Her Place-Her Space: Her Relationship With Parks/Nature May 20, 2021 6:00-7:30pm by Zoom
Join us for a conversation centering the relationship women and girls have with parks and natural spaces. Our parks play a valuable and dynamic role in our well being and wellness.
A value and wellness to be experienced by all. A space that is safe, inclusive and accessible.
T.O. Fuller TN State Park Ranger Jessica Gossett and Researcher, Advocate and United State of Women Ambassador for TN, Shenée Simon will lead us in this meaningful and intentional conversation.
There's a lot going on surrounding the proposed Byhalia Pipeline these days. You could probably write a book just covering what's happened in the last month. A few items are mentioned here, but to keep up with the issues, you need to Google, read, listen, and get involved:
Memphis Citizens Against Pollution has held numerous rallies in South Memphis. Former Vice President Al Gore spoke at a rally on March 14. Reverend William Barber spoke at a rally on April 18 and another CommUNITY rally was held May 1.
On April 19, Al Gore, who is also founder and chairman of The Climate Reality Project, wrote a Guest Column for the Commercial Appeal, calling the Byhalia Pipeline "a reckless, racist ripoff".
The Memphis City Council is considering an ordinance that would create expanded regulations for any sort of development that could affect Memphis' drinking water supply. This ordinance would require the Memphis City Council's public works committee to approve any piece of infrastructure that handles materials that are deemed hazardous and could affect the city's drinking water supply. After passing two readings, it has been deferred to July 6.
Another ordinance being considered would change the Memphis-Shelby County Unified Development Code to require that pipelines be setback at least 1500 feet from homes, schools or churches. It too has been deferred until July 6.
On Earth Day (April 22) Justin Timberlake shared an informational video on his Instagram taking a stand against the Pipeline. He urged his 60 million followers to sign a petition against the pipeline.
On April 29, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) sent a letter to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) asking TDEC to rescind its approval of the proposed Byhalia Pipeline. The existence of parallel pipeline, the "Collierville Connection Pipeline" was "discovered". Apparently, Plains All American Pipeline and Valero, didn’t disclose that pipeline’s existence when they sought their permit for the proposed Byhalia pipeline. The Sierra Club, and other groups which oppose the new pipeline asked SELC to write this letter.
On May 12, the Memphis Commercial Appeal, published a story, "New possible threat to Memphis' drinking water discovered along Byhalia pipeline route ", about a study by the University of Memphis Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research (CAESER). That study showed that there are two breaches that connect the shallow Mississippi River Valley Aquifer to the deeper Memphis Sand Aquifer, the source of Memphis' drinking water. "The two breaches are on either side of what is known as the Davis well field in Southwest Memphis, one of several wellfields where city-of-Memphis-owned Memphis, Light, Gas, and Water pumps drinking water.
The story about the Byhalia Pipeline and "Memphis Community Against Pollution" has been getting plenty of attention in local and national media. On Earth Day, Discovery channel presented "Action Planet: Meeting the Climate Challenge." featuring "Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, and several members of our Memphis community talking about the struggle right here in Memphis."
Cherokee Group (Chattanooga) is hosting the next Tennessee Chapter Retreat, which will be held October 29-31 at Booker T Washington State Park, pending National Sierra Club loosening restrictions for in person meetings. Hopefully, we can all get together and meet in person again!
There is a fun weekend planned, with hikes led by Randy Hedgepath, Tennessee State Naturalist, hike leader certification classes, an amazing speaker, and time spent with fellow Tennessee Sierrans. More details and information to follow.
Most of our Chapter Conservation Committees are operational and getting going. We have representatives from Cherokee Group on all committees as of right now, but we could always use more people on board! If you are interested in being a member of one of the committees, contact Bill Moll through email or by phone at 404-401-7899.
Would you like to be on our Local or State Executive Committee?
