Latest News - Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action

Posted: February 15, 2025 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Tough times in Margaritaville

Feb 15, 2025

Linda Eve Seth

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

National Margarita Day – Feb. 22, 2025

If you are planning to celebrate National Margarita Day on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, here is something to think about as you make your plans: The margarita — triple sec, tequila, and lime juice — created in 1938 in Mexico, is facing a sustainability crisis. The delicious concoction’s main ingredient is threatened by changing weather patterns.

Beyond the lime wedges and salt lies a complex ecological story involving the blue agave plant – the cactus-like plant which forms the base ingredient of tequila – and bats, which are both under threat due to current shifts in the climate and agricultural practices.

Climate change is impacting agave plants primarily through increased drought conditions and extreme weather events which can disrupt their growth cycle and potentially threaten the production of tequila, as agave is the key ingredient for these spirits. While agave is naturally drought-tolerant, extreme fluctuations in temperature and unpredictable rainfall patterns still negatively affect its development and impact pollination, which are crucial for its reproduction.

The spiky plants are sensitive to sudden shifts in weather, such as extreme heat followed by unseasonable storms. These shifts caused by climate change, coupled with overgrazing from cattle ranching and other human activities, disrupt the distribution and cultivation of agave, the main ingredient of tequila. Agave plants also grow more quickly in hotter seasons, but they don’t concentrate as much sugar in their cores. This means that more agave plants need to be planted to meet the growing popular demand.

Compounding the problem, the only animal that pollinates this special plant is rapidly disappearing as its natural habitat and food sources succumb to a warming world. Agave plants are pollinated by bats. If you like tequila, you should love bats! Without bats, you can have no tequila because that’s the only thing that pollinates the agave plant that makes tequila. The bat-plant association is so strong that the disappearance of one would threaten the survival of the other.

Warming temperatures have become a growing concern for the Mexican long-nosed bat — a key species for tequila. Leptonycteris nivalis, known as the greater long-nosed bat or Mexican long-nosed bat, and the lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae), are the primary pollinators of this economically and ecologically valuable plant.

This agave-bat relationship is mutually beneficial. These one-ounce mammals fly over 750 miles each year — from their winter roosts in central Mexico to birthing caves along the U.S.-Mexico border — in search of flowering cacti and agaves. The bats rely on agave nectar to fuel their return trip, and the agaves depend on the bats to cross-pollinate their flowers so they can produce seeds.

A 2019 study showed that suitable environments for the species are being reduced due to the changing climate. New research has shown its natural habitats are disappearing and its food sources are starting to dwindle as temperatures rise higher in the region. Scientists warn that as bat numbers dwindle, their interaction with agave plants will be reduced by 75%.

The potential extinction of the bat would have negative effects on the sexual reproduction and genetic variability of agave plants, further increasing their vulnerability to future environmental changes.

But don’t despair! Help might be on the way: By combining educational resources with financial incentives, there is an opportunity to make sustainable practices more appealing to farmers. The goal is to strike a balance that benefits the environment, particularly the bats, while ensuring the long-term viability of the blue agave crop.

Scientists have recently learned that agave has a nocturnal “body clock” which allows it to “breathe” at night and withstand the driest of conditions. New research has shown that agaves have evolved to supply most of their nectar after dark to attract the nocturnal fliers. Now scientists are hoping to harness this reverse molecular clock to engineer new drought-resistant crops that will be able to adapt to our changing climate.

So, if you are celebrating National Margarita Day on Feb. 22, take a moment to raise your glass and drink a toast to the hard laboring scientists, wildlife organizations, and farmers who are striving to help keep tequila and margaritas available at your local bar/liquor store. SALUD!

Until next time, be kind to your Mother Earth.

***

Linda Eve Seth, SLP, M Ed., mother, grandmother, concerned citizen and member of MOVCA.

Last Updated: February 13, 2025 by main_y0ke11

Suggested Readings for February 2025

Compiled by Cindy Taylor

NOTE from Cindy: When scrolling through this selected media listing, you will find some media postings openly available without any costs, while other sites may have a paywall or request contributions (or registration). MOVCA appreciates the coverage provided by independent journalists, coalition groups and all media sources that publicize climate and environmental concerns, sustainable solutions, legislative actions, and opportunities for community members to learn and make a difference. Public libraries and educational institutions have many of these sources available to everyone.

Available on The Marietta Times:

January 8, 2024 Local News

“Save Ohio Parks react to explosion”

https://www.mariettatimes.com/news/2025/01/save-ohio-parks-reacts-to-explosion/

Available on the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

See articles by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter: (example provided below)

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/

January 7, 2025 Article by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter

“Feds pledge ARCH2 hydrogen hub environmental review, schedule meeting for input”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/feds-pledge-arch2-hydrogen-hub-environmental-review-schedule-meeting-for-input/article_13a41512-cc72-11ef-b587-4ba94fde1d0b.html

Available on The Canton Repository (Canton, OH):

January 10, 2025 Article by Kelly Byer, Canton Repository reporter

“SARTA, Enbridge plan electrolysis as part of Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub”

https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2025/01/10/appalachian-hydrogen-hub-enters-1st-phase-hosts-open-house-in-canton/77507097007/

Key points: The Columbus-based Battelle is leading the Appalachian hydrogen hub, which is referred to as ARCH2.

The hub received $30 million in July 2024 for the first phase. The Stark Area Regional Transit Authority and Enbridge Gas Ohio aim to produce hydrogen fuel through electrolysis.

