Winter 2010

Delaware Cool Looking Back

Cities Campaign
C ool Cities is a national campaign of the Sierra
Club to encourage local governments to take real
action to reduce their carbon footprint by signing the
U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement initiated
by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels in 2005. Since then,
over 1,000 cities have made the commitment to pro-
mote energy sustainability, environmental
stewardship and climate protection.
Delaware’s DNREC
Secretary Collin O’Mara
recently offered his support
for Cool Cities, which will
help reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and bolster a
green economy.
Dover and Wilmington
have already signed on to
Cool Cities and are experi-
encing many benefits. Dover’s city manager Tony
DePrima recently addressed the Delaware League of
Local Governments and the Delaware Chapter of the
American Institute of Architects in support of the
Cool Cities program. The example of Dover illus-
trates how Cool Cities has provided guidance
enabling lower energy use through efficiency and
continued on page 5
and Looking Ahead
by Bruce Nilles
Sierra Club Senior Regional Representative/
Attorney, Move Beyond Coal
2009 was one hell of a year! For the first
time in more than six years, no new
coal-fired power plants broke ground. It is hard to
believe, but we are close to closing the book on one
of the most dangerous chapters of the Bush-Cheney
era – the ill-conceived 2001 Bush-Cheney Energy
Plan that sought to accelerate global warming and
the destruction of Appalachia and coal mining
regions nationwide by building and fueling 150 new
coal-fired power plants.
In 2009, twenty-six proposed coal-fired power
plants – which would have emitted 146 million tons
of carbon dioxide annually – were defeated or aban-
doned, bringing the six-year total of dead coal plant
plans to 110. The year’s successes were the culmina-
tion of a growing movement of people and
organizations from across the country concerned
about the dangers of coal mining, coal burning, and
coal ash disposal.
Six years ago Sierra Club made a deliberate deci-
sion to “leave no new coal plant unopposed” and has
since worked with dozens of allied organizations to
continued on page 2

Included In This Issue Sierra Club - Delaware Chapter

NON-PROFIT
100 West 10th Street Suite 106 U.S. POSTAGE
Looking Back...continued 2 Wilmington, DE 19801 PAID
WILMINGTON, DE
“Thanks” from Membership 3 PERMIT NO. 740

