Cascade Chapter -

Please Join Us for a Water Justice Forum

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:11:38 +0000

Saturday, May 19th, 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm, May 19th 2012

The Washington State Chapter of the Sierra Club is proud to present Leaders in Environmental Justice: Water Justice Forum, the third in our series on environmental justice. At a time when human rights and environmental concerns closely intersect,our panelists will discuss the effects of water policy on water supply and access. We will have a panel discussion followed by a workshop. Who's speaking:

Dave Nazy: Hydrologist for the Department of Ecology will speak about Climate Changes impacts on Water access and quality.
Ziad Abbas: Associate Director at The Middle East Children Alliance (MECA) will talk about the Palestinian struggle for clean water in the West Bank and Gaza in the midst of drought and Israeli occupation restrictions.
Larry Wasserman: Biologist for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community will discuss the Tribe’s ongoing actions to protect water rights and salmon in the Skagit River Basin.

When and Where: Saturday, May 19th, 2 - 5 PM at Seattle University School of Law Room C5 (901 12th Ave) , Seattle WA

The Sierra Club Launches "Coal-Free Puget Sound Energy" Campaign

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:13:19 +0000

SEATTLE, Thursday, April 19, 2012- Today the Sierra Club launched a bold new campaign, "Coal-Free PSE," to push area electric utility Puget Sound Energy beyond coal in Washington. After years of promoting an image of being a clean energy provider, PSE’s dirty secret is that more than 30% of its electricity in Washington comes from dirty coal.

“The Pacific Northwest is leading the charge in the race for a clean energy economy with the Beyond Coal campaign’s victories in the retirement of coal-fired power plants TransAlta in Washington and Boardman in Oregon," said Bruce Nilles, Senior Campaign Director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign. "With the launch of our Coal-Free PSE campaign, we urge Puget Sound Energy CEO Kimberly Harris to join thousands of Washington residents in their commitment to end our dependence on dirty coal,” added Nilles.

Our Campaign Priorities for Washington State in 2012

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 03:11:58 +0000

As part of the Washington State chapter’s yearly planning process, club members developed five strategic conservation campaigns that we will drive with our volunteers in 2012: Marine Ecosystems, Columbia River Future, Sustainable Transportation, Resilient Habitats, and the Coal-Free Northwest campaign. Read on to learn more about each campaign's goals and how you can help.

Celebrate Earth Day in Bellingham! Hike to Cherry Point With Naturalist Bert Webber

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:29:51 +0000

Sunday, April 22nd, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, Apr 22nd 2012

Come take a hike with us at the beautiful Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve and witness the unique resources that could be lost to build North America’s largest coal export terminal. Bert Webber is a retired Western Washington University professor of environmental and marine science. He and his wife Sue owned and operated the 65-foot research vessel “Snow Goose” on which he taught about local marine biology to students and residents for over 20 years.

Meet at the Ferndale Park n Ride, Axton Road, east of I-5 ~ 1671 Main Street http://g.co/maps/eb7vw

Celebrate Earth Day in Bellingham! Attend a Discussion On the Coal Export Terminal Proposal

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:26:43 +0000

Sunday, April 22nd, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, Apr 22nd 2012

Join us on Earth Day for a Round Table discussion on the regulations, permits and project proposal that will govern the Coal Export Terminal at Cherry Point project.

Where: Fairhaven Library, 1117-12th St., Bellingham.

Contact Llyn Doremus at 360-527-1134 or llynadele@gmail.com for more information.

Seattle Event: Ballard Coal Hard Truth Forum

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:14:19 +0000

Wednesday, April 18th, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Apr 18th 2012

Learn more about protecting Ballard from 20 mile and half long coal trains per day! Learn about a proposed dirty coal export project that would dramatically affect our community's health and business, and how you can help prevent it from happening.

What are the risks if the largest coal company in the world - Peabody Coal - is allowed to transport up to 48 million tons of coal through Ballard on rail to send to Asia?

You'll learn about:

The regional impact and specifics of this dirty and dangerous project
The threat to our local fishing and boating community
Health threats from coal dust, traffic and emergency service delays, diesel exhaust and global warming pollution
Why we have a moral obligation to protect our planet from coal exports - What you can do to stop this coal export proposal!

Coal Free Seattle Volunteer Meeting: 3rd Thursday of Every Month

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:12:26 +0000

Thursday, April 19th, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Apr 19th 2012

Washington State is currently under threat from multiple proposals for dirty and dangerous coal export facilities. Shipping up to a hundred million tons of coal a year through West Coast communities would spread toxic coal dust along the rail lines, clog our railroads, ports, and highways, risk our families’ health, pollute our air and water, and worsen the climate crisis. Sierra Club is organizing in communities across the state to help defeat this ill-conceived project, please join us! Every month the Sierra Club, along with the Power Past Coal Coalition, hosts Beyond Coal volunteer meetings in numerous communities to plan events, update one another on outreach activities and have a good time kicking coal out of Washington.

