The Sierra Summit began today in San Francisco.  Thanks to Sierra Club President Lisa Renstrom the complex organizing to bring this event together has paid off and thousands of people are expected to come to the Moscone Center to listen to speakers, view exhibits, and to participate in discussions towards revitalizing the environmental movement.

Lisa gave an inspirational opening speech to participating delegates from around the continent. She was followed by Sierra Club's Conservation Governing Committee (CGC) member Dick Schneider who laid out a conservation approach plan for the Sierra Club.

In the evening there was an excellent presentation of films on population issues that included Nova - The Population Paradox and CNN's Who's Overpopulated. The film presentation was sponsored by CUSP (Comprehensive U.S. Sustainable Population.)

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has a booth in the exhibit hall of the Summit. Our booth is focusing attention on the issues that Sea Shepherd is involved with including: stopping illegal fishing activities in the Galapagos Islands, our opposition to the slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan, our work to stop the slaughter of seals in Canada, and our campaign to intercept and shut down the illegal whaling operations by the Japanese whaling fleet. 

Founder and president of Sea Shepherd, Captain Paul Watson is one of the 15 national directors of the Sierra Club and is attending as a delegate and as a host for the delegates and attendees.

"I believe in diversity in this movement and for that reason I am involved in organizations ranging from PETA to Rainforest Action Network to Earthfirst! to the Sierra Club. Strength lies in diversity, and whereas the Sierra Club is mainstream and Sea Shepherd is a front-line intervention group, we must build on the diversity of approaches. I joined the Board of the Sierra Club in 2003 and my purpose in being on this Board is to rock the boat and to represent the deep ecology side of the diversity in this movement. I did not join the Board to make friends, instead to make people think about the real threats to their future."

Captain Watson will be in San Francisco attending the Summit through the 11th of September. The Sea Shepherd booth is being managed by Development Director Michael Moore. Captain Watson will be signing books at the booth on Friday and Saturday.

Currently, the Sea Shepherd flagship Farley Mowat is in the Galapagos Islands under the command of First Officer Alex Cornelissen. The crew are working to assist Galapagos National Park rangers on marine reserve patrols.