Welcome!
Welcome to the Metro Atlanta Group's web site. The Atlanta Group comprises the largest Sierra Club membership in Georgia and is dedicated to exploring, preserving and protecting the environment within Atlanta's environs. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month beginning at 7:30 pm (except July). Our meetings are held at Church of the Epiphany, 2089 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE in Atlanta. Please see the calendar page for information about meeting programs.
News and Events
Emory has taken a lead in sustainability and working to improve the Atlanta environment. At the core of this program is its green building program using the US Green Building Council's LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system. Join us as we listen to John Wegner, Chief Environmental Officer for Emory, describe how this program minimizes the impact of new construction.
Note: Refreshments at 7 pm; Meeting program begins 7:30 pm.
Join us for dinner before the monthly meeting – 6 pm at Universal Joint in Oakhurst. (906 Oakview Rd., Decatur, GA 30030 - Cross Street: East Lake Drive)
Tour of Emory LEEDs Approved Buildings – Sat., September 20, 9 AM
Take a brief tour on the Emory Campus and see what a LEEDs certified building needs to meet the criteria for environmentally sound design. Laura Case from Emory's Sustainability Program will be our guide. Meet at 9:00 am in the parking lot at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, 2089 Ponce de Leon Ave. (As you are going east toward Decatur on Ponce de Leon Ave, turn right onto US 278 - East Lake Drive - and turn into the first driveway on the left - maybe 20 feet after the turn. There is a brick column beside it.)
Contact: Jeanne McCarthy, Jeanne_mccarthy@bellsouth.net or phone 404-873-3985
Georgia Chapter Calendar
Includes Chapter and Local Group events held throughout Georgia.
Goals for 2005 and Beyond
At our January 2005 meeting, members developed areas that volunteers can work on for this year. Members focused on four major themes and developed some goals in support of these themes.
- Environmentally-Friendly Land Use and Zoning
- We want to form a "Virtual Outreach Center" to fight sprawl.
- We will advertise in the Georgia Sierran and Website that a committee is forming.
- We will create a packet with a 10-step program for neighborhoods to fight sprawl.
- We will utilize the Atlanta Group meetings to plan and work on the packet.
- Air and Water Pollution
- We want to educate and advocate for cleaning up non-point sources of water pollution through educational advertising and watchdog developments.
- We want to assure that the City of Atlanta effectively separates or treats combined sewage overflows to the tributaries of the Chattahoochee and South Rivers.
- We want to educate citizens on the effects of indoor air quality.
- We want to advocate improving the outdoor air quality of Atlanta through reducing pollution from stationary sources (e.g., coal-fired power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., automobiles).
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Energizing our Members
- We want engage our members through hands-on service projects.
- We want to have fun with other Sierra Club members with a variety of social events.
- We want to inform our members with interesting meetings, newsletter articles and web content.
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Transportation
- Beltline: a) Is this where transportation funds should go? (Projected cost of beltline--$500 million) b) The beltline would result in more city parks (referred to as the "Emerald Necklace") c) We should concentrate on increasing public transportation in high-density areas d) Transportation and land use go hand in hand e) Discussed the proposal for a C-line to Emory f) Will contact "Friends of the Beltline" for a presentation to learn more
- MARTA Issues: a) Discussed the inconveniences of MARTA buses (the buses used to be full in the 1970s before the building of the rail line at which time the bus routes began to revolve more around the train schedules). Sometimes you have to transfer between 2-3 buses to get where you are going. b) Lindbergh to Emory rail line c) Goal to work closer with "Citizens for Progressive Transit" (MARTA watchdog group)
- Peachtree Street Trolley: a) There is currently no one MARTA bus that will take you the length of Peachtree St. from Downtown to Buckhead without transferring at Art Center. The proposed trolley would take you the entire length. b) Will people ride it with the uncomfortable seats, etc. of a trolley-style car?
- HOV Lanes: a) There are currently no HOV lanes on I-285. b) Add length to current HOV lanes to extend further north and south. c) Discussed paying a toll fee to drive in an HOV lane when only one person occupies a car.