----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Michael Brune <Michael.Brune@sierraclub.org>
To: HQ-ANNOUNCEMENTS@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG
Sent: Tue, June 1, 2010 3:51:25 PM
Subject: Natural Gas Initiative
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THIS MESSAGE IS AN INFORMATIONAL MESSAGE BEING SENT TO ALL SIERRA CLUB STAFF,
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, MEMBERS OF ALL ADVISORY COMMITTEES, COUNCIL EXCOM,
AND MANY OTHER NATIONAL COMMITTEE LEADERS,CHAPTER CHAIRS, CHAPTER
CONSERVATION CHAIRS, GROUP CHAIRS, AND CCL DELEGATES.
***PLEASE DO NOT REPLY *** TO SENDER OR FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO LISTS WHO
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From: Michael Brune
June 1, 2010
To: Sierra Club Volunteers and Staff
Re: Natural Gas Initiative
Friends and Colleagues:
In one of my first messages to you as the
Sierra Club’s new executive director, I spelled out four matters I consider
priorities for my first three months. Today I’d like to discuss
our plans for addressing one of those priorities: the regulation
of natural gas.
The topic has come up often in my travels
and it is important that we address it even as we focus so much attention
on the disaster BP has created in the Gulf. As the recent natural
gas boom changes the energy landscape, new production techniques raise
environmental concerns about this fuel. Let me repeat now what I have been
telling those of you who fear that your favorite landscapes and the communities
you love may be at risk: The Sierra Club has your back. We
will stand with you to ensure that natural gas extraction is effectively
regulated and that the industry employs the safest and most environmentally
sound techniques.
We stand at a crossroads today. The
time is coming when coal and oil will be the energy of the past. Over
the past five years Sierra Club has led a nationwide effort with our chapters
and local allies that prevented the construction of more than 125 coal-fired
power plants. Just two weeks ago the Mississippi Chapter won a David-versus-Goliath
battle to block Southern Company’s proposal to build a massive new coal
plant.
On the horizon are the predominance of new
clean-energy projects and the country’s reliance on wind and solar. The
only question is how long it will take (and what we’ll lose as many of
our leaders dither). As the Sierra Club works hard to stop the worst
of the worst, we have to fight equally hard to promote the best of the
best, starting with energy efficiency and moving on to the range of renewables,
from responsibly sited wind and solar projects to distributed generation
in communities across the country.
During the transition from old to new, we
acknowledge that some fuels will remain in use, even though they should
have no place in our long-term energy vision.
Several years ago the Sierra Club, using
its standard democratic processes and taking into account the best scientific
evidence, acknowledged that natural gas will be part of the transition
from far dirtier energy sources—particularly coal—to a clean-energy future
(http://bit.ly/SCnaturalgaspolicy).
This policy was born of the Club’s realization that the threat of
climate disruption is severe and that we need an immediate solution to
get off coal on a massive scale.
A commitment to problem solving is one of
our organization’s great strengths. The responsible use of natural
gas will help the nation address the complex problem of climate change,
but only if we do it right.
We must be clear that energy efficiency,
distributed solar and wind, and appropriately sited large-scale wind, solar
and geothermal projects are true clean-energy solutions and should be at
the front of the line for new energy investments. Indeed, it is a
priority for the Club to build a package of grassroots campaigns so that
we can more effectively build a movement and make dramatic progress at
the local, state and federal levels to stabilize energy demand and create
a larger share of the pie for clean energy.
We must also wrestle with the environmental
challenges raised by the use of natural gas. Modern natural gas production
techniques can cause significant environmental damage, and the risks are
multiplied by the increasing use of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”)
technology that allows for recovery of gas from deep in shale formations.
Expanded natural gas production without adequate regulation has led
to serious problems, from fouled well water in Wyoming, to polluted rivers
in the Northeast, to air-pollution in Texas. These problems are exacerbated
by legal loopholes that exempt the industry from basic environmental laws,
by outdated state regulations that do not fully control modern gas-production
practices, and by the limited capacity of authorities to enforce those
laws on the books.
A volunteer-led task force has developed
a policy calling for the strict regulation of natural gas fracturing (http://bit.ly/frackingpolicy).
Among the types of drilling projects the Club opposes are those in which
the contents of fracking fluids are not disclosed to the public or contain
an unacceptable toxic risk, and those that fail to protect drinking and
surface water or violate air-quality standards.
To implement this policy, the Club recently
formed the Hydraulic Fracture Implementation Task Force and the Hydrofracking
Team on the Activist Network
(http://bit.ly/activistnetworkgasfrack).
The task force is developing model regulatory standards based on detailed
best management practices, overseeing an effort to push for them in pilot
states, and guiding the identification of areas that should be off-limits
to natural gas production. It has already worked with chapters and coalition
partners to submit extensive technical and legal comments on numerous state
and federal regulatory proposals governing natural gas production. It has
also joined with several groups to form a team of attorneys and experts
to develop model regulations. The growing team will include engineering,
hydrology and toxicology specialists and other technical experts.
Grassroots advocacy for natural gas regulation
is essential. That’s why we’re launching a natural gas campaign to coordinate
hard-hitting efforts across the country to make sure that this industry
is regulated and using best practices. Watch for upcoming opportunities
to get involved.
I applaud the excellent work our chapters
and activists have already done, and I encourage those of you involved
in these efforts to keep pushing for environmental safeguards.
Doing sophisticated campaign work on efficiency
and renewables is critical to our success. Getting it right on natural
gas is also essential as we move toward a clean-energy future. The Sierra
Club has experienced tremendous success in recent years in our efforts
to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that cause climate disruption. Securing
major improvements in natural gas extraction practices and regulation is
a top priority. I’m looking forward to working with you to get this crucial
work done.
I welcome your feedback and ideas. To let
me know what you think please visit: www.sierraclub.org/ed/memos
And next Monday, June 7, at 5 p.m. Pacific, I will host a call with
all volunteers and staff to talk about our natural gas campaign and policies
and answer questions (1 866-501-6174;
Code 223-9223#).
Onward,
Michael Brune
Executive Director
Sierra Club
415-977-5662
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www.sierraclub.org
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