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YOU Can Make a Difference! Read More in this eNewsletter.
► Bay Area Elected Officials, their staff, and others interested, are invited to register for our free Sea Level Rise Webinar featuring leading adaptation experts on May 13th, 20th and 27th.
What did YOU do to support local environmental protection? Read the Loma Prieta 2020 Chapter Summary!
► East Palo Alto residents: Help make sure new development in Ravenswood Business District serves community needs while protecting ecology by attending the Virtual Public Workshop on May 27th.
► Sunnyvale residents: Attend the May 25th City Council meeting and voice your opinions on the Moffett Park Specific Plan.
► San José residens: Tell your City Council to avoid unhealthy light pollution in Arena Green.
► Join our New Book Club, Restoring Nature.
► Improve your local environment by joining a Loma Prieta volunteer team:
♦ Influence State Legislation with our Environmental Legislative Action Team and/or our 30x30 Committee, and
♦ Influence Local Laws through our Climate Action Plan Team.
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Learn from the Experts: How You Can Protect Your Community from Sea Level Rise
Webinar on Sea Level Rise: Why We Need Nature-Based Adaptation
9am to noon, May 13th, 20th, 27th
Decision-makers, their staff and the public need more information about why nature-based adaptation to sea level rise is critical for cities around the Bay. Presented by leading experts in the field, this webinar provides a comprehensive discussion of nature-based solutions.
Those who register will receive a link to the recording of the event. If you are unable to attend the webinar, we still encourage you to register!
Click here to learn more and register for free.
Click here to see the presenters.
Click here to see the webinar agendas. |
| 2021.03: view from Eagle Peak, Alum Rock Park, San Jose, Chapter Director's hike. |
Above Image: A map of the Specific Plan Update are presented by the City of East Palo Alto
East Palo Alto Residents: Help Assure New Development in Ravenswood Business District/4 Corners Serves Community Needs While Protecting East Palo Alto’s Ecology
Virtual Public Workshop
May 27th, 6:30 - 9:30pm
East Palo Alto is updating their Ravenswood Business District/ 4 Corners Specific Plan.
Will City Council protect the shoreline ecosystem and maximize East Palo Alto’s opportunities for nature-based resilience? Will potential new housing and amenities be welcoming to existing residents and well connected with existing neighborhoods? How will different scenarios affect commuter traffic and resident access to open space?
The registration and zoom link has yet to be made public. Once it is available you can find it by clicking here. |
We thank our friends at Nuestra Casa for their great local environmental activism and we highly recommend the short KQED article highlighting their good work. Links to all the stories in the series are here.
"East Palo Alto is the most vulnerable community in San Mateo County regarding sea-level rise and other serious climate change issues. Nuestra Casa is proud to be fighting back through its Environmental Justice Parent Academy. The Academy trains local community members to understand climate change issues and advocate for solutions best for their neighborhoods. KQED recently interviewed some of their graduates and Nuestra Casa staff member, Julio Garcia, about sea-level rise." Kelly Hunt, Nuestra Casa Board Member
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Image of Sunnyvale and the Moffett Park area by NASA
Sunnyvale Residents, Make Your City Better!
Join the Sunnyvale City Council Meeting to Discuss the Moffett Park Specific Plan
Sunnyvale City Council Meeting, May 25th
Click here to find the meeting agenda
Please attend the City Council meeting via zoom and ask the City to prioritize natural areas for open space, such as wetlands, riparian corridors, and habitat areas. You can also ask for increasing the urban canopy and walkable and bike-friendly streets. Sunnyvale should incorporate natural solutions to address the threat of sea level rise.
The city of Sunnyvale is updating its Specific Plan for the Moffett Park area, an approximately 1156-acre site bounded by State Route 237 and US Highway 101 to the south, Moffett Federal Airfield to the west, and Caribbean Drive.
Learn more about the Moffett Park Specific Plan here.
Click here to learn more about your Loma Prieta Chapter's Bay2030 Campaign and our efforts to protect and restore the Bay. |
Photo by Dara Hazeghi, Vice Chair of Loma Prieta Chapter's Day Hiking Section and 20s - 30s outing section.
Help Stop the Extinction Crisis!
