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Editor's note: At this writing, Hurricane Matthew—the strongest Atlantic hurricane in nearly a decade—has slammed into parts of five Caribbean nations, killing seven and threatening widespread havoc and destruction. There will be a major impact in Haiti, and the hurricane is now tracking closer to the U.S. mainland, making evacuations possible later this week. Our thoughts go out to the victims, their families, and all who are suffering on account of this potentially disastrous storm.
 Lessons From the Last Grizzly
By the time grizzly bears in the lower 48 states were protected in 1975 under the Endangered Species Act, the species was hanging by a thread. The bears' range was down to just 2 percent of its original size. But federal protections offered them a second chance, and the Greater Yellowstone area now supports about 700 grizzlies. Unfortunately, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed "delisting" the Greater Yellowstone grizzly, which could jeopardize its full recovery.
Read what Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune has to say, and take action by this Friday, October 7, to help protect Greater Yellowstone's grizzlies.
 Climate Crisis Ignored in First Presidential Debate
Did you watch last week's presidential debate? The moderator, Lester Holt, had 90 minutes to ask the candidates about the most important issues facing the country, but he didn't ask a single question about climate change. That's even worse than the presidential primary debates earlier this year, in which the climate crisis was mentioned in a mere 1.5 percent of the questions. We have to break the climate silence.
Sign the petition asking moderators to ask more questions about climate change at the upcoming debates.
 We Eat the Machine, and the Machine Eats Us
Most of us can still call to mind vivid images of the Deepwater Horizonexplosion in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 that killed 11 workers and injured 17 more. An estimated 200 million gallons of oil gushed from BP's ruptured well for nearly 90 days, over a million oil-soaked birds died, and shrimpers and oystermen were put out of work as state and federal workers tried in vain to skim crude off the water and beaches. Now a new feature film tells the story of the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history.
Read Sierra editor in chief Jason Mark's review of Deepwater Horizon.
 Deadline Extended: Get Your 2017 Sierra Club Calendar
Donate $15 to the Sierra Club today and you'll receive a FREE copy of the beautiful Sierra Club 2017 calendar!
Make your donation today!
 Learning to Fly
In his new book, The Home Place, wildlife biologist J. Drew Lanham (pictured at right) looks back at the places that defined him as a boy, a birder, and a black man growing up in the South. "The result," says Jonathan Hahn, Sierramagazine's managing editor, "is a beautifully rendered and deeply personal story about the complex geographies of home, and displacement."
Read Hahn's review of The Home Place.
Bug and Jock at the Home Place | Photo courtesy of J. Drew Lanham
 What's Nature Worth? Count the Selfies.
Go ahead. Take that photo during your next remote backpacking or rafting trip. Scientists may just use it to estimate the economic value of nature.
Here's how selfies help make the case for public lands protections.
Photo courtesy of Will Watson
 
Sunny Adventures, Snow Trips, and Much More
What kind of vacation are you dreaming of? With abundant choices for all interests, Sierra Club Outings makes it easy to find the trip for you, whether you're craving tropical breezes, crisp air, or something else altogether.
All these—plus our newest domestic adventures—are now live on our freshly redesigned website and ready for reservations. Check them out now.
Photo by Patrick Nichols
 The Paradox of Last Chance Tourism
The mad rush to get to a place before it disappears—whether it's the rapidly bleaching Great Barrier Reef or the melting Antarctic ice sheet—can have a bevy of negative environmental effects.
Learn the consequences of "last chance tourism."
 Adventures for Vets
The Sierra Club's Military Outdoors program has just announced its lineup of 2017 trips. Military Outdoors trips provide service members, veterans, and their families with quality outdoor experiences. The trips offer participants skills and a boost in confidence to seek adventure in the great outdoors, all the while helping foster the development of a new generation of Sierra Club leaders.
Check out the 2017 trips and apply.
 The Mental Health Benefits of Going Green
Efforts to minimize your carbon footprint and spend time outdoors won't just lead to positive effects for the planet. They're also good for your overall well-being. We talked to experts who shared with us the upsides of getting outside and trying to be eco-conscious.
This is your brain on nature and green living.
 L.A. Goes All In on Clean Energy
Last month the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a resolution instructing the L.A. Department of Water and Power—the nation's largest publicly owned utility—to map out an equitable transition away from fossil fuels toward powering the city with 100 percent clean energy. LAWPD has 90 days to deliver a timeline for the study. Eighteen U.S. cities have already committed to this goal, and Los Angeles now becomes the largest city in America to commit to exploring how to power itself entirely on clean energy.
Read more about L.A.'s historic move.
 
The Photo Ark
National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore has made drawing attention to the world's most vulnerable creatures his life's work. His 25-year Photo Ark project is an attempt to document every species in captivity—especially those most at risk of extinction.
See a slideshow of his work.
 Making a Stink
Abril and Ariss Cosino never knew what was causing the rotten-egg smell that had plagued their community in South Texas for as long as they could remember. They learned the answer when they participated in a summer leadership program, prompting them to start a social media campaign with 15 other high school students that eventually led to a meeting with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Find out how the sisters' efforts improved the quality of life for their community.
Sisters Abril and Ariss Cosino fight environmental racism in South Tower Estates, Texas. | Photo by Palacios Photography
 End the Grocery Gap
A bill now in Congress would provide grants to businesses and nonprofits to build grocery stores in "food deserts," where convenience stores and fast-food chains are often the only nearby food options. The Food Desert Act of 2016 would create new opportunities to fund for-profit, nonprofit, and municipally owned grocery stores in these underserved communities, and ensure that these funds provide affordable, healthy food, including essentials like milk, bread, and fresh produce.
Urge your representative to support the Food Desert Act of 2016.
 
The World Bank's Dirty Little Secret
The World Bank released an alarming report earlier this month detailing the costs of air pollution around the world in lives lost and economic opportunity wasted. Among the findings was that air pollution is now the fourth leading risk factor for deaths worldwide. The Bank estimated that in 2013 alone, $225 billion in labor income was lost due to premature deaths from air pollution. The banking giant is admirably shining light on the impact of air pollution. So you might be surprised by the dirty little secret it doesn't disclose in its report.
Find out more and take action.
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