Coal Free North Snohomish Volunteer Meeting: 4th Thursday of Every Month

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:05:08 +0000

Thursday, April 26th, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, Apr 26th 2012

Washington State is currently under threat from multiple proposals for dirty and dangerous coal export facilities. Shipping up to a hundred million tons of coal a year through West Coast communities would spread toxic coal dust along the rail lines, clog our railroads, ports, and highways, risk our families’ health, pollute our air and water, and worsen the climate crisis. The Sierra Club is organizing in communities across the state to help defeat this ill-conceived project, please join us! Every month the Sierra Club, along with the Power Past Coal Coalition, hosts Beyond Coal volunteer meetings in numerous communities to plan events, update one another on outreach activities and have a good time kicking coal out of Washington. You will meet other like-minded people and find out what you can do to protect our community from dirty and dangerous coal trains.

Diobsud Creek Rainforest Trail Maintenance, North Cascades

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 01:31:10 +0000

Saturday, April 28th, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm, Apr 28th 2012

Help with the annual upkeep of the delightful Diobsud Creek Trail in Skagit County, above a wild river gorge in one of the state's largest unprotected roadless areas. This trail is a well-kept secret for its beauty and ready access. Easy work and hike, no experience required, hand tools supplied. Please wear work clothes, gloves, and boots suitable for wet conditions. 3-4 mi rt. Meeting locations in Seattle and Sedro Woolley to carpool to trailhead. For directions and more information, contact Mark Lawler at 206-632-1550.

Join Us for Some Earth Day Urban Wild Lands Restoration at Duwamish Alive!

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 23:52:03 +0000

Saturday, April 21st, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, Apr 21st 2012

Join us on the Duwamish River, an EPA Superfund cleanup site, for our Earth Day project. Earth Day is the day we give back to the environment and participate in a hands-on project to restore our damaged areas to a healthy status for future generations.

We will be participating in the Duwamish Alive Earth Day Restoration event on April 21! We will be doing restoration work at the West Duwamish Greenbelt site in West Seattle; this site will be hosted and managed by the Nature Consortium and Earth Corps .

Outings Committee Yearly Meeting/Training: Saturday May 5

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 23:09:52 +0000

Saturday, May 5th, 9:30 am - 6:00 pm, May 5th 2012

All interested Sierra Club members, committee leaders, outings leaders - trainees and certified. All are welcome.

If you would like to know what the Outings Committee of the Washington State Chapter is all about, please come as our guest.

Once a year all of our leaders meet to practice our emergency aid skills, get an update on information about Sierra Club, more practice on compass and mapping skills, and trade information about trip planning.

We have a great venue at Millersylvania State Park, where we will be out of the weather with all of the amenities - water, electricity, fireplace, grill. Not camping this year, so we will have a full day from 9:30am to 6pm. If you are a guest, come for the whole day or stay as long as you like. Lunch will be provided.

Join Us for an Arbor Day Celebration

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 22:58:37 +0000

Saturday, April 28th, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, Apr 28th 2012

We will join the Nature Consortium at Pigeon Point Park, within the greater West Duwamish Greenbelt Forest, the largest remaining contiguous forest in the city of Seattle.

Event starts promptly at 10am and ends at 2pm. with a break at noon for water and snacks. Volunteers will do a variety of activities including: invasive plant removal, native plant installation or mulching. Nature Consortium provides gloves, tools, water and snacks.

Wear clothing for wet and/or muddy conditions. This event is suitable for families with children, families not required to stay the whole four hours.

Jay Inslee Will Put Washington State at the Forefront of a Green Energy Revolution

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 17:43:59 +0000

The Sierra Club enthusiastically supports Jay Inslee in his full time campaign to be the next governor of Washington State. This election is essential to providing Washington families with good jobs, a quality education system, a healthy environment, affordable transportation, and secure neighborhoods.

To read more about Jay Inslee's plan to put Washington State at the forefront of a clean energy revolution in job creation, click here: http://m.jayinslee.com/policy/policy-pdfs/Inslee-clean-technology.pdf

You're Invited to a Screening of Frozen Planet!

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 16:54:56 +0000

Thursday, March 22nd, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, Mar 22nd 2012

This March, the Discovery Channel is launching a new miniseries called Frozen Planet. It's a sequel to "Planet Earth" and "Life", and it will take us to the Earth's polar regions. The Discovery Channel is partnering with the Sierra Club to help let people know how they can protect America's Arctic. During our party, we'll watch the first episode of Frozen Planet (before it airs on the Discovery Planet) and then talk about how we can protect America's Arctic.

Saving Mt. Spokane - Our Work Continues

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 16:18:05 +0000

In March 2008, the Upper Columbia River Group of the Sierra Club was integral in forming the Save Mt. Spokane Coalition. This coalition was founded by local citizen and environmental groups to prevent destruction of the intact ecosystem and watershed on the north and west slopes of Mt Spokane caused by the proposed ski area expansion. Our aim has been to balance the desire for an improved and thriving ski area with the need to protect this unique and ecologically important landscape in our community.