 
December, 2010: In This Issue. . .
Dallas Sierra Club Annual Holiday
Party, Sunday December 12, 6:00 pm
  All
Sierra Club members, friends, and their guests are
invited to our annual holiday party at
Winfrey Point
located on White Rock Lake. This year's
party will feature a wine tasting contest,
dinner, music, and prizes. Everyone is
invited to bring either their favorite bottle
of wine for the wine tasting. The dinner
is pot luck, so bring a covered dish to share.
Also help us save on paper plates and plastic
cups by bringing your own plate, glass (and
wine glass), silverware and napkin. Great
prizes (well, maybe pretty good prizes) will be
awarded to those bringing the best organic
wine, the bottle with the most original holiday
label, and other surprise categories.
Tickets are $10 per person at the door.
Need directions?
Here is a Google map.
Sierra Club Calendars
Get your new 2011 Sierra Club
calendars at the December General Meeting. We'll also have them
at the Holiday Party on December 12.
Support the Dallas Sierra Club - buy your calendars from us
(cash or check only please).
Sierra Club Gift Wrapping at REI
 During
this busy holiday season, who has time to wrap gifts?
The Dallas Sierra Club does!
It's time for the Sierra Club's annual holiday gift wrap
fundraiser at the Dallas REI store. REI is located on the
north side of LBJ/I-635, between Midway Road and Welch Road in
North Dallas. Easy and fun! With your help we can help a lot
of shoppers get their packages wrapped and make some money for
the Dallas Sierra Club. You can sign up
online or contact
Carol Nash for more information.
2010-2011 Annual Fund Raising
Campaign
Dear Sierra Club Supporter:
As
many of you already know, the Dallas Sierra Club depends on
direct donations for over 90% of its budget. With the mid-term
elections behind us, the Club faces new challenges and the
need to continue our fight against corporate polluters is
greater than ever. The last two years have brought progress,
but those gains can be lost. Frankly, your support now is more
important than ever.
As your local group dealing with
local issues, we only make this request one time per year and
your generosity will be greatly appreciated by the people,
places, and wildlife we all work so hard to preserve.
Thank
you for your support. Please visit
this
link to make your donation. In these tough economic times, it is
critical every member make some type of contribution.
Your Dallas Chair,
Wendel Withrow
972-416-2500
General Meeting Program -
December 14, 7:00 pm - Refreshments at 6:30
We have two great speakers lined up for our December
program. Don't miss it!
Protecting Caddo Lake: A Wetland of
International Importance
By Richard Lowerre: President of the Caddo Lake Institute
 Caddo
Lake is Texas' only naturally formed lake. It includes over
6,000 acres of flooded bald cypress forest, some 400 years
old. You have to see it to believe it, so bring your canoe,
kayak or fishing pole, but do not forget the GPS or you could
spend days lost in this wonderland.
In the 1990, Caddo Lake became the thirteenth "Ramsar
Wetland Site" in the United States. The Ramsar Convention was
signed in 1971 to protect wetlands of international
importance. Over 150 nations have signed the treaty and agreed
to protect wetlands within their boundaries. There are now
over 1,800 designated Ramsar sites around the world, 30 sites
in the United States, and one in Texas.
The Caddo Lake
Ramsar Site includes approximately 20,000 acres on the
Texas-Louisiana Border. The site includes federal and state
lands and a large amount of private lands. The Caddo Lake
Institute (CLI) led the effort to obtain the designation, and
now leads a cooperative effort to protect the wetlands so
future generations can enjoy and benefit from this natural
wonder.
CLI was founded by Don Henley of the Eagles in 1993 and
remains chairman of the board of the organization. Rick
Lowerre has been the president since 2006, and represented CLI
as its attorney for many years before becoming president. Rick
has a long history with Sierra Club, serving as one of its
first "paid" lobbyists at the Texas Legislature in 1975. He is
a partner in Lowerre, Frederick, Perales, Allmon and Rockwell,
a law firm that represents environmental groups, landowners
and local governments fighting pollution and risks to public
health.
The Texas Legacy Project: Stories of Courage
and Conservation
David Todd, Coordinator of the Conservation History
Association of Texas, will speak about the book, "The Texas
Legacy Project: Stories of Courage and Conservation", released
in September from Texas A&M Press. The book draws from a large
archive of oral history interviews with environmentalists in
the state, including visits with ranchers, farmers,
politicians, scientists, and many citizen advocates. It is
illustrated with photos, maps, timelines and other materials
to give context to the excerpts. The goal is to describe
individual environmentalists' efforts and insights, outline
the conservation movement's progress in the state, and help
recruit a new generation to the effort. Background and
comments about the book are posted at
www.texaslegacy.org/bb/book.html
David Todd is the founder, coordinator, and interviewer for
the Conservation History Association of Texas. He has worked
as a hydrologist, environmental attorney, conservation donor,
and cattle rancher, and has served on the boards of Audubon
Texas, the Texas Conservation Alliance, Texas League of
Conservation Voters, and the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra
Club.
