TVA credit rating downgraded due to US debt, deficit. "Just days after the Tennessee Valley Authority issued its largest set of bonds since 2011, it lost its last perfect credit rating because of the rising debt and deficits of its owner, the U.S. government." Read more by Daniel Dassow - Times Free Press - May 20, 2025.
XAI could use turbines for Tulane Road site. "'XAI appears to be preparing for a truly staggering number of polluting turbines for its second South Memphis data center, all while continuing to run unpermitted turbines nearby,' Amanda Garcia, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a statement. 'Memphians have repeatedly told local leaders they have serious concerns about how these data centers and their use of gas turbines will impact the air they breathe every day.'" Read more by Samuel Hardiman - Daily Memphian - May 8, 2025.
Tennessee American Water didn’t detect most common PFAS in Chattanooga drinking water last year. "Studies indicate the chemicals [PFAS] may cause developmental delays in children, increase the risk of certain cancers and reduce the body's ability to fight infections, according to the EPA." The Trump administration "plans to maintain drinking water limits for the two most common types of forever chemicals — PFOS and PFOA — but the EPA announced this month that it would rescind and reconsider regulations for other compounds that fall under that umbrella." Read more by David Floyd - Times Free Press - May 23, 2025.
TAKE ACTION! Tennessee ranks 48th in recycling nationwide, and half of our residents lack access to recycling services. This bill funds recycling access for all Tennesseans, creates new jobs, and offers tax savings through a fully funded program - all while keeping valuable materials out of our dwindling landfills. Tell your senator and representative to support the Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act!
Electric vehicles drive Tennessee investments. Keep clean-energy tax credits | Opinion. "Our state leadership, including Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), led by Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter, has been clear about the value of EV jobs to Tennessee. According to Lee: 'Tennessee is leading the future of American automotive manufacturing, thanks to our thriving business climate, record economic growth and highly skilled workforce. But the tax policies and funding programs boosting our economy are now being threatened; to maintain this prosperity, we need Congress to preserve these critical policies." Read more by Kent Minault - Knox News - May 6, 2025.
Spanish government moves to dismantle nuclear power sources responsible for nearly a fifth of energy production. "The country mostly worries about the cost of handling nuclear waste and taxes associated with keeping the plants open. Plus, Bloomberg reported that solar and wind use has enabled some areas of the country to have negative electricity bills." In light of this, Spain is shutting down its last coal plant this year, with the end goal of having 81% of its power generated from clean energy sources. Read more by Lettecha Johnson - Yahoo News - May 20, 2025.
How to Create a Garden for Pollinators. "With climate change accelerating and biodiversity declining, it's easy to feel powerless. However, just beyond your doorstep lies an opportunity to make a real difference -- your yard. Even a small patch of native habitat can provide food and shelter for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators while helping you reconnect with nature." Read the Sierra Club's (abbreviated) step-by-step guide by Anne Readel. (Full guide available in Sierra Magazine).
Bee lands on a wild bergamot flower in a pollinator garden. Photo credit: Anne Readel.
Health & Justice
WATCH: Elon Musk Built an AI Supercomputer in Our Backyard: It's Poisoning Us. "Just over a month ago, the Tennessee Chapter spoke to Samuel Black with More Perfect Union for this investigative piece. This video tells the story of a billionaire who is more interested in building a supercomputer that pontificates about aliens and outer space than he is in engaging with the human experience. His motto is to move fast and break things, and he doesn't care if the broken pieces happen to be families and communities that have been poisoned over and over again." More Perfect Union has 1.65 million subscribers on YouTube, and as of 5/31/25, this video has 109k views: Watch here (17 min).
Federal funding cuts are silencing the wild. "Mass firings may spell mass species loss as the Capitol clamps down on conservation spending. 'Losing this many dedicated employees all at once is an especially devastating blow to conservation efforts nationwide and an intentional dismantling of science,' Desirée Sorenson-Groves, the president and CEO of the National Wildlife Refuge Association, said in a press statement when the firings were announced." Read more by Lauren Colella - Sierra Club Magazine- May 4, 2025.
Federal safety net programs in Tennessee: Enrollment and expenditures by county. "Congress is considering changes to a number of safety net programs that the state and federal governments jointly fund and/or administer. To help state policymakers and Tennesseans better understand the scale of these programs in their communities, we compiled the most recent county-level data on enrollment and total expenditures for several key public assistance programs." Read more by Bill Mouchette and Mandi Spears - Sycamore Institute - May 12, 2025.
