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Protecting Our Environment ~ Locally & Globally
by Duane Nichols 04 Feb '21

04 Feb '21

NOTE the important briefing at 3:00 PM today ....... Duane > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ACTION ALERT > PUBLIC NOTICE: Legislative Response to WVDEP Oil and Gas Budget/Layoffs > > PUBLIC BRIEFING ON LAYOFFS AT WV DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SET FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4th AT 3:00 PM VIA ZOOM > Online via Zoom Conference > > In summer 2020, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) Office of Oil and Gas cut its staff from 40 to 25 positions due to recurring budget shortfalls. As a result, there is now only one inspector per every 5000 gas wells. Currently, the Office is funded solely through one-time fees on new permit applications. This funding structure is not only inconsistent with other WVDEP Offices, it is also insufficient for sustaining the office's responsibility for monitoring and regulating all actions related to the exploration, drilling, storage and production of oil and natural gas. > > We urge the West Virginia Legislature to immediately act on this issue. > > FULL INFORMATION HERE > > > > > > GREENBRIER.ORG > > > > > > > IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER > AVAILABILITY OF MONITORING DATA FOR UNREGULATED CONTAMINANTS FOR LEWISBURG, WV > > Our water system has sampled for a series of unregulated contaminants. Unregulated contaminants are those that do not yet have a drinking water standard set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The purpose of monitoring for these contaminants is to help EPA decide whether the contaminants should have a standard. As our customers, you have a right to know that this data is available. > > If you are interested in examining the results, > please contact Randy Johnson or Charlie Cooper at > (304)647-5585 > > You may also mail your request to: > LEWISBURG WATER PLANT > 2539 Stonehouse Rd > LEWISBURG, WV 24901 > > or email your request to: WaterPlant(a)Lewisburg-wv.com. > > Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received the notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). > > This Notice is being sent to you by LEWISBURG Water Plant > State Water System ID# WV3301307 January 21, 2020 > > > > > > Governor Justice Names New WV DEP Secretary > > Justice has appointed Harold Ward to take over leadership of the DEP effective January 18, 2021. Ward has served as the DEP's deputy secretary of operations and director of the Division of Mining and Reclamation, where he oversaw all operational components of the department in addition to the agency's mining regulatory program. "Harold Ward has been a superstar in the WVDEP for a long time and the work he's done during my administration, leading our Division of Mining and Reclamation, has been truly incredible," Justice said "I have all the confidence in the world that he will do a fantastic job." > > > > > > > > Reintroduction of the Roadless Area Conservation Act > > > > (West Virginians for Public Lands. February 2, 2021) Efforts are underway to codify a Forest Service rule that prohibits road construction for logging and mining in designated backcountry areas. > > Known as the "Roadless Rule," The Roadless Area Conservation Rule was first implemented by the Forest Service in 2001. Here in West Virginia, the Roadless Rule is important to the integrity of about 182,000 roadless acres throughout our three National Forests (Monongahela, Jefferson, and Washington). > > Codification of the Roadless Rule is a priority for public lands advocates due to its vulnerability. Last year, the Trump administration exempted the Tongass National Forest in Alaska from the Roadless Rule, which opened 9 million acres to extractive industries and logging, including 168,000 old growth acres. > > Learn more about the Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2021 which would make the Roadless Rule law. > > > > > > > * Earth Day ~ April 22 ~ Save the Date * > > > President Biden signs Executive Order > on January 27, 2021. The order reaffirms that the President will host a Leaders' Climate Summit on Earth Day, April 22, 2021 > > President Biden Takes Executive Actions to Tackle the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, Create Jobs, and Restore Scientific Integrity Across Federal Government > > The order sets a goal of protecting 30% of the nation's lands and waters by 2030. These conservation measures are identified as critical to slowing the effects of climate change. > Land conservation helps to mitigate climate change by storing and removing carbon through a process known as "carbon sequestration." The more carbon that is stored and removed through natural processes, the less carbon dioxide will reach the atmosphere. This is considered a "natural solution" to climate change. Academic literature suggests natural solutions can provide over one-third of cost-effective climate change mitigation needed by 2030. The concept of protecting 30% of land and water by 2030 isn't a new idea, President Biden's executive order is based on the 30x30 Campaign for Nature, which is championed by the President's Department of the Interior Secretary nominee, > Congresswoman Deb Haaland (D-NM) > > > > > > FERC weighs tightening rules on pipeline eminent domain > February 1, 2021 > > The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is eyeing stricter rules to empower property owners affected by natural gas pipelines or export projects. The five-member panel, now led by President Biden's pick of Democratic Chairman Richard Glick, issued anorderlast week seeking input on potential changes to its eminent domain proceedings, among other topics."Glick is reopening the door for landowner rights," said Paul Patterson, a utility analyst with Glenrock Associates LLC. "You don't have to be a tremendous student to know he is not happy with the way FERC has been approaching gas pipelines."Republican Commissioner James Danly, who served as chair under former President Trump, issued a sharply worded dissent challenging the move on procedural grounds. > > FULL STORY HERE > > > > > If you appreciate the work we are doing, please consider a donation today. > > > > > > > > Contract Position Open > > The Greenbrier River Watershed Association is going to contract with a new coordinator. If you are interested in working about ten hours a week on projects with a goal of educating the public about our issues, please let us know and we will forward you the job description. > > Email leslee(a)mtnwaters.com > > > > > WV Flood Tool > http://www.mapwv.gov/flood/ > LINK TO STATEWIDE STREAM GAUGES > https://www.facebook.com/100005485393020/posts/962748470584657/ > > > > > > Greenbrier River Watershed Association, PO Box 1419, Lewisburg, WV 24901 > > > >

