Thursday, December 2, 2010

Sierra Club, New Orleans Group Holiday Potluck Dinner

You are invited to our Annual Holiday pot-luck dinner on Sunday Dec. 5th.

Bring yourself, a friend, a covered dish, and good cheer. Sierra will provide a ham and soft drinks. If you desire other beverages, BYOB. Please bring your own plates, cups and utensils etc.

When: Sunday night, the 5th of December, 2010

Time: 6:00 pm-8 pm

Where: EcoCafe, 3903 Canal St, New Orleans (corner of North Scott and
Canal St., two blocks from Carrollton Ave.). Zip 70119

For more info call Colleen Morgan, 504-701-1880; or Vance Levesque, 504-529-2089.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Group Program Sunday, November 14

SIERRA CLUB PROGRAM, Sunday Nov. 14 Audubon Zoo, Dominion Auditorium. Charles E. Allen III of the City of New Orleans Dept. of Coastal and Environmental Affairs. Enter education gate behind the statue of Audubon to far right of main public gate. Parking plentiful and safe. (504) 780-8889 for more info. The program is free and open to everyone. Refreshments/socializing at 6:30pm Program 7 to 8pm.


CHARLES E. ALLEN, III, MSPH is director of the New Orleans Office of Coastal and Environmental Affairs and he serves as advisor to our city's Mayor on such affairs. He is also Vice-Chair of the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association and until recently was serving as acting director of the Lower 9th Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development. He also serves as a board member of a partnership and project known as REACH-NOLA, which works to improve access to quality health care for New Orleans residents. He also serves as a board member and secretary of the New Orleans Hospital Services District A Board. This board is working to rebuild a hospital for the Eastern New Orleans community. Finally, he serves on Louisiana Governor's Advisory Committee on Coastal Restoration and Protection.


Mr. Allen is a proud graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana where he received his Bachelor's of Science degree in Biology in spring 1995. He is also a graduate of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine where he received his Master's of Science in Public Health in fall 1998 and is a life-long resident of New Orleans.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Group Program Sunday, October 10

The October 10 monthly meeting of the New Orleans Group of the Sierra Club will have a presentation by Charles Fryling, the Chairman of the Atchafalaya Basin Committee of Sierra Club’s Delta Chapter.

Fryling leads tours and teaches the public about the Atchafalaya River Basin, a  15-mile-wide floodplain located 100 miles west of New Orleans that carries 30 percent of the Mississippi River’s flow. The program will focus on the environmental issues that plague the Atchafalaya Basin and will be promoting the upcoming Atchafalaya Basin Festival on Saturday, Nov. 13 in Henderson, LA.

The meeting will be held at the Dominion Auditorium of the Audubon Zoo, at 6500 Magazine Street, and will start with refreshments at 6:30 and a short business meeting at 7 p.m.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

New Orleans Group/LWV-New Orleans screening of "Tar Creek"


Sierra Club/New Orleans Group (in co-sponsorship with the The League of Women Voters-New Orleans) is screening the environmental film "Tar Creek" on Thursday, Sept. 23rd, from 7-9pm, at the Audubon Zoo's Dominion Education Center. We request a donation of $2-$3 per person to defray costs.
Everyone is welcome to come.

Plot
This environmental documentary examines the Tar Creek Superfund Site, a stretch of Oklahoma heartland that has long been profoundly damaged by zinc and lead mining. The piece looks back as far as 100 years into Tar Creek's history (when the U.S. government removed natives from the land), and traces the many offenses that have been committed against the area and its people over the past century.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Tangipahoa River Canoe/Kayak Trip

Tangipahoa River Canoe/Kayak Trip
Paddle  the beautiful Tangipahoa River:  Arcola to Amite-- easy five mile stretch,  good for beginners
When: Sunday, September 26
Must have canoe or kayak (no rental on River)
For rendezvous location and time contact Harvey Stern at 504-891-7116 or hrstern@juno,com

Hike in new Bogue Chitto State Park: Sat, October 9 from 10am – 4pm

The group will meet at Lakeside Shopping Center and carpool to the park an hour and 15 minutes north. The group will have a picnic and then hike the park's trails and, if members are inclined, play on the beach and/or in the Bogue Chitto River. Canoes and kayaks are welcome but hiking boots or sturdy shoes are required. Come help us break in the state's new park!

For information and to sign up, email:
joelle_finley@bellsouth.net

or call Joelle at 504-715-2647.

Friday, August 27, 2010

September Group Program: Habitat Restoration and Sustainable Development.

Group Program Sunday, Sept. 12

Joe Evans from Futureproof will present a program about habitat restoration and sustainable development.

Audubon Zoo, Dominion Auditorium. Enter education gate behind the statue of Audubon to far right of main public gate.  Parking plentiful and safe.  (504) 780-8889 for more info.

The program is free and open to everyone.  Refreshments/socializing at 6:30 P.M.  Program 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Who you lookin' at?

