I know this is a risky place to go, but I'm going to discuss that sacred cow of American gardening, the lawn. As a nation we have a love affair with our lawns. We love the look and feel and smell of them. And though they do have their benefits, they also can be a detriment to the environment, and sometimes to you.
, State Legislative Director
We are in a real fight in Sacramento. The fight is over the wish of developers to weaken our single most important environmental law. At stake is the ability of Californians and planners to design development that has fewer impacts on our air, water, and land. As you can imagine, developers have kept up a steady effort over the years to weaken the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. But they apparently have a new ally in the corner office - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In the end, the arguments of preservationists, parkland advocates, environmentalists and worried neighbors carried the day. A 4-4 vote from the Pasadena City Council killed the plan to base a National Football League team at the Rose Bowl, and the city began searching for an alternate plan for preserving the 82-year-old stadium with needed repairs and upgrades at a reasonable cost.
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The Mission of the Angeles Chapter Political Committees which includes Los Angeles and Orange Counties, is to promote voter awareness, to advocate for environmental policy change, and to support the elections campaigns of Sierra Club endorsed candidates committed to working on those changes. All three of these missions, by law, require that we raise funds specifically for the those political purposes.
Promoting voter awareness, for education only (non political) can use 501(c) (3) - tax-deductible funds.
The Open Spaces, Wild Places campaign captures and presents the beauty of Orange County.
Orange County is a beautiful place. Residents know that from their daily experiences, favorite places, and hidden spots. Those who visit know that from the beaches, the canyons, the parks. The plan is to have urban conveniences, suburban lifestyle, economic and academic opportunities, entertainment choices, and open spaces in one area under mostly blue skies. Who wouldn't love this? Who wouldn't want this? The real question is, who is willing to preserve it?
Native species struggle for access to now-scarce resources
The world oil production peak is imminent and the natural gas peak will follow in our lifetimes. After these peaks, oil supplies will diminish and prices will keep rising. Our lives will change drastically because petrochemicals are irreplaceable for transportation, plastics, fertilizers, and in fact our American way of life. This imminent transition to a materially more 19th century way of life has tremendous implications for environmental activism today. We should expect and plan for these changes as we choose our strategies today.
Reprinted with permission from the Nature Conservancy website, tncweeds.ucdavis.edu.
What is a weed?
For a gardener, a weed might be a misplaced plug of grass. For a corn farmer, a weed may be a clump of nightshade. Since The Nature Conservancy is in the business of protecting native biodiversity, our weeds are those plants that harm the native plants, animals, and communities.
Sierra Crest Route, by Leonard R. Daughenbaugh, Sierra Nevada Publishing House, July 2005.
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photo by Matthew J. McNutt |
Orange County students join 12th annual Kids' Adopt-A-Beach cleanup day
Sierra Club Angeles Chapter
617 W. 7th St, Suite 702
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 10-5 or by appointment