Camp Elk Tannery: Vet Outings In The Idyllic Pennsylvania Countryside

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Camping Trip and Conservation Talk at Brunner Island

On the weekend of June 4-5, the Sierra Club is hosting an overnight tent camping trip at Gifford Pinchot State Park, approximately 2 hours drive from downtown Philadelphia.  Anticipated activities on Saturday include a hike, boat rental, and a crab feast.  On Sunday morning, we will visit a recreational site near the Brunner Island coal plant in York Haven, PA, the most polluting coal facility in Pennsylvania.  We will discuss how the state has failed to properly regulate this power plant, and the work our Beyond Coal campaign is doing to ensure that bring this plant up to modern pollution standards.

We have found a crab shack within a short drive of the camping ground, and are considering having a crab feast for the Saturday evening meal, if enough people are interested. We will provided crabs at market cost, which was around $47/dozen, recently (price may vary). We will be offering the crabs in increments of a half dozen (a typical meal size for most).

We will provide lunch and dinner on Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday morning. 

To participate, please email Sam Ackerman. In your e-mail to Sam, please address the following questions:

• How many half dozen crabs do you want (2 half dozen are likely enough for a couple)?
• Will you require a Kosher option for food?
• How many other people will be in your group?
• Do you need a ride or can you offer others a ride in your car?
• Do you have your own tent?

We will organize carpools from Philadelphia, and anticipate arriving at the park around noon on Saturday.  For details TBA, please follow the Facebook Event or refer back to this page, which will be updated with the latest details. Participants should bring camping gear (including a sleeping bag and toiletries), weather appropriate clothes, water, and shoes appropriate for hiking.  Participants will also need to sign a liability waiver.

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events sponsored or co-hosted by the Sierra Club.



May 3 - World Asthma Day 
               - Details of the day 
                    
                 Join Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign Director Mary Anne Hitt
                 for a full day of action about air pollution from dirty coal burning 
                 power plants, it's effect on our health and our planet.

                 Rally begins at 12 pm at Philadelphia City Hall 
                             with Mom's Clean Air Force
                 Then march to EPA Reg 3 HQ at 17th & Arch

                 Reception and viewing of Years of Living Dangerously Ep. 4
                 at Drexel University, Nesbit Hall, 3215 Market St, 
                             room 111, Stein Auditorium 
                    - Reception starting at 5:30 pm.
                    - Viewing at 6:00
                    - Followed by discussion with Mary Anne Hitt

 

April 22 - Earth Week Celebration at Drexel University 

          In honor of Earth Week, Sierra Club Drexel and Philly will be hosting an afternoon of fun and interaction at Drexel University this Friday, April 22, 12-5pm.  All are welcome to attend!

Sierra Club Drexel is promoting awareness about storm water run off. They have partnered up with the Philadelphia Horticultural Society, to paint rain water barrels and donate them to local schools in Philadelphia!

Sierra Club Philly will have a table to talk about the Paris Agreement, the Clean Power Plan, and the efforts to clean up Brunner Island Power Plant just upwind of Philadelphia.

We will also will grilling fresh, natural and humanely sourced food from Weaver's Way Co-op, a member-owned grocery located in Mt. Airy. A special thanks to the co-op for supporting our event! Go to www.weaversway.coop to learn more about their mission to support the community and provide healthy, local, organic, sustainable, and fairly-traded grocery.
Please attend, come one come all.  Please share the Facebook link below:
 https://www.facebook.com/events/1770859706478255/

Hiking in the Wissahickon on March 13, 2016

Sierra Club is leading an outing on Sunday, March 13, 2016.  The hike will be approximately 3 miles and takes place in Wissahickon Valley Park; it is a moderate hike geared towards adults.  We will leave at 1 PM from the administration building at Houston Playground, located at the corner of Sequoia Rd. and Grakyn Rd..  Parking is available on local streets, and the playground can be reached by bus lines, such as the 9 and 27. We will hike rain or shine. 

Following the hike, refreshments will be served and we will learn from Sierra Club leaders about the club's efforts on the Beyond Coal campaign to reduce emissions from coal plants in Pennsylvania.  Participants are encouraged, however, to bring their own lunch and snacks, especially if they have food allergies or dietary restrictions. We will also learn about some of the conservation topics and restorations that have taken place at this area of the park. 

Participants should dress warmly, appropriate to the weather, and bring appropriate shoes, preferably hiking shoes; they should also carry drinking water. Please note that to participate in any Sierra Club outing, you will need to sign a liability waiver. Additionally, any minors will need to have a liability waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.

So our leaders have an idea of how many participants to expect, and so we can plan to have enough food, please either RSVP via the Facebook event or by emailing Sam Ackerman; we are also available to answer any questions about the outing.

Climate Change and Energy: How Can Justice be Achieved for Young People and Nature?

Come Help Us Save Our Livable Future!

