My awareness of human impact on the environment began during a conversation with my grandpa when I was a child. At dinner he was discussing the banning of DDT pesticides and how it was going to have a negative effect on garden production. He understood that the banning of DDT was because it was harming birds. It wasn’t until high school that I understood the greater impact, after reading “Silent Spring,” by Rachel Carsen.
In her book, she writes about DDT … “important studies established the fact that the insecticidal poison affects a generation once removed from the initial contact. Storage of the poison in the egg, in the yolk material that nourishes the developing embryo, is a virtual death warrant and explains why DeWitt’s birds died in the egg or a few days after hatching.” “Silent Spring” was published in 1962, and here we are 59 years later still using insecticides … albeit not DDT. As you likely know, insecticides are not only killing the detrimental insects, but our pollinators, too.
In addition to the loss of our pollinators the use of insecticides is having a deleterious effect on our environment as they contribute to climate change. In an intergovernmental study it was found that 30 percent of emissions that are attributed to climate change can be directly linked to agricultural activities, which includes the use of insecticides. How do they contribute to climate change, you may ask? They contribute to the nitrous oxide in our atmosphere, which is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
A study completed in 2017, by Jamieson, Burkle, Manson, Runyan, Trowbridge, and Zientek and referenced on the U.S. Department of Forest Service website, discusses the negative effects climate change has on plants, specifically the phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are compounds that are produced by plants to help them fight off bacteria, fungi and some viral infections and can be found in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, etc. These phytochemical changes are believed to be having a negative impact on plant-insect interactions, as well.
So, as an incidental gardener, I am experiencing the negative impact of two variables on my garden as my harvest decreases each year. I have been looking for differing ways of controlling for pests, weeds, and plant diseases that do not have a negative impact.
To solve the problem of insect damage in my garden, I am using an integrated pest management system. There are several components to this system but have chosen the cultural controls and the mechanical controls. Cultural control is the use of crop rotation, tilling, pruning/thinning and using timed planting. My grandpa would tell me that this was important so you wouldn’t “wear out” the soil. The mechanical controls I use are things such as traps, netting, and in some cases hand destruction (picking the naughty culprit off the leaf by hand). Another example for me, is the use of Beetle Bags in June.
To assist with my veggie/fruit pollination, I plant oodles of flowers around and in my garden. I surround my garden with zinnias, butterfly weed, cleome, marigolds and various other flowers. Not only do these plants attract pollinators, provide food and refuge for insects, but they provide a barrier to rabbits and deer who like to munch on my garden for their early morning or late evening meals.
As for my impact on climate change: My goal is to be mindful of my own choices. I was taught at an early age to leave things the way I find them, including to leave the land as I found it or even better.
As the White House and Congress discuss infrastructural investments, including green energy and sustainability, and ideas like tax code changes to pay for them, the time to act on the global climate crisis is running shorter than many of us may think.
A draft of an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report due out in its entirety by February 2022 recently was leaked to French news outlet Agence France-Presse and came with dire warnings.
“Species extinction, more widespread disease, unlivable heat, ecosystem collapse, cities menaced by rising seas — these and other devastating climate impacts are accelerating and bound to become painfully obvious before a child born today turns 30. The choices societies make now will determine whether our species thrives or simply survives as the 21st Century unfolds,” said the IPCC.
The draft report’s authors continue, “Life on Earth can recover from a drastic climate shift by evolving into new species and creating new ecosystems … humans cannot.”
The draft report also mentions 12 “tipping points,” or points at which irreversible climactic changes set in that have a negative domino effect on global life-support systems and inhabitants. A couple of examples include the drying out of parts of the Amazon rainforest, causing the forest (often referred to as “Earth’s lungs”) to become a grassy savannah, and the melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, a phenomenon already underway, which causes dramatic long-term rises in sea levels and affects ocean currents, circulations and chemistry.
The good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way, or at least not as dire. According to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency, reported on in The Guardian newspaper, “Almost two-thirds of wind and solar projects built globally last year will be able to generate cheaper electricity than even the world’s cheapest new coal plants.”
The Guardian reported that, “In less than a decade, the cost of large-scale solar power has fallen by more than 85%, while onshore wind has fallen almost 56% and offshore wind has declined by almost 48%.”
The report summary states that, “The trend confirms that low-cost renewables are not only the backbone of the electricity system, but that they will also enable electrification in end uses like transport, buildings and industry and unlock competitive indirect electrification with renewable hydrogen.”
Despite these energy trends, however, our federal government is still subsidizing fossil fuels to an enormous degree. A new analysis from the Stockholm Environment Institute finds that, “The U.S. government added as much as $20 billion a year to the value of new oil and gas projects over the last two decades, amplifying companies’ expected profits during the shale booms in the Bakken, Appalachian, Haynesville, Eagle Ford and Permian basins.” The report also states that, “Subsidies likely played a substantial role in making new gas projects in Appalachia viable, beginning in 2010, when more than 30% of new gas projects may have been subsidy-dependent.”
This is planned obsolescence. How myopic can our elected officials be? We have got to end these dirty energy and product subsidies in the tax code. We also need a price on carbon, to do what economists would refer to as internalizing the externalities (aka making the fossil fuels industries and others pay for the damage their products cause to our bodies and our planet) and to help fund a transition for fossil fuel industry families and communities, as my friend Jim Probst wrote about in this paper recently.
It’s time for all hands on deck. Time is running out. Republicans obviously aren’t interested in addressing any of these issues, so let’s eliminate the filibuster in the U.S. Senate and pass strong legislation that meets the urgency of the moment. And let’s make sure that even Democrats like Sen. Joe Manchin understand one thing: No climate, no deal.
Eric Engle, of Parkersburg, is chairman of Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action, a board member for the West Virginia Rivers Coalition and co-chairman of Sierra Club of West Virginia’s executive committee.
PARKERSBURG — Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action’s usual Third Thursday programs will resume when protocols for safe, in-person, indoor public programs are clearly established. Until then, MOVCA is pleased to attend and promote the Summer 2021 Fair Transition Webinar Series, “Putting Together the Pieces of a Fair Energy Transition – Leaving No One Behind,” as programming for MOVCA this July and August.
Sponsored by the West Virginia Center on Climate Change (“WV3C”), the WVU College of Law Center on Energy and Sustainable Development, and the WV Climate Alliance, (and supported by the Dunn Foundation and by Rafe and Lenore Pomerance), the series of free, expert-led, live/interactive online hour-long webinars – each with different speakers and panelists – will be offered from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 13; and Tuesday, Aug. 10. For more information, or to register, go to wvclimate.org/summer-2021-fair-transition-webinars. Post-event recordings will be available to registrants who are unable to attend at the scheduled time.
“The theme of these webinars ties in well with our support for the THRIVE Act and agenda, as well as relating to the goals of our new subcommittee, New Jobs Appalachia.,” said Jean Ambrose, who leads the NJA committee.
Information for webinar on Tuesday, July 13:
Speaker – Chris Hansen, PhD, Co-Founder and Director at the Colorado Energy & Water Institute. He represents District 31 in the Colorado State Senate, where he chairs the Appropriations Committee. He will discuss the “Colorado Just Transition Action Plan” to assist fossil fuel communities in the transition to a clean energy economy
Panelists – Angie Rosser, Executive Director, WV Rivers; Ann Eisenberg, Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina School of Law; Evan Hansen, represents District 51 in the West Virginia House of Delegates and is President of Downstream Strategies.
Information for webinar scheduled for Tuesday, August 10: TBA
Leadership team member Adeline Bailey said, “We are also hoping to schedule some additional programming of our own – either in-person or on Zoom – as well as tabling at events this summer, to be announced.”
At this time, MOVCA’s regular business meetings held on the first Thursday of each month will continue on the Zoom platform. Members and guests are welcome to attend these meetings and get involved in the many activities and projects of the group.
Contact Eric Engle (ericengle85@yahoo.com) to receive the link to access the group’s Zoom meetings.
Charleston Gazette Mail By Jim Probst Jun 21, 2021 “Change is coming whether we seek it or not. Too many inside and outside the coalfields have looked the other way when it comes to recognizing and addressing specifically what that change must be, but we can look away no longer. We must act, while acting in a way that has real, positive impact on the people who are most affected by this change.”
The above quote is from a document released in April by the United Mine Workers of America, titled “Preserving Coal Country.” On June 16 there was a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate that addresses the changes occurring in coal country in a real, positive and substantial manner.
Introduced by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, the Save Our Futures Act proposes a comprehensive list of support for coal miners and coal-fired power plant workers affected by the transitions occurring in the ways that we produce energy.
For workers and their families, the bill includes:
n Five years of full wage replacement.
n Continuation of health care for five years based on previous employment.
n Continuation of pension contributions for five years also based on level from previous employer.
n Establishment of a G.I. Bill type program to provide educational benefits to affected workers and their children.
