Appearing in The Register-Herald (Beckley, WV):
Tuesday August 6, 2019 GUEST COLUMN by Angie Rosser, executive
director of WV Rivers Coalition
The July 26 editorial in the Register-Herald, The Temerity to Address Climate Change, was a breath of fresh air. It is, indeed, time for political leaders at every level of government to follow Delegate Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, in acknowledging that the science of human-caused global warming and the resulting, unfolding climate crisis has long been settled.
Although scientific models vary on the pace of change,
there is no dispute that change is already underway. To call the fact of
rising Earth temperatures mythology, as did Delegate Marshall Wilson on
the House floor, is little different from saying the Earth is flat.
Most
legislators know it is ridiculous to agree with Mr. Wilson. Still, many
remain silent. Climate deniers have become partisan political stand-ins
who use words like “science” and “global warming” as fighting words to
win points with the industries that support them. We can almost imagine
them joking behind closed doors at the audacity to make such statements.
But this isn’t funny. This is no laughing matter.
Real laughter is the sound
of a young girl landing her first brook trout in the Williams River in
the West Virginia highlands, backed up in harmony by her granddad,
hooting, “Atta girl!”
Trout fishing is part of life in our state,
from growing up to growing old. Rising temperatures are already
impacting brook trout. This is due in part to their reliance on
coldwater streams, and in part to their inability to compete with the
non-native species that thrive in warmer waters. If we don’t stand up
and face facts with policies, West Virginians will be robbed of their
birthright. Our state fish, the brook trout, could disappear in a
generation.
Laughter is the sound of teenagers horsing around in
the Elk River, with their towels spread across the rocks along the bank.
Some states brag about shopping malls; we have rivers as our
playgrounds. Now, increasingly, those rivers are prone to more flooding
and have become a danger to downstream communities. The type of storms
predicted in the 1970s have become today’s reality. Storms are bigger,
sometimes bringing a month of rainfall in an hour. If we don’t enact
policies now to slow and halt global warming, future generations could
see rivers only in two stages: floods and dries.
Laughter is the sound of lovers of all ages reveling
in the romantic views of the hardwoods above the New River ablaze in
the colors of autumn. Yes, even love could change – not to mention our
leaf-peeping tourist economy. According to some models, pine and scrub
oaks will replace many of the eastern hardwoods common throughout West
Virginia. What kind of West Virginia would this be then?
We have
to get down to business at all levels of government. For local
government, this begins with simple steps like committing to cut energy
and fuel use. For our governor and legislature, let’s start by investing
in transitioning into our future economy. We just gave a power plant
$78,000 per job it purported to save (if for only a few years). Our
government could surely spend a similar amount of money to begin now to
help those workers transition to new employment when those jobs are
lost.
At
the federal level we need leadership to stand up and be counted, to
make sure West Virginia is not left behind as the economics of energy
production accelerate the country toward renewable sources.
Indeed,
it is time to get serious. Climate change is no laughing matter.
Earth’s rising temperatures are already impacting West Virginia. The
pace of change is picking up. Our political leaders must get real about
the science that puts West Virginia in a losing position. We must step
up now to have a fighting chance to beat this in a way that we all win,
before it’s too late.
Angie Rosser
is the executive director of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, a
statewide non-profit organization dedicated to conserving and restoring
West Virginia’s exceptional rivers and streams. www.wvrivers.org.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Robber barons are at the helm
Appearing in The Parkersburg News and Sentinel:
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Letter to the Editor by Ron Teska, Belleville, WV
Reading this article brought a quote by John Prine to mind i.e. “It makes no sense that common sense makes no sense no more.” For Jim Justice to state “Now, we’re finally starting to tell our story; that West Virginia is the perfect place to live and work in paradise” is an “in your face” misrepresentation of the current “paradise” that is West Virginia.
We have tolerated the southern half of the state being raped and pillaged by coal companies that have blown up entire mountains to the tune of well over a 1/4 mile road from New York to San Francisco with four men and a 22 story tall dragline, and have buried over 1,200 miles of headwaters with the overburden.
In the northern part of “paradise,” such as Marshall County, there has been a fracking gas boom that not only is destroying the streams, air quality and way of life that people have enjoyed for generations, but has also brought in the drug dealers due to workers from across the country working six to seven days a week — and ten to twelve hours a day — making thousands of dollars. This is an open invitation for drug dealers as energy corporations could care less about drugs and the community as greed and overworking employees for the sake of less company cost is their driving force.