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Living with natural gas pipelines: Appalachian landowners describe fear, anxiety and loss - The Edwardsville Intelligencer, Illinois
by Duane Nichols 03 Feb '21

03 Feb '21

https://www.theintelligencer.com/news/article/Living-with-natural-gas-pipel… Living with natural gas pipelines: Appalachian landowners describe fear, anxiety and loss Erin Brock Carlson, West Virginia University and Martina Angela Caretta, Lund University, Edwardsville Intelligencer, February 3, 2021 More than 2 million miles of natural gas pipelines run throughout the United States. In Appalachia, they spread like spaghetti across the region. Many of these lines were built in just the past five years to carry natural gas from the Marcellus Shale region of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, where hydraulic fracturing has boomed. West Virginia alone has seen a fourfold increase in natural gas production in the past decade. Such fast growth has also brought hundreds of safety and environmental violations, particularly under the Trump administration’s reduced oversight and streamlined approvals for pipeline projects. While energy companies promise economic benefits for depressed regions, pipeline projects are upending the lives of people in their paths. As a technical and professional communication scholar focused on how rural communities deal with complex problems and a geography scholar specializing in human-environment interactions, we teamed up to study the effects of pipeline development in rural Appalachia. In 2020, we surveyed and talked with dozens of people living close to pipelines in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. What we found illuminates the stress and uncertainty that communities experience when natural gas pipelines change their landscape. Residents live with the fear of disasters, the noise of construction and the anxiety of having no control over their own land. ‘None of this is fair’ Appalachians are no strangers to environmental risk. The region has a long and complicated history with extractive industries, including coal and hydraulic fracturing. However, it’s rare to hear firsthand accounts of the long-term effects of industrial infrastructure development in rural communities, especially when it comes to pipelines, since they are the result of more recent energy-sector growth. For all of the people we talked to, the process of pipeline development was drawn out and often confusing. Some reported never hearing about a planned pipeline until a “land man” – a gas company representative – knocked on their door offering to buy a slice of their property; others said that they found out through newspaper articles or posts on social media. Every person we spoke with agreed that the burden ultimately fell on them to find out what was happening in their communities. One woman in West Virginia said that after finding out about plans for a pipeline feeding a petrochemical complex several miles from her home, she started doing her own research. “I thought to myself, how did this happen? We didn’t know anything about it,” she said. “It’s not fair. None of this is fair. … We are stuck with a polluting company.” ‘Lawyers ate us up’ If residents do not want pipelines on their land, they can pursue legal action against the energy company rather than taking a settlement. However, this can result in the use of eminent domain. Eminent domain is a right given by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to companies to access privately held property if the project is considered important for public need. Compensation is decided by the courts, based on assessed land value, not taking into consideration the intangibles tied to the loss of the land surrounding one’s home, such as loss of future income. Through this process, residents can be forced to accept a sum that doesn’t take into consideration all effects of pipeline construction on their land, such as the damage heavy equipment will do to surrounding land and access roads. One man we spoke with has lived on his family’s land for decades. In 2018, a company representative approached him for permission to install a new pipeline parallel to one that had been in place since 1962, far away from his house. However, crews ran into problems with the steep terrain and wanted to install it much closer to his home. Unhappy with the new placement, and seeing erosion from pipeline construction on the ridge behind his house causing washouts, he hired a lawyer. After several months of back and forth with the company, he said, “They gave me a choice: Either sign the contract or do the eminent domain. And my lawyer advised me that I didn’t want to do eminent domain.” There was a unanimous sense among the 31 people we interviewed that companies have seemingly endless financial and legal resources, making court battles virtually unwinnable. Nondisclosure agreements can effectively silence landowners. Furthermore, lawyers licensed to work in West Virginia who aren’t already working for gas companies can be difficult to find, and legal fees can become too much for residents to pay. One woman, the primary caretaker of land her family has farmed for 80 years, found herself facing significant legal fees after a dispute with a gas company. “We were the first and last ones to fight them, and then people saw what was going to happen to them, and they just didn’t have – it cost us money to get lawyers. Lawyers ate us up,” she said. The pipeline now runs through what were once hayfields. “We haven’t had any income off that hay since they took it out in 2016,” she said. “It’s nothing but a weed patch.” ‘I mean, who do you call?’ Twenty-six of the 45 survey respondents reported that they felt that their property value had decreased as a result of pipeline construction, citing the risks of water contamination, explosion and unusable land. Many of the 31 people we interviewed were worried about the same sort of long-term concerns, as well as gas leaks and air pollution. Hydraulic fracturing and other natural gas processes can affect drinking water resources, especially if there are spills or improper storage procedures. Additionally, methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and volatile organic compounds, which can pose health risks, are byproducts of the natural gas supply chain. “Forty years removed from this, are they going to be able to keep track and keep up with infrastructure? I mean, I can smell gas as I sit here now,” one man told us. His family had watched the natural gas industry move into their part of West Virginia in the mid-2010s. In addition to a 36-inch pipe on his property, there are several smaller wells and lines. “This year the company servicing the smaller lines has had nine leaks … that’s what really concerns me,” he said. The top concern mentioned by survey respondents was explosions. According to data from 2010 to 2018, a pipeline explosion occurred, on average, every 11 days in the U.S. While major pipeline explosions are relatively rare, when they do occur, they can be devastating. In 2012, a 20-inch transmission line exploded in Sissonville, West Virginia, damaging five homes and leaving four lanes of Interstate 77 looking “like a tar pit.” Amplifying these fears is the lack of consistent communication from corporations to residents living along pipelines. Approximately half the people we interviewed reported that they did not have a company contact to call directly in case of a pipeline emergency, such as a spill, leak or explosion. “I mean, who do you call?” one woman asked. ‘We just keep doing the same thing’ Several people interviewed described a fatalistic attitude toward energy development in their communities. Energy analysts expect gas production to increase this year after a slowdown in 2020. Pipeline companies expect to keep building. And while the Biden administration is likely to restore some regulations, the president has said he would notban fracking. “It’s just kind of sad because they think, once again, this will be West Virginia’s salvation,” one landowner said. “Harvesting the timber was, then digging the coal was our salvation. … And then here’s the third one. We just keep doing the same thing.” Note. This Article was originally in The Conversation. Edwardsville is in Illinois and Lund University is in Sweden. https://theconversation.com/living-with-natural-gas-pipelines-appalachian-l…

