This is good news:

In November, the Sierra Club Board of Directors, taking its cue from the 765 Sierra Summit delegates who met in September, declared that the Club’s top goal in the next five years is to "advance a smart, safe, clean energy future in the next decade."

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Executive Director Carl Pope noted at the conclusion of the process that the board acted with a clear understanding that "the Club’s major challenge for the next several years is not to influence short-term environmental policy, but to shape long term public sentiments and to regain power for environmental values."

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This agenda reflects the need for the Club to rebuild its influence. We do not expect to see major federal policy shifts in the next few years, given the anti-environmental leadership in the White House and the Congress and the growing anti-environmental slant of the federal courts.

The board also ratified the delegates’ picks for "capacities" to develop in order to build power and deliver conservation victories: (1) seek new allies and build coalitions, (2) create media visibility, (3) connect and build our communities to take action together, and (4) enlist public support by framing our messages around solutions.

The leadership takes a lot of crap for being old and out-of-touch, but in my limited experience, the Sierra Club basically gets the challenges that face the green movement and is moving in the right direction.

(via CP)

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