Newsletter- July 2022 update from Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter
July 29, 2022
Celebrating Disability Pride month
In this newsletter - Disability Pride Month, celebrating solar, take action with Beyond Coal, and our usual features- Sierra Club spotted, Readers' photos, and recommendations.
Did you know July is Disability Pride Month? This has me thinking about accessible spots to enjoy nature. A colleague told me about this cool map created by the National Audubon Society in partnership with Birdability, which is a crowdsourced map that describes in detail the accessibility features of birding locations all over the world. Here in Indiana, an audio version of Indiana Dunes National Park’s official map and guide is now available, making it accessible to visitors who have visual impairments and cannot read the printed version. What do you think makes a place more accessible? I have a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I love boardwalks when my knees are feeling unstable, and tree canopies if the heat is exacerbating my balance issues. I love the view from suspension bridges but I sometimes have to sit down for a few minutes on the other side to recalibrate! For me, it all depends on the day. I'm lucky that most of the time my conditions don't impact my mobility too much (in fact staying still can cause pain) but I do have to be careful and consider my limitations, how many spoons I have (read about spoon theory here! ), and build in rest time. Are there places in Indiana you think have made a particular effort to be accessible to all? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Some Disability Pride Month reading:
Check out the Sierra Magazine article Taking Inclusivity to New Heights, where adaptive athlete and activist Vasu Sojitra opens up about making the outdoors more accessible.
Southwestern Indiana Network celebrates Solar Ordinances
The Vanderburgh County Commissioners passed a countywide solar ordinance on June 28, the final step in a months-long process in which Jean Webb took an essential leadership role. The ordinance is the result of various solar stakeholders hammering out the details over many meetings, and many months. All stakeholders recommended passage. To quote Jean:
"The ordinances detail the zoning requirements for customer-owned solar, community-sized (10 acres or less) solar, and utility-sized solar (greater than 10 acres). The ordinances allow solar generation to locate where it is needed but require tree screening and setbacks to keep neighbors of solar fields happy. The utility-scale solar fields will have a 250-foot setback from principal residences and a 50-foot setback from residential property lines, whichever is greater. Pollinator-friendly ground cover will be required on the fields."
"Our hope is that Indiana will enact virtual net metering for municipalities, schools, and non-profits so that energy produced at community-sized projects can be applied to the electric bills of those in our community needing assistance paying their CenterPoint bills."
Other updates from south west Indiana:
On the same day, unfortunately, the IURC announced approval of CenterPoint's application to construct its natural gas "peaker plant" at nearly $1 billion in long-term costs to consumers when the costs of the pipeline to supply it are included. The pipeline has not yet been approved by FERC and the OUCC has subsequently challenged the decision due to $77 million in "hidden costs" that CenterPoint failed to include in their application. CenterPoint's next IRP process begins in August.
Sierra Club volunteer leader Jean Webb holding a basket of cookies she was passing out in celebration. Photo: Wendy Bredhold.
Solar supporters at the County Commission Meeting June 28, 2022. Photo: Jean Webb.
Pictured in no order are Sierra Club and/or Sierra Club Beyond Coal members Niles Rosenquist, Douglas Kirk, Susie Wilder, Bart Heath, Joab Schultheis, Robyn-Skuya Boss; Direct Action Against CenterPoint members Brittany Cox, Christopher Norrick; League of Women Voters member Vicki Small, Democratic Party members Shannon Dierlam, Karen Reising, Edie Hardcastle, Ryan Stratman; Citizens Climate Lobby members Lani Ethridge and Caroline Nellis; Brad Morton, Morton Solar.
Our Network Leadership team has agreed that we oppose a proposed major development within Wesselman Park, the construction of 24 pickleball (a sport that resembles small-scale tennis) courts "largest in the midwest, enough to attract tournaments", and a 1500-seat tennis stadium, new parking lots and a new road to connect the tennis area directly to the main entry road into Wesselman, all cut through the woods and green space in the park. Wesselman is an island of green space and forests in the middle of Evansville (best known for the dedicated state nature preserve protecting an old-growth forest on the other side of the park). There is ample vacant, open land nearby owned by the city that would be suitable for this sort of intense development.
Tell AES Indiana it needs to be part of the solution, not the problem - sign and share!
The Beyond Coal team in Indiana has collected hundreds of signatures calling on AES Indiana to transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy - but we still need your help!
Recently, AES announced at their meeting that they are considering more renewable energy in their 20-Year Energy Plan. But this doesn't mean our work is over yet, as there is still no commitment to retire the Petersburg plant within the decade. Additionally, the plans to expand gas are still on the table.
Sierra Club staff and volunteer leaders are passionate about getting out there and spreading the word about issues that matter to Hoosiers!
"At this moment of uncertainty during climate change, any project that disturbs the ecology of our state should be heavily vetted – especially a project of such enormous scope as the proposed Mid-States Corridor, which will disturb forests, wetlands, and the fragile ecology of both public and private lands."
At Sierra Club, we believe that all people deserve bodily autonomy.
Our Chair Julie, Chapter Director Amanda, and other folks from Sierra Club joined Planned Parenthood, ACLU Indiana and so many others at the Statehouse, on July 9 to rise for reproductive rights.
Our Director, Amanda, and Political Chair, Shannon, attended the Sierra Club Southern Caucus.
There, they discussed shared issues and possible solutions with other chapter leaders from various states across the US.
Our Chapter Coordinator Rebecca has returned from sabbatical, just in time to write this newsletter.
During her time away, she wrote music inspired by nature and the environment.
Look out for an upcoming Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter event where these songs will be played live!
If you have events coming up that you would like to invite Sierra Club to attend, or to reach out to us for a quote, please contact hoosier.chapter@sierraclub.org
Julie (R) with supporter Nikki Carr (L) at the Bans off Our Bodies march.
Shannon and Amanda in Great Smoky Mountain National Park on their way to the Sierra Club Southern Caucus.
Rebecca on a songwriting retreat outside Bloomington, wearing a Sierra Club Earth Day upcycled t-shirt.
Readers' photos
Thank you Neal Dake for sending in this beautiful scene!
"This is Canada wild rye on my acreage. I thought it was incredible hues of color and grasses should be let to show their true colors in nature."
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
Thank you to reader Randall Deane for this recommendation: "I started reading a very moving and 'spiritual' book about our relationship with the land. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
"... in Native ways of knowing, people are often referred to as 'the younger brothers of Creation'... humans have the least experience with how to live and thus the most to learn -- we must look to our teachers among the other species for guidance. Their wisdom is apparent in the way that they live. They teach us by example. They've been on earth far longer than we have and had time to figure things out." (p.9)
Although very early in the book, I'm looking forward to the journey with this very sentient writer and her sharing of our special relations with nature."
"The question Ayana Elizabeth Johnson poses - What if we get this right? - and her conversation with Krista Tippett is inspiring. I appreciate Johnson's focus on solutions and not only "raging against the machine." I have also been turning to poetry for hope and grounding, and the Ayisha Siddiqa poem read by Johnson is beautiful and powerful."
