A Message from the Sierra Club for California Residents - Do This!

Your Action Needed NOW to Reduce Greenhouse Gases from Fuels in California



To Everyone Concerned About Global Warming:

One way in which the state’s global warming law, AB 32, calls for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is by requiring cars and trucks to use low carbon fuels. But the devil, as always, is in the details. The state Air Resources Board (CARB) is about to specify those details in a regulation. But industry lobbyists are trying to make those regulations weak.

The Sierra Club will be testifying at the April 23rd hearing as the CARB board listens to arguments about this regulation.

You can help fend off attempts to weaken it by taking a moment to send this message (suggested text below) to CARB:

Please personalize your message if at all possible.

Here is the suggested email text to send to mnichols@arb.ca.gov

Please send a copy of your email to us at globalwarmingaction@gmail.com



Mary Nichols, Chair

California Air Resources Board
1001 "I" Street
P.O. Box 2815
Sacramento , CA 95812





Dear CARB Chair Nichols,

Thank you for your support of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).

I hope that the Board will pass a very strong LCFS, without any loopholes. Specifically:

· Please make sure to account accurately for GHG emissions from land use change when converting land to production of biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. Taking land out of use for growing food can lead to cutting down forests or tilling fallow land to make up for lost food crops. This would release large amounts of GHG.

· Please require use of ultra-low carbon fuels to produce electricity, for example from solar and wind power. That will reduce GHG emissions much more than modestly low-carbon fuels like ethanol. If we simply bring more fuels like ethanol into the state, consumers in other states may turn to oil. That in turn will not incentivize developers of electric vehicles, as well as of wind and solar power.

· Since some methane – a GHG even more powerful than CO2 – escapes from landfills even with the best methane capture technology, please do not allow landfill gas to be classified as a low-carbon fuel until all of its emissions can be accounted for.

10 Things to Do in the Dark

No, it's not that kind of list!

Tomorrow is Earth Hour, 8-9 PM. See how much you can turn off! Then, try these things:

WWF Presents: Ten Things to Do in the Dark
Wondering what to do when the lights go out for Earth Hour? Here are ten fun ideas to help you, your family and your friends make a change and make a difference on March 29.

Host a Green Party

Get your friends together for an Earth Hour eco-party. Fire up the flashlights and battery lanterns, serve organic food, avoid the disposable utensils, use natural décor (like flowers and hanging plants) and have a friend provide acoustic music. Talk to your guests about how you’re each reducing your environmental footprint and share ideas and solutions for saving more energy, money and carbon dioxide.

Give Yourself an Energy Makeover

Use Earth Hour to make your home more energy efficient: Replace your old light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs; install power strips (so you can turn computers and electronics on and off more easily); and change your air conditioner filters. Or go one step farther and install one new energy-efficient item, like an EnergyStar qualified DVD player. And on Monday, call your local utility and sign up for green power—like wind, hydro or solar.

Go Green with Your Kids

Earth Hour is a perfect time to talk to your kids about the environment and why we need to protect our planet from the dangers of climate change. Check out books on the environment from the library and read by flashlight, or head into the yard and have a night picnic. Or how about a night of board games? There are even Earth Hour kids’ activities you can download at www.earthhour.org.

Do a Recyclables Scavenger Hunt

Get your flashlights and scour your cabinets and shelves for cans, bottles and cardboard (like cereal boxes) that you don't normally recycle. Make a list of all the non-recyclable containers you’re using now (like plastic shopping bags and butter tubs), and figure out ways to reduce your consumption of items that end up in landfills. One easy tip: get reusable grocery bags...and reuse them!

Green That Workspace!

Working the night shift? Even if you can’t turn off all the lights at work, look around and see what you can unplug, turn down or use less of (like consuming less paper by printing double-sided). Every day millions of computer screens and speakers are left on overnight—shut ‘em off! And talk to your coworkers about what they can do to help make a difference too.

Involve Your Local Leaders

If your city or town isn't already hosting an Earth Hour event, ask your local government to set up a community "green" discussion in a public building from 8 to 9 p.m. on March 29. Help organize attendance by reaching out to local environmental and community groups, and come prepared to ask your leaders what they’re doing to make your city greener.

Clean Up Your Neighborhood

Grab a flashlight and take a long walk through your neighborhood, picking up trash and recyclables as you go. It's a great chance to do some stargazing too!

Unplug and Chill Out

Most of our daily activities—like watching TV, shopping online and texting friends—require loads of electricity, but do we really need to do so much stuff all the time? Take one hour for yourself to just chill...turn off the screens, put down the handheld devices and just take some "you" time to reflect, read or talk to your family. After all, why do more when you can do less?

Take Your Temperature

Your thermostat and your refrigerator are responsible for a huge portion of your carbon footprint. If you lower your thermostat by just 2 degrees and set your fridge to 37° F. and the freezer at 0° F., you'll make a big difference.

Make a Pledge for the Planet

Earth Hour shouldn't end at 9:01 pm—it's a chance to take a first step toward lowering your overall impact on the environment. So use part of that hour to make a personal pledge to do more—recycle, drive less often, remember to turn off or unplug electronics, and beyond. The only way we're going to stabilize our climate is if we make real changes in our everyday lives. That change begins with Earth Hour, and ends with a healthy planet.

Cute polar bears

My aunt sent me an e-mail with misattributed pictures of Knut the Berliner polar bear. Cute! Looking for the proper link, I found this game. As treehugger says, you can use it to jump start a convo with your own youguns re global warming and all that. But it's just fun. Merry!

Another Great List of Things We Can Do

Featured on Here and Now today, Time's 51 things you can to to fight global warming.

I already wrote a note to my mayor asking him to make Phoenix an LED city (and a Cool City as well).

Let's all work on one a day! :)

New Year's Resolutions that Really Make a Difference

I was SO excited to hear about An Inconvenient Truth's 2 Oscar nominations yesterday. I think it HAS to be a shoo-in. As great as the other docs may be, what other documentary will people remember in 40 years as having made a real difference?

In honor of AIT, here is a list of New Year's Resolutions you can make that will really make a difference.

And how LAME is Bush's 20% in 10 years plan ("Bold", ABC? Really??) - and it wouldn't even bring down carbon that much! Ludicrous.

I think we'll be planning something for this, check it out: http://www.stepitup2007.org/