On February 24th the Natural Resources Committee held a public hearing on LB 1048, one of the most anticipated hearings of the legislative session. The stated intent of LB 1048 is to establish policies for export of electricity from wind development by private developers while protecting Nebraska’s public utilities. Since Nebraska is an all public-power state, LB 1048 represents a historic undertaking. The hearing was well-attended and attracted a wide range of input.
I have mixed feelings about LB 1048. On the one hand, the Sierra Club has supported renewable energy development for years and it has been one of our top priorities for at least the last five years. Read the rest of this entry »

– Steve Krieg, Chief Inspector of Election
The annual election for the Club’s Board of Directors is now underway. Those eligible to vote in the national Sierra Club election will receive in the mail (or by Internet for those who chose the electronic delivery option) your national Sierra Club ballot. This will include information on the candidates and where you can find additional information on the Club’s website. Read the rest of this entry »

CHAPTER CHAIR’S CORNER – Dick Boyd
After eighteen years as the Club’s Executive Director, last year Carl Pope announced his resignation. This January 2010, Mike Brune was selected by the National Board of Directors as our organization’s new Executive Director. For those who have not read the biography of Michael Brune on the Sierra Club web site, much of the information below came from there as well as an article by Jason Mark in the publication entitled Earth Island Journal. Read the rest of this entry »

CONSERVATION NEWS
– Buffalo Bruce, P. V. Conservation Chair
Is China leading the race for clean energy? An article in the New York Times of January 30, 2010, reports that China vaulted past competitors last year to become the world’s largest maker of wind turbines and is poised to expand even further this year. China has also emerged as the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels. Read the rest of this entry »

The Sierra Club is co-sponsoring,with The Nature Conservancy and Countryside Community Church’s Center for Faith Studies,the second annual “Radical Amazement” event, exploring the intersections of faith, imagination, and the environment, through lectures and opportunities for conversation offered by visiting author David James Duncan.
Friday, April 9, 7 p.m. The Wild Without, The Wild Within”
Saturday, April 10, 9 a.m. In the Beginning” and “Fly Fishing and Life”
Location: Countryside Community Church, 8787 Pacific St., Omaha
Read the rest of this entry »