A fall haiku…
Gingo leaves falling
Revealing a naked tree
Sleeping through winter
Trees and shrubs may be going into dormancy but Zack and I are bundling up, plowing our way through the piles of colorful leaves and heading into fall with a whole barrel full of events. We’ve got presentations, film screenings, hearings and volunteer opportunities galore! So break out those pens and mark your calendars…..
Idaho Beyond Coal Presentation
When: Wednesday, November 13 at 6:30pm
Where: BSU Campus-Student Union Building Simplot Room AC
Did you know that almost 50% of our energy comes from out-of-state coal plants? Despite our wealth of renewable energy potential, Idaho Power plans to double down on dirty coal rather than pursue clean energy and efficiencies that would produce jobs here at home. If the company gets their way, they’re going to spend $130 million dollars to keep the Jim Brdiger coal plant in Wyoming spewing deadly pollution for the next 20 years and they’re going to stick you with the bill by increasing your rates. Come learn more about our coal addicition and our campaign to move Idaho beyond coal.
Talk to your Neighbors Canvas Day
When: Saturday, November 16. Time TBA
Where: Various locations. Meet at the Sierra Club office (503 West Franklin Street)
We are hitting up neighborhoods to inform folks about the upcoming public hearing on Idaho Power’s plan to raise your rates to fuel their dirty coal addiction. We want to pack out the hearing on the 25th to let the Public Utilities Commission and Idaho Power know that its time we transition to a clean energy future and that its not okay for Idaho Power to stick its customers with the bill for keeping their aging coal pants going.
Zack and I need your help on Saturday to reach as many folks as possible. Unlike Idaho Power, we don’t have the resources to send out 500 thousand fliers about the issue. Please join us for a day of talking to our neighbors and spreading the word. Only together can we break Idaho’s coal addiction.
Before we head out on Saturday, join us for a Pre-Talk To Your Neighbors Day meeting
When: Thursday, November 14 at 5:30pm
Where: Sierra Club office (503 West Franklin Street)
This will be an opportunity to ask us questions on the upcoming hearing, pick up materials and learn some canvasing tips.
Can’t make the Saturday canvas day? Consider doing it on a day that is most convenient for you. Get more info by coming to our Pre-canvas day meeting.
Film Screening of Facing the Storm: Story of the American Bison
When: Monday, November 18 @ 7:00pm
Where: MK Nature Center (600 S. Walnut Street Boise, ID)
FACING THE STORM is the epic account of our tempestuous relationship with the iconic symbol of wild America. The American bison once dominated the plains of North America, numbering in the tens of millions. Native Plains Indians shared a sacred relationship with the species that went far beyond survival and sustenance. Then, in the nineteenth century, they were nearly eradicated from the continent, and an entire Plains culture was forever changed.
FACING THE STORM recounts this harrowing history, and thoroughly explores the future of bison in the twenty-first century. It graphically exposes the annual slaughter of bison outside of Yellowstone National Park. Finally, the film explores the epic vision — and monumental obstacles — to restore bison to immense tracts of the Great Plains. This involves a dramatic transformation of how we understand the Great Plains – from a utilitarian worldview to a fully-functional ecosystem that combines a lost culture with modern science and innovative economies.
FACING THE STORM shows us that the American bison is not just an icon of a lost world, but may very well show us the path to a more sustainable future. A Co-Production with The Independent Television Service (ITVS) & Montana Public Television.
The event is free but donations are welcome.
Bidder 70 Film Screening
When: Wednesday, November 20 7:00pm
Where: BSU Campus-Student Union Building Simplot room
This is what hope looks like…
Tim DeChristopher has been described by some as the Rosa Parks of the climate justice movement. On December 19, 2008 Tim DeChristopher disrupted a highly disputed Utah BLM Oil and Gas lease auction, effectively safeguarding thousands of acres of pristine Utah land that were slated for oil and gas leases. Not content to merely protest outside, Tim entered the auction hall and registered as bidder #70. He outbid industry giants on land parcels (which, starting at $2 an acre, were adjacent to national treasures like Canyonlands National Park), winning 22,000 acres of land worth $1.7 million before the
auction was halted.
Two months later, incoming Interior Secretary Ken Salazar invalidated the auction. DeChristopher, however, was indicted on two federal felonies with penalties of up to 10 years in prison and $750,000 in fines. With the threat of prison looming, DeChristopher stepped up his activism and evolved into a charismatic and ingenious climate justice leader. He co-founded Peaceful Uprising, ?a grass-roots group dedicated to defending a livable future.
Check out the trailer and then come hear the rest of Tim’s story.
The event is free but donations are welcome.
Public Utilities Commission Hearing on Idaho Power’s Rate Case
When: Monday, November 25 Time – 7:00PM
Where: PUC building – 472 W. Washington Street, Boise
We want to pack the room on November 25 to show the PUC and Idaho Power that we support a transition away from dirty, outdated and deadly coal to a clean, renewable energy future for Idaho.
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