It’s Farmer v. Monsanto

A showdown is underway in the Midwest as Missouri peach farmer Bill Bader seeks to hold the former Monsanto Co. accountable for millions of dollars in damage to his crops—losses he claims resulted from a corporate strategy to induce other farmers to buy high-priced specialty seeds and chemicals. Bayer AG and BASF, the companies that bought Monsanto, deny they have any liability for Bader’s losses.

But evidence introduced at the trial suggests otherwise.

Quietly, Momentum Builds

“I know I’m not the only one who thinks the first month of 2020 felt like a year,” says Beyond Coal Campaign director Mary Anne Hitt. “The news is depressing and scary, and some of it is infuriating.

“But here’s something uplifting you may have missed.”

Trump Targets the Heart of US Environmental Law

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is one of the most powerful tools we have to protect the public against dangerous, polluting projects that jeopardize the health of our families and communities. The Trump administration has proposed drastically narrowing the criteria that compel a NEPA review. If the changes are finalized, they could fast-track hundreds of polluting projects around the country.

Here’s what you need to know about NEPA so that you can speak out to protect it.

Speak Out for NEPA Now!

Trump’s attack on “the Magna Carta of environmental law” is designed to shut out the public, suppress climate science, and make it easier for corporate polluters to drill on public land, build fossil fuel pipelines, and fast-track other major polluting projects. This giant giveaway to polluters is one of Trump’s most dangerous attacks yet on environmental law. The deadline to submit public comments has been extended to March 10.

So Your Kids Are Stressed Out About the Climate Crisis

All their lives, our kids have absorbed terrifying stories about what’s happening to our planet and the creatures that inhabit it.

Heroes and Hypocrites

“What is courage?” asks Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune. “I think we know it when we see it—and when we do not. We sure didn’t see it in the craven votes cast by every Republican senator (with one exception) to risk the foundations of our democracy by acquitting Donald Trump. Courage demanded doing the right thing in spite of the fear they might lose their jobs. Instead, they lost their honor.

Greed’s Days Are Numbered

"Greed continues to fuel the climate crisis,” says Sierra Club columnist Javier Sierra. “Mother Nature is begging us to act amid alarming evidence of what scientists call climate chaos. The clearest evidence of all is the Dantesque bushfires that have been devastating the Australian continent for months. Yet the Australian government has approved the construction of one of the world’s largest coal mines. What to do about this madness?

Just What the Doctor Ordered

Fracking sickens people in frontline communities and exacerbates global warming; now we have a chance to do something about it on a level that matches the scale of the problem. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Darren Soto just introduced the Fracking Ban Act, essentially a national ban on fracking. It's just the sort of bold step we need to successfully combat the climate crisis.

Climate Reality Webinar

The Sierra Club's Climate Parents program and the Climate Reality Project are hosting a webinar on February 20 to examine—and celebrate—the historic grassroots campaign that persuaded the Los Angeles Unified School District to pass a 100% clean energy resolution in December. Campaign leaders will share experiences, tools, and strategies to help you run a similar campaign where you live.

Bad Deal

President Trump recently signed NAFTA 2.0. This "new and improved" North American Free Trade Agreement offers new giveaways to polluters, and it fails to curb the outsourcing of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. It doesn’t even mention climate change. Your calls and messages helped persuade more than 50 members of Congress to vote against NAFTA 2.0. Our challenge now is to ensure that it doesn't become the template for future trade deals.

Better Sooner Than Later

Residents of Norman (Oklahoma's third-largest city) are getting ready to negotiate a contract with their utility, Oklahoma Gas & Electric, which still relies heavily on coal. OG&E wants to extend its 25-year contract to provide energy to Norman and lock in fossil fuel use for decades to come. Not so fast, say forward-thinking Normanites. "People are coming together for clean energy,” says businesswoman and grandmother Cindy Merrick. “It's time to think globally and act locally. The people of Norman can do this."

When Nature Calls

Managing the increasing volume of human waste in the backcountry, far from plumbing and flush toilets, is a particular challenge for our national parks.

Suzie Runs Sedona

Team Sierra participants in the RunSedona Half Marathon, 5K, and 10K races on February 1 raised $22,000 for the Sierra Club. “The RunSedona race was one of the most magical things I’ve ever done,” says Suzie from Los Angeles. “The views and the energy of the people around me made it easier than I could have imagined, and my best friend and I crossed the finish line together. Raising money for Team Sierra made this experience even better because I knew my contribution would help protect the planet.”

Read what other rockstar racers have to say.

Take a Hike for Love’s Sake!

Valentine’s Day is this Friday, and restaurant reservations are getting hard to come by. Fret not. We asked our colleagues and Twitter followers for their favorite "romantic” hikes. If none of these romantic rambles is near where you live, just choose one that is. It’s the notion, not the destination, that counts.

So lace up your walking shoes and hoof it to a special place outdoors on Valentine’s Day.