2011 St. Patrick’s Day Parade – Volunteer Recycling Team

The annual Greenville Ave. St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the country (~100K people, 100+ floats).  This huge event creates lots of recyclable waste AND opportunity for fun!

This will be our 4th year to help make St Patrick’s Day in Dallas even greener!  We’ve collected over one ton of materials in that time and are seeking volunteers to join the 2011 Parade Recycling Team to help divert as many recyclables as possible from the landfill!

Volunteers can collect recycling from parade viewers, stroll along with our entry to promote conservation and witness the craziness of this iconic parade from inside the barricades.  Volunteers will receive nifty green t-shirts, day of event sponsor gifts (drink vouchers, concert tix, etc.) and a memory of a lifetime.

Eventbrite RSVP (select the Volunteer ticket)

General Info:

• Date: Saturday – March 12th, 2011!
• Approx. Volunteer Time: 9:30a-1:30p (4 hrs)
• You must RSVP to receive a parade access badge.  Meet in Sam’s Club parking lot (near ACE Cash Express store in strip shopping mall – 8224 Park Ln, 75231) by 9:30am.  Police begin closing surrounding roads by 9:30a, so plan to be on site by then.
• Use DART to avoid parking hassles (Saturday schedule) – NO parking in Sam’s Club lot.
• Past Parade Recycling Effort: Photos or Detailed Info (which is similar to this year)
• What to do between now and then?  RSVP to Volunteer on Eventbrite! Share with your friends and social networks (Recycling Team Facebook Page)!

More details will be provided to RSVPs as the event nears.  All are welcome to participate.

Questions: Email Peter

More info: Greenville Ave St Patrick’s Day Parade website

Sunset Public Hearing on TCEQ – Austin – 12/15/2010

Join us on at the Sunset Public Hearing on TCEQ this Wednesday, December 15th, at the Capitol, to testify on our state environmental agency’s performance during this once-in-a-decade review process. The more people who can be with us from the different quarters of the state, the louder our messages will be heard. Together, we can make real improvements to our state’s air and water quality!

When you arrive at the Capitol:
Sign in to speak at the Sunset Hearing in Senate Finance Room E1.036 on Capitol Extension Floor 1. To get to the Extension Floor 1, take the elevators just north of the main rotunda in the Capitol to E1. Walk down the hallway, past committee hearing rooms, pass the sky-lit underground rotunda and find E1.036 in the back right of E1.

You can connect with your fellow Alliance for a Clean Texas (ACT) advocates any time in our ACT headquarters — Members’ Lounge, E2.1002
- Pick up 1-page ACT Recommendations to Sunset Commission
- 9:00 AM Breakfast
- 10:00 AM ACT Group Photo in Capitol Rotunda
- 10:30 Noon ACT Press Conference (Time changed to 10:30 AM.)

Questions/Ride-sharing from North Texas: Please contact Lize Burr at ACT

Sunset Advisory Commission’s Review of TCEQ (Released on November 18th, 2010)

Stroll Beyond Coal – Chisholm Trail – Plano (11/20/2010)

Texans across the state are participating in Beyond Coal community events to call for clean energy solutions in Texas, and raise awareness about the threat that coal-fired power poses to the state’s environment and citizen health. We are calling on our elected officials to stop the coal rush in Texas – 13 additional coal-fired power plants are in the early development or permitting process! Many of these plants will be located SE of DFW and contribute to our already poor air quality.

Join us to Stroll Beyond Coal with other Dallas area folks at our Day Hike on the Chisholm Trail in Plano! Sign the “No More Coal” petition to elected state officials, bring anti-new coal posters for photos, receive free t-shirts!!

Time/Date: 9:30 AM – November 20th
Location: Meet in front of the Starbucks/Barnes Noble in Plano (801 West 15th Street, just west of US 75)
Details: We will walk 5-6 miles on a paved path. Bring water. No reservations, just show up. Optional lunch afterward.
Leader: Judy Cato 972-238-5738(H)

Fall Break

Hello Dallas area Young Sierrans!  Candace and I have been a bit busy lately and are taking a break from organizing regular events until our calendars clear up a bit.  We’re sorry for any inconvenience, and we hope that everyone is doing well.

We encourage everyone to check out the many DFW area “green” or sustainably-minded groups that are sprouting in our backyard. Some recommendations include: Dallas GreenDrinks, Net Impact DFW, EcoTuesday and GreenWeavers.  Each group offers something different ranging from more social to more business networky.

We appreciate everyone’s continued interest in the Dallas Young Sierrans and encourage folks to share their outing plans (i.e., day hike or bike ride) or any new “green” ideas (i.e., new “green” restaurant) with fellow Young Sierrans via our Dallas Young Sierrans Facebook page. We will continue to post the occasional info-share.

After almost four years of leading this subgroup of the Dallas Sierra Club, Candace and I have begun discussing a succession plan.  If anyone is interested in learning more about co-leading the Dallas Young Sierrans, please contact us and we’d be happy to involve you in our conversation.

In the meantime, we hope everyone has a great fall.  We hope to see you out there!

Peter/Candace

DIRT! The Movie & Discussion – La Grange – Deep Ellum

Update – BIG Thanks to La Grange and everyone who came out to make this a successful event!  See our Flickr page for photos from the evening’s activities.

We will be hosting a FREE screening of the film “DIRT! The Movie” and engaging attendees with a post-film panel discussion led by representatives from TX AgriLife Research and Extension Center. Local community gardening and mindful food organizations will also be on hand.

This event is open to the public – all are welcome to attend!

Drink specials ($3 drafts & wells, 1/2 priced wine). Free appetizers.

La Grange – Deep Ellum (map) – DART Green Line stop Baylor Station
2704 Elm St.
Dallas, 75226

Dinner with Michael Brune – 9/8/2010

Please join us for a special opportunity to meet National Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune.

Texas is in a unique environmental position: it is a major battleground in the national fight against coal-fired power plants, and it is also a potential national leader in renewable energy. Come listen to Michael’s thoughts on how a slight political shift could produce an environmental majority in the Texas House which could signal much smarter energy legislation leading to cleaner air and water in Texas. A new governor could help make that legislation become a reality and assure that the state environmental regulatory agency enforces the laws.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2010
The Park City Club