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Let's Get Active! Spring 2003 was bustling with activist events across the country. From Oregon to Florida, Global Population and Environment Program volunteers organized Earth Day events, spreading the word about the population-environment-family planning connection. The National Population Activist Training in Washington, DC proved to be a huge success in a time when we need to hold the Bush Administration accountable for its policies that continue to jeopardize the lives of women and the environment. Remember to contact the Global Population and Environment Program with details about your events, presentations and other gatherings. Send us photographs and your creative ideas. We encourage new activists to reach out and let us know about the great work that you do. Contact Sarah Fairchild at 202.675.2396 or sarah.fairchild@sierraclub.org. to let her know about what is happening in your area or for help in planning an event. Notes From the Field:
The end of winter and beginning of spring proved to be a busy time for Global Population and Environment Program staff. In late February, Annette Souder traveled to Vermont and worked with Club Conservation Organizer, Laurie Martin, to organize an evening discussion at St. Michael's College. About 25 students, faculty and Club members came out for a lively discussion. Annette unveiled the Program's new video at this event to an overwhelmingly receptive audience. Two of the students showed the video the next morning in their Economics course. The number of individuals we reach often goes far beyond our initial outreach! Annette Souder also traveled to Massachusetts to work with activist extraordinaire Anita King for a Saturday training event. The Club partnered with Population Connection and the Alan Guttmacher Institute to draw out about 30 participants from three different colleges and the surrounding communities. This was the first outreach event where we had the opportunity to work with the Alan Guttmacher Institute and draw upon their expertise, particularly their research on the much talked about Bush Administration push for abstinence only. This training directly preceded Anita's successful evening discussion with Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA. Through the Smith College training and the discussion, we were able to reach out to the community and motivate them on family planning and environmental issues.
Returning to her graduate school in March, Annette presented at Miami University's Institute of Environmental Sciences. Reaching out to their graduate environmental science students and undergraduate environmental studies courses, Annette was able to present to over 100 students and faculty and engage them on the Club's population and environment work. No matter what career path these individuals take, we have helped to ensure that they recognize and understand that in order to protect the environment for the future, they will need to think about population as part of the equation!
Camden, New Jersey- March 10, 2003
The Global Population and Environment Program was invited by the Global Partners Program of Planned Parenthood Southern New Jersey (PPSNJ) to present at Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey. Over 20 participants attended the event, including Planned Parenthood employees, board members, Rutgers' students, activists from New Jersey PIRG and Water Watch and a legislative aid from Senator Lautenberg's office. The new Global Population and Environment Program video was shown during the presentation and stimulated participant discussion about the connections among population, the environment and international family planning assistance. The relationship between Sierra Club's Global Population and Environment Program and PPSNJ began in October 2002 when Global Partners participated in a panel discussion organized at the College of New Jersey. The success of this partnership will inspire similar events on college campuses in the future!
National Population Activist Training
In March, the Global Population and Environment Program collaborated with Population Connection and National Wildlife Federation to host our annual National Population Activist Training. This year, our three organizations brought in over 180 activists from across the country, the biggest turn out yet! Sierra Club hosted 27 activists, including National Global Population and Environment Program Committee members, population chairs, students and both seasoned and new activists. Activists participated in small group workshops and were briefed by staff members on the history and current political landscape of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Participants also attended sessions on population and climate change, heard stories from family planning providers working in the field and learned about population and environment integrated programs in various global regions.
At a time when the current Administration has cut all U.S. support for UNFPA, placed restrictions on our government's international family planning programs and pushed for abstinence-only sex education both here and abroad, we need activists to speak out about the connections among population, family planning and the environment. Instead of being disheartened by the political climate in Washington, activists showed their resolve and determination to continue the fight by attending our national training. Activist Gayle Loeffler from the Dallas, Texas Group reflected, "This year's training was action-focused and gave us tools for outreach in our own communities; that and making wonderful connections with other volunteers and discovering the things they were doing were invaluable and helped me to find inspiration in a rather dismal political time."
