Southern Sierran
Newsletter of the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter
July 2021
Environmental Justice
Because environmental injustice is real.
What is environmental justice? Dr. Robert Bullard, who is widely known as the “father of environmental justice,” explained it as “the principle that all people are entitled to equal environmental protection regardless of race, color or national origin. It’s the right to live and work and play in a clean environment.” Today, zip code is still the most potent predictor of an individual’s health and well-being. Individuals who physically live on the “wrong side of the tracks” are subjected to elevated environmental health threats and more than their fair share of preventable diseases.
At the Sierra Club, we work to integrate social justice and environmental concerns. Our program seeks to provide an effective framework for addressing the damage, risk, and discrimination facing so many communities today.
ON THE BLOG
Cleaning Up the Oil and Gas Mess
Culver City is phasing out and cleaning up oil wells -- and that's a big deal. Read why other local municipalities, including Los Angeles County, City, and the State of California, should follow.
Help End the Destructive Legacy of Tobacco Waste
Tobacco waste is the most littered single use plastic product, and releases toxic forever chemicals into our living environments. We need your help! Sierra Club is currently recruiting new members to the Young Adult Advisory Board to lead statewide change to hold big tobacco accountable for the environmental destruction they're causing. Read on to learn how to join our movement.
Children play soccer with oil refinery visible in the distance.
America is segregated and so is pollution. Race and class still matter and map closely with pollution, unequal protection, and vulnerability. Linked above, the Disadvantaged Communities Map shows the disadvantaged communities designated by CalEPA for the purpose of SB 535. These areas represent the 25% highest scoring census tracts in CalEnviroScreen 3.0, along with other areas with high amounts of pollution and low populations.
NEWS UPDATES
REPARATIONS NOW
It's long past time to make reparations for slavery. This year to commemorate Juneteenth, the Sierra Club will be launching our support for reparations for Black people. It's impossible to accomplish our mission of creating a healthy, safe, and sustainable future for all without acknowledging and materially addressing the past and present economic, cultural, psychological, and spiritual impacts of racism on Black communities.
Read why we invite you as our membership, and the rest of the United States, to come along with us on this journey toward liberation and repair.
LATINO CONSERVATION WEEK
#LatinoConservationWeek (July 17-25) highlights the Latino community's passion for protecting and enjoying public lands and waters. #LCW2021 helps to break down barriers for Latino communities to access these places, encourages new opportunities for and outreach to these communities and inspires the next generation of environmental stewards. Virtual and in person events are being held nationwide — find one near you and join the celebration!
RESORT PROJECT THREATENS OPEN SPACE IN SANTA CLARITA
Next Week the Santa Clarita City Council will vote on whether to overturn the Planning Commission’s denial of the proposed Sand Canyon Resort Project. The scale and scope of this project and the multiple impacts it will have on the environment and surrounding communities and life and property for the Sand Canyon community make this project unacceptable. To stop this project, we need your help one more time. Please send a letter to the Santa Clarita City Council members urging them to support the Planning Commission’s resolution of denial.
HELP KEEP CALIFORNIA GREEN!
The California Sierra Club Political Action Committee (PAC) is holding its annual fundraiser online Sunday, August 8th from 4pm to 6 pm. Proceeds from ticket sales for the event will go to the PAC which provides financial contributions for Sierra Club-endorsed candidates in state and local elections in California. Learn more about the event details and how to become a sponsor or buy a ticket here.
ANGELES CHAPTER BOOK CLUB
The Angeles Chapter Book Club has something for everyone. Expand your knowledge on environmental and social justice issues. Or find that next bit of inspiration to keep fighting for the planet, everyone is welcome! The book club will meet again on August 25th where we will discuss our new read: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. Click to learn more and RSVP!
The Phillips 66 refinery looms over the Wilmington neighborhood in Los Angeles. Wilmington has one the highest risks of cancer due to its proximity to the Port of LA and several oil refineries. Photo by Peter Bennett
The communities most harmed by climate disruption are often the ones that contribute the least to the problem. In the Angeles region, across the country, and around the world, low-income and minority communities bear a disproportionate share of impacts of environmental degradation and pollution.
OUTINGS & ACTIVITIES
IT'S OFFICIAL! Ready to get outside with us? Sierra Club Outings re-open July 5, 2021. Whether you're looking for an outdoor adventure, an opportunity to meet like-minded people, a chance to influence elected officials, or something to do on a Saturday afternoon, the schedule of activities events calendar is your guide to Sierra Club events throughout the region.
Here are a few fun day-hikes to keep an eye out for this month. Hurry though, space is limited!
Level: Moderate(O)
O: Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve Hike
Sunday, July 18, 2021 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM PT
You'll love this easy paced, reasonably flat 5 mile hike, lasting approximately 3 hours. Enjoy the natural beauty of Bolsa Chica, one of the last remaining wetland ecosystems in Southern California. Learn more and RSVP here.
O: Hike with HFS at Will Rogers State Historic Park
Sunday, July 25, 2021 at 8:00 AM PT
Will Rogers State Historic Park is in Pacific Palisades between the ocean and the mountains. It features wide hiking trails, lush lawns, and even a polo field - don’t forget to bring your ponies! The group will hike the 2 mile Inspiration Point Loop, with a longer option for fast hikers. Learn more and RSVP here.
2020 — Protestors gather in Downtown Los Angeles in solidarity against police brutality following the death of George Floyd. Photo by John Nilsson.
To change everything, we need everyone. The Angeles Chapter Environmental & Social Justice Committee works to expose the linkages between environmental quality and social justice and to promote dialogue, increased understanding, and appropriate action so that disproportionately affected communities will find justice and experience a healthy and sustainable future.
To achieve these goals, we build strong, resilient working relationships with other community leaders and grassroots organizations. We establish our collaboration from the ideals we share and collaborate using our shared knowledge, expertise, resources, and shared opportunities. Learn more and consider joining our next meeting.
VOLUNTEER CORNER
There are many volunteer opportunities for Sierra Club members. You can sign up for a volunteer 1:1 and we will find you a position, or you can use the Sierra Club’s Volunteer Connection and scroll through posted volunteer openings and roles.
If you visit our chapter website’s Volunteer Page, you can read our blog dedicated to Volunteer News and find the following highlighted volunteer needs:
- Front Desk Volunteer to greet visitors, help answer and route all incoming calls, maintain inventory of office supplies, sort mail, prepare shipping labels and more - email jane.macfarlane@sierraclub.org
- Newsletter Editor to solicit materials to be published, determine the features of a publication, set and enforce deadlines, and make a final determination about what will be published in each issue.
- Environmental Journalist to help write informative and entertaining copy related to environmental and sustainability issues.
- Water Activist in Orange County willing to help with important water issues like Poseidon, Bolsa Chica and other Coastal OC issues.
- Grassroots Journalist to help write action-inspiring copy that motivates readers to write letters/emails to decision makers, attend (virtual) government meetings and sign petitions.
- Skills based volunteers with Marketing Technology/ IT backgrounds who can assist with email campaigns, SalesForce, Drupal, Google Analytics and other Information Technology tools used by the chapter.
- Social Media Volunteers who can help create and post relevant content to our Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn platforms.
- Mountain Open Space Activists to join the Santa Monica Mountains Task Force and help secure and protect more land, while coordinating discussions on open spaces, trails and Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) conservation.
In Memoriam
The Sierra Club is indebted to the contributions of members who are no longer with us. This page is one way we remember their lives and their impact. If you have recently lost a loved one and would like them to be remembered here, please let us know here.