Available on WTAP:

January 20, 2025 Feature by Chase Campbell

“West Virginia Rivers Coalition lawsuit alleges Chemours’ PFAS contamination continues”

https://www.wtap.com/2025/01/29/west-virginia-rivers-coalition-lawsuit-alleges-chemours-pfas-contamination-continues/

Available on Mountain State Spotlight:

January 3, 2025 Environment Article by Sarah Elbeshbishi

“Residents near the proposed Appalachian hydrogen hub can voice their concerns about the project”

https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2025/01/03/doe-arch2-public-comment/

Available on Save Ohio Parks: https://saveohioparks.org

January 7, 2025 Blog post about FracTracker Alliance press release

“Ohio Well Pad Fire Highlights Pattern Of Frequent Oil And Gas Incidents Statewide”

https://saveohioparks.org/2025/01/07/ohio-well-pad-fire-highlights-pattern-of-frequent-oil-and-gas-incidents-statewide/

January 3, 2025 Press Release

“Statement on Explosion of Gulfport Appalachia Fracking Well Pad Near Salt Fork State Park”

https://saveohioparks.org/2025/01/03/statement-on-explosion-of-gulfport-appalachia-fracking-well-pad-near-salt-fork-state-park/

Available from Buckeye Environmental Network:

January 7, 2025 “Halt the Hydrogen Hoax” Webinar @ Appalachian Regional ‘Clean’ Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2)

Moderated by Bev Reed, Buckeye Environmental Network. Speakers: Dr. Randi Pokladnik & Sean O’Leary, Ohio River Valley Institute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5mYvy39a9U

Available on Public News Service:

January 17, 2025 Article by Radia Ramlagan, Producer

“What’s next for Appalachia’s green energy economy?”

https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2025-01-17/rural-farming/whats-next-for-appalachias-green-energy-economy/a94714-1

January 10, 2025 Article by Farah Siddiqi, Producer

“Local concerns rise over Ohio’s hydrogen project”

https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2025-01-10/environment/local-concerns-rise-over-ohios-hydrogen-project/a94569-1

Available on West Virginia Rivers Coalition:

January 2025 Updates from WV Rivers Coalition

https://wvrivers.org/2025/01/wv-rivers-news-january-2025/

Available on West Virginians for Energy Freedom:

January 7, 2025 Opinion Article by Gary Zuckett, Ex. Director WV Citizen Action

“Coal’s Costs are burdening West Virginians: It’s Time to Embrace More Affordable Energy Options”

https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/news/2025/1/7/coals-costs-are-burdening-west-virginians-its-time-to-embrace-more-affordable-energy-options

Available on Ohio River Valley Institute (ORVI):

Resource available: Appalachian Hydrogen Facts , an ORVI project. https://appalachiahydrogenfacts.org

January 31, 2025 Article by Joe Cullen

“BIL/IRA Implementation Digest – January 27, 2025”

https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/bil-ira-implementation-digest-january-27-2025/

January 30, 2025 Article by Ben Hunkler

“Tens of Thousands of Abandoned Wells Overlay West Virginia’s Prospective Carbon Storage Reservoirs, Risking Leakage, Report Finds”

https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/10774-2/

January 30, 2025 Article by Ted Boetner

“Abandoned Wells Could Wreak Havoc for Carbon Storage in West Virginia”

https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/abandoned-wells-could-wreak-havoc-for-carbon-storage-in-west-virginia/

January 10, 2025 Article by Ben Hunkler

“Meeting Unrealistic PJM Demand Forecasts with New Gas Generation Could Cause Utility Bills to Spike by 62%”

https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/meeting-unrealistic-pjm-demand-forecasts-with-new-gas-generation-could-cause-utility-bills-to-spike-by-62/

January 6, 2025 Article by Joe Cullen

“BIL/IRA Implementation Digest – January 6, 2025”

https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/bil-ira-implementation-digest-january-6-2025/

January 2, 2025 Article by Sean O’Leary

“Load Growth Fever, LNG, and the Risk of Higher Electric Rates”

https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/load-growth-fever-lng-and-the-risk-of-higher-electric-rates/

Available on ReImagine Appalachia:

See all events (to register) and access recordings and resources: https://reimagineappalachia.org/events/

January 14 & 15, 2025 11AM -2PM Both Days “ReImagine Appalachia Virtual Strategy Summit”

https://reimagineappalachia.org/reimagine-appalachias-2025-strategy-summit/

Available on West Virginia Citizen Action Group:

January 18, 2025 10AM – 4PM Free Training at Kanawha Co. Public Library, Charleston, WV

“Fundamentals of Organizing: Building People Power” (registration link expired)

January 11, 2025 News by Dani Parent “POSTPONED- 50^th Anniversary Celebration”

https://wvcag.org/50th-postponed/

Available on Conservation West Virginia:

See WV Conservation’s list of details and evaluation on current bills before legislature regarding: Clean Air, Pure Water, Climate, Land & Wildlife and Development: https://www.conservewv.org/issues/

Appalachian Voices https://appvoices.org

January 8, 2025 Article by Matt Allenbaugh

“Make your home energy efficient to save money by lowering your power bills!”

https://appvoices.org/2025/01/08/energy-efficiency/

Available on FaCT (Faith Communities Together for a Sustainable Future: https://factsustain.org

See Distinguished Speakers: https://factsustain.org/Distinguished/

January 24, 2025 Article by Ron Prosek
“Aerobic Composting and Climate Change”

https://factsustain.org/articles/aerobic-composting-and-climate-change

January 5, 2025 Article by Linda New

“Sustainable Living: 5 Simple Actions”

https://factsustain.org/articles/sustainable-living-5-simple-actions

Available on E&ENEWS by Politico:

January 30, 2025 ClimateWire Article by Jean Chemnick

“EPA cuts off IRA solar money already under contract”

https://www.eenews.net/articles/epa-cuts-off-ira-solar-money-already-under-contract/