Recycling Corner 3
Get Involved with a Committee 3
Indoor Win-Win-Win-ter Sports 4
Hikes and Happenings 5
Cool Cities...continued 5
Sierra Club Contacts 6
Looking Back at 2009 and Looking Ahead
continued from page 1
build a nationwide movement that is systematically
working to loosen the coal industry’s lock on our
future and our politics. Here are my highlights from
2009:
• Total coal use is down ten percent in 2009, accord-
ing to the Energy Information Agency.
• The massive Santee Cooper plant proposed for
South Carolina, which would have been the largest
new consumer of mountaintop removal coal, was
abandoned after years of opposition.
• After a decade-long fight, the Dakota Minnesota &
Eastern Railroad proposal to build a massive new
rail line from Wyoming to Wisconsin was finally
defeated in August. This rail project would have car-
ried enough coal to power about 50 medium size
coal plants.
• We saw some massive coal-fired power plants
defeated in 2009 – including the American Munici-
pal Power coal plant proposed in Ohio, the Big
Stone II plant in South Dakota, and Florida’s last
proposed coal plant – the Seminole Unit-3 facility.
• Several companies announced plans to start or con-
sider transitioning away from existing coal plants,
including Progress Energy in North Carolina and
Tennessee Valley Authority in Tennessee and
Alabama.
• Students on campuses across America turned their
concern about their future to the biggest polluters on
campus – coal-fired power plants that still operate
on more than 60 campuses. To end coal’s foothold
on campuses, Sierra Club and its Sierra Student
Coalition in September launched a campaign to edu-
cate and enlist hundreds of thousands of students to
move beyond coal and fight for clean energy. This
campaign has taken off like a prairie fire on a warm,
dry spring day.
• Los Angeles took major action on clean energy
last summer when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
announced that the city would eliminate the use of
coal by 2020 - replacing the 40% of its power cur-
rently generated by coal with renewable energy.
All of this progress opens the way for a transition
to a clean energy economy, including a 22.5%
increase in electricity generated from wind between
2008 and 2009.
We indeed have a lot to celebrate in 2009, but we
are far from done. There are approximately 90
2
remaining coal-fired power plants and liquid coal
proposals; mining companies are still getting new
permits to destroy Appalachian mountains; Alaska’s
wilderness is under siege from Texas billionaires
seeking to strip mine coal for Asian markets; and
millions of Americans live in communities where
the air is unsafe to breathe and fish are unsafe to eat
all because 500 existing coal plants are still polluting
at record levels.
On top of this, the coal industry’s obscene influ-
ence on the U.S. Senate is the major stumbling block
to enacting President Obama’s clean energy agenda,
and why the U.S. was unable to provide critical
leadership in Copenhagen.
But there is great reason for hope, as record
numbers of concerned citizens across the country
have learned about the dangers of coal to their fami-
lies and their future, have become outraged, and
have joined the beyond coal movement. There is a
major shift going on across America as companies
realign away from old dirty practices involving coal
and toward cleaner energy options, including wind,
solar and ending wasteful use of energy.
And we recognize the 40th anniversary of the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which
requires all government actions to consider environ-
mental impacts – including all the project’s effects
on global warming. On the first day of 2010, Presi-
dent Obama proclaimed a renewed commitment to
NEPA:
“...(M)y Administration will recognize NEPA’s enact-
ment by recommitting to environmental quality
through open, accountable, and responsible decision
making that involves the American public....I call
upon all executive branch agencies to promote pub-
lic involvement and transparency in their
implementation of the National Environmental Poli-
cy Act.”
This offers great hope for us in fighting coal projects
requiring federal agency approval.
So, looking forward: In 2010, the Sierra Club’s
Beyond Coal Campaign will be focused on ending
mountaintop removal mining, keeping Alaska’s
wilderness off limits to coal barons, stopping the
remaining new dirty coal plant proposals, and begin-
ning a two-decade plan to replace the existing fleet
of coal-fired power plants with clean energy alterna-
tives. I hope you will join us.
Check out climatecrossroads.sierraclub.org for
more information.
“Thanks!” From the Membership Committee
by June Satterfield
“T hank you” from the membership committee.
We had a super response to our request for
email addresses from members who may not have
had or not have given an email address when join-
ing, or may have changed their email provider since
then. Once again, if you’re not sure we have an
email address for you, send it to membership@
delaware.sierraclub.org. It’s the “green” thing to do.
We are still looking for members who would like
to serve on the membership committee. It’s an
opportunity to use all your heretofore-unrecognized
talents for brainstorming event ideas, planning and
coordinating people, places, and things, talking on
the phone, addressing envelopes…you name it.
Let me know your interest. Everyone’s help is wel-
come. Email membership@delaware.sierraclub.org.
The Delaware Chapter is organizing an “Envi-
ronmental Speakers Registry,” which we will make
available to clubs, schools, and organizations in
Delaware. People who have expert knowledge of an
environmentally related topic and are willing to
speak to groups, either gratis or for a fee, are giving
us their topic(s), preferred audience (age and size of
group), time of day, distance willing to travel, and so
forth, so that we may match them to groups asking
for speakers. We already have several volunteer
speakers on the registry.
RECYCLING CORNER:
Stop plastic bottle caps from
entering our streams and rivers!
A majority of plastic bottle caps do not get recy-
cled today. You can collect your plastic caps
and stop them from ending up as litter, trash or
from migrating into our rivers and oceans by join-
ing the “Recycle caps with Aveda” program.
Households and schools are invited to participate.
Check out Aveda’s website: http://aveda.aveda.
com/aboutaveda/caps.asp to learn which caps they
are collecting. (The program accepts caps that are
rigid polypropylene plastic, sometimes noted with
a 5 in the chasing arrows recycling symbol.)
Individuals can drop off their collected caps at
a local Aveda store.
School groups wishing to start a collection pro-
gram should contact Aveda for more information
on how to enroll your school at capcollection@
aveda.com or call 1-877-Aveda09.
3
If you’d like to share your environmentally-relat-
ed specialty with others or know someone who
might enjoy doing so, please contact us at member-
ship@delaware.sierraclub.org. Likewise, if you are a
member of a group that is looking for a speaker on
an environmental topic, please let us know. Educa-
tion can create the environmental mindset necessary
to create a sustainable future for the Earth.
Get Involved with a Chapter or
Group Committee
Cool Cities organizational meeting – Saturday,
February 20, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at the public library in
Delaware City. Details may be seen on our newly
developed web site at CoolCitiesde.us.
Plans are being made to contact each mayor or
city manager in the state. Dover’s City Manager,
Tony DePrima, spoke recently at a conference of
mayors and outlined the programs Dover has imple-
mented since joining. Committees will be formed at
this meeting to included fundraising, public rela-
tions, and promoting seminars thought the state for
energy consumers as well as public education. All
Sierra Club members are invited and urged to bring
their friends.
Energy Committee meetings will be held on the
third Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Contact
Chad Tolman (ChadTolman@verizon.net) to learn
more and to get the information to join the confer-
ence call.
February 17 - Conference call
March 17 – Smyrna, place TBD
April 21 – Eeffoc's Cafe near Trolley Square in
Wilmington
Political Committee will be meeting on the 2nd
Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. We will alternate
conference calls with face-to-face meetings.
February 8 – conference call
March 8 – meeting at Border’s Books Café at
Churchmans Crossing off of Route 95
April 12 – conference call
Please contact Debbie Heaton at politics@
delaware.sierraclub.org to get the conference call
information a few days prior to the call.
For other committee meetings planned for February,
March and April 2010, please check the chapter cal-
endar at:
http://www.brownbearsw.com/freecal/SierraClub
Indoor Win-Win-Win-ter Family Sports
by Dave Donohue and get a membership in the process. So far we have

