Exploring the Rights of Nature in "Is a River Alive?" by Robert Macfarlane
by Mark Leed, Chair In his latest book, Is a River Alive?, Robert Macfarlane explores a somewhat new and controversial movement called, “The Rights of Nature.” This legal issue is a recognition that ecosystems have rights just like human beings. If a corporation has rights, why shouldn't a river, forest, or ocean? To explore this theme, Macfarlane traveled to three vastly different parts of the world: an Ecuadorian cloud forest in the Amazon headwaters, streams in Southern India threatened by industrial pollution, and a wild river in Quebec's boreal forest threatened with damming. All three places are home to amazing wildlife and cultures with a profound appreciation for the natural world. In this book, he describes how local people are successfully using the Rights of Nature legal doctrine to fight corporations that threaten the ecosystems these people call home. Macfarlane's accounts of his kayak journey and forest trek are exciting. And his profiles of people fighting to protect their communities are amazing and inspirational. Robert Macfarlane is a Cambridge University professor and an adventurer with a gift for recognizing unexpected connections between nature, culture, and the human-built world. |
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ExCom members at summer picnic (L to R): Steve Foster, Mark Leed, Lehman Holder, Richard Kolber |
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Environmental Costs of the "Big Bill" in Washington
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Excerpts from The Columbian Editorial, July 9, 2025
In our state, much of the impact [of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act] will be felt in reductions to support for clean energy, placing $8.7 billion in investments at risk, according to Gov. Bob Ferguson. The legislation supports mining, drilling and the production of oil — activities that exacerbate climate change — while slashing tax credits for wind and solar projects. The reasoning behind such a move is the specious claim that the United States is not self-sufficient when it comes to energy. But a report last year from J.P. Morgan, echoing other analyses, declared that “the U.S. has achieved energy independence for the first time in 40 years while Europe and China compete for global energy resources.” In other words, the energy provisions in the new legislation are built upon falsehoods. “This bill is anything but beautiful for Washington,” Ferguson said. “It’s a fossil fuel wish list that penalizes clean energy and favors pollution.” The costs are enormous, and they are particularly damaging for a state that has embraced its moral obligation to reduce carbon emissions while recognizing that alternative energy represents economic opportunity. The U.S. Climate Alliance, an organization of 24 governors (including one Republican), estimates that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will result in the loss of 21,800 jobs in Washington by 2030 and will increase electricity costs for Washington households. https://www.columbian.com/news/2025/jul/09/in-our-view-ignoring-climate-change-wont-alter-situation/ And an EV Update
by Don Steinke As a result of the “Big Bill,” climate-related tax credits will expire soon: - The $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs will expire September 30, 2025.
- The $4,000 federal tax credit for used EVs will also expire September 30.
- The 30% federal tax credit for residential solar will be phased out after December 31, 2025. The percentage will drop 6% per year and go to zero in 2028.
Probably the most affordable EV currently available for the tax credit is the Chevrolet Equinox. The Washington state sales tax exemption also applies. Here are the EVs that qualify. |
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Sierra Club: "We must continue to advocate"
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Excerpts from an email from Sierra Club, July 3, 2025 Shortly after Congress passed the GOP-backed budget bill, Sierra Club sent an email calling this “the most anti-environment, anti-job, and anti-American bill in history.” Here are a few examples: - “[The bill] guts clean energy tax credits that were part of Biden's 2022 landmark climate law along with other clean energy investments. This will eliminate thousands of green jobs and raise household energy bills -- increasing the average family's power bill by $110 next year and as much as $400 per year by 2035. In tandem, it mandates more onshore and offshore drilling, while also defunding, delaying, and weakening the Methane Emissions Reduction Program and the Waste Emissions Charge.
- It attacks environmental and disaster protection by dismantling NOAA's coastal resilience funding that helps protect people from climate-fueled storms. It expands drilling on public lands and in the Arctic and sells off our old-growth forests for timber.
- It includes massive giveaways to corporate polluters and $4.5 trillion in tax cuts to the very wealthiest Americans at the expense of working-class people.”
