Sustainable Consumption Main       Food True Cost of Food Eco-Friendly Recipes Local Food Events       Housing True Cost of Homes       Simple Living Simple Living Overview Why Consumption Matters Profiles in Sustainability More Time or More Stuff: Summary version Complete version       Resources Sustainable Consumption Committee Activist Toolkit SCC Book Reviews Bibliography Food, Energy, and Forest Products Factsheets Articles Links Environmental news, green living tips, and ways to take action: Subscribe to the Sierra Club Insider!

The Sierra Club Sustainable Consumption Committee The Sustainable Consumption Committee visits an organic farm near Gainesville FL in Dec 2004. The committee's annual meetings aren't just hard work. They're also lots of fun as demonstrated by this visit to Rosie's Organic Farm. Rosie is a nationally acclaimed leader in the organics movement. Committee Picture: Left to Right: Bernie Zaleha (member, Board of Directors), Sonya Guram (past co-chair), Gordon LaBedz, Anna Peterson (past co-chair), Tom Wolper (back), Rosie (front), Joan Zacharias, Diana Artemis (co-chair), Bonnie Lane Weber, Frank Eadie (guest). Introduction Unsustainable consumption patterns lie at the root of many of our most urgent environmental problems. The Sierra Club has set up a committee to help the Sierra Club take a more active lead in the issue of consumption. The committee has existed in various forms since 1999. Members of the Sierra Club Sustainable Consumption Committee live in different parts of the U.S. and have worked in various positions in the Sierra Club and with other environmental organizations. Our committee also has liaisons from other organizations, including the Center for a New American Dream, Coop America, and Seeds of Simplicity. We meet through monthly teleconferencing. In the Sierra Club structure, we are one of the committees of the Sustainable Planet Strategy Team (SPST). Activities and Goals Our aim is to increase awareness of the environmental consequences of different types of consumption within the Sierra Club and the general public and to provide information and practical help in reducing consumption. Our activities are primarily educational and informational, although we also work with club entities and other groups to advocate policies that promote more sustainable patterns of consumption. This committee has undertaken four primary tasks: Organize a public education campaign designed to increase awareness of the environmental impacts of our consumption practices; Oversee specific campaigns to encourage environmentally friendly consumption in specifically targeted areas: energy and transportation, food, and forest products; Develop a Sierra Club "Sustainable Consumption Network" made up of individuals and committees working at the chapter and group level; and including formal liaisons, or strong lines of communication to existing priority campaigns, strategy teams, and issue committees. Advocate specific changes in public policy that will promote more-sustainable consumption practices. Target Consumption While we consume many different resources, and most of these have an impact on the environment, we hope to promote Club activism on consumption issues that concentrate on three areas: energy use in homes and transportation; consumption related to food, agriculture, and water; and consumption of forest products such as wood and paper. These areas contribute to a great deal of the environmental impact of our consumption, and they are areas in which relatively small-scale changes in consumption habits and public policy can have a large impact. We have information sheets available on each of these issue areas posted on this website, but print versions are also available. SCC members also found time to visit Florida's wetlands on the way back to the airport after the 2004 annual meeting. Left to Right: Diana Artemis (co-chair), Michael Beck (co-chair), Sonya Guram (past co-chair) Building Consumption Activism in the Sierra Club We hope to work with Sierra Club members, Groups, Chapters, and other entities on the many environmental issues related to consumption. We would like to learn what issues are important in different local areas, and we hope to help increase awareness of and knowledge about the consumption dimensions of environmental problems in your communities. New Members We were joined by two new members and one new corresponding member in 2005: Kim McCoy of Oregon David Reister of Tennessee Jessica Willey, corresponding member, of Minnesota Contact Information Our members are: Michael Beck (Southern California; co-chair), Diana Artemis (Virginia; co-chair), Sonya Guram (Colorado; past co-chair), Gordon LaBedz (Southern California), Bonnie Lane Webber (New York), Joan Zacharias (Florida), Tom Wolper (Pennsylvania), Kim McCoy (Oregon), David Reister (Tennessee), and Jessica Willey (Minnesota) is a corresponding member. Our liaison from the Sierra Club Sustainable Planet Strategy Team is Ada Babine. Our liaison from the Board of Directors and Conservation Governance Committee is Bernie Zaleha. The liaisons from other organizations are: Carol Holst (Seeds of Simplicity; Southern California) and Dave Tilford (Center for a New American Dream; Washington D.C.). You may contact the committee co-chairs at: michaelbecksc@yahoo.com and artemdi@yahoo.com. We believe the Sierra Club can have the greatest effect on individual consumption by encouraging people to think about the environmental impacts of their consumption choices and by providing them with specific information that will enable them to make thoughtful choices as consumers. Up to Top