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Re: QUESTION — Shall we join this protest? DivestMVP Campaign
by Duane Nichols 03 Feb '21

03 Feb '21

REPLY — Most serious utility plans for the future involve electricity via (a) conservation (demand reduction), (b) improved efficiency of operation including distributed generation (widely spaced sources), (c) wind turbines (mountain ridges and coastal off-shore locations) and (d) solar panels (small locals) & solar farms. Dominion Energy and others have already cancelled some proposed natural gas fired power stations in Virginia and continuing to phase out coal-fired plants. (The proposed Longview gas-fired plant is still active here, seeking financial backing. And, Pennsylvania and Ohio have a number of new gas-fired plants. These are more efficient and cleaner than coal plants, but will still be under pressure to limit GHG.) If the MVP can be stopped, it’s not likely that this will result in a slowdown in the rate of reduction of GHG in the eastern US, but the opposite. Duane Nichols, MVCAC > On Feb 3, 2021, at 4:37 PM, timothy nelms <timothynelms(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > > I ask the question.... > maybe the answer is not known .....Will DivestMVP Campaign lead to a higher reliance on energy produced by higher carbon contributing oil and coal sources ? As far as I know natural gas scores better than those in our high priority goal to reduce emission of carbon. Thanks. > > From wild wonderful WV,with a smile..... > > > Tim > > On 3 Feb 2021, at 16:12, Barbara Howe <bhowe(a)wvu.edu> wrote: > >> It is fine with me to join. >> >> Barb >> >> From: paula_lists(a)paulahunt.com <paula_lists(a)paulahunt.com> >> Sent: Wednesday, February 3, 2021 4:05 PM >> To: 'Duane Nichols' <duane330(a)aol.com>; MVCAC(a)osenergy.org <MVCAC(a)osenergy.org> >> Cc: 'James Kotcon' <jkotcon(a)gmail.com>; troutguy13(a)gmail.com <troutguy13(a)gmail.com>; cobando(a)gmail.com <cobando(a)gmail.com>; jr(a)lwvwv.org <jr(a)lwvwv.org>; janregernash(a)gmail.com <janregernash(a)gmail.com>; Michael Mccawley <mamccawley(a)hsc.wvu.edu>; Barbara Howe <bhowe(a)wvu.edu>; 'Sue Miles' <milesnichols(a)aol.com>; bjaegerart(a)gmail.com <bjaegerart(a)gmail.com>; timothynelms(a)hotmail.com <timothynelms(a)hotmail.com>; stombond(a)lhfwv.com <stombond(a)lhfwv.com>; djgooding00(a)gmail.com <djgooding00(a)gmail.com>; 'John Cobb' <jcobbjr369(a)gmail.com> >> Subject: RE: QUESTION — Shall we join this protest? DivestMVP Campaign >> >> Hi MVCAC ers, >> >> I am in favor of the Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition (MVCAC) joining the Divest MVP Coalition. >> >> Paula Hunt >> >> From: Duane Nichols <duane330(a)aol.com> >> Sent: Wednesday, February 3, 2021 1:55 PM >> To: MVCAC(a)osenergy.org >> Cc: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)gmail.com>; troutguy13(a)gmail.com; cobando(a)gmail.com; jr(a)lwvwv.org; Paula Hunt <pjhunt(a)paulahunt.com>; janregernash(a)gmail.com; Michael McCawley <mamccawley(a)hsc.wvu.edu>; Barbara Howe <bhowe(a)wvu.edu>; Sue Miles <milesnichols(a)aol.com>; bjaegerart(a)gmail.com; timothynelms(a)hotmail.com; stombond(a)lhfwv.com; djgooding00(a)gmail.com; John Cobb <jcobbjr369(a)gmail.com> >> Subject: QUESTION — Shall we join this protest? DivestMVP Campaign >> >> To the Friends of our Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition (MVCAC) .... >> >> It is herewith proposed that we join DivestMVP so as to limit Greenhouse Gases >> and the impacts of Climate Change. Let me know if you have any reservations, questions or comments. Such can be held confidentially, if appropriate. >> >> Duane Nichols, MVCAC >> >> From: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)gmail.com> >> Date: February 3, 2021 at 11:30:22 AM EST >> Subject: DivestMVP Campaign >> >> Hello, >> I hope you are well. I’m reaching out to ask if your organization can join the DivestMVP Coalition that’s calling on the 10 major banks funding the fracked gas Mountain Valley Pipeline to stop funding the MVP. >> >> >> If you have been following the story, the Mountain Valley Pipeline is facing numerous hurdles, but still claims to be in service next year. We want to convince their major funders that MVP is a bad investment idea. >> >> So far, the DivestMVP coalition has made significant progress in educating the banking and investing community about the threat MVP poses to our communities, waters, lands and climate as well as the losing economics of this project that’s $3 Billion over budget and 3 years behind schedule. We currently have the support of nearly 100 investors representing $233 Billion of assets under management who are joining us in demanding banks stop funding the MVP. Already, hundreds of activists have sent letters to banks telling them to DivestMVP. >> >> Now we’re reaching out to our friends and allies like you to ask for your support by becoming a member of the DivestMVP Coalition via this google form, if possible by February 18. In particular, please indicate the number of members and supporters for your organization. >> >> >> Coalition members: >> - Will be listed as a member of the DivestMVP coalition on public facing materials such as, but not limited to, press releases, websites, and letters to banks and investors. >> -Will receive a community toolkit with guidance and materials for social and traditional media, a personal divestment guide and much more! >> -Commit to share with your members/supporters opportunities to speak out to banks such as action alerts, event invites. >> -Will be added to a list-serve to receive and share campaign updates, resources and successes! >> >> If you’re not quite ready to join the coalition, that’s OK! Register for free to join us on February 25 for a Virtual Rally to learn more about the coalition’s efforts and ways to get involved or reach out to Joan.Walker(a)sierraclub.org to get your questions answered. >> >> Thank you! Jim Kotcon, Conservation Chair, WV Chapter of Sierra Club >> >> >>>>>.....>>>>>.....>>>>>.....>>>>>.....>>>>> >> >> See also: Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) Fails to Gain Latest FERC Approval — >> >> >> http://www.frackcheckwv.net/2021/01/22/mountain-valley-pipeline-mvp-fails-t… >> >> >> >> >> >>

