Apologies for multiple postings but please forward to your friends, families and list serves. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Mike Carberry Sierra Club Iowa City Area Group: Chair Iowa Chapter: Executive Committee 319-594-6453 [log in to unmask] www.iowa.sierraclub.org/icag/ 1. Iowa City Environmental Film Festival Release: January 13, 2009 Contact: Dawn Suter, [log in to unmask] Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars screening The Iowa City Environmental Film Festival and Sierra Club will screen Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars, Sunday, January 18th at the Iowa City Public Library, Room A at 3:00 PM. The screening is free and open to the public. The film tells the story of how Texas citizens from all walks of life joined together to fight the construction of 19 coal burning power plants in Texas. The construction of the plants had been "fast tracked" by Governor Rick Perry. The film, narrated by Robert Redford, has received numerous awards. Iowans face a similar fight here at home with proposed coal burning plants in Waterloo and Marshalltown. Representatives from two groups instrumental in challenging the construction of the two plants will lead a discussion following the film. Mike Carberry, Sierra Club, will be joined by Carrie LeSeur, founder and Executive Director of Plains Justice to talk about successes and remaining challenges in stopping construction. "It is worth noting that the single most important action needed to decrease the present large planetary imbalance driving climate change is curtailment of CO2 emissions from coal burning. Saving the planet and creation surely requires phase-out of coal use except where CO2 is captured and sequestered. Dr. James Hansen, Director, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA. Please join us on Sunday to learn what you can do. The Iowa City Environmental Film Festival collaborates with non-profit environmental groups throughout the region to host one film screening each month through May 2009. Its goal is to present thought-provoking films that connect the environment to our daily lives, creating an urgency to become engaged in environmental issues. For more information, visit the Iowa City Film Festival website at www.EnvironmentalFilmsIC.com or contact us at [log in to unmask] or call Dawn [log in to unmask] 2. School Milk Campaign Community Kickoff Meeting When: Wednesday, January 21st Time: 7:00-8:15pm Where: Iowa City Public Library 123 S. Linn St. Meeting Room B Bring yourself, a friend, and your appetite-- rBGH-free refreshments will be served! Do you know what's in YOUR child's milk? Food and Water Watch is launching the School Milk Campaign here in Iowa to expel milk treated with rBGH from our public schools. rBGH is an artificial growth hormone used primarily by large factory farms that causes cows to produce more milk, but also causes infections in cows and there are suggested links to cancer in humans. While most industrialized countries have banned rBGH, from the EU to Japan, and retailers like Wal-Mart and Starbucks have turned away from rBGH milk, our public school system has become the dumping grounds for rBGH milk and millions of children every year are ingesting this dangerous hormone. Fortunately, this winter we have an opportunity to change that. This session, Congress is considering legislation that could ensure schools' clear choice and right to purchase rBGH-free milk. Over the next three months, we'll be building public support here in Iowa City to make sure our elected officials to stand up for healthy, rBGH-free milk in our public schools. We can only make this happen if enough people get involved! The best way to help right now is to sign our online petition at: http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/t/5915/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1796&track=miow And, to learn how you can make an even bigger impact over the next three months, definitely come to this meeting. This campaign has been endorsed by the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Iowa City Area Group of the Sierra Club. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp