Fwd: review of sierra club national policy on fracking
Marty Hyman
Marty
From: Zachary Keith <zachar...@sierraclub.org>
Date: Thu, Aug 7, 2014 at 11:16 AM
Subject: review of sierra club national policy on fracking
To: Jerry Varner <varnerj...@gmail.com>
Cc: ben barnes <woos...@gmail.com>, bill thomas <billt...@citcom.net>, David Schwartz <dcsch...@hotmail.com>, John Calhoun <johncc...@bellsouth.net>, John Shaw <jo...@jashaw.com>, Judith Ferster <jfer...@ncsu.edu>, Marty Hyman <marty...@gmail.com>, pisgah chair <reyn...@brevard.edu>, Gus Preschle <exp...@triad.rr.com>
Is there someone/group of folks who can be point on reviewing the documentation and crafting a position statement for review during the next meeting?
In response to our conversation on the change in national policy re: fracking. And I would suggest looping in Kathy Rigsbee from the Foothills group. She has been very active in the fracking issue.Let me know if you have any questions.------------Dear Sierran:
Sierra Club's democratic governance and grassroots leadership has been the great strength of our Sierra Club throughout our history. It is the key to our many successes. Broad input from our membership is an essential part of making important decisions.
The Club's Board of Directors, our democratically elected leadership, has voted to seek input on two major policy decisions. The Board voted for a 60 day comment period on an important change to our fracking policy and on a key addition to our climate policy.
These two policies are, at this point, only proposed and no final decision will be made until after the comment period is completed and the Board has the opportunity to carefully consider all comments that are submitted.
The proposed fracking policy would put the Club on record clearly opposing hydraulic fracturing for gas and oil. Guidance for implementing this policy would leave to the Chapters the decision about the best strategy at the state and local level to end fracking and limit the damage from fracking until it can be ended.
Your input on both the fracking policy proposal and the guidance for Chapters is requested and is very welcome. Please post your comments to gas.co...@sierraclub.org
The proposed addition to the Club's Energy Resources policy is the result of an extensive effort by the Climate Movement Task Force. Most of the work of the Task Force involved developing strategies to increase the Sierra Club’s effectiveness in mitigating the most catastrophic impacts of climate disruption. I think you will find reading the Task Force's full report (or at least the Executive Summary) very useful. It can be found at
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bw_5Ce8Rlj8ReXBBNUsxcmtyZ0E/edit?usp=sharing
While the Club has long had a goal of eliminating the use of all fossil fuels by 2050, the Task Force felt that it was important that the Club adopt more near term goals to guide our work. The Task Force recommended that our Energy Resources Policy be supplemented by adding clean energy goals for 2030. All of these recommendations are consistent with the existing Sierra Club Energy Resource Policy, including our longstanding opposition to nuclear power.
Your input on these 2030 goals is requested and is very welcome. Please post your comments toclimatemovem...@sierraclub.org
Advocating a complete elimination of the use of fossil fuels in the electric generation sector, cutting oil use by 50% and ending fracking are all aspirational goals meant to unify and inspire the Club and provide guidance to Club entities. The Board believes that these inspirational goals will provide a basis to articulate the benefits of a cleaner energy economy, to highlight our successes to date in moving away carbon, to emphasize the feasibility of using renewable energy and energy efficiency, and to inform Club volunteers and staff in their work.
Our Board of Directors has made some bold proposals but these proposals are only preliminary. Ultimately it is up to our Club's activists and members to provide the broad input necessary for the Board to make a final decision. Please let us know what you think. Please send you comments no later than September 2.
Our Club has achieved exceptional conservation victories over the past 122 years. With your participation, we can make the good decisions that will help us to continue to achieve great successes - successes that are essential to protect the outdoors we all cherish.
Please feel free to share this memo with your chapter and group leadership.
With best wishes,
Spencer Black
Vice President for Conservation
Attached are two documents for comment:
1) the proposed new fracking policy
2) the clean energy goals policy amendment
On Tue, Aug 5, 2014 at 2:02 PM, Jerry Varner <varnerj...@gmail.com> wrote:Call in (866) 501-6174 code 1003100#Agenda:*Updates and New Issues--All
*Priority Setting Sessions--Ben Barnes, Marty, John Shaw, and Judith Ferster*Priority Setting Options and Alternatives--Jerry