January 27, 2025 Article by Ellie Borst

“Republicans revive efforts to kill Superfund chemicals tax”

https://www.eenews.net/articles/republicans-revive-efforts-to-kill-superfund-chemicals-tax/

January 21, 2025 Article by Carlos Anchondo

“EPA hands West Virginia authority over CO2 injection wells”

https://www.eenews.net/articles/epa-hands-west-virginia-authority-over-co2-injection-wells/

Available on Environmental Health News EHN:

January 10, 2025 Article by EHN Curators

“Ending exposure to two plastic chemicals could have saved over 500.00 lives in one year, study estimates”

https://www.ehn.org/plastic-chemicals-disease-burden-2670794894.html

January 10, 2025 Article by EHN Curators

“Firefighting chemical raises concerns about environmental toxicity”

https://www.ehn.org/firefighting-chemical-raises-concerns-about-environmental-toxicity-2670793471.html

December 11. 2024 Article by EHN Curators (omitted from previous listing)

“Heat pumps could save lives and billions with cleaner energy”

https://www.ehn.org/heat-pumps-could-save-lives-2670415175.html

Available on WV Public Broadcasting:

January 8, 2025 Article by Chris Schulz

“Shop- And Return – Locally For a More Sustainable Holiday”

https://wvpublic.org/shop-and-return-locally-for-a-more-sustainable-holiday/

SEE ALSO THESE EVENTS, RESOURCES, RESEARCH AND ARTICLES OF INTEREST

Available on US Department of Energy: Office of NEPA and Compliance –

“DOE/EIS-0569: Appalachian Hydrogen Hub”

https://www.energy.gov/nepa/doeeis-0569-appalachian-hydrogen-hub

Available on US Department of Energy: https://www.energy.gov

Check out Tax Credits & Rebates and Energy Saving Tips

Available on The Science & Environmental Health Network: https://www.sehn.org

SEHN’s January 2025 focus is The Plastics Pollution Crisis. See these articles:

January 21, 2025 Article by Rebecca Altman

“All of a Piece: Moving Past Fifty Years of Piecemeal Approaches to Plastic Pollution”

https://www.sehn.org/sehn/2025/1/17/all-of-a-piece-moving-past-fifty-years-of-piecemeal-approaches-to-plastic-pollution?

January 21, 2025 Article by Ted Schettler

“Micro- and Nanoplastics: The Fatal Material Flaws”

https://www.sehn.org/sehn/2025/1/17/micro-and-nanoplastics-fatal-material-flaws?

January 21, 2025 Article by Sandra Steingraber

“RePercussion Section: Taking Plastics Personally”

https://www.sehn.org/sehn/2025/1/21/repercussion-section-taking-plastics-personally?

Available on Food & Water Watch:

January 16, 2025 Climate and Energy Article by Mia DiFelice

“In Case You Missed Them: Biden’s Last Climate Actions” (WV mentioned)

https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2025/01/16/bidens-last-climate-actions/

January 15, 2025 Climate and Energy Article by Mia DiFelice

“The Biggest Fights for Our Food, Water, and Climate in 2025”

https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2025/01/15/2025-biggest-fights/

November 25, 2024 Article by Erin Doran and Natalie Balbuena (omitted from previous listing)

“The Mega-Crisis of Microplastics in Our Drinking Water”

https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2024/11/25/microplastics-drinking-water-petition/

Available on Halt the Harm Network:

January 17, 2025 3PM Comment Writing & Open Office Hours with FracTracker Alliance hosted by Katie Jones

“2024 Liquid Natural Gas Export Study”

https://network.halttheharm.net/c/calendar/2024-liquid-natural-gas-export-study-comment-writing-open-office-hour-e0dc18bf-ce18-434f-b15b-8b37cd8b91f2

See Resources available on Fractracker Alliance: see https://www.fractracker.org/about-us/

Available on Inside Climate News:

January 27, 2025 Clean Energy Article by Dan Gerino

“Are We Doing This Again? Home Efficiency Pros Are Wary as Ohio Gets Federal Rebates, Just a Few Years After State Funding Was Yanked”

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27012025/home-efficiency-pros-wary-of-ohio-federal-rebates/

January 18, 2025 Clean Energy Article by Philo McKenna

“A Little-Known Clean Energy Solution Could Soon Reach ‘Liftoff’” (Ground source heat pumps)

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18012025/geothermal-heat-pumps-doe-report/

January 10, 2025 Science Article by Kristoffer Tigue

“Another Polar Vortex Is Blasting the U.S. With Harsh Winter Weather. So How Is Climate Change Involved?”

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/10012025/polar-vortex-blasting-us-with-harsh-winter-weather/

January 2, 2025 Fossil Fuels Article by Kiley Bense

“Elevated Levels of Radium Found in Western Pennsylvania’s Freshwater Mussels”

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02012025/elevated-levels-of-radium-found-in-western-pennsylvanias-freshwater-mussels/

Available on The Guardian:

January 7, 2024 Article by Tom Perkins

“Environmental groups sue FDA over refusal to tackle risky plastic packaging”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/07/fda-phthalates-plastic-lawsuit

Available on Environmental Working Group:

January 15, 2025 EWG Press Release Iris Myers, press contact

“Biden FDA moves to ban toxic Red Dye No.3 in food” Chemical linked to cancer, memory problems in children

https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2025/01/biden-fda-moves-ban-toxic-red-dye-no-3-food

January 2, 2025 EWG Press Release Alex Formuzis, press contact

“Over 53,000 people call on President Biden to ban toxic weedkiller linked to Parkinson’s disease”

https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2025/01/over-53000-people-call-president-biden-ban-toxic-weedkiller

Available on Yale Climate Connections:

January 24, 2025 Article by Samantha Harrington

“ ‘This is a moment in time to name names’: Writer Karin Kirk and your editors discuss oil and gas contributions to newly elected leaders”

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/01/this-is-a-moment-in-time-to-name-names-writer-karin-kirk-and-your-editors-discuss-oil-and-gas-contributions-to-newly-elected-leaders/

January 22, 2025 Energy Article by Katarina Zimmer, Knowable Magazine

“How engineers are working to solve the renewable energy storage problem”

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/01/how-engineers-are-working-to-solve-the-renewable-energy-storage-problem/

January 17, 2025 Article by Ana Maria Duran Calisto and Cristiana Baleoscu

“Young people are suffering from climate anxiety. Here’s how to help.”

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/01/young-people-are-suffering-from-climate-anxiety-heres-how-to-help/

January 13, 2025 Review by Michael Svoboda

“12 books to prepare you for Trump 2.0”

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/01/12-books-to-prepare-you-for-trump-2-0/

Available on Earthday.org; https://www.earthday.org

Posted “Earth Day 2025 : OUR POWER, OUR PLANET”

https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2025/

Includes links to planning events and many resources such as Quizzes, Fact Sheets, Articles and MORE.

January 6, 2025 Article by Sarah Davies

“Earth Day Turns 55 In 2025”

https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-turns-55-in-2025/

Available on Rewiring America https://www.rewiringamerica.org:

Resource- “See how much you could save on electric appliance upgrades”

https://homes.rewiringamerica.org/calculator

January 7, 2025 Press Release: “New report looks at how to motivate Americans to electrify”

https://www.rewiringamerica.org/newsroom/press-releases

December 10, 2024 Article: “New report shows how electric appliances improve public health outcomes”

https://www.rewiringamerica.org/newsroom/health-report-2024

Posted: February 8, 2025 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: The right path forward

Feb 8, 2025

Eric Engle

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

An AP newswire piece in the Parkersburg News and Sentinel last weekend contained a section that jumped out at me. The piece read, in part, “…a Chinese upstart, DeepSeek, said it developed a large language model capable of competing with the world’s best, without having to use top-flight chips. The disruption raised questions about whether all the investments expected for AI chips, data centers and electricity is really needed.”

Intriguing. While politicians from both parties used news of DeepSeek to generate another hair-on-fire panic about China and the national security implications of Chinese everything, a little easily missed reporter’s analysis in an AP piece I found on the back pages of a local paper revealed a key truth: we don’t need all these power-hungry data centers, we just need a little global cooperation.

Truths like this, though, don’t sit well with industries like fossil fuels. You see, they want to power these data centers with gas and coal and hydrogen derived from gas. They want countries overseas to do the same so they can build their liquified natural gas and coal export facilities with all the related infrastructure here, predominately in environmental justice communities, while this new administration rids the federal government of the very concept of environmental justice.

AI is another genie let out of a bottle impossible to put back in. Like a genie, it can help accomplish some amazing things that humanity could really benefit from in both the short and long term. But, also like a genie, it can be extraordinarily dangerous (think deepfakes, mis-and-disinformation bots, even SkyNet from the Terminator movies). AI’s most pressing immediate threat is soaring electricity consumption at a time when all human beings need to consume less electricity, more efficiently than ever, sourced from renewables.

Leave it to those profiting inconceivably from the status quo to spend hundreds of millions of dollars electing a president and congressional majorities sympathetic to protecting their profits. They have already begun dismantling portions of crucial renewable energy and energy efficiency gains desperately needed to combat the global climate crisis. Only now, they’ve rebranded. Instead of bringing to mind images of filthy old coal plants and frack pads and blighted tar sands fields in Canada, they want you thinking about supercomputing and AI and “clean” hydrogen and all that futuristic fancy stuff!

It makes me think of a Golden Girls episode (I’m a die-hard Golden Girls fan) where a funeral director named Mr. Pfeiffer (the “p” is not silent) tells the girls that “here at Forever Peaceful Mortuary, we’ve gotten rid of all that morbid death stuff.” To which Sofia replies “whaddya runnin’ here, a sushi bar?” We need a wisecracking Italian lady like Sophia Petrillo to ask these oil and gas and coal companies with their hydrogen schemes and efforts to eliminate competition from renewables what they think they’re runnin’ here! Actually, our incredible member Giulia Mannarino fills that role very well!

It’s not that a lot of these companies can’t also make money in renewable energy. They can and they have. It’s not that renewables require any more government subsidy than fossil fuels. They don’t. In fact, fossil fuels have consistently been some of the most heavily government subsidized commodities in the world. The trouble is that once you provide customers with the means to capture the electrons of the sun’s rays and of moving wind and water, you can’t keep charging them (with heavy markup) for the costs of securing more inputs.

Once you solve for intermittency with battery and other storage and delivery options and given the high degree of recyclability of the component parts of renewable energy and energy storage methods, you’re out of excuses to constantly “drill, baby, drill.” If you also manage to use GREEN hydrogen (hydrogen derived from separating water molecules using a renewably powered electrolysis process) to decarbonize sectors like steel and cement production, well, there goes that remaining demand for things like metallurgical coal.

Technological improvements in heat pumps, to give another example, are driving down the popularity of gas utilities in homes for indoor air and water heating and cooking due to greater efficiency and lower costs. While plastics polymers and petrochemicals are still a driving force for use of natural gas liquids, 40% of the plastics market could be gone tomorrow (disposable plastics) and sustainable agriculture and research into polymeric alternatives will continue to address the rest.

The best path both today and going forward is in renewables, maximized energy efficiencies, sustainability, and a circular waste economy. One promising potential for AI and super or quantum computing is finally solving nuclear fusion, which would permanently solve our energy woes, but we can’t get there from here by continuing to rely heavily on filthy, dangerous, expensive, and climate-destabilizing fossil fuels. Doing so just doesn’t make sense or cents.

***

Eric Engle is board president of Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action.

Last Updated: February 1, 2025 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Jimmy Carter – visionary

Feb 1, 2025

Vic Elam

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

Recently deceased former President Jimmy Carter grew up close to the land, hunting, fishing, and farming his family’s property near Plains, Ga. From those experiences Carter developed an ethic of environmental stewardship that remained with him throughout his life and influenced his political leanings.

Early in his political career as the governor of Georgia, Carter stood in the way to save a river from being dammed after paddling the river and seeing the natural beauty that would be destroyed. As president, Carter struggled to protect the environment from development and instead pivoted to provide protections for more than 150 million acres of federal lands.

Climate science was not as well established in the late 1970s, when Carter was in office, but even then, it was showing undeniable evidence that carbon dioxide gas build-up in the atmosphere was contributing to a green house effect. Carter was the first global leader that understood the science and its implications and took measures to decrease carbon emissions. Although some of Carter’s actions had unintended consequences that may have increased carbon emissions, he led with intention that was unmistakable. Many of Carter’s mandates were well ahead of their time and set the stage for much of the advances in energy efficiency that we enjoy today.

Oil shortages at the time also forced Carter to look at renewable energy sources to help us reduce our dependency on oil. This phenomenon is not unlike the energy situation that we are finding ourselves in today. The state of Virginia is one such example; by providing sales tax incentives, data centers needed to support the burgeoning artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency markets are increasing and expected to dramatically increase further electricity demands. The projected 183% increase in power demand by 2040 would require an additional large natural gas plant every year and a half, along with wind energy that is expected to come online and combined with increased solar and potentially nuclear plant additions to meet the needs.

Virginia consumers may have to bear the burden of all this power development by paying much higher utility rates and suffering environmental degradation. The Mid-Ohio Valley may not be immune to similar impacts as the quest for more and faster data ramps up.

Without the energy crisis that his administration had to endure and with the environmental impact information available now, there’s no telling what President Carter may have accomplished. He stepped forward into the dark trusting the available science, yet as science has improved and shed more and more light on the climate change problem, most leaders since Carter have largely put sunglasses on and ignored the light. Now it seems that the light is as bright as a welding arc, and still our elected lawmakers are donning a welding helmet and pretending the issue will just go away or refusing to acknowledge it. We need everyone to see the light that science has cast upon our condition and act accordingly, our future depends on it.

Carter did more than any president in history following his presidency to create peace and prosperity, but following his presidency he was looked upon as one of the worst for a few reasons. In retrospect, President Carter was a role model who was well ahead of his time, and he is now regarded among the greatest.

Rest in peace President Carter.

***

Vic Elam is an avid outdoorsman and contributor to organizations that share his concern for our environment, including Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action.

Posted: January 25, 2025 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Having it both ways – a cleaner environment and economic growth

Jan 25, 2025

George Banziger

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

It’s a frequently held assumption, often promoted by fossil-fuel interests, that in order to pursue a cleaner environment, we need to make sacrifices for economic development. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Recent events, internationally, nationally and locally, have put into stark relief the urgency required to address climate change and to reduce the risks and costs associated with the extraction of fossil fuels. Data from around the world have revealed that 2024 was the hottest year in recorded history (National Centers for Environmental Information). The devastating wildfires in southern California are the product of an extended drought in that area and extreme Santa Ana winds. Jordan Thomas, a retired California firefighter, quoted in a recent edition of the New York Times (Jan. 16, 2025), said: “To (prevent) catastrophic fires like these we must stop burning fossil fuels…” The Ohio legislature allowed — even encouraged — hydraulic fracturing, i.e., fracking, under public lands, including state parks in a bill (HB 507) that took effect in 2023. With more fracking comes more brine waste, that is, produced waste, much of it coming to Washington County, which leads the state in the volume of this waste material injected into its grounds. As my Climate Corner colleague, Dr. Randi Pokladnik, pointed out in her piece a week ago, much of this waste is radioactive (containing Radium 226 and 228) and contains PFAS (forever chemicals), carcinogenic substances, and other toxic chemicals.

In its economy so dependent on fossil fuels, especially natural gas, the Mid-Ohio Valley is more of a dumping ground for waste products than an economic growth engine. But where are the profits, jobs, and prosperity from these extractive industries going and how much benefit to the Appalachian region accrues from these investments? In a study done by the Ohio River Valley Institute (July 2021), it was reported that from 2008-2019 in the 22 counties in Ohio, in western Pennsylvania, and in West Virginia, which produce 90% of the natural gas in Appalachia, economic prosperity, in terms of jobs, income, and population growth, trailed the U.S. measures of these factors. The demographics of our region continue to show a decline of population as young people choose to leave. Natural gas extraction and plastics manufacturing are capital-intensive enterprises. What is needed for job creation and sustained prosperity in the region is activity that is labor-intensive and that produces wealth which remains in the region.

There are many opportunities for economic development in Appalachia, even in manufacturing, which can serve as alternatives to extractive industries. Biomaterials, such as hemp, which can be readily grown in the region, algae, and mycelium (mushroom roots) can serve as a phased-in alternative to plastics (Patton and Rudek, 2024). Production of batteries for vehicles which reduce greenhouse gas emissions is another promising idea. Locating and capping abandoned oil and gas wells can provide many jobs in the region (32,000 such jobs according to ORVI). There are now more jobs in the solar and wind industries in Ohio than in the coal industry (U.S. Energy and Jobs Report, U.S. Department of Energy, 2023). Research on the use of coal tailings to produce rare-earth metals, which are used in electric vehicles and other modern applications, is producing promising results. Parts for wind turbines can be manufactured in Appalachia.

ReImagine Appalachia, a group committed to transforming the economy of this region from one based on extractive industries to one based on sustainable practices, has promoted the concept of circular manufacturing. The latter strategy assumes that materials never become waste and that nature is regenerated when products and parts are used over again according to a principle of reduce, reuse, repurpose.

Appalachian communities where economic investments are being made should be assured that their communities will receive long-term benefits from any major investments in their areas including the following: that local labor will be hired on construction and manufacturing jobs (to be paid at prevailing wages), that environmental standards will be applied (e.g., clean air and clean water), and that green space and affordable housing will be provided. These assurances have been formalized into community benefit agreements, now a requirement for grant-funded projects supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Job-training programs are being developed in Appalachia for those who have been involved with the criminal justice system, through drug-related crimes and those in drug-treatment programs. These efforts seek to address one of the critical endemic social problems of Appalachia.

***

George Banziger, Ph.D., was a faculty member at Marietta College and an academic dean at three other colleges. He is a member of the Green Sanctuary Committee of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta, Citizens Climate Lobby, and of the Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action team.

Last Updated: January 25, 2025 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: The Ohio Valley has a radiation problem

Jan 18, 2025

Randi Pokladnik

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

During the 60s, I remember the government conducted Civil Defense drills in my school. We were told to climb under our school desks, duck down, and cover our heads. We might have survived a bomb blast but the radioactive fallout could not be stopped. The nuclear disasters at Three-Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima have taught us that the radiation emitted during an accident or bombing will travel across the planet via prevailing winds and the jet stream and distribute some radiation to all of us.

Decades later, while pursuing my masters degree, I had the opportunity to visit Los Alamos, N.M. This city was built to house scientists secretly working on nuclear weapons and was the setting of the 2023 movie about J. Robert Oppenheimer, “father of the atomic bomb.” He was an American theoretical physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project and was the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory where the atomic bomb was developed.

I saw streets lined with barbed wire fencing, cameras mounted on every telephone or power pole, and guard stations at every corner. During our time there, we learned about the many experiments conducted by the federal government on unknowing citizens. When they detonated the Trinity bomb “officials chose not to evacuate the area, nor to warn residents of potential health effects.”

Native Americans who worked in Uranium mines died from radiation exposures. “From 1944 to 1986, nearly 30 million tons of uranium ore were extracted from Navajo lands.” Officials knew the mines (which were often located near or on reservations) exposed entire communities to radiation, but they failed to alert the workers and the families living in the region.

On Jan. 6, 2025, “The Environmental Protection Agency and Navajo Nation finalized a plan to transport one million cubic yards of waste from the Quivira Mines site to a disposal cell near Thoreau, N.M. The Quivira Mines are one of the largest and most high-risk uranium mine sites on the Navajo Nation” and according to EPA spokesman Michael Brogan, have high concentrations of Radium-226 and Uranium. The Safe Drinking Water Act sets the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for Radium-226 in drinking water at 5 pico Curies per liter (pCi/L).

Unfortunately, a similar scenario has been occurring in Southeastern Ohio. Since 2012, when fracking for oil and gas started in earnest in the tri-state area, communities, citizens, and oil and gas workers continue to be exposed to brine and fracking sludge that can contain alarming amounts of radioactive isotopes like Radium-226 and Radium-228. Every day, brine trucks that are lacking any warning placards or Material Safety Data Sheets, drive along our roads and through our towns transporting oilfield wastes from fracking well pads to Class II injection wells. In addition to bromine and chlorine salts, these trucks can also carry toxic chemicals, pit waste, refuse water, sludge, and even used frack sand along with water soluble Radium-226.

Justin Nobel’s book, “Petroleum 238” is an excellent source of information detailing how the oil and gas industry has been allowed to spew radiation across the United States in the form of billions of gallons of oilfield wastes. Oil and gas exploration and production wastes (brine and drilling muds) were exempted from the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C in 1978. They are also exempted from Ohio’s hazardous waste regulations. This isn’t because the wastes are safe, in fact, officials admit the wastes could indeed be harmful to human health and the environment.

The primary reason for the exemption was “if the immense volume of oil and gas wastes were regulated as hazardous it would economically harm the industry.” When the law was revisited in 1980 under President Reagan, the Environmental Protection Agency kept the exemption, saying regulations would “cause a severe economic impact on the industry and on oil and gas production in the U.S.” Basically, as far as politicians and regulatory agencies are concerned, industry profits supersede any concern for the health of our communities.

A big fear is that the radiation from Radium-226 (which has a half-life of 1600 years) and Radium-228 (half-life 5.75 years) will be poisoning the tri-state region long after the fracking boom is over. Radium isotopes have been shown to cause bone, liver, and breast cancer in humans. “The Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) has set environmental discharge limits for Radium 226 and 228 at 60 pCi/L each,” yet it is not unusual for brine trucks to carry fluids testing above 3,000 pCi/L, with some as high as 7,300 pCi/L, according to the Buckeye Environmental Network brine factsheet on conventional and horizontal well brines; both contain Radium isotopes.

In 1985, Ohio’s General Assembly approved the use of vertical well oilfield brine to be used on roadways as a deicer and dust suppressant. In 2004, Ohio passed HB 278, “which took away local control on oil and gas regulation and granted Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) sole authority,” meaning local communities cannot stop an injection well from being constructed. There is an injection well less than ten miles from my home. Ohio has over 234 Class II injection wells and accepts wastes from out-of-state. Each day, countless brine trucks loaded with toxic horizontal well wastes travel along Tappan Lake, a drinking water source for Cadiz, Ohio.

