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Sierra Club
Since 1892, the Sierra Club has been working to protect communities, wild places, and the planet itself. We are the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. And our founder, John Muir appears on the back of the California quarter.
Our Vision
The damage done by global warming is now indisputable and spreading. American consumers are paying record prices for home heating oil and gasoline. President Bush admits our nation's energy "addiction" has left us vulnerable and dependent on oil from dangerous regions of the world. Mercury continues to accumulate in the bodies of our children affecting their health and ability to learn. Oil and gas companies continue to target many of our country's most valued and special places, including our coast, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other national treasures, for drilling.
In is now obvious America must move past nuclear power, coal and petroleum and that our nation has hard, urgent choices to make about our energy future.
Blog Posts from Sierra Club
Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who joined us at the 2012 State Summit this week -- we hope you found the panels helpful. We look forward to an exciting 2012 and welcome any suggestions you might have to make the next State Summit even better!
Summit is Almost Here!
The America Votes 2012 State Summit is only days away. Don't miss your chance to be a part of one the most important gatherings of progressives in 2012. Check out the State Summit page here.
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QUICK HIT: Huntsman Slams Fox on Global Warming
You know it's bad when GOP candidates are dropping the gloves with Fox News hosts. GOP Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman appeared on Fox and Friends Monday morning and went toe-to-toe on global warming with co-host Brian Kilmeade. Huntsman has always warned of the consequences of global warming, and he is not backing down as the primary camapaign heats up.
From RawStory:
When the former Utah governor defended the research on climate change, Kilmeade began to slam the scientists behind the studies by saying their findings were "surrounded by corruption."
Huntsman swiftly responded, "Let's get serious with the issues of the day."
Watch the video of the exchange here.
PA America Votes Partners in the News:
The latest news clips mentioning PA America Votes partners:
Budget-cut protesters occupy Tom Ridge's offices
Philadelphia Inquirer
The groups protesting in Ridge's office included several locals of the Service Employees International Union, as well as a number of environmental groups, such as Clean Water Action. The group first held a rally near the Capitol, then began marching to what it earlier described as an "undisclosed location" to deliver the invoice …
EPA Steps Up Scrutiny of Pollution in Pennsylvania Rivers
New York Times
"Both the state and E.P.A. have failed to make these plants get proper permits for discharging oil and gas wastewater into our rivers,” said Myron Arnowitt, the Pennsylvania director for Clean Water Action, an advocacy group. His organization said it would join this week with Three Rivers Waterkeeper in suing two sewage treatment plants for violations of the federal Clean Water Act and for not having a proper permit to discharge industrial drilling waste into rivers …
PA AFL-CIO: Corbett’s Budget Doesn’t Add Up for Pennsylvania’s Middle Class
Gant Daily
Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale and Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder said that Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget passes the buck to local governments and school districts, forcing them to raise property taxes or cut essential services and programs to balance their budgets …
Corbett Overturns Rendell Regulations, First Step in Regulation Reductions?
PoliticsPA
“We’re very disappointed that DEP does not believe that it is necessary to do an environmental review of potential impacts on public lands before drilling takes place. We actually think that these are lands that should be given a higher level of protection because they’re publicly owned lands. We disagree with DEP’s view that they should get less protection,” said Jeff Schmidt, director of the Pennsylvania Sierra Club Chapter …
PA America Votes Partners in the News
The latest news clips mentioning PA America Votes partners:
Philadelphia rally seeks to boost spirits of unions under siege
Philadelphia Inquirer
The huge union rally in the Municipal Services Building plaza Thursday was organized ostensibly in support of Wisconsin public workers fighting to retain their collective bargaining rights. But every full-throated labor leader who stepped to the microphone framed the battle in Wisconsin as part of an existential threat that unions face everywhere ... "We built this country, and we're not going to let you take it away from us," said AFL-CIO Philadelphia Council president Patrick J. Eiding. "They're not trying to balance the budget; they're trying to decimate collective bargaining." The Philadelphia Council organized the lunchtime rally, which included about 20 area unions and about 1,000 sign-waving members, who periodically chanted: "We are one!" ... Cathy Scott, president of District Council 47 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, which represents the city's professional, technical, and administrative employees, said the fight in Wisconsin was about "shifting power from working people and the poor to corporations" ... "The question isn't why do I have a pension and benefits and a good job? The question is, why don't you?" [UFCW 1776's John] Meyerson said. "If you want a pension, get a union. If you want benefits, get a union. If you want a good job, get a union" ...
