February 2021 Great Falls Group Cascade |
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Significant Events Calendar
Feb. 2 - Seedling Sale - Native Shrubs and Small Trees - opens
Feb. 4 - Transit Equity Day Virtual Lunch & Learn
Feb. 6 - Stop Mowing, Start Growing!
Feb. 8 - Volunteer Action for the Environment
Feb. 9 - Virginia Offshore Wind Project
Feb. 10 - North Anna: Can Nuclear Reactors Operate Safely for 80 Years?
Feb. 24-25 Global Summit on Data Center Sustainability
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Have something you'd like to say? Send comments or questions to the editor.
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Volunteer Action for the Environment |
Virtual Meeting
WHEN: Mon., Feb. 8, 5-6 pm
WHERE: Zoom link sent after RSVP
DETAILS: Join us to learn and share ideas to protect the environment. Let's plan for our 2021 approach to improving tree canopy, advancing Virginia's offshore wind energy, promoting clean buses, and learning about Virginia's legislative accomplishments. We will discuss issues and work on strategies and action. Come be part of the solution!
SPONSOR: Sierra Club/Great Falls Group
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Image Sources:
trees - https://environment.arlingtonva.us/trees
bus - vox.com
legislation - mea.org
wind - physicsworld.com
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CECAP Working Group Meetings |
Brian Castelli of the Great Falls Group (GFG) gives an encouraging report on the January meeting of the Energy working group for Fairfax County’s Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP). He explains that the process for these meetings is much improved, at least partly thanks to suggestions from GFG members; attendees have wider scope to express and debate ideas. He also notes that he was able to advocate for more focus on energy conservation in the county. Energy equity must also be stressed as a vital goal, in his view. Included is a report by Elizabeth Spike of the GFG about a recent meeting of the CECAP Transportation and Development working group. Both Brian and Elizabeth look forward to the prospect of further progress in March.
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Power for the People Virginia |
Recent posts from Ivy Main's blog on energy-related matters in Virginia
Three new posts look over the climate and energy bills now before the Virginia General Assembly and discuss which ones Sierra Club members might want to contact their Va. senators and delegates about.
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Ivy Main, Conservation Co-Chair &
Renewable Energy Chair
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New Digital Outreach Coordinator Position
The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter is seeking a Digital Outreach Coordinator to build on our already winning Ready for 100 campaign and support active chapter campaigns related to environmental justice, clean energy, and climate action. The Ready for 100 campaign is a grassroots movement working to inspire our leaders to embrace a vision of healthier communities powered by 100% clean energy. The Outreach Coordinator will be responsible for implementing creative digital organizing strategies for recruiting, engaging, and motivating volunteers to be leaders and for building powerful alliances to achieve our campaign goals in the state.
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UVA Clean Energy Goals Dashboard
January 13 saw the debut of a new online dashboard tracking Virginia’s progress toward meeting its clean energy goals. This vital new resource was launched by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia in partnership with the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy.
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Another Big Blow to the Mountain Valley Pipeline |
On December 21, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality sent a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers containing a list of certifications under the Clean Water Act. In the letter, Virginia DEQ appears to rule that Nationwide Permit 12, a one-size-fits-all general permit, cannot be used by pipelines wider than 36 inches (MVP is 42 inches) to cross hundreds of waterways in Virginia. Instead, MVP will now have to do what advocates have been saying for years – apply for stream-by-stream reviews and permits for each of the water crossings. Article in Blue Virginia
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Pipeline Organizer Wanted - Half-time Position
The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter is hiring an organizer to build on our already active Stop the Pipelines campaign -- a grassroots movement to defeat the Mountain Valley Pipeline and oppose new fracked gas pipelines in Virginia. As an organizer, you will be the key connector between the Sierra Club, partner organizations, and our community of supporters. Immediate action is recommended if you are interested. The Virginia Chapter hopes to fill this half-time position by March 2021.
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Valuing Our Urban Forests |
At the Green Breakfast Jan. 9, urban forest conservationist Jim McGlone gave a presentation on urban forests. He stressed the ways city dwellers benefit from these forests while discussing their benefits, diseases and pathogens, management, and more. |
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Source: theconversation.com |
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Resolution on Invasive Plants
Delegate Dave Bulova's resolution HJR 527 requires the Department of Conservation and Recreation to facilitate a work group to study the sale and use of invasive plant species. These plants seriously harm local ecosystems and are expensive for the government to remove.
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Red Wolves Are Almost Extinct |
On Jan. 27 Stephen Nash gave a presentation on the status of the red wolf. There are currently only about seven red wolves left in the wild, although there are about 200 in captivity. Decades ago the US Fish and Wildlife Service launched a captive-breeding program to propagate the red wolf in the wild, but in the past 20 years severe bureaucratic challenges have undermined the program.
Last fall, two dozen members of the U.S. Congress called for immediately resuming releases of red wolves into the wild. Click on “More details” to learn how GFG members can help support a future for the imperiled red wolf.
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Photo source: Stephen Nash |
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Seedling Sale - Native Shrubs and Small Trees |
Online ordering for the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District's Annual Seedling Sale opens on Tuesday, February 2, 2021. N.B. last year they sold out.
WHEN: Pickup on Fri, Apr. 16, 9am - 4pm, and Sat, Apr 17, 9am- 12pm.
WHERE: Sleepy Hollow Bath and Racquet Club in Falls Church.
SPONSOR: Fairfax County
The plants in each package clean our water and air, prevent soil erosion, provide valuable habitat, and add beauty to your property. No day-of or extras sales this year.
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Common Buttonbush
Source: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/soil-water-conservation/native-seedling-sale
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Volunteer Issue Chair and Committee Positions Available |
Volunteering with your local Sierra Club puts the 'Think Globally, Act Locally" mantra in action. Climate change has become an existential issue; we can do our part to make our community cleaner, healthier, and more equitable for all. Please read further to see what you can do.
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Source: https://www.msvhome.org/volunteer/ |
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Could Your Community Environmental Issue Benefit from a Letter to the Editor? |
Letters to the editor (LTEs) raise public awareness on issues. Often the editorial page, with its LTEs, is the most read section of the paper. Elected officials ask their staff to read LTEs to learn what issues are important to their constituents. Could your community benefit from an LTE in either a local or Richmond paper? Let the GFG LTE Writers Group know and they will help you . Please contact Linda Brown.
Read recent LTEs for Advanced Clean Car Legislation:
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Checking and Updating Your Sierra Club Contact and Membership Information
Are you not getting your Sierra Club communications -- or maybe you're getting too much? Or do you just want to see if your membership information is correct? Go to My Account on the Sierra Club National website to address these issues and, if needed, update your info.
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Sierra Club
Climate and Energy
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Ways to Stay in Touch with GFG |
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Send comments or questions to the editor.
Thank you!
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