Climate Action Festival this Saturday!

The Coulee Region's fourth annual Climate Action Festival is this Saturday, March 2, from 1:00-4:00 at the First Congregational Church in La Crosse (2503 Main St.). Our Sierra Club group will be tabling, along with Citizens' Climate Lobby, Friends of the Marsh, Wisconsin Bike Fed, Full Circle Supply, Coulee Region Ecoscapes,  La Crosse Area Transit Advocates, Olson Solar Energy, Mississippi Valley Conservancy, Smith's Bike Shop, Small Family Farm CSA, The Sustainability Institute at Western Technical College, Wild Clover (Holistic Sustainable Living), Winona Climate Action Network, and information on a climate-friendly diet.

The event will include break-out sessions (short presentations/discussions) - here's the schedule:

1:30 - Feeding a sustainable future: The power of the plate in addressing the climate crisis
2:00 - Leave your car at home - or get rid of it altogether! (discussion panel)
2:30 - Owning an electric vehicle: What's it really like?
3:00 - How to combat the climate crisis in your own back yard, with Coulee Region Ecoscapes

There will be a snack "buffet" with contributions from volunteers - if you would like to contribute something to the buffet, items can be dropped off starting at 12:30 (or brought when you come to the event!). Hope to see you there!!

Ready for 100 Wednesday!

Hey, it's #readyfor100 Wednesday again! This week we want to share an article from Yale's Climate Connections program on debunking three common clean energy myths. Find out how to respond when someone says, "Renewable energy isn't reliable. What happens when the sun's not shining, or the wind stops blowing?" And if you want to learn more, check out the program's archive of other great energy stories!

Flip the script.

Mitch McConnell wants to sabotage the Green New Deal by forcing a rushed vote. Call your senators now at 855-980-2389. Ask them to flip the script on Mitch and sign on as Green New Deal cosponsors instead!

Call 855-980-2389! Mitch McConnell and the fossil fuel industry were caught off guard by the sudden interest in a Green New Deal. Underlying their effort to dismiss the Green New Deal resolution is a real fear that the popular movement to address climate change and inequity jeopardizes their hold on power. McConnell's latest gambit is forcing a rushed Senate vote on the Green New Deal resolution in an attempt to stall public momentum and sow division among Democrats.1 With just days before a likely vote, we're mobilizing to make this cynical plan backfire! This is where you come in -- we need you to make a call to 855-980-2389now, asking your senators to cosponsor the Green New Deal resolution if they haven't already.2 For Democrats, our calls highlight an opportunity to unify around the twin goals of a Green New Deal -- tackling climate change and economic, racial, and gender inequity. For Republicans, our calls put them on notice that a Green New Deal is too popular and too important to be dismissed. Call 855-980-2389 now and we'll connect you with your senators' offices. Here's a sample script to help you with your call: Hi, my name is <your name> and I'm calling from <your community> in support of a Green New Deal. A Green New Deal carries the promise of economic opportunity for millions and offers bold new solutions for the climate crisis. Can I count on Senator ______ to cosponsor and support the Green New Deal resolution? [Listen and respond.] Thanks for your time. Together, we can make Oil Money Mitch’s cynical plan backfire and continue to build momentum for a Green New Deal. Sincerely, Ben Beachy Director, A Living Economy Sierra Club 1. Mitch McConnell is Playing Games with Americans' Livelihoods, Sierra Club Press Release. 2. Green New Deal Senate Resolution Cosponsors, Congress.gov

New Renewable Energy Program from Xcel

Happy #readyfor100 Wednesday!
Have you heard about Xcel Energy's new Renewable*Connect program? It will allow ANY Xcel customer to pay a little extra each month to ensure some or all of their electricity comes from renewable sources. Even if you're a renter, you can sign up! Learn more at this link, and be sure to check out the FAQs here.

Kind meeting has been cancelled

We just received word that Ron Kind is cancelling his Feb. 20 morning meeting with Green New Deal supporters due to weather concerns. As soon as this meeting is rescheduled we will let you know.

Wednesday, meeting location

UWL Student Union - room 2310 at 10:45 to 11:15 am. Meet with Rep. Ron Kind about Green New Deal on Wednesday, Feb. 20.

Pay to park in the ramp or take the #4 bus.

Meet with Rep. Ron Kind about the Green New Deal

We've just learned that 

Rep. Ron Kind will meet with local advocates of the Green New Deal on Wednesday morning, February 20, between 10:45 and 11:15 a.m. on the UWL campus 

(exact location will be posted here as soon as it's available).