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Re: QUESTION — Shall we join this protest? DivestMVP Campaign
by Barbara Howe 03 Feb '21

03 Feb '21

It is fine with me to join. Barb ________________________________ From: paula_lists(a)paulahunt.com <paula_lists(a)paulahunt.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 3, 2021 4:05 PM To: 'Duane Nichols' <duane330(a)aol.com>; MVCAC(a)osenergy.org <MVCAC(a)osenergy.org> Cc: 'James Kotcon' <jkotcon(a)gmail.com>; troutguy13(a)gmail.com <troutguy13(a)gmail.com>; cobando(a)gmail.com <cobando(a)gmail.com>; jr(a)lwvwv.org <jr(a)lwvwv.org>; janregernash(a)gmail.com <janregernash(a)gmail.com>; Michael Mccawley <mamccawley(a)hsc.wvu.edu>; Barbara Howe <bhowe(a)wvu.edu>; 'Sue Miles' <milesnichols(a)aol.com>; bjaegerart(a)gmail.com <bjaegerart(a)gmail.com>; timothynelms(a)hotmail.com <timothynelms(a)hotmail.com>; stombond(a)lhfwv.com <stombond(a)lhfwv.com>; djgooding00(a)gmail.com <djgooding00(a)gmail.com>; 'John Cobb' <jcobbjr369(a)gmail.com> Subject: RE: QUESTION — Shall we join this protest? DivestMVP Campaign Hi MVCAC ers, I am in favor of the Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition (MVCAC) joining the Divest MVP Coalition. * Paula Hunt From: Duane Nichols <duane330(a)aol.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 3, 2021 1:55 PM To: MVCAC(a)osenergy.org Cc: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)gmail.com>; troutguy13(a)gmail.com; cobando(a)gmail.com; jr(a)lwvwv.org; Paula Hunt <pjhunt(a)paulahunt.com>; janregernash(a)gmail.com; Michael McCawley <mamccawley(a)hsc.wvu.edu>; Barbara Howe <bhowe(a)wvu.edu>; Sue Miles <milesnichols(a)aol.com>; bjaegerart(a)gmail.com; timothynelms(a)hotmail.com; stombond(a)lhfwv.com; djgooding00(a)gmail.com; John Cobb <jcobbjr369(a)gmail.com> Subject: QUESTION — Shall we join this protest? DivestMVP Campaign To the Friends of our Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition (MVCAC) .... It is herewith proposed that we join DivestMVP so as to limit Greenhouse Gases and the impacts of Climate Change. Let me know if you have any reservations, questions or comments. Such can be held confidentially, if appropriate. Duane Nichols, MVCAC From: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)gmail.com<mailto:jkotcon@gmail.com>> Date: February 3, 2021 at 11:30:22 AM EST Subject: DivestMVP Campaign Hello, I hope you are well. I’m reaching out to ask if your organization can join the DivestMVP Coalition that’s calling on the 10 major banks funding the fracked gas Mountain Valley Pipeline to stop funding the MVP. If you have been following the story, the Mountain Valley Pipeline is facing numerous hurdles, but still claims to be in service next year. We want to convince their major funders that MVP is a bad investment idea. So far, the DivestMVP coalition has made significant progress in educating the banking and investing community about the threat MVP poses to our communities, waters, lands and climate as well as the losing economics of this project that’s $3 Billion over budget and 3 years behind schedule. We currently have the support of nearly 100 investors representing $233 Billion of assets under management who are joining us in demanding banks stop funding the MVP. Already, hundreds of activists have sent letters to banks telling them to DivestMVP. Now we’re reaching out to our friends and allies like you to ask for your support by becoming a member of the DivestMVP Coalition via this google form<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFsNWYfc_seOEsYwRBmVtBgaL-MCiy1z9…>, if possible by February 18. In particular, please indicate the number of members and supporters for your organization. Coalition members: - Will be listed as a member of the DivestMVP coalition on public facing materials such as, but not limited to, press releases, websites, and letters to banks and investors. -Will receive a community toolkit with guidance and materials for social and traditional media, a personal divestment guide and much more! -Commit to share with your members/supporters opportunities to speak out to banks such as action alerts, event invites. -Will be added to a list-serve to receive and share campaign updates, resources and successes! If you’re not quite ready to join the coalition, that’s OK! Register for free<http://rb.gy/jq8vmv> to join us on February 25 for a Virtual Rally to learn more about the coalition’s efforts and ways to get involved or reach out to Joan.Walker(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:Joan.Walker@sierraclub.org> to get your questions answered. Thank you! Jim Kotcon, Conservation Chair, WV Chapter of Sierra Club >>>>>.....>>>>>.....>>>>>.....>>>>>.....>>>>> See also: Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) Fails to Gain Latest FERC Approval — http://www.frackcheckwv.net/2021/01/22/mountain-valley-pipeline-mvp-fails-t…