Inside the TVA coal plant that may get lifeline under Trump. "President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders April 8 to revive what he called the 'beautiful clean coal industry.' The orders directed federal agencies to identify and consider reversing policies seeking to phase out coal-fired power plants because of their steep emissions. TVA is reviewing the executive orders to understand how they could help the utility deliver more power, officials said." The Kingston Fossil plant in Harriman, Tenn. has burned coal since the 1950s, and currently "burns as many as 14,000 tons of coal a day." Read more by Daniel Dassow - Times Free Press - May 27, 2025.
Exhaust rises from the scrubber stack at Kingston Fossil Plant. Photo Credit: Todd Waterman.
Fundraising Corner
By Mac Post, Chapter Fundraising Chair
Thank You to all of you for making this recent March Appeal the best one we have ever had. Even though it is now June, March Appeal donations are still arriving adding to the total of nearly $14,000. It is supporters like you who make the Chapter’s work possible!
We had a record turnout for Conservation Day on the Hill, made significant progress on getting our Tennessee Waste-to-Jobs Act (Senate Bill 0269 / House Bill 0600) passed, attended TVA listening sessions, urged people to send comments to TVA calling for more investment in clean energy now, invigorated our outings program, and more. None of this great work would be possible without your help.
You will not be getting another Tennessee Chapter-wide request for a donation by mail until the Year-End Appeal in December. However, this summer you may get an email request to contribute to your local group or geographical conservation committee. Discover what's going on in your region in Tennessee here. Please consider making a contribution to your local group or committee to support the hard-working activists that carry out many activities in your neighborhood. Contact me (mpost3116@gmail.com) if you need help in directing your contribution to the appropriate person.
Statewide environmental events listed chronologically. Do you have an event you'd like publicized? Send it to Enews.sierratn@gmail.com.
June 3 - 7th. Love Grows Here Community Celebration at Cheekwood in Nashville. "Cheekwood welcomes all to visit during our first-ever Community Celebration, featuring exciting activities from cultural institutions including the Nashville Zoo, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Nashville Opera, and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Plus, The Cheekwood Gardening School is offering classes for just $5 every day of the celebration!" More info and tickets available here.
Sun. June 15th from 9am - 3 pm. HBG Outing: Canoe/Kayak the French Broad River. Bring your own boat and flotation device to join the Harvey Broome Group for a 5-mile float.We'll begin at the recently-renovated Seven Islands State Birding Park public access point, and float down to Cruze Landing. Pre-register with Ron Shrieves at 865-922-3518 or ronshrieves@gmail.com.
June 19th is Juneteenth! Traditionally a Southern Black holiday celebrating liberation, this day commemorates June 19th, 1865, when soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, months after the Civil War had ended and years since the Emancipation Proclamation, and spread the news that slavery had ended, freeing those people who were still in bondage even after the war was over. Maya Richard-Craven writes, "Juneteenth is a reminder that Black lives matter—not just during Black History Month or on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Black lives matter every day." Read full piece on SierraClub.org.
SAVE THE DATE! October 4th - Chapter Garden Party at Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville. Fifty years strong and still growing! Join Sierra Club Tennessee for our Chapter fundraiser as we celebrate volunteer of the year Dan Firth and our conservation award recipients. Look forwrd to an evening of live music, appetizers, drinks, and great conversations - plus a raffle and online auction to support the work that's been protecting Tennessee's wild places for half a century. Learn more here.
Species Spotlight
This month's featured species is: Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Purple coneflower grows 2-4 feet tall and prefers well-drained, loamy soil. Photo credit: Glenn A Lucas via Pixabay.
Purple coneflower is a perennial that is native to the central and eastern United States. It blooms from spring through late summer.
The spiny center of the flower must have inspired its name; the genus name comes from the Greek echinos, which means "hedgehog."
Purple coneflower is a good choice for a pollinator garden. It has a long bloom period and attracts a variety of pollinators; birds also enjoy the seeds.
According to NC State Extension, purple coneflower "was an important plant to the Native Americans to treat may ailments. Early settlers used the medicinal root for almost any kind of sickness. It became the only native prairie plant commonly used by both doctors and folk practitioners as medicine. People also used echinacea to support cows and horses when they weren't eating well."
Going Digital!
Did you know the Tennes-Sierran is available online? The digital version is in color and has clickable links! Do you wish to opt out of the paper copy and go digital instead? View current and past issues or request paperless delivery here!
Contact Us
Do you have a program or speaker idea for your Group? An issue you're particularly passionate about? Do you have a story idea for the Tennes-Sierran or the e-newsletter? Let us know! Look through our past programs for inspiration. Submit your suggestion here!
Questions or comments for Sierra Club in Tennessee? We want to hear from you! Chapter E-news Editor: Allie Stafford Photo Editor: Todd Waterman
The views expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sierra Club.
We are the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club, the world’s oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization. With over 3.8 million members and supporters, the Sierra Club has the resources to empower people and to influence public policy through community activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation.
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