Maryland Sierra Club in the News

Check out these clips of Sierra Club in the news! If you see something we've missed, let us know at mediatracker@mdsierra.org. For media inquiries please contact Communications Associate Lesley Paredes at lesley.paredes-hernandez@sierraclub.org.

1. Sierra Club To Push For Bottle Bill For Maryland During the 2026 General Assembly | WFMD Radio (01/01/2026) One of the issues lawmakers in Annapolis could be grappling with this year is whether to enact a bottle bill. Martha Ainsworth, the Chair of Maryland Sierra Club’s Zero Waste Team, says a lot plastic bottles, cans and glass containers are ending up in the wrong places. “Despite the widespread availability of curbside recycling, only about a quarter of the containers are actually collected through recycling,” she said.

1. After 3 tries in Maryland, bottle bill backers hope to pass plastic refund program | Baltimore Sun (12/29/2025)
2. Gas industry insider helped Moore administration choose its Public Service Commission members | Baltimore Banner (12/12/2025)
3. Comments on Federal Judge Vacating Trump’s Unlawful Wind Energy Ban | CleanTechnica (12/11/2025)
4. Maryland Youth Fight For Permanent Native Plant Month | BayNet News (12/10/2025) 
5. Plastic People Film To Screen At AACC, Spotlighting Hidden Crisis Of Microplastics | Eye on Annapolis (11/18/2025) 
6. Commentary: Local jurisdictions have a key role in making rooftop solar more accessible | Maryland Matters (10/24/2025)
7. ‘Not fast enough’: Climate advocates want quicker adoption of electric heating rules in Maryland | Maryland Matters (10/17/2025) The groups — including the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, the Sierra Club’s Maryland chapter and Interfaith Power and Light of the DMV, among others — are planning to launch a $200,000 digital advertising campaign focused on the benefits of transitioning to all-electric heating.
8. What is the plan to power Maryland’s energy demands? | The Baltimore Sun (08/27/2025)
9. They were supposed to help fix Maryland’s transportation funding problem, but they stopped meeting | Baltimore Banner (07/08/2025) 
10. Maryland struggles to meet ambitious climate goals | Maryland Reporter (07/14/2025) “Maryland is not on track right now for either its renewable energy goals or for its climate goals,” said Josh Tulkin, director of the Maryland Sierra Club. “That doesn’t mean that it can’t be on track, though, because there are a lot of positive programs that will help improve people’s lives and reduce pollution and help with the climate.” 
11. They were supposed to help fix Maryland’s transportation funding problem, but they stopped meeting | Baltimore Banner (07/08/2025)
12. Gov. Moore Breaks Climate Promises With Veto of Essential Environmental Studies | The Sentinel (05/19/2025) “Maryland voters elected a Governor who promised climate leadership, and this veto is a reversal both on climate leadership and fiscal responsibility," echoed Josh Tulkin, Director of the Maryland Sierra Club. “I join other environmental leaders in urging the General Assembly to override the veto of the Renew Act and Data Centers study bills.”
13. Governor announces intention to veto more than 20 bills | WMAR 2 (05/19/2025) “Maryland voters elected a Governor who promised climate leadership, and this veto is a reversal both on climate leadership and fiscal responsibility," says Josh Tulkin, Director of the Maryland Sierra Club.
14. On Climate, Governors Enter ‘Trench Warfare Mode’ | Truthdig (05/05/2025) Maryland Sierra Club chapter director Josh Tulkin also expressed concern about the bill’s support for new gas-powered generation, calling it a “mistake that takes us in the wrong direction.”  
15. Maryland’s Climate Ambitions in Question After Turbulent Legislative Session | Inside Climate News (04/26/2025) Josh Tulkin, director of the Maryland chapter of the Sierra Club, felt environmental concerns were pushed to the sidelines during budget and policy discussions. “My feeling is frustration. My feeling is that … in the heat of intensity of the budget discussions and addressing federal rollbacks, I think climate largely got sidelined,” Tulkin said.
16. Maryland legislators overhaul energy laws in mixed bag for solar | pv magazine (04/16/2025) Despite the framework to build out new energy storage, the final bill wasn’t a complete win for climate advocates. “Battery storage can be deployed quickly, help address peak load demands, and complement the development of clean energy resources, like solar and wind power,” Maryland Sierra Club said in a statement following the session. “The promotion of new-gas fired power generation is a mistake that takes us in the wrong direction,” the Sierra Club said.
17. Maryland lawmakers trim environmental funds, revise energy policy | Bay Journal (04/14/2025) Lawmakers also reformed the way utility rates are set, directed that every household get $80 in annual rebates on rising power bills and required greater justification for building new gas pipelines. “Some of those bills by themselves would have been landmark bills to pass,” said Josh Tulkin, director of the Maryland Sierra Club. But when weighed against building more gas power plants, he said it was unclear whether the energy policy overhaul would be a net positive or negative.
18. Gov. Moore’s executive order could delay fines for car companies as EV sales lag | Baltimore Banner (04/04/2025) Josh Tulkin, director of the Maryland chapter of the Sierra club, said his organization supports “a range of compliance flexibilities” and is disappointed in Moore’s decision. “This premature action risks removing all the teeth from the programs and rewarding the laggards in the industry,” said Tulkin. “Delaying our clean vehicle programs would stall progress on cutting harmful air pollution. We call on Governor Moore to continue implementing these life-saving programs without delay.”
19. Moore issues executive order that could delay EV sales penalties | Maryland Matters (04/04/2025) The Maryland Sierra Club said Friday night that it was “disappointed” by the “premature” order, which it said “risks removing all the teeth from the programs and rewarding the laggards in the industry.” “This EO [executive order] risks undermining the program,” said the statement from Maryland Sierra Club Chapter Director Josh Tulkin. “Delaying our clean vehicle programs would stall progress on cutting harmful air pollution. We call on Gov. Moore to continue implementing these life-saving programs without delay.”
20. General Assembly energy package a mixed bag for environmental groups | Maryland Matters (03/29/2025) The Senate version of the energy bill also directs the commission to “presume” that any site that once hosted a power plant — or still does — is “appropriate” for a new one. That would allow the commission to essentially bypass a critical environmental justice review, which would assess whether the community is already too overburdened by pollution, said Josh Tulkin, director of the Maryland chapter of the Sierra Club.
21. As electric vehicle sales lag, Maryland might punt fines for car companies | Baltimore Banner (03/28/2025) But the attempt to punt the penalties has drawn opposition from climate groups like the state chapter of the Sierra Club. And some worry that if Maryland, a national leader on many climate policies, breaks rank, it could have cascading effects in other states.
22. Maryland state agency found WGL misled customers about the effects of using natural gas | ABC 7 (03/23/2025) “Yesterday’s ruling is a win for both customers and the environment,” said Josh Tulkin, Director of the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter. “It protects Washington Gas Light customers from receiving misleading information in their utility bills. Unlike what was stated in the bills, gas has negative environmental impacts both on our indoor air quality and on our climate. We applaud the Maryland Public Service Commission for ruling in favor of accurate information for customers.”
23. Maryland Lawmakers Show Support for Bills Favoring Fossil Fuels, Jeopardizing Climate Commitments | Baltimore Beat (03/21/2025) Josh Tulkin, director of the Maryland Sierra Club, believes the blanket exemptions in the legislation, particularly for hospitals and condos, would undermine its effectiveness, and added that alternative compliance penalties should be substantial enough to motivate building owners to make energy efficiency improvements. “You need the penalty to actually motivate people to do a real analysis, and to find all of the options in front of them, and not just jump to paying a penalty,” he said. “If the penalty is too small, people will pay the penalty before even figuring out if they can afford to work.”
24. Stein wants to hit the brakes on state push toward electric vehicle sales | Maryland Matters (03/07/2025) But environmental advocates say the bill is unnecessary, and called it a step back in the state’s clean air efforts. “Moving towards cleaner vehicles saves lives. Delaying these regulations would harm our public health and our climate goals,” Maryland Sierra Club Senior Clean Transportation Representative Lindsey Mendelson Thursday.
25. Maryland voters support more transportation options, says new poll | Greater Greater Washington (02/26/2025) Maryland voters across the state support investing in walking, bicycling, and transit infrastructure in order to reduce pollution from traffic congestion. That’s the message of a poll the Maryland Sierra Club commissioned over the winter holidays to measure support for the Transportation and Climate Alignment Act (TCA), which is currently in the Maryland General Assembly.
26. Maryland Environmental Leaders Slam Legislative Push for Gas-Powered Plants, Split Over Nuclear Energy | Inside Climate News (02/15/2025) “This is a blatant setback for Maryland’s clean energy transition,” said Carlos Sanchez of the Maryland chapter of the Sierra Club. “FERC is allowing dirty energy to cut the line while thousands of megawatts of wind and solar remain stuck in bureaucratic limbo.” At a press briefing Wednesday, leaders from the Sierra Club, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and the Maryland League of Conservation Voters criticized top Maryland lawmakers for including gas-fired power plants as a viable option in a package of energy bills floated last week by Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County).
27. 'A moral imperative': Supporters call for passing of Bottle Bill to encourage recycling habits | WBAL (02/14/2025) State lawmakers are looking to put Mr. Trash Wheel on a diet by considering a bill that would add bottle deposits to single-serve containers. Consumers who return the bottles would get that money back. Supporters hope the bill will serve as an incentive to recycle so that fewer bottles end up in our waterways.
28. State lawmakers consider banning sale and purchase of gas-powered leaf blowers | 2 WMAR ABC (02/11/2025) The Maryland Sierra Club and Maryland Native Plant Coalition both had representatives testifying in favor of the bill. "Nudging Marylanders to choose electric devices as they are replaced could cut the same amount of air pollution as electrifying 5 million cars," said Marie LaPorte from the Maryland Sierra Club.
29. High utility bills prompt top Maryland Democrats to take action; some Republicans ‘underwhelmed’ | Baltimore Sun (02/05/2025) Josh Tulkin, the director of the Maryland chapter of the Sierra Club, said it is “hard to predict what specifically this president might do and which policies will come out fully baked versus which ones are going to come out half baked and be stuck in court.” “I think the overarching message is, the state needs to double-down on its commitment to things like clean energy and clean air, and might need to work even harder if the federal government comes down as a barrier rather than an ally, but that can’t change the state’s values,” he said.
30. To stem rising energy costs, Maryland leaders want to build new power plants | Baltimore Banner (02/03/2025) Still, Maryland Sierra Club director Josh Tulkin said he’s concerned that the leadership proposal puts a thumb on the scale of energy approvals, undermining regulators’ responsibility to assess costs and environmental consequences of new development. “In a worst-case scenario, if Maryland buys into the idea that a reliable grid requires fossil fuels,” he said, “then it could be very harmful to Maryland’s climate goals,” as well as to air quality and public health.
31. Leaders’ bills seek to transform Maryland energy landscape — but questions remain | Maryland Matters (02/03/2025) Josh Tulkin, the Maryland Sierra Club chapter director, lamented that environmentalists weren’t consulted on the content of the leaders’ legislation as it was being drafted, and said he found it “disturbing” that the measures could lead to more fossil fuels being generated in the state. “It’s very concerning that they’re explaining the importance of studying new energy sources while potentially placing some significant new costs on Maryland ratepayers,” Tulkin added.
32. Sierra Club poll finds wide support for more transit, walking and biking investments | Maryland Matters (01/28/2025) Maryland voters would like to have better access to public transit and safer, more convenient walking and biking options — and they want to see the state investing more money in these kinds of infrastructure projects. Those are the results of a statewide poll recently commissioned by the Maryland chapter of the Sierra Club, the environmental group.
33. Get ready for a dizzying debate on energy policy | Maryland Matters (01/27/2025) The highly technical, 44-page administration bill also seeks to rename the state’s longstanding renewable energy portfolio standard  (RPS) as the clean energy portfolio standard, and changes certain formulas for percentages of clean production along with incentives and pollution credits for clean energy. “I think the ENERGIZE plan firmly grounds Maryland in a goal of achieving 100% clean energy,” said Josh Tulkin, executive director of the Sierra Club Maryland chapter.
34. Moore sides with Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro in dispute over utility bill surge | Baltimore Banner  (01/24/2025) PJM has come under fire from Maryland lawmakers, consumer watchdogs and climate advocates for last summer’s auction. “PJM’s existing capacity market and interconnection processes are in urgent need of updates,” Maryland Sierra Club director Josh Tulkin said in a statement this week. “These processes have contributed to unnecessary delay in bringing clean energy projects online and must be fixed to ensure Marylanders have access to safe, reliable, and affordable energy.”
35. Harsh Realities Confront Maryland and Its Bold Climate Plans | Inside Climate News (01/23/2025) Josh Tulkin, director of the Sierra Club’s Maryland chapter, said publishing agencies’ climate plans brought transparency to the government’s approach toward climate and the environment. “But it wasn’t particularly easy to piece them all together and capture how each of these plans adds up to the state’s [climate] plan,” he said. “I think that’s an area for improvement.”
36. Big building owners sue Maryland over efforts to make them go green | Baltimore Banner (01/14/2025) Josh Tulkin, director of the Maryland chapter of the Sierra Club, said building owners should be focused on the more imminent 20% reduction goal, which he argued most buildings could meet without transitioning to electric systems, instead relying on resources like insulation and appliance tuneups.
37. Maryland’s Climate Goals Under Strain as Budget Gaps and Looming Federal Cuts Threaten Progress | Inside Climate News (01/13/2025) Josh Tulkin, director of the Maryland chapter of the Sierra Club, underscored the need for stronger state leadership. “It’s very clear that we need more renewable energy in Maryland. We need it in places that will help provide cheap, affordable, clean energy to people. It’s also very clear that the grid operator, PJM, is going to be pushing for more gas and fossil fuel generation and Maryland needs to provide clarity and leadership on this."
38. Bay state lawmakers tackle wide range of ‘green’ bills | Bay Journal (01/03/2025) Most of the bills supported by activists would add little or no costs, while a couple would raise revenue. “We know that the dollars are tight,” said Josh Tulkin, director of the Maryland Sierra Club. “We are also trying to be part of remedying that situation.” Advocates are making another run at passing what they call the RENEW Act, which would levy a one-time fee on the world’s top corporate emitters of climate-altering greenhouse gases over the last 30 years. 

1. Local officials, residents express concerns about proposed development in Riverdale Park | The Diamondback (12/11/2024)  Using the area near the station as a flex research space instead of for higher density mixed-use developments is an inefficient use of the land, local officials and residents told The Diamondback. “When we have great assets like the Purple Line and really valuable state land, we need to make the best use of that land,” Lindsay Mendelson, the Maryland Sierra Club’s senior transportation campaign representative, said.
2. Some good climate news, for once: Md. leads in carbon emissions reductions | Maryland Matters (11/25/2024) “Maryland can take action to reduce pollution from the building sector by adopting policies that promote clean, energy-efficient electric equipment in buildings,” said Josh Tulkin, director of the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter. “Such policies would significantly improve public health and help Maryland meet its climate goals.”
3. Prince George’s County Council votes against data centers — for now | Maryland Matters (11/24/2024) “It eliminates necessary public oversight and planning processes for large facilities with potential adverse environmental impacts,” said Janet Gingold, with the Prince George’s County Sierra Club, during her Tuesday testimony. “We need systems in place that will enable careful consideration of their location and design to mitigate their adverse impacts and to ensure that they do not disproportionately harm communities that are already overburdened.”
4. Prince George’s County passes bill to increase electrical vehicle charging stations | MSN (11/19/2024) Those in support said this will also help contribute to the county’s climate action plan that’s focused on reducing green house emissions by 50% by the year 2030. “Prince George’s County residents deserve cleaner air, and if we’re going to address the climate change and the health disparities that come from transportation related air pollution, we really need to make this transition,” said Janet Gingold with Sierra Club.
5. Maryland building more electric vehicle charging stations with boost from federal, state funds | Southern Maryland Online (10/30/2024) These investments are crucial to protect the climate, clean the air and transition away from fossil fuels, Lindsey Mendelson, the senior clean transportation representative with the Maryland Sierra Club, told CNS.
6. White House OKs Maryland wind energy project to be built about 10 miles off Ocean City | The Baltimore Sun (09/08/2024) “By moving away from reliance on dirty fossil fuel energy and building renewable energy, Marylanders will be able to breathe cleaner air and benefit from new clean energy jobs,” Maryland Sierra Club Chapter Director Josh Tulkin said in a statement Thursday.
7. Local power grid operator’s failure to plan is costing Marylanders millions | The Baltimore Banner (08/12/2024) Casey Roberts, a senior attorney with the Sierra Club, said the organization was concerned that PJM did not consider alternatives to the extension agreement and would still have to pay the agreed-upon amount to Talen Energy, even if it ended early.
8. Maryland Sierra Club trying to find traction for “Bottle Bill” | WMDT 47 (07/31/2024) Executive Committee Member of the Lower Eastern Shore Group of the Maryland Sierra Club, Cindy Dillon said that Maryland’s plastic pollution problem is nothing short of urgent.
9. Sierra Club Looks for Bottle Bill Support in Berlin | WBOC (07/30/2024) Cindy Dillon, the zero waste chair of the chapter, says that the bill would improve the environmental health of the state.
10. In Push to Meet Maryland’s Ambitious Climate Commitments, Moore Announces New Executive Actions | Inside Climate News  (06/05/2024) “Burning fossil fuels in our buildings is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in Maryland,” said Josh Tulkin, director of the Sierra Club’s Maryland chapter. “By developing zero-emission heating equipment standards this year, Maryland can make a measurable dent in climate pollution while delivering cleaner, healthier air for residents.”
11. Moore pushes cleaner home and water heating options to combat climate change | Baltimore Banner (06/04/2024) “This begins a transition for us to look at the pollution from those appliances and begin to reduce that pollution,” Josh Tulkin, head of the Maryland chapter of the Sierra Club, said in an interview.
12. You could pay higher utility bills under deal to save coal | Baltimore Banner (05/01/2024) Tulkin said the Sierra Club will not adjust the terms of its 2018 settlement with Talen Energy until the organization can have a “transparent and direct conversation with PJM about why they think these alternative strategies won’t work.”
13. Advocates say Maryland budget amendment poses major setback for climate goals | WBAL TV 11 (4/18/2024) Tulkin said, while the General Assembly took positive steps that will help Maryland's economy shift toward renewable energy by passing bills focused on housing, transportation and solar energy, the legislature also stripped a key provision from the Climate Solutions Now Act. That provision required that large buildings reduce their pollution and increase their energy efficiency, reducing costs for taxpayers.
14. Internet data centers are fueling drive to old power source: Coal | The Washington Post (4/17/2024) “We need a proactive plan that is consistent with the state’s clean energy goals,” said Josh Tulkin, director of the Sierra Club’s Maryland chapter, which has proposed an alternative plan to build a battery storage facility at the Brandon Shores site that would cut the time needed for the plants to operate.
15. Activists push for game-changing legislation that could dramatically clean up our communities: 'Cut the amount of trash in half' | The Cool Down (4/17/2024)  "I don't think there's any other program in existence that reduces litter more than a deposit system," said Martha Ainsworth, chair of the Maryland Sierra Club Zero Waste Team, per the Washington Post. The specific rules for the deposit programs in other states vary, but people typically get 5 or 10 cents per bottle. This prevents a huge number of bottles from being thrown away or, even worse, littered. "This would get so much more out of the river than you could do on a cleanup," Ainsworth said. "We can't recycle what we can't get back."
16. Maryland lawmakers took steps to achieve lofty climate aspirations. But did they go far enough? | Baltimore Banner (4/15/2024) “If you take a look at the language in the budget amendment, it has [building and construction] industry fingerprints all over it,” said Josh Tulkin, director of the Sierra Club’s Maryland chapter. “It’s a repeat problem of not having an open and direct conversation about what the strategy is. It’s very disrespectful to the advocates and stakeholders and other people who spent the last two years on this issue. And it’s just frustrating.”
17. General Assembly answered some budget questions, but ‘delayed the inevitable’ on taxes | Baltimore Sun (4/12/2024) “We have a bold climate agenda. It will hit some bumps. There will need to be adjustments. Everybody here accepts that. What we can’t accept is that we’re going to get cut out of the process,” Maryland Sierra Club director Josh Tulkin said Monday outside the State House as a New Orleans-style brass band played funeral music.
18. Enviros sound alarm over new budget amendment on clean building standards | Maryland Matters (04/05/2024) Josh Tulkin, Maryland director of the Sierra Club, said he and his colleagues were “alarmed that the Maryland General Assembly used the opaque, last-minute budget process to weaken and delay one of Maryland’s landmark climate programs.” He added that the budget conferees’ “backroom dealing…erodes public confidence and throws into question Maryland’s commitment to being a leader in addressing the climate crisis.”
19. Federal judge rules against activists seeking to block Capital Beltway project | Maryland Matters (3/20/2024) “This is a disappointing outcome,” said Josh Tulkin, director of the Sierra Club of Maryland, one of the plaintiffs. “This project comes with real harms to people and the environment, and MDOT and FHWA ignored important aspects of that harm while reviewing the project.”
20. Maryland data center bill tests governor’s climate credentials, environmentalists say | Baltimore Banner (3/17/2024)  “We are going to email the full Senate to remind them of the Sierra Club’s opposition to the bill,” said Josh Tulkin, director of the Sierra Club’s Maryland chapter. He believes the bill sets a bad precedent and sends the wrong signal about the purpose of the state’s regulatory structure, which, he said, is supposed to give regulators the tools to navigate new and emerging situations and “not to tell them to watch out and don’t overstep a little strip of your authority.”
21. Controversial Maryland Data Center Bill Tests Governor’s Climate Credentials, Environmentalists Say | Inside Climate News (3/15/2024) In response to Moore’s bill, more than a dozen environmental and conservation groups including LCV, the Sierra Club, EarthJustice and Waterkeepers Chesapeake submitted testimony to the Senate committee, which held a hearing on Feb. 22. The advocates urged committee members not to give a blanket exemption to energy intensive industries at the cost of public health and regulatory safeguards.
22. Maryland transportation officials have ambitious climate goals - can they get there? | Baltimore Banner (2/12/2024)  “The climate benefits of more fuel-efficient cars have been undermined by increases in driving,” Mendelson said. “By investing more into public transit, cycling, and bike infrastructure across the state and locating jobs and amenities closer to where people live, the state can help expand Marylanders’ access to more affordable transportation choices while reducing climate pollution.”
23. Environmental advocates share legislative ideas with Prince George’s County leader | DC News Now (1/31/2024) 
    “This is about the impact on saving lives and our community,” said Antoine Thompson with Sierra Club Prince George’s County. ... “Composting is one of them, transition to renewable energy in whatever way we can is also another one. Those are decisions that responsible consumers should be making on a regular basis. And the legislation can help with making some of those things easier,” said Janet Gingold with the Sierra Club.
24. RELEASE: Maryland bill tackles climate pollution from transportation by expanding affordable, clean options - Coalition For Smarter Growth (1/31/2024) 
    “Accelerating electric vehicles is important, but only part of the solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This legislation would give Maryland residents and workers more transportation choices and shorter travel distances for jobs and services, all of which reduce emissions and improve the air quality for all Marylanders. Reducing pollution from the transportation sector is a win-win for Maryland,” said Lindsey Mendelson of the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter.
25. Md. group calls for plastic bottle deposit to discourage littering - WTOP News (1/26/2024)
    Martha Ainsworth, chair of the Maryland Sierra Club’s Zero Waste Team, said the goal of the program is to capture the billions of beverage containers that don’t get recycled. ... “When there’s a price attached to an empty beverage container, fewer people litter them,” Ainsworth said.
26. Transit advocates weigh in on Maryland’s $2B transportation shortfall – Greater Greater Washington (ggwash.org) (1/16/2024)
    The Maryland Sierra Club and Coalition for Smarter Growth argue that a better way to address the funding backlog would be to shift more of the remaining road dollars to transit. ... Schwartz and Mendelson argued that projects like I-270 and Beltway widening should be scuttled entirely. ... “Across-the-board cuts aren’t the best and most equitable way to prioritize dollars, because the Maryland Transit Administration [MTA] was underfunded to begin with, so it’s not an even playing field,” said Mendelson. ... Mendelson says Maryland’s push for increased adoption of electric vehicles is not enough. “We also have to reduce vehicle miles traveled,” she said. Boosting transit ridership is essential to achieving the state’s ambitious climate goals.
