 Inside
the SSC > Spotlight Group of the Month
November 2005
"University of Washington, Seattle, WA and Redmond High School,
Redmond, WA:
Combined, the UDub? and Redmond High School groups sent in over one
hundred
and fifty photo-petitions for Representative Dave Reichert to the SSC
office, urging him to VOTE NO? on budget reconciliation bill that
included
Arctic drilling. Their efforts paid off as Rep. Reichert stood up as
one of
only 25 congressional Republicans who refused to vote for any budget
bill
that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. Rep.
Reichert actually held up their pictures, as part of a huge collage the
SSC
made with them, when he announced his opposition to the vote during a
press
conference on Nov. 12! In addition, SSC calls and letters also made a
big
difference- at that same press conference Rep. Reichert stated that
over 95%
of all constituent comments he received expressed opposition to
drilling in
the Refuge. The weekend before the vote, UDub SSCers tabled in his
district
and filled up his voicemail, gathered about 175 handwritten notes, and
about
80 photopetitions of his consituents urging him to oppose Arctic
drilling!
"You have to listen to the people you represent" Reichert said as he
held up
the SSC-made posters displaying his constituents demands.
SSCers also volunteered to help the campaign of the
environmentally-friendly
candidate, Ron Simms to serve as King County Executive. In same week as
the
Arctic win, SSCers in King County (including Seattle) also celebrated
this
local election of a Sierra Club endorsed candidate that SSCers
supported.
It's looking good, folks.
May 2005
Congratulations to Ohio State University SSC! Our May award goes
out to this stellar group for the diversity of their campaigns
and projects to help support sustainability in their community
and on campus. Their actions include cleaning up a local park,
getting involved in the Sierra Club’s I Will Evolve Campaign
(www.iwillevolve.org), and even engaging in direct action to help
protect Dysart Woods, which is the last .004% of remaining old-growth
forest in Ohio. They tabled to raise awareness and participated
in court-room sit-ins to convince the court against giving
mining rights to Ohio Valley Coal. OSU SSC, in coalition with the
Buckeye Forest Council, is waiting for the decision, and you can
find updates and get involved by checking out this website: www.buckeyeforestcouncil.org
OSU SSC is also working on revamping the campus dining service
to encourage recycling, save electricity, and buy recycled products. In
the road ahead, they hope to cut out the use of Styrofoam, and
also persuade students to bring their own containers to reduce
waste. Can this group get any cooler? Why yes! The Office of Student
Affairs has invited this group of activists to work on the university’s
efforts to lower energy intake in the dorms and residence halls.
The university has already began installing eco-friendly appliances
and preparing literature to promote conservation, and the OSU
SSC will present these initiatives to the student body. This
group
wins for this month because they have given us a great example
of how to work together with your campus or administration to
create positive change in your environment. Thanks OSU SSC! We
look forward
to hearing more fantastic stories about you!
April 2005
Congratulations to St. Benedict’s Prep Environmental Club
in Newark, New Jersey! As April 2005 SSC Group of the Month, we
honor your commitment and passion for your work in the Justice
for Bhopal Campaign. This group has worked for over a year on the
campaign to clean up and bring justice for the victims of the 1984
Bhopal gas tragedy. Here’s a little background on the issue:
On December 3rd 1984, over 40 tons of highly poisonous gas leaked
out of the pesticide factory of Union Carbide in Bhopal, India.
An estimated half-million people were poisoned, and the health
impacts continue to this day. The death toll is over 20,000 to
date. It is estimated that 10-15 are dying every month. Union Carbide
fled India, leaving behind huge rusting vats of toxic waste, which
are leaking into the ground water today. Dow Chemical has since
purchased 100% of Union Carbide, and the survivors of Bhopal are
joined by an international network of environmental, labor, and
human rights groups in demanding that Dow clean up the mess and
provide medical care for those injured by Union Carbide's negligence.
December 3, 2004 was the 20th anniversary of the worst industrial
disaster in history.
In December of 2004, students at this college prep school showed
the video, “Twenty Years Without Justice” and a slide
show to the student body. On Friday Dec. 3rd the group went to
NJIT and Rutgers and handed out information slips about the tragedy.
In total they spoke to 650 students and 100 teachers at St. Benedict’s
and at NJIT and Rutgers they spoke with about 150 students and
50 teachers.
Because of this group, the students at these various schools
now know what happened 20 years ago and how to take action. On
April 15th, St. Benedict’s Prep Environmental Club went to
a “Get on the Bus” protest for Bhopal.
Despite little school funding and a year of no support from teachers,
this group has stuck it out and are doing amazing things for this
campaign and the movement for social and environmental justice.
They could have easily shut down then, but their determination
has showed the school how strong they believe in their abilities
and the cause. In addition, they were able to start their own recycling
program in the school. Can this group get any more fantastic?
If you want to take action for Bhopal and join this inspiring
group in their efforts on campus and in your community, check out
www.studentsforbhopal.org and learn how you can get started. This
is an international campaign with international ramifications,
and we need your help today.
We award St. Benedict’s Prep Environmental Club the April
Spotlight because you remind us that environmentalism is not limited
to wilderness protection, it is also about preserving human dignity
and achieving environmental justice on a larger scale. Earth Day
(Earth Month) is about seeing the larger picture, and this group
has shown their abilities and compassion through their work on
the Justice for Bhopal Campaign. THANK YOU St. Benedict’s
Prep Environmental Club for your hard work and energy on this campaign
that means so much to so many. Thank you so much.
March 2005
Congratulations to the Highland Park High School Roots and Shoots
Environmental Club in Dallas, Texas! For the past few years,
this high school group has worked
on raising awareness both on campus and in its community on environmental issues
and sustainable solutions. By launching an original “Junk Mail Trasher” campaign,
students tabled in local parks and encouraged neighbors to reduce paper waste
by removing themselves from direct mailing lists. For the past 5 years, this
Roots and Shoots chapter (a branch of the Jane Goodall Institute) has hosted
kids’ education classes for elementary school students. During the spring
semester of each school year, high school members teach lessons on ecology
and conservation to give kids a foundation in environmentalism to carry with
them as they become adults. This group has also launched 2 large Earth Day
Festivals which brought local environmental organizations into the community
to get the public informed and involved. Roots and Shoots also participates
in monthly shoreline cleanups at White Rock Lake in Dallas.
On campus, Roots and Shoots has launched successful cell-phone
recycling programs and participated in the paper recycling program
at the school. These motivated
students have worked hard to survive in the heart of an extremely hostile area
for progressive activism, and deserve the SSC Love for March 2005. To contact
this group or see what other projects they are working on, check out http://hprs.tripod.com.
Thank you HP Roots and Shoots and Keep Rockin’ the Boat!
February 2005
CONGRATULATIONS College of DuPage Sierra Club, DuPage County,
Illinois! You have been granted the glory and honor of being the
SSC's February Group of the Month!
We've heard through the grapevine about your stellar work with
the SSC's Forest Protection Campaign targeting Victoria's Secret!
This group worked with the organization, Forest Ethics, to host
a presentation on the Boreal Forest and forest protection on campus.
With a guest speaker from the organization, their event  attracted
both new membership and new energy to save the planet! This presentation
at their campus was followed up by a demonstration in
Chicago against Victoria Secret's unsustainable practices. YOU
ARE AWESOME.
The College of DuPage Sierra Club will recieve a certificate of
National Recognition from the SSC ExCom, their own spot in SSC Update
and the National SSC website, SSC goodies, and a Vegan cookbook
to celebrate! Special props to David Wilcox for being so cool.
Want to be a Group of the Month? Nominate
yourself or others today for your chance at glory.
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