The bill also makes sure that the communities that have contributed so much are not left behind in this transition. Proposed support for communities would include:
n Replacement of lost tax revenue, for local governments, on a sliding scale, over a 10-year time period.
n Increased investment in abandoned mine reclamation, coal ash pond remediation and orphan oil well recovery.
n Increased investment in agencies important to community economic development such as the Appalachian Regional Commission.
n Investment of $30 million per year for 10 years in rural broadband development.
Quoting the President of the Utility Workers of America, who have endorsed this legislation, “The five years of full wage replacement, health insurance coverage, pension and educational benefits in this legislation together represent a baseline of support we must offer individuals and communities that have powered American innovation for generations.”
All told, this legislation would offer approximately $120 billion over 10 years to fossil fuel workers and their communities as part of its Energy Veterans Package.
Of course, the driver of this need for action is our changing climate. The Save Our Futures Act will take a robust approach to addressing climate change by placing a substantial fee on greenhouse gas emissions and rebating 70% of the fees collected to low- and middle-income households on a semi-annual basis.
This approach will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 50% after 10 years and help to ensure that global temperature change is kept below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The reality is that we can no longer say that change is coming. Change to our climate is happening now as are the ways that we produce our energy. In the past 10 years employment in the U.S. coal industry has declined by over 50%.
To quote the UMWA, “The devastating impact on families and communities cannot be overstated. Divorce, drug addiction, imprisonment and suicide rates are all on the rise. Poverty levels are creeping back up in Northern and Central Appalachia, the heart of coal country. For every one direct coal job that has been lost, four other jobs have disappeared in these communities, meaning a quarter of a million jobs have already been lost.”
The need for urgent action is now. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., have both acknowledged the need to take steps to address climate change as well as the downturn our coal communities are dealing with. The problem is that their approaches to date just haven’t risen to the level of urgency required.
We are in need of a bold, dynamic, far-reaching and comprehensive pathway to addressing what are certainly the most important issues of our time. The Save Our Futures Act provides that pathway and I strongly urge our two senators to support this legislation.
Jim Probst, of Hamlin, is co-state coordinator of the West Virginia Citizens Climate Lobby.
Fine particulate matter produced from fossil fuel combustion is known to cause numerous health issues, and a recent study finds that this pollution is responsible for one in five early deaths worldwide, hitting people of color especially hard. Pediatrician Aaron Bernstein, who is the interim director of the Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment at Harvard, joins Host Steve Curwood to discuss the implications of the research.
CURWOOD: Black and brown communities are bearing a disproportionate burden of air pollution. In fact a study in the proceedings in the National American Academy of Sciences found that minority groups are disproportionately exposed to more air pollution than they produce, about 66% more for black people and 63% for Latin X.
Meanwhile whites are exposed to about 17% less pollution than they are responsible for creating. This disparity is deadly due to the tiny particles from the burning of fossil fuels from coal, diesel and gas. Some 300,000 or more Americans suffer premature deaths directly from fossil fuel combustion according to a study in the journal Environmental Research and demographics would suggest these deaths are disproportionately amongst people of color. Fine particles can invade lungs and lead to health problems such as strokes, heart attacks, asthma and higher death rates from Covid-19. For more I’m joined now by Harvard Public Health expert and pediatrician Aaron Bernstein.
CURWOOD: So this study measured the impact of particulate matter small ones, two and a half microns from only from fossil fuel combustion. Describe to me exactly what this study looked at.
BERNSTEIN: Yeah. So these authors wanted to understand not what air pollution outside in total does to health. They wanted, as you pointed out, wanted to understand what the proportion of that pollution that comes from burning fossil fuels does to human health.
CURWOOD: The numbers that they have here of 350,000 premature deaths every year in the United States. That is an astonishing number. What about around the rest of the world?
BERNSTEIN: Yeah, so globally, they estimate that somewhere around eight plus million people are dying every year from air pollution that comes from burning fossil fuels, which is roughly one in five deaths worldwide, which is just stunning.
CURWOOD: Now, who do these fossil fuel particulates affect the most? What kinds of populations or groups of people are most at risk?
BERNSTEIN: Yeah, it’s, it’s unfortunately, everybody who can least afford it. So research has shown quite clearly that anyone with a chronic medical condition, particularly people with heart disease, lung disease are at risk. People who are pregnant, or their pregnancies are at risk from this air pollution. There’s lots of evidence that children with asthma will get sicker. And there’s even some evidence that this air pollution may be causing asthma. We know this air pollution causes lung cancer.
And there’s a whole host of other nasty stuff that’s coming into clear focus around the effects of air pollution on brain health, including on dementia, potentially contributing to diabetes. I should mention important to your question of who’s affected most is that it turns out that pollution and poverty are really close bedfellows. And so regardless of where the air pollution happens, it’s pretty much universally the case that people who are less well off are breathing more. In the United States, we have definitive evidence that people of color, particularly Black Americans, and Latinx Americans breathe more air pollution than the rest of us. And they are also least responsible for its production, meaning that they consume less goods that, you know, in their production result in the production of these air pollutants.
CURWOOD: Dr. Bernstein, what parts of the United States and the world are most at risk from these premature deaths from fossil fuel particulates?
BERNSTEIN: Yeah. So this study, and others have shown that the places that are really suffering most from this air pollution are in Asia. Particularly in China and India and Southeast Asia, where the lion’s share of the mortality from air outdoor air pollution is happening. Now, interestingly, Steve, you know, we’ve cleaned up the air in the United States, dramatically, everyone’s air quality has gotten better. The latest research shows, unfortunately, that the gains have not been equally shared. That in fact, white Americans have benefited most, whereas Black Americans and Latinx Americans have certainly benefited but not as much in the past several decades.
But one of the consequences of us cleaning up our air is that we’ve exported the pollution. So there’s been research now looking at how as manufacturing bases have moved, you know, from richer countries to low and middle income countries, that the pollution controls in those places are often less good. And the pollution that’s being generated there is substantial. And in some research, for instance, China is certainly the place where the most deaths are occurring for goods that are serving people not in China, and the EU and in the US are the largest purchasers of those goods.
CURWOOD: How fair Dr. Bernstein is it to say nevermind, climate change, global warming from fossil fuels. Just look at the health effects of burning fossil fuels?
BERNSTEIN: Well, I think, you know, there’s an interesting history here, Steve. So in the realm of climate change, the kind of health wins we get when we come off fossil fuels that this study shows are what are called the co-benefits, right? That’s, that’s the term that people use. These benefits aren’t really the co-benefits. They are the health benefits of climate action. And I think it’s critical that we start talking about them that way. Because to your point, you know, if 300,000 people roughly are dying every year in the United States from fossil fuel air pollution, and you know, 8 million people are dying globally, can you imagine what we would be doing if we treated this like we have Covid? I mean, the world is spending trillions upon trillions of dollars to deal with this pandemic. We’re not spending a fraction of that to deal with the air pollution mortality from fossil fuel use. You know, this is a global problem. And there’s a real need to look at how we are valuing energy and goods when it comes to health. And if we in fact, included the health effects of our production system and the reliance on fossil fuels, we would be off fossil fuels tomorrow, because no one could afford using them.
Teach your children well. This is sound advice to which we can all sing along thanks to 1970s folk rock, but speaking as both a parent and a former high school teacher, I have also seen time and again that for whatever and however we teach our children, they often teach us more and better if we make an effort to see the world from their vantage point.
As the Engagement and Program Coordinator for Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action, reading the dozens of essays written by local high school youth for our Earth Day essay contest demonstrated this once again to be true. There are many young people right here in the Mid-Ohio Valley who acknowledge the reality of climate change and are willing to thoughtfully engage with the problem in the quest for solutions. Here are a few ways in which they impressed us with their essay submissions about carbon footprint reduction and a lesson or two that they taught us along the way.
First, it is notable that our young people are willing to openly and respectfully converse with friends, family, and neighbors about climate change, including those who may be neutral or even adverse to the topic. Not only are they willing, but a common theme running throughout the essays was their insistence that this conversation is necessary to building the awareness that precedes action and solutions.
Our first place essayist, a sophomore from Warren Local, also acknowledged that it is unrealistic to expect one’s environmental message to always fall on enthusiastic ears, but she demonstrated an admirable willingness to continue educating others, regardless. Offering a metaphor to teach us undeterred patience when encountering what appears to be disinterest, she writes, “Just because you plant a seed doesn’t mean it will grow; however, some seeds need to winter before they can sprout.”
Second, our young people demonstrate in their essays an ability to self-reflect and then consider where they might make changes in their own daily habits. They do not take new ideas that contradict their old ones as a personal affront, but approach them with a mindset of opportunity, recognizing a chance to make a positive impact. At the same time, they are realistic and honest. They know that there are limits imposed by geography, availability of resources, and even just by modern life that make it difficult or impossible for any one person to always follow every climate-friendly recommendation of which they are aware. Regardless, they refrain from despair or harsh judgment, and proceed with earnest intention toward a solution.