We cannot depend on the ODNR or Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to safeguard our communities from oil and gas wastes. Several grassroots groups have taken on the task of educating the public about this radioactive nightmare. One of these is the Ohio Brine Task Force. “The Brine Task Force is a group of thoughtful and committed Ohioans interested in stopping the hazardous practice of brine spreading in our communities.”

The Buckeye Environmental Network is hosting a Statehouse Symposium at the State Capital- “Spreading Oilfield Brine on Ohio’s Roadways” on March 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. where attendees will hear from workers affected by oilfield brine contamination and scientific experts on why this is an urgent issue to address.

***

Randi Pokladnik, Ph.D., of Uhrichsville, is a retired research chemist who volunteers with Mid Ohio Valley Climate Action. She has a doctorate degree in environmental studies and is certified in hazardous materials regulations.

Posted: January 11, 2025 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Cost, convenience and conservation

Nov 2, 2024

Dean Banziger

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

I like to consider myself a conservationist, or in other words, concerned about our environment and limited resources. However, if I am honest with myself, it is not always a top priority. Cost and convenience are more often a deciding factor for me than impact on the environment. I just do not have unlimited funds or unlimited time to always make the “green” decision.

Often, though, cost and conservation due coincide. My recent car purchase is a good example.

Before making a final decision on buying a car, I debated first between gasoline and electric vehicles. Being a math teacher and former actuary, I crunched the numbers. Based on driving an average amount of 1,000 miles per month and getting 30 miles per gallon at $3.50 per gallon, a gas-powered vehicle would cost $1,680 to fuel each year. An average electric car gets 4 miles per kilowatt hour, and an average West Virginia household pays $.12 per kilowatt hour for electricity. So, based on traveling the same 1,000 miles per month, an average Wet Virginian would pay $360 to fuel a fully electric vehicle. I have kept my previous cars for about 10 years. So, looking only at fuel, I would save $1,392 per year, or $13,020 over the 10 years that I plan to own the vehicle.

Next, I looked at sticker prices. For new 2024 vehicles, the average cost of cars, after taxes and fees was around $30,000. Looking at EVs, the average new car cost was $40,000, after taxes and fees. The initial sticker price of EVs was significantly higher, but the federal government is now offering a $7,500 rebate for buying new EVs assembled in the United States (https://www.energy.gov/save/electric-vehicles). The rebate combined with the $13,000 in fuel savings make a new EV $3,000 less.

So, a new EV would be less expensive, over time, than new gas vehicles. While I could afford a payment on a $30,000 or even $40,000, this just seemed too much for me to spend. Also, if I financed the EV, the interest on the bigger loan would eat up a lot of my savings. To me, cars are a mode of transportation, not a fancy item to show off to friends. My wife and kids will be the first ones to tell you that I can be quite a miser.

So, I considered used cars. After talking a lot with others, I found a neighbor looking to sell their 2017 Chevy Bolt (fully electric) for the same cost that I was finding gas and hybrid cars of similar age. Well, what about battery life? After a little more research, I found that EVs lose just 2.3% of their battery life each year (https://www.evconnect.com/). This would give me the 10 years of life that I was looking for. As a bonus, Chevrolet recalled the batteries on the 2017 vehicle. So, the one I purchased had a brand new battery installed in 2022. Even if I had not had the good fortune of getting a new battery, the low battery loss each year still makes used EVs an affordable and practical option. The federal government also provides tax rebates on used cars like this one, as well (see energy.gov for details).

If the battery has no issues, the cost of maintenance on an EV will be less. Like my battery powered mower (that I love and have had for 5 years), I never have to change the oil, replace a spark plug, or flush coolant. There is not even a transmission to have issues.

OK, so “the man” will get me on car insurance rates, right? Surprisingly, when I shopped for my car insurance, I found the same coverage that my wife has on her Subaru Forester for less cost (Chevy Bolt cost: $375 per year, Forester cost: $500 per year). The stories that I have heard about EV batteries “blowing up” are mostly just rumors and not affecting insurance costs.

Along with cost, convenience is important to me. Will buying an electric car keep me from driving long trips? My children each live about 120 miles away, well within the 300-mile radius of most EVs. So, I can visit either of my kids in an EV without having to charge until I get back home. My wife and I go on one to two big trips a year. While newer EVs can “super-charge” in less than an hour, my wife and I plan to still use her gas-powered Subaru Forester for these long trips. Having one gas vehicle gives us a lot of flexibility. I am helping the environment with an EV, and not sacrificing convenience much, by having a gas vehicle in our household.

In the end, looking at cost, convenience, and conserving natural resources like fossil fuels, buying an EV was the right decision for me. I hope that this helps you in making balanced decisions that protect our limited resources and your pocketbook.

***

Dean Banziger, M.S. is a mathematics teacher at Williamstown High School.

Posted: January 11, 2025 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Driving a used EV by the numbers

Jan 11, 2025

Jonathan Brier

climatecorner@brierjon.com

In April 2024 I wrote “How my life changed driving a used EV.” It was just over 12 months ago I purchased a used Hyundai Kona Electric with 20,202 miles. A couple weeks before the 12 months mark of ownership, I doubled that number. Most of this is my commute of about 100 miles round trip and a few long trips amounting to 200 to 1,500 miles each. What have I learned from one year of EV ownership?

Cutting to the chase, I am saving money. Somewhere between $500 and $800 compared to my previous car AFTER factoring in the difference in increased insurance and the increased registration fee and estimating an average of $3 per gallon of regular (the U.S. average for that period was $3.49, so this is a conservative). My maintenance costs disappeared except for the $25 for tire rotation; the only liquid to change in my car is battery coolant.

My previous car, a 2006 Toyota Corolla, was reliably getting 32-38 mpg with most of my driving being highway. My EV is getting about 100 mpg (one gallon of gas is about 33.4 kwh). Answering the questions my neighbors and others have asked me:

* How often do I plug-in to charge?

Two days a week at least, the day before I commute 100 miles. It really depends on how much I drive and where I want to go.

* How much does charging cost?

My home electric rate is about $0.16 per kwh with both generation and AEP Ohio’s transmission and distribution charges. On average I drive 1,800 miles a month. In the summer, my car is more efficient and does 100 miles in about 22.2 kwh making recharging $3.56. In the winter, because I have an older EV without a heat pump for heating, I’m losing some additional range to heat my car and the battery is less efficient. In winter, 100 miles when it’s really cold, like below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, my refill would be about 31.25 kwh depending on how I drove. That is $5.

So between $3.56-$5 for my EV for 100 miles, while my Corolla cost between $8.57-$9.38 for the same 100 miles. For 1,800 miles, the Corolla cost $154.26-$168.84 vs. the EV cost of $63.54-$90. I did fast charge with DC, so these are the low end.

When compared to a 2010 Prius hybrid at 50 mpg average, the cost for charging vs. gas is nearly a wash when it was cold in December/January. Warmer months’ travel with an EV is cheaper even with higher rates than home for the fast charging. $0.30-$0.65 per kwh I’ve seen on a trip.

* How long does it take to charge?

When I visit family, I only have access to a 15-amp, 120-volt outlet like in any home. If I’m really low on battery, it may take 24-48 hours to get back to full since that would only add three to five miles per hour. A level 2 charger, aka 240 volts, recharges faster in three to four hours. A DC fast charger on trips will go from 20-80% in 30-50 minutes depending on outside temps. Newer EVs can do this in 15-20 minutes.

There is much outdated information and knowledge on EVs and I can’t get to everything here.

Battery life: Most EV owners won’t ever need to get a battery replacement. Battery management systems have greatly matured, and the chemistry of the batteries is rapidly improving in both safety, density and material needs. They even have life after a vehicle. A startup called Element Energy is using old EV batteries for grid storage. Redwood Materials is claiming 95% efficiency for material recovery when recycling them. The company Recurrent tracks and rates EV battery status for those who opt in or sell EVs, so you know its health.

So, if you’re wondering if you should buy an EV, do the math. It may work out that you can save the green in your wallet and the future of our planet.

***

Jonathan Brier is a Marietta resident, information scientist, data librarian and an Eagle Scout. He is a member of the Association of Computing Machinery, American Association for the Advancement of Science, OpenStreetMap US, Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action and a Wikipedia contributor. If you would like to reach him, visit https://brierjon.com or email: climatecorner@brierjon.com

Posted: January 8, 2025 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Dollars and (common) sense

Jan 4, 2025

Griffin Bradley

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

With the 2024 elections behind us and a second Trump administration preparing to take control in a few short weeks, I find it to be a time of reflection on the last four years. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Despite the rhetoric around America’s political realities and what the future may hold, we must also look back at the consequential policy of the Biden administration and the indelible impact it had on clean energy and climate.

The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act set a new standard for prioritizing clean energy and climate issues, putting hundreds of billions of dollars toward cleaning up our energy system, stabilizing our aging grid, and more. Over the last four years, America has seen monumental investments in clean energy and climate priorities by the federal government and private businesses alike. Now, with a new administration and a Republican trifecta in Washington, the risk of backtracking on the commitments and progress we have seen across the country is real.

We’ve all heard for months that deficit hawks in Congress look to take a “scalpel, not a sledgehammer” to spending in the next federal budget. This concept begs an overarching question: what gets cut, and who does it impact? Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has made it clear that he sees IRA funding as a key source of cuts, but little is known on what parts will stay and what parts will go. What we do know, however, is that there remains a strong contingent of Republican House members who support the IRA.

But, wait. Hasn’t one of the key talking points of the Republican Party throughout the last election cycle been that the federal government is wasting taxpayer dollars on “woke” climate issues? Then why have 18 Republicans — a bloc well large enough to tank any initiative of the current five-seat majority — signed a letter stumping for a Biden administration policy?

Well, it turns out that injecting capital into projects that have direct benefits for Americans is a popular endeavor, regardless of what party’s administration made it happen.

Since the passage of the IRA, the lion’s share of funding (nearly 4x) has gone to Republican districts. From EV battery manufacturing in North Carolina to budding energy storage technologies being developed right here in West Virginia, we are seeing an economic renaissance of sorts. Blue collar, hard-working areas of America that have been looking for new opportunities in a new economy have got it, due in no small part to the IRA.

A recent report shows over 3.3 million Americans are employed in the clean energy space as of 2023, a number that has steadily increased since 2020. Beyond federal recognition that clean energy and climate is worth investing in, these burgeoning jobs numbers show that corporate and private-sector entities agree and have doubled down on their commitments to a cleaner world. From the corporations that make many of your household products to the small startups that are on the bleeding edge of technology, there is continued support and ambition tied to investments in climate issues.

While we don’t yet know what is to come for these substantial programs and investments, we have so many examples of the good that federal funding has done, not just for clean energy and climate, but for restoring the economic value of rural America. We have the opportunity to simultaneously lift up broad swaths of our country while also making it a better place for our children, grandchildren and beyond to thrive. So, when the inevitable fight around funding in Washington starts and the IRA is on the chopping block, remember what is really at stake.

This is more than just dollars and cents.

***

Griffin Bradley is a lifelong Wood County resident, graduate of West Virginia University (B.A., Political Science ’21; M.A., Political Science ’23), and a contributing author for Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action.

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Climate Corner: Driving a used EV by the numbers

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Climate Corner: Dollars and (common) sense

Griffin Bradley

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