A s a father of 3 and a career of 2 and a husband

of 1, I am constantly looking for the win-win-
win. Thanks to Brandywine School District and the
garnered 10 new members.
We have additional sessions on:
February 10, 17, 24
Delaware Chapter of the Sierra Club, I found a nice March 3, 10
“quintuple win” this winter. For folks who would like to do something similar
Since November 4, 2009, we have had 5 sessions in your area, I am happy to say it is cheap and easy!
of Indoor Winter Family Sports. The events have If you (and your family) would like to participate,
occurred on Wednesdays from 6-8 p.m., in the dou- host your own gathering, or have any other ques-
ble gymnasium of Springer Middle School. We have tions, please email me at dd@daviddonohue.com
had a good number of participants for each session: Happy 2010!
roughly 8 adults, 8 kids (2nd grade through 5th
grade), and 6 younger kids (first grade and younger).
We have played a variety of sports, like indoor soc-
cer, dodge ball, and kick ball.
Why do I say these sessions have been a win-
win-win-win-win?
(1) Kids are getting exercise, during an otherwise
dark and sedentary season.
(2) Adults are getting exercise at the same time!
How rare it is that adults and kids get to play sports
together.
(3) We are all getting to spend time with friends and
meet new friends. Not so easy in suburbia!
(4) We have had the opportunity to play “Schtick.”
In fact, we have played the world's first indoor
games of Schtick. What is Schtick? It is a disc sport
that some friends and I invented in 1994. It is an
exciting game, played with multiple flying discs at
once (we've been playing with 5!), and well-suited
for a wide spectrum of athletic abilities. It has
spread throughout the United States, and to Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, Europe, China, South
Korea, and others. Since part of my mission in life is
to help spread Schtick, this has been particularly sat-
isfying for me. You can check it out at
schtickdisc.org.
(5) Last but not least, I have had the opportunity to
expose more folks to the Sierra Club. As a member
of the Energy Committee of the Delaware Chapter
of the Sierra Club, I am deeply concerned about cli-
mate change, and the inattention that it gets by most
of America. I am especially keen to get the word out
to kids, as they are the ones who will have to live in
the mess we are creating for them. I believe the Sier-
ra Club would do well if it catered more to families,
as this is a larger demographic than its traditional
demographic (you know, outdoorsey types like you
and me). So we have asked a member of each partic-
ipating family to contribute $25 to the Sierra Club
4
Delaware Sierra Chapter Hikes and Happenings
Hikes
The following three hikes are planned for New Cas-
tle County. If you’d like to help plan hikes in Kent
or Sussex County please contact Jenny Egan or
Mark Fields at their email addresses noted below.
Midwinter Loop Around Lums Pond
Saturday, January 30, 10:00 a.m.
Enjoy the serene beauty of water and woods in win-
ter at Lums Pond State Park.as we hike the 7.1 mile
Swamp Forest Trail (rated easy). Meet at far corner
of Area 1 parking lot (end of the access road) inside
the main entrance of the park off Howell School
Road in Bear. After the hike, we’ll adjourn to Red
Robin in nearby Peoples Plaza for some lunch and
fellowship.
For more info: http://www.destateparks.com/
downloads/maps/lums-pond/lums-pond.pdf
Please email leader Mark Fields to RSVP or for
more information on the hike: mark.fields@
comcast.net.
Heart-Heart (Valentine) Hike
Saturday February 13, 10:00 a.m.
Hike the pseudo-heart shaped Whitely Farms Trail in
White Clay Creek for this pre-Valentine warmup.
For more info: http://www.destateparks.com/park
/white-clay-creek/index.as
Please email leader Jenny Egan to RSVP or for
more information: jennifermegan28@msn.com
February Fun In White Clay
Saturday, February 20, 10:00 a.m.
December snows kept us away, but we’ll try again in
February to hike the rolling Twin Valley Trail (4
miles). Meet at the main parking lot of the park off
Rte. 896 just north of Wedgewood Road at 10:00
a.m. Kildare’s on Main Street afterward for a pint,
some pub grub, and conversation.
For more info: http://www.destateparks.com/
park/white-clay-creek/index.asp
Please email leader Mark Fields to RSVP or for
more information on the hike: mark.fields@
comcast.net.
Happenings
First Thursdays
Thursday, February 4, 2010, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. &
Thursday, March 4, 2010, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by the Southern Delaware Group at TGI Fri-
day’s on the corner Loockerman St. and DuPont
Highway, Dover.
Sierra Club Membership
Application Coupon
New Member Name(s)
Address 1
Address 2
City