Third, while they are certainly willing to reflect on how personal choices affect one’s impact on climate and the environment as a whole, as we would all be wise to do, our young people also think critically about the role of systems and institutions in this global crisis. For example, our third place writer, a junior from Waterford High School, opines that a popular narrative in discussions about curbing carbon emissions places the onus disproportionately upon the average individual, while the role and responsibilities of a powerful and wealthy fossil fuel industry are meanwhile largely ignored. It can be inferred that for as long as we leave out this piece of the puzzle, we are destined to never solve it.
Along these lines, our second place finalist, a senior from Ritchie County, adds that while “personal initiative is noble and helpful, real change requires collaboration.” That is, small actions we take in our daily lives certainly matter, but they alone are not going to solve the problem. He makes note of political importance, as well, suggesting that the power of our vote and who we choose as our leaders supersedes the impact of our personal environmentalism. In short, young people lead us to the idea that our collective voices must also be used to compel economic and political systems to do their part.
There is another line from classic rock that comes to mind as I reflect on our recent essay submissions: “The kids are alright.” When it comes to our thoughtful teenage writers, I can’t help but agree. I encourage the grown-ups — myself included — to follow the lead of concerned youth on climate. If we do, they will indeed teach us well, and the planet we inhabit may just turn out alright, too.
***
Angie Iafrate is the Engagement and Program Coordinator with Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action focusing on youth programs and outreach.
My mother, a wise and unconventional woman, was in many ways far ahead of her peers and her times. Back in the 1950s, our urban N.J. home was surrounded by lovely flower gardens, lush greenery, huge shade trees, and numerous fruit trees. (No one else in our neighborhood had fruit trees!)
The interior of our home was filled with houseplants. I used to marvel and complain that every room except the bathrooms had numerous plants on the tabletops, window sills … virtually every flat surface. When asked about the presence of all that greenery, my mother would explain that plants improve the air quality and it was a good idea to have plants in our home, and trees all around us, because they helped us stay healthy. At the time, it seemed like a bizarre notion.
My mom has been gone for several years, but if she were alive, I am sure she would have been quick to jump on the climate change /environmental awareness bandwagon. It turns out she was right: PLANTS IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
No existing, human-made air filtration system has the ability to create oxygen. Oxygen is a critical element of clean and healthy air. Indoor plants create oxygen. Plants clean the air through the process of photosynthesis. We humans breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide; plants do the opposite. During the process of photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide and produce the oxygen we breathe.
Studies from NASA reveal that plant-filled rooms contain 50 to 60 percent fewer airborne molds and bacteria than rooms without plants. And a cleaner environment is just the start. An NBC news report pointed out that “indoor plants improve concentration and productivity, reduce stress levels and boost your mood.”
Consider now — TREES.
Trees create a peaceful, aesthetically pleasing environment. Trees increase our quality of life by bringing natural elements and wildlife habitats into urban and suburban settings.
Trees improve water quality, and reduce flooding and erosion. A tree’s leafy canopy catches precipitation before it reaches the ground, allowing some of it to gently drip and the rest to evaporate. Tree roots hold soil in place, reducing erosion. In these ways, trees lessen the force of storms and reduce the amount of runoff into sewers.
Urban trees provide a cost-effective solution to improving air quality in our cities. The pores on the underside of tree leaves are effective in removing sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic carbon. The leaves’ upper surface intercepts airborne particulates, contributing even more to a healthy urban environment. It was estimated that trees in Chicago, for example, remove approximately 234 tons of particulates annually.
And trees give back even more. Remember photosynthesis and the fact that it releases oxygen? Studies reveal that one mature tree yields enough oxygen for four people EVERY DAY. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “One acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people.”
Trees contribute to their environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality, conserving water, preserving soil, and supporting wildlife. Trees, shrubs, and turf also filter air by removing dust and absorbing other pollutants like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. After trees intercept unhealthy particles, rain washes them to the ground.
Trees control climate by moderating the effects of the sun, rain and wind. Trees lower the air temperature and reduce the heat intensity of the greenhouse effect by maintaining low levels of carbon dioxide.
Trees mitigate the impact of climate change, and plants do, indeed, improve the quality of life. As usual, my mother was right.
***
Linda Eve Seth, SLP, M.Ed., is a mother, grandmother and concerned citizen. She is a member of MOVCA.
To quote Johan Rockstrom, Vice-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, “An emergency is calculated by risk divided by time. Risk is probability multiplied by impact. Scientifically, we now have a very unfortunate set of data in front of us. We know that the likely impact on humans of climate disruption, mass extinction and air pollution is very, very high indeed. The probability is also uncomfortably high. This adds up to a very high risk. Now divide that by time. We have unequivocal evidence that we have entered a decisive decade. If we have any chance to prevent the loss of more than a million species, we must halt biodiversity loss now, not in 20 or 30 years. If we want to have any chance of keeping global warming to 1.5C [centigrade above preindustrial levels], we need to cut emissions by half over the next nine years.”
One of the best, or at least most immediate, shots we have in the U.S. at beginning to tackle the anthropogenic (human-caused) global climate crisis and related crises is infrastructure legislation now being devised, revised and debated in the U.S. Senate. This effort must coincide with the creation of a post-pandemic 21st Century economy that allows the American people to thrive.
Thrive–you should keep that word in mind. Why? Because the THRIVE (Transform, Heal and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy) Act is our best shot at tackling climate and biodiversity as well as economic and public health crises starting now. The THRIVE Act would create 50,000 jobs in the first full year of the program and sustain high levels of employment throughout the next decade. The program would invest $5.2 billion per year for a decade into West Virginia in clean renewable energy and energy efficiency, infrastructure, electric vehicles, agriculture and land restoration, and the care economy, public health and the postal service. Economic renewal investments with strong labor standards ensure that jobs will not only increase, but that the quality of jobs will also improve.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and her Republican colleagues aren’t taking these goals seriously. They want to ignore the care economy entirely and they fail to take seriously and adequately address the climate and related crises we face. They miss the mark on a 21st Century economy centered around renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable agriculture and development that creates thousands of good-paying union jobs.
Republicans can’t even meet President Biden halfway on his American Jobs Plan. They want to talk about roads, bridges, water systems and broadband, which are all extremely important and included in both the American Jobs Plan and the THRIVE Act but focusing on just these is myopic.
Now is the time to go big and be bold. West Virginians are tired of just surviving, at best, while facing an addiction epidemic, the fallout of a global COVID-19 pandemic, and losing more population than any other state in the Union. We need leaders with vision and the tenacity to deliver. We’re tired of excuses and watching politicians check their stock portfolios and check in with industry lobbyists and deep pocket campaign contributors before they decide whether or not to listen to their constituents.
According to findings from a Data for Progress poll conducted May 7-11, two-thirds of voters are concerned about the impacts of climate change on their communities. That is all the mandate that the U.S. Congress and the White House need to take action! Tell Sen. Joe Manchin III and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito to act today and support the THRIVE Act, or at the very least go as big and as bold with the American Jobs Plan as they can possibly go. It’s time for West Virginia and the rest of the country to thrive!
***
Eric Engle is Chairman of the not-for-profit volunteer organization Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action, Board Member for the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, and Co-Chairman of the Sierra Club of West Virginia Chapter’s Executive Committee.
What is the proper amount of emissions to allow from industrial and chemical plants and how are emissions traded for jobs?
I was appalled when I compared what West Virginia’s Department of Environmental Protection expected to allow for the proposed West Virginia Methanol plant in Pleasants County, near the Ohio River, with what was achieved 30 years ago for a new plastics plant in New York.
About 1990, GE built a new plant in New York State. As I remember the Geloy plant yearly produced 30 million pounds of plastic and only one pound of emissions. The entire plant was inside a new building. There was a continuous air monitoring system, which sampled air at several critical locations. If the monitor detected more than 1 part per million of acrylonitrile, an alarm sounded and corrective action was taken.
Contrast that with the methanol plant under review by the WV DEP.
According to a Gazette-Mail article April 30, 2021:
“The proposed facility has the potential to emit 91 tons of carbon monoxide, 92 tons of nitrogen oxides (poisonous, highly reactive gases), 54 combined tons of three different kinds of particulate matter, and 11 combined tons of the known or probable human carcinogens formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene and 1,3-butadiene, according to West Virginia Methanol’s permit application.”
West Virginia Methanol will emit hundreds of tons of emissions compared to one pound of emissions achieved 30 years ago at the GE Geloy plant in Selkirk, N.Y. These emissions do not even include methanol but only byproducts of the process.
Since none of these separate byproducts individually exceeds the 100 tons per year required by the state to be considered a “major” emitter, no emissions modeling is required. One regulated stream will be 92 percent of a “major” emitter and a second will be 90 percent. When added together the two streams clearly exceed 100 tons. This appears to be a clever attempt to build the first of several possible plants and never be considered a “major” emitter.
I am familiar with butadiene, one chemical byproduct to be emitted by the methanol plant, which I used as a student and at GE Plastics, Washington plant. The plant used barge loads.