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QUESTION — Shall we join this protest? DivestMVP Campaign
by Duane Nichols 03 Feb '21

03 Feb '21

To the Friends of our Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition (MVCAC) .... It is herewith proposed that we join DivestMVP so as to limit Greenhouse Gases and the impacts of Climate Change. Let me know if you have any reservations, questions or comments. Such can be held confidentially, if appropriate. Duane Nichols, MVCAC > From: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)gmail.com> > Date: February 3, 2021 at 11:30:22 AM EST > Subject: DivestMVP Campaign > > Hello, > I hope you are well. I’m reaching out to ask if your organization can join the DivestMVP Coalition that’s calling on the 10 major banks funding the fracked gas Mountain Valley Pipeline to stop funding the MVP. > > If you have been following the story, the Mountain Valley Pipeline is facing numerous hurdles, but still claims to be in service next year. We want to convince their major funders that MVP is a bad investment idea. > > So far, the DivestMVP coalition has made significant progress in educating the banking and investing community about the threat MVP poses to our communities, waters, lands and climate as well as the losing economics of this project that’s $3 Billion over budget and 3 years behind schedule. We currently have the support of nearly 100 investors representing $233 Billion of assets under management who are joining us in demanding banks stop funding the MVP. Already, hundreds of activists have sent letters to banks telling them to DivestMVP. > > Now we’re reaching out to our friends and allies like you to ask for your support by becoming a member of the DivestMVP Coalition via this google form, if possible by February 18. In particular, please indicate the number of members and supporters for your organization. > > Coalition members: > - Will be listed as a member of the DivestMVP coalition on public facing materials such as, but not limited to, press releases, websites, and letters to banks and investors. > -Will receive a community toolkit with guidance and materials for social and traditional media, a personal divestment guide and much more! > -Commit to share with your members/supporters opportunities to speak out to banks such as action alerts, event invites. > -Will be added to a list-serve to receive and share campaign updates, resources and successes! > > If you’re not quite ready to join the coalition, that’s OK! Register for free to join us on February 25 for a Virtual Rally to learn more about the coalition’s efforts and ways to get involved or reach out to Joan.Walker(a)sierraclub.org to get your questions answered. > > Thank you! Jim Kotcon, Conservation Chair, WV Chapter of Sierra Club >>>>>.....>>>>>.....>>>>>.....>>>>>.....>>>>> See also: Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) Fails to Gain Latest FERC Approval — http://www.frackcheckwv.net/2021/01/22/mountain-valley-pipeline-mvp-fails-t… > > > > >

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ONLINE PROGRAM ON FEB. 2nd FOR CLIMATE JOBS & CLIMATE JUSTICE
by Duane Nichols 01 Feb '21