Friday March 4 Arcadia University Murphy Hall

Doors Open @ 6 PM Show Begins @ 7PM   $10

CCL Conference Attendees, price included in fee

Climate Change and Energy: How Can Justice be Achieved for Young People and Nature?

Presented By: 

Dr. James Edward Hansen

Famed NASA Climate Scientist, Activist, Granddad

CITIZEN CLIMATE LOBBY'S CLIMATE SOLUTION

Presented By:

​David & Bill Mettler

"Keep Calm & Price Carbon"

Comedy Theater, Sound Effects & Audience Interaction

JOIN US ON MARCH 4 OR FULL CONFERENCE  3/4-6

Citizens Climate Lobby Conference Flier & Schedule Attached

Conference Website: http://bit.ly/1U7GZGi  

Hope to See You There!

Meet Your Local Legislators - We Need Volunteers!

For the next three months, Sierra Club Philly's Beyond Coal Campaign will  be scheduling meet-and-greets with area legislators.  All members and non-members are invited to attend!

We will talk with the legislators about the need for a strong Smog Rule to protect our families and communities from harmful air pollution.  There will also be time for you to ask personalized questions.  Please see the list below and email us ASAP if you are interesting in attending any of the meetings as a volunteer.  There will be more legislators added to the list as we move forward.

Currently Scheduled Meetings:

Thursday, 1/28/16, 10:30 am

PA Representative Kate Harper

District 6

Monday, 2/1/16, 11 am

PA Senator Anthony Williams

District 8

Thursday, 2/4/16, 11 am

PA Senator Larry Farnese

District 1

Thursday, 2/11/16, 11 am

PA Representative Chris Ross

District 15

Tuesday, 2/23/16, 11 am

PA Senator Stewart Greenleaf

District 12

Thursday, 2/25/16, 2 pm

PA Representative Greg Vitali

District 16

Please contact to attend Gary Lytle, gary.lytle@sierraclub.org, 215-776-5358.  Thank you!

The Clean Power Plan and You

     On August 3rd this year the Obama administration and the EPA announced a comprehensive energy plan to greatly reduce carbon emissions. This plan was designed to provide attainable emissions standards for states, allowing them flexible scheduling and management for reaching these goals. At the same time that states can tailor implementation of the law, they are still held accountable for any failure to do so. The Clean Power Plan was “shaped by years of unprecedented outreach and public engagement, the final Clean Power Plan is fair, flexible and designed to strengthen the fast-growing trend toward cleaner and lower-polluting American energy” (EPA).
 
     As many know already, climate legislation in this country is difficult to pass for multiple reasons. One reason has been concerns over a policy’s economic impact; a concern not without merit. That is why the Clean Power Plan kept these concerns in mind, combining a need for strong emissions controls with economic consideration. Attention to both these areas of concern has produced a piece of climate legislation that is not just reasonable for states to support, but necessary.

So what does this all mean going forward? It means…

•  A cleaner and healthier future for our air 
•  “In 2030, we’ll avoid up to 3,600 fewer premature deaths; 90,000 fewer asthma attacks in children; 1,700 fewer hospital admissions; and avoid 300,000 missed days of school and work” (McCarthy). 
• Reduced carbon emissions 
•  “the Plan puts our nation on track to cut carbon pollution from the power sector 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, all while keeping energy reliable and affordable” (McCarthy).
•  America will save money 
•  “By 2030, the net public health and climate-related benefits from the Clean Power Plan are estimated to be worth $45 billion every year. And, by design, the Clean Power Plan is projected to cut the average American’s monthly electricity bill by 7% in 2030” (McCarthy). 

     The Clean Power Plan is an opportunity for the United States to take a leadership role in the fight against climate change. This plan will be beneficial to more than just the average Americans’ wallet, but to the world at large. At 5490.63 million metric tons, the United States is currently one of the largest carbon emitters from energy consumption in the world (Scientists). The only country polluting more is China. Countries like China and India, the first and fourth highest carbon polluters, have not been quick to adopt policies to combat carbon pollution due to years of US indecision on the same issue.

     Supporting the Clean Power Plan would allow this country to take a step towards progressing through the twenty-first century as a major climate leader.


For more detailed information check these places  

• http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2015/08/6-things-clean-power-plan/
• http://www2.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan/clean-power-plan-existing-power-plants
• http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/science/each-countrys-share-of-co2.html#.Vjvo62uIlZE
• http://www.ucsusa.org/our-work/global-warming/reduce-emissions/what-is-the-clean-power-plan#.VkjYIuKIlZF 

Work Cited

 EPA. "Clean Power Plan." August 2015. http://www2.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan/clean-power-plan-existing-power-plants. Web. 11/3/2015 November 2015.

 McCarthy, Gina. "EPA Connect." 3 August 2015. http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2015/08/6-things-clean-power-plan/. Web. 3 November 2015.

 Scientists, Union of Concerned. "Each Country's Share of CO2 Emissions." 18 November 2014. http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/science/each-countrys-share-of-co2.html#.Vjvo62uIlZE. Web. 3 November 2015.