ATTACK! ATTACK!- And here it is, hot off the presses - Senator John Barrasso just this afternoon introduced a bill (ridiculously named the "Defending America's Affordable Energy and Jobs Act") that would ban Environmental Protection Agency action on global warming pollution under the Clean Air Act.
Maybe he's worried about all the hot air and pollution coming from his office?
WHAT CAN YOU GET FOR $7 BILLION? A year of U.S. human space flight programs, a year of American shoulder pains, and the annual impact of glittery vampires on Hollywood.
Oh, and now $7 billion can get you a terrible, dirty coal company. Alpha Natural Resources just bought Massey Energy for that much.
NEVADA'S MERCURY RISING- Nice job to Vinny Spotleson and his fellow Silver State Sierra Club organizers, who got their voices heard in this news article on a coal plant's mercury emissions in their state.
ALREADY IN THE NEWS- Sierra Club Natural Gas Campaign Director Deb Nardone's been with us a few days and she's already in the news! Nice one, Deb!
TRANSITIONS- Welcome aboard to Vanessa Pierce, who comes to the club as the new deputy director of the Beyond Coal Campaign, where she will be our lead staff person coordinating the Club's work on clean energy.
She and Mary Anne Hitt will now form a powerful coal-fighting duo that we can summon with the use of a spotlight on top of our offices.
And a heads up, Sierra Club Webmaster Mike Papciak is moving to part-time and changing his title to Projects Webmaster. Adrian Cotter will be stepping up to become acting Website Manager and Webmaster.
KOCH FIGHT- The Koch Brothers (pronounced "Coke") have more money than Scrooge McDuck and they're meaner. They support dirty energy causes and wanna make out with global warming. We strongly dislike them.
GET ACTIVE- If you've created an Activist Network team page but are now cowering in your closet because you don't know what to do next, there's a call TODAY at 5 pm Pacific/8 pm Eastern, to learn how to use Activist Network online community tools to collaborate, engage new people, and grow your team.
Call-in number is 1-866-501-6174 -- code 1892-005#. RSVP and get more details here.
HANGIN' WITH RACHELE- Grassroots Media Coordinator Rachele Huennekens has a slew of media trainings planned for you fine folks out there.
New Organizer Media Training Friday, February 4 at 2pm ET/1pm CT/12pm MT/11am PT. If you are a new organizer or a chapter/SSC/state/regional campaign staffer or volunteer, this phone/webinar training will orient you to the Sierra Club's available communications resources, and the benefits to integrating media work into field plans.
The Online Organizing Dept. and Media Team are bringing back the second installment of its BRAND NEW two-part training on using blogs to expand your media outreach and external communications strategy, and to organize Sierra Club activists.
-- Blog Training #1 Using Blogs for Education and Persuasion
Thursday, February 3, at 3pm ET/2pm CT/1pm MT/12am PT
-- Blog Training #2 - Using Blogs for Organizing and List-building
Thursday, February 10, at 3pm ET/2pm CT/1pm MT/12am PT
For all of these, RSVP to Rachele!
COUGH COUGH- Did you see all the materials for the Sierra Club's Health campaign yet? It's all about showing just why we need the Environmental Protection Agency's safeguards to protect public health - and why Lisa Jackson is more powerful than a box of Band-Aids and some Neosporin.
STUDY: LOBBYISTS ARE USELESS- Ok, this new study doesn't quite say that, but it does show that 46 percent of Congressional staff believe 'in person visits with constituents' have 'a lot' of influence, compared with 8 percent who said the same thing about a visit from a lobbyist.
Other findings:
--64 percent say Facebook is 'helpful' or 'very helpful' to understanding constituents views.
--57 percent say 'the Internet and e-mail' make lawmakers 'more accountable to constituents' these days.'
--And 78 percent don't know what a Justin Bieber is.
Americans agree that now is the time for the U.S. to lead by investing in clean energy technologies that spur innovation, create jobs and protect the health of the American people.
Congress has a choice: lead Americans on a path that protects people from pollution, cuts foreign oil imports, and creates new jobs or keep America reliant on expensive, dirty energy sources that threaten our economy, security and environment.
Visit the Talking Points section on Clubhouse.
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