News Blog

In this time of change, we are all being asked to do more philosophy. The fires raging across the state are devastating life for some. 'How should we live' becomes a very immediate problem if your home is destroyed. In our cities as well, Covid changes the landscape. There's more outdoor dining, and less commuting. There are more deaths, our medical system is adapting and innovating. For millions of us, living in polluted air is a more urgent crisis than ever before.

Motivations to Contribute is a new series oriented towards understanding our volunteers and members both for inspiration and to enhance cooperation and coordination among current members while encouraging new volunteers to join us.

As former chair of the Huntington Beach Planning Commission, I presided over 40 hours of Poseidon’s hearings.  I offer four reasons why the Regional Water Board should reject the project at Friday’s meeting, and a suggestion.

This is part of an ongoing series of articles by the Angeles Chapter Communications Committee to help readers understand how important decisions are made in California - how agencies and boards function, why they exist and how to interact with them. We look forward to your comments and suggestions regarding other agencies you, the reader, would like to learn more about. Here is an introduction to regional water boards and the California Coastal Commission and interview with Commissioner Penny Elia.

On July 15th, for my birthday, I set my alarm to wake up at 3am, even though the day ahead was a marathon of zoom calls. My partner and I left the house at 3:30, and by 4am we were parked on the Mt. Wilson Observatory road, gazing north east and marvelling at the comet NEOWISE.

Calling all shutterbugs! If you have not already, make sure to check out the July ‘20 Issue of Focal Points Magazine -- Premium photography of our natural world presented by the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club Camera Committee.

Plastic microbeads in 2015. Plastic bags in 2016. Plastic straws in 2018. Banning plastic goods that are constructed without consideration for how they will be reused or recovered is a powerful tool Zero Waste activists have used for years. While these sweeping bans can be incredibly effective, they are useless against one of today’s fastest-growing sources of waste: Personal Protective Equipment.

As Sierra Club members we have all become familiar with zombie development projects that never seem to die, and that we need to stop.  One of the longest-running of these projects is the proposed Poseidon Huntington Beach desalination plant.  This boondoggle has been in the works for twenty years, and the Sierra Club along with a large coalition of environmental and community groups has continually worked to stop this destructive project. But like most zombies, this project just keeps going and now we need your help to stop it for good.

How can you still impact environmental issues and exercise civic responsibilities during the pandemic.

Sierra Club outings leader Bill Vanderberg has been leading youth wilderness programs for over 20 years. His program Building Bridges to the Outdoors (BBTO) provides immersive nature experiences for local high schoolers in Los Angeles. I sat down with Bill to talk about why BBTO is so important. Here’s what he explained to me.

The Wildland Urban Wildfire Committee (WUWC) -- Sierra Club Angeles Chapter’s newest committee – was officially approved Sunday, June 28, 2020, and will be dedicated to addressing the risks associated with building in the Wildland-Urban Interface/Intermix (WUI) and influencing policies to reduce those dangers while protecting the environment.

This past month was difficult and uncomfortable; I’m not going to lie. As the pandemic continues to rage through our communities, George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis, and the pain of 450 years of racism in this country was laid bare for all of us to grapple with. At the Angeles Chapter, we are taking time to figure out what it means to be the Sierra Club in this particular moment. With so much important work ahead and begun this month, I find myself increasingly grateful that trails are open, and so as always, I close this column with a story of the mountains.

The multiracial, multigender, multigenerational protestors filling our streets and the highways and by-ways across the world offer a glimmer of hope that this time may truly lead to a path ending systemic racism.  We have an opportunity to listen to the heartfelt words of so many, to demand that our public servants take action, and to take a few small steps toward dismantling a culture that has for too long denied our fellow humans the privileges and opportunities enjoyed by a few.  Some steps we can take:

The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter welcomes Jonathan Howard as the new Communications Coordinator on staff at the chapter office. He starts June 8th and will be focusing on communications, marketing, and media relations to help increase the capacity of the chapter.

You’re paying too much to cook with gas. You’re paying with your family’s health. Your gas bills are going to go up. And in some parts of the country, the gas industry is even charging you the cost of distributing their propaganda. It is time to switch to cleaner, cheaper, healthier, safer, and superior induction cooking.

On the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, the Angeles Chapter’s Clean Break Committee and the Central Regional Group held a Facebook Live Forum about the Inglewood Oil Field with local elected leaders.

This was my first month on the job for the Angeles Chapter and intense would be a big understatement for what it’s been like to step into this role during a pandemic.

Watch our Earthday Live Forum with Sen. Holly Mitchel & Rep Sydney Kamlager-Dove to learn about neighborhood oil drilling in LA

Wilderness Travel Course (WTC) leaders don’t think about counting years until we cross a milestone. 2020 is special because it marks WTC’s official 30th year of operation. Since 1990, we’ve trained thousands of Southern California wilderness travelers.

These are moments when our natural instinct is to reach out and offer help.  But how can we offer a helping hand while still being mindful of stay at home policies and social distancing?  Here are a few ideas to inspire you to add your suggestions. These are opportunities to reach out while using best practices to discourage the spread of COVID-19.

We warmly welcome Morgan Goodwin, our new Angeles Chapter Senior Director

Experience a better way to commute and try Metrolink. Ride the train for free for one day on April 22.

Another explosion and fire rages at Marathon refinery in South Bay, home to several large refineries and the worst air quality in the U.S.