If you are not able to attend in person, you may print and sign (and circulate) the petition

then email crsierraclub@gmail.com for pick up and delivery.

If you need to educate yourself about the scope, purpose, and priorities of the GND, read about it at Sunrise Movement, Sierra Club, 350.org, Union of Concerned Scientists, and many others. New co-sponsors are signing on every day. As of now, there are 84 co-sponsors in the House (not Ron Kind yet) and 11 in the Senate.

Here are a few good articles about it: 
From The Intercept: The Battle Lines Have Been Drawn on the Green New Deal (by Naomi Klein)
 
A poll conducted late last year by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication found that 81% of voters favor the GND including 59% of Republicans (see The Green New Deal has Strong Bipartisan Support)

The Sierra Club strongly supports the Green New Deal as an ambitious first step toward addressing the climate crisis while updating our failing infrastructure, creating good green energy jobs, and moving forward with justice and equity.

Green New Deal, Plastics, and a public CAFO hearing

Sen. Majority leader Mitch McConnell has announced he will call a vote on Green New Deal legislation soon. The legislation calls for swift and meaningful action to address the crisis of global warming based on the required actions listed in the October 2018 report issued by the  International Panel on Climate Change. Despite its wide and deep popularity among the American people, it has been dismissed as too expensive by the fossil fuel industry, their media, and their legislators (those legislators who have received millions from the industry like Sen. McConnell and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin.)

The Sunrise Movement and partner organizations are requesting tlGND supporters spend the next two weeks calling, emailing, and visiting their Senators of both parties to show support for GND legislation. Read more at bit.ly/senatesprint and
https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2019/02/mitch-mcconnell-playing-games-americans-livelihoods

***

On Friday, Feb 22 at 1 pm individuals interested in working to reduce the use of plastics in the La Crosse area are invited to an informal meeting at 1 pm at Cabin Coffer, 401 Jay Street. With a new governor and new priorities, there may be an opportunity to change policies to make it easier to take meaningful local action. For more info, email cvmaren@mwt.net.

***

A public informational hearing on the reissue of a CAFO license to Babcock Geneticsvwill he held on Thursday, March 14 at 10 am at the Town of Holland Town Hall. This CAFO is at the center of water quality concerns in La Crosse County.

Ready for 100 and the Green New Deal

This Ready for 100 Wednesday, let's talk about the Green New Deal resolution introduced in Congress last week. It includes a provision to meet "100 percent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources." The text of the resolution can be found here - if you like what you see, contact your representatives and ask them to support the Green New Deal! To learn more, check out these Sierra Club resources.

La Crosse County Residents:

We've created an online petition asking the La Crosse City Council and County Board to set a goal of getting 100% of the community's energy from renewable sources by 2050: 
https://addup.sierraclub.org/campaigns/clean-renewable-energy-for-la-crosse

Please sign and share with your friends!

Why are we pushing for 100% clean, renewable energy?
Wisconsin will not be immune to the impacts of climate change, but we can be part of the solution! Climate scientists agree that we must limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius to avoid the most destructive and dangerous effects of climate change. This will require net zero carbon emissions by 2050, which means ditching fossil fuels and transitioning to clean, renewable energy. It's time for the City of La Crosse and La Crosse County to join 100+ cities and 10 counties across the country in their commitments to 100% renewable energy!

Ready for 100 Wednesday!

Did you know that $14.4 billion leaves the Wisconsin economy annually to pay for energy, mostly for fossil fuels? If we used 100% renewable energy produced in-state instead, this money would stay in Wisconsin's economy, and over 100,000 jobs would be created right here! The details are laid out in this new report from the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS).

Opportunities for involvement

The Mississippi Valley Conservancy is seeking a Stewardship Coordinator and has several spring and summer internships available. Click through for details.

2019 Summer Land Management Internship
2019 Prescribed Fire Internship
2019 Digital Marketing Internship
2019 Graphic Design Internship
2019 Nonprofit Fundraising Internship
2019 GIS Specialist Internship

A new opportunity has been developed to create a community-built A to Z online sustainability resource for La Crosse County. Volunteers may sign up to update a page, create a campaign, research sustainability resources, collate materials for lesson plans and more. You chose what you love and want to share with others. This is an ongoing project - no deadlines, no pressure! Check out the project outline for details.

The Crawford Stewardship Project offers both episodic and recurring volunteer positions. Our volunteers are willing to go above and beyond to help our community learn about, understand and value our land, water and air and the threats to our ecosystems and natural resources. With ever more threats to our natural resources, our region needs us more than ever. Click through to learn more.