27. First they tackled plastic bags. Now they’re taking aim at bottles. - The Washington Post (1/15/2024)
    “I don’t think there’s any other program in existence that reduces litter more than a deposit system,” said Martha Ainsworth, chair of the Maryland Sierra Club Zero Waste Team.
28. Girl Scouts protested the sale of Marlton forest. Now it will be conserved. - The Washington Post (1/11/2024)
    The girls’ online appeal garnered more than 3,500 signatures. They knew another group, the Sierra Club, had launched its own petition, but they wanted to use their voices for change, too.
29. Analysis: State's climate plan is comprehensive but lacks short-term legislative strategy - Maryland Matters (1/5/2024)
    “There are some parts of the plan that are strong and some parts of the plan that are less developed,” said Josh Tulkin, executive director of the Sierra Club’s Maryland chapter. “The question is, what now?”
30. Howard County networking event draws students eager to explore climate-based careers - Maryland Daily Record (1/2/2024) 
    Students browsed opportunities and networked with Maryland environmental organizations, including Howard Community College, Howard County Sierra Club, Patapsco Heritage Greenway, Upcycled, Community Ecology Institute and the National Aquarium. 

1. Moore must take action on climate – Baltimore Sun (12/28/2023)
   To fulfill our leadership role on climate, in one of the states most vulnerable to climate change, we need to be building reliable public transit and cleaner transportation by prioritizing the completion of major public transit projects rather than cutting their funding. Instead of expanding highways, a strong climate plan will build infrastructure to support safe, walkable, bikeable communities and electric cars, trucks and school buses. To ensure that Marylanders can live, learn and work in healthy, safe and climate-friendly buildings, Maryland should transition homes, schools and buildings to clean, pollution-free appliances. 
2. Western Maryland coal-burning power plant to retire in 2024, becoming state’s last to announce closing – Baltimore Sun (11/15/2023)
   In a news release Wednesday, the Maryland Sierra Club called the Warrior Run announcement by AES a milestone for Maryland. When Sierra Club started its campaign to end coal burning over a decade ago, Maryland had eight coal-burning plants. ... The environmental group said that Maryland now joins 14 other states that either have no remaining coal-burning plants or where all such facilities have announced their intent to stop burning coal by 2030.
3. Opinion | Girl Scouts should not sell a Maryland forest to developers - The Washington Post (7/22/2023)
   In 2019, developers donated a 633-acre parcel of forest east of Marlton at the headwaters of Jug Bay to the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital. It seemed that this swath of biodiversity might be spared. However ... With accelerating climate change, we urgently need to conserve our remaining forests for carbon sequestration, heat mitigation and absorption of storm water.
4. Maryland Urged to Cut Emissions By Swiftly Adopting Rules Electrifying Cars and Trucks - Inside Climate News (6/22/2023) 
   The call to act came with the Wednesday release of two new studies by the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter and the Union of Concerned Scientists. ... “Reducing ozone pollution and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, a precursor to ozone pollution, is essential to reducing the unequal public health harms unjustly borne by low-income populations and people of color in Maryland,” the Sierra Club said.  
5. Coalition petitions federal judge to halt Beltway expansion project - Maryland Matters (6/16/2023)
   The coalition, which includes the Maryland chapter of the Sierra Club, Friends of Moses Hall, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, filed a motion for summary judgment in the case on Friday.
6. “Five Million Trees, Please”: Maryland Rolls Out ‘5 Million Trees’ Initiative (6/1/2023)
   The Maryland Forest Service partnered with the Sierra Club’s Southern Maryland Group to plant trees at three sites in spring 2022.
7. After Criticism, Gas Industry Official Withdraws as Candidate for Maryland’s Public Service Commission - Inside Climate News (2/28/2023)
   Josh Tulkin, director of the Sierra Club’s Maryland chapter, said his group looked forward to working with Moore and the governor’s secretary of appointments, Tisha Edwards, “to ensure the PSC is ready to advance the governor’s bold climate agenda.”
8. Maryland gas companies should plan for an electrified future, decrease spending, ratepayers’ advocate warns – Baltimore Sun (2/13/2023)
   The People’s Counsel’s petition is welcome news, said Josh Tulkin, director of the Maryland chapter of the Sierra Club, a national environmental advocacy group that pushes for a “just and equitable transition from dirty fossil fuels,” according to its website.