The Sierra Club’s democratic process ensures it is held accountable to its membership with viable candidates who best represent members’ interests. Any Chapter member in good standing is eligible to be considered for nomination. The Chapter and Group nomination committees are seeking candidates to self-nominate, and also are accepting suggestions for nominees. Candidates may also petition to be on the ballot. After receiving nominations by September 1, 2021, the committees will consider and recommend candidates for the ballot. Chapter and Group ballots will be published in the November/December edition of this newspaper, and also online. Candidates are allowed space on the ballot to advocate for their election. Candidates receiving the top votes will start their two-year terms in January 2022
Each year, some members of the Group executive committees (ExComs) reach the end of their terms. Each ExCom sets its Group budget and strategic direction, reaches consensus on conservation positions, raises money, appoints officers and committee chairs and makes electoral endorsements within its area. To accomplish all of this, each Group ExCom meets every month, currently virtually by Zoom, and will do so until in-person meetings are deemed safe. Each ExCom also plans additional important events throughout the year. Contact ChickasawSierra@gmail.com for more information.
MICAH (Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope) is a "power organization", a coalition of community and faith-based organizations (currently 72 member organizations) joining together to give a more powerful voice for issues of justice in our city.
MICAH's current platform concentrates on three pillar issues- economic equity, education equity, and race & class equity in the justice system. Within the economic equity pillar- MICAH has prioritized financial empowerment, transportation, community dislocation and affordable housing, and renter's rights. Task forces of volunteers work on these issues.
Low income Memphians have difficulty accessing better paying jobs, a major key to a more equitable community. People should be able to use transit to get to their destinations in a reasonable period of time-- to good jobs, to the doctor's office, to the grocery store and to other vital appointments. The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) has recognized that system improvements must be made in order to meet these needs.
Four years ago, MATA worked with Innovate Memphis and numerous stakeholders to develop the "Transit Vision Plan", as part of the larger "Memphis 3.0" plan. These have been approved by the Memphis City Council. MATA must now implement Transit Vision improving service to strengthen the city and to provide appropriate transportation options to its residents. Funding is the key, now estimated to add $35 million per year to the current MATA budget. MICAH's Transit Team has been working with city and county to get increased funding for MATA to support this plan. The Sierra Club Chickasaw Group has worked with MICAH on numerous related activities.
The bottom line is that MATA is important to the future of Memphis, and the Memphis 3.0 Transit Vision Plan is important to the future of MATA. Permanent funding increases are needed to make it happen. MICAH is doing a great job getting the word out and influencing key decision makers, and the Chickasaw Group is helping. Will you volunteer to help this important cause?
League of Women Voters: Redistricting and Civics 101
Recently, the League of Women Voters (LWV) had an online webinar about redistricting. This fall, Tennessee will begin the process of drawing new district lines. The lines will determine how our state is represented and whether our voices will be heard. LWV knows that when the public is involved in the redistricting process, we achieve fairer maps.
Also, the local Chapter of the League of Women Voters (LWV) is preparing a collection of short online workshops to help citizens better understand our government and how it works. The workshops should also entice folks to do more research and even begin volunteering with organizations they're interested in and/or participating somehow in the process, by attending committee meetings and town-hall meetings and by visiting their elected officials. The individual workshops will cover the basics of government at Federal, State and Local Levels, as well as an overview of elections and voting.
We're excited to see that the LWV is taking these steps to help citizens to know more about our levels of government and our role in electing public officials. Every day and every year there are more important issues and policies being discussed and decided by these officials. We need to know "how it works", and how to tell our officials about our views and our desires related to the issues. These Civics 101 workshops will be a big help, especially for those among us who are "shy" about speaking up.
On Earth Day, April 22, concerned citizens gathered for the first episode of "Sowing the Seeds of Justice" with Marquita Bradshaw on how we can achieve a just transition to clean energy while acknowledging the process of healing from the trauma of environmental injustice and racism.
Members of the community gathered and spoke about the history and the issues that became the core of racial injustice. The focus was then on a "What is a Just Transition", generational trauma, healing historical trauma, and finally, the need to work for clean air and clean soil for generations to come. Attendees spoke up and spoke out about their own experiences and about the need for environmental justice. And then, the butterflies were released. See sowingjustice.org
We are the Chickasaw Group of the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club, the world’s oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization. With over 3.5 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.
Our mission is to explore, enjoy and protect the planet for our families and our future.
Our mission is to Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet.
