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October 2016 Edition
General Meeting, October 13, 2016 — The Future of Humans
On Thursday evening, October 13, we look at the future of humans. Have we reached the end of our growth, or will the post-modern homo sapien be different from us? Evolutionary biologist Scott Solomon draws on the explosion of discoveries in recent years to examine the future evolution of our species. Combining knowledge of our past with current trends, Solomon offers evidence that evolutionary forces still affect us today. But how will modernization — including longer lifespans, changing diets, global travel, and widespread use of medicine and contraceptives — affect our evolutionary future? Find out the latest answers on October 13, when the Sierra Club welcomes Scott Solomon, Ph.D.
Thursday, October 13, at St Stephen’s Episcopal Church 1805 W Alabama. Program starts at 7:30 PM. (Informal social period 7:00 PM.) Visitors always welcome.
Our Annual Auction and holiday gathering will take place this year at our December General Meeting on Thursday, December 8. This is one of the fundraising events for the Houston Group and features both a live and silent auction. All proceeds from the auction stay here in Houston to fund local conservation efforts and activities. We are now seeking donations for this year’s auction.
Go here for more information.
The November general election is just around the corner, and we need you to vote and support green candidates that can help us win important victories in the Texas Legislature and the Congress next year. Check out our chapter endorsements page: TurnTexasGreen.org for local and legislative recommendations from your Lone Star Chapter political committee. You can make a contribution there also to help us elect our recommended environmental champions. Remember, early voting is from October 24 to November 4. Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, 2016.
Find Out How You Can Turn Texas Green.
Houston City Council just adopted a new building energy code that will make new homes more energy efficient and make it easier to install solar. The vote was unanimous!
Go here for more information.
The Houston Regional Group and Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club submitted scoping comments to the U.S. Forest Service (FS) for the Walker County Southern Pine Beetle Resilience and Wildlife Habitat Improvement Project (Compartments 48, 49, and 53) in Sam Houston National Forest (SHNF).
Go here for more information.
The Houston Sierra Club (HSC) provided input to the Galveston Bay Estuary Program (GBEP) about funding for its Subcommittees so they can implement research, monitoring, water and sediment quality, natural resource, and public education projects.
Go here for more information.
Many cities around the world are re-designing their transportation infrastructure to emphasize walking, biking, and transit, to both address climate change and to create more livable, people friendly communities. Fossil fuel based transportation modes, such as autos and trucks are one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions.
Go here for more information.
Mattress Recycling!
Old mattresses are bulky and take up lots of room in land fills. And 90% of mattress materials are recyclable: polyurethane foam, cotton, steel coils, and wood. Many cities are now diverting old mattresses from the waste stream, and recycling the materials.
Go here for more information.
Call For Presenters - Young Adult Sustainability
Did you start an environmental club at your school?
Do you organize a recycling effort at your school, in your neighborhood, or in the broader community?
Are you involved in habitat restoration, urban gardening, or environmental design?
Do you make your environmental concerns heard politically?
The Houston Regional Group of the Sierra Club wants to hear from you.
Go here for more information.
Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement (TPP) is Not Dead, Unfortunately
By Jim Williams and Madeleine Crozat-Williams
The reports of the Trans-Pacific Partnership’s death have been greatly exaggerated, unfortunately. The corporate news media is now using every opportunity to push the TPP as something better than NAFTA: Not true —TPP would be far worse than NAFTA!
Go here for more information.
Get Outdoors!
For information on upcoming outings in the Houston area, check out our MeetUp site or our Outings Calendar on our website.
Outings Reports
Follets Island Follies?
Fourteen of us were standing in the middle of a full parking lot, school buses were unloading excited students, cars and people were moving in and out of the parking lot and heading in all directions, rain was threatening, people were looking at me as the leader with questions in their eyes, my guide was running late, in other words I was in a “pickle”!
Go here for more information.