Sierra Club Florida - Club for the Environment, Outdoors, and Activism

Club Activity

Sierra Florida Meeting September 18. Sierra Group Chairs and Conservation Chairs are invited to a planning meeting at Eckerd College. Details are on our Calendar Page.

November elections are coming and the Sierra Club Political Committee is hard at work. Find out the latest on endorsements at Political Info and look for details in the Pelican, the newsletter of Sierra Club Florida.

Yes, the Summer Pelican should be in your mailbox now. And, you can read it online here on The Pelican Page.

Sierra Club Florida Awards are back. We have gotten volunteers for an awards committee and they are ready to hear from you. Details are on the SC Florida Awards Page.

Take the Sierra Club Florida Online Survey. We want to know what is important to our members, what activities we should be offering and how we can get our members involved. Details are on the SC Florida Steering Committee page.

The lawsuit filed by Sierra Club, ManaSota-88 and People Protecting Peace River (3PR) under the Clean Water Act would require the Mosaic South Fort Meade mine Hardee County extension to have an environmental impact statement, a public hearing, and an analysis of alternatives. Keep updated on how this fight with the phosphate giant will play out on our Phosphate Committee webpage.

Gulf Oil Spill

Scientific Info and sampling says lots of oil is still out there. Reports released by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and The University of Georgia conclude respectively that there is a plume of hydrocarbons below the surface and that up to 79 percent of the oil released into the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon well has not been recovered and remains a threat to the ecosystem. Read More.

Looking for updates, Sierra Club Press Releases, blogs, and video on oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico? The Sierra Club Climate Crossroads website covers it all. For information, blogs, and the latest news on Sierra Club reactions, go to Sierra Climate Crossroads

More panthers killed in Collier County. While all eyes are on the oil spill, we are losing ground in the quest to save the panthers. What will it take to save these beautiful cats? See details.

Governor Crist vetos 1565. This terrible bill was passed by the Florida Legislature and would have smashed many environmental gains in Florida by rushing the environmental permitting process for economic development projects. Congratulations to all who participated in this veto campaign. It was a great coalition effort by the environmental community. Form more on the end of legislative session Go to the legislative page.

Good News. The draft EIS for Tamiami Trail has the Sierra Club recommended alternative of 5.5 miles of bridging over the old, water blocking, road. For more info, see our Everglades Skyway

More Good News. A settlement agreement was signed May 26, in a lawsuit brought by Sierra Club, NRDC, and our coalition partners against EPA, concerning the handling of millions of tons of manure by factory farms.

New Organization for Sierra Club Florida. The Steering Committee has been given the directive from National Sierra Club Board of Directors to rebuild and manage statewide Sierra Club functions in Florida. The details of this charge, information on the Steering Committee members, new procedures and more can be found on the Steering Committee Page.

Position Taking and Representing Sierra Club With over 28,000 members in Florida, speaking for and being One Sierra Club can be a challenge. Sierra Club Florida has specific guidelines that can be found by clicking here: Representing Sierra.

Sierra Club Green Home is a tool for sourcing environmentally friendly, green-checked businesses, and picking up green tips and techniques.

The Climate Project is an international non-profit organization founded by Nobel Laureate and former Vice President Al Gore, dedicated to preserving the climate balance on which the world depends. Our mission is to raise public awareness of the current climate crisis through our 3,000 volunteers from around the world, all of whom have been personally trained by Mr. Gore to educate the public on climate change. TCP presenters give a version of the slide show featured in the Academy-Award winning film An Inconvenient Truth and have reached a combined audience of more than 5 million people worldwide. In addition to enabling the general public to schedule climate change presentations in their local area free of charge, our site provides the latest news on climate change and related issues. Click here for our website

Take Action

Sierra Club Serve Outdoors for Natl Day of Service. The nation is holding a National Day of Service on Sept 11, and the Sierra Club is calling for members to Serve the Outdoors by working on a cleaning or restoration project in their neighborhood. Details on our Calendar Page. or go directly to Serve Outdoors

Volunteers Needed.

Political Committee Volunteers needed immediately. The SC Florida Political Committee is in desparate need of volunteers to handle the workload of the coming political season. You can learn about the work being done at SC Politics . To find out more or volunteer, please email marianryan@gmail.com.

Help your fellow Sierrans. The Sierra Club in Florida is facing the challenge of keeping our Groups healthy. If you have time to give and skills to share, please consider volunteering. Get involved as we rebuild the new chapter. Find out more at Group Advisory Council. or send an email to treehuggerdeb@yahoo.com and mention Group Council in the subject line.

Campaign Coordinators Wanted: Waste Minimization Campaign. SC Florida has made waste minimization one of its priority campaigns for 2009-2010. Volunteers from every SC Group are needed. Click Here to find out more on the campaign and how to volunteer to be a Group Coordinator

Computer Geeks. We need a team to help improve digital communications for SC Florida. Volunteers with skills in setting up PayPal interface, RSS feeds, social networking, Google Groups, as well as webpage design and training are needed. Send email to webmaster@florida.sierraclub.org for more information.

In The Press

Could the Florida Panther refuge land triple in size?

Several South Florida landowners are willing to sell enough land to the federal government to triple the size of the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, according to four environmental groups pushing the purchase as a way to provide Florida's state animal with more protected habitat.

Judge denies Miccosukee effort to block Everglades land deal

A federal judge has denied a Miccosukee move to stop the South Florida Water Management District from buying 27,000 acres to help restore the Everglades.

Harris pushed forest issues

Larry D. Harris, professor emeritus at the University of Florida and a pioneering voice in the field of biodiversity and wildlife conservation, died Sunday. He was 67.

Jacksonville utility wants nuclear option

JEA wants to get up to 30 percent of its electricity from nuclear power plants within 20 years — without building a plant in Jacksonville.

Up to 79% of spilled oil still in gulf, scientists say

Amid budget clear-cutting, the city of Gainesville is hoping to see the forest for the trees with changes looming in its relatively complex arbor policies.

Mosaic Wants 4 Months To Extend The South Fort Meade Mine

The Florida Department of Community Affairs has raised more than 30 objections to Nassau County's 2030 comprehensive plan - including an objection to the county's plan to allow residential units on Crane Island.

Florida wildlife officials try again to set up endangered species lists

For 15 years, state wildlife officials have struggled to come up with the best way to declare certain Florida species to be in danger of going extinct and thus in need of protection.