Click on over to our General
Meeting page of our website for full details about our program. We also
have directions to the meeting, including a map.
Outings Highlights
White Rock
Lake Cleanup - December 11
Walk and talk while helping
to pick up trash and recyclables at the Sierra Club's adopted
section of White Rock Lake Park. Meet at 8:15 AM at the Love
of the Lake office on the Northeast corner of Garland Rd. and
Buckner Blvd. Look for a crowd of people drinking free juice
and coffee. Gloves, trash bags, etc. provided. Our area
includes one of the wonderful prairie restoration areas, so
there are always birds and wildflowers to enjoy. The lake and
your karma will thank you. Brunch afterwards. Leader:
Carol Nash 214-824-0244(H)
Taos Bus
Trip - February 17-21
NEW DATE! Have a memorable
President's Day weekend and come play in the snow! Mark your
calendars now so you can join us for this very popular annual
trip to enjoy the winter beauty of northern New Mexico. We'll
leave Dallas on our sleeper bus around dinner time on Thur.
Feb. 17 and return early morning on Mon. Feb. 21. The trip is
very economical and offers choice of great hotel in Taos with
hot tub or backpacking/yurt accommodations. Tentative activity
options include alpine snowshoeing, downhill skiing,
snowboarding, snowtubing, a visit to a local area of interest
(such as a cultural attraction) or you can just relax and
enjoy the galleries, museums, shops, food and beauty of this
scenic and historical town. Activity ratings range from easy
to moderately strenuous. Trip includes transportation to/from
Taos, Taos Ski Valley, trailheads and destinations to
activities included in the trip. Complete details, cost and
reservation information will be posted on our website soon. To
be sure to get a seat, send an email message to the trip
leader or sign up for our Outings News email list so you'll
receive notification when the trip write up is online and
reservations open. Bus trip leader:
Liz Wheelan 214-368-2306(H)
For a complete list of our
outings,
visit our outings page.
Recycling Round-Up
by Rita Raccoon
Recent Recycling News -
December 2010
Texas Rangers Go Green for World Series
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington has been spotted with the team's
red, white and blue colors for the World Series. But behind
the scenes, there has also been plenty of green.
The most notable effort made by the organization to highlight
its ongoing environmentally friendly initiatives was to invite
150 local volunteers to assist with recycling efforts. During
each of the three World Series games hosted by Texas, 50 youth
from the Volunteer Center of North Texas canvassed the stadium
collecting recyclable products.
Though the Rangers don't enjoy this type of volunteer corps
during the regular season, the hope is that this three-day
effort will encourage other local groups to consider
volunteering for this type of project throughout the year.
Local Site for Recycling Information
http://www.timetorecycle.com/
This is the regional recycling site noteworthy for featuring
residential recycling, recycling locations, where to buy
recycled, composting corner, and games.
Close
the Loop...Buy Recycled!
Buy Recycled at Home
Recycled materials
are not truly recycled until we reuse them. The materials that
we recycle do not truly benefit the environment until a demand
is created for them. You can increase the demand by using your
purchase power. Be an environmental shopper!
Most importantly, buying recycled turns waste into a useful
resource for making other products and diverts waste from our
landfills. So close the loop and buy recycled!
What Consumers Should Look For:
Check for
the recycle symbol on the following products:
• Cereal,
cookie, and cracker packages
• Canned foods and beverages
• Detergent and cleaning supply containers
• Glass
containers
• Shampoo and beauty products
• Paper
towels and bathroom tissue
• Writing paper, notepads,
greeting cards, and stationary
• Carpeting
• Tools
• Plastic flower pots, trash cans, bins, and fencing
•
Packing boxes
• Re-refined motor oil
• Retread tires
• Automotive batteries
• Insulation in ski jackets,
gloves, and sleeping bags made from recycled PET bottles.
Definitions of Terms on Product Packaging
Here are a few terms you may encounter on product packaging:
Pre-consumer waste: This
includes the paper scraps, overruns, and misprints from the
manufacturer. These fibers are reused to produce new paper. It
does not include any material from household or commercial
recycling programs.
