I have a message I’d like to deliver to Sen. Joe Manchin: Get out of the way, old man.
Now, it’s not in my usual nature to address someone so rudely. But given Manchin’s recent patronizing choice of language referring to his colleague Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (a year older than myself) as “that young lady,” using her age and gender to belittle her status as a fellow legislator, it seemed only appropriate that I address him similarly.
Manchin and Ocasio-Cortez’s most recent exchange of unpleasantries comes as a result of sparring over Democrats’ proposed $3.5 trillion spending package, which Manchin has managed to singlehandedly capsize.
It’s worth noting that this piece of legislation might be the one and only chance the Biden administration has to meaningfully take on the climate crisis for the foreseeable future. Setting aside political realities, the overwhelming consensus among the scientific community is that we have less than a decade to drastically slash emissions or else face a certain future of runaway climate catastrophe.
One might think that, following a summer of warming-fueled (un)natural disaster after (un)natural disaster, along with record-shattering global temperatures, Manchin might have a better response to such vital climate legislation than to shrug his shoulders and say that it “makes no sense at all.”
But then again, if you do think that, then you probably don’t know Joe Manchin very well.
It actually makes perfect sense that an irredeemably corrupt politician like Manchin, who owns millions of dollars of stock in coal brokerages, and to whom climate denying monster corporations like ExxonMobil refer as “crucial” to undermining climate action in Congress, would be opposed to such important legislation as the reconciliation package.
I’m not a West Virginian, and I’m sick of every single attempt at passing any kind of meaningful legislation being hamstrung by a single corrupt Senator who doesn’t represent me. And speaking often as I do with those who are in fact represented by Manchin, he doesn’t actually seem to care about his constituents whatsoever. He’s perfectly content to let the West Virginians who voted for him stay poor and miserable, sacrificing thousands upon thousands of good-paying jobs in clean, renewable energy, as long as he can continue to line his pockets with as much dirty money as he can get his hands on.
And so to Senator Manchin, I say this:
You’re a 74-year-old man. You’re at the twilight of your years, and leaving behind a legacy of perverse greed and human suffering for those of us who follow in your wake. Americans who are AOC’s age, my age, and younger, will remember you only as a great villain of history. As a corrupt old man who let the world burn in order to serve his corporate puppetmasters.
This is your legacy, Senator. You can either save face now and do what’s right for the sake of future generations, or else get out of the way for those of us who will.
There has been a lot of frightening and vividly portrayed news about extreme weather lately that has brought our collective attention to the urgent need to address human-caused climate change. Unstoppable wildfires caused by sustained droughts, Tennessee floods, Hurricane Ida, and other weather events worldwide have put the issue of climate change front and center. The recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a “red alert” about the urgency of addressing climate change.
In the face of all this discouraging news one can feel hopeless and inconsequential as a single individual. But there is an opportunity to take immediate action as a concerned and informed citizen in the current “climate” of the Congress. The U.S. Senate will soon be discussing a budget reconciliation bill. A carbon pricing feature will likely be incorporated into this bill if senators hear from their constituents that it is important to them. The Senate Finance Committee has already announced that they are considering the inclusion of carbon pricing in this bill. Budget reconciliation may be adopted by the senate if 51 of its members agree to certain adjustments in spending and revenue. A price on carbon involves a fee assessed on the producer for oil, natural gas, or coal. These fossil fuels are what account for a large share of the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing the climate change, the effects of which we are all experiencing. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is a key person is these senate discussions.
A price on carbon will provide quality jobs in renewable energy (the U.S. Department of Labor, for example, lists solar panel installer as the fastest growing job in the U.S.). This action will strengthen the manufacturing base for products like solar panels and wind turbines, much of which are made from glass products that were once manufactured in this part of Appalachia. Carbon pricing will help the U.S. toward energy independence–by reducing the demand for fuel and for the consumption of fossil fuels. It will provide affordable energy by leading to an equal carbon dividend for consumers. The U.S. is being left behind in pricing carbon–European countries are imposing a price on carbon and will impose a tariff on our carbon exports if we don’t have a price on carbon; we need to stay internationally competitive.
One may think that making the transition to renewable energy will be expensive. But consider the alternative of doing nothing. Extreme weather has caused more than $450 billion in damage nationwide since 2005; the number of disasters causing more than $1 billion in damage reached 22 last year, a record. The Government Accountability Office has warned those costs may be unsustainable. Yet the demand keeps increasing. When the Federal Emergency Management Agency introduced a new program to help cities and states prepare for disasters, the requests far outstripped the amount of money available. The increasing frequency and severity of hurricanes poses another dilemma: Even if the money could be found for projects to protect places like southern Louisiana, are such efforts a good way to spend public money, especially as the need for climate resilience around the country is growing and coastlines disappear farther every year?
A price on carbon will, furthermore, get us to net zero emissions by 2050 with a blend of renewable fuel sources that provide clean, affordable energy. The move to carbon pricing will send a signal to the economy and to industry to attend to energy efficiency, electric energy from renewables, and carbon capture. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will save 4.5 million lives over 50 years by decreasing premature deaths due to air pollution. Energy companies will, of course, raise their prices for products like gasoline, but economists have shown that up to 85 percent of individual Americans can cover the increased costs by the dividend that is provided to them through the carbon pricing program. In a re-imagined Appalachia that can advance from a dependency on coal and other extractive industries, carbon pricing and increases in investment in renewable energy can bring sustainable good jobs to our region as well as cleaner air and water.
Please contact Manchin soon and urge him to include carbon pricing in the budget reconciliation bill.
What will it take to motivate Americans into action?
Two of the happiest days of my life were when we welcomed our two granddaughters into the world in 2004 and 2005. At that time their futures were full of possibilities. Today, I fear what the future holds for the next generation and the planet, as nations (especially the USA) fail to take meaningful action to address the climate crisis.
This summer we’ve watched unrelenting wildfires in the western states. Over 7 million acres of federal land and 3 million acres of non-federal land has burned in California to date this year. Hurricane Ida hit the coastline of Louisiana just a few miles shy of a category 5 and was the second most damaging hurricane in that region since Hurricane Katrina, which left 1,800 dead and $125 billion in damages in 2005. As Ida moved along the northeastern coast it brought record rainfalls to the area and caused monumental flooding in parts of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Estimates of the economic damage top $95 billion, and 71 deaths have been attributed to the storm to date.
A question I struggle with on a daily basis is: Why are many Americans, including politicians, unknowledgeable or unwilling to take action on what has been referred to as “an existential threat to humanity?” The answer might be multifaceted. We lack the knowledge; we don’t feel a sense of urgency; and we lack the political will.
In his book, “The Death of Expertise,” Tom Nichols says, “the foundational knowledge of the average American is now so low that it has crashed through the floor of uninformed, passed misinformed and is now plummeting to aggressively wrong.” We live in a world where many people think, “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Our response to wearing masks and getting vaccinated are proof of that mindset.
It seems media has done little to educate the general public on the issues surrounding the climate crisis. Rarely does a weather reporter mention the term “climate crisis.” In fact, a 2019 report by Media Matters America said that broadcast news only “devoted four hours” to climate coverage in that year. That’s less than one percent of broadcast time.
A few pivotal events have affected the amount, accuracy and types of information Americans receive on a daily basis from our media sources. The Fairness Doctrine which said “controversial issues of public importance had to be reported in a manner that was honest, equitable and balanced” was repealed by the FCC in 1987.
Today, news stories can be reported without allowing for an opposing viewpoint or factual data.
Another issue is media consolidation. In 1983, fifty companies owned 90% of radio, television, newspapers, books, internet, cable, and movies. Since the passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, ninety percent of US media is now owned by six corporations. This allows thousands of small media outlets to be controlled by a handful of people. For example, Clear Channel owns over 1,200 stations. When an incorrect or “fake news” story is broadcast, millions of people are getting this false information.
We might blame some of our hesitancy to take action on a “lack of knowledge” or our inability to get real facts, but it is nearly impossible to ignore the death and devastation occurring from record-setting weather events. A recent study showed the 2018 wildfires in California cost $148 billion, killed 97 civilians and 6 firefighters, and destroyed 24,000 buildings. The current wildfire season is on track to break all records. At least 176 people died this past February in the record-breaking Texas snowstorm. The estimated cost of the storm is $20 billion.
If we believe the science and we acknowledge the destruction including lives lost and the costs, why aren’t we screaming in the streets? Are we too anesthetized by lifestyles based on consumerism? Do we care nothing about the other sentient species we are destroying by our addiction to convenience? Have we been lulled into complacency by a media that remains silent on the issue? Are we counting on a solution coming from a political system bought and paid for by fossil fuels?
