December 16, 2021

Hi Supporter,

We hope you are keeping warm and safe so far this winter, friends! We will keep this intro short as we have a packed newsletter for you this month- including info about Renewable Energy Day, an update on our chapter work, celebrating the success of Indiana Beyond Coal and Confront the Climate Crisis, projects students in Columbus IN have been undertaking, how you can maximize your donations to the Chapter, Opt Outside responses and photos, how to give a gift membership, and of course our usual recommendations feature. Whew!

But first, something very important...

Thank you from everyone at the Hoosier Chapter!

As 2021 draws to a close, we at the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter want to take this opportunity to thank all of you- the folks who have been with us, supporting our work, throughout this year.

We are truly grateful for all of our members and supporters. You make this work possible!

We made a short video to express our appreciation. Click here for some words of gratitude from our volunteer leaders and staff.

A collage of 6 people from screenshot images from a video. In the middle there is text saying TO ALL OF YOU, FROM ALL OF US... THANK YOU! sierraclub.org/indiana

Join us for Renewable Energy Day in January!

Renewable Energy Day is back!

Join us and our partners at the Statehouse or online on January 12, 2022 to support clean energy.

Sign up here to get more information, links to trainings, connect with other local volunteers, and more.

Orange gradient background with the state of Indiana in white silhouette and a darker silhouette of a house with solar panels and the sun rising behind. Text says Indiana Renewable Energy Day 2022. January 12. 9am-3pm. Statehouse. #RenewableIN2022 solarunitedneighbors.org/red2022

Fighting for our communities - an update on our work

Holding BP Whiting accountable - an important win for environmental justice!

Some of our members may have been following our ongoing work with partners in Northwest Indiana to hold BP Whiting accountable for their repeated violations of the Clean Air Act.

We are pleased to hear that BP must pay $512,450 in penalties and increase the use of air pollution control systems, as part of an agreement released on December 2.

As per my quote in the press release: this settlement will provide important protections for the thousands of people living within three miles of the Whiting refinery, of which the majority are Black or Latinx. This consent decree serves as an important win for environmental justice in Northwest Indiana that we hope to build upon to provide a healthier and more equitable environment for all.

Read the full press release from Environmental Integrity Project here.

Sierra Club comments on IDEM’s proposed Regional Haze State Implementation Plan

The Clean Air Act includes a section addressing regional haze, the goal of which is to protect visibility at our national parks. In their draft plan, IDEM failed to reduce harmful air pollution from Duke's Gibson County Super Polluter, US Steel in Gary, and Alcoa Warrick's high polluting aluminum plant in Warrick County, among others. Their plan doesn’t actually require polluters to reduce harmful air pollution and protect visibility at our national parks or Hoosiers’ public health. In our recent AddUp campaign, we asked supporters to send comments to IDEM on this issue and many of you came through - we thank you so much for your advocacy!

Amanda Shepherd
Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter Director

Read the full comments submitted by Sierra Club and partners.

Donate directly to the Hoosier Chapter to support our work

Celebrating Indiana Beyond Coal and Confront the Climate Crisis

In November, Sierra Club's Indiana Beyond Coal team and state-wide youth activists Confront the Climate Crisis were honored at Hoosier Environmental Council's Greening the Statehouse event. They share HEC's 2021 Mal Atherton Award for Climate Advocate of the Year.

Join the Indiana Beyond Coal Campaign and move Indiana Beyond Coal toward clean energy!

A group of 8 young people stand in front of a banner saying Climate Justice Now. They are holding signs saying things like Science Over Silence and Planet Over Profit.

Confront the Climate Crisis is a grassroots organization of high school students fighting for climate justice in Indiana.

On receiving this prestigous award, Wendy Bredhold, Senior Campaign Director for Indiana Beyond Coal in Indiana and Kentucky issued the following statement:

"The goal of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Indiana Campaign is to expedite the replacement of existing coal plants in Indiana with clean energy and not new fracked gas, with the long-term goal of retiring all existing coal plants by 2030. For nine years, the Indiana Beyond Coal Campaign has set ambitious goals and exceeded them. Due to these efforts, 22 coal-fired power plants (14,146 MW) have retired in Indiana, representing 62 percent of the state’s total coal capacity. Nine coal plants remain, and as they continue to work for the retirement of those plants, they are also pivoting to stop utilities from rushing to replace coal with fracked gas. Indiana BCC would like to acknowledge that they could not have made this progress without powerful allies including Hoosier Environmental Council and others; the expertise of the Hoosier Chapter of the Sierra Club; or the resources of a national organization that allow us to deeply organize in Indiana communities and bring to bear legal, communications and digital strategies from team members who are committed to the progress in Indiana no matter where they happen to live. Indiana is a tough but extremely gratifying place to fight the climate crisis, and it's an honor to do so alongside fellow Indiana advocates and local volunteer leaders in the communities where we work."

Congratulations to everyone involved!

Columbus IN students have a message- Water is Life!

In November, some of us from the Winding Waters Group were lucky enough to watch student presentations with the important message- Water is Life! These relevant presentations were presented to a group of us that are all trained Hoosier Riverwatch stream monitors. We were served coffee, tea and cake while we watched the presentations and left comments and suggestions for each group's work.

The Winding Waters Group was honored to have been invited to sit on the panel to watch and give feedback on these excellent student presentations! Great job Columbus New Tech High School science students!

Julie Lowe
Chair of the Executive Committee
Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter and Winding Waters Group
Follow the Winding Waters Group on Facebook.

