Not Just Another Activist

When questioned, a majority of people would say that the voice of one person is not enough to resolve anything--that one person struggling to change an issue will never see success.

Environmental activist Megan Fluke knows that this isn’t true.

A full-time staff member at the Sierra Club’s Loma Prieta Chapter, Fluke has been involved in the environmental movement since the age of fifteen, when a neighborhood group of Fremont residents protested a proposition that would allow land developers to build along hills of a steeper gradient and consequently ruin local habitats. It was the success of this campaign that made Fluke realize that even a small group of active people can make a positive change.

She has since been involved in a myriad of environmental organizations and

activities, from successfully protesting development in San Jose’s Coyote Valley to serving

as the Community Director of GenerationEngage, an organization designed to increase civic

participation rates among underserved young adults.

Recommended by a college professor, Fluke was elected to serve as a

member of the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter’s Executive Committee in late 2008. Fluke now serves as the Grassroots Organizer of the same chapter, working to build community support for “climate- friendly neighborhoods.” These livable neighborhoods are within walking distance of public transit, such as Caltrain, and enable residents to meet everyday needs by

walking, biking, or taking public transit and thereby reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and disorders such as obesity and depression caused by excessive driving.

Fluke believes that it is relatively simple for people to become active in helping the environment. She stresses that one can help the environment even by doing seemingly insignificant things such as walking or using public transportation, eating less meat, recycling, and growing food.

Nowadays with the numerous environmental and economic issues confronting mankind, it is important to have people who are active in helping both the environment and people at the same time. This attribute is what sets Megan Fluke apart from most other activists, and makes her a valuable asset to the Sierra Club in addition to being an inspirational figure to others looking to follow a similar path.

~ Billy W. Zheng