In fact, many scientists believe that we have less than a decade to make significant changes or face irreversible consequences. The United Nations scientists have called a “code red” for humanity in August saying in their 3,000-plus page report, “unless rapid and deep reductions are made to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions” we will exceed the 1.5 C threshold by 2030.
A major threat to solving or even addressing climate change continues to be the lack of political will. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, “we have the scientific knowledge and the technical means but we lack the political will to put a price on carbon, to stop subsidies on fossil fuels, to stop building coal power plants, and to shift taxation from income to carbon.” Ansel Adams accurately describes the situation, “it’s horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save our environment.”
But sadly, this is what we have to do; fight our own government. Since the passage of the 14th Amendment, the courts have extended corporations rights that were previously only granted to citizens. Corporations are not citizens; their main concern is their bottom line.
Corporate power has increased with the passage of Citizens United. With endless amounts of lobbying money, we now have the best politicians money can buy. Until we end Citizens United and get money out of politics, many politicians will continue to thwart any efforts to hold fossil fuel corporations responsible for their role in the climate crisis. Instead, they will placate the industry and cling to false solutions like carbon capture, blue hydrogen, and recycling.
If you need any motivation to act on climate change and demand politicians take the issue seriously, look at your grandkids. Do you want them to know you sat by and watched their world burn?
***
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.
By George Banziger Sept. 6, 2021 Appearing in the Marietta Times
There has been a lot frightening and vividly portrayed news about extreme weather lately that has brought our collection attention to the urgent need to address human-cause climate change. Unstoppable wildfires caused by sustained droughts, Tennessee floods, Hurricane Ida, and other weather events worldwide have put the issue of climate change front and center. The recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a “red alert” about the urgency of addressing climate change.
In the face of all this discouraging news one can feel hopeless and inconsequential as a single individual. But there is an opportunity to take immediate action as a concerned and informed citizen in the current “climate” of the Congress. The U.S. Senate Finance Committee this very week is discussing a budget reconciliation bill. A carbon pricing feature will be incorporated into this bill if senators hear from their constituents that it is important to them. Budget reconciliation may be adopted by the senate if 51 of its members agree to certain adjustments in spending and revenue. A price on carbon involves a fee assessed on the producer for oil, natural gas, or coal. These fossil fuels are what account for a large share of the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing the climate change the effects of which we are all experiencing. Our own Ohio U.S. Senator, Sherrod Brown, is a member of the Finance Committee.
A price on carbon will provide quality jobs in renewable energy (the U.S. Department of Labor, for example, lists solar panel installer as the fastest growing job in the U.S.). This action will strengthen the manufacturing base for products like solar panels and wind turbines, much of which are made from glass products that were once manufactured in this part of Appalachia. Carbon pricing will help the U.S. toward energy independence—by reducing the demand for fuel and for the consumption of fossil fuels. It will provide affordable energy by leading to an equal carbon dividend for consumers. The U.S. is being left behind in pricing carbon—European countries are imposing a price on carbon and will impose a tariff on our carbon exports if we don’t have a price on carbon; we need to stay internationally competitive.
One may think that making the transition to renewable energy will be expensive. But consider the alternative of doing nothing. Extreme weather has caused more than $450 billion in damage nationwide since 2005; the number of disasters causing more than $1 billion in damage reached 22 last year, a record. The Government Accountability Office has warned those costs may be unsustainable. Yet the demand keeps increasing: When the Federal Emergency Management Agency introduced a new program to help cities and states prepare for disasters, the requests far outstripped the amount of money available. The increasing frequency and severity of hurricanes poses another dilemma: Even if the money could be found for projects to protect places like southern Louisiana, are such efforts a good way to spend public money, especially as the need for climate resilience around the country is growing and coastlines disappear further every year?
A price on carbon will, furthermore, get us to net zero emissions by 2050 with a blend of renewable fuel sources that provide clean, affordable energy. The move to carbon pricing will send a signal to the economy and to industry to attend to energy efficiency, electric energy from renewables, and carbon capture. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will save 4.5 million lives over 50 years by decreasing premature deaths due to air pollution. Energy companies will, of course, raise their prices for products like gasoline, but economists have shown that up to 85% of individual Americans can cover the increased costs by the dividend that is provided to them through the carbon pricing program. In a re-imagined Appalachia that can advance from a dependency on coal and other extractive industries, carbon pricing and increases in investment in renewable energy can bring sustainable good jobs to our region as well as cleaner air and water.
Weather-related tragedies are everywhere we look. On Sunday, Hurricane Ida left a path of destruction in Louisiana and is now tracking northeast, with flood warnings issued as far north as Cape Cod. A few days earlier, parts of Tennessee received what is normally three months’ worth of rain in twelve hours, resulting in massive flooding and the loss of more than twenty human lives. A week or so before that, Hurricane Grace devastated parts of the Yucatan peninsula, again with loss of life. China, Japan, and Turkey have all experienced flooding in recent weeks, with landslides in Japan resulting in dozens of fatalities.
In contrast, much of the world is on fire. In the US, this year’s wildfires have consumed two and a half million acres, larger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined. Entire towns have been destroyed. Air quality alerts have been issued over a wide area, even here in the Mid-Ohio Valley, where smoke from Canadian wildfires made our air dangerous for sensitive groups. In France, Greece, Italy, and Turkey, forests have been destroyed, herds of livestock died horribly, and ancient monuments are threatened. The fire currently raging in Siberia is larger than all the others combined.
The world’s scientists are warning us that these extremes may become the new normal as atmospheric CO2 reaches levels not seen for 800,000 years and global temperatures rise. A warming world results in stronger hurricanes, which draw their strength from warm ocean water.
Areas blessed with an abundance of water sources are likely to see more severe storms and increased flooding. More arid regions are already seeing droughts and fires of historic proportions.
These same scientists also tell us that we have the tools to reduce our emissions and mitigate at least some of this devastation. Will we heed the warning in time?
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):
August 15, 2021 Column by Dr. Randi Pokladnik
“Women’s health is linked to environmental toxins”
“How the Department of Energy Can Help Mitigate Economic and Environmental Damage from Petrochemical Development and Fracking” Includes link to view and download O’Leary’s presentation to U.S. Dept. of Energy
“Inside Clean Energy: Three Charts that Show the Energy Transition in 50 States” Renewables are up and coal is down most places, at a time of major changes in how we produce electricity.
“Welcome to DeSmog’s Climate Disinformation Database, where you can browse our extensive research on the individuals and organizations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming.”
HERE ARE A FEW MORE INTERESTING READS :
Available online on Union of Concerned Scientists:
August 27, 2021 Article by Jeremy Martin in Clean Energy Transformation Series
“A Transformative Climate Action Framework for Transportation”
Tuesday, August 26, 2021Webinar hosted by ReImagine Appalachia, WV Council of Churches & other partners
“Faith in Action Infrastructure Webinar” Recording available at:
Tuesday August 24, 2021 7:00 – 8:30pm Public Forum hosted by West Virginia Climate Alliance (www.wvclimatealliance.org ) Co-sponsored by 20 organizations including MOVCA
“Climate, Jobs and Justice: A Public Forum on West Virginia’s Future” recording available at:
“Radioactivity in Fracking: Too Hot to Handle” recording at link below
Award-winning journalist, celebrated author and knowledgeable environmental scientist Justin Nobel, discusses his research into the terrifying levels of radioactivity being produced by fracking for oil and gas.
Wednesday August 11, 7pm Webinar presented by Better Path Coalition (PA)
“Steingraber and Jacobson on Carbon Capture & Storage” Info and links to recordings of all webinars see
https://www.betterpathcoalition.org/bett
(Note: also had July 28 webinar on “Barging Fracking Waste on the OH River & Fight to Stop it”)
Tuesday August 10, 2021 7-8 PM Zoom Webinar hosted 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). Summer Fair Transition Series (rescheduled July 13 webinar)
“How Can We Secure a Fair Energy Transition and leave No One Behind” Recording available at
Speaker – Chris Hansen (Colorado Just Transition Plan) Panelists: Ann Eisenberg (SC School of Law) & Evan Hansen (WV)
See WV3C link https://wvclimate.org for link to article & recording and registration for Sept. 14 Fair Transition webinar
Saturday, August 7, 2021 10:00am Environmental Justice Program co-hosted by UU Justice Ohio and FaCTOhio
“Connecting the Dots: Planet, People & Power”
Panelists: Dr. Sandra Steingraber, Annette McCoy(NAACP) and Jocelyn Travis (Sierra Club)
Recycling is not a new concept. I remember waiting for the milkman to deliver cold milk and cottage cheese. These products were delivered in glass containers, which, once emptied, we would set out to be recycled. When plastic containers arrived on the scene things changed to where my mom would pick up milk and cottage cheese, packaged in plastic containers, at the grocery store. My mom (like many other moms) became a repurposing trailblazer, for those containers found their way into our refrigerators filled with leftovers. And soon became the vessels to carry mismatched buttons, broken crayons, etc.