Your chance to maximize your donation to our local work!

You may have already received an email about a generous donor named Mark Ferguson who is dedicated to supporting Sierra Club chapters all over the USA.

We are pleased to say that the donor match he offered is still live- if you start a new monthly gift, he will triple the impact of that first donation! So, as an example, a $25 donation would become $75!

Start a monthly donation today for triple impact!

Donor spotlight: read more about Mark Ferguson (right) and his passion for giving, and why he supports Sierra Club's local work.

Inspired to know more about monthly giving, gift-matching, legacy giving, and other donor options?

Hoosier Chapter Director Amanda can help find the right option for you!
Email:
amanda.shepherd@sierraclub.org

A graphic saying triple impact today! A generous donor is tripling the impact of donations to the Hoosier Chapter.

A senior white man with a hat, glasses, and a gray beard is sitting in what looks like someone's home. There is a map next to him on the wall showing the different states of the USA marked off. He is looking to the camera with a smile.

Why we chose to #OptOutside on Black Friday!

Folks from all over the state responded to our question in the last newsletter of why we choose to Opt Outside instead of participating in Black Friday. Here are some of your answers!

"I would rather listen to the wind than air circulation fans and leaves rustling than plastic bags being opened for 'stuff'." - MA Feitler

"My mental, physical and spiritual health depends on it! I will be heading to the rivertrail in Noblesville for a walk with my family" - Denise Holba

"Stuff doesn't make me happy. Walking in a forest, hearing the water from a stream, experiencing the changing of the seasons, seeing animals in the wild, and so many other things about being in nature does!" - Noor O'Neill Borbieva

"I much prefer to be out in nature, breathing fresh cool air, than stuck in a store with a lot of stressed-out shoppers breathing stale, hot air!" - Libby Gwynn

Do you have a photograph of Indiana nature that you would like to share?

We'd love to see it and perhaps feature it in a future newsletter!

Use the button below or email
rebecca.dien-johns@sierraclub.org

I have a photograph to share

A young man and his father stand at a Christmas tree farm. The sky behind them is blue and with scenic clouds..

Our Chair Julie Lowe's family took the opportunity to opt outside and pick up their Christmas tree!

A white woman with brown hair and glasses poses in a photo with some goats who are behind a fence. She looks very happy.

Rebecca Dien-Johns (Chapter Coordinator) took donated pumpkins to some hungry goats!

A white man dressed for cooler weather is standing amongst trees which have shed their leaves. The ground is carpeted with them.

Eric Riddle (Winding Waters Group) hiked the Laura Hare Nature Preserve in Brown County, which is managed by Sycamore Land Trust.

Give the gift of Sierra Club membership this holiday season - perfect for everyone passionate about the outdoors in Indiana!

Looking for the perfect gift for your friend or family member? Give the gift of Sierra Club membership!

Indiana residents automatically become members of the Hoosier Chapter, so they'll join our growing community of nature-lovers!

Memberships start at just $15 per year and right now, they'd also receive a free Sierra Club Trekker Backpack (right) when you sign them up.

When you give a membership to the Sierra Club, you will help to protect threatened wildlands, solve global warming, and protect our fragile environment.

Purchase a gift membership today!

Our recommendations - what we've been reading this month!

From Indiana:
Duke Energy to go coal-free by 2035, 60 percent renewables by 2040 (WFYI)
New details on what Indiana will get from Biden's $1 trillion infrastructure bill (Indy Star)
Utility assistance programs offer relief as home heating costs surge (WTHR)
EPA Inspector General finds IDEM air compliance monitoring dropped by 28% during pandemic (NUVO)
Changes to Indiana's wetland law could lead to more CO2 into the air (WVPE)
Scrub Hub: What is radon gas and how harmful is it to my health? (The answer: very) (Indy Star)
Preliminary State PFAS Testing Detects Toxic “Forever Chemicals” in Some Indiana Community Water Systems (Nuvo)
Music converging within a rainbow - Celebrating Mother Earth & our collective call to nurture our planet’s well-being (Nuvo)
BSU sustainability project: Muncie high schools take on waste with environmental education (Indiana Economic Digest)

From the rest of the country and beyond:
Here’s how parks and public lands are becoming more autism-friendly (National Geographic)
Want to fight for climate action but feel daunted or powerless? Try this (The Guardian)
The Enduring Magic of Children’s Gardens (Good Housekeeping)
How I switched from a career in coal to working in renewables (The Guardian)
The butterflies are back! Annual migration of monarchs shows highest numbers in years (NPR)
‘Eco-anxiety’: fear of environmental doom weighs on young people (The Guardian)
Finding Bright Spots in the Global Coral Reef Catastrophe (Inside Climate News)
Your Rooftop Garden Could Be a Solar-Powered Working Farm (Wired)
What if you could hear climate change? Listen to music based on a century of rainfall data (USA Today)
Winter heatwave breaks records in four US states (The Guardian)
Black and Latino neighborhoods pay more for energy despite far lower emissions (Grist)

From Sierra Club:
The 2021 Holiday Dinner Discussion Guide
How to Reduce Food Waste
27 Ways to Beat the Supply Chain Slump and Give the Greatest Holiday Gifts Ever

Before we sign off, we want to share something very cute and inspiring- the 2021 Wildlife Camera Project from Sycamore Land Trust. So far they've captured 37 species on cameras around Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve in Monroe County - a timely reminder of what we're all fighting to protect!

Until next year!

Happy holidays, from all of us at Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter.