About Us

The Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club spans San Benito, Santa Clara, and San Mateo Counties in the San Francisco Bay Area. This chapter in the heart of the Silicon Valley Region has about 24,000 members and is quite active on many key environmental issues and offers a rich selection of nature outings. As befits the Chapter spanning the Silicon Valley, the Chapter has created a quite active Global Warming Program and has made action on this historic challenge its number one priority.

Our Global Warming Program's mission is to:

1. Educate the public on the causes and solutions to global warming

2. Engage members & the public to press for action on global warming by local government leaders

3. Engage members & the public to take personal actions to reduce their contribution to global warming emissions

The Global Warming program leaders are:

Kurt Newick is the founder and chair of the Global Warming and Energy Committee, and he is co-manager of the Loma Prieta Chapter's Global Warming Campaign. Kurt is an expert on solar energy systems, and he is involved in award-winning efforts to reduce barriers of getting more solar power installed.

Gary Bailey is co-manager of the Chapter's Global Warming Campaign and is a key member of the Global Warming and Energy Committee. He is also an active member of several other Chapter committees.

Julio Magalhaes is the Global Warming Program Coordinator for the Sierra Club's Loma Prieta Chapter. He is an atmospheric physicist with over 15 years experience in planetary climate research, education, and public outreach. He holds a Ph.D and M.S. in Astronomy with an emphasis in atmospheric physics from Cornell University, and a B.S. in Physics from Stanford University. He also teaches physics and environmental science at West Valley College and is a member of the Hearing Board of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

• Sierra Club Praises San Jose City Council’s Support for Mayor Reed’s Green Vision and Urges Rapid Implementation
  
• U.S. Dept. of Energy recognizes our Solar Permit Fee Campaign!
  
• San Mateo County Supervisors Sign Cool Counties Climate Declaration on Oct. 16!