| Victory for Kids Outdoors Bowing to an outpouring of public support for Every Kid in a Park, the Department of the Interior has announced that it will grant a year's extension to the Obama-era program that provides all fourth-graders with a free pass to national parks, lands, and waters. "This decision is a victory for kids across the U.S.," says Jackie Ostfeld, director of Sierra Club Outdoors. Here's how we won. Photo courtesy of Outdoor Alliance for Kids Bailout Boondoggle President Trump and Secretary of Energy Rick Perry plan to stick utility customers and taxpayers with the bill for bailing out failing coal and nuclear plants, justifying the move as a matter of national security. In reality, it would simply shift the financial burden away from polluters and onto families and businesses, which would be forced to shell out billions of dollars to keep these withering industries alive when cheap, renewable sources of energy are readily available. Tell Secretary Perry not to bail out failing coal and nuclear plants. Devastation on the Big Island Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park sustained major damage after the Kīlauea eruption, which has been associated with some 12,000 earthquakes—the largest a 6.9-magnitude shaker on May 4. More than 20 separate fissures in the earth have opened. Check out the dramatic USGS photos and find out more about how the eruption has affected a coral reef and local wildlife. Lava fountains erupt from fissure 8, sending a river of molten rock seven miles down to the ocean. | Photo courtesy of The U.S. Geological Survey Summer Scrambles, Autumn Adventures, and So Much More Spring has come and gone, but there's still so much to look forward to! From lazy river journeys and sandy beach strolls to cool autumn hikes, craggy peak explorations, and intrepid international treks, the best is yet to come. Take your pick from hundreds of unique attractions and experiences in 2018 and beyond. Spaces are filling up fast, so reserve yours before it's too late! Photo by Meybruck/iStock Join the Resistance This Summer Summer is complicated these days: As we look forward to time outdoors with friends and family, extreme heat waves, wildfires, and hurricanes threaten our homes and communities. We visit local and national parks, aware that our government is opening up these lands to oil and gas drilling. And as the seas are rising, the Trump administration is burying its head in the sand. This summer we're challenging our decision-makers to fight back against Trump's attacks on our families and our planet. We're holding a kickoff call on June 21—the first day of summer. Join our Resist Summer Challenge to fight back against Trump's anti-environmental agenda. Open Season on Immigrants "It's open season on immigrants, especially undocumented ones," says Javier Sierra, the Sierra Club's associate communications director. "The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) has forcefully separated thousands of immigrant children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, and nearly 1,500 of them under U.S. 'custody' are unaccounted for. And in the middle of all this suffering, Trump fiddles in D.C., calling them 'animals.'" Read more about the injustices being perpetrated on immigrants by ICE, and how the Sierra Club is fighting back. Tell Congress to keep families together and pass a clean Dream Act without border wall funding. Photo by Getty Images Return from Desolation Return From Desolation is a new documentary film, supported by the Sierra Club, that follows the journey of Garrett Eaton, an oil rig worker in North Dakota who served in Afghanistan. The husband and father of four returned from his tour of duty a broken man, turning to pills and alcohol to numb his depression before he seized the opportunity to become a rafting guide on the Green River in Desolation Canyon, Utah. "This place saved my life," Eaton says. Watch the trailer for Return from Desolation. Say Hello to Big Seed After Bayer swallows Monsanto in a recently approved $62.5 billion deal, it will control a quarter of the world's seed market. The merger's critics say it will further reduce competition, hinder innovation, create barriers to smaller companies trying to enter the market, and reduce the choices that farmers have for sellers of seed and fertilizer. Here's what you need to know about the Bayer-Monsanto merger. Just in Time for Summer Our tank top in collaboration with Parks Project has been restocked just in time for the summer. Proceeds from this special collection help support our mission of protecting America's wildlands and wildlife—20 percent of each sale goes toward providing vital funding for a cleaner future. Get yours today! California's Galapagos Islands Channel Islands National Park, with its canyons, sea caves, and pristine beaches, is a popular camping and hiking getaway. "If you've ever wondered what kind of paradise Southern California was before land grabbers, consumers, and concrete, the answer lies just 18 miles offshore," says writer Leonie Sherman. Never part of the mainland, during the last ice age the islands were only five miles offshore, allowing mammals to raft there on debris. Today the islands are home to 150 species found nowhere else. But as recently as 20 years ago, many were in decline. Find out how the Channel Islands became an ecological restoration success story. How Air Pollution Attacks Your Brain According to a new report, coarse particles and heavy metals from air pollution can enter your brain and activate genes that may lead to cancers or neurodegenerative disorders. Find out more about the latest research into the potential health effects of air pollution. Photo courtesy of Allen.G/Fotolia Gabriel Gonzalez Is Ready For decades, Gabriel Gonzalez has been community organizing on issues ranging from immigration and mass incarceration to workers' rights. He brings that experience to his new role as a volunteer leader for the Sierra Club's Ready For 100 campaign, which has mobilized 70 cities and towns across the United States to commit to 100 percent renewable energy. Find out more about Gonzalez' fight for environmental justice. Photo by Christian Ngo Fully Fund Environmental Programs for Healthy Communities It's that time of year again. The time when Congress has to decide how much money to designate for certain programs—and many key environmental and public health programs are in the crosshairs, again. The House of Representatives is moving forward with inadequate funding bills. But we can stop them in the Senate. Tell your senators we need increased funding for environmental and health protections and a bill free of dirty anti-environmental riders! Keep the Farm Bill Clean The U.S. Senate recently introduced a strong Farm Bill that is bipartisan and largely free of the anti-environmental riders that sullied the House version. The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry is currently marking up the bill, making this a prime opportunity for legislators to tack on "poison pill" amendments. The American people deserve a Farm Bill that promotes safe food, clean water, and a healthy environment. The House version failed to deliver, but the Senate version can still do so. Urge your senators to reject poison pill riders and maintain a workable, bipartisan Farm Bill. Be a Champion for the Environment—Donate Today: Your contribution directly supports our conservation efforts and will be applied where most urgently needed. Donate today and get your choice of Sierra Club Binoculars, Favorite Fleece Blanket, or Exploration Day Pack as your free gift! |
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