Sierra's Top 5 Insider Reader Stories from 2010

Sierra Club Insider, is a twice-monthly e-newsletter that gives readers the inside scoop on the latest environmental news, green living tips and urgent action alerts on important environmental issues. Here are the most interesting stories of 2010 from Sierra Insider readers.

1. Just Say No – to Oil: In April, the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico made it clearer than ever that we must transition to clean energy sources ASAP. The Sierra Club’s Beyond Oil campaign challenged President Obama to develop a plan for getting our nation off of oil in the next 20 years.

2. Rush Gets His Backpack: In May radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh put his foot firmly in his mouth by suggesting that the Sierra Club that was to blame for the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, his absurd rant turned into a major fund-raising opportunity for the Club. Thousands of indignant “greeniacs” (Rush’s mocking nickname) made donations to Sierra in response to his ridiculous allegations. The Sierra Club ended up sending Rush a giant thank you card signed by all the donors, as well as a complimentary Sierra Club backpack.

3. “Fracking: It Even Sounds Dirty“: Many Americans first heard about fracking, the destructive method of extracting natural gas in 2010. Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune visited Pennsylvania to meet with people who’ve been affected by reckless drilling, and he blogged about how the industry is “exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act, parts of the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, as well as hazardous waste and cleanup laws.”

4. Too-Cool Schools: Sierra magazine’s annual Cool Schools survey is a report card for sustainability initiatives at colleges and universities around the country. It once again generated lots of interest and heated debate. Most people simply wanted to know whether their school made the Top 100 list, but the Cool Schools also includes the green dream team of all-star teachers and the profiles of several standout students who’ve made big differences at their schools.

5. The Best Internship on Earth: Announced early in 2010, The Best Internship on Earth was won by NYU film grad Evan Geary. He was given the dream assignment of creating a video blog documenting his experience with Sierra. The winning intern spent the summer traveling on different Sierra Club outings and creating numerous interesting and educational videos.