Board of Directors Main 2008 Election Meeting Sites & Dates Officers and Directors Election Results, 1998-present

2008 Election Candidate Forum: The Questions Question 6: Having prioritized energy and climate work with the Smart Energy Solutions conservation initiative, what do you see as the most important things that the Sierra Club must do to respond to the urgent threat of climate change and win victories on this issue in the coming years? Candidate responses were limited to 150 words per question. Lane Boldman I am very experienced in the area of energy, having been one of the key leaders in the first successful battles of what became the Midwest Coal Rush. With regard to conservation priorities, our greatest urgency is stopping the Coal Rush via the National Coal Campaign and our grassroots and Chapter-based activists, because coal-fired power plants are the most significant factor that we can address quickly and successfully in the fight to combat global warming. But this question is about far more than looking at conservation priorities. We as an organization need to enlist the public far more aggressively than ever before. We are talking about a goal that has never been done: a large-scale, comprehensive shift in how the public views energy choices.  We can no longer just show the public what is wrong with the present system. We must come prepared with real answers and achievable alternatives. Joni Bosh Questionnaire Not Returned Clark Buchner I believe that we have a lot of important messages to put before the public. A blast of icy winter such as this one, quickly turns people into skeptics and Gore bashers. It is important that we stay on message, be persistent in making  the public aware that we have a huge problem to deal with and find bridges to  help make people aware that we need their help in the task that we are undertaking. Asking for help can be a powerful statement to make to people, and we need to find ways to ask that work in empowering others aa well as empowering our organization. Jeremy Doochin Having worked with Conservation International (a large nonprofit that works in over forty countries on biodiversity and conservation measures) to research and evaluate climate change legislation, I have an in-depth knowledge of the science behind climate change and the development of policy. The Sierra Club must work with environmentally science based non-profits to disseminate climate change research. We must create new coalitions ranging from businesses to faith based groups. By employing new communication tools, such as Facebook, Myspace, and Google, we can advertise and organize young people in addition to cultivating our traditional base. We will not pull in new activists by inviting them to bureaucratic meetings, but rather by inviting them to strategize and rally behind cap-and-trade legislation. By creating effective grassroots action campaigns, we can appeal to the populous with a message that everyone can be part of the solution, rather than the problem. Jim Dougherty First of all, let’s not buy into the Bush vernacular of “climate change.” Second, let’s find a healthy balance between pushing “smart solutions” and slaying dragons, e.g., fighting mountain-top removal and coal-fired power plant builders. Third, let’s advocate real, cutting edge, even expensive measures to reduce GHG emissions over slow, technical, easy stuff like 3% annual improvements in vehicle efficiency (35 MPG by 2020).   By this I mean calling for a new federal Department of Climate Security; creating a $3-billion Civilian Energy Corps to weatherize low-income homes, schools, etc; spending $5 billion to install photovoltaic panels on every U.S. building in this country and around the world, and $10 billion for residential solar tax credits: banning incandescent light bulbs; creating an alliance with musicians, actors, politicians, students and others to “take it to the streets.” In this election year we should be setting standards that candidates strive to meet. Larry Fahn Questionnaire Not Returned Barbara Frank The most urgent thing the Club can do is increase visibility of the issue with our own members and with the public. We need to be more aggressive and cutting edge in our approach. This not a time for baby steps. David Scott Here is what the Sierra Club can do about global warming: • Tell the truth about what is needed.   We need effective carbon emissions legislation and a US-backed international accord. • Build public demand for the next steps.  Building demand includes rallies, lobbying, and media work. • Support candidates who get it.  Expose ones who don’t.  We must make global warming a campaign issue. • Keep doing what we’re doing right.  Our Cool Cities Campaign has secured commitments from over 700 local governments.  Our Coal Campaign has blocked dirty power plants. • Get funding for innovative campaigns.  I support a proposal for creating wildlife corridors so that some species can survive habitat loss. • Think bigger.  We’re now exploring a Sierra Club effort in China, and that’s an important step.   • Encourage corporations to act responsibly.  And use our expertise and credibility to help ordinary citizens reduce their energy use. Jerry Sutherland The Board established three Conservation Initiatives in 2005; the other two - Safe and Healthy Communities and America's Wild Legacy - address threats to health and habitat beyond global warming. All three play important roles in slowing global warming and dealing with its inevitable effects: Smart Energy Solutions primarily with the causes; America's Wild Legacy and Safe Healthy Communities primarily with the effects. The Conservation Governance Committee funded global warming projects like Cool Cities to help chapters begin local work. We also supported the Finance Governance Committee's reallocation of $500,000 to increase global warming focus in 2007. I applaud the Board's initiation of a Climate Recovery Campaign to raise additional funds for all three Conservation Initiatives' work related to global warming. The success of this campaign will assure that increased focus in this area does not diminish efforts addressing other threats to our web of life. Matt Urban The key is changing the public’s perception of what it will take to solve global warming. We have to quickly move from trying to convince others that global warming is real, and transition into a role of offering a solid portfolio of solutions that shows the public a hopeful and prosperous future. The Club’s Climate Recovery campaign is a very exciting step along these lines. I think the Sierra Club is perhaps uniquely positioned to do this due because of our history and credibility, and also because we have such a wealth of talented, insightful, and committed activists. We need to show clearly that solving global warming does not mean that our economy will suffer, and that instead it’s a huge opportunity to re-think our economic model in a way factors in the cost of environmental degradation. Nathan Wyeth Questionnaire Not Returned << Question 5   Question 7 >> Show all questions Show all candidates Back to Candidate Forum Main Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use