spring 2010 delaware sierra club newsletter

8/9/2019 Spring 2010 Delaware Sierra Club Newsletter

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Delaware Sierra NewsA Sierra Club Newsletter about Environmental Matters Important to Delaware March April May 2004

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Spring 2010

Cool Cities Celebrates

On Monday April 19th the Delaware ChapterCool Cities Committee joined with partners tocelebrate the City of Newarks commitment to ener-

gy sustainability, environmental stewardship and

climate protection by endorsing the U.S. Mayors

Climate Protection Agreement. Festivities included

a green ribbon cutting and special recognition ofMayor Vance A. Funk, III.

Cool Cities Delaware is a statewide volunteer

effort that encourages local governments adopt

energy sustainability, environmental stewardship

and climate protection policies and programs. To

learn more about this committees work check out

their website: http://coolcitiesde.us

Included In This Issue

Michael Brune...continued 2

2010 Chapter Elections News/Results 2Land Use Again 2

Member Profiles: Egan and Fields 3

DE Chapter Committee Meetings 3

DE Chapter Spring Outings 4

Nominating Commitee 4

Goldman Environmental Prize Winner 5

Volunteer Opportunities! 5

Sierra Club Contacts 6

Sierra Club - Delaware Chapter

100 West 10th Street Suite 106

Wilmington, DE 19801

NON-PROFITU.S. POSTAGE

PAID

WILMINGTON, DEPERMIT NO. 740

When asked about our policy on GHG emissions,

he said, Its been Sierra Club policy to get to 350

ppm as quickly as possible and then to go below

that. He favors collaboration with other groups to

accomplish our common goals.

When asked about coal and how he felt about Jim

Hansens call to stop using coal, Michael said he

would like to see us stop using it in the next 20

years. He spent time in jail with Hansen in West Vir-ginia for civil disobedience opposing mountain top

Michael Brune, Sierra Clubs New Executive Director

continued on page 2

On March 15, 2010 Delaware Chapter executive

committee member Chad Tolman sat in on a confer-

ence call with Sierra Clubs new Executive Director.

Michael Brune was introduced by

Robin Mann, VP of Conserva-

tion. It was his first day as the

new Executive Director, replacing

Carl Pope, who will become

Chairman of the Board. Michaeltalked about his background and

his priorities for the Club.

Michael worked with Greenpeace in a number of

cities, including Philadelphia, before going to the

Rainforest Action Network. He has two young chil-

dren a girl (5) and a boy (1) and is concerned about

their future. He said that he is a grassroots campaign

organizer at heart, and will pour everything he has

into his new job. His top four priorities during his

first three months are:

Develop relationships,Address the decline in unrestricted funding,

Get good strong national climate legislation enact-ed, and

Reevaluate natural gas as a transition fuel on theway to a renewable energy economy. (He has writ-

ten a book, Coming Clean Breaking Americas

Addiction to Oil and Coal. )


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removal, but he thinks we should spend more time

talking about our vision for the future and less on

what we oppose. He sees an important role for the

Club in the area of social justice. The best organizers

start with issues important to the audience(s) theyaddress. We need to show people how the Sierra

Club can positively affect their lives.

He was asked about Project Renewal, which

seemed to some to decrease the importance of volun-

teers relative to staff. He realizes that this is a

sensitive issue and is still learning, but said that the

important role that volunteers play in the Club is one

of the things that most attracted him to work for it.

He wants to visit as many chapters and groups as

possible, and seems open to suggestions from volun-

teers.

He said we need to increase the cost of using fos-

sil fuels, without causing undue hardship, especially

for those least able to afford the rising costs and thatthe campaign against coal has been so successful that

the use of natural gas has increased rapidly.

On the question of how we can work with indus-

tries to raise money without compromising our

conservation goals, he said that conservation must

remain a top priority, but that we may work with

some companies as a way to make them more envi-

ronmentally responsible.

