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San Jose Light Tower Leaves Us in the Dark If you're like most residents of San Jose, you haven't heard that the City is poised to give its Arena Green park space (in screenshot above) to the private nonprofit San Jose Light Tower Corporation (SJLTC) to share with us what they claim will be "an artistic and iconic landmark that builds civic pride within San Jose". Sounds great, maybe, but will it really be something we want? How can we know when we've been left in the dark? Read more here
~ Dave Poeschel, Chair of Open Space Committee, Loma Prieta Chapter
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March for Fossil Freedom
Wells Fargo Bank has a dirty-energy secret: it’s a leading lender to the fossil-fuel industry. Join 350 Silicon Valley, the Loma Prieta Chapter and Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club in a campaign to expose “Oily Wells.” The March for Fossil Fuel Freedom is a 3-day, 32-mile walk from Palo Alto to the bank’s San Francisco headquarters on March 16-18.
Learn more and register now at http://oilywells.com/
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Photo: Lisa Barboza (Loma Prieta Chapter, Outings Chair) on Thunderbolt Pass
Basic Wilderness First Aid Course, Feb 24, 8 am - 6 pm
Taught by the man who literally wrote the book: Steve Donelan
Meets the first aid requirement for all outings leaders
Details and registration for BWFA here
Advanced Outdoor Leadership Training (OLT201)
Taught by Loma Prieta Outings Chair: Lisa Barboza
Meets the requirement for leaders of outings overnight away from cars
Details and registration for OLT201 here
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Loma Prieta Chapter activist in San Jose participated last year in a series of meetings with San Jose city staff to formulate the new Energy and Water Building Performance Ordinance (BPO), which was adopted by City Council in December of 2018. The City's Sustainability and Compliance Division will be hosting a series of weekly webinars, the first of which will be next Tuesday, Feb. 26th from 10-11AM. This and the next three subsequent webinars are intended to provide a high-level summary of the BPO; webinars beginning on March 26th will provide more detailed compliance instructions. The schedule of webinars, as well as in-person office hours, will be available online shortly on the new BPO webpage: www.sanjoseca.gov/benchmarking. All webinars will be recorded and made available for on-demand viewing through this link as well. You can register for the first webinar here. |
If you live in Sunnyvale or Santa Clara, you have an opportunity to transform the Lawrence Station Area Plan (LSAP). LSAP is half in Sunnyvale and half in Santa Clara
Sunnyvale is holding its first community workshop, March 6th, to gather initial input from residents and other stakeholders towards the development of the Lawrence Station Area Plan: "Sense of Place" Plan. The Sense of Place Plan would identify streetscape improvements to enhance the pedestrian and bicycling experience in the area. Please join us to learn more about this process and contribute your thoughts to this important effort. LSAP meeting details |
Photo above: elephant seals at Ano Nuevo State Park; Feb 16th visit organized by the Guadalupe Regional Group.
Looking for 3-4 Volunteers to promote the Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter at the Sunnyvale Fit and Fun Fair. Please help us reach out and spread the word about all the good work our local Sierra Club Chapter does. The Sierra Club offers many opportunities to make a difference and we need to let people know how they can help. Please contact John Cordes, email john.cordes@lomaprieta.sierraclub.org to volunteer. With 4 volunteers we would each work a 2 hr shift (11-1 or 1-3). Saturday, April 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Columbia Neighborhood Center, 785 Morse Ave. |
Reach Codes For New Construction
In November 2018, Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) and Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) began collaborating on a new program to help new buildings and vehicles go zero carbon with electric power instead of fossil fuels. The “Building Electrification and Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure reach code program” would serve all 32 PCE and SVCE member cities to help them update local building codes for all new residential and commercial construction. To find out more or to join the CALT campaign for reach codes in your city contact Gladwyn d’Souza, godsouza@outlook.com, Co-Chair of Loma Prieta Conservation Committee.
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The County of Santa Clara Planning Commission will hold two (2) public study sessions relating to the Stanford 2018 General Use Permit Application.
Study Session 1: Thursday, February 28, 2019, in San Jose.
Study Session 2: Thursday, March 14, 2019, in San Jose |
This month the City of San José will switch electricity suppliers from PG&E to San José Clean Energy. This change is part of the City's goal to improve environmental sustainability with cleaner energy. San José Clean Energy is also known as Community Choice Energy program. San José Clean Energy is a non-profit that aims to provide clean energy options to customers. Right now, only about a third of PG&E's energy is from renewable sources and about 78 percent is carbon free.
For more information visit the website sanjosecleanenergy.org.
For specific questions call 833-432-2454 or email: customerservice@sanjosecleanenergy.org. |
The Sierra Club has layers, which helps make us powerful!
Sierra Club National, which promotes and organizes national campaigns,
Sierra Club California, which organizes CA legislative initiatives, and
Your local Loma Prieta Chapter, which does all the local conservation work, but receives less than 20% of the membership dues which you pay to Sierra Club National, so your local donations are critical to support our effective local work in conservation, public education, environmental politics, and outings.