[But] “thanks to grassroots advocacy, we successfully fought to remove provisions that would have forced the sale of public lands, implemented a tax on wind and solar energy, and ended emissions standards for vehicles.” “We must continue to advocate, even when we lose. Continuing to fight for our future is the only way we can build the movement. We need to push back against these policies on both a national and local level, and hold the elected officials who support them accountable.” https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/trump-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-most-anti-environment-bill-history |
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Teresa Hardy at No Kings rally, Vancouver | |
Parks poster from Hands Off rally, Vancouver
photo by Ellen Sward |
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Poster from Good Trouble rally, Vancouver |
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Clark County Council OK's Agricultural Resource Lands Study
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by Jean Avery, editor On July 15, 2025, the Clark County Council voted unanimously to require a consideration of food security in its agricultural lands study. Local environmental advocates were involved in promoting food security as part of this study. Heidi Cody, with Alliance for Community Engagement (ACE), thanked the County Council in her letter to the editor of The Columbian: “Ag land studies are not legally mandated to consider food security….But a long-term vision of a self-sustaining, resilient Clark County would not be complete without assessing whether folks can feed themselves with locally grown food in 20 years. This unanimous council decision happened because members listened to a coalition of local community-based organizations, mostly of color, working to advance equity and climate resilience in comprehensive planning.…You can’t have food security without agricultural lands.” https://clbn.us/m5LnI Another ACE advocate, Meridian Green, adds, “supporting local farms and creating a thriving local food economy are important parts of addressing climate change.” To help with this advocacy, contact heidi@waconservationaction.org. According to The Columbian, a resource lands study “is necessary for the county to consider site-specific zoning changes requested by developers, property owners or local cities as part of the growth plan update underway.” https://clbn.us/RkRVX. | |
Loo Wit Outings Offer Adventure and Education
by Lehman Holder Loo Wit Group outings offer Sierra Club members (and non-members) an opportunity to experience the Northwest outdoors, make new friends, and enhance their lives with those of like-minds. Currently, Loo Wit outings include hiking, easy flatwater kayaking, and bicycle outings of up to 20 miles. Nearly all of these outings are in Clark County or nearby; some hikes are in the Columbia River Gorge. Outing participants also become aware of why the Northwest is a very special and beautiful place. Signing up is easy: simply go to Loo Wit's Meetup site: https://www.meetup.com/portland-vancouver-sierra-club-outings-and-events/. We look forward to seeing you "out there.” Welcome New Outings Leader, Brian Herczog Brian Herczog has joined the ranks of Sierra Club outing leaders for the Loo Wit Group after completing certification requirements. Brian led his first outing, a hike on the Washougal Greenway Trail, on July 23. His mentor on his first outing was Helen Ost, an outings leader and Loo Wit's assistant outings chair. Brian is a very welcome addition to Loo Wit's outings committee. Sign up for one of his outings and get to know Brian. To become certified by the national Sierra Club, those interested must complete four requirements: 1) be a Sierra Club member; 2) complete Outing Leader Training (OLT); 3) complete basic first aid; and 4) plan and lead a provisional hike with a mentor leader. If you have questions about outings or are interested in becoming an outings leader, please contact Lehman at tripsguy@aol.com. | |
Outings Chair, Lehman Holder, in his kayak |
Hike at Whipple Creek
Brian is in center, back row |
WA’s natural gas initiative I-2066 may go to the state Supreme Court.