Local Rally Held In Support Of Wisconsin’s Workers
KDKA
Perhaps 500 workers and supporters from most of Pittsburgh’s labor movement turned out on short notice for this afternoon’s rally. ”We need to fight to make sure that they don’t rob any worker of their rights to collective bargaining, or their rights to be in a union,” said Leo Girard, of the United Steelworkers of America ...
Locals rally for solidarity
Wilkes Barre Times-Leader
Close to 200 representatives from the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, United Food and Commercial Workers, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and others gathered for a noon rally Wednesday …
Pa. labor groups vow to fight `right-to-work' bill
Centre Daily Times
Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale said the bill would weaken unions and, in turn, drive down the wages that unions negotiate for workers. "We've got to kill it in the Legislature. We've got to drive a stake through its heart," Bloomingdale said. David R. Fillman, executive director of Council 13 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees - the largest state-employee union - shared Bloomingdale's dislike for the bill but was less worried about its prospects …
March protests looming Planned Parenthood funding end
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
If the amendment survives in the Senate, it would mean a nearly one-third budget cut for the seven Planned Parenthood centers in the region, said Kim Evert, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania …
Editorial: Ending Planned Parenthood funding will lead to more unwanted pregnancies
Philadelphia Inquirer
Last year, 49,000 people went to the South East Pennsylvania Planned Parenthood clinics for a total of 63,000 STD tests, more than 25,000 Pap tests, 13,000 screenings for cervical cancer, 14,000 breast exams, 17,000 doses of emergency contraception, and yes, 11,000 abortions …
Gas drilling in Pennsylvania state parks draws fire
Harrisburg Patriot-News
“The answer is not to turn our state parks and forests over to drillers and hope for the best,” said Jan Jarrett, president of PennFuture. “DEP should immediately open public comment on the previous administration’s policy, which was based on sound science.” Jeff Schmidt of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Sierra Club said, “This is where large numbers of people go for recreation and wild experiences” …
AV Partners in the News
According to Politico, EMILYs List is working to turn out women voters in support of female incumbents across the nation. Meanwhile, the Daily Kos sat down with Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune. And the Minnesota AFL-CIO's state convention took on a political tone in advance of the midterm elections.
A few America Votes partners have been in the news over the last 24 hours.
Alexander Burns writes for Politico about how EMILYs List is targeting female "surge" voters this cycle, especially in districts represented by their endorsed incumbents. According to a recent poll commissioned by EMILYs List, health care and abortion rights remain very important to these surge voters, and the pro-choice group is seizing on these issues in their GOTV efforts. Such GOTV efforts have already proven successful, as evidenced by Team EMILY! - a grassroots initiative that helped power EMILYs List endorsed candidate Ann McLane Custer to a 40 point win in the Democratic primary for NH-2.
At the Daily Kos, Mark Sumner interviewed Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune about the future of the environmental movement over the next few years. Brune discusses a path to reduced dependency on coal and oil (even if Republicans make gains this year), mountaintop removal mining, auto fuel efficiency and much more.
Last but not least, the Minnesota AFL-CIO held its state convention and a key focus was rallying attendees to support DFL candidates, especially gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton. Sen. Al Franken also urged labor to vote this November, and Tarryl Clark, the DFL candidate opposing Rep. Michelle Bachmann received a standing ovation. The convention was perhaps best summarized by AFL-CIO national secretary-treasurer who urged attendees to "roll up your sleeves"