Michael Brune on Coal, Project Renewal, Morecontinued from page 1

The recent 2010 Delaware Chapter ExecutiveCommittee elections were concluded with theelection of these members: newly elected, John

Irwin (59 votes) and Tom Noyes (64 votes), and re-

elected, Chad Tolman (63 votes), and Matt Urban

(62 votes). Also, the Election committee reported

the results for the Southern Delaware Groups

(SDG) election of Executive committee members,

all re-elected: Carrie Bennett (16 votes), Steve

Callanen (21 votes), and Terri Usuki (13 votes).

Despite our having an uncontested slate of can-

didates, the Nominating committee recommends

each of our newly elected members for the quality

and commitment of service they bring to the job of

leading both the Delaware Chapter and the Southern

Delaware Group. We are fortunate to have such

capable and hard-working volunteers.

You may have noticed that the vote totals for

candidates in the SDG election were low. This was

due to a typo in the election newsletter. In error,

SDGs members were instructed to vote for 2 of 3

candidates, even though 3 seats were open and the

election was uncontested. All candidates did receive

votes and all were duly elected despite the mistake.Finally, and most importantly, we wish to say a

huge thank you to the two longtime Executive

Committee members, Rich Anthony and Ron Zink,

who stepped down in 2010. Their untold hours of

inspiration and perspiration on behalf of the

2010 Chapter CensusKeep your eyes open for this mailing and

please reply!

Land Use Again

Many of us have awakened, and properly so, tothe husbanding of our natural resources andthe compelling need to re-use and recycle. Our land

is a resource, however, that we can recycle and re-use only in a limited way and generally only over a

long period of time. Land may pass from farmland

to residential use, from residential to commercial

use and from industrial to residential use, as evi-

denced by the transition of the south bank of the

Christina River in Wilmington. We may even see

parkland replace industrial use, as along portions of

the north bank of the Christina in Wilmington.

These metamorphoses cannot mask the fact that

land is a finite resource and that changing its use is

inevitably slow and costly. Our pattern of land use

influences in the most fundamental of ways that

gravest of problems-- our energy use and its effect

upon global warming.

The chapter would like to re-invigorate our

long-standing concern about land use. To that end

we are seeking volunteers in every county who may

wish to be involved with land use issues. If you are

interested, please contact: Jay Cooperson, 302-571-

0660 (home), e-mail [email protected].

Delaware Sierra Club have enriched our legacy ofbelieving in and working for a better environment.

Ron is carrying on as the Chair of the Cool Cities

committee, one of our most dynamic campaigns.

Rich is taking a well-deserved break and we wish

him well.

2010 Chapter Election News And Results


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By June Satterfield

Have you been on a chapter outing lately no?Then youre missing what many members sayis the best part of the Sierra Club experience we

not only preserve and protect the environment, but

WE ENJOY IT! Our Delaware Chapter has two

great Outings or leaders, Jenny Egan and Mark

Fields, and getting to know them is part of the fun ofjoining an outing.

Jenny, while raising three young sons and work-

ing part time, has been our Outings Chair for 6

years. She has the enthusiastic energy that so often

comes with a great love of the outdoors. Her child-

hood memories of family camping and skiing in the

Gunnison Valley of Colorado made her want to

share with others all that Delawares outdoors has to

Member Profiles: Jenny Egan and Mark Fieldsoffer, and so she joined the Sierra Club. Jenny feels

our seasonal changes are key to enjoying Delawares

outdoors because they make landscapes new and

interesting every time theyre explored.

Mark also comes from a family tradition of

camping and enjoying nature, which he now shareswith two teenaged children. Mark came to Delaware

in 2006 to become the managing director of The

Grand Opera House. He also enjoys working as an

adjunct film professor at Rowan University and film

critic for the Out and About Magazine.

Before leading outings in Delaware, almost 20 in

number now, Mike volunteered for Philadelphias

Sierra Chapter as their biking leader. Although Mark

has camped in 30 states in his extensive travels and

has a special love for our spectacular National Parks,

he is astonished at Delawares wealth of open

spaces, the hiking and biking opportunities, and the

variety of topography which the state offers.