01 Feb '21

http://www.frackcheckwv.net/2021/02/01/online-program-on-feb-2nd-for-climat… ONLINE PROGRAM ON FEB. 2nd FOR CLIMATE JOBS & CLIMATE JUSTICE Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy (THRIVE) 100 Days for Climate, Jobs, and Justice: Winning the THRIVE Agenda TO: Friends & Interested Citizens, FROM: Center for Coalfield Justice, February 1, 2021 Amidst a confluence of devastating crises — the pandemic, racial injustice, economic devastation, and of course climate change — we have a historic opportunity to set our country on a different course in the next few months. But it will take all of us working together to make our voices heard and demand change. This Tuesday, February 2, at 7 p.m. Eastern / 4 p.m. Pacific, the Green New Deal Network will host a grassroots livestream: “100 Days for Climate, Jobs, and Justice: Winning the THRIVE Agenda.” We hope you can join. You can …. RSVP HERE! The THRIVE Agenda includes building a groundswell of support to Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy (THRIVE) Agenda— a bold economic recovery plan to address the intersecting crises facing our nation. Sincerely, Kristen Locy, CCJ Outreach Coordinator SOME LEADING GROUPS — The Green New Deal Network is a 50-state campaign with a national table of 15 organizations: Center for Popular Democracy, Climate Justice Alliance, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, Greenpeace, Indigenous Environmental Network, Indivisible, Movement for Black Lives, MoveOn, People’s Action, Right To The City Alliance, Service Employees International Union, Sierra Club, Sunrise Movement, US Climate Action Network, and the Working Families Party. Tagged as: climate change, fossil fuels, Green New Deal, THRIVE, urgent action

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Special Issue of CEP, Thinking About Climate
by Duane Nichols 19 Jan '21

19 Jan '21

Thinking About Climate, Editorial, Chemical Engineering Progress, January 2021 Opens in modal lightbox Ithink about climate often. It’s hard not to — I doubt a day goes by that I don’t see an article, news report, or email that mentions climate. The most recent item to cross my desk is an article in Scientific American entitled "Second Scientists’ Warning: The Climate Emergency: 2020 in Review." It is a follow-up to "World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency," by William J. Ripple et al., which appeared in the January 2020 issue of BioScience. The authors begin their original article with this statement: "Scientists have a moral obligation to clearly warn humanity of any catastrophic threat and to ‘tell it like it is.’ On the basis of this obligation …, we declare, with more than 11,000 scientist signatories from around the world, clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency." They then call for transformative change in six areas: energy, short-lived air pollutants, nature, food, economy, and population. The new article points out that while 2020 brought a few promising developments, we still "need a massive-scale mobilization to address the climate crisis." The authors say that "aggressive transformative change, if framed holistically and equitably, will accelerate broad-based restorative action and avert the worst of the climate emergency. The survival of our society as we know it depends upon this unprecedented change." Chemical engineers have an important role to play in achieving the necessary transformative change. Climate change is a complex, multidimensional problem that we are well equipped to understand. Our education in chemistry, physics, and math enables us to understand the science, and our knowledge of chemical engineering allows us to address the challenge in a practical and economical manner. But sorting through and keeping up with the climate change literature is a monumental task. A few years ago, I came up with the idea for a series of short, 1–3-page articles that would explore various chemical-engineering-related aspects of climate and climate change. I thought that breaking this complex subject into many small bits and focusing on chemical engineering concepts would make it easier to understand. I envisioned that the title of this series would be "Thinking About Climate." When I mentioned my idea to Mark Holtzapple, a professor of chemical engineering at Texas A&M Univ., he told me about his interest in climate and shared with me the slides of a lecture that he gives on the topic. He also helped me realize that we could not do justice to the topic 2,000 words at a time. He liked my idea of looking at climate through a chemical engineering lens, and he offered to write a series of articles that addressed observations, modeling, impacts, and solutions. This special issue of CEP is the fruit of our collaboration. It provides basic information about climate — including numerous figures and reference citations. It is not meant to be a definitive treatment of the subject. Rather, it is intended to provide an overview that helps you to think about climate without getting lost in the claims and counterclaims. In the interest of minimizing our environmental footprint, we present this as a digital-only issue. And because this topic is of such great importance to society, we are making the issue open access. Please share it widely. Cynthia F. Mascone, Editor-in-Chief Reference: CEP Special Issue on Climate | AIChE https://www.aiche.org/publications/cep/climate-issue

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New West Virginia environmental coalition publishes 'A Citizen's Guide to Climate Change'
by Duane Nichols 16 Jan '21