And even though a corporation such as EQT puts a sign on the interstate that says “please do not litter/EQT,” that does not mean they give a rat’s you know what about the water, air, land, animals and way of life in the communities they “serve.” But don’t take my word for it, just visit Marshall County and Boone County and talk to the residents.
The problem is that Justice and his friend Donald Trump are merely symptoms of the main problem, which is the unfettered capitalism practiced by fossil fuel energy and other mining corporations in over 136 countries with military bases protecting this “American Interest.” Were common sense to be a motivating factor in decision making, instead of monetary gain by our representatives, we would be installing solar panel factories, wind generation plants, geothermal plants and maybe a technical school or two to teach high schoolers the inevitable practice of alternative energy that is stimulating youth across the globe.
Instead, we are ignoring a stable and conscientious job market that demonstrates to our children, grandchildren and those yet to be born that we not only care about them but that we are also fulfilling our responsibility as caretakers of the planet.
Allowing Jim Justice and Donald Trump to have their way will only cause our grandchildren to look at all us as “criminal ancestors.”
Ron Teska
Belleville
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Face of climate change
Appearing in The Parkersburg News and Sentinel:
September 8, 2019 Letters to the Editor by George Banziger
Sep 8, 2019
Hurricane Dorian strengthened over an ocean that is .5 to 1.0 degrees Celsius warmer than normal and nearly one foot higher than it was 100 years ago. Oceans are warmer, higher, and more acidic (the latter killing coral, the engine of marine life) than they were just 20 years ago. Warm air holds more moisture than cooler air and causes storms to intensify.
Climate change is real and human-caused. Climate change does not cause hurricanes but causes them to intensify. Dorian is the face of climate change and is grabbing us by the shoulders, shaking us, and urging us to pay attention and do something about it.
George Banziger
Marietta
Posted: December 30, 2019 by main_y0ke11
Climate action is necessary
Sep 1, 2019
As a resident of West Virginia and the Mid-Ohio Valley, I am greatly concerned about our planet’s life. I am disturbed that the president of Brazil does not seem to be concerned that the lungs of our world are burning. He will not accept help from other nations.
As a person who has COPD, I am greatly concerned about the air I am breathing. The current administration in Washington, D.C., has weakened if not eliminated regulations on fossil fuels.
The people in Charleston have given our tax money to support a coal-burning plant but will do nothing to assist homeowners and others to install renewable energy. The government in Ohio has offered to help the nuclear power plant.
I live near the dirtiest river in the country, the Ohio River. Again, the EPA has cut regulations concerning chemicals and coal ash that can be deposited into the drinking water of many in adjoining states.
This week when at the G7 meeting in France, the president did not go to the meeting concerning climate.
I would urge my representative and senators as well as all who border a major waterway to pass legislation that will address the issue of climate disaster. Some in Congress will say that we do not have the money to pass the Green New Deal.
How much money has been lost by people in the midwest with all the flooding? How many homes were lost in the fires in the west last year?
How much damage will be caused by the hurricanes this season?
Our own state of West Virginia has not fully recovered from a flood nearly two years ago. Places like Puerto Rico, Houston, TX and Paradise, CA and many others damaged by wind, rain, and fire have not been rebuilt.
We must become realistic and face the facts we, humans, have caused this crisis that will only get worse if we do not act.
I cringe to think about what this earth will be like for my former students, nieces, and nephews and their children.
Margaret Meeker
Williamstown
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
The problem with plastic
Aug 25, 2019
In his op-ed, which shared his thoughts about plastic, Greg Kozera concedes that our country and our world have a lot of problems, but use of plastics is not one of them. According to Mr. Kozera, this is because plastic has many practical applications and plastic waste can be collected and made into useful products. Mr. Kozera has either chosen to ignore the fact or is unaware that 99 percent of climate scientists agree that global warming is real and mostly caused by human use of fossil fuels. The manufacture and use of plastics is a large part of the problem.
According to a report issued in October 2018 by the International Energy Agency, the main driver of the petrochemical industry’s growing climate footprint will be plastics. Plastic chemicals absorb into the body, 96 percent of Americans 6 and older test positive for BPAs, an industrial chemical used since the 1960s to make certain plastics and resins. Because of this and the environmental damage they cause, plastic bottles and plastic shopping bags have been banned in many cities and countries across the globe. Bamboo and hemp are viable alternatives.
