Guided Tour/Lunch – McCommas Bluff Landfill (12/5/09)

Hey Young Sierrans! Another behind-the-scenes, environmental educational opportunity awaits your participation!

Just in time for the holiday season, the City of Dallas has gratefully arranged a guided tour for our group of the McCommas Bluff Landfill (MBL).  You may have read all about it in last month’s Advocate magazine cover story, Trash to Treasure. Here’s our opportunity to tour and learn about this big business, waste management facility.

As one of the largest municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills in the country, the MBL typically receives 7,000 tons of MSW per day and supports a 5-million cubic feet per day high-BTU landfill gas (LFG) processing facility. The enhanced leachate recirculation (ELR) project has been coined Texas’ largest “recycling” project since it could result in the destruction of up to 40% of the in-situ waste volume.

Optional lunch at the Old Monk follows the tour.  Please RSVP by 12/3.

Date: December 5th, 2009

Carpool Meet Up Time at the Old Monk: 9:15am (depart 9:30am)

Tour Time: 10am

More Info: Landfill Bio-Technology for McCommas Bluff Landfill (PDF) from the Sustainable Communities Conference (Feb-09). MBL – The Pursuit of Renewable Natural Gas (PDF) from the National Biomethane Summitt (Jun-09).

Kayaking & Clean Up – White Rock Lake – Dallas (11/14/09)

Please join us at White Rock Lake as part of the Second Saturday Shoreline Spruce-up organized each month by the For the Love of the Lake organization. We will be joining the Kayak Power (KP) cleaning team.

Date: Saturday – Nov 14th, 2009

Times:
Kayak/Clean up: 9-11am

RSVP: By Friday, 11/13, so we have a rough estimate for kayaks.

Meeting Locations/Times:
Peter will not be able to lead the event this month, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t head out to the lake to participate; tell Mike (KP owner) that you’re with the Young Sierrans and he’ll take care of you.

Meet at KP’s adopted section of the lake, Jackson Point (West side of the lake; 4100 West Lawther Dr, 75214 – map) around 9:00am. Look for the black truck and trailer hauling 20+ kayaks. See the above KP link for more info.

Weather Policy: Kayak Power will be there rain, snow, wind or shine. Unless this site states differently, so will the Young Sierrans.

Details: Kayak Power will provide all necessary kayaking and cleaning gear. KP cleans the shoreline of WR Lake from the water. Meaning, we’ll paddle around and collect debris on the lake which isn’t reachable or is challenging to reach from the shore. After collecting trash for about an hour, KP allows participants kayak around the lake until about 11am. Plan on getting a little dirty and wet.

Cost: Free to participate!!

Consider Bringing: drinking water, sunblock, hat, towel, appropriate weather protection (maybe pants – open kayaks expose your legs to the sun), change of pants/shorts.

White Rock Local Market: Be sure to check out the White Rock Local Market which is held from 8am-1pm on the second Saturday of each month at the Green Spot.  The GS is located at 702 N. Buckner Blvd. (at Northcliff Dr.), just north of the FTLOTL office.

Happy Hour / Dinner – Woodfire Kirby’s – Dallas (11/18/09)

Please join us for a Happy Hour/Dinner at Woodfire Kirby’s in Dallas on Wednesday, Nov. 18th.

Arrive anytime after 6:00 pm for happy hour; dinner at 7:00 pm.

Please RSVP by noon on 11/18 to the Pingg invitation or the youngsierrans@dallassierraclub.org email address so we have a rough estimate for seating.

All 20s/30s welcome; you don’t have to be a Young Sierran or Sierra Club member to attend.  See you there!

3525 Greenville Avenue / Dallas, TX 75206 / 214.821.2122

Roll Beyond Coal for Clean Air/Energy in Texas (2009)

Did you know that Texas is still building and planning more dirty, coal-fired power plants, and that it is the only state in the nation with such a deadly, costly “coal rush” advancing (more info)?  Scary isn’t it?

Join us for an important and fun-filled Halloween event supporting renewable energy, green jobs, clean air and clean energy which moves us beyond coal and puts Texas on a path to brighter and cleaner energy future.

Date: Saturday – October 31st, 2009
Time: 8:30am – noon (Young Sierrans meet @ 9:30 at the registration table)
Cost: FREE to participate!!
T-shirts: Adults: $10, Students: $5 – Must be ordered by 10/23 to guarantee! * All donations benefit the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club to help fight against new coal plants in TX.
Location: Bath House Cultural Center, White Rock Lake, 521 E. Lawther Drive, Dallas, 75218 (map and directions)
Advanced Registration: Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club

Included Activities:

• Halloween costume contest (prizes awarded!)
• Basic bike check ups
• Facepainting
• Exhibitors on green living & transportation and sustainability
• Postcard signings to the EPA to enforce the Clean Air Act (more info OR speak out online)

Schedule:

• 8:30a – Event Begins – Includes Bike/Walk/Run Registration
• 9:30-10:30a – Speakers & Rally
• 10:30a – Bike/Walk/Run around the lake in support of Clean Air/Energy in TX.

To volunteer or for more event information, please contact organizer Lori Peniche (972-980-7176).  Follow these links if you can’t attend, but still want to support clean air/energy in TX, learn more about Sierra Club Beyond Coal initiatives or sign-up for TX Sierra Club Action Alerts.

Happy Hour / Dinner – Bryan Street Tavern – Dallas (10/14/09)

Please join us for a Happy Hour/Dinner at Bryan Street Tavern in Dallas on Wednesday, October 14th.

Bryan Street Tavern has a menu of pizzas, calzones, salads and appetizers made with Jimmy’s Italian Market and Dallas Mozzarella Co. ingredients.  Veggie friendly options available.

Arrive anytime after 6:00 pm for happy hour; dinner at 7:00 pm.

Please RSVP by noon on 10/14 to the Pingg invitation or the youngsierrans@dallassierraclub.org email address so we have a rough estimate for seating.

All 20s/30s welcome; you don’t have to be a Young Sierran or Sierra Club member to attend.  See you there!

4315 Bryan Street / Dallas, Texas 75204  /  214.821.4447

Cyclesomatic – Bike Friendly Oak Cliff Event (2009)

Bike Friendly Oak Cliff is proud to announce Cyclesomatic, a week long bicycle festival in North Oak Cliff from October 2nd to the 11th. Events will include a history-themed group ride, bicycle competitions, Bike to City Hall, Biketoberfest! in Bishop, an Urban Bazaar, a “Kiddical Mass” Ride, Bike to School Day, BBQ, Bands, Bicycle Films at the Texas Theatre, Art Bike Shows, and guest speaker councilwoman Angela Hunt.

New Belgium brewery is sponsoring part of the week, and BFOC is coordinating efforts with DART, BikeDenton, the Oak Cliff Bicycle Company, and more.

Please see the Cyclesomatic calendar of events (20 or so are currently planned) and join in the fun!  Also, check out the local merchant discounts for bicyclists in the Oak Cliff / Bishop Arts area.