Plastics were introduced to the world in 1862 with the first plastics made from plant cellulose. Most of today’s plastics are made from hydrocarbon molecules as a byproduct from the refining of oil and gas. Plastics have become a mainstay in packaging and product manufacturing. According to an article published by Columbia University Climate School “More Plastic is on the Way: What it Means for Climate Change,” written by Renee Cho on Feb. 20, 2020, the proliferation of plastic manufacturing is polluting our water, air and land. In addition, Cho states that “Microplastic and tiny plastic fibers have been found in honey, sugar, beer, processed foods, shellfish, salt, detergent bottled water and tap water; however, the health effects of microplastics are still unclear.”
So, how does plastic effect climate change? The production of plastics exacerbates greenhouse emissions. As you likely know, greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. The earth’s greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet. Each stage in the lifecycle of plastic contributes to these gasses. It begins in the oil and gas fracking process, where ethane is emitted. Then the refining and manufacturing increases air emissions believed to be equal to 800,000 new cars on the road annually. Next, is in the process of discarding used plastics. Plastic is usually incinerated, recycled or ends up in a landfill. It is through the incineration process that more gasses are introduced to our atmosphere. According to a National Geographic report in 2018 only 9 percent of all plastics were recycled.
According to the Center for International Environmental Law the best solution would be to ban plastics or at least work toward a global campaign against single-use plastics. But, both of these solutions carry many issues. One of these would be a significant financial impact while a second would lead to the question: What would we replace plastics with? And that could be as destructive as plastics.
That leaves us with the question, what can we do? The best solution for each of us is to recycle or repurpose. We can recycle our plastics. Recycled plastics are used to make many useable items such as bottles, bags, playground equipment, and foam packaging. Think of all those bottles of water you drink, that your local ball team drink during a game, or that you serve at your summer get-togethers. They can all be recycled. Most plastics can be recycled, just check with your local recycling center.
Or we can learn a lesson from my mother: repurpose. We can repurpose our dairy cartons to organize things such as screws, nails, and buttons. We can repurpose coffee containers for flour, sugar, rice, bean canisters, etc. We can even repurpose plastic bottles for freezing water to use in your coolers. As a child we used egg cartons to make decorations. The possibilities are endless. We are limited only by our imagination.
***
Nenna Davis has a bachelor’s degree in zoology/botanyand master’s degree in organizational communication,
August 26, 2021 Letter-to-Editor by Vic Elam, Marietta, Ohio
“Code red for humanity” that is what United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterras stated, in regard to the latest report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
With more than 300 authors using 14,000 scientific papers the IPCC pulls together a wealth of corroborating information about the severity of the current impacts of climate change, but also the consensus about the severity of climate change going forward, of course depending on how well the human population rises to the challenge facing us.
“We’re in danger of going down in history as the species that chose to monitor its own extinction rather than taking urgent steps to avert it,”says Caroline Lucas a member of UK parliament.
Emissions from the use of fossil fuels for heating, power generation, industrial processes, to propel cars, trucks, ships and more release carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, often referred to as greenhouse gases because they trap heat in our atmosphere. Some of the findings in the IPCC report of note are:
The last five years have been the hottest on record since 1850. Sea levels have risen almost three times as much in recent years, when compared with 1901-1971. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is at its highest in two million years. Methane and nitrous oxide are at their highest levels in 800,000 years.
The science community has been warning about climate change for decades and it has all but fallen on deaf ears and it has not been until the evidence has impacted livelihoods that we start listening.
We are now at what most scientists consider to be a critical point – we control our fate, and by we, I mean each and every one of us has the ability to have an impact. I am reminded of a favorite quote by Jane Goodal, “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
It’s easy to think that the little things that you can do reduce your environmental impact can’t make a difference, but collectively we can all make a huge difference.
If you decide you want to make a huge difference individually there is a lot of opportunity for that as well, get involved in organizations such as Citizens Climate Lobby, Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action, or Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition.
I invite you to find out more about the IPCC report and challenge you to make a difference for the future of humanity.
Marietta native George Banziger expresses grave concerns about how fracking and injection wells are affecting Washington County.
MARIETTA, OH — This is a news release written by George Banziger, Ph.D. He was a faculty member at Marietta College and an academic dean at three other colleges. Now retired, he volunteers for the Mid-Ohio Valley Interfaith, and Harvest of Hope. 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 Leadership Team. His comments do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of this writer, or this company.
In 2019 Washington County had the second-highest level of injection well activity in the state at 8.1 million barrels of brine waste, 68% of which was from out-of-state (PA & WV) sources. Our county has the highest number of wells in the state. In 2011 there were 1.9 million barrels of brine waste injected in our county. Washington County is one of 22 counties in the officially designated Appalachian region, where the vast majority of injection wells are located. This leads to my first question: If there are deleterious effects of injection wells in this region, wouldn’t this constitute a disproportionate impact and involve an issue of environmental justice?
Class II injection wells, as they are categorized by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil & Gas Resources Management, are deep ground penetrations that push waste from hydraulic fracturing (fracking) into the ground. This division of ODNR is tasked with reviewing requests for permits and for conducting regular inspections of these wells.
This fracking waste is referred to as “brine,” but much of it is radioactive and is composed of water and additional chemicals, such as lead, arsenic, formaldehyde, mercury. Although only one percent of brine contains these chemicals, when we are dealing with a million gallons of water per well, this is not about teaspoons full. The shocking fact about this fracking waste is that, due to congressional action, referred to as the Halliburton rule, oil and gas companies are not required to reveal the contents of fracking waste. A recent article in the New York Times (July 13, 2021) has pointed out that toxic chemicals from hydraulic fracturing can transform into PFAS, a substance that has been linked to cancer and birth defects in people. PFAS is long-lasting and harmful to humans, wild mammals, and birds.
I am aware that injection wells have cement casings and annulus controls and that they are customarily drilled to a depth of approximately 3,000 feet while aquifers, from which drinking water is obtained normally are drilled at 200-300 feet. This means that, if properly done, injection wells should not pose any risk to aquifers or surface water. The keyword in this conclusion is “properly.” Spills. leaks, discharges, excessive amounts of brine, and other potentially harmful events are not uncommon at injection well sites, especially given the vast proliferation of injection wells in Washington County and throughout eastern Ohio.
In November/December 2020 I reviewed 23 violation reports, 26 compliance reports, and 1,155 inspection reports provided by the ODNR. After my review, I posed several questions to the public representative of ODNR on injection wells. These questions had to do with specific reports on injection wells in the county, where spills or related violations were reported, what action was taken, and whether follow-up was made. On December 9 I sent a list of over 25 questions from inspection reports, which I grouped into the following categories: Redbird #4 injection well (aka #24), where numerous problems were cited, spills & leaks, conditions of wells at inspection, issues related to the recently approved barge offload facility in Marietta (owner Deep Rock), ownership of wells, and roads and transport to wells. I have not yet received responses to any of these questions, several of which relate to spills and leaks (at dykes and other places), which may have flowed into aquifers, streams, and rivers.
On February 5, 2021, I sent another message to ODNR, asking the representative to please respond to the questions I posed on December 9 regarding inspection reports and to respond to some immediate questions I had about a reported spill on January 20, 2021, at a Deep Rock injection well facility near Marietta. One of my questions about this spill was whether there is any evidence that brine waste from this spill entered streams and the Ohio River. At this date, I have not yet received any response to these questions. Neither has there been any public hearings on injection wells in this county regarding spills at these wells, what follow-up and enforcement actions ODNR has taken, and how such spills can be reduced or eliminated in the future.
In a September 5, 2020 article in the Columbus Dispatch, there was a report on the Redbird #4 spill indicating that fracking waste had seeped into natural gas production wells but not into drinking water. But an article in Consumer Reports (December 3, 2020) stated: “The risk to drinking water comes in two major ways. First, water used in the hydraulic drilling process can leak into aquifers and other groundwater supplies. Second, the wastewater that fracking produces can contaminate supplies when waste leaks from landfills that accept oil remain when waste spills from trucks or pipelines moving it, when equipment fails, or when waste leaks from unlined disposal pits.”
