Laura Calwell is the Kansas Riverkeeper for Friends of the Kaw and will speak at the September General Meeting about her duties as a full time, non-governmental advocate for the health of the Kansas (Kaw) River. Friends of the Kaw is a not-for-profit grassroots, environmental organization and a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an international water protection organization. They support the Kansas Riverkeeper to carry out their mission to protect and preserve the Kansas (Kaw) River for present and future generations. Laura will discuss Friends of the Kaw’s projects and progress on their goals for the Kaw River. The Kaw is the longest prairie based river in the world and a major drinking water source for Northeast Kansas. The Kaw is also a major tributary to the Missouri River and is becoming a popular recreational resource for the Kansas City area. Sierra Club members will have an additional opportunity to experience the beauty of this prairie based river first hand. Laura will guide an educational float trip on the scenic stretch of the Kaw from De Soto, Kansas to Cedar Creek on Saturday, September 25. Please join us on September 7 at 7p.m.: Discovery Center, Missouri Department of Conservation, 4750 Troost, Kansas City, MO 64110, Directions: Google Maps | Mapquest | MSN Maps
August 2010 Electric vehicles are almost certainly going to play a large role in the future of ground transportation in the U.S. There are many questions that are difficult to answer about the acceptance of these vehicles and what variations are going to be popular. In light of the lingering destructive effects to animals, plants, ecosystems, livelihoods, businesses and beach/recreation areas caused by the BP oil spill disaster, more people than ever are considering finding ways to minimize or eliminate their gasoline use. Even if the BP disaster pollution is fully cleaned up the public has become much more aware of the high environmental cost of deepwater drilling and of using gasoline in general. We are conducting research on electric vehicles. It is likely that electric vehicles will become a major way for reducing gasoline use in the U.S. As electric utilities move to more “green” sources of electric power this move to electric vehicles will have a substantial net benefit to the environment. But we need your help. Please take a few minutes and take our survey that will help us find out what you would prefer in electric vehicles. Once we complete our research we will provide a summary of the results on-line for all. The project will take at least one year and will involve testing one or more small electric vehicles. The intent of the research is to be objective – we have not made up our minds on anything on this topic yet. So your input will steer us in the right direction. We appreciate your time in taking the survey. And as always you are most welcome to attend our monthly meetings and other events. Thank you very much. Read more... Come
Explore the Current River at the Missouri Chapter Campout
World
Population Day Ozark
National Scenic Riverways Update Movie
Review: King Corn If you’ve seen Food, Inc., Supersize Me, etc., or read any of Michael Pollan’s books, the information in King Corn is already familiar. However, the humor and stunning visual beauty in King Corn make it a standout. I’d watch it again just for the visual beauty of the Iowa landscape. Read more...
by Laurel Hopwood, Chair, Sierra Club Genetic Engineering Action Team. May 2010 One out of every three bites of food we consume is due to the work of the honeybee. This crucial pollinator is greatly threatened by the recently identified Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), and, as a result, our food supply may be severely impacted. Since 2005 this syndrome has annually wiped out more than 30% of all honeybees! In light of the mounting evidence that new seed chemical coatings are deadly to bees, Sierra Club has been urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban the use of these specific chemical treatments in order to protect bees and crops until more study can be done. Read more... Two
Transit Distractions Each proposal
is essentially the product of a single mind—Chastain himself
in one case, and a local transportation planning consultant
in the other. Plastic
Bags are Killing Us
Dr. Richard Bailey, executive director of the institute, is most concerned about the bags that get waterlogged and sink to the bottom. “We have a lot of animals that live on the bottom: shrimp, shellfish, sponges,” he says. “It’s like you’re eating at your dinner table and somebody comes along and throws a plastic tarp over your dinner table and you.” Read more... Preaching
to the Choir
Limbaughites might suggest he is a dreamer, but not true. RFK is investing in complex methods of conserving energy and saving the environment. He is challenging dependence on oil, backing up what he says with examples of smart technology that were being developed around the world during the era of the Bush administration when our leaders hobbled our future by ignoring and discounting these viable options. He concludes that we have been offered false choices—poverty or a clean environment—propaganda sponsored by the oil industry. Read more... Missouri
Wilderness Campaign Update Climate
On The Edge, Ordinary People Need To Get A Move On Nov. 2008 In the late summer of 2006 C.E., Dr. James Hansen, the head of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and one of the leading climate researchers in the world, warned us that “we have a very brief window of opportunity to deal with climate change...no longer than a decade, at the most.” It seems to me that the need to act has only become more urgent since then. When Hansen spoke those words, he was arguing that we needed to keep carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the atmosphere to 475 parts per million or below. In the spring of 2008, though, Hansen wrote the following in a commentary on a scientific paper he coauthored titled “Target Atmospheric CO2: Where Should Humanity Aim?” Read more... A
Call to Action to Protect Hidden Valley
For those who may not know, bush honeysuckle was introduced into this country from Asia beginning in the late 1800s to be used as an ornamental in lawns. But, because it produces large quantities of fruit that are eaten and, therefore, distributed by birds, this plant did not remain in the lawns where it was planted but spread into many other habitats. Bush honeysuckle leafs out earlier in spring and retains its leaves longer than the other plants. This means that the sunlight the early spring flowering plants must have does not reach the forest floor and, as a result, they simply die out. Read more... Recognizing
Faith Communities Taking Environmental Action
At
War With The World: Derrick Jensen’s
Kansas City to St. Louis – More travel options than you think
Travelers between Kansas City and St. Louis typically think of two choices -- drive or fly. But there are other options. Amtrak, Greyhound, and Megabus can get you across the state in as little as 4 hours and 15 minutes. There's no discount on a round-trip ticket, so feel free to "mix and match" -- for example, go by Megabus and return by Amtrak. We've compiled a schedule and other info about the the three carriers for your convenience. Make your next trip more earth-friendly. Read more... Changes in Store for Hidden Valley Natural Area by Doris Sherrick
Nov. 2007 Exploring, enjoying and protecting Hidden Valley Natural Area (HVNA) will become easier in the future as new hiking and accessible trails are constructed, erosion control features are put in place, and work to eliminate invasive exotic species continues. Read more... Environmental,
Community Groups Announce Important Energy Agreement with Major
Utility (Kansas City, Mo.) — In a groundbreaking agreement that can serve as a model for environmental groups and utilities working together, the Sierra Club, Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L), and the Concerned Citizens of Platte County (CCPC) have agreed on a set of initiatives to offset carbon dioxide (CO2) and reduce other emissions for the Kansas City-based utility. Under the agreement announced today, KCP&L agrees to pursue offsets for all of the global warming emissions associated with its new plant through significant investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy, and cut pollution from its existing plants in order to improve air quality in the Greater Kansas City metro area. The agreement proposes other investments in clean energy, significant decreases in emissions and resolves four appeals pending between the Sierra Club, CCPC, and KCP&L. Full implementation of the terms of the agreement will necessitate approval from the appropriate authorities, as some of the initiatives in this agreement require either enabling legislative policy or regulatory approval. Read more... KCP&L’s
Dirty Air Permit Challenged! Peak
Oil, the Chamber, and a Regional Energy Strategy |
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