Georgia Population & Sustainability Coalition Training at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens The Global Population and Environment Program was invited to present at the annual Georgia Population & Sustainability Coalition (GPSC) training in Atlanta. National Wildlife Federation, Population Connection and local Georgia population activists have been involved in the event in years past, and this year wanted to include National Sierra Club staff. The training drew approximately 30 people to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens for a day-long workshop on Population and Environment issues. Participants were given an overview of how our organizations make the connection between population and environment and work with both activists and decision-makers in Washington, DC to advocate for political change. Break-out sessions included a session on integrating population and environment issues into public school curriculum. Conservation Organizer Sarah Fairchild and Media Coordinator Wendy Balazik presented a session on how to talk about population in the media. The Atlanta Botanical Gardens was a beautiful spot for this annual event. Todd Daniel and Tracy Spriggs from the GPSC both did a stellar job in organizing a very productive and engaging training. Mother's Day 2003
According to Kathleen Sullivan, the Sierra Club Calusa Group's Second Annual Earth Day Festival in Estero, Florida was a great success! Over 1,000 people attended the event throughout the day. There were 4 local bands, 3 food vendors, 30 environmental groups tabling, 6 environmental presentations, ecotours and other fun games. Kathleen ran a population table and passed out Global Population and Environment Program materials and information about the 34 Million Friends Campaign. Read more about this campaign. All of the proceeds from the event went to the Greater Everglades Land Trust. To find out more information about population activities in Florida, please contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@SYNGENTA.COM. Georgia Todd Daniel had two fantastic Georgia Earth Day reports. Population activists tabled at Zoo Atlanta and, with the collaborative effort of Population Connection, reached out to a large number of teachers and students. There were 30 other environmental groups at the zoo event, including the EPA, Forest service and the CDC Environmental Section. The following day, the Georgia Population and Sustainability Coalition organized their fourth green umbrella march at the Inman Park Festival in Atlanta. Activists marched through Inman Park, passing out literature and turning many heads! The green umbrellas have the words clean air, clean water, healthy children, small families, wildlife survival and women's self-esteem printed on them. To find out more about the Georgia Population and Sustainability Coalition, contact Todd Daniel at todddan@earthlink.net. Ask him about organizing a green umbrella march in your community!
Kentucky
As guests of the Corps of Engineers, Sierra Club set up a table at the Louisville Federal Building. There were about twelve other tables with information at the event. Kate distributed Global Population and Environment brochures and Clean Air Campaign postcards. The highlight for Kate was the performance by her nieces and nephews and other children who sang a rendition of "This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land, We Work Together to Make it Better!" They wore green paper crowns and grocery bags with litter taped on them and drawings of birds, fish and flowers. The children sang "I'm Not a Litter Bug." What a fun way to celebrate Earth Day! For more updates on what population activists are doing in Kentucky, please contact Kate Cunningham at kate.cunningham@juno.com
Maryland
New Jersey
New York This is what Jim experienced while tabling at a Girl Scout Earth Day event in Western New York. Jim wins the award for the volunteer who did outreach in the most unique place! Find out how Jim organizes these events and more about his summer tabling schedule. Contact him at stopat2@LYCOS.COM Oregon
The Oregon Chapter Population Committee gathered in Salem on March 24 for a demonstration at the State Capitol. They displayed their green umbrellas, symbolizing family planning and environmental stewardship. Greg Jacob, National Global Population and Environment Committee member, Roger Tracy, Chris Babcock and Ramona Rex, Chair of the Columbia Group Population Committee, met with legislators on the Senate Health Policy Committee to lobby for the state's Contraceptive Equity Bill. On April 19, Ramona Rex and other volunteers tabled along side of Population Connection at DaVinci Middle School as part of the Portland area Earth Day activities. On April 21, Karen Gaia Pitts, National Global Population and Environment Program Committee member, gave a PowerPoint presentation on Nepal's need for family planning to the Columbia Group Population Committee. Oregon Activists were exceptionally busy this spring. Keep up the amazing work and communication with decision-makers! To learn more about the work population activists are doing in Oregon, contact Ramona Rex at rexhoops@msn.com or Greg Jacob at Jacobg@PDX.EDU
Rhode Island A Call to Action! Recruitments and Reminders: Hey population activists, if you don't see your state listed above, and you have stories from the field to share, please remember to send them to the newsletter editor Sarah Fairchild at sarah.fairchild@sierraclub.org. Photographs make the newsletter more colorful and exciting, so please send them in! If you want to get more involved and help inspire future activists, please consider the Global Population and Environment Mentor Program. For those of you who are interested in becoming a population mentor or want to know what being a mentor is all about, please contact Todd Daniel at todddan@earthlink.net or look on our website. Dates to Remember: July 11- World Population DayDesignated annually by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Population Day draws attention to the connections among population, development and the environment. July 11 is not only a day to recognize that population growth affects environmental health, but also a day to take steps toward securing a more sustainable future for families around the world. If you would like to organize an event for World Population Day, please contact Cristina Mestre at cristina.mestre@sierraclub.org, and we will send you materials. July 11 is a perfect opportunity to get letters to the editor supporting family planning and UNFPA in your local papers or to show the Global Population and Environment Program video at your local Club meeting.
Back to Spring 2003 Population Report
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This May, the Global Population and Environment Program celebrated Mother's Day by encouraging
activists to take action and tell their decision-makers to show support for the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). We also signed onto and helped draft a letter to President
Bush that highlighted the need for U.S. ratification of the International Women's Treaty
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