I have written to State Senator Frank Hoagland Washington County) about my questions. His office contacted ODNR, which responded in a message merely identifying their standard procedures. I also contacted State Representative Don Jones (who represents the part of Washington County where I reside), and have received no response.
This year the Ohio legislature passed two bills (House Bill 282 and Senate Bill 171) which amounted to a giveaway to the oil and gas business and a sell-out to the health of Ohioans. These bills allow for 333 times the radioactive level recommended by health experts. Even the ODNR has stated that this does not ensure the protection of public health.
On September 14 (6 p.m.) there will be a meeting at 600 Goose Run Road (off Ohio 26) in Marietta on the impact of injection wells. Ohio Representative Jay Edwards will be there. This will be an opportunity to get some of the numerous questions about injection wells answered.
As a concerned resident of Washington County and one who has reviewed the numerous reports of Class II injection wells in the county, it is my observation that ODNR does not have the human or physical resources to conduct a complete regimen of inspection (which they are supposed to do every 11-13 weeks), follow-up and enforcement required of these facilities which pose environmental and health risks to the county and indeed to the entire state. Until ODNR answers these numerous questions, it is my recommendation that all activity at injection wells be halted—or at the very least no additional permits for Class II injection wells be approved.
For further information about the health and environmental risks of hydraulic fracturing and the significant amount of brine waste that results from this process, I refer you to a significant national (and indeed international) review study of all health and environmental aspects of hydraulic fracturing by the Concerned Health Professionals of New York: Concerned Health Professionals of New York, & Physicians for Social Responsibility. (2020, December). Compendium of scientific, medical, and media findings demonstrating risks and harms of fracking (unconventional gas and oil extraction) (7th ed.). https://concernedhealthny.org/compendium/. One of the “emerging trends” noted in this report is that fracking waste threatens drinking water in the form of spills, discharges into rivers, underground migration of chemicals, and water depletion.
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This is a news release written by George Banziger of the Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action Leadership Team.
“Leaves of three, let it be!” I first learned this little rhyme many years ago, when I was a Brownie Scout in my cute little brown uniform and dark brown beanie hat. Of course, there are many plants with three leaves out in the woods that are quite harmless, but the rhyme is referring to one plant you really don’t want to touch — the dreaded Poison Ivy. Poison Ivy has three glossy deep green leaves on each stem, and can creep on the ground, grow upright, or climb up trees, where it can get quite massive. Contact with any part of the plant, any time of the year, can cause an allergic reaction resulting in a painful rash, blisters, and itching in 80 percent of people.
If you have had a case of poison ivy rash in recent years, and thought it seemed worse than ever before, you are probably right! A six-year study conducted by Duke University showed that elevated levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere causes Poison Ivy to grow faster, grow more leaves, and produce a more potent form of urushiol, the oil agent found in all parts of the plant that causes the allergic skin reaction. Not only is the urushiol more potent, there is more of it. In 1950, when CO2 levels were about 310 ppm, the average amount of the toxic oil per plant was 15 milligrams. Today, with CO2 levels near 420 ppm, it is a whopping 40.9 milligrams!
Poison Ivy is not the only allergy-causing plant that is affected by the changes in our climate. Do you suffer from hay fever (allergic rhinitis) — the congestion, runny nose, and itchy eyes caused by plant pollen? If so, you are not alone. In 1970, about 1 in 10 Americans suffered from hay fever. By 2000, the number had risen to 3 in 10. With today’s U.S. population at over 332,000,000, that means there are almost 100,000,000 hay fever sufferers in the country. Hay fever accounts for over 13,000,000 doctor’s visits a year in the U.S.
So, here is the bad news: hay fever season is getting worse. Due to warmer temperatures and a longer frost-free season, the pollen season is longer, starting about 20 days earlier in the spring, and lasting longer in the fall. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, between 1995 and 2011, pollen season lengthened by 11-27 days.
Another effect of warmer temperatures is that trees, grasses, and weeds are producing greater quantities of pollen, with trees seeing the greatest increase. One study of pollen records from 60 U.S. and Canadian cities from 1990-2018 found that allergy seasons now start 20 days earlier, last 10 days longer, and include 21 percent more pollen. Some evidence suggests that rising CO2 levels may be playing a role as well, causing the pollen itself to be more allergenic.
So, don’t touch the Poison Ivy, stock up on anti-histamines and tissues, and if the pollen is really getting to you, wearing a mask can help.
***
Cynthia Burkhart is a concerned citizen, gardener, goat farmer and hay fever sufferer.
Find Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action on the following social media:
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Time for Manchin to move on
Aaron Dunbar in The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Sep 18, 2021
I have a message I’d like to deliver to Sen. Joe Manchin: Get out of the way, old man.
Now, it’s not in my usual nature to address someone so rudely. But given Manchin’s recent patronizing choice of language referring to his colleague Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (a year older than myself) as “that young lady,” using her age and gender to belittle her status as a fellow legislator, it seemed only appropriate that I address him similarly.
Manchin and Ocasio-Cortez’s most recent exchange of unpleasantries comes as a result of sparring over Democrats’ proposed $3.5 trillion spending package, which Manchin has managed to singlehandedly capsize.
It’s worth noting that this piece of legislation might be the one and only chance the Biden administration has to meaningfully take on the climate crisis for the foreseeable future. Setting aside political realities, the overwhelming consensus among the scientific community is that we have less than a decade to drastically slash emissions or else face a certain future of runaway climate catastrophe.
One might think that, following a summer of warming-fueled (un)natural disaster after (un)natural disaster, along with record-shattering global temperatures, Manchin might have a better response to such vital climate legislation than to shrug his shoulders and say that it “makes no sense at all.”
But then again, if you do think that, then you probably don’t know Joe Manchin very well.
It actually makes perfect sense that an irredeemably corrupt politician like Manchin, who owns millions of dollars of stock in coal brokerages, and to whom climate denying monster corporations like ExxonMobil refer as “crucial” to undermining climate action in Congress, would be opposed to such important legislation as the reconciliation package.
I’m not a West Virginian, and I’m sick of every single attempt at passing any kind of meaningful legislation being hamstrung by a single corrupt Senator who doesn’t represent me. And speaking often as I do with those who are in fact represented by Manchin, he doesn’t actually seem to care about his constituents whatsoever. He’s perfectly content to let the West Virginians who voted for him stay poor and miserable, sacrificing thousands upon thousands of good-paying jobs in clean, renewable energy, as long as he can continue to line his pockets with as much dirty money as he can get his hands on.
And so to Senator Manchin, I say this:
You’re a 74-year-old man. You’re at the twilight of your years, and leaving behind a legacy of perverse greed and human suffering for those of us who follow in your wake. Americans who are AOC’s age, my age, and younger, will remember you only as a great villain of history. As a corrupt old man who let the world burn in order to serve his corporate puppetmasters.
This is your legacy, Senator. You can either save face now and do what’s right for the sake of future generations, or else get out of the way for those of us who will.
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Climate Corner: Re-imagine Appalachia
Sep 18, 2021
George Banziger
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
There has been a lot of frightening and vividly portrayed news about extreme weather lately that has brought our collective attention to the urgent need to address human-caused climate change. Unstoppable wildfires caused by sustained droughts, Tennessee floods, Hurricane Ida, and other weather events worldwide have put the issue of climate change front and center. The recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a “red alert” about the urgency of addressing climate change.
In the face of all this discouraging news one can feel hopeless and inconsequential as a single individual. But there is an opportunity to take immediate action as a concerned and informed citizen in the current “climate” of the Congress. The U.S. Senate will soon be discussing a budget reconciliation bill. A carbon pricing feature will likely be incorporated into this bill if senators hear from their constituents that it is important to them. The Senate Finance Committee has already announced that they are considering the inclusion of carbon pricing in this bill. Budget reconciliation may be adopted by the senate if 51 of its members agree to certain adjustments in spending and revenue. A price on carbon involves a fee assessed on the producer for oil, natural gas, or coal. These fossil fuels are what account for a large share of the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing the climate change, the effects of which we are all experiencing. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is a key person is these senate discussions.
