Post# 2: February 16, 2015
Today, Hali worked on finding some of the issues or obstacles the Sierra have encountered through its rich history and also some famous individuals through time that were influenced by the Sierra Club or John Muir. Jess and Rachel also worked on finding some background information on the Sierra club as well. Some of the information they have found is as follows:
The Sierra Club, an environmental organization usually associated with the progressive movement, was founded on May 28, 1892 by John Muir. Muir was the first president of the club and held the position until his death in 1914.
Culminating from the successful creation of a larger area for Yosemite National Park in 1890, the Sierra Club works “to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.”
In addition to their success with Yosemite National Park, the Club worked to establish the Mount Rainier and Glacier National Parks. However, they faced a major defeat in the Hetch Hetchy controversy when despite their continuous efforts, a dam was built on the Tuolumne River to supply water to the rapidly growing San Francisco.
Currently the Sierra Club’s efforts reside in green politics, with a focus on green energy, alleviating global warming, and protesting the use of coal. The Club is now broken into chapters at the state and county level. These organizations work to promote environmentalism by hosting outdoor recreational activities.
This is very informative. Thank you!