| Editor's Note: The Insider is taking a winter break. Look for us in the new year on January 12, 2021. Thank you for all you do, stay safe, and happy holidays. |
| Listen to the latest episode! |
| | | Podcast | The mostly horrible year 2020 is almost over. For certain it marks a decisive break with the past. But what will come next? What will the future look like? In the latest episode of The Overstory, we imagine a brighter future with an all-star roster of activists and authors. Melissa Nelson of the Cultural Conservancy discusses what it will take to Indigenize the conservation movement; Black urbanist Kristen Jeffers envisions a new kind of city; Varshini Prakash of the Sunrise Movement offers her take on youth activism; and the Sierra Club's director of campaigns, Mary Anne Hitt, tells us what a clean energy future can be like.
Imagine... |
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| Photo by iStock.com/Ultima_Gaina |
| | | Michael Brune | The climate crisis isn’t a single issue: It’s an everything issue, and to solve it, we’ll need a whole-government approach. “Good policy starts with good people, and good movements that push them to make the most of the power voters have granted them,” says Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune. “Thankfully, many of President-Elect Biden’s first few cabinet picks show that he understands the necessity of a whole-government approach."
"They’ll have their work cut out for them." |
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| Photo by Dave Stamboulis/Alamy Stock Photo |
| | | Outings | Our full 2021 trip roster is finally here and ready for reservations. Select from classic and brand-new itineraries, including family trips, backcountry journeys, volunteer vacations, international treks, and loads more. You’ll again find an expanded selection of specialty trips for beginners, LGBTQ+ adventurers, teens, seniors, women, and younger adults. We are closely monitoring the coronavirus pandemic and adapting our program to protect travelers and staff alike.
See all trips and sign up. |
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| Photo by iStock.com/mountaingoats |
| | | Sierra Magazine | The Trump administration is pulling out all the stops in its effort to auction off leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge before Joe Biden takes office on January 20. The biggest unknown is whether the oil industry still has much interest.
Seriously? |
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| The Line 3 pipeline would cross many natural areas, including the Mississippi River. | Photo by iStock.com/John_Brueske |
| | | Take Action | Construction on the massive Line 3 tar sands oil pipeline has begun, and our best chance of stopping it is if President-Elect Biden speaks out against it. Enbridge, the company pushing Line 3, has a terrible track record of pipeline spills. Between 1999 and 2010, Enbridge was responsible for more than 800 pipeline spills, including the Kalamazoo River spill that spewed 843,000 gallons of toxic tar sands crude into Michigan’s waterways, sickening residents and costing more than a billion dollars to clean up.
Tell President-Elect Biden to speak out in opposition to Line 3. |
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| Photo by iStock.com/Zhakupov |
| | | Ask Ms. Green | Looking to give the best, less-toxic, fair trade, greenest gizmos this holiday season?
Ms. Green has you covered. |
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| Photo iStock.com/SMRM1977 |
| | | Sierra Magazine | We scoured the internet for unique eco-minded gifts that will provide kids with some old-fashioned (i.e., screen-free) fun while challenging developing minds.
Here's what we found. |
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| | | Ready for 100 | Are you ready to help your community move to 100 percent clean, renewable energy? Check out our new Ready For 100 Activist Toolkit, a comprehensive set of tools and resources that can be used by anyone, anywhere, to deepen community organizing in support of a vision of clean energy for all.
Check out our toolkit and start organizing! |
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| Photo by iStock.com/zimmytws |
| | | Article | “If you want to understand structural racism, study the big banks,” says Hop Hopkins, director of organizational transformation for the Sierra Club. “Follow the money; the whole story is there. There's a powerful thing that happens when climate advocates and environmentalists begin to follow the money and understand the root causes of the climate crisis."
"I've seen it firsthand." |
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| Photo by iStock.com/grandriver |
| | | Article | The border wall isn’t just a symbol of President Trump's racist policies. It also inflicts irreversible harm on some of the most biologically diverse desert lands in North America and puts nearly 100 endangered species at risk. We are currently in a worsening mass extinction—the first in planetary history caused by humans. “Building walls that destroy habitat is the opposite of what we should be doing to protect life on Earth,” says Dan Millis, director of the Sierra Club’s Borderlands campaign “The Biden administration must make it a priority to undo the damage and restore the borderlands.
"These first steps should be a priority in the first 100 days of the Biden presidency." |
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| | | Need Some Talking Points? | Most of us won’t be spending the holidays with extended family this year. But hot-button issues may come up during your holiday Zoom regardless. So what do we say to beloved kin who think the border wall, the Keystone XL pipeline, and fracking are all great ideas, who believe climate change is a hoax, clean coal technology is just around the corner, and the Green New Deal is creeping communism?
The Sierra Club’s Holiday Discussion Guide is here to help. |
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| Photo by iStock.com/LeManna |
| | | Car Donation | Can you help us reach our year-end goal of 1,000 donated vehicles? That could help raise $450,000 for our work ensuring that future generations can breathe fresh air, drink safe water, and experience wild places. Our partners at CARS will pick up your vehicle from any location, no matter its condition, and at no cost to you. CARS accepts trucks, trailers, boats, RVs, motorcycles, and more. Donate your vehicle by December 31 to be eligible for a 2020 tax deduction.
Donate by calling 855-337-4377 or visit us online today. |
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| Team Sierra campfire-style mug. |
| | | Team Sierra | While we're all socially distant this year, the power of community has never been more inspiring. We want to help you brighten the day of a loved one by sending them a gift. For each donation of $25 or more, you can select an eco-friendly gift to send to a friend, family member, colleague, or favorite person that you know deserves it!
Choose between our campfire-style mug, tote bag, or Hydro-Soul water bottle. |
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| | | Sierra Club Store | The Sierra Club's wall and engagement calendars, filled with breathtaking images of wild places across North America, will inspire you every day to explore, enjoy, and protect the planet. Whether you choose the week-by-week desk format or the monthly wall-hanging version, a Sierra Club calendar is the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Use code CALENDAR at checkout and get 20 percent off through January 1, 2021.
Get yours while supplies last. |
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| At this writing, new cases of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death are at an all-time high and gaining momentum, with colder weather coming on. The virus continues to disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color, many of which are forced to live with high levels of pollution and inadequate access to healthcare. The fight for environmental justice cannot be separated from the fight for racial, social, and economic justice. |
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