To compare the butadiene emissions from a plant that used massive amounts as a raw material to emissions of the proposed methanol plant that produced butadiene only as a byproduct, I looked at the WV DEP public records for the SABIC plant, formerly GE Plastics. For 2014 SABIC reported 0.5 tons per year of butadiene emissions. The methanol plant will be permitted to emit 11 tons of a mixture of four suspected carcinogens, one of which is butadiene. If all the mixture is butadiene, then the new construction will be permitted to emit 22 times more butadiene as a byproduct than the SABIC plant, which used butadiene as a feed stock, actually emitted in 2014.
I only found the 0.5 ton of butadiene after hours reading public records for the SABIC plant. Most appeared to be 60 pages of yearly documentation that correct procedures were followed. None had any numerical data about what was emitted. Only one Certified Emission Statement dated 7-11-2014 actually listed data. A Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) Worksheet, filled out by hand, indicated 0.5 tons of butadiene was included in the combined total. The total also contained 3.7 tons of acrylonitrile, 2.72 tons of cumene, 3.87 of methyl methacrylate, and 22.18 tons of styrene plus other minor emissions. In 2014 SABIC reported emissions of 34.06 tons of combined Hazardous Air Pollutants.
In my opinion:
1) All emissions from the proposed WV Methanol plant should be added together in determining if the emitter is “major,” especially since two of the byproduct emission streams are each over 90 percent of the “major” 100 ton limit. In addition the emissions of methanol should be included in the “major” limit calculation.
2) Emission modeling for the methanol plant should be completed, even if it is not legally required.
3) Continuous fence line monitoring should be standard for all new plant construction or major modifications. If this is not done by the plant owner, DEP should have mobile monitors that are periodically placed near the fence line and the data made public. The public should be able to monitor anywhere outside the plant boundaries.
4) Best available technology should be used for new construction and major modifications.
5) Building several small plants as a substitute for one large plant to circumvent the emission requirements for the single large plant should not be allowed.
6) Annual emissions for each plant and each chemical should be easily accessible to the general public. This would lead to a clearer public understanding of the trade off between the health hazards of too lax and the economic hazard of too restrictive legislation.
***
Warren Peascoe is a Ph.D. chemist, retired from Uniroyal and GE Plastics,
Appearing on-line in The Bargain Hunter(Weekly news magazine serving Ohio Counties: Holmes, Tuscarawas, Wayne, and the surrounding area. Stark, Medina, Summit and Cuyahoga):
Posted May 4, 2021 video of April 10, 2021 live-streamed event
“Jammin’ For Jobs -Full Clean Cut Video”
Musicians, artists, community leaders and citizens from across state came together to demand better jobs in WV and for Congress to support the THRIVE AC
Tuesday May 25, 2021 Zoom Public event hosted by Buckeye Environmental Network & Tackling the A-Z Impacts of Plastic, Ohio River Guardians, Ohio Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival; & UUJO: Unitarian Universalist Justice Ohio
“S.O.S. Learn & Act to Save Ohioans from Radioactive Brine Spreading”
Zoom event about two dangerous bills, H.B. 282 and S.B. 171, that threaten Ohioans health from radioactive oil and gas waste brine
Thursday, May 20, 2021 6:30 pm. Virtual Conference hosted by Concerned Ohio River Residents, League of Women Voters, and the Climate Reality Project. Supported by MOVCAas May public program.
“A Better Vision for the Valley” Recording of conference posted to YouTube on May 21, 2021 at this link:
This second conference (first in May 2019) is to brainstorm sustainable economic development potential in our communities. Conference speakers, experts and entrepreneurs: Sean O’Leary, Ohio River Valley Institute; Annie Rouse, Think Hempy Thoughts and Anavil Market; Jeffrey Morris, Roxby Development; and Vincent DeGeorge, Grow Ohio Valley.
Wednesday, May 19, 2021 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar hosted by Ohio Poor People’s Campaign & Our Voices Together
“Ohio Environmental Issues – Their Connection to Regressive Policies and Their Impact”
Discussion about Ohio’s Environmental Issues – Their Connection to Regressive Policies, Voter Suppression, Anti-Protest Bills and the 5 Systemic Evils. Guest speakers included: Rev. Joan Vanbecelaere- UUJOP; Christy Stonebaker Martinez – InterReligious Taskforce on Central America; Guy Jones- Miami Valley Council for Native Americans; Jill Hunkler – Concerned Ohio River Residents; Justin Thompson – Ashtabula County Water Watch. Zoom Registration required:
May 19, 4PM & May 20, 2021 8 PM Zoom Webinar promoted by WV New Jobs Coalition https://www.newjobswv.org
Green New Deal Storytelling Training “#TimeToThrive Stories Training”
Storytelling for action training & make a video in support of the THRIVE Act for climate, jobs, & justice
Tuesday, May 11, 2021 4-5 p.m. Zoom – Panel and community discussion hosted by WV Interfaith Power & Light
“Standing Up for Appalachia: Bringing Jobs and Economic Justice to West Virginia”
Learn about federal and regional economic initiatives such as the RECLAIM Act, ReImagine Appalachia, the THRIVE Agenda, and the American Jobs Plan. . . and how you can help. Registration required.
ACTION LINKS:
Available on-line at West Virginia Rivers:
May 27, 2021 WV Rivers News Article by Kathleen Tyner (Action Link provided)
“Action alert: Let WV’s Senators Know You’re Depending on Them for Critical Infrastructure Legislation”
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Climate Corner: Making better choices
Jun 26, 2021
Nenna Davis
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
My awareness of human impact on the environment began during a conversation with my grandpa when I was a child. At dinner he was discussing the banning of DDT pesticides and how it was going to have a negative effect on garden production. He understood that the banning of DDT was because it was harming birds. It wasn’t until high school that I understood the greater impact, after reading “Silent Spring,” by Rachel Carsen.
In her book, she writes about DDT … “important studies established the fact that the insecticidal poison affects a generation once removed from the initial contact. Storage of the poison in the egg, in the yolk material that nourishes the developing embryo, is a virtual death warrant and explains why DeWitt’s birds died in the egg or a few days after hatching.” “Silent Spring” was published in 1962, and here we are 59 years later still using insecticides … albeit not DDT. As you likely know, insecticides are not only killing the detrimental insects, but our pollinators, too.
In addition to the loss of our pollinators the use of insecticides is having a deleterious effect on our environment as they contribute to climate change. In an intergovernmental study it was found that 30 percent of emissions that are attributed to climate change can be directly linked to agricultural activities, which includes the use of insecticides. How do they contribute to climate change, you may ask? They contribute to the nitrous oxide in our atmosphere, which is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
A study completed in 2017, by Jamieson, Burkle, Manson, Runyan, Trowbridge, and Zientek and referenced on the U.S. Department of Forest Service website, discusses the negative effects climate change has on plants, specifically the phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are compounds that are produced by plants to help them fight off bacteria, fungi and some viral infections and can be found in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, etc. These phytochemical changes are believed to be having a negative impact on plant-insect interactions, as well.
So, as an incidental gardener, I am experiencing the negative impact of two variables on my garden as my harvest decreases each year. I have been looking for differing ways of controlling for pests, weeds, and plant diseases that do not have a negative impact.
To solve the problem of insect damage in my garden, I am using an integrated pest management system. There are several components to this system but have chosen the cultural controls and the mechanical controls. Cultural control is the use of crop rotation, tilling, pruning/thinning and using timed planting. My grandpa would tell me that this was important so you wouldn’t “wear out” the soil. The mechanical controls I use are things such as traps, netting, and in some cases hand destruction (picking the naughty culprit off the leaf by hand). Another example for me, is the use of Beetle Bags in June.
To assist with my veggie/fruit pollination, I plant oodles of flowers around and in my garden. I surround my garden with zinnias, butterfly weed, cleome, marigolds and various other flowers. Not only do these plants attract pollinators, provide food and refuge for insects, but they provide a barrier to rabbits and deer who like to munch on my garden for their early morning or late evening meals.
As for my impact on climate change: My goal is to be mindful of my own choices. I was taught at an early age to leave things the way I find them, including to leave the land as I found it or even better.
***
Nenna Davis, B.S Zoology/Botany; MA, Organizational Communication; Master Gardener.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Engle: The house is on fire; will we stop lighting matches? (Opinion)
WV Gazette Mail
6/24/2021
As the White House and Congress discuss infrastructural investments, including green energy and sustainability, and ideas like tax code changes to pay for them, the time to act on the global climate crisis is running shorter than many of us may think.
A draft of an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report due out in its entirety by February 2022 recently was leaked to French news outlet Agence France-Presse and came with dire warnings.
“Species extinction, more widespread disease, unlivable heat, ecosystem collapse, cities menaced by rising seas — these and other devastating climate impacts are accelerating and bound to become painfully obvious before a child born today turns 30. The choices societies make now will determine whether our species thrives or simply survives as the 21st Century unfolds,” said the IPCC.
The draft report’s authors continue, “Life on Earth can recover from a drastic climate shift by evolving into new species and creating new ecosystems … humans cannot.”
