Subject: Solar Zombie Attacks

March 24, 2015 Exxon Valdez Anniversary Day of Action On the 26th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill off the Alaska coast, let's remind President Obama that oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Ocean would be a disaster waiting to happen. The president's own administration has concluded there is a 75 percent chance that at least one large oil spill will occur if the current oil and gas leases in the Arctic purchased by Shell Oil are developed. The consequences for our oceans, wildlife, and climate are simply too much. Make your call, and tell President Obama that America's Arctic Ocean must be off-limits to drilling. Zombie Attacks on Rooftop Solar "In the past," says Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune, "I have compared big, polluting fossil fuel companies to zombies. Now I feel bad. Upon reflection, I believe I may have been a little unfair -- to zombies." Now a new round of fossil fuel zombie attacks is coming from big utilities that want to stop the spread of rooftop solar. Find what's got the utilities spooked. Get Your Daily Ray of Hope Here! Tired of waking up to bad news? Subscribe to the Daily Ray of Hope and every weekday we'll send you a beautiful picture from the natural world along with some words of wisdom. Sign up now and brighten your day with the Daily Ray. Our Lives Are More Important Than Their Profits Lupita Pérez, a 14-year-old freshman at Desert Mirage High School in California's Coachella Valley, has breathed dirty air all her life. Inspired by the imminent birth of a baby sister, she dreams of becoming an environmental lawyer so she can fight for clean air. Lupita and 100 other students from her school recently traveled nine hours to testify at an EPA hearing about improving federal smog standards. Read what they had to say. Spring and Summer Adventures -- On a Budget Are you hungry to explore wild places with other young adventurers? Good news: Sierra Club Outings has a killer new selection of trips at unbeatable prices! Backpack remote areas where few have gone before Learn to camp or backpack on a beginner trip Hike and canoe on two different water trips Assist with a variety of rewarding conservation projects What's more, if you're between 18 and 30 you may be eligible for big discounts thanks to two of our scholarship funds. Funding is limited, so don't wait till the last minute! Head straight to sc.org/get-outside to view the full list, read detailed brochures, and sign up for a trip. 9 Chefs Who Are Changing the World "Veganism's worst enemy is just the stigma," says Chloe Coscarelli, who won the Food Network's Cupcake Wars without using a drop of butter or cream. Coscarelli is one of a new wave of chefs who are combining cooking with activism -- from sparking the farm-to-table movement to eating wild-harvested insects instead of factory-farmed meat. Meet the new guard. Photo by Paige Green Father and Son Team Gets Kids Outdoors Bill Tayler grew up hiking and camping in Michigan with his father Willard, developing a shared connection with the outdoors. When Bill moved to San Diego in 2008, he began volunteering with the Sierra Club's ICO (Inspiring Connections Outdoors) program, which he now co-chairs. When Willard retired to California, he began volunteering with ICO as well. He estimates that the two of them have now been on around 150 trips together, leading mostly urban kids with little prior connection to the outdoors into the mountains and deserts around San Diego. Read more about this father-and-son team and their shared mission. Interactive Map of Fossil Fuel Disasters Twenty-six years on, the Exxon Valdez oil spill remains one of America's worst fossil fuel disasters -- but it's far from the only time dirty fuels have wreaked havoc on our communities and our environment. The Sierra Club's new interactive map shows some of the worst fossil fuel disasters in the last ten years -- driving home how important it is that these dirty and dangerous fuels stay in the ground. Learn more and see the map. How to Turn an Old T-Shirt into an Ecofriendly Produce Bag According to the EPA, Americans throw out more than 12 million tons of textiles each year. It all ends up in landfills, decomposing and slowly releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas. But what should you do with all of those old t-shirts you unearth while spring cleaning? Before sending an unwearable pile of shirts away, why not try textile recycling? Sierra magazine provides a step-by-step guide to creating a mesh produce bag from an old t-shirt -- perfect for summer trips to the farmers market. Learn how to make your own ecofriendly bag. Photo by Lori Eanes "Sierra Club Campaign to Storm the Hill" That was last Monday's headline in Politico's popular daily energy newsletter, "Morning Energy," which reaches more than 14,000 Washington movers and shakers. As Congress geared up for this week's budget votes, some 100 Sierra Club volunteers and organizers from 16 states converged on Capitol Hill and visited over 100 congressional offices to lobby for clean air, clean water, and climate action. Mary Anne Hitt, director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign, was among those storming the Hill. Read Hitt's account of the day, and tell your members of Congress to focus on protecting people, not polluters. Looking for Young Environmental Leaders More young people than ever are stepping up to take on big polluters and advocate for just, sustainable solutions to our biggest conservation challenges. For 20 years, the Sierra Student Coalition's summer training program (SPROG) has taught youth how to run winning grassroots campaigns. This year we are hosting four SPROG trainings led by and for young leaders. Do you know any young people ages 14 and up who are ready to make real change? Nominate them to attend a SPROG training so they can learn how to run and win campaigns that protect our environment and our communities! No More Dangerous Nuclear Energy It's been four years since the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima. Nuclear energy is dirty, dangerous, and expensive. That's why around the world countries like Germany are retiring their nuclear reactors. Nuclear energy leaves behind a legacy of deadly radioactive material that will last hundreds of thousands of years. The time is now to phase out nuclear power once and for all and replace it with 100 percent clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency.. Tell President Obama to support clean energy, not nuclear. Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Filmmaker John Gussman on his film Return of the River, a film about the largest dam-removal project in the history of the U.S. Subscribe to Sierra Club Radio. Sierra Club | 85 2nd St San Francisco, CA 94105