A price on carbon will provide quality jobs in renewable energy (the U.S. Department of Labor, for example, lists solar panel installer as the fastest growing job in the U.S.). This action will strengthen the manufacturing base for products like solar panels and wind turbines, much of which are made from glass products that were once manufactured in this part of Appalachia. Carbon pricing will help the U.S. toward energy independence–by reducing the demand for fuel and for the consumption of fossil fuels. It will provide affordable energy by leading to an equal carbon dividend for consumers. The U.S. is being left behind in pricing carbon–European countries are imposing a price on carbon and will impose a tariff on our carbon exports if we don’t have a price on carbon; we need to stay internationally competitive.
One may think that making the transition to renewable energy will be expensive. But consider the alternative of doing nothing. Extreme weather has caused more than $450 billion in damage nationwide since 2005; the number of disasters causing more than $1 billion in damage reached 22 last year, a record. The Government Accountability Office has warned those costs may be unsustainable. Yet the demand keeps increasing. When the Federal Emergency Management Agency introduced a new program to help cities and states prepare for disasters, the requests far outstripped the amount of money available. The increasing frequency and severity of hurricanes poses another dilemma: Even if the money could be found for projects to protect places like southern Louisiana, are such efforts a good way to spend public money, especially as the need for climate resilience around the country is growing and coastlines disappear farther every year?
A price on carbon will, furthermore, get us to net zero emissions by 2050 with a blend of renewable fuel sources that provide clean, affordable energy. The move to carbon pricing will send a signal to the economy and to industry to attend to energy efficiency, electric energy from renewables, and carbon capture. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will save 4.5 million lives over 50 years by decreasing premature deaths due to air pollution. Energy companies will, of course, raise their prices for products like gasoline, but economists have shown that up to 85 percent of individual Americans can cover the increased costs by the dividend that is provided to them through the carbon pricing program. In a re-imagined Appalachia that can advance from a dependency on coal and other extractive industries, carbon pricing and increases in investment in renewable energy can bring sustainable good jobs to our region as well as cleaner air and water.
Please contact Manchin soon and urge him to include carbon pricing in the budget reconciliation bill.
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Climate Corner: Save the grandchildren
Sep 11, 2021
Dr. Randi Pokladnik
What will it take to motivate Americans into action?
Two of the happiest days of my life were when we welcomed our two granddaughters into the world in 2004 and 2005. At that time their futures were full of possibilities. Today, I fear what the future holds for the next generation and the planet, as nations (especially the USA) fail to take meaningful action to address the climate crisis.
This summer we’ve watched unrelenting wildfires in the western states. Over 7 million acres of federal land and 3 million acres of non-federal land has burned in California to date this year. Hurricane Ida hit the coastline of Louisiana just a few miles shy of a category 5 and was the second most damaging hurricane in that region since Hurricane Katrina, which left 1,800 dead and $125 billion in damages in 2005. As Ida moved along the northeastern coast it brought record rainfalls to the area and caused monumental flooding in parts of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Estimates of the economic damage top $95 billion, and 71 deaths have been attributed to the storm to date.
A question I struggle with on a daily basis is: Why are many Americans, including politicians, unknowledgeable or unwilling to take action on what has been referred to as “an existential threat to humanity?” The answer might be multifaceted. We lack the knowledge; we don’t feel a sense of urgency; and we lack the political will.
In his book, “The Death of Expertise,” Tom Nichols says, “the foundational knowledge of the average American is now so low that it has crashed through the floor of uninformed, passed misinformed and is now plummeting to aggressively wrong.” We live in a world where many people think, “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Our response to wearing masks and getting vaccinated are proof of that mindset.
It seems media has done little to educate the general public on the issues surrounding the climate crisis. Rarely does a weather reporter mention the term “climate crisis.” In fact, a 2019 report by Media Matters America said that broadcast news only “devoted four hours” to climate coverage in that year. That’s less than one percent of broadcast time.
A few pivotal events have affected the amount, accuracy and types of information Americans receive on a daily basis from our media sources. The Fairness Doctrine which said “controversial issues of public importance had to be reported in a manner that was honest, equitable and balanced” was repealed by the FCC in 1987.
Today, news stories can be reported without allowing for an opposing viewpoint or factual data.
Another issue is media consolidation. In 1983, fifty companies owned 90% of radio, television, newspapers, books, internet, cable, and movies. Since the passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, ninety percent of US media is now owned by six corporations. This allows thousands of small media outlets to be controlled by a handful of people. For example, Clear Channel owns over 1,200 stations. When an incorrect or “fake news” story is broadcast, millions of people are getting this false information.
We might blame some of our hesitancy to take action on a “lack of knowledge” or our inability to get real facts, but it is nearly impossible to ignore the death and devastation occurring from record-setting weather events. A recent study showed the 2018 wildfires in California cost $148 billion, killed 97 civilians and 6 firefighters, and destroyed 24,000 buildings. The current wildfire season is on track to break all records. At least 176 people died this past February in the record-breaking Texas snowstorm. The estimated cost of the storm is $20 billion.
If we believe the science and we acknowledge the destruction including lives lost and the costs, why aren’t we screaming in the streets? Are we too anesthetized by lifestyles based on consumerism? Do we care nothing about the other sentient species we are destroying by our addiction to convenience? Have we been lulled into complacency by a media that remains silent on the issue? Are we counting on a solution coming from a political system bought and paid for by fossil fuels?
In fact, many scientists believe that we have less than a decade to make significant changes or face irreversible consequences. The United Nations scientists have called a “code red” for humanity in August saying in their 3,000-plus page report, “unless rapid and deep reductions are made to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions” we will exceed the 1.5 C threshold by 2030.
A major threat to solving or even addressing climate change continues to be the lack of political will. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, “we have the scientific knowledge and the technical means but we lack the political will to put a price on carbon, to stop subsidies on fossil fuels, to stop building coal power plants, and to shift taxation from income to carbon.” Ansel Adams accurately describes the situation, “it’s horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save our environment.”
But sadly, this is what we have to do; fight our own government. Since the passage of the 14th Amendment, the courts have extended corporations rights that were previously only granted to citizens. Corporations are not citizens; their main concern is their bottom line.
Corporate power has increased with the passage of Citizens United. With endless amounts of lobbying money, we now have the best politicians money can buy. Until we end Citizens United and get money out of politics, many politicians will continue to thwart any efforts to hold fossil fuel corporations responsible for their role in the climate crisis. Instead, they will placate the industry and cling to false solutions like carbon capture, blue hydrogen, and recycling.
If you need any motivation to act on climate change and demand politicians take the issue seriously, look at your grandkids. Do you want them to know you sat by and watched their world burn?
***
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.
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
A Price on Carbon
By George Banziger Sept. 6, 2021 Appearing in the Marietta Times
There has been a lot frightening and vividly portrayed news about extreme weather lately that has brought our collection attention to the urgent need to address human-cause climate change. Unstoppable wildfires caused by sustained droughts, Tennessee floods, Hurricane Ida, and other weather events worldwide have put the issue of climate change front and center. The recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a “red alert” about the urgency of addressing climate change.
In the face of all this discouraging news one can feel hopeless and inconsequential as a single individual. But there is an opportunity to take immediate action as a concerned and informed citizen in the current “climate” of the Congress. The U.S. Senate Finance Committee this very week is discussing a budget reconciliation bill. A carbon pricing feature will be incorporated into this bill if senators hear from their constituents that it is important to them. Budget reconciliation may be adopted by the senate if 51 of its members agree to certain adjustments in spending and revenue. A price on carbon involves a fee assessed on the producer for oil, natural gas, or coal. These fossil fuels are what account for a large share of the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing the climate change the effects of which we are all experiencing. Our own Ohio U.S. Senator, Sherrod Brown, is a member of the Finance Committee.
A price on carbon will provide quality jobs in renewable energy (the U.S. Department of Labor, for example, lists solar panel installer as the fastest growing job in the U.S.). This action will strengthen the manufacturing base for products like solar panels and wind turbines, much of which are made from glass products that were once manufactured in this part of Appalachia. Carbon pricing will help the U.S. toward energy independence—by reducing the demand for fuel and for the consumption of fossil fuels. It will provide affordable energy by leading to an equal carbon dividend for consumers. The U.S. is being left behind in pricing carbon—European countries are imposing a price on carbon and will impose a tariff on our carbon exports if we don’t have a price on carbon; we need to stay internationally competitive.