16 Jan '21

https://www.mybuckhannon.com/new-west-virginia-environmental-coalition-publ… From MY BUCKHANNON, December 26, 2020 New West Virginia environmental coalition publishes ‘A Citizen’s Guide to Climate Change’ BUCKHANNON – A West Virginia field organizer for the Mom’s Clean Air Force recently shared information about a new alliance that has formed around climate action in West Virginia. Leah Barbor said the West Virginia Climate Alliance is an environmental, civil rights and faith-based coalition, and the mission of the young-adults organization is to work together to provide science-based education on climate change in West Virginia to the residents and policymakers. “We seek to advance climate solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while assuring that all West Virginians, especially low-income and communities of color, have adequate resources to transition to a low-carbon economy,” Barbor said. She said a recently released publication called “A Citizen’s Guide to Climate Change,” authored by the West Virginia Climate Change Alliance, explains the science behind the causes of climate change and its impacts, as well as potential solutions. Barbor said the publication was written by West Virginians for West Virginians. “The Alliance is really growing, and it is exciting,” Barbor said. “It makes me feel excited for what this means for West Virginia.” Barbor said the alliance produced the publication to keep the conversation on climate change going. “Basically, the publication is a science-based public education tool for citizens and policy makers. One of the main purposes of the alliance is to seek to advance climate solutions that are reducing greenhouse gas emissions. What we laid out in the guide are causes and the local impacts as well as global issues resulting from those emissions,” she said. “It also has some potential solutions.” Barbor said the alliance is not endorsing anything particular. “But we have a shared vision for climate action,” she said. “What that contains is three pillars of reform that we want to see included in future policies in order to achieve what we believe will be meaningful climate action. Those are climate justice, a just transition and reduction in greenhouse gases.” Barbor said those pillars were a no-brainer for her. “These pillars align pretty seamlessly with our work at the Mom’s Clean Air Force,” Barbor said. “As parents, we care deeply about climate change and air pollution. One thing we really focus on is justice in every breath – recognizing the importance of equitable solutions in adjusting air pollution and climate change. We need to ensure the needs of low-income communities and communities of color are protected from further inequality as it relates to environmental health.” She said they want to make sure individuals in these communities have their environmental needs met, that they have a voice in how climate change is met, ensure they do not pay a disproportional cost for addressing climate change. “Here in West Virginia the ‘just transition piece’ is really important as we move to a low carbon community. We really want to see that no West Virginians are left behind as we move to a low-carbon community. We want to make sure there are quality job retraining opportunities, that people’s health insurance and pensions are secured because those matter to families,” Barbor said. Barbor said the West Virginia Climate Alliance is an informal collective of groups in West Virginia who have a shared vision for climate action. “We all recognize there is a need for climate justice, a just transition and a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. As an alliance, we are in favor of supporting policies and future legislation that include these three pillars and address them in a meaningful way.” The West Virginia Climate Alliance includes the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development, Citizens Climate Lobby West Virginia, League of Women Voters of West Virginia, Christians for the Mountains, Mom’s Clean Air Force-West Virginia, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Sierra Club of West Virginia, West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, West Virginia Citizen Action Education Fund, Wet Virginia Interfaith Power and Light and the West Virginia Rivers Coalition. People who would like to help or learn more about the West Virginia Climate Alliance can contact Perry Bryant at perrybryantwv(a)outlook.com. To view A Citizen’s Guide to Climate Change, go to wvrivers.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/wvclimate.pdf. >>> To be posted in ...... www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Listen Up! Dr. James Hansen Has A Message For The Citizens Of Earth.
by Duane Nichols 30 Dec '20

30 Dec '20

Listen Up! Dr. James Hansen Has A Message For The Citizens Of Earth, Steve Hanley, Clean Technia, September 7, 2020 Dr. Hansen says there are three parameters to the global heating conundrum but only two receive regular attention — the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and average global surface temperatures. The third critical component is the Earth’s energy imbalance and it may be the most important of the three. “Stabilizing climate requires that humanity reduce the energy imbalance to approximately zero,” Hansen writes. https://cleantechnica.com/2020/09/07/listen-up-dr-james-hansen-has-a-messag…

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A Love Letter From the Clean Energy Future | Sierra Club, Mary Anne Hitt, 2021
by Duane Nichols 29 Dec '20