You had better be lookin' at us. Well more specifically, we want you to look at our new Facebook group dedicated to the New Orleans Group of the Sierra Club. Find it at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=76134098503&ref=nf

Of course we also want you to join our FB group. Membership is open to anyone even if you aren't also a Sierra Club member. Of course you do have to be a Facebook user to join. If you are not already a FB member, what are you waiting for?

Don't forget to drop us a line when you do join our group. You are also welcome to post away on this group. Our only request is that you keep things focused on either the environment or the New Orleans Group or both.

We also want to extend an invitation to all our Yahoo Group members to join our Facebook group.

Welcome to century 21.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Jean Lafitte NHP and preserve expanded... finally!

After many years and many false starts, The Barataria Unit of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park (NHP) and preserve has been expanded. The bill expanding the park was recently signed into law by President Obama.

Nola.com, the Web site of the New Orleans Times Picayune gives all the details in the following article:
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1238822638157190.xml&coll=1

See a photo of the park's expansion here:
http://photos.nola.com/tpphotos/2009/04/park_addition.html

Monday, July 26, 2010

Sierra Club Celebrates Little Gypsy Victory After A Two-Year Battle

By JENNIFER GROSSO
Just thirty miles west of New Orleans along State Highway 48 is the town of Montz, Louisiana. It is the home of Little Gypsy, a natural gas plant that supplies energy to the residents of Louisiana. In 2007, Entergy Louisiana LLC announced its plans to retrofit the plant to burn coal and petroleum coke (a byproduct of oil refining) instead of natural gas in order to diversify the fuel mix.

Entergy designed the plans for Little Gypsy with the intent of both varying Louisiana’s electricity sources as well as mitigating the continually rising costs of natural gas for consumers. However, as the nation experienced significant economic changes, finance and environmental legislation became two important factors for the repowering project.

In 2007, Entergy had originally estimated the retrofit to cost approximately $1 billion. In October 2007, their proposal was approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC), despite objections made by the Sierra Club. Sierra Club representatives were among the first to predict the financial problems that would inevitably bring the construction plans to a halt. We filed a complaint with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in January 2008 concerning Entergy’s failure to adequately assess future costs and emission regulations. Two months later, we followed up with an additional request to the LPSC to reconsider the permit as well.

In June 2008, Sierra Club along with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, the Alliance for Affordable Energy and the Gulf Restoration Network filed suit against the LPSC’s approval of Entergy’s plans under the Clean Air Act for exceeding the regulations for toxic emissions including mercury, lead and arsenic.

Researchers from the Histecon Associate group, hired by the Sierra Club and affiliates to assess the Little Gypsy construction plans, say that the cost of coal is increasing at a rate of 16% per year. In early 2009, Entergy reported that new environmental regulations, increased costs of construction and labor, and inadequate financing options, Little Gypsy project would be estimated to cost an upwards of $1.76 billion. However, this estimate only includes environmental regulations that have been put in place within the first few months of the Obama administration. In addition to the existing regulations, extensive greenhouse gas emission regulations are expected to be implemented. Considering that coal plants are the number one source of human derived greenhouse gas emissions, these regulations could increase the cost of the retrofit by another one-third to one-half.

These substantial fiscal changes convinced Entergy that the benefits of the retrofit to the company and consumers would not be realized for another 13 years or more. Not only are the benefits becoming more distant in the future, but they are also decreasing in relevance. The rising natural gas prices Entergy sought to avoid have since stopped and began to fall with the discovery of the Haynesville shale formation, leaving the company with one less reason to convert Little Gypsy.

After filing several additional petitions opposing the Entergy permits to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and Environmental Protection Agency, the LSPC ordered Entergy to review their construction plans to convert Little Gypsy on March 11th, 2009. Less than one month later, Entergy Louisiana LLC formally asked the LPSC for permission to suspend the project for a minimum of three years, at which point the project will be eligible for review. Sierra Club representatives believe that the delay is long enough to allow the continually increasing costs of coal to put the project on hold indefinitely.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Sierra Club Picnic. Audubon Zoo Education Center. Sunday July 11, 2010 5pm-8pm

Sierra Club Picnic
Audubon Zoo Education Center

Sunday July 11, 2010
5pm-8pm


The Sierra Club's (New Orleans Group)  annual picnic in Audubon Park will be held near the Dominion Auditorium, inside the Zoo perimeter, where we have
our monthly meetings.  

Park in the Audubon Zoo Parking lot and enter through gate upriver (to left of main entrance).  There will be a Sierra Club banner near the gate.  

Sierra will provide the grill, hamburgers, vegi-burgers and hotdogs plus some non-alcoholic drinks.  If you require other beverages, please bring your own.

We are asking everyone to bring a covered dish with a favorite side or snacks.   Also, bring your plates, cups and utensils to help the environment. Bring  chairs etc.

If you have frisbees or other entertainment join in the fun.  This will be an opportunity to socialize, and talk about the greening of New Orleans.

Guests are welcome.  Call 504-8618465 if you have any questions.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Sierra Club Program. Sunday, June 13, 7:00 PM. "The BP Oil Catastrophe".