It is not surprising that the director of marketing and sales for shale gas companies would put corporate profits before people and the planet. He also implies that “anti-plastic folks” who are willing to use plastic cell phones, solar panels and other plastic products in their daily lives are against plastic being used in modern medical products and equipment. The reality is that most “antis” would argue that plastic, which is made from a finite product (fossil fuels), should be made only for use in critically important items and not as single-use plastic items such as water bottles, coffee cups, straws, cutlery and shopping bags. It is simple enough to replace these most offending plastic items in our daily lives without a lot of time and effort involved. Also it feels empowering to refuse plastic bags at the stores. There is already too much plastic out there. Collecting plastic waste would help clean the environment but let’s strive for less global warming by not polluting in the first place. Seek non plastic alternatives. Everyone should be as much a part of the solution as possible. Reducing and recycling are the strongest weapons against environmental damage. The planet and your health depend on it.
Giulia Mannarino
Belleville
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action to show documentary about ozone layer
Aug 15, 2019
From staff reports
editoral@newsandsentinel.com
PARKERSBURG — A local group dedicated to educating people about the environment and climate change will present the PBS documentary “Ozone Hole: How We Saved the Planet” at 7 p.m. today at First Christian Church, 1400 Washington Ave.
The documentary will be presented during the regular Third Thursday meeting of Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action. An open discussion session will follow.
Third Thursday programs are open to the public and free of charge.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The international treaty protects the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion.
“I think we can learn something about working together to avert a potentially catastrophic planetary environmental issue and apply those lessons to the climate crisis we are facing now,” said Dennis Kennedy of Climate Action and a PBS member. “In the 1980s, the planet was in grave danger, not from global warming but from a giant hole in the ozone layer, an atmospheric layer that absorbs most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet light.”
According to the documentary, scientists have determined the cause was seemingly benign CFCs, industrial chemicals used in every-day products from hairspray to deodorant. Ozone filters ultraviolet radiation and its depletion threatens agriculture and ecosystems.
Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action is affiliated with 350.org and Citizens’ Climate Lobby and is a Science Booster Club for the National Center for Science Education. The not-for-profit volunteer group also collaborates with other environmental groups on campaigns and events in the Mid-Ohio Valley.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Planning for a diverse economy is not anti-coal
First appearing in The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Aug 4, 2019
Emmett Pepper
(Last) Tuesday, the legislature ended business and occupation (B&O) taxes for the Pleasants Power Station in Willow Island. Much of the discussion of the bill revolved around the impact of the tax cut ($12.5 million annually), how many jobs are located there (160), and whether other merchant power plants in the state pay B&O taxes (currently, none others do). But there were two delegates — Del. Bill Anderson (R, Wood) and Del. Evan Hansen (D, Monongalia) — who spoke about a much more interesting and important issue: ensuring a just economic transition in West Virginia.
My interest in Pleasants began a few years ago when the plant’s owner, Ohio-based FirstEnergy, filed an application with the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC) to require Mon Power and Potomac Edison ratepayers to pay for operation costs of the plant. Up to that point, Pleasants had to compete on the open market, but market analysis showed it was not economical long-term. I was an attorney for two community groups that sought to protect ratepayers from this costly proposal. Our expert estimated that this plant would lose a total of $470 million over the next fifteen years. The PSC required FirstEnergy to bear the market risks of the Pleasants’ future loses, so FirstEnergy withdrew its request. For that reason, I do not expect the $12.5 million tax break will make the plant profitable, but hopefully the tax cut will give Pleasants County more time to plan for the plant’s seemingly inevitable eventual closure due to free market forces.
Possible plant closures relate directly to the speeches that caught my ear on Monday. Longtime Republican Delegate Bill Anderson not only spoke strongly in favor of the tax break, but also about the importance of planning for the future of this state. He said he believed the legislature had a responsibility to better understand energy market forces and “manage it in such a way that, as the transition occurs in the future — and economic forces are going to drive this transition whether we like it or not — we can move to mitigate the trauma upon the citizens of this state.” Freshman Democratic Delegate Evan Hansen similarly spoke of a “just transition.” He said that, while it is difficult to talk about, we need to think about ways to diversify the economy so we are not as dependent on a few industries, as coal continues to decline in prominence relative to other energy sources.
Diversifying our economy is not anti-coal. It is not anti-anything. It merely means that we as a state should be saying “yes” to more small business economic development and should give more opportunities in a wider array of sectors. What happens to the coal industry depends on factors that are far beyond the control of even the state government. But the state government does have the opportunity to make small, simple changes to help catch us up to other states in small business growth.
I’m familiar with the energy efficiency industry. Our state regulatory environment is ranked 49th in the nation for being energy efficient. For example, very few governmental entities monitor or reduce their energy use, which would save taxpayers money, and our utilities’ energy efficiency programs are lagging or nonexistent. Creating jobs through improving our building stock (paid for through savings on utility bills) makes our homes and businesses more comfortable, more affordable, and safer. There are, I’m sure, many other examples of businesses that could grow here with a few tweaks by state and local governments.
