Act locally--now more than ever

Senior Chapter Director

2004 is over. We have come through a very difficult and hard-fought presidential election. Most of us are dismayed at the prospect of another four years of an administration dedicated to favoring corporate profits over national parks. Environmental laws have been dismantled and ignored under the Bush administration, and there is no reason to think his second term will be any different.

Even worse, there seems to be a majority of Americans who do not share concern for the environment that is at the very core of the mission of the Sierra Club.

Are we really out of step with the majority of the country? If so, is that a bad thing? How does this reality shape our vision and mission?

First, let's take a reality check. Despite the fact that, in the end, voters did not prioritize the environment, our efforts were not without impact. Last year, the Sierra Club mobilized across the nation as never before. Through our Sierra Club Votes voter education campaign, volunteers and staff knocked on over 1 million doors, made 1.5 million phone calls, and recruited 12,000 new volunteers. For the first time, the Sierra Club website kept voters informed about the issues and candidates. Our own Chapter sent folks to Nevada to work that important swing state. Our Chapter website had information vital to people who wanted to know about our endorsements. I received many telephone calls from citizens and Club members who wanted to know about our positions.

In California state and local races, candidates endorsed by our Chapter did very well. We won on some of the important ballot initiatives, lost on others.

So how can we use the power we've proven we have to best effect?

The old political truism is never truer than right now: All politics is local. We need to keep this in mind as we plan our work for 2005 and beyond. No matter who sits in the Oval Office--Republican or Democrat--our work in Southern California remains the same. We are most effective when we work hard to elect green candidates in local races: city councils, school boards, county boards, and state offices. These are the people who will decide the vast majority of the local issues we care about.

The Angeles Chapter is very good at grassroots organizing to turn people out for land-use hearings; we know how to build community support that will translate into political pressure that will protect the environment.

We should focus on what we do best. We need to find the money to accomplish our goals. That means more aggressive fundraising.

I believe that most Californians believe as we do: that protecting our environment is important; that our health and well-being must not be compromised; that preserving our local parks and green spaces is vitally important; that elected officials must be held accountable for their environmental voting record.

The challenge for us is to come together under the banner of environmental protection and public education. We have many land-use campaigns underway in our Chapter. They are exciting and visionary. They are not completed; there is much more to be done. Let's recommit ourselves to be agents for positive change in 2005.