One may think that making the transition to renewable energy will be expensive. But consider the alternative of doing nothing. Extreme weather has caused more than $450 billion in damage nationwide since 2005; the number of disasters causing more than $1 billion in damage reached 22 last year, a record. The Government Accountability Office has warned those costs may be unsustainable. Yet the demand keeps increasing: When the Federal Emergency Management Agency introduced a new program to help cities and states prepare for disasters, the requests far outstripped the amount of money available. The increasing frequency and severity of hurricanes poses another dilemma: Even if the money could be found for projects to protect places like southern Louisiana, are such efforts a good way to spend public money, especially as the need for climate resilience around the country is growing and coastlines disappear further every year?
A price on carbon will, furthermore, get us to net zero emissions by 2050 with a blend of renewable fuel sources that provide clean, affordable energy. The move to carbon pricing will send a signal to the economy and to industry to attend to energy efficiency, electric energy from renewables, and carbon capture. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will save 4.5 million lives over 50 years by decreasing premature deaths due to air pollution. Energy companies will, of course, raise their prices for products like gasoline, but economists have shown that up to 85% of individual Americans can cover the increased costs by the dividend that is provided to them through the carbon pricing program. In a re-imagined Appalachia that can advance from a dependency on coal and other extractive industries, carbon pricing and increases in investment in renewable energy can bring sustainable good jobs to our region as well as cleaner air and water.
Please contact Senator Brown this week and urge him to include carbon pricing in the budget reconciliation bill. https://www.brown.senate.gov/contact/email
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Warning signs
Rebecca Phillips
Marietta Times
Sep 6, 2021
Weather-related tragedies are everywhere we look. On Sunday, Hurricane Ida left a path of destruction in Louisiana and is now tracking northeast, with flood warnings issued as far north as Cape Cod. A few days earlier, parts of Tennessee received what is normally three months’ worth of rain in twelve hours, resulting in massive flooding and the loss of more than twenty human lives. A week or so before that, Hurricane Grace devastated parts of the Yucatan peninsula, again with loss of life. China, Japan, and Turkey have all experienced flooding in recent weeks, with landslides in Japan resulting in dozens of fatalities.
In contrast, much of the world is on fire. In the US, this year’s wildfires have consumed two and a half million acres, larger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined. Entire towns have been destroyed. Air quality alerts have been issued over a wide area, even here in the Mid-Ohio Valley, where smoke from Canadian wildfires made our air dangerous for sensitive groups. In France, Greece, Italy, and Turkey, forests have been destroyed, herds of livestock died horribly, and ancient monuments are threatened. The fire currently raging in Siberia is larger than all the others combined.
The world’s scientists are warning us that these extremes may become the new normal as atmospheric CO2 reaches levels not seen for 800,000 years and global temperatures rise. A warming world results in stronger hurricanes, which draw their strength from warm ocean water.
Areas blessed with an abundance of water sources are likely to see more severe storms and increased flooding. More arid regions are already seeing droughts and fires of historic proportions.
These same scientists also tell us that we have the tools to reduce our emissions and mitigate at least some of this devastation. Will we heed the warning in time?
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Suggested Readings for September 2021
August 2021 MOVCA Selected Media Postings
Compiled by Cindy Taylor
Appearing online in The Parkersburg News and Sentinel:
Saturday August 14 Uncategorized article
“Hydrogen-powered vehicles: A realistic path to clean energy?”
Saturday August 7/ Sunday August 8, 2021 Local Column by Jean Ambrose, co-chair of What’s Next MOV
“MOV What’s Next: Time to speak up”
ugust 5, 2021 Business article by Steven Allen Adams
“West Virginia PSC approves plan to keep Mitchell Power Plant open”
Appearing on-line in the Charleston Gazette-Mail:
August 15, 2021 Op-Ed by Senator Joe Manchin
“Manchin: Infrastructure deal helps WV, shows Senate isn’t broken”
August 13, 2021 Energy and Environment Article by Mike Tony, staff writer
“WV environmentalists urge Congress to pass climate priorities missing from bipartisan Senate infrastructure deal”
Wednesday, August 11, 2021 Energy and Environment News article by Mike Tony, staff writer
“Colorado energy transition plan takes center stage at West Virginia climate webinar”
Wednesday, August 11, 2021 Opinion column by Ben Hunkler
“Ben Hunkler: The fossil fuel ship is sinking”
Tuesday , August 10, 2021Op-Ed by Perry Bryant, WV Climate Alliance
“Perry Bryant: Infrastructure deal good for climate”
August 6, 2021 Energy and Environment Article by Mike Tony, staff writer
“WV advocates urge state leaders to capitalize on federal environmental justice push by embracing clean energy’
August 5, 2021 Opinion by Deb Haaland, Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior
“Deb Haaland: It’s time to invest in WV coal communities”
August 5, 2021 Energy and Environment Article by Mike Tony, staff writer
“Gov. Justice appoints former WV Coal Association head to Public Service Commission”
August 4, 2021 Article by Mike Tony, staff writer
“WV Public Service Commission approves keeping Mitchell Plant operational through 2040, electric rate hike”
August 2, 2021 Op-ed by Jason Huffman and Clint Woods
“Jason Huffman, Clint Woods: Manchin gets another shot at cap-and-trade”
Appearing on-line in Columbus Dispatch:
August 10, 2021 Business article by Beth Harville
“Ohio study says water safe despite risk of hydraulic fracturing waste contamination”
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):
August 15, 2021 Column by Dr. Randi Pokladnik
“Women’s health is linked to environmental toxins”
Appearing on-line on The Sierra Club:
August 27, 2021 Press release by Gabby Brown, Sierra Club
“Six Years and $100 Million Later, Ohio Petrochemical Plant Delayed Yet Again”
Appearing on-line on Ohio River Valley Institute https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org :
August 31, 2021 Article by ORVI
“Year in Review”
August 27, 2021 Article by Sean O’Leary
“PTTGCA’s “indefinite delay” reminds Ohio Valley leaders of the need for a viable economic development strategy”
August 27, 2021 Article by ORVI
“Community groups urge U.S. Department of Energy to halt gas, ethane development”
August 24, 2021 Article by ORVI
“How the Department of Energy Can Help Mitigate Economic and Environmental Damage from Petrochemical Development and Fracking” Includes link to view and download O’Leary’s presentation to U.S. Dept. of Energy
August 19, 2021 Article by ORVI
“Finding Opportunity in the Ohio Valley”
August 16, 2021 Article by Eric de Place
“Hydrogen 101” A backgrounder on hydrogen and its uses in the Ohio River Valley
August 5, 2021 Article by Sean O’Leary
“Fewer Jobs, Higher Electric Bills if WVPSC Mitchell Ruling Prevails”
Available on West Virginia Climate Alliance https://www.wvclimatealliance.org :
Posted August 11, 2021 Op-Ed by WV Climate Alliance founder Perry Bryant appeared in Charleston Gazette-Mail
“OP-ED: Infrastructure bill good for West Virginia, but more needs done to address climate crisis”
Available on Appalachian Voices / Blog “Front Porch”:
August 31, 2021 Article by Appalachian Voices’ intern team
“Highlights from the Energy Democracy in Action webinar series”
August 17, 2021 Article by Chelsea Barnes
“What the bipartisan infrastructure bill means for Appalachia”
Appearing on-line on WV Public Broadcasting and WOUB (PBS):
August 23, 2021 Energy and Environment News Article by Curtis Tate
“Virginia Regulators Reject Plan to Extend Life of Amos, Mountaineer Coal Plants”
August 16, 2021 Energy and Environment News Article by Shepherd Snyder
“WVU Researchers Work to Make Geothermal Technology Less Expensive, More Reliable”
Available online on Public News Service- WV:
August 24, 2021 Text & Audio by Nadia Ramlagan, Producer. Interview with Perry Bryant WV Climate Alliance
“WV Groups Gather to Discuss Climate Change Risks, Strategies”
Appalachia Channel Anthony Underwood
“The Eric Engle Show- Week of 7/12/2021
REPORTS/ RESOURCES/ Action:
Available on-line on ReImagine Appalachia: https://reimagineappalachia.org:
August 31, 2021 Article about action by Susan Gobreski, Tracy Sabetta, and Renate Pore
“Letters to Congressional Delegation to Support An Appalachian Climate Infrastructure Plan”
Resources available under Local Grassroots at https://reimagineappalachia.org/local/grassroots/
See Toolkit – Step by Step Guide on How to Pass Resolutions and answers to FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Link provided for Resolution to Reimagine Appalachia and Support a Federal Appalachian Climate Infrastructure Plan
See 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/
Released by U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA):
July 28, 2021 “Renewables become the second-most prevalent U.S. Electricity source in 2020”
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: https://www.ipcc.ch
August 9, 2021 United Nations Climate Statement
“UN Climate Change Welcomes IPCC’s Summary for Policy Makers on the Physical Science Basis of Climate Change.”