I am hopeful that forward-thinking legislators like Bill Anderson and Evan Hansen will inspire others in government to work together to catch up with our neighbors in economic diversification. We shouldn’t wait until a coal plant or mine closes to create jobs in our communities — we need to start making them now.
***
Emmett Pepper is executive director of Energy Efficient WV, in Charleston.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Climate change no laughing matter
Appearing in The Register-Herald (Beckley, WV):
Tuesday August 6, 2019 GUEST COLUMN by Angie Rosser, executive director of WV Rivers Coalition
The July 26 editorial in the Register-Herald, The Temerity to Address Climate Change, was a breath of fresh air. It is, indeed, time for political leaders at every level of government to follow Delegate Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, in acknowledging that the science of human-caused global warming and the resulting, unfolding climate crisis has long been settled.
Although scientific models vary on the pace of change, there is no dispute that change is already underway. To call the fact of rising Earth temperatures mythology, as did Delegate Marshall Wilson on the House floor, is little different from saying the Earth is flat.
Most legislators know it is ridiculous to agree with Mr. Wilson. Still, many remain silent. Climate deniers have become partisan political stand-ins who use words like “science” and “global warming” as fighting words to win points with the industries that support them. We can almost imagine them joking behind closed doors at the audacity to make such statements. But this isn’t funny. This is no laughing matter.
Real laughter is the sound of a young girl landing her first brook trout in the Williams River in the West Virginia highlands, backed up in harmony by her granddad, hooting, “Atta girl!”
Trout fishing is part of life in our state, from growing up to growing old. Rising temperatures are already impacting brook trout. This is due in part to their reliance on coldwater streams, and in part to their inability to compete with the non-native species that thrive in warmer waters. If we don’t stand up and face facts with policies, West Virginians will be robbed of their birthright. Our state fish, the brook trout, could disappear in a generation.
Laughter is the sound of teenagers horsing around in the Elk River, with their towels spread across the rocks along the bank. Some states brag about shopping malls; we have rivers as our playgrounds. Now, increasingly, those rivers are prone to more flooding and have become a danger to downstream communities. The type of storms predicted in the 1970s have become today’s reality. Storms are bigger, sometimes bringing a month of rainfall in an hour. If we don’t enact policies now to slow and halt global warming, future generations could see rivers only in two stages: floods and dries.
Laughter is the sound of lovers of all ages reveling in the romantic views of the hardwoods above the New River ablaze in the colors of autumn. Yes, even love could change – not to mention our leaf-peeping tourist economy. According to some models, pine and scrub oaks will replace many of the eastern hardwoods common throughout West Virginia. What kind of West Virginia would this be then?
We have to get down to business at all levels of government. For local government, this begins with simple steps like committing to cut energy and fuel use. For our governor and legislature, let’s start by investing in transitioning into our future economy. We just gave a power plant $78,000 per job it purported to save (if for only a few years). Our government could surely spend a similar amount of money to begin now to help those workers transition to new employment when those jobs are lost.
At the federal level we need leadership to stand up and be counted, to make sure West Virginia is not left behind as the economics of energy production accelerate the country toward renewable sources.
Indeed, it is time to get serious. Climate change is no laughing matter. Earth’s rising temperatures are already impacting West Virginia. The pace of change is picking up. Our political leaders must get real about the science that puts West Virginia in a losing position. We must step up now to have a fighting chance to beat this in a way that we all win, before it’s too late.
Angie Rosser is the executive director of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to conserving and restoring West Virginia’s exceptional rivers and streams. www.wvrivers.org.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
An ‘all-of-the-above’ approach to energy policy
Jul 27, 2019
By David E. Ballantyne
I have, in the recent past, heard many people express the phrase; “I believe in an all of the above approach to energy policy.” It is mostly those persons who self-identify as Conservatives who use this phrase. I fall into that group. I support the phase. It is catchy and somehow “all-American.” How could anyone NOT support such a democratic and capitalist view?
However, I think it important to “unpack” this phrase and define terms as it applies to energy and energy public policy. “All-of-the-Above” implies all of the various commercial, exchangeable forms of energy; coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric, solar and wind. These compete in the marketplace. Your light bulb shines just as bright regardless of which of these “sent the electrons your way.” Consumers evaluate energy primarily on price and reliability; but, they rarely know where the energy truly comes from.
