Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet
Sierra Club Currents -- Stop Tyson's Dirty Water Bail-Out Bill! Quote of Note: "It's like Santa Claus just dropped in on us." -- John Lee, executive director of the Treutlen County Economic Development Authority, on the economic boom coming from a new cellulosic ethanol plant in his corner of Georgia. (1) Take Action: Stop Tyson's Dirty Water Bail-Out Bill! (2) Take Action: Spread Awareness about Free Trade! (3) Katrina: Rebuilding Green (4) Nature Deficit Disorder: New Efforts to Connect Kids with the Outdoors (1) Take Action: Stop Tyson's Dirty Water Bail-Out Bill! Large livestock operations could soon be off the hook for dumping waste containing high levels of toxic metals, like arsenic and copper into our drinking water. A new amendment expected to be added to the Farm Bill by Sen. Blanche Lincoln would exempt these livestock operations from the federal polluter-pays law, allowing corporations like Tyson's, which has already polluted the drinking water of 22 communities in Oklahoma, to pass clean up costs to the ratepayers. Stop the Tyson's Dirty Water Bail-Out Bill! (2) Take Action Spread Awareness about Free Trade! This summer, host or attend a film screening of Maquilapolis: City of Factories and witness the amazing story of female factory workers along the U.S. - Mexico border. After facing hardships from daily contact with toxic chemicals to long hours without restroom breaks, the women featured in Maquilapolis bravely take a stand for better treatment and a cleaner environment. Learn about their post-NAFTA struggles and victories while spreading awareness about free, and all too often unfair, trade. Host or attend a screening of this important film! No need to be a trade expert, we can help you plan your party or find one near you. (3) Katrina: Rebuilding Green Two years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, communities are slowly coming back to life. And thanks to the hard work and determination of local residents with support from Sierra Club activists, areas like the Lower Ninth Ward are not simply being re-built, but being built better and greener. Restored local wetlands, green housing, solar roofs, and recycling programs are helping communities recover and prepare for future storms. Learn more about the rebuilding efforts. (4) Nature Deficit Disorder: New Efforts to Connect Kids with the Outdoors Four thousand additional New Mexico children will be able to experience the outdoors free of charge, thanks to new investments in outdoor education programs announced last week by the Sierra Club. The latest investment is part of a nationwide effort to combat nature-deficit disorder by ensuring that every child is given an opportunity to experience and enjoy the outdoors. So far this year the Sierra Club has helped over 13,000 children reap the benefits of getting outside, improving their physical and mental health and raising their academic achievement. Learn more about the importance of getting kids outside. |
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Currents is the Sierra Club's weekly e-mail update providing you with facts, stories, quotes, and "take action" features. |