August 9, 2021 UN Report – Sixth Assessment Report
“AR6 Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis”
UNICEF:
August 2021 REPORT released by UNICEF
“The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis: Introducing Children’s Climate Risk Index”
Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL):
Post July 2021
“Over 500 Organizations Call on Policymakers to Reject Carbon Capture and Storage as a False Solution”
Available online on Inside Climate News:
August 5, 2021 Article by Dan Gearino
“Inside Clean Energy: Three Charts that Show the Energy Transition in 50 States” Renewables are up and coal is down most places, at a time of major changes in how we produce electricity.
Available on DESMOG.com:
“Climate Disinformation Database”
“Welcome to DeSmog’s Climate Disinformation Database, where you can browse our extensive research on the individuals and organizations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming.”
HERE ARE A FEW MORE INTERESTING READS :
Available online on Union of Concerned Scientists:
August 27, 2021 Article by Jeremy Martin in Clean Energy Transformation Series
“A Transformative Climate Action Framework for Transportation”
Available online on New Republic (newrepublic.com):
August 26, 2020 Article by Elliot Haspel
“How Children Can Break the Climate Policy Deadlock”
Available on Common Dreams:
August 26, 2021 by Isabella Devaan
“Why We Urgently Need a Civilian Climate Corp”
SOME AUGUST WEBINARS:
Tuesday, August 26, 2021Webinar hosted by ReImagine Appalachia, WV Council of Churches & other partners
“Faith in Action Infrastructure Webinar” Recording available at:
Tuesday August 24, 2021 7:00 – 8:30pm Public Forum hosted by West Virginia Climate Alliance (www.wvclimatealliance.org ) Co-sponsored by 20 organizations including MOVCA
“Climate, Jobs and Justice: A Public Forum on West Virginia’s Future” recording available at:
August 19, 2021 Webinar hosted by Delaware Riverkeeper Network https://www.delawareriverkeeper.org (PA group)
“Radioactivity in Fracking: Too Hot to Handle” recording at link below
Award-winning journalist, celebrated author and knowledgeable environmental scientist Justin Nobel, discusses his research into the terrifying levels of radioactivity being produced by fracking for oil and gas.
Wednesday August 11, 7pm Webinar presented by Better Path Coalition (PA)
“Steingraber and Jacobson on Carbon Capture & Storage” Info and links to recordings of all webinars see
(Note: also had July 28 webinar on “Barging Fracking Waste on the OH River & Fight to Stop it”)
Tuesday August 10, 2021 7-8 PM Zoom Webinar hosted 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). Summer Fair Transition Series (rescheduled July 13 webinar)
“How Can We Secure a Fair Energy Transition and leave No One Behind” Recording available at
Speaker – Chris Hansen (Colorado Just Transition Plan) Panelists: Ann Eisenberg (SC School of Law) & Evan Hansen (WV)
See WV3C link https://wvclimate.org for link to article & recording and registration for Sept. 14 Fair Transition webinar
Saturday, August 7, 2021 10:00am Environmental Justice Program co-hosted by UU Justice Ohio and FaCTOhio
“Connecting the Dots: Planet, People & Power”
Panelists: Dr. Sandra Steingraber, Annette McCoy(NAACP) and Jocelyn Travis (Sierra Club)
Info and registration at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kc-Gspj0pGdwqYEt87EFo_C3X0Z9umY14
FaCT (Faith Communities Together for a Sustainable Future)
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Climate Corner: Recycle/repurpose
Aug 28, 2021
Nenna Davis
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
Recycling is not a new concept. I remember waiting for the milkman to deliver cold milk and cottage cheese. These products were delivered in glass containers, which, once emptied, we would set out to be recycled. When plastic containers arrived on the scene things changed to where my mom would pick up milk and cottage cheese, packaged in plastic containers, at the grocery store. My mom (like many other moms) became a repurposing trailblazer, for those containers found their way into our refrigerators filled with leftovers. And soon became the vessels to carry mismatched buttons, broken crayons, etc.
Plastics were introduced to the world in 1862 with the first plastics made from plant cellulose. Most of today’s plastics are made from hydrocarbon molecules as a byproduct from the refining of oil and gas. Plastics have become a mainstay in packaging and product manufacturing. According to an article published by Columbia University Climate School “More Plastic is on the Way: What it Means for Climate Change,” written by Renee Cho on Feb. 20, 2020, the proliferation of plastic manufacturing is polluting our water, air and land. In addition, Cho states that “Microplastic and tiny plastic fibers have been found in honey, sugar, beer, processed foods, shellfish, salt, detergent bottled water and tap water; however, the health effects of microplastics are still unclear.”
So, how does plastic effect climate change? The production of plastics exacerbates greenhouse emissions. As you likely know, greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. The earth’s greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet. Each stage in the lifecycle of plastic contributes to these gasses. It begins in the oil and gas fracking process, where ethane is emitted. Then the refining and manufacturing increases air emissions believed to be equal to 800,000 new cars on the road annually. Next, is in the process of discarding used plastics. Plastic is usually incinerated, recycled or ends up in a landfill. It is through the incineration process that more gasses are introduced to our atmosphere. According to a National Geographic report in 2018 only 9 percent of all plastics were recycled.
According to the Center for International Environmental Law the best solution would be to ban plastics or at least work toward a global campaign against single-use plastics. But, both of these solutions carry many issues. One of these would be a significant financial impact while a second would lead to the question: What would we replace plastics with? And that could be as destructive as plastics.
That leaves us with the question, what can we do? The best solution for each of us is to recycle or repurpose. We can recycle our plastics. Recycled plastics are used to make many useable items such as bottles, bags, playground equipment, and foam packaging. Think of all those bottles of water you drink, that your local ball team drink during a game, or that you serve at your summer get-togethers. They can all be recycled. Most plastics can be recycled, just check with your local recycling center.
Or we can learn a lesson from my mother: repurpose. We can repurpose our dairy cartons to organize things such as screws, nails, and buttons. We can repurpose coffee containers for flour, sugar, rice, bean canisters, etc. We can even repurpose plastic bottles for freezing water to use in your coolers. As a child we used egg cartons to make decorations. The possibilities are endless. We are limited only by our imagination.
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Nenna Davis has a bachelor’s degree in zoology/botanyand master’s degree in organizational communication,
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Code Red for Humanity
August 26, 2021 Letter-to-Editor by Vic Elam, Marietta, Ohio
“Code red for humanity” that is what United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterras stated, in regard to the latest report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
With more than 300 authors using 14,000 scientific papers the IPCC pulls together a wealth of corroborating information about the severity of the current impacts of climate change, but also the consensus about the severity of climate change going forward, of course depending on how well the human population rises to the challenge facing us.
“We’re in danger of going down in history as the species that chose to monitor its own extinction rather than taking urgent steps to avert it,”says Caroline Lucas a member of UK parliament.
Emissions from the use of fossil fuels for heating, power generation, industrial processes, to propel cars, trucks, ships and more release carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, often referred to as greenhouse gases because they trap heat in our atmosphere. Some of the findings in the IPCC report of note are:
The last five years have been the hottest on record since 1850. Sea levels have risen almost three times as much in recent years, when compared with 1901-1971. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is at its highest in two million years. Methane and nitrous oxide are at their highest levels in 800,000 years.
The science community has been warning about climate change for decades and it has all but fallen on deaf ears and it has not been until the evidence has impacted livelihoods that we start listening.
We are now at what most scientists consider to be a critical point – we control our fate, and by we, I mean each and every one of us has the ability to have an impact. I am reminded of a favorite quote by Jane Goodal, “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
It’s easy to think that the little things that you can do reduce your environmental impact can’t make a difference, but collectively we can all make a huge difference.
If you decide you want to make a huge difference individually there is a lot of opportunity for that as well, get involved in organizations such as Citizens Climate Lobby, Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action, or Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition.
I invite you to find out more about the IPCC report and challenge you to make a difference for the future of humanity.
Vic Elam
Marietta
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Too Much Fracking Waste & Too Many Unanswered Questions
Christopher Schmitt, Patch Staff
Posted Mon, Aug 23, 2021 at 12:24 pm ET
Marietta native George Banziger expresses grave concerns about how fracking and injection wells are affecting Washington County.
