Louisiana Coal Resources
The Sierra Club's main campaign is our Climate Recovery Partnership to cut carbon emissions 80% by 2050, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, create a clean energy economy and protect our natural heritage, communities and country from the consequences of global warming. Louisiana's efforts encourage the transition from dirty fossil fuels to clean renewable energy, which will support public health, promote a strong economy through green jobs, and protect our vulnerable coast and people from the effects of climate change.
Louisiana's highly successful Move Beyond Coal campaign efforts to stop three newly proposed coal-fired power plants has created broad public support and interest in clean, renewable energy alternatives. In addition, our Environmental Justice Program has developed strong coalitions to ensure equitable, affordable reconstruction and growth of the New Orleans and Gulf region, which has encouraged a strong green building model through community revitalization projects and programs targeted at developing opportunities and establishing widespread support for clean energy solutions.
Local Resources
Louisiana Delta Chapter
The Delta Chapter is 3,000 Louisianan's supporting the work of the Sierra Club in Louisiana. We advance the cause of protecting Louisiana's environment in a variety of ways, including lobbying the state legislature in Baton Rouge, sponsoring a Mercury Public Education Campaign, raising public awareness about climate change, and working to keep the Atchafalaya Basin, America's greatest river swamp, wet and wild. In addition, we encourage our members to get outside and enjoy our beautiful planet.
Renewable Potentials: Sierra Club Energy Policy
Our society now faces a fundamental challenge greater than any in history. Dependence on fossil fuels is causing global warming, the depletion of energy resources, and severe damage to human health and the environment. The impacts of burning fossil fuels threaten the security of our nation, the survival of species, and the Earth's very capacity to sustain life. Guided by the conservation ethic, the Sierra Club has crafted this comprehensive Energy Resources Policy to promote a positive vision of a sustainable energy future. The Sierra Club's clean energy strategy will wean us from oil, coal and other fossil fuels, eliminate energy waste, work in harmony with natural systems, and define the technologies and smart energy solutions that will meet our nation's energy needs.
Texas Impacts Louisiana Air Quality
Texas hopes to add 14 new dirty coal-fired power plants to the grid. However, the pollution from these plants will be realized in other states including Louisiana. The following report demonstrates how new Texas coal plants will affect Louisiana's air quality.
Louisiana Coal Ash Report: In Harm's Way
In Harm's Way, issued by Environmental Integrity Project, Earthjustice and the Sierra Club, reveals more than three dozen new sites in 21 states where toxic coal waste has made water supplies unsafe, including parts of Pointe Coupee, Rapides and De Soto Parishes, where the coal-fired plants Big Cajun 2, Rodemacher and Dolet Hills operate, respectively. In Harm's Way documents the steadily growing number of waters known to be poisoned by poor management of the toxic ash left over after coal is burned for electricity.
Renewable Potentials: Biomass Policy
Issues surrounding the production of energy by combustion of biomass fuels are complex, sometimes contentious, and involve many different aspects of Sierra Club policy. Biomass is considered by many to be a renewable source of energy that does not aggravate global warming because the carbon involved is functioning in a short cycle, and regrowth balances the emissions. However, unsustainable land use practices may release soil carbon to the atmosphere. Accelerated and poorly-managed harvesting of forests and crops as fuel accompanied by the conversion of natural ecosystems to fuel farms will increase global warming and degrade the environment. The Sierra Club believes that energy use should be minimized through conservation and efficiency, and that sustainable, renewable energy resources be utilized for human needs. In the near future, efficiency is the only "energy source" which does not incur some environmental damage and which is available immediately in generous supply.
Can the United States Government Legislate Conservation?
Written by Keitherra Graham, an AP Environmental Science student at Patrick F Taylor High School.
"Conserving the environment is necessary for economic and ecological sustainability on Earth. The most effect way to accomplish these goals would be through government, which is the most powerful social and economic institution in the world, conservation. Analyzing government conservation through previous legislation can help determine what the government has done well, in terms of conservation, and what the government can do to better conserve the environment."
NOLA Recycles 2010
NOLA Recycles 2010 is a campaign targeting the mayoral and city council candidates to address the lack of recycling in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. The attached report outlines a six-point recycling plan that can make a significant difference in the overall sustainability of our city.
National Resources
Factsheet: The Dirty Truth about Coal
Conceived as a slimmed down version of our popular coal report, this four-page fact sheet presents the main arguments and statistics in a shortened format.
Coal Ash Storage Sites Map
Check out our Google Map showing where 584 coal ash storage sites are located across the U.S.
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