Sierra Club Angeles Chapter
Central Group Newsletter
August 2025
RESISTANCE
Dear Angeles Central Group Member,
As Octavia Butler said, “the very act of trying to look ahead to discern possibilities and offer warnings is in itself an act of hope." This edition seeks to look ahead and face the challenges of this administration. We do so by suggesting ways to use our purchasing power to align with our values, to support our brothers and sisters who have been affected by recent ICE raids, and, most importantly, to care for ourselves so that we can continue to engage in "good trouble."
CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:
- Tuesday, August 12, Central Group General Meeting, 7 - 8:30 pm, Zoom
- Saturday, August 23, Central Group Strategic Planning Meeting, 10 AM - Noon, at 617 W 7th St., Unit 702, LA
- (Date TBD) Anza Borrego family camping trip this fall
For additional information on our events and to sign up, please see www.sierraclub.org/angeles/outings-events-schedule-activities
For more information on getting involved with the Sierra Club Central Group, please email barbarajhensleigh@gmail.com.
MINDFUL ACTIVISM: STAND UP
WITHOUT BURNING OUT
Or as I like to say: Stand up to the bullies without becoming one.
VOTING WITH YOUR CONSUMPTION
Consumption is a rather satisfying activity for many people, in an era where globalization and advanced manufacturing can provide an abundance that no generation has ever experienced. We can order almost anything, and it can arrive in a day or even sometimes just a few hours. The barriers to consumption of price and physical inconvenience have magically disappeared within two short decades. Amazon Prime. Uber Eats. Temu. The world is at our fingertips, literally.
We can use our consumption to better society and the earth because there are secondary impacts of our consumption.
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EVERY ACTION MATTERS IN THE "AGE OF ICE"
Everything is interconnected. The ICE raids in Los Angeles have affected our community and our work. The Central Group has worked tirelessly on the expansion of park and green spaces in Los Angeles. During Covid, use of green spaces in Los Angeles went up significantly. We all know that exposure to nature reduces stress and violence.
Every single action we do in the Age of ICE counts. Here are a few ideas:
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OTHER VOICES
Aura Vasquez is a volunteer with the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter and is Chair of the Climate Action Committee.
Laurie Kovalenko volunteers with the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Central Group
THE ANGLES CHAPTER CONDEMNS “IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT”
ANGELES CHAPTER RESOLUTION ON
FEDERAL RAIDS AND ACTIONS IN LOS ANGELES
Whereas, Federal agents or other unidentified individuals often dress in intimidating combat gear and masks, arm themselves with rifles, and drive unmarked cars with no license plates. They have stormed swap meets, car washes, bus stops, and churches since early June, grabbing people off of sidewalks, dragging away at least one pregnant woman, mothers, day laborers, and even US citizens.
Whereas, on July 7, 2025 around 100 US Government or other unidentified masked people stormed MacArthur Park in Los Angeles in a performative act of intimidation. Accompanied by armored vehicles, on horseback and on foot, with faces covered, they set up a perimeter around the park and then advanced through it, shutting down a children’s summer camp, among other things.
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The Central Group is the heart of the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter, representing the areas from West Hollywood through East LA, and Griffith Park through South LA, and several Gateway Cities.