According to an article in the Seattle Times, “Initiative 2066 was narrowly passed by voters by about 52% in November, but was struck down by a King County Superior Court judge in March. Now, the state Attorney General Nick Brown and the Building Industry Association of Washington have asked the state’s Supreme Court to weigh in.” https://clbn.us/uGCUX. ***** SUN DAY Celebration. Sun Day is a day of national mobilization and action on September 21, 2025 – the Fall Equinox – celebrating solar and wind power for a cleaner, healthier future. Hundreds of partners and working groups across the country will demand that the U.S. accelerate its transition to clean energy – showing our decision makers that Americans want affordable, reliable, clean energy and the good jobs and stable economy it will create. Join the Sun Day PDX Celebration on Sunday, September 21, 12-6 pm, Tom McCall Park, 221 SW Naito Parkway, Portland, OR. Sierra Club and Third Act are both national sponsors of Sun Day. See https://www.sunday.earth and https://actionnetwork.org/events/sun-day-pdx. ***** Bill McKibben, longtime environmentalist and founder of Third Act, will speak in Portland, OR at Powell’s Bookstore on Wednesday, September 17, at 7 p.m. He will speak on his new book, Here Comes The Sun: The Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization. See https://thirdact.org/oregon/events/bill-mckibben-at-powells-wednesday-september-17/ ***** Vancouver’s Peace and Justice Fair will be held in Esther Short Park on Saturday, September 13, 2025. Members of Sierra Club’s Loo Wit group will have a booth. Sun Day Third Act will also have a booth, sharing information about local solar energy installers and projects https://thirdact.org/washington/ ***** Divest Washington (Divestwa.org) represents beneficiaries of State of Washington pension funds and other Washingtonians who believe the Washington State Investment Board (WSIB) must divest its holdings from fossil fuels. Washington has approximately $2.5 billion invested in companies on the Global Coal Exit List, and about $8 billion invested in all fossil fuels. The Washington Coal Act, similar to that passed in Oregon in 2024, will be re-introduced in the 2026 legislative session to stop the promotion of thermal coal through investment by Washington state. To learn more, contact Kristin at kristinedmark@hotmail.com. ***** The USDA Forest Service is preparing an environmental impact statement for the Spirit Lake Outflow Safety Improvement Project. Spirit Lake is within the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The Spirit Lake tunnel is at risk of failure, putting nearly 50,000 people in downstream communities at risk of catastrophic mudflow and flooding following a full lake breach. The final environmental impact statement is expected in October 2025. For information, contact Kelsey Jolley, NEPA Coordinator, SM.FS.SpiritLake@usda.gov. ***** The Trump administration is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule, rolling back landmark conservation from the Clinton era that prevents roadbuilding and logging on about 58 million acres of federal forest and wildlands. This comes as the Forest Service is under orders by President Trump to increase logging and thinning in forests to address the wildfire threat. https://www.npr.org/2025/06/23/g-s1-74136/trump-to-rescind-roadless-rule-which-protects-58-million-acres-of-forest-land. ****** In year three of Vancouver's Climate Action Framework, the City reports: - Nearly 17,000 tons of organic material were diverted from landfills in 2024.
- The City's Green Building Program includes proposals for energy efficiency, all-electric ready construction, air conditioning and filtration standards, and (thanks to input from Vancouver Audubon Society) bird-friendly/Dark Sky requirements.
This information (and more) was shared with Loo Wit members in June 2025 by Rebecca Small (rebecca.small@cityofvancouver.us). ****** The Port of Vancouver USA has published a revised Sustainability Report (https://www.portvanusa.com/assets/2024-Sustainability-Report.pdf). A few highlights include: - Since the finalization of the port’s Climate Action Plan in 2021, the port has replaced 9 natural gas HVAC units with electric, with plans to replace another 14 with electric by the end of 2025.
- In 2024, the port won a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology to fund the purchase of a new electric forklift, replacing a 1978 diesel forklift.
- The port is implementing a pilot project to expand pollinator habitat at the mitigation bank in partnership with the Vancouver Bee Project. Additionally, a bee-friendly pollinator mix was used along the south end of the Terminal 4 stormwater treatment pond.
The revised sustainability report is closely aligned with the port’s Strategic Plan (https://www.portvanusa.com/about/strategic-plan/) and Climate Action Plan (https://www.portvanusa.com/environmental-services/climate-action-plan/). ****** Preliminary Ruling Restores EV Funding Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program has challenged the Trump administration’s “unlawful freeze of the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.” In June 2025, a U.S. District Court issued a preliminary injunction lifting the Trump administration’s freeze of this funding. The NEVI program was created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to build an EV charging network along America’s highways. https://www.sierraclub.org/environmental-law ****** What’s Happening on Our Public Lands? ****** More Information from Sierra Club |
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| Loo Wit’s General Membership meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 6:45 p.m. on Zoom. For the link, contact markleed02@gmail.com. |
ExCom Members (elected, with voting privileges) Thanks to our Advisory Committee Jean Avery (editor), Sharon Fujioka, Frank Marre, Rick Marshall, Donna Williams (webmaster), Alona Kotka Steinke, Don Steinke, Fred Suter, and Helen Madsen Ost Links • Newsletters • About Us • History |
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