Sierra Club Program. Sunday, June 13, 7:00 PM. "The BP Oil Catastrophe". John Lopez of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and Aaron Viles of the Gulf Restoration Network will speak. Audubon Zoo Dominion Auditorium. Free and open to all. Enter the gate a few yards to the right of the main public zoo entrance. Doors open and refreshments at 6:30 PM. Program 7 PM to 8 PM. Parking plentiful. Call 504-780-8889 for more information.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

May New Orleans Group Program: Bicycle Maintenance and Repair Workshop.

Sierra Club Program Sunday, May 16, Audubon Zoo, Dominion Auditorium and outside yard. Liz Lichtman and Victor Pizarro will present a bicycle maintenance and repair workshop. 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Pre-registration requested. 504-780-8889 to register and for more info.

Social and refreshments from 6:30 PM to 7 PM. At 7 PM, Lauren Sullivan will present a program about the work of NOLA Cycles and bicycling in New Orleans. Also, additional speakers TBA. Parking plentiful and safe in zoo parking lot. Enter gate behind Audubon statue in front of the zoo and turn right. It is some distance to the right of the main public zoo entrance.Free and open to all.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Sierra Club, New Orleans Group program: Marine Mammals in the Gulf of Mexico. April 11, 2010:

Sierra Club, New Orleans Group program: Marine Mammals in the Gulf of Mexico.
by Dr. Deborah Epperson, Biologist for the Minerals Management Service, U.S. Dept of Interior

The Gulf of Mexico is a diverse habitat. There are 28 species of marine mammals that are known to occur in the Gulf of Mexico, with about 20 of those living here year-round. For example, did you know that we have a resident population of sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico? Deborah will present the results of ongoing research into the ecology and distribution marine mammals in the Gulf of Mexico. Recently there was a newspaper report of a giant squid caught in the Gulf - a favorite food of sperm whales. Please join us on Sunday, April 11th at 7pm, for a very interesting program.

The Sierra Club program will be in the Dominion Auditorium, Audubon Zoo (6500 Magazine St, New Orleans). The doors open at 6:30 pm with refreshments. The program starts at 7pm. The Dominion Auditorium is near the front entrance to the zoo. Enter the gate upriver from the main public entrance. A Sierra Club banner will be posted near the gate.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

March Program: "Pearl River Monitoring Project: Louisiana and Mississippi"

Date: Sunday, March 14, 2010, 7pm,
Place: Audubon Zoo, Dominion Auditorium,
6500 Magazine St, New Orleans
Program: "Pearl River Monitoring Project: Louisiana and Mississippi"
Sponsor: Sierra Club, New Orleans Group

Sierra Club, New Orleans Group presents a program entitled:

"Pearl River Monitoring Project: Geomorphic and Sediment Assessment in Louisiana and Mississippi"

by Dr. Tom Kennedy, The Nature Conservancy

The Pearl River is a highly significant watershed in the southeastern United States, supporting a large array of habitats and diversity of aquatic fauna as well as providing an essential resource for drinking, industrial use, and recreation for the public.

The Pearl River monitoring project, identified as a high priority need in conservation planning efforts, was completed in fall 2009 by the Louisiana Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Field work was conducted from the Ross Barnett Reservoir to the Lake Borgne. Bank condition and stability, as well as sediment profiles at strategic locations, were measured and evaluated along this length of river. Results of the assessment will be discussed as well as recommendations for future directions to conserve this natural resource and the biological biodiversity it supports.

The Sierra Club program will be in the Dominion Auditorium at Audubon Zoo (6500 Magazine St). The doors open at 6:30 pm with refreshments. The program starts at 7pm. The Dominion Auditorium is near the front entrance to the zoo. Go in the gate upriver from the main public entrance. A Sierra Club banner will be posted near the entrance.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Sierra Club, New Orleans Group presents a two-part program entitled: "Protection of our Coastal Cypress Forests"

Sunday February 21, 2010:

Sierra Club, New Orleans Group presents a two-part program entitled:

"Protection of our Coastal Cypress Forests"

by John Ettinger (Environmental Protection Agency), and Rob Heffner (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers).

For several years out-of-state companies have subjected Louisiana coastal cypress forests to an onslaught of clear cutting for primary use as garden mulch. Although many illegal operations have been stopped by citizen and federal agency involvement, this onslaught continues.

John Ettinger will discuss cypress logging in coastal Louisiana, particularly with respect to Clean Water Act (CWA), Section 404, the science regarding the sustainability or lack thereof of coastal cypress swamps. There will be an update of EPA activities and enforcement.

Rob Heffner will discuss the regulation of cypress logging in coastal Louisiana, particularly with respect to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act (RHA). Additionally, he will bring us up to date on Corps enforcement activities related to logging activities.

John and Rob have been working cooperatively to help protect our coastal cypress forests and enforce laws to prevent their destruction. Please come an hear an interesting and timely talk.

Audubon Zoo, Dominion Auditorium. Enter gate to far right of main gate. Look for Sierra Club banner. Parking plentiful and safe. Free and everyone welcome. Doors open 6:30 p.m. with refreshments. Program 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, February 21, 2010. Call (504) 780-8889. www.louisiana.sierraclub.org/neworleans