness to helping pass the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act. More recently, we've made history by leading the charge to move away from the dirty fossil fuels that cause climate disruption and toward a clean energy economy.
The Chickasaw Group is one of five Sierra Club Groups within the Tennessee Chapter. We're based in Memphis and serve the 19 counties west of the Tennessee River. The Chickasaw Group works to protect the natural heritage of West Tennessee and the health and well being of human and wild communities.
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