News

After six years of bi-partisan efforts led by Democrats Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Rick Larsen, the Democrats’ re-taking of the Congress in Nov. 2006 was the breakthrough needed to get the Wild Sky Wilderness Bill moving through Congress. With Rep. Pombo (R-CA) out of office, finally Senator Patty Murray (for herself and Sen. Cantwell in the Senate) and Rep. Rick Larsen (for himself, Rep. Inslee, and Rep. Dicks in the House) were able to introduce “The Wild Sky Wilderness Act of 2007”! Although the Senate had passed the Senate version of the bill three times, Pombo had kept it blocked for years in his House Resources Committee. What a legacy for all who made it happen – 106,557 irreplaceable acres in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forests for present and future generations to cherish and enjoy! It’s difficult to imagine a more gratifying piece of legislation for those responsible. A few features of the bill are these:

Please send the following to Governor Gregoire by email or at:

Governor Chris Gregoire
Office of the Governor
PO Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504-0002

Please send a quick email to jessica.eagle@sierraclub.org to let her know that you've taken action!
 
Be Cool! Protect Washington’s Climate and Communities

• Harness wind and solar power
  
• Save on gas and energy bills
  
• Reduce global warming pollution

• In Washington, transportation accounts for nearly 60 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions, compared to about 40 percent in California.
• Requires the Department of Transportation to assess the greenhouse gas emissions of potential transportation projects over the project’s entire life cycle;
• Requires the Department of Transportation to include in a list of project alternatives projects that have lesser carbon emissions;
• Requires the Department of Transportation to prioritize projects that have a lower carbon emission output and encourage a reduction in the number of vehicle miles traveled.

Status: Awaiting a public hearing in the House Transportation Committee.

Landmark state climate change bill has passed – Senate Bill 6001 establishes standards to reduce global warming pollution

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Gov. Chris Gregoire signed Washington’s historic climate change bill, setting the stage for dramatically reducing the state’s global-warming pollution over the next four decades while building a strong clean energy economy.

Senate Bill 6001, introduced by Vancouver Sen. Craig Pridemore, puts into law Governor Gregoire’s initial timeline for reducing global warming pollution from sectors including transportation, industry and power production. Scores of Washingtonians representing a wide variety of interests have been drafted by the Governor to design a plan for achieving those goals, with legislative action to accomplish the goals expected beginning in 2008.

by Aaron Robins, Energy Committee Chair and Jessica Eagle, Associate Regional Representative

We have made great strides in the global warming debate—from over 350 cities signing onto the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, to President Bush’s recognition of “global climate change” in his State of the Union Address, to GE and DuPont’s new commitment to reduce greenhouse gases by 60-80% of current levels by 2050. The train is moving and the Cascade Chapter is driving our state towards clean, safer and smarter energy solutions.

Sign up to host a movie/discussion night at your home with friends and neighbors you’d like to get to know. For more information call 206.378.0114 x308 or email fordk2@u.washington.edu

Collect public comments to Governor Gregoire at your local community events. To set up a table or find out how you can help at an already organized effort, call 206.378.0114 x306

BOOK REVIEW

by Peter Rimbos

ExCom Member, South King County Group

 

The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate & What It Means for Life on Earth

by Tim Flannery, 2005

 

   Mr. Flannery, a fascinating Renaissance man and scientist from “down-under”, offers a very compelling and readable treatise on climate change--its history, science, and potential impacts. He begins by clarifying the simplest of confusions: Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are a class of gasses that can trap heat at Earth’s surface; Global Warming (GW) can result from the extra heat trapped as GHGs increase in the atmosphere; and Climate Change can result from GW placing pressure on Earth’s climate system.

Our memories of her span decades, continents and issues. To her many friends, Karen will be remembered for her passion, dedication and selflessness as she strove to leave the world better than she found it.

Karen Fant, age 57, passed away this summer. To say that she was a dedicated Sierra Club volunteer would be a vast understatement. She often laughed at such associations, when asked to introduce herself at meetings. She belonged to all the conservation groups, and none of them. Her work was above those distinctions, she was simply advocating in every venue possible to protect wilderness, salmon, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and a million unnamed places throughout the world.Karen was one of the founders in 1979 of the Washington Wilderness Coalition and was credited with a major part of the grass-roots work in which Congress enacted the one million-acre 1984 Washington State Wilderness Act. She helped organize the biannual Northwest Wilderness Conference at the Mountaineers. Her passionate affinity for Alaska’s wilderness drove her to help protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and befriend renowned photographer and activist Subankher Banerjee, with whom she organized many events to aid the Arctic fight. She was also dedicated to helping improve the environment in Asia and was a board member of the Seattle-Chongqing Sister City Association.For more than 30 years, Karen’s laugh, energy, love of nature, and hard-tack strategizing have taught us over and over again how important it is to organize, organize, organize to make change.

The Ted Olson park is set to be extended by 5 acres by the Bainbridge island land trust. This non-profit organization needs to raise $275K in order to save this wetland and wildlife area for preservation. Ted Olson was my uncle and donated 10 acres to Bainbridge island for this park that was named after him. Now we are trying to save 5 more precious acres of wildlife.

If you would like to donate please send funds to:

Bainbridge Island Land Trust PO Box 10144 Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Or contact Karen Molinari: (206) 842-1216