The draft report also mentions 12 “tipping points,” or points at which irreversible climactic changes set in that have a negative domino effect on global life-support systems and inhabitants. A couple of examples include the drying out of parts of the Amazon rainforest, causing the forest (often referred to as “Earth’s lungs”) to become a grassy savannah, and the melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, a phenomenon already underway, which causes dramatic long-term rises in sea levels and affects ocean currents, circulations and chemistry.
The good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way, or at least not as dire. According to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency, reported on in The Guardian newspaper, “Almost two-thirds of wind and solar projects built globally last year will be able to generate cheaper electricity than even the world’s cheapest new coal plants.”
The Guardian reported that, “In less than a decade, the cost of large-scale solar power has fallen by more than 85%, while onshore wind has fallen almost 56% and offshore wind has declined by almost 48%.”
The report summary states that, “The trend confirms that low-cost renewables are not only the backbone of the electricity system, but that they will also enable electrification in end uses like transport, buildings and industry and unlock competitive indirect electrification with renewable hydrogen.”
Despite these energy trends, however, our federal government is still subsidizing fossil fuels to an enormous degree. A new analysis from the Stockholm Environment Institute finds that, “The U.S. government added as much as $20 billion a year to the value of new oil and gas projects over the last two decades, amplifying companies’ expected profits during the shale booms in the Bakken, Appalachian, Haynesville, Eagle Ford and Permian basins.” The report also states that, “Subsidies likely played a substantial role in making new gas projects in Appalachia viable, beginning in 2010, when more than 30% of new gas projects may have been subsidy-dependent.”
This is planned obsolescence. How myopic can our elected officials be? We have got to end these dirty energy and product subsidies in the tax code. We also need a price on carbon, to do what economists would refer to as internalizing the externalities (aka making the fossil fuels industries and others pay for the damage their products cause to our bodies and our planet) and to help fund a transition for fossil fuel industry families and communities, as my friend Jim Probst wrote about in this paper recently.
It’s time for all hands on deck. Time is running out. Republicans obviously aren’t interested in addressing any of these issues, so let’s eliminate the filibuster in the U.S. Senate and pass strong legislation that meets the urgency of the moment. And let’s make sure that even Democrats like Sen. Joe Manchin understand one thing: No climate, no deal.
Eric Engle, of Parkersburg, is chairman of Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action, a board member for the West Virginia Rivers Coalition and co-chairman of Sierra Club of West Virginia’s executive committee.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
MOVCA promotes ‘WV3C’ webinars during transition
Jun 24, 2021 Marietta Times
PARKERSBURG — Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action’s usual Third Thursday programs will resume when protocols for safe, in-person, indoor public programs are clearly established. Until then, MOVCA is pleased to attend and promote the Summer 2021 Fair Transition Webinar Series, “Putting Together the Pieces of a Fair Energy Transition – Leaving No One Behind,” as programming for MOVCA this July and August.
Sponsored by the West Virginia Center on Climate Change (“WV3C”), the WVU College of Law Center on Energy and Sustainable Development, and the WV Climate Alliance, (and supported by the Dunn Foundation and by Rafe and Lenore Pomerance), the series of free, expert-led, live/interactive online hour-long webinars – each with different speakers and panelists – will be offered from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 13; and Tuesday, Aug. 10. For more information, or to register, go to wvclimate.org/summer-2021-fair-transition-webinars. Post-event recordings will be available to registrants who are unable to attend at the scheduled time.
“The theme of these webinars ties in well with our support for the THRIVE Act and agenda, as well as relating to the goals of our new subcommittee, New Jobs Appalachia.,” said Jean Ambrose, who leads the NJA committee.
Information for webinar on Tuesday, July 13:
Speaker – Chris Hansen, PhD, Co-Founder and Director at the Colorado Energy & Water Institute. He represents District 31 in the Colorado State Senate, where he chairs the Appropriations Committee. He will discuss the “Colorado Just Transition Action Plan” to assist fossil fuel communities in the transition to a clean energy economy
Panelists – Angie Rosser, Executive Director, WV Rivers; Ann Eisenberg, Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina School of Law; Evan Hansen, represents District 51 in the West Virginia House of Delegates and is President of Downstream Strategies.
Information for webinar scheduled for Tuesday, August 10: TBA
Leadership team member Adeline Bailey said, “We are also hoping to schedule some additional programming of our own – either in-person or on Zoom – as well as tabling at events this summer, to be announced.”
At this time, MOVCA’s regular business meetings held on the first Thursday of each month will continue on the Zoom platform. Members and guests are welcome to attend these meetings and get involved in the many activities and projects of the group.
Contact Eric Engle (ericengle85@yahoo.com) to receive the link to access the group’s Zoom meetings.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Moving on from coal without abandoning miners
Charleston Gazette Mail
By Jim Probst Jun 21, 2021
“Change is coming whether we seek it or not. Too many inside and outside the coalfields have looked the other way when it comes to recognizing and addressing specifically what that change must be, but we can look away no longer. We must act, while acting in a way that has real, positive impact on the people who are most affected by this change.”
The above quote is from a document released in April by the United Mine Workers of America, titled “Preserving Coal Country.” On June 16 there was a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate that addresses the changes occurring in coal country in a real, positive and substantial manner.
Introduced by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, the Save Our Futures Act proposes a comprehensive list of support for coal miners and coal-fired power plant workers affected by the transitions occurring in the ways that we produce energy.
For workers and their families, the bill includes:
n Five years of full wage replacement.
n Continuation of health care for five years based on previous employment.
n Continuation of pension contributions for five years also based on level from previous employer.
n Establishment of a G.I. Bill type program to provide educational benefits to affected workers and their children.
The bill also makes sure that the communities that have contributed so much are not left behind in this transition. Proposed support for communities would include:
n Replacement of lost tax revenue, for local governments, on a sliding scale, over a 10-year time period.
n Increased investment in abandoned mine reclamation, coal ash pond remediation and orphan oil well recovery.
n Increased investment in agencies important to community economic development such as the Appalachian Regional Commission.
n Investment of $30 million per year for 10 years in rural broadband development.
Quoting the President of the Utility Workers of America, who have endorsed this legislation, “The five years of full wage replacement, health insurance coverage, pension and educational benefits in this legislation together represent a baseline of support we must offer individuals and communities that have powered American innovation for generations.”
All told, this legislation would offer approximately $120 billion over 10 years to fossil fuel workers and their communities as part of its Energy Veterans Package.
Of course, the driver of this need for action is our changing climate. The Save Our Futures Act will take a robust approach to addressing climate change by placing a substantial fee on greenhouse gas emissions and rebating 70% of the fees collected to low- and middle-income households on a semi-annual basis.
This approach will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 50% after 10 years and help to ensure that global temperature change is kept below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The reality is that we can no longer say that change is coming. Change to our climate is happening now as are the ways that we produce our energy. In the past 10 years employment in the U.S. coal industry has declined by over 50%.
To quote the UMWA, “The devastating impact on families and communities cannot be overstated. Divorce, drug addiction, imprisonment and suicide rates are all on the rise. Poverty levels are creeping back up in Northern and Central Appalachia, the heart of coal country. For every one direct coal job that has been lost, four other jobs have disappeared in these communities, meaning a quarter of a million jobs have already been lost.”
The need for urgent action is now. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., have both acknowledged the need to take steps to address climate change as well as the downturn our coal communities are dealing with. The problem is that their approaches to date just haven’t risen to the level of urgency required.
We are in need of a bold, dynamic, far-reaching and comprehensive pathway to addressing what are certainly the most important issues of our time. The Save Our Futures Act provides that pathway and I strongly urge our two senators to support this legislation.
Jim Probst, of Hamlin, is co-state coordinator of the West Virginia Citizens Climate Lobby.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Health Effects from Fossil Fuel Combustion
by Duane Nichols on June 19, 2021
Fossil Fuels are Causing Public Health Effects
One in Five Premature Deaths Result from Fossil Fuels
From Living On Earth, PRX, Air Date: Week of June 18, 2021
Fine particulate matter produced from fossil fuel combustion is known to cause numerous health issues, and a recent study finds that this pollution is responsible for one in five early deaths worldwide, hitting people of color especially hard. Pediatrician Aaron Bernstein, who is the interim director of the Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment at Harvard, joins Host Steve Curwood to discuss the implications of the research.
CURWOOD: Black and brown communities are bearing a disproportionate burden of air pollution. In fact a study in the proceedings in the National American Academy of Sciences found that minority groups are disproportionately exposed to more air pollution than they produce, about 66% more for black people and 63% for Latin X.
Meanwhile whites are exposed to about 17% less pollution than they are responsible for creating. This disparity is deadly due to the tiny particles from the burning of fossil fuels from coal, diesel and gas. Some 300,000 or more Americans suffer premature deaths directly from fossil fuel combustion according to a study in the journal Environmental Research and demographics would suggest these deaths are disproportionately amongst people of color. Fine particles can invade lungs and lead to health problems such as strokes, heart attacks, asthma and higher death rates from Covid-19. For more I’m joined now by Harvard Public Health expert and pediatrician Aaron Bernstein.
CURWOOD: So this study measured the impact of particulate matter small ones, two and a half microns from only from fossil fuel combustion. Describe to me exactly what this study looked at.