Both Jenny and Mark make all outings a chance

for shared experience and fun. Look for their

upcoming outings schedule. Theyd both love to

hear your ideas on new outings and they wish for

more leaders, but, mostly, they just want you to join

them next time.

May10 Political Committee meeting 7:00-9:00 p.m. at

the Borders Books Caf at Churchmans Crossing off

of I-95. Contact Debbie at [email protected]

club.org for agenda and more information.

19 Energy Committee meeting At Effocs Caf in

Trolley Square in Wilmington. 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Contact Chad Tolman for more information:

[email protected]

24 Chapter Executive Committee meeting 6:30-

9:00 p.m. Place to be determined. Contact Chapter

Chair Nancy Carig at [email protected] for more

information.

June

14 Political Committee conference call 7:00-9:00

p.m. Contact Debbie at politics@delaware.

sierraclub.org for call in number, agenda and more

information.

16 Energy Committee conference call 6:30-8:00

p.m. Contact Chad Tolman for dial-in number and

more information: [email protected]

July12 Political Committee meeting 7:00-9:00 p.m. at

the Borders Books Caf at Churchmans Crossing off

of I-95. Contact Debbie at [email protected]

club.org for agenda and more information.

19 Chapter Executive Committee meeting 6:30-

9:00 p.m. Place to be determined. Contact Chapter

Chair Nancy Carig at [email protected] for more

information.

21 Energy Committee meeting In Smyrna, place

TBD. 6:30-8:00 p.m. Contact Chad Tolman for more

information: [email protected]

9 Political Committee conference call 7:00-9:00

p.m. Contact Debbie at

[email protected] for call in number,

agenda and more information.

Mark your calendar for the

Sustainable Delaware 2010 Cool Cities Conference

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Delaware Chapter Committee Meetings May - August


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Nominating Committee

Members Needed

The Delaware Chapter and Southern DelawareGroup are seeking members for the nominatingCommittees to oversee the Executive Committee

elections scheduled for later this year. If you are

interested in a limited time project that will help

you learn a bit more about the Sierra Club please

contact Chapter Chair Nancy Carig at

[email protected] before the end of June.

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DE Chapter Spring OutingsPedaling around Middletown (New Castle County)

Saturday, May 22, 10:00 a.m.

As the weather warms up, well alternate hiking

and biking outings, so get your two-wheeler tuned

and ready to go. Starting in Middletown, well

cycle out into rural western Delaware, with analmost entirely flat route through horse farms and

marshland. Ill have maps with a few route choices

marked (13-18 miles), but well plan to stay togeth-

er. Bring plenty of water and snacks for the ride;

well grab some lunch afterward. The start point is

the Giant parking lot in the Dove Run Shopping

Center on DE 299 east of town. Please email leader

Mark Fields to RSVP or for more information on

the hike: [email protected].

Elk Neck Campout May 14-16 2010

Join Sierra Club for a great campout. Elk Neck isyour year-round, travel destination to connect with

the vast landscapes and waters of the Chesapeake

Bay. The park boasts 2,188 acres of sandy beaches,

marshlands, and heavily wooded bluffs overlooking

the North East River, the Elk River and the Chesa-

peake Bay. As a result, there are several journeys

you can take while in the park. Contact Jenny Egan:

[email protected] or 302-540-4546.

Enjoy the outdoors and learn some GEOLOGY!

June 5

We will travel the first guided field trip (loosely)

as detailed in this report by the Delaware Geologi-

cal Survey to explore Geology and Water

Resources of The Western Portion of The Delaware

Piedmont. Find the trip outline at: http://www.dgs.

udel.edu/publications/pubs/OpenFileReports/ofr9.

pdf Contact Jenny Egan for details: jennifer-

[email protected] or 302-540-4546.

W58001


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Volunteer Opportunities!Help with energy education effort:Were interested in promoting energy conservation

and energy efficiency in Delaware. We currently use

more energy per person than our neighboring states.

Lets change that! Im looking for people whod like

to help organize presentations to the public about

how to save energy on home heating and cooling.

Contact me at [email protected] if youre

interested.

