| Photo by AP Photo/Carolyn Kastor |
| | | Sierra Magazine |
Last Wednesday, hundreds of pro-Trump insurgents and white supremacists, many of them armed, stormed the US Capitol in a bid to halt the peaceful transition of power. The insurgent violence was terrifying, but make no mistake: Those of us in the environmental, social justice, civil rights, and liberation movements are not afraid. We won’t stand down, and we won’t stand by. We will speak up—for an inclusive democracy, for the rule of law, justice, and a livable planet.
"Your voice can be the shield of democracy,” says Leslie Fields, the Sierra Club’s director of policy, advocacy, and legal. |
|
|
|
| Photo courtesy of Lisa Weatherbee for The Luupe, the luupe.com
|
| | | Michael Brune |
After months of intense work to elect climate champions up and down the ballot, we finally have leaders committed to climate action in the White House and both houses of Congress. The election of Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossof, Georgia’s first Black and Jewish US senators, creates a golden opportunity for President Biden to make good on his campaign promises to fast-track our transition to clean energy, address environmental and racial injustice, and fight for an equitable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our movement for environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice is winning,” says Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune. |
|
|
|
| Photo by Will Lester/The Orange County Register via AP |
| | | Sierra Magazine |
The year 2020 brought us a deadly pandemic, an international lockdown, police killings of Black Americans, a severe economic crisis, extreme weather events fueled by climate change, the willy-nilly weakening of decades-old environmental protections by an administration bent on lining the pockets of its industry cronies… the list goes on. Yet even in the face of all the bad news there were encouraging signs of progress on the environmental front.
Read all about it in English and en Español. |
|
|
|
| | | Outings |
In addition to our usual lineup, we’ve got a new selection of trips for adults under 50 on a budget, including backpack journeys, volunteer vacations, and more. Many are shorter in duration, timed to coincide with holidays, and easily accessible by plane or public transportation. Plus, if you’re 18 to 35, you’re eligible for $300 off any of our all-ages trips. Space is limited, so don’t delay!
Check out our selection of trips. |
|
|
|
| Photo by Sierra Club Military Outdoors |
| | | Military Outdoors |
“No one could have anticipated what 2020 had in store for us,” says Robert Vessels, director of the Sierra Club’s Military Outdoors campaign. “But even in a year of seemingly unending trials, we saw incredible victories that will make it easier for veterans to heal in 2021 and beyond.”
Here are a few. |
|
|
|
| | | Sierra Magazine |
In this excerpt from the anthology Black Futures, marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson considers how ocean conservation "is about people—more specifically, it’s about marginalized people."
Learn why we need "ocean justice." |
|
|
|
| Photo iStock.com/Sasinparaksa |
| | | Sierra Magazine |
Being in green surroundings can ease the stress and isolation triggered by lockdowns. Unfortunately, access to nearby nature is a privilege that’s unequally distributed in the US. But new studies have found that even just viewing nature can ease the psychological distress triggered by isolation. Something as simple as a flora-filled window view can boost self-esteem and happiness while reducing anxiety and loneliness.
Here's what new studies show about unequal access to outdoor spaces. |
|
|
|
| Photo by iStock.com/trekandshoot |
| | | Take Action |
After last week’s violent insurrection and years of escalating attacks on voting rights and voter access, our democracy is in urgent need of comprehensive and transformational reforms. The For The People Act (H.R. 1) would help strengthen and expand the vote to create a more fair, transparent, and inclusive democracy for all
Act now and tell your representatives to support this much-needed bill. |
|
|
|
| | | Team Sierra |
A 1.5-degree Celsius rise in global temperature above preindustrial levels is the threshold for climate catastrophe. In an effort to help slow global warming, Team Sierra has launched a virtual 1.5 Activity Challenge to raise money and awareness to help protect the health of our planet. Participants commit to running or walking 1.5 miles or doing a 15-minute workout every day through February 12.
It's a $35 registration donation, and fundraising is optional. Will you join? |
|
|
|
| At this writing, new cases of COVID-19
infection, hospitalization, and death are at an all-time high and gaining momentum, with colder weather coming on. The virus continues to disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color, many of which are forced to live with high levels of pollution and inadequate access to healthcare. The fight for environmental justice cannot be separated from the fight for racial, social, and economic justice. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