BERNSTEIN: Yeah. So these authors wanted to understand not what air pollution outside in total does to health. They wanted, as you pointed out, wanted to understand what the proportion of that pollution that comes from burning fossil fuels does to human health.
CURWOOD: The numbers that they have here of 350,000 premature deaths every year in the United States. That is an astonishing number. What about around the rest of the world?
BERNSTEIN: Yeah, so globally, they estimate that somewhere around eight plus million people are dying every year from air pollution that comes from burning fossil fuels, which is roughly one in five deaths worldwide, which is just stunning.
CURWOOD: Now, who do these fossil fuel particulates affect the most? What kinds of populations or groups of people are most at risk?
BERNSTEIN: Yeah, it’s, it’s unfortunately, everybody who can least afford it. So research has shown quite clearly that anyone with a chronic medical condition, particularly people with heart disease, lung disease are at risk. People who are pregnant, or their pregnancies are at risk from this air pollution. There’s lots of evidence that children with asthma will get sicker. And there’s even some evidence that this air pollution may be causing asthma. We know this air pollution causes lung cancer.
And there’s a whole host of other nasty stuff that’s coming into clear focus around the effects of air pollution on brain health, including on dementia, potentially contributing to diabetes. I should mention important to your question of who’s affected most is that it turns out that pollution and poverty are really close bedfellows. And so regardless of where the air pollution happens, it’s pretty much universally the case that people who are less well off are breathing more. In the United States, we have definitive evidence that people of color, particularly Black Americans, and Latinx Americans breathe more air pollution than the rest of us. And they are also least responsible for its production, meaning that they consume less goods that, you know, in their production result in the production of these air pollutants.
CURWOOD: Dr. Bernstein, what parts of the United States and the world are most at risk from these premature deaths from fossil fuel particulates?
BERNSTEIN: Yeah. So this study, and others have shown that the places that are really suffering most from this air pollution are in Asia. Particularly in China and India and Southeast Asia, where the lion’s share of the mortality from air outdoor air pollution is happening. Now, interestingly, Steve, you know, we’ve cleaned up the air in the United States, dramatically, everyone’s air quality has gotten better. The latest research shows, unfortunately, that the gains have not been equally shared. That in fact, white Americans have benefited most, whereas Black Americans and Latinx Americans have certainly benefited but not as much in the past several decades.
But one of the consequences of us cleaning up our air is that we’ve exported the pollution. So there’s been research now looking at how as manufacturing bases have moved, you know, from richer countries to low and middle income countries, that the pollution controls in those places are often less good. And the pollution that’s being generated there is substantial. And in some research, for instance, China is certainly the place where the most deaths are occurring for goods that are serving people not in China, and the EU and in the US are the largest purchasers of those goods.
CURWOOD: How fair Dr. Bernstein is it to say nevermind, climate change, global warming from fossil fuels. Just look at the health effects of burning fossil fuels?
BERNSTEIN: Well, I think, you know, there’s an interesting history here, Steve. So in the realm of climate change, the kind of health wins we get when we come off fossil fuels that this study shows are what are called the co-benefits, right? That’s, that’s the term that people use. These benefits aren’t really the co-benefits. They are the health benefits of climate action. And I think it’s critical that we start talking about them that way. Because to your point, you know, if 300,000 people roughly are dying every year in the United States from fossil fuel air pollution, and you know, 8 million people are dying globally, can you imagine what we would be doing if we treated this like we have Covid? I mean, the world is spending trillions upon trillions of dollars to deal with this pandemic. We’re not spending a fraction of that to deal with the air pollution mortality from fossil fuel use. You know, this is a global problem. And there’s a real need to look at how we are valuing energy and goods when it comes to health. And if we in fact, included the health effects of our production system and the reliance on fossil fuels, we would be off fossil fuels tomorrow, because no one could afford using them.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Corner: The kids are alright
Jun 19, 2021
Angie Iafrate
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
Teach your children well. This is sound advice to which we can all sing along thanks to 1970s folk rock, but speaking as both a parent and a former high school teacher, I have also seen time and again that for whatever and however we teach our children, they often teach us more and better if we make an effort to see the world from their vantage point.
As the Engagement and Program Coordinator for Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action, reading the dozens of essays written by local high school youth for our Earth Day essay contest demonstrated this once again to be true. There are many young people right here in the Mid-Ohio Valley who acknowledge the reality of climate change and are willing to thoughtfully engage with the problem in the quest for solutions. Here are a few ways in which they impressed us with their essay submissions about carbon footprint reduction and a lesson or two that they taught us along the way.
First, it is notable that our young people are willing to openly and respectfully converse with friends, family, and neighbors about climate change, including those who may be neutral or even adverse to the topic. Not only are they willing, but a common theme running throughout the essays was their insistence that this conversation is necessary to building the awareness that precedes action and solutions.
Our first place essayist, a sophomore from Warren Local, also acknowledged that it is unrealistic to expect one’s environmental message to always fall on enthusiastic ears, but she demonstrated an admirable willingness to continue educating others, regardless. Offering a metaphor to teach us undeterred patience when encountering what appears to be disinterest, she writes, “Just because you plant a seed doesn’t mean it will grow; however, some seeds need to winter before they can sprout.”
Second, our young people demonstrate in their essays an ability to self-reflect and then consider where they might make changes in their own daily habits. They do not take new ideas that contradict their old ones as a personal affront, but approach them with a mindset of opportunity, recognizing a chance to make a positive impact. At the same time, they are realistic and honest. They know that there are limits imposed by geography, availability of resources, and even just by modern life that make it difficult or impossible for any one person to always follow every climate-friendly recommendation of which they are aware. Regardless, they refrain from despair or harsh judgment, and proceed with earnest intention toward a solution.
Third, while they are certainly willing to reflect on how personal choices affect one’s impact on climate and the environment as a whole, as we would all be wise to do, our young people also think critically about the role of systems and institutions in this global crisis. For example, our third place writer, a junior from Waterford High School, opines that a popular narrative in discussions about curbing carbon emissions places the onus disproportionately upon the average individual, while the role and responsibilities of a powerful and wealthy fossil fuel industry are meanwhile largely ignored. It can be inferred that for as long as we leave out this piece of the puzzle, we are destined to never solve it.
Along these lines, our second place finalist, a senior from Ritchie County, adds that while “personal initiative is noble and helpful, real change requires collaboration.” That is, small actions we take in our daily lives certainly matter, but they alone are not going to solve the problem. He makes note of political importance, as well, suggesting that the power of our vote and who we choose as our leaders supersedes the impact of our personal environmentalism. In short, young people lead us to the idea that our collective voices must also be used to compel economic and political systems to do their part.
There is another line from classic rock that comes to mind as I reflect on our recent essay submissions: “The kids are alright.” When it comes to our thoughtful teenage writers, I can’t help but agree. I encourage the grown-ups — myself included — to follow the lead of concerned youth on climate. If we do, they will indeed teach us well, and the planet we inhabit may just turn out alright, too.
***
Angie Iafrate is the Engagement and Program Coordinator with Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action focusing on youth programs and outreach.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Corner – Remembering the value of trees
Local columns
Jun 12, 2021
Linda Eve Seth
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
My mother, a wise and unconventional woman, was in many ways far ahead of her peers and her times. Back in the 1950s, our urban N.J. home was surrounded by lovely flower gardens, lush greenery, huge shade trees, and numerous fruit trees. (No one else in our neighborhood had fruit trees!)
The interior of our home was filled with houseplants. I used to marvel and complain that every room except the bathrooms had numerous plants on the tabletops, window sills … virtually every flat surface. When asked about the presence of all that greenery, my mother would explain that plants improve the air quality and it was a good idea to have plants in our home, and trees all around us, because they helped us stay healthy. At the time, it seemed like a bizarre notion.
My mom has been gone for several years, but if she were alive, I am sure she would have been quick to jump on the climate change /environmental awareness bandwagon. It turns out she was right: PLANTS IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
No existing, human-made air filtration system has the ability to create oxygen. Oxygen is a critical element of clean and healthy air. Indoor plants create oxygen. Plants clean the air through the process of photosynthesis. We humans breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide; plants do the opposite. During the process of photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide and produce the oxygen we breathe.
Studies from NASA reveal that plant-filled rooms contain 50 to 60 percent fewer airborne molds and bacteria than rooms without plants. And a cleaner environment is just the start. An NBC news report pointed out that “indoor plants improve concentration and productivity, reduce stress levels and boost your mood.”
Consider now — TREES.
Trees create a peaceful, aesthetically pleasing environment. Trees increase our quality of life by bringing natural elements and wildlife habitats into urban and suburban settings.
Trees improve water quality, and reduce flooding and erosion. A tree’s leafy canopy catches precipitation before it reaches the ground, allowing some of it to gently drip and the rest to evaporate. Tree roots hold soil in place, reducing erosion. In these ways, trees lessen the force of storms and reduce the amount of runoff into sewers.