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Did you joined the Sierra Club to make a difference for our environment?
So what are you doing?
There are many ways to become a local environmental hero!
1. Support financial: Shop thru Amazon, Legacy/Planned Giving, Employer Matching, One Time Gift for our Education Programs, Donate a vehicle, Gifts of Stock, Join/Renew Membership
2. Volunteer by joining one our local conservation teams, or political action teams, or environmental education teams, or outings teams.
3. Volunteer as an Environmental Writer/Reporter
Commitment is 5 - 10 hours per week.
The Loma Prieta Chapter has done and is doing an incredible amount of conservation work, but while our conservation activist are busy doing the work, we need reporters to write about it. If you are interested in this impactful opportunity to investigate and explain local conservation, write to chapter.director@lomaprieta.sierraclub.org.
4. Volunteer as a Social Media Coordinator
You don't need to be an expert. You'll be provided all content and only need to post on a regular basis. Commitment is 2-3 hrs per week.
See all our channels and opportunities listed below.
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| For more information, contact Chapter Development Coordinator Justyna Guterman at justyna.guterman@sierraclub.org or (650) 390-8411, or Chapter Director James Eggers at james.eggers@sierraclub.org or (650) 390-9604. |
Sierra Club 2019 Calendars are here!
No price change from last year. Limited Supply. Get them while they last!
Wall Calendars - $14.00 in our office ~ $18.00 in the mail
Engagement Calendars - $15.00 in our office ~ $ 19.00 in the mail
Contact Chapter Coordinator Barbara Kelsey, barbara.kelsey@sierraclub.org or 650.390.8411 |
Social Media Channels for the Loma Prieta Chapter
See the many Loma Prieta Chapter social media channels that can give you the first (and often exclusive) information about local conservation, political action, environmental education and outings opportunities.
Spotify: your Loma Prieta Chapter is the first in the Sierra Club to have a Spotify music channel, featuring modern music about environmental protection. Do you know of (1) songs produced since 2000 and (2) about environmental conservation? Send recommendations to chapter.director@lomaprieta.sierraclub.org. Meetups: Chapter (2438 members), Hiking (4804 members), Day Hiking (1401 members), Singleaires (1289 members), Guadalupe Regional Group (450 members), Peak Climbing (365 members), Gay & Lesbian Sierrans (202 members), Black Mountain Hiking section (184 members), YouTube videos about Loma Prieta Chapter events. Four videos just added:
Tomales Point 1 & 2, Henry Coe State Park, Almaden Quicksilver County Park
facebook: chapter's main page, 20s – 30s outing section page twitter instagram
Social Media volunteers needed. Contact James.Eggers@sierraclub.org |
In Case You Missed It
We Are Suing the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Your Loma Prieta Chapter, with the backing of Sierra Club National, is fighting to protect our local wildlife, including the endangered San Francisco garter snake (pictured above).
Personal Note: in the humble opinion of your Chapter Director, a herpetologist for more than four decades, this is the most beautiful snake in the USA.
The first book I ever purchased for myself, at age seven, was Reptiles and Amphibians of the San Francisco Bay Region (by Robert Stebbins) because this beautiful snake was on the cover, so it is one of the original inspirations for my love of the Bay Area. That book now sits on my desk at Chapter offices.
California Energy Commission Prioritizes Building Electrification
It's Time to Accelerate an EV Transition
Green New Deal: By the numbers
Oscars So Green: Your environmental analysis of the 2018 contenders
Top Posts on Loma Prieta facebook page this month
follow us on facebook and you'll see these stories before the eNewsletter
#6, with 575 votes: How to Raising an Outdoors Kid: Tips to Jump-Start a Childhood Outdoors
#5, with 671 votes: Trump says he wants Israel's border wall. That means he actually wants smart fences.
#4, with 731 votes: ACLU, Sierra Club join forces to oppose Trump border wall declaration
#3, with 770 votes: Op-Ed: Let’s All Protect Coyote Valley So It Can Protect Us
#2, with 815 votes: Cashing in on the Rain: Water District Rebates
And the winner, with 2,300 votes, is ...
Nearly Every Brand of Bottled Water Contains Microplastics
Children & Nature Network
U.K. Doctors Call for Caution in Children’s Use of Screens and Social Media
Lawmakers, Governor Introduce Bill To Create Office Of Outdoor Recreation And Outdoor Equity Fund
Car Pollution Hurts Kids’ Performance in School£10m for Projects to Make U.K. Schools Greener and Connect Children with Nature
Lack of Outdoor Play Makes Kids Vitamin D Deficient
Study Highlights Lack of Fair Access to Urban Green Spaces
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Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up. ~ Stephen Hawking |
Happy trails to you,
James Eggers, Director
Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter |
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