Are you looking for a way to get more involved with the Sierra Club Great Falls Group? A fun and interesting "job" is serving as volunteer Political Chair, which empowers you to help endorse and elect candidates who will be good for the environment. Because Sierra Club is one of the few environmental organizations that makes endorsements, politicians seek us out, and this offers us a chance to educate them and the public. 

This is going to be an exciting political year in Virginia, with a nationally watched governor's race and congressional races providing opportunities to climb back out of the pit we found ourselves in last November. As a Group Political Chair you will have the privilege of  interviewing local and state candidates for office (in person or by conference call) and a vote on whether to endorse or not. The current chair, Linda Burchfiel, has moved out of state, but can email background and history to prepare you for the position. Another great resource is Pat Soriano, the Political Chair of our sister Northern Virginia group, the Mount Vernon Group; she is experienced and very helpful. You will also be working with the state political staff member (Corrina Beall) and state Political Chair (Glen Besa), who will organize candidate interviews for state office and email you candidate information to help you make your endorsement decision. 

If you are interested, or have additional questions, please contact Linda Burchfiel, outgoing political chair, at linda@lburchfiel.com, and Norbert Pink, chair of the Great Falls Group, at  norbertsierra@aol.com. 

Could you go a year without making any trash? Could you go a year without buying anything but necessary consumables? No clothes, no shoes, no electronics, you get the idea. What a challenge! Well, that is what the couple who made the documentary The Clean Bin Project set out to do.

 

This award-winning film takes us through the process, challenges, and successes of trying to live for a year without making trash.

 

Recently, the Sierra Club Great Falls Group sponsored a showing of The Clean Bin Project at the Oakton Library. There was a great turnout with lots of new people showing up to watch the movie and participate in a lively discussion afterwards.

 

We all need to start somewhere to reduce our waste, consumerism, and filling of the landfills. As Jen from the film says so well, "Start with one thing, and then keep going." 

 

How about not using single-use disposable straws, plastic bags, coffee containers, or water bottles? Pick one thing, and start on the road to living a less wasteful life.