Urban trees provide a cost-effective solution to improving air quality in our cities. The pores on the underside of tree leaves are effective in removing sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic carbon. The leaves’ upper surface intercepts airborne particulates, contributing even more to a healthy urban environment. It was estimated that trees in Chicago, for example, remove approximately 234 tons of particulates annually.
And trees give back even more. Remember photosynthesis and the fact that it releases oxygen? Studies reveal that one mature tree yields enough oxygen for four people EVERY DAY. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “One acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people.”
Trees contribute to their environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality, conserving water, preserving soil, and supporting wildlife. Trees, shrubs, and turf also filter air by removing dust and absorbing other pollutants like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. After trees intercept unhealthy particles, rain washes them to the ground.
Trees control climate by moderating the effects of the sun, rain and wind. Trees lower the air temperature and reduce the heat intensity of the greenhouse effect by maintaining low levels of carbon dioxide.
Trees mitigate the impact of climate change, and plants do, indeed, improve the quality of life. As usual, my mother was right.
***
Linda Eve Seth, SLP, M.Ed., is a mother, grandmother and concerned citizen. She is a member of MOVCA.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Corner – It’s time to THRIVE
Local columns
Jun 5, 2021
Eric Engle
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
To quote Johan Rockstrom, Vice-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, “An emergency is calculated by risk divided by time. Risk is probability multiplied by impact. Scientifically, we now have a very unfortunate set of data in front of us. We know that the likely impact on humans of climate disruption, mass extinction and air pollution is very, very high indeed. The probability is also uncomfortably high. This adds up to a very high risk. Now divide that by time. We have unequivocal evidence that we have entered a decisive decade. If we have any chance to prevent the loss of more than a million species, we must halt biodiversity loss now, not in 20 or 30 years. If we want to have any chance of keeping global warming to 1.5C [centigrade above preindustrial levels], we need to cut emissions by half over the next nine years.”
One of the best, or at least most immediate, shots we have in the U.S. at beginning to tackle the anthropogenic (human-caused) global climate crisis and related crises is infrastructure legislation now being devised, revised and debated in the U.S. Senate. This effort must coincide with the creation of a post-pandemic 21st Century economy that allows the American people to thrive.
Thrive–you should keep that word in mind. Why? Because the THRIVE (Transform, Heal and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy) Act is our best shot at tackling climate and biodiversity as well as economic and public health crises starting now. The THRIVE Act would create 50,000 jobs in the first full year of the program and sustain high levels of employment throughout the next decade. The program would invest $5.2 billion per year for a decade into West Virginia in clean renewable energy and energy efficiency, infrastructure, electric vehicles, agriculture and land restoration, and the care economy, public health and the postal service. Economic renewal investments with strong labor standards ensure that jobs will not only increase, but that the quality of jobs will also improve.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and her Republican colleagues aren’t taking these goals seriously. They want to ignore the care economy entirely and they fail to take seriously and adequately address the climate and related crises we face. They miss the mark on a 21st Century economy centered around renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable agriculture and development that creates thousands of good-paying union jobs.
Republicans can’t even meet President Biden halfway on his American Jobs Plan. They want to talk about roads, bridges, water systems and broadband, which are all extremely important and included in both the American Jobs Plan and the THRIVE Act but focusing on just these is myopic.
Now is the time to go big and be bold. West Virginians are tired of just surviving, at best, while facing an addiction epidemic, the fallout of a global COVID-19 pandemic, and losing more population than any other state in the Union. We need leaders with vision and the tenacity to deliver. We’re tired of excuses and watching politicians check their stock portfolios and check in with industry lobbyists and deep pocket campaign contributors before they decide whether or not to listen to their constituents.
According to findings from a Data for Progress poll conducted May 7-11, two-thirds of voters are concerned about the impacts of climate change on their communities. That is all the mandate that the U.S. Congress and the White House need to take action! Tell Sen. Joe Manchin III and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito to act today and support the THRIVE Act, or at the very least go as big and as bold with the American Jobs Plan as they can possibly go. It’s time for West Virginia and the rest of the country to thrive!
***
Eric Engle is Chairman of the not-for-profit volunteer organization Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action, Board Member for the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, and Co-Chairman of the Sierra Club of West Virginia Chapter’s Executive Committee.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Emissions – What level?
Jun 5, 2021
Warren Peascoe
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
What is the proper amount of emissions to allow from industrial and chemical plants and how are emissions traded for jobs?
I was appalled when I compared what West Virginia’s Department of Environmental Protection expected to allow for the proposed West Virginia Methanol plant in Pleasants County, near the Ohio River, with what was achieved 30 years ago for a new plastics plant in New York.
About 1990, GE built a new plant in New York State. As I remember the Geloy plant yearly produced 30 million pounds of plastic and only one pound of emissions. The entire plant was inside a new building. There was a continuous air monitoring system, which sampled air at several critical locations. If the monitor detected more than 1 part per million of acrylonitrile, an alarm sounded and corrective action was taken.
Contrast that with the methanol plant under review by the WV DEP.
According to a Gazette-Mail article April 30, 2021:
“The proposed facility has the potential to emit 91 tons of carbon monoxide, 92 tons of nitrogen oxides (poisonous, highly reactive gases), 54 combined tons of three different kinds of particulate matter, and 11 combined tons of the known or probable human carcinogens formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene and 1,3-butadiene, according to West Virginia Methanol’s permit application.”
West Virginia Methanol will emit hundreds of tons of emissions compared to one pound of emissions achieved 30 years ago at the GE Geloy plant in Selkirk, N.Y. These emissions do not even include methanol but only byproducts of the process.
Since none of these separate byproducts individually exceeds the 100 tons per year required by the state to be considered a “major” emitter, no emissions modeling is required. One regulated stream will be 92 percent of a “major” emitter and a second will be 90 percent. When added together the two streams clearly exceed 100 tons. This appears to be a clever attempt to build the first of several possible plants and never be considered a “major” emitter.
I am familiar with butadiene, one chemical byproduct to be emitted by the methanol plant, which I used as a student and at GE Plastics, Washington plant. The plant used barge loads.
To compare the butadiene emissions from a plant that used massive amounts as a raw material to emissions of the proposed methanol plant that produced butadiene only as a byproduct, I looked at the WV DEP public records for the SABIC plant, formerly GE Plastics. For 2014 SABIC reported 0.5 tons per year of butadiene emissions. The methanol plant will be permitted to emit 11 tons of a mixture of four suspected carcinogens, one of which is butadiene. If all the mixture is butadiene, then the new construction will be permitted to emit 22 times more butadiene as a byproduct than the SABIC plant, which used butadiene as a feed stock, actually emitted in 2014.
I only found the 0.5 ton of butadiene after hours reading public records for the SABIC plant. Most appeared to be 60 pages of yearly documentation that correct procedures were followed. None had any numerical data about what was emitted. Only one Certified Emission Statement dated 7-11-2014 actually listed data. A Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) Worksheet, filled out by hand, indicated 0.5 tons of butadiene was included in the combined total. The total also contained 3.7 tons of acrylonitrile, 2.72 tons of cumene, 3.87 of methyl methacrylate, and 22.18 tons of styrene plus other minor emissions. In 2014 SABIC reported emissions of 34.06 tons of combined Hazardous Air Pollutants.
In my opinion:
1) All emissions from the proposed WV Methanol plant should be added together in determining if the emitter is “major,” especially since two of the byproduct emission streams are each over 90 percent of the “major” 100 ton limit. In addition the emissions of methanol should be included in the “major” limit calculation.
2) Emission modeling for the methanol plant should be completed, even if it is not legally required.
3) Continuous fence line monitoring should be standard for all new plant construction or major modifications. If this is not done by the plant owner, DEP should have mobile monitors that are periodically placed near the fence line and the data made public. The public should be able to monitor anywhere outside the plant boundaries.
4) Best available technology should be used for new construction and major modifications.
5) Building several small plants as a substitute for one large plant to circumvent the emission requirements for the single large plant should not be allowed.
6) Annual emissions for each plant and each chemical should be easily accessible to the general public. This would lead to a clearer public understanding of the trade off between the health hazards of too lax and the economic hazard of too restrictive legislation.