Given the extinction crisis it’s clear that species need habitat. 30x30 started out as a bill in CA that would preserve 30% of the biosphere by 2030. It has since gone nationwide and international! The 30 x 30 goals address everything the Sierra Club stands for and we need lots of volunteers to make this happen in your city.
For more on 30x30 and to comment, click here.
Please join this exciting effort by emailing Mary Buxton mary.buxton@gmail.com
article by Dashiell Leeds, Loma Prieta Chapter Conservation Assistant |
Photo by Dion Noravian. "The Reef" in Los Angeles is a warning of light pollution that could come to San José.
San José has Voted to Advance the Light Tower Project, but the Fight is Far from Over!
On May 4th, San José voted to advance an electric light monument in Arena Green. The 200 foot tall structure will be illuminated at night by light which will be visible across the City. Recent Sierra Club Policy highlights the unmitigable harm caused by artificial light at night to all organisms, ecosystems and human health. This project is wrong for the 21st century, wrong for the creek, and wrong for San José.
However, the fight is far from over! The City will soon host public stakeholder meetings and will have to complete an Environmental Impact Report analyzing the project. We will keep you updated on opportunities for you to voice your opinion.
In less than 5 minutes, you can email the San José Council and tell them not to approve this destructive and wasteful monument.
Why San José Should Reconsider Urban Confluence Project, by Katja Irvin
Thanks, but no thanks to the 'gift' of light pollution, by Ada Márquez
article by Dashiell Leeds, Loma Prieta Chapter Conservation |
Join Our New Book Club, Restoring Nature
Do you enjoy exploring ideas on how we can heal our planet and tackle the climate crisis through using nature-based solutions? If so, then you will be interested in joining our new book group, Restoring Nature, organized by Gladwyn d’Souza, Chair of the Loma Prieta Chapter's Conservation Committee.
The first book that we will be reading is “The Reindeer Chronicles.” The author, Judith Schwartz, takes us on an amazing journey to blighted areas around the world where restoration work is underway.
It’s a mesmerizing read that delights, educates, and inspires.
We will share thoughts online as we’re reading the book and at monthly meetings via Zoom on the 3rd Saturday of each month (10 AM). The Zoom meeting on The Reindeer Chronicles will be on April 17th, Saturday, at 10 AM.
If you are able to join us, contact Gladwyn d’Souza at godsouza@mac.com |
Make a Difference in Your Community by joining our Climate Action Leadership Team
Your voice is powerful! Volunteer to influence climate policy in your city or town. Those new to advocacy are welcome; our team will help you become an effective local environmental advocate.
Discuss climate strategies in our weekly meetings and collaborate with other volunteers to influence cities and counties to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Email Dashiell.Leeds@SierraClub.org if you are interested in joining. |
YOU Can Make a Difference and Influence California Legislation. Our Environmental Legislative Action Team Will Show You How!
Your Loma Prieta Chapter is organizing a network of advocacy teams at the city level—these are city-focused teams with the twin goals of spearheading actions to combat climate change and to conserve and restore natural habitats.
You will be working with city council members, key city staff, county officials, and other environmental activists.
For more information, contact Sue at sue.chow@lomaprieta.sierraclub.org
650-454-0259.
Click here for a list of 2021 priority bills and their current status in the legislature. |
Coyote Valley. Photo credit: Derek Neumann
Help Us Tell Our Story by Donating Your Photos
Photos can speak louder than words. Help us powerfully tell our story by donating your photos. We will use them in our publications like The Annual Summary, on invitations, and our Chapter note cards.
If you’d like to share with us your high-resolution photos of local nature, with or without people, please contact our Development Coordinator Justyna Guterman, Justyna.guterman@sierraclub.org |
Silicon Valley Clean Energy has Launched an eHub to Help You Electrify Your Home, Car and Appliances
Save money and reduce your emissions with eHub, Silicon Valley Clean Energy’s free, one-stop-shop for transitioning to electric living. With SVCE, you already receive clean electricity, eHub gives you the power to use that energy to power your home, car and appliances. Browse efficient, electric appliances with the Appliances Assistant, compare electric vehicles with the EV Assistant and explore additional clean energy options with the Solar+Battery Assistant.
Click here to visit eHub today |
Photo: 2001.04.03, Joseph Grant County Park, Chapter Director's hike.
