| In This Issue of the Sierra Club Insider: You Can Call Him Alberto: Interview with Former V.P. Al Gore Loser Squared: Is Your Representative an Environmental Loser? Dog Days of Summer Photo Contest Score One for the Sequoias: Victory for the Giant Sequoia National Monument Blog Watch: Taking Stock of Katrina, One Year Later I Want My MPG: The Wrap-Up EXPLORE: International Departures ENJOY: Chronicles Season One Now on DVD PROTECT: Real Leadership to Protect our Families from Mercury Pollution View an online version of this email at www.sierraclub.org/insider. Having trouble receiving the Insider? Try adding us (insider@sierraclub.org) to your Address Book. Find out how. |
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August 29, 2006
You Can Call Him Alberto Back in June, we caught up with Al Gore. At the time, the former vice president's movie, An Inconvenient Truth, had just opened to rave reviews, and the companion book was headed for the top of the New York Times best-seller list. Despite his hectic schedule, Gore took the time to answer questions about his newfound stardom, President Bush's unwillingness to face facts, and why Kyoto wasn't ratified during the Clinton years. The resulting Q&A can be found in the September/October edition of Sierra magazine. You can also listen to a short audio outtake from the interview -- it helps to remember that Tropical Storm Alberto had just had made landfall in the Florida Panhandle.
Loser Squared
Score One for the Sequoias  For the last six years, the Bush administration has been trying to turn Giant Sequoia National Monument into a tree farm. Well, the trees -- with a little help from the Sierra Club -- finally had their day in court. And they won. A federal judge ruled that the Bush administration's controversial plan to allow commercial logging in Giant Sequoia National Monument is illegal. "The Forest Service's interest in harvesting timber has trampled the applicable environmental laws," wrote Judge Charles Breyer, adding that the "Monument Plan is decidedly incomprehensible." The Forest Service must now return to the drawing board. The Sierra Club would like to thank everyone who made their voice heard in this important victory.BlogWatch: Taking Stock of Katrina, One Year Later  On the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope reflects on the bitter lessons, botched opportunities, and remaining challenges that lie ahead for New Orleans and the Gulf States. Writing in his blog, "Taking the Initiative," Pope says: "We should have been inspired to demand more from our leaders. Instead, we've made only patchy progress, and we're nowhere near to meeting the human and environmental challenges. Why?" Read his thoughts here.I Want My MPG: The Wrap-Up We're winding up our Smart Energy Summer with the news that more than 6,500 people visited the Sierra Club's "I Want My MPG Calculator" to learn how much they would have saved in terms of both fuel costs and global warming emissions if their car, truck or SUV got 40 miles per gallon. Collectively, the savings amounted to 4.9 million dollars and 500 million pounds of global warming emissions. While 40 mpg may sound like a lot, the technology already exists to make it reality. So, before we even think about drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, let's drill under Detroit. More oil wells aren't the answer: Ingenuity is.
View previous editions of the Sierra Club Insider at the Insider Archives. |
International Departures
 The new 2007 international trip line-up is here! Raft a river in far-eastern Russia, hike across the Dolomites in Italy, explore Ecuador from the Galápagos to the Amazon, or choose from more than 50 other global excursions. Whatever you do, don't wait too long, our most popular trips sell out quickly! Find your International Departure. 
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Chronicling Heroism
The first season of Chronicles, the Sierra Club's documentary TV series, is now available on DVD. Hosted by actress, activist, and environmentalist, Daryl Hannah, the show focuses on the efforts of everyday people in David v. Goliath struggles to protect their communities and right environmental wrongs. Sign up to host a house-party to screen Chronicles for your friends, and we'll send you a complimentary copy of the 30-minute episode of your choice so that you can help share these inspiring stories. Or, you can order the entire first-season on DVD. And check out our website for tools to help you take action. 
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PROTECT
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Got Mercury?
Toxic mercury could be affecting the health of your family. It is estimated that one in six women in America have unsafe levels of mercury in their system. High mercury levels are especially hazardous to women of childbearing age, whose babies may be at risk of learning disabilities and other developmental problems. Despite that fact, the Bush administration is now trying to weaken mercury regulations. Please take a few minutes now to sign our mercury petition. Tell your governor to oppose the Bush mercury plan and provide real leadership in protecting our families from toxic mercury.  |