***
Warren Peascoe is a Ph.D. chemist, retired from Uniroyal and GE Plastics,
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Suggested Readings For June 2021
May 2021 MOVCA Selected Media Postings
Compiled by Cindy Taylor
Appearing on-line in the Charleston Gazette-Mail:
Friday May 28, 2021 Energy and Environment News Article by Mike Tony, Staff writer
“Millions of ratepayer and tax base dollars at stake with hearings upcoming in AEP cases”
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/millions-of-ratepayer-and-tax-base-dollars-at-stake-with-hearings-upcoming-in-aep-cases/article_c5bd2d34-2e50-5f63-baa0-37615378e64a.html
Tuesday May 25, 2021 Energy and Environment News Article by Mike Tony, Staff writer
“WV supporters of federal climate infrastructure urge passage as leaders reach crossroads”
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/wv-supporters-of-federal-climate-infrastructure-urge-passage-as-leaders-reach-crossroads/article_385a2407-aeff-5317-825c-79f997877d2d.html
Tuesday May 24, 2021 Energy and Environment News Article by Mike Tony, Staff writer
“WV leaders balk at International Energy Agency call for no new fossil fuel investments”
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/wv-leaders-balk-at-international-energy-agency-call-for-no-new-fossil-fuel-investments/article_6574cd0d-0e6e-511b-9f2e-23be27a94567.html
Saturday May 8, 2021 Energy and Environment News Article by Mike Tony, Staff writer
“WV’s leaders heading pushback against Biden climate policy”
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/wvs-leaders-heading-pushback-against-biden-climate-policy/article_d7166176-f50d-5002-80a6-e9f740070694.html
Wednesday May 5, 2021 Energy and Environment News Article by Mike Tony, Staff writer
“Emissions concerns, job hopes share center stage during meeting on proposed Pleasants County methanol facility”
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/emissions-concerns-job-hopes-share-center-stage-during-meeting-on-proposed-pleasants-county-methanol-facility/article_012336dd-cb42-55aa-a8b4-14a0e8056f21.html
Appearing in The Times Leader (Martins Ferry, OH)
May 15, 2021 Letter-to-the-Editor by Ben Hunkler, Ohio Concerned River Residents, Bridgeport, OH
“Frack waste barging puts our water at risk”
https://www.timesleaderonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2021/05/frack-waste-barging-puts-our-water-at-risk/
May 8, 2021 Column by Jill A. Hunkler, Barnesville, OH. Member of Concerned Ohio River Residents
“Elected officials should stand against fossil fuels”
https://www.timesleaderonline.com/opinion/columns/2021/05/elected-officials-should-stand-against-fossil-fuels/
Appearing on-line in The Bargain Hunter (Weekly news magazine serving Ohio Counties: Holmes, Tuscarawas, Wayne, and the surrounding area. Stark, Medina, Summit and Cuyahoga):
May 22, 2021 Column by Dr. Randi Pokladnik
“Valley was a hotbed of polluting industries”
https://thebargainhunter.com/news/col-randi-pokladnik/valley-was-a-hotbed-of-polluting-industries
May 6, 2021 Column by Dr. Randi Pokladnik
“Laws haven’t helped control trash along roads”
https://thebargainhunter.com/news/col-randi-pokladnik/laws-havent-helped-control-trash-along-roads
Appearing on-line on Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC) or Hoots and Hollers(blog)
May 25, 2021 Feature about OVEC’s open letter to President Biden (MOVCA co-signed)
“To President Joe Biden From West Virginians”
May 25, 2021 Article by Dr. Randi Pokladnik
“Fertility on the Brink”
May 24, 2021 Article by Dr. Randi Pokladnik
“Carbon Capture Technology: Just Another False Solution”
Appearing on-line on West Virginians for Energy Freedom https://www.energyfreedomwv.org :
May 3, 2021 News Article
“WV becomes 29th state to offer Power Purchase Agreements”
https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/updates/2021/5/3/wv-becomes-29th-state-to-offer-power-purchase-agreements
Appearing on-line on Ohio River Valley Institute https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org :
May 26, 2021 Article by Sean O’Leary
“Jobs and equitable transition: bridging the chasm between rhetoric and action”
May 25, 2021 Article by Autumn Long and Ted Boettner
“American Jobs Plan Accelerate Solar Power in West Virginia”
May 18, 2021 Article by Sean O’Leary
“ ‘What’s the alternative?’: Answering the hardest question asked by workers and communities that feel threatened by energy transition”
May 7, 2021 Article by Ted Boettner
“Eliminate West Virginia Met Coal Subsidy to Assist Dislocated Coal Workers”
Appearing on-line on WV Public Broadcasting and WOUB (PBS):
May 26, 2021 Energy & Environment News Article by Eric Douglas
“W.Va. Communities Receive Nearly $3 Million in Brownfields Assessment and Clean-up Funding from EPA”
https://www.wvpublic.org/energy-environment/2021-05-26/w-va-communities-receive-nearly-3-million-in-brownfields-assessment-and-clean-up-funding-from-epa
May 13, 2021 Energy & Environment News Article by Eric Douglas – interview with Chris Walter (text and audio)
“Research Reveals Clean Air Makes Stronger Forests”
https://www.wvpublic.org/energy-environment/2021-05-13/research-reveals-clean-air-makes-stronger-forests
May 3, 2021 Energy & Environment News Article by Curtis Tate, Katie Myers
“Power Switch: Solar is Heating Up In The Ohio Valley”
https://www.wvpublic.org/energy-environment/2021-05-03/power-switch-solar-is-heating-up-in-the-ohio-valley
RESEARCH/Resources/Related articles or media
Available On-line on Policy Matters Ohio https://www.policymattersohio.org
Sustainable Communities Research & Policy
Sustainable Communities : Investments in transit, renewable energy, conservation, and other smart solutions that create jobs and support communities.
See https://www.policymattersohio.org/research-policy/sustainable-communities
Available on-line on West Virginia New Jobs Coalition https://www.newjobswv.org
Link for THRIVE Jobs Report for WV
Posted May 4, 2021 video of April 10, 2021 live-streamed event
“Jammin’ For Jobs -Full Clean Cut Video”
Musicians, artists, community leaders and citizens from across state came together to demand better jobs in WV and for Congress to support the THRIVE AC
Available on-line on ReImagine Appalachia https://reimagineappalachia.org
Check out resources available under Local Grassroots at https://reimagineappalachia.org/local/grassroots/
And resources under Local Officials at https://reimagineappalachia.org/local/officials/
Find the Blue Print and Jobs Studies Policy Briefs for WV, PA, and OH (by the PERI Institute) for Reimagine Appalachia at https://reimagineappalachia.org/resources/
MAY on-line selected EVENTS:
Tuesday May 25, 2021 Zoom Public event hosted by Buckeye Environmental Network & Tackling the A-Z Impacts of Plastic, Ohio River Guardians, Ohio Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival; & UUJO: Unitarian Universalist Justice Ohio
“S.O.S. Learn & Act to Save Ohioans from Radioactive Brine Spreading”
Zoom event about two dangerous bills, H.B. 282 and S.B. 171, that threaten Ohioans health from radioactive oil and gas waste brine
Thursday, May 20, 2021 6:30 pm. Virtual Conference hosted by Concerned Ohio River Residents, League of Women Voters, and the Climate Reality Project. Supported by MOVCA as May public program.
“A Better Vision for the Valley” Recording of conference posted to YouTube on May 21, 2021 at this link:
This second conference (first in May 2019) is to brainstorm sustainable economic development potential in our communities. Conference speakers, experts and entrepreneurs: Sean O’Leary, Ohio River Valley Institute; Annie Rouse, Think Hempy Thoughts and Anavil Market; Jeffrey Morris, Roxby Development; and Vincent DeGeorge, Grow Ohio Valley.
Wednesday, May 19, 2021 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar hosted by Ohio Poor People’s Campaign & Our Voices Together
“Ohio Environmental Issues – Their Connection to Regressive Policies and Their Impact”
Discussion about Ohio’s Environmental Issues – Their Connection to Regressive Policies, Voter Suppression, Anti-Protest Bills and the 5 Systemic Evils. Guest speakers included: Rev. Joan Vanbecelaere- UUJOP; Christy Stonebaker Martinez – InterReligious Taskforce on Central America; Guy Jones- Miami Valley Council for Native Americans; Jill Hunkler – Concerned Ohio River Residents; Justin Thompson – Ashtabula County Water Watch. Zoom Registration required:
May 19, 4PM & May 20, 2021 8 PM Zoom Webinar promoted by WV New Jobs Coalition https://www.newjobswv.org
Green New Deal Storytelling Training “#TimeToThrive Stories Training”
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqd-yorDkvEtI1YwbhS6aQB-UL7-gt28Wk
Storytelling for action training & make a video in support of the THRIVE Act for climate, jobs, & justice
Tuesday, May 11, 2021 4-5 p.m. Zoom – Panel and community discussion hosted by WV Interfaith Power & Light
“Standing Up for Appalachia: Bringing Jobs and Economic Justice to West Virginia”
Learn about federal and regional economic initiatives such as the RECLAIM Act, ReImagine Appalachia, the THRIVE Agenda, and the American Jobs Plan. . . and how you can help. Registration required.
ACTION LINKS:
Available on-line at West Virginia Rivers:
May 27, 2021 WV Rivers News Article by Kathleen Tyner (Action Link provided)
“Action alert: Let WV’s Senators Know You’re Depending on Them for Critical Infrastructure Legislation”
May 27, 2021 WV Rivers News Article by Kathleen Tyner (Action Link provided)
“WV Rivers News: Mountain Valley Pipeline Stream Crossing Permit, WV in the Federal Policy Spotlight”
Urgent: Your Comments Needed on MVP’s Request to Cross Streams- Act by May 28
Opportunity to submit comments to Army Corp of Engineers
Find Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action on the following social media:
Check out our Facebook group and join a conversation
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Archives
Categories
Meta