Enjoy the Beauty of Spring, and of Spring Cleaning!
Donate a Vehicle to Support the Critical Local Environmental Work of Your Chapter.
It’s easy to give and the pick-up is free; just call 844-6-SIERRA or 844-674-3772 or give online at https://careasy.org/nonprofit/Sierra-Club-Foundation-Loma-Prieta-Chapter.
If you would like to donate a Mazda Miata, please contact your Chapter Director personally. |
Social Media Channels for the Loma Prieta Chapter
facebook: Chapter, 20s – 30s, Sierra Singles
Loma Prieta Chapter's YouTube; Twitter; Instagram; Spotify
MeetUp: Chapter conservation and education meetings (>2700 members),
Hiking events (>5000 members), Singleaires outing section (>1800 members),
Day Hiking section (>1700 members), Guadalupe Regional Group (>500 members),
Peak Climbing (>500 members), Gay & Lesbian Sierrans (>400 members),
Black Mountain Hiking section (>400 members), 20s - 30s (>150 members),
Family Explorers (>100 members) |
Got Mail? Too much Sierra Club mail? You can take control; it's easy!
If you feel overwhelmed you can easily manage what you receive. See the simple tutorial |
In Case You Missed It
Click Here to see the previous volumes of our Chapter eNewsletter.
Historic Dates
In 1933 our Loma Prieta Chapter was founded, the same year as many other famous births:
May 3, James Brown, African American soul musician,
May 3, Steven Weinberg, physicist, Nobel Prize laureate,
May 5, the detection by Karl Jansky of radio waves from the center of the Milky Way Galaxy is reported in the New York Times. The discovery lead to the birth of radio astronomy.
See the Incentives from the California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project
15 Books to get You Camping
The Kid's Book that Redefines Being in the American Outdoors
Video: Guadalupe Regional Group Presentation: Healthy Homes, Healthy Planet
Canopy is hiring for three open job positions
Are you looking for guides to retrofit your home? See this pocket guide from Redwood Energy
Is fare and equal access for all rate payers important to you? Learn about SB612 and PCIA rates.
Discover What Your Support Has Helped to Achieve
See the big picture of our work in the 2019 Loma Prieta Chapter Annual Summary.
and a more detailed view in the 2019 Loma Prieta Chapter Conservation Review.
The 2020 Annual Summary has been published. See what YOU did to support local environmental protection! |
PARENTS' CORNER
Aire Libre Para Todos: Acceso a la Naturaleza es un Derecho Humano
Con formas radicalmente nuevas de comprender las interconexiones con todo lo que este mundo comparte, industrias como la atención médica y la influencia política están comprendiendo lo importante que es tener oportunidades para que todos disfruten al aire libre limpio y seguro. Todas las generaciones que están vivas y que vienen tienen derecho a apreciar a la Madre Tierra y ayudarla a prosperar. Países como Bolivia, Ecuador y Nueva Zelanda han sido pioneros en establecer los derechos inalienables de la naturaleza para prosperar con nosotros. Lea el artículo para comprender más en profundidad las formas nuevas y revolucionarias de ver este mundo y a todos los demás.
Outdoors for All: Access to Nature is a Human Right
Through radical new approaches in the health industries and political spheres of influence, a movement is growing in recognizing the interconnectedness of all life on earth, and how integral to our well being it is to create equitable access to outdoor natural spaces that are clean and safe. All generations alive and still to come have a right to enjoy Mother Earth and help her thrive. Countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador and New Zealand have been pioneers in establishing the inalienable rights of Nature to thrive alongside us. Read the Article for an indepth look into these revolutionary new ways of understanding our world and each other.
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"It makes a crucial difference whether humankind thinks of the
natural world as consisting of resources
or relatives."
Oren Lyons, Native American Faithkeeper of the Wolf Clan of the Seneca Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy |
Health and safety to all,
and Happy Trails to you, |
James Eggers, Director
Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter |
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Thank you to our 2020 Guardians of Nature Benefit Sponsors
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| The COVID-19 crisis has not passed and continues to disproportionately harm Black, Indigenous, and Latinx people and other communities of color. The pandemic has revealed how the communities hardest hit are often the same communities that suffer from high levels of pollution and poor access to healthcare. The fight for environmental justice cannot be separated from the fight for racial justice. |
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