29 Dec '20

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2021-1-january-february/feature/love-lett… A Love Letter From the Clean Energy Future Article by Mary Anne Hitt, Sierra Magazine, Jan. - Feb. 2021 Here's a glimpse of how we can transition entirely to renewable energy sources Last fall, I gave a Zoom lecture to a class of undergraduate students at the University of Puget Sound about the path forward on energy and climate justice. I always go into these presentations with some trepidation, because I know that many young people are overwhelmed by despair about climate change, and I want to be clear about what's at stake without adding to their anxiety. After I finished, one of the students offered a simple appreciation that lifted a weight off my shoulders: "Honestly, this presentation has been a relief. I feel so much better. Thank you." I could relate to that student's desperate need for a ray of hope. After a grinding year of climate disasters, racial injustice, and relentless threats to our democracy, it has been easy to lose sight of the better world that we are still, even now, building. I'm full of hope because, against all odds, a just and sustainable energy future is being born. Yet I'm full of hope because, against all odds, a just and sustainable energy future is being born. We at the Sierra Club are in the middle of building that future. From stopping the fracked-gas Atlantic Coast Pipeline to reaching the milestone of having 60 percent of US coal-fired power plants on their way to retirement, the progress in 2020 has been remarkable. The United States is on track to get more electricity from renewable energy than from coal sometime in the next few years. But even as we make progress in hard times, we know that just covering the world with solar panels and electric vehicles isn't enough. So what would it look like, 10 years from now, if we did this energy transition right—if we prevented runaway climate change, created millions of jobs, and rectified the harms of decades of environmental injustice in communities of color? Imagine it is 2030 and we're looking back over a pivotal decade in human history. Allow me to paint a picture for you of the energy transformation that's possible. Think of it as a love letter from the future. >>>>>. >>>>>. >>>>>. >>>>>. >>>>>. >>>>>. My friends, It takes my breath away to write these words, but we did it. Rooted in our deep love for this planet and one another, we stepped back from the cliff of irreversible climate change. Families around the globe, including mine and yours, no longer face the specter of fleeing their homes because of ever-worsening climate-driven disasters. The fossil fuel industry no longer controls the levers of power to corrupt democracy. And we're building a world where everyone has clean air and clean water and access to nature. As we rolled up our sleeves to prevent a climate emergency, our solutions prioritized investments in those communities most harmed by fossil fuels and pollution and those long excluded from economic opportunity. We needed to build so much clean energy infrastructure to avoid a climate apocalypse, and we didn't just build it; we built it with family-sustaining jobs and with an eye toward restitution and reparations. Thanks to you, our kids will be raising their sons and daughters in vibrant, resilient communities full of opportunity. This is how we arrived here: First, we powered the country with 100 percent clean energy. An electric grid powered by clean energy was the foundation for turning the corner on climate, and the dirty power plants that were the worst contributors to environmental injustice were the first to go. Building on a decade of grassroots advocacy, President Biden introduced and Congress finally passed a national 100 percent clean energy standard that put us well on our way to phasing out coal and gas by 2035 while ensuring that vulnerable communities experienced the benefits of the transition. Big states such as California and New York then set even more aggressive goals, making it clear that a clean energy transition of speed and scale was possible. And since decisions about how we produce electricity are largely made by states, we continued our 50-state energy-transformation push for a decade. To support communities with economic ties to fossil fuels, Congress included a robust economic transition for fossil fuel workers and community-led economic development. Congress also passed innovative measures like a moratorium on utility shutoffs for households and support for energy-saving home improvements for families spending a high percentage of their income on electricity bills (known as a high energy burden). Renewable energy kept getting cheaper, and that allowed the Department of Energy to accelerate local clean energy solutions like microgrids—which are reliable during climate-driven extreme-weather events—in vulnerable and underserved places like the Navajo Nation and Puerto Rico. We finally harnessed the power of offshore wind along the Atlantic coast and solar across the Southeast and Southwest, while scaling up new energy-storage technologies to make clean energy available when it's needed most. Altogether, we made a quantum leap in the scale and scope of the energy transition, produced millions of jobs, and sparked the creation of thousands of new businesses. Second, we got well on our way toward electrifying everything. Here in 2030, one of the best parts of the energy transition is that it has made our lives healthier. After social media icons spread the word about how gas stoves create indoor air pollution linked to asthma in kids, families rushed to their local home-improvement stores to replace gas ranges with electric induction stovetops. Local governments passed thousands of ordinances calling for all-electric construction in new buildings, which created enough pressure for national standards. New businesses started popping up to help homeowners save money while pulling polluting gas appliances out of their homes. And the Department of Energy created programs to ensure that low-income families could make the switch affordably. Meanwhile, on the transportation front, states such as California and New Jersey set a 2035 target date for phasing out internal-combustion-engine cars, and national standards followed. States also put in place standards requiring that buses and large trucks go all-electric, which dramatically reduced air pollution in communities of color and big port and shipping centers including California's Inland Empire, New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. After COVID-19 made Americans realize the importance of walkable cities and accessible public transportation, Congress included funding in infrastructure bills for clean and affordable public transit, biking, and walking options. The number of family-sustaining jobs skyrocketed as Americans were put to work building electric cars, trucks, and buses as well as transit and charging-station infrastructure. Third, we stopped attempts to expand drilling while we reclaimed abandoned wells, mines, and drilling sites. The oil and gas industry was in a precarious place as 2020 came to a close. It was struggling to compete with renewable energy, facing the wrath of communities angry about drilling and pipelines, and grappling with dwindling returns from fracking, which made the industry's finances look more like a pyramid scheme. Through on-the-ground organizing, we prevented the fossil fuel industry's last-gasp attempt to establish new markets for its products. We blocked the construction of more than a dozen proposed fracked-gas export terminals and halted the creation of a new "Cancer Alley" of chemical and plastics plants in the Ohio River valley. We forced the industry to stop drilling next to homes, schools, and communities. And we secured protection from drilling on Indigenous lands, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Bears Ears National Monument. Meanwhile, we created jobs for thousands of oil, gas, and coal workers. We put 120,000 people to work plugging over 2 million abandoned oil and gas wells and addressing methane leaks that were roasting our planet. Congress also passed the RECLAIM (Revitalizing the Economy of Coal Communities by Leveraging Local Activities and Investing More) Act to fund reclamation projects and community-led economic development in Appalachia. Finally, we engaged millions of people in the work for climate justice. Let's be clear: None of this was easy. As we sit here in 2030, the clean and just energy future that we've built together has been the result of millions of people stepping up in their own states and communities. I know all this seemed impossible back in 2020, when it felt as if everything was falling apart and our climate might be doomed. But everything we did mattered. All of it. We now know that we're going to keep global temperature rise below the dangerous tipping points that climate scientists warned us about a decade ago. We can look our kids in the eye and tell them that we didn't let them down. Now we can watch their dreams unfold. As all our great spiritual traditions have taught us, new beginnings are often born during our most difficult days. We created something beautiful out of those hard days in 2020. Of course we have more work to do. But we're doing that work from a foundation we built together. I can't wait to see what we'll do next. This article appeared in the January/February edition with the headline "A Love Letter From the Clean Energy Future." Sent from my iPad

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