MARIETTA, OH — This is a news release written by George Banziger, Ph.D. He was a faculty member at Marietta College and an academic dean at three other colleges. Now retired, he volunteers for the Mid-Ohio Valley Interfaith, and Harvest of Hope. 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 Leadership Team. His comments do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of this writer, or this company.
In 2019 Washington County had the second-highest level of injection well activity in the state at 8.1 million barrels of brine waste, 68% of which was from out-of-state (PA & WV) sources. Our county has the highest number of wells in the state. In 2011 there were 1.9 million barrels of brine waste injected in our county. Washington County is one of 22 counties in the officially designated Appalachian region, where the vast majority of injection wells are located. This leads to my first question: If there are deleterious effects of injection wells in this region, wouldn’t this constitute a disproportionate impact and involve an issue of environmental justice?
Class II injection wells, as they are categorized by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil & Gas Resources Management, are deep ground penetrations that push waste from hydraulic fracturing (fracking) into the ground. This division of ODNR is tasked with reviewing requests for permits and for conducting regular inspections of these wells.
This fracking waste is referred to as “brine,” but much of it is radioactive and is composed of water and additional chemicals, such as lead, arsenic, formaldehyde, mercury. Although only one percent of brine contains these chemicals, when we are dealing with a million gallons of water per well, this is not about teaspoons full. The shocking fact about this fracking waste is that, due to congressional action, referred to as the Halliburton rule, oil and gas companies are not required to reveal the contents of fracking waste. A recent article in the New York Times (July 13, 2021) has pointed out that toxic chemicals from hydraulic fracturing can transform into PFAS, a substance that has been linked to cancer and birth defects in people. PFAS is long-lasting and harmful to humans, wild mammals, and birds.
I am aware that injection wells have cement casings and annulus controls and that they are customarily drilled to a depth of approximately 3,000 feet while aquifers, from which drinking water is obtained normally are drilled at 200-300 feet. This means that, if properly done, injection wells should not pose any risk to aquifers or surface water. The keyword in this conclusion is “properly.” Spills. leaks, discharges, excessive amounts of brine, and other potentially harmful events are not uncommon at injection well sites, especially given the vast proliferation of injection wells in Washington County and throughout eastern Ohio.
In November/December 2020 I reviewed 23 violation reports, 26 compliance reports, and 1,155 inspection reports provided by the ODNR. After my review, I posed several questions to the public representative of ODNR on injection wells. These questions had to do with specific reports on injection wells in the county, where spills or related violations were reported, what action was taken, and whether follow-up was made. On December 9 I sent a list of over 25 questions from inspection reports, which I grouped into the following categories: Redbird #4 injection well (aka #24), where numerous problems were cited, spills & leaks, conditions of wells at inspection, issues related to the recently approved barge offload facility in Marietta (owner Deep Rock), ownership of wells, and roads and transport to wells. I have not yet received responses to any of these questions, several of which relate to spills and leaks (at dykes and other places), which may have flowed into aquifers, streams, and rivers.
On February 5, 2021, I sent another message to ODNR, asking the representative to please respond to the questions I posed on December 9 regarding inspection reports and to respond to some immediate questions I had about a reported spill on January 20, 2021, at a Deep Rock injection well facility near Marietta. One of my questions about this spill was whether there is any evidence that brine waste from this spill entered streams and the Ohio River. At this date, I have not yet received any response to these questions. Neither has there been any public hearings on injection wells in this county regarding spills at these wells, what follow-up and enforcement actions ODNR has taken, and how such spills can be reduced or eliminated in the future.
In a September 5, 2020 article in the Columbus Dispatch, there was a report on the Redbird #4 spill indicating that fracking waste had seeped into natural gas production wells but not into drinking water. But an article in Consumer Reports (December 3, 2020) stated: “The risk to drinking water comes in two major ways. First, water used in the hydraulic drilling process can leak into aquifers and other groundwater supplies. Second, the wastewater that fracking produces can contaminate supplies when waste leaks from landfills that accept oil remain when waste spills from trucks or pipelines moving it, when equipment fails, or when waste leaks from unlined disposal pits.”
I have written to State Senator Frank Hoagland Washington County) about my questions. His office contacted ODNR, which responded in a message merely identifying their standard procedures. I also contacted State Representative Don Jones (who represents the part of Washington County where I reside), and have received no response.
This year the Ohio legislature passed two bills (House Bill 282 and Senate Bill 171) which amounted to a giveaway to the oil and gas business and a sell-out to the health of Ohioans. These bills allow for 333 times the radioactive level recommended by health experts. Even the ODNR has stated that this does not ensure the protection of public health.
On September 14 (6 p.m.) there will be a meeting at 600 Goose Run Road (off Ohio 26) in Marietta on the impact of injection wells. Ohio Representative Jay Edwards will be there. This will be an opportunity to get some of the numerous questions about injection wells answered.
As a concerned resident of Washington County and one who has reviewed the numerous reports of Class II injection wells in the county, it is my observation that ODNR does not have the human or physical resources to conduct a complete regimen of inspection (which they are supposed to do every 11-13 weeks), follow-up and enforcement required of these facilities which pose environmental and health risks to the county and indeed to the entire state. Until ODNR answers these numerous questions, it is my recommendation that all activity at injection wells be halted—or at the very least no additional permits for Class II injection wells be approved.
For further information about the health and environmental risks of hydraulic fracturing and the significant amount of brine waste that results from this process, I refer you to a significant national (and indeed international) review study of all health and environmental aspects of hydraulic fracturing by the Concerned Health Professionals of New York: Concerned Health Professionals of New York, & Physicians for Social Responsibility. (2020, December). Compendium of scientific, medical, and media findings demonstrating risks and harms of fracking (unconventional gas and oil extraction) (7th ed.). https://concernedhealthny.org/compendium/. One of the “emerging trends” noted in this report is that fracking waste threatens drinking water in the form of spills, discharges into rivers, underground migration of chemicals, and water depletion.
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This is a news release written by George Banziger of the Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action Leadership Team.
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Climate Corner: Climate change makes allergies worse
Cynthia Burkhart
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
“Leaves of three, let it be!” I first learned this little rhyme many years ago, when I was a Brownie Scout in my cute little brown uniform and dark brown beanie hat. Of course, there are many plants with three leaves out in the woods that are quite harmless, but the rhyme is referring to one plant you really don’t want to touch — the dreaded Poison Ivy. Poison Ivy has three glossy deep green leaves on each stem, and can creep on the ground, grow upright, or climb up trees, where it can get quite massive. Contact with any part of the plant, any time of the year, can cause an allergic reaction resulting in a painful rash, blisters, and itching in 80 percent of people.
If you have had a case of poison ivy rash in recent years, and thought it seemed worse than ever before, you are probably right! A six-year study conducted by Duke University showed that elevated levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere causes Poison Ivy to grow faster, grow more leaves, and produce a more potent form of urushiol, the oil agent found in all parts of the plant that causes the allergic skin reaction. Not only is the urushiol more potent, there is more of it. In 1950, when CO2 levels were about 310 ppm, the average amount of the toxic oil per plant was 15 milligrams. Today, with CO2 levels near 420 ppm, it is a whopping 40.9 milligrams!
Poison Ivy is not the only allergy-causing plant that is affected by the changes in our climate. Do you suffer from hay fever (allergic rhinitis) — the congestion, runny nose, and itchy eyes caused by plant pollen? If so, you are not alone. In 1970, about 1 in 10 Americans suffered from hay fever. By 2000, the number had risen to 3 in 10. With today’s U.S. population at over 332,000,000, that means there are almost 100,000,000 hay fever sufferers in the country. Hay fever accounts for over 13,000,000 doctor’s visits a year in the U.S.
So, here is the bad news: hay fever season is getting worse. Due to warmer temperatures and a longer frost-free season, the pollen season is longer, starting about 20 days earlier in the spring, and lasting longer in the fall. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, between 1995 and 2011, pollen season lengthened by 11-27 days.
Another effect of warmer temperatures is that trees, grasses, and weeds are producing greater quantities of pollen, with trees seeing the greatest increase. One study of pollen records from 60 U.S. and Canadian cities from 1990-2018 found that allergy seasons now start 20 days earlier, last 10 days longer, and include 21 percent more pollen. Some evidence suggests that rising CO2 levels may be playing a role as well, causing the pollen itself to be more allergenic.
So, don’t touch the Poison Ivy, stock up on anti-histamines and tissues, and if the pollen is really getting to you, wearing a mask can help.
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Cynthia Burkhart is a concerned citizen, gardener, goat farmer and hay fever sufferer.
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