Cool Cities Campaign State Zip

continued from page 1 Phone

conservation, contributing financial as well as envi-
ronmental advantages. E-mail
Delaware still has 55 more villages, towns and Membership Categories (circle one)
cities that are not yet members of Cool Cities, and INDIVIDUAL JOINT
we are targeting each and every one of them. Our Introductory $25 NA
work plan for 2010 includes mailing introductory let- Regular $35 $43
ters to the Mayors of each municipality, following up Supporting $50 $58
to schedule appointments, and then sitting down with Contributing $100 $108
them to discuss how cool cities can benefit govern- Life $1000 $1250
ment and the environment simultaneously. Senior $15 $23
For more information on Cool Cities, visit the Student $15 $23
Sierra Club’s national Cool Cities website at All dues include subscription to Sierra ($7.50) and chapter
www.coolcities.us. If you are interested in getting publications ($1). Dues are not tax deductible.
more involved in Cool Cities Delaware, contact Ron Mail to: Sierra Club, P.O. Box 52968,
Boulder, CO 80321-2968
Zink at coolcitiesde@gmail.com. FrepNo: F94QW58001

5
 Sierra Club Contacts
All phone numbers are Area Code 302 Cool Cities: Ron Zink 735-8996
Outings: Jennifer Egan 540-4546
Chapter Office
jennifermegan28@msn.com
Phone: 351-2776
Political: Debbie Heaton
Chapter Executive Committee politics@delaware.sierraclub.org
Chair: Matt Urban 521-4495
Pollution: Al Denio 455-0389
murban@mobiusnm.com
Alvaldenio@aol.com
Vice Chair: Nancy Carig
nancy@bluewaterwind.com Web Editor: Michael Casale 239-2225
Conservation: Debbie Heaton mike.casale@verizon.net
politics@delaware.sierraclub.org Newsletter Editor: Jay Lacorte
Energy: Chad Tolman 478-3516 jay.lacorte@yahoo.com
chadtolman@comcast.net Southern Delaware Group (SDG)
Land Use: Jay Cooperson 571-0660
Executive Committee
CoopersonArc@aol.com
Chair: Steve Callanen 539-0635
Membership: June Satterfield 653-6596
prnmed@mchsi.com
junesatterfield@comcast.net
Harry Haon 656-4582 Vice Chair: Harry Haon 656-4582
John Irwin 475-8527 Conservation Chair: Barbara Murray
johnirwin@comcast.net bemursaga@hotmail.com
Tom Noyes 652-3241 Environmental Justice Chair:
tomnoyes@gmail.com Mable Granke 227-6637
Chapter Appointed Committee Chairs Secretary & Membership Chair:
Treasurer: Lorri Fencer LorriFencer@verizon.net Carrie Bennett 732-3358
The Delaware Chapter of the Sierra Club publishes the
c.bennett@de-enviro.net
Delaware Sierra News quarterly. This publication is written Terri Usuki 436-2296
and produced entirely by volunteers. Ideas expressed in the
Delaware Sierra News are those of the columnists and may
tamaki@prodigy.net
not necessarily reflect the position of the Sierra Club. Limit-
ed time constraints of an all-volunteer staff do not always
allow for full data corroboration. Send materials for submis- Visit us on the Web!
sion to the Sierra Club, 100 W 10th St, Ste. 106, Wilmington,
DE 19801 or by e-mail to our editor. www.delaware.sierraclub.org
Editor: Jay LaCorte – jay.lacorte@yahoo.com Web Editor: Mike Casale
Production: Susan Oldenburg – VideoSue@aol.com 302-239-2225 mike.casale@verizon.net

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