In my first letter to you as Sierra Club president, I want to flag some important upcoming opportunities and to invite your participation in the upcoming Club-wide call I'm hosting with Gulf Coast leaders on June 28.

Demanding a New Direction

I write as the terrible BP disaster continues to envelop the Gulf and Gulf Coast communities. We are calling on the Obama administration to rise to this challenge, to stop new offshore drilling and to set the country on a course to get off of oil in 20 years. I hope we can generate a great turnout to the Hands Across the Sand events on June 26, sending a message of solidarity to Gulf Coast communities and sending a resounding call on Washington to end dependence on offshore oil.

In more than 500 communities across the globe we'll join hands at 11 am to create a line in the sand against offshore drilling. Find events in your area.

We are also awaiting news this week as to whether the disaster will have compelled U.S. Senate leaders to summon the political courage to put forward the climate and energy legislation the country needs.

Plant a Flag for Our Freedom from Oil

I urge you as well to join one of the Sierra Club's largest visual displays ever as we call for our  Freedom from Oil this Independence Day.

Plant a virtual flag on our website and we'll recreate the scene in Washington DC with 10,000 American flags spelling out 'Freedom from Oil' right in front of the Washington Monument —just days before July 4 — where Congress and the White House are sure to notice.

Plant a flag for our Freedom from Oil — tell President Obama we need a plan to get us off oil in twenty years.

Meet Me on Monday for Open House Conference Call

I'm hosting an Open House conference call on Monday, June 28, at 8 pm Eastern/5 pm Pacific and I'll be joined by some of our Gulf Coast volunteer leaders and staff, who will talk about their efforts to respond to the BP disaster.

We will also hear a brief recap of the recent clean energy victory in Nebraska from chapter leaders.

I hope you can join me too.

Call 1-866-501-6174 -- 1892-005. RSVP here.

— Robin Mann

P.S. I also want to share with you first-person reports from last week's Resilient Habitat Lobby. Eleven citizen lobbyists from eight states visited more than eighty Congressional and Senate offices.