The Engaged Sierran
Congratulations to Judi Chisholm!Judi suggested the caption "Racing to save the environment" in our caption contest, and won a 2014 Sierra Club Engagement Calendar! Sierra Club wall calendars make a great holiday-season gift. Buy from your local NH Chapter and receive a special member discount! Contact us at (603) 224-8222. |
Start Your New Year with this Climate Action:
Save the Moose - Give your State Representative a Call
Please call your State House Representative to oppose state House Bill 580, a bill that would ban all wind farms forever.
The New Hampshire Chapter opposes HB580 because wind farms are part of the solution to reduce climate disruption caused by carbon pollution. Non-polluting wind will help New Hampshire responsibly replace coal power plants, like Merrimack Station in Bow.
The vote on the bill is scheduled for January 8 - please call as soon as possible. Find your State Representative's phone number: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/wml.aspx
Our state can make progress on climate by increasing energy efficiency programs, and allowing clean energy projects like wind and solar to produce the energy we need. We can't ban them, forever.
The moose population in NH is on the decline because of the milder winters and we know by reducing carbon we can help the moose survive in the Granite State. Call your representative to oppose HB580 today!
Tips for the call:
- Call at a reasonable time - most likely this is their home number too.
- Identify yourself and include your town/ward.
- Speak with a smile - this is a friendly call.
- Be clear and brief, example, "Hi my name is Cathy Corkery and I live in Concord. I am calling to ask you to oppose HB580, the wind moratorium, because we need to address climate disruption with climate solutions. Please vote to kill HB580. Thank you."
- Tell us how it goes - email what happened to catherine.corkery@sierraclub.org
Thanks for taking a stand against climate disruption.
15 Resolutions You Can Cross Off Your List Today
The New Year is almost here, and what better way to celebrate than by doing some good! Whether you made resolutions or not, the start of a new year is a clean slate. You may not know what the next 12 months have in store, but you can guarantee that you jump-started 2014 on a positive note by accomplishing any (or all!) of the following eco-actions.
1. Keep the TV off. It's the first week of the New Year, do you really want to waste it sitting in front of the television? We thought not. You could get so much done today if you spend less time watching reruns — and you could cut down electricity usage too.
2. Make dinner tonight. Why waste the gas and money to go out for dinner, when you can make a nice, hot meal right at home? Visit a local winter farmer's market to find local, organic ingredients. Not only will you be saving money, and help out the local economy, you'll have leftovers for later.
3. Join an Action Team. Get involved with your New Hampshire Chapter and join an Action Team! Even an hour a month can make a huge difference to your local environment.
4. Take a shorter shower. In general, it'd be good to cut back on excess water usage. You can install low-flow showerheads and fix leaky faucets for other inexpensive and easy conservation moves, but if you shave a minute or two off of your shower today that's a step in the right direction. Do that for a whole month and you could save 150 gallons of water!
5. Clean out your closet. It's time to clean out all those clothes you never wear and put them to good use. Donate them to your local Salvation Army or upcycle them into something new. You'll feel better for having cleared out some of the clutter, believe us.
6. Drop that paper towel. Sure it's easy to just grab that roll of paper towels when there's a spill or you need a napkin, but a regular kitchen towel does the same trick and reduces waste. It's a hard habit to break, we know, but worth it!
7. Cut back on driving. We know, it's so convenient to just jump in the car, but if you're going down the street to the store, why not walk, or carpool, or take public transit?
8. Recycle, recycle, recycle. Did you do some celebrating for the New Year? Well then that must mean you have some bottles or cans leftover. Don't just trash them, collect them in an old trash bin and save them to be recycled instead. It's a simple step, but highly effective.
9. Turn down your thermostats. This will help lower your energy usage, and your bills. And yes, that was plural. We're not just talking about your heater. Think about your refrigerator settings as well.
10. Protect clean air. A fresh, new year requires fresh air. You can help ensure by educating yourself and pledging to take a stand against toxins caused by coal mining. Visit the Beyond Coal website and sign the petition, donate funds, or volunteer time to fight for clean air throughout the year.
11. Make a compost bin. In general, it's best to cut down on food waste when you can. If you have a yard, look into setting up your own composting. If you're living in a smaller space, there are a couple different options to keeping your waste to a minimum. Try out some of these simple compost ideas.
12. Invest in rechargeable batteries. It may sound like an odd resolution, but think about the number of times you replaced batteries last year. We go through them quicker than we'd like to think, and much of the time they don't get disposed of properly.
13. Switch to reusable bags. New year, new mottos! And we say that plastic is out and reusable is in. One of the easiest ways to help reduce plastic waste is to ditch plastic bags when shopping. You can purchase reusable bags or make your own. Either way, make a mental note to always keep one handy, either in your purse, briefcase, or glove compartment.
14. Donate blood. With all the tragedy being reported on a daily basis, it's hard to know what you can do to help. Donating blood is one of the best ways to help out. The Red Cross can help you find your nearest location and you can set up your appointment today.
15. Clean up your neighborhood. For today, start by taking a walk around the neighborhood and seeing how much trash you wind up with after a couple blocks. You'll be surprised by what you find. It might inspire you to do more, whether you form your own clean up crew or join an outing near you.
--Updated from original article by Jess Krager, published on the Sierra Club website, January 2013
December 2013 |