Mother Nature Needs A Fast From Pollution

A new report—Stop Trashing the Climate—concludes that increased recycling and composting are easily-achievable and essential measures to help meet U.S. greenhouse gas reduction targets. Along with waste prevention, expanded recycling and composting can have the same climate protection impact as closing 21% of the nation's 417 coal-burning power plants according to the report. The report shows that zero waste—preventing waste and strengthening recycling and composting—is one of the fastest, cheapest and most effective strategies for confronting global warming. Get some more information about Sierra Club's Zero Waste efforts.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes From Lightbulbs to Leadership

Sierra Club (and probably David Bowie) need to hear your voice for change in our new campaign! Across the U.S., more and more people are taking steps to fight global warming. Americans are changing their lightbulbs but to really solve global warming, we need to change more than lightbulbs: we need to change direction. We need action that is strong, urgent and bold enough to get the job done. The Sierra Club is doing its part through a new Lightbulbs to Leadership Campaign. Join us as we tell our leaders and public officials that its time to change direction on global warming!

Send Our Senators A Message!

Both Our Georgia Senators, Senator Isakson and Senator Chambliss, voted "nay" against The Climate Security Act; we need to send our representatives in Washington a message! Minority leadership in the Senate is holding up important legislation to help America move towards a clean energy economy. The bill passed the House in May and could be one of our last opportunities to extend these incentives, many of which expire at the end of this year. Tell our Senators to keep the clean energy economy growing and help consumers save money on their energy bills by supporting this legislation. <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=cFpYZG1i6h414T2I4MrVJg..>

Support Strong Global Warming Legislation

Debate over the first serious climate change bill to reach the Senate floor -- the Climate Security Act -- was derailed by the Republican leadership last week when the Senate was unable to defeat a filibuster led by Minority Leader McConnell and Senators Allard (CO), Inhofe (OK), and Cornyn (TX). However, this vote (48 to 36) showed progress in the effort to get the Congress to take decisive action to reduce carbon emissions. 48 Senators voted in favor of moving forward with the legislation. The debate is no longer about whether global warming is occurring, but who will pay and who will benefit from the proposed solutions. A strong global warming bill must drive emissions reductions in a way that strengthens a clean energy economy, meets science-based standards and is fair to American families and workers. Currents action alert arrow Ask Congress to support strong global warming legislation! <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=PakdZpruSn9H8n8hTwpVgw..>

Electric Slidin' For More Eco-Friendly Electricity

Power4Georgians, a coalition of ten Georgia Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs), including Jackson EMC, proposed to build an 850-megawatt dirty coal-fired power plant on a 1,200-acre site in Washington County.

If built, the Washington County plant would have a hazardous impact on Georgia’s water and air quality. To obtain water for the plant, the EMCs are proposing to build a 30-mile pipeline to the Oconee River. In addition, they plan to dig 16 wells throughout Washington County to draw from groundwater during periods of drought. The proposed plant will also emit smog-forming nitrogen oxides, mercury, soot-forming sulfur dioxide, and global warming pollutants such as carbon dioxide.

The good news is that members of electricity co-ops have a voice in how power is generated and can demand clean energy alternatives such as energy efficiency, wind, solar and biomass instead of new coal and nuclear power plants.

To that end, The Sierra Club, along with Environment Georgia and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy are holding a series of community meetings in the effected service areas to identify activists who oppose construction of the plant. There will be a community meeting for Jackson EMC members on April 24^th 6pm at the Jefferson County Library. If you have any questions specifically please visit their website at: www.cleanenergy4ga.org

Sierra Club Applauds Findings of Commuter Rail Study

Major study determines that “commuter rail is deemed feasible on all seven prospective commuter rail corridors"

Georgians will ride commuter trains, and they need to get that chance.

That according to the Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club, which cites a new study released by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

The study, prepared by R.L. Banks & Associates, covered seven possible commuter rail routes linking Atlanta with Macon, Senoia, Bremen, Canton, Gainesville, Athens and Madison, and concluded that "the ridership is there" to support all seven routes.

The business community and environmental community are in synch that Atlanta can not be a world class city without a strong transit system. There is a growing consensus that simply building more roads is damaging to our economy as well as our environment.

"Rail passenger service is an important key to fighting pollution, congestion and urban sprawl in Georgia," said chapter director Patty Durand. "This latest study confirms that commuter rail not only makes sense from an environmental perspective, but from a business perspective too."

The study concluded that thousands of Georgians will use commuter rail service every day, and that each individual train will attract about 300 passengers.

The report's authors said those numbers compare favorably with other successful commuter rail systems that have begun service in recent years, in Los Angeles, Miami, Northern Virginia and Dallas-Ft. Worth. New commuter rail service in Charlotte, NC has already experienced ridership levels much higher than projected.

The Sierra Club's Regional Action to Improve Livability (R.A.I.L.) Committee is pressing state leaders to fund commuter rail service between Griffin, Atlanta and Athens as the first part of a broader regional rail passenger network.

"Georgia has been discussing commuter rail for more than a decade," said RAIL Committee Co-chair Jim Dexter. "It's time to get some trains rolling."

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Global Warming Fever

from Sierra Club Currents

Global warming is responsible for an increase in the number of children's hospital emergency room visits, according to a new University of Sydney report which shows that hospital admissions for fever soar as days get hotter. Children are especially at risk because they are less able to regulate their body temperature than adults. The study is the first to make a solid link between increasing temperatures and childhood illness.

Find out what you can do to curb global warming.

New Newer News

Do you like reading interesting environmental news, but don't like having to hunt all over the web? Check out our news feed (on the right side of this and every page), including stories from the Sierra Club's national blogs, Georgia Chapter updates, your suggestions for what to do with a mile of I-3, and news sources from Northeast Georgia and around the world.

The Fix

If the past six years of the Bush Administration have taught us anything, it's to never presume that there's a coherent plan guiding our nation. It's never too late to start, though.

This month's issue of Sierra features a real-life plan that would dramatically reduce our carbon dioxide emissions, bringing them down to the levels that scientists say are necessary to prevent the worst effects of global warming: 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.

Read all about it.