Post-consumer waste: These
materials have all been produced, sold consumed, and
collected. Anything you recycle at home or at work is included
in this category. Using these materials helps promote
recycling programs by creating a market for our recyclables.
In order for recycling programs to continue, we as consumers
must purchase products with at least some post-consumer waste.
Recyclable: The word
"recyclable" simply means that the product can be recycled. If
you see this on packaging, it does not mean that the product
is made of recycled materials.
Calendar
Here is our calendar for the next two months. For complete listings, visit us at
www.dallassierraclub.org.
 DEC
6 (MON) SIERRA SINGLES DINNER ON DEC 6TH AT BANANA LEAF
DECEMBER 6TH (MON) SIERRA SINGLES DINNER AT BANANA LEAF at
6:30 PM We are having our next montly dinner at the Thai
Restaurant called Banana Leaf Restaurant located at 17370
Preston Rd. Suite 500, in Dallas TX 75252. Please google or
mapquest directions. Lots of vegetarian choices. Brian Shade
is sponsoring the get-together, and will be there to introduce
folks and mingle. It will start at about 6:30PM, so come out
with the kindred souls that love the environment and love
Dallas. Their number is 972 713-0123 in case you cant find it,
and Brian Shade's number is 972-467-7049, and my number
(Ginger) is still 469-223-7902. See you there, and have a
great November. AND Dont forget the most excellent Sierra Club
of Dallas Holiday Party on December 12th, at White Rock Lake,
its on a Sunday nite, 6 to 9. It will be wonderful, there will
be a potluck and free wine and door prizes and bandannas and
of course great people to meet. See the website of Dallas
Sierra Club for details soon. Coordinators: Ginger Bradley
469-223-7902(C) and
Paul Heller 972-620-1703(H)
 DEC
11 (SAT) WHITE ROCK LAKE CLEANUP. Walk and talk while
helping to pick up trash and recyclables at the Sierra Club's
adopted section of White Rock Lake Park. Meet at 8:15 AM at
the Love of the Lake office on the Northeast corner of Garland
Rd. and Buckner Blvd. Look for a crowd of people drinking free
juice and coffee. Gloves, trash bags, etc. provided. Our area
includes one of the wonderful prairie restoration areas, so
there are always birds and wildflowers to enjoy. The lake and
your karma will thank you. Brunch afterwards. Leader:
Carol Nash 214-824-0244(H)
 DEC
14 (TUE) DALLAS SIERRA CLUB GENERAL MEETING Everyone
is invited to the General Meeting of the Dallas Sierra Club.
See above for details.
DEC
15-16 (WED-THU) SUNSET TESTIMONY ON TCEQ AND RAILROAD
COMMISSION IN AUSTIN The state environmental
agency is up for review. If you’ve had enough of the lax
enforcement, the permitting, the lack of pubic support by the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, then you will want
to testify down at the state capital in Austin. To learn more,
go to
www.acttexas.org for times. Testimony continues on
December 16th.
JAN
19 (WED) OUTINGS COMMITTEE MEETING. Meet in the upstairs
program room at REI (on north side of LBJ between Midway and
Welch), at 6:30 PM. Bring your ideas for the Dallas Sierra
Club Outings program. We will be planning local outings and
bus trips. All outings leaders, future outings leaders, and
interested Sierrans welcome. Ask Bill to be placed on the
email list for an agenda. Contact:
Bill Greer 972-247-0446(H)
 FEB
17-21 (THU-MON) 2011 BUS TRIP TO TAOS, NM NEW DATE! Have a
memorable President's Day weekend and come play in the snow!
Mark your calendars now so you can join us for this very
popular annual trip to enjoy the winter beauty of northern New
Mexico. We'll leave Dallas on our sleeper bus around dinner
time on Thur. Feb. 17 and return early morning on Mon. Feb.
21. The trip is very economical and offers choice of great
hotel in Taos with hot tub or backpacking/yurt accommodations.
Tentative activity options include alpine snowshoeing,
downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowtubing, a visit to a local
area of interest (such as a cultural attraction) or you can
just relax and enjoy the galleries, museums, shops, food and
beauty of this scenic and historical town. Activity ratings
range from easy to moderately strenuous. Trip includes
transportation to/from Taos, Taos Ski Valley, trailheads and
destinations to activities included in the trip. Complete
details, cost and reservation information will be on our
website soon. To be sure to get a seat, send an email
message to the trip leader or sign up for our Outings News
email list so you'll receive notification when the trip write
up is online and reservations open. Bus trip leader:
Liz Wheelan 214-368-2306(H)
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