On the other hand, when added all together (transportation, residential heating/cooling, industrial, and all other), energy is a substantial cost to the consumer. However, with the advent of global climate change, there are big differences in the environmental impact among these sources of energy. This difference in climate impact is only recently being understood — related to climate change emissions. Nuclear, hydroelectric, solar and wind have no climate impact, while coal, oil and natural gas have substantial climate impact. Do we care?
Large and growing segments of the population do care where their energy comes from, including Conservatives. So, how does public policy offer the principles of free enterprise, free & fair trade, let the market decide, don’t pick winners and losers, each paying their fair share, no barriers to trade plus no inappropriate incentives and subsidies, avoiding plus paying for the damage they are doing to the environment? This is a difficult challenge. What is the role of government in public policy to assure the preceding benefits of orderly markets — globally?
A growing majority of Americans plus countries globally are encouraging adoption of “carbon pricing.” The principal cause of global climate change is CO2 in the atmosphere. Economists plus climate scientists agree that carbon pricing allows us all to “vote our pocketbook.” CO2 is impartial. Once it reaches the atmosphere it doesn’t care where it comes from. Do you care? If you care, don’t buy it. If you don’t care or can’t avoid it, go ahead. History and experience indicates that carbon pricing, together with rebate/dividend of the revenue to all citizens is the most effective way to encourage innovation, substitution, avoidance and overall reduction in CO2 emissions — globally.
Economists forecast that two-thirds of the US population will receive more in dividend of their share in the carbon fees paid than they will pay in higher carbon prices. There are bills pending in the US congress for various forms of a climate change solution. Most of these include carbon pricing and dividend. We strongly need a climate solution. It�s time for bipartisan bargaining.
David E. Ballantyne is a member of Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action and co-leader of the Marietta Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action sets Earth Day events
Apr 18, 2019
From staff reports
editoral@newsandsentinel.com
PARKERSBURG — Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action has announced plans for Earth Day events.
Activities include the presentation of the National Geographic documentary, “Paris to Pittsburgh,” 7 p.m. today in the fellowship hall of the First Christian Church, 1400 Washington Ave.
Climate Action will have a display at the Marietta Earth Day Celebration 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at Armory Square.
On National Earth Day, Climate Action will have a table at Earth Day on Monday at West Virginia University-Parkersburg where it also will sponsor a 1 p.m. showing of “The Sequel: What Will Follow Our Troubled Civilization?”, a film looking at economist David Fleming’s answers to creating a resilient, thriving world.
Climate Action’s Third Thursday programs are open to the public and free of charge.
Last Updated: April 29, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Wake up to the reality of climate change
Apr 17, 2019
As we approach Earth Day on April 22, I am thinking about the first Earth Day as a teach-in by Sen. Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin to draw attention to what was happening to our earth after a huge oil spill in Santa Barbara, Calif. in 1969; the burning of the Cuyahoga River; the smog in our large cities, etc. On Dec. 2, 1970, the Nixon administration signed into law a newly formed agency of the federal government, which was to improve water treatment plants, set standards for vehicle emissions, reduce automobile pollution, seek regulations concerning the dumping of wastes into the Great Lakes, clean up the foul air and water, etc.
Well, 49 years later and many more oil spills, contaminated water in Flint, Mich., and West Virginia as well as many other states — we are going backward especially since Jan. 20, 2017. With the more intense storms, droughts, fires, you would think people would begin to put two and two together that the climate is changing.
Why won’t people accept the findings of scientists? Why won’t Catholic Christians especially in this area listen to the Pope, who is a scientist and representative of the founder of the Catholic Church? In 2015 Pope Francis invited all to “care for our common home” in his encyclical, “Laudato Si.” When the current president visited the Pope, he was presented with a copy of the encyclical.
Sadly, it was not read by the president and he withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. The Environmental Protection Agency, under this administration, is rolling back regulations on air and water quality, as we have seen devastating hurricanes hitting the east coast, Puerto Rico, Florida, Alabama, and now the widespread flooding in the breadbasket of our country.
Many of our senators and representatives applaud the rollback so fossil fuel companies can make more money.
People wake up. Scientists say we have 12 years to make a difference. People make fun of the Green New Deal Proposal. In what kind of world do you want your children and grandchildren to exist?
The United Nations’ weather agency says extreme weather last year hit 62 million people worldwide and forced two million people to relocate as man-made climate change worsened.
The theme of Earth Day 2019, which is Protect our Species, “grew out of the recognition that human activities (climate change, deforestation, habitat loss, trafficking and poaching, unsustainable agriculture, pollution, and pesticides) are the leading causes of what Elizabeth Kolbert calls the Sixth Extinction, which may well be our own.”
Margaret Meeker
Williamstown
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