Political Committee:

The 2010 elections are beginning to shape up inDelaware with a number of candidates recently

announcing their intention to run. The chapters

political committee is going to be sending out ques-

tionnaires, interviewing candidates and helping to

hold a forum for resident to learn more about the

candidates for federal office.. If you would like to

help with this effort and other activities of the com-

mittee, please contact Debbie Heaton at

[email protected].

Michigan farmer and Sierra Club activistLynn Henning has been awarded thisyear's prestigious Goldman Environmental

Prize, considered the Nobel prize for environ-mental activism. Henning took action after

concentrated animal feeding operations

(CAFOs) began polluting the water near the

300-acre corn and soybean farm she works with

her husband in Lenawee County. Over the last

decade she has become a leading voice calling

on state and federal authorities to hold these

livestock factory farms accountable to water and

air quality laws.

Lynn Henning represents the soul of grass-roots activism, said Michael Brune, Executive

Director of the Sierra Club. Faced with a threat

to her community's environment, Lynn organ-

ized with her neighbors and pushed successfully

to hold the polluters accountable. This is a

thrilling day for the Sierra Club family.

When factory farms surrounded her property,

Henning and other concerned neighbors formed

Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South

Central Michigan (ECCSCM) and began to

organize. Reaching out to neighbors, fellowfarmers and Environmental Protection Agency

enforcement officials, Henning gathered her

own data on factory farm pollution. Regularly

driving a 125-mile circuit multiple times a week

to track factory farm pollution and to take water

samples, Henning learned about the sources of

the pollution affecting her community and

decided to take action.

Sierra Club Activist Lynn Henning WinsPrestigious Goldman Environmental Prize


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Sierra Club Delaware Chapter Change Of Address FormAttach old address mailing label:

New Address

City State Zip

Phone E-mail

Mail to: Sierra Club, P.O. Box 52968, Boulder, CO 80321-2968

Visit us on the Web!www.delaware.sierraclub.org

Web Editor:Mike Casale

302-239-2225 [email protected]

Chapter OfficePhone: 351-2776

Chapter Executive CommitteeChair: Nancy Carig

[email protected]

Vice Chair: Tom Noyes 652-3241

[email protected]

Conservation: Debbie Heaton

[email protected]

Energy: Chad Tolman 478-3516

[email protected]

Land Use: Jay Cooperson 571-0660

[email protected]

Membership: June Satterfield [email protected]

Harry Haon 656-4582

John Irwin 475-8527

[email protected]

Matt Urban 521-4495

[email protected]

Chapter Appointed Committee ChairsTreasurer: Lorri Fencer [email protected]

Cool Cities: Ron Zink 735-8996

Outings: Jennifer Egan 540-4546

[email protected]

Political: Debbie Heaton

[email protected]

Pollution: Al Denio 455-0389

[email protected]

Web Editor: Michael Casale 239-2225

[email protected]

Newsletter Editor: Debbie Heaton

[email protected]

Southern Delaware Group (SDG)Executive Committee

Chair: Steve Callanen 539-0635

[email protected] Chair: Harry Haon 656-4582

Conservation Chair: Barbara Murray

[email protected]

Environmental Justice Chair:

Mable Granke 227-6637

Secretary & Membership Chair:

Carrie Bennett 732-3358

[email protected]

Terri Usuki 436-2296

[email protected]

Sierra Club Contacts

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All phone numbers are Area Code 302

This paper contains 30% post-

consumer recycled content

The Delaware Chapter of the Sierra Club publishes theDelaware Sierra Newsquarterly. This publication is writtenand produced entirely by volunteers. Ideas expressed in theDelaware Sierra News

are those of the columnists and maynot necessarily reflect the position of the Sierra Club. Limit-ed time constraints of an all-volunteer staff do not alwaysallow for full data corroboration. Send materials for submis-sion to the Sierra Club, 100 W 10th St, Ste. 106, Wilmington,DE 19801 or by e-mail to our editor.

Editor: Debbie Heaton [email protected]

Production: Susan Oldenburg [email protected]

spring 2010 delaware sierra club newsletter

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