Environment Support

Sierra Club

Widespread consciousness about the responsible use of energy has been the rallying cry of a lot of environmental groups around the world, but only a few can claim to have had enough foresight to be able to have seen the impact of our behavior on the environment before the dawn of the 20th century. The Sierra Club has been championing environmental causes for 105 years and is currently one of the most active and influential environmental groups throughout the United States.

The Sierra Club was founded by the conservationist John Muir on May 28, 1892. It began with an initial roster of 182 charter members. One of its initial campaigns involved the Sierra Club leading an initiative to counter a proposal that would entail a major reduction of the total area of the Yosemite National Park.

The Sierra Club is currently headed by the following board of directors:

Director, Role, Term Expiration

Over the years, the Sierra Club has engaged in various activities and participated in initiatives to further the cause of natural preservation. The following are the Sierra Club's mission statements:

In line with these mission statements are policies that touch on several critical conservation issues. Currently there are seventeen categories in the Sierra Club's list of priority environmental issues, which include: energy, environmental justice, forest and wilderness management, oceans, water resources, wildlife conservation, pollution and waste management, agriculture, biotechnology, global issues, government and political issues, land management, military issues, nuclear issues, precautionary principle, transportation, and urban and land use policies.

While these issues and mission statements remain stable and unchanged, the Sierra Club also recognizes the fact that environmental needs and threats change with time. The Sierra Club has managed to continually adapt itself to these changes and has responded to new challenges with innovative efforts to ensure that nature is preserved.

Currently, the Sierra Club has these major issues (and the respective projects) at a high priority:

  1. Smart Energy Solutions - The Sierra Club responded to the growing urgency of energy efficiency to ensure that global temperature and carbon emissions remain at safe levels. As such, they advocate the active use of renewable energy resources in order to achieve this goal. They are also currently in the process of evaluating the Energy Bill, which according to the Club, lacks the clauses to raise the ratio of electricity generated by renewable resources to 15% and provide tax incentives for companies to engage in the production of clean energy. It also has been active in lobbying for the approval of "clean car" laws and policies in the entire country.
  2. Safe and Healthy Communities - The Sierra Club is also vehement about ensuring that humans can live in an environment where water can be safely drunk and clean air can be pleasantly breathed. It strives to ensure that the supply of clean water in communities is readily available and free from contamination. The Sierra Club has initiated campaigns to persuade people to use environment-friendly cleaners and low-flow faucets to achieve this goal. It is also active in countering initiatives to blow up mountaintops to extract coal, since this practice ruins natural water sources and pollutes other water sources that surround the area.
  3. America's Wild Legacy - Ever since its inception, the Sierra Club has been active in pursuing measures that would prevent the destruction of America's natural heritage. The Sierra Club continues to be very watchful of local policies and projects to be able to respond promptly whenever a threat to these natural wildlife resources is recognized. The Sierra Club makes itself legally present to prevent America's lands from being abused by commercial logging, irresponsible mining, abusive recreation, and overgrazing.

Sierra Club Environment Resources