Following a series of close votes by the Dendron Town Council last night approving zoning changes for Old Dominion Electric Cooperative’s proposed coal-fired power plant, the Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition vowed to continue fighting plans for what would be the largest coal-fired power plant in Virginia, and one of the top polluters in the state. Continue reading
New Economic Report Shows Few Jobs From Proposed coal Plant in Surry County Would Go To Local Residents
At a public hearing tonight, the Dendron Town Council will receive the first publicly available analysis of the economic impacts that Old Dominion Electric Cooperative’s proposed coal-fired power plant would have on Dendron and Surry County. Among other things, the report estimates that, during the peak construction year, only three jobs would go to current Dendron residents and Surry County residents would get only 14% of the construction jobs. Continue reading
National Day of Action Against Coal Ash
This is cross-posted from Sierra Club’s Blog
This is the weekly post from Bruce Nilles, director of the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign.
Today, Jan 28th, Sierra Club and our allies at Earthjustice, Environmental Integrity Project, NRDC and grassroots groups across the country are participating in a national day of action to urge the Obama Administration to move forward with strong, federally enforceable rules to regulate coal ash disposal.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working on proposed rules to ensure the safe disposal of coal ash
Hundreds of Local Climate Activists Brave Icy Water in Fifth Annual "Polar Bear Plunge"
Hundreds of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. residents plunged into an icy Chesapeake Bay today to express their alarm over the rapid advance of global warming, and to highlight their demand for action at the state and federal levels. Continue reading
Stream Saver Bill makes BIG SPLASH
Yesterday at the Virginia Conservation Network’s annual lobby day, 235 Virginians from all across the Commonwealth flooded the halls of Virginia’s General Assembly Building. There were many priority issues on the agenda but upon reading the meeting feedback forms at lunch it became clear that almost everyone was talking about two things: energy efficiency and mountaintop removal. The final tally isn’t back yet, but SB 564 and SB 71 were creating a buzz for sure.
I’d like to focus for just a brief minute on SB 564, the Virginia Stream Saver Bill. It was introduced by Senator Patsy Ticer from Northern Virginia but four women from Wise County traveled the distance to Richmond to thank both Senator Ticer and Senator Whipple (first co-patron), for taking a stand on issue so important to them. It was certainly a special moment when Kathy Selvage from Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards presented Senator Ticer with a book entitled “Plundering Appalachia” that illustrates the devastating impacts this practice is having across Appalachia. Kathy brought two jars of water from her neighborhood to show just how impacted her water quality is. 
With all of our combined efforts the Stream Saver Bill SB 564 now has five co-patrons, including Senators Whipple, Howell, Northam and Marsden. If you have a minute please call today at (800) 889-0229 and ask your Senator to co-patron this important bill!
Environmental Groups Applaud State for Taking Enforcement Action Against Coal Ash Landfill
Environmental groups announced their support today for the Maryland Department of the Environment’s decision to take enforcement action against Mirant MD Ash Management, LLC and Mirant Mid-Atlantic, LLC for violations of the federal Clean Water Act and state law at the Brandywine coal ash landfill. The groups include the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, and the Patuxent Riverkeeper. Continue reading
Environmental Community Applauds Senator McEachin's Jobs Plan
Leading members of Virginia’s environmental community today applauded Senator Donald McEachin’s energy efficiency legislation as a winning plan for Virginia. By creating energy efficiency standards for utilities, the legislation will create jobs and save families money on their energy bills while also reducing the demand for mountaintop removal coal mining and cutting pollution linked to global warming. Continue reading
Standoff in Copenhagen
Protesters at Copenhagen climate talks walk out on Wednesday, Dec 16th, over U.N. decision to dramatically limit participation by activists. See below for Earthbeat Radio/CCAN footage of a standoff with police outside the conference:
A Climate Bill Senator Webb CAN believe in!
Call Senator Webb TODAY!A couple weeks ago Senator Jim Webb introduced a bill that would subsidize the nuclear industry and could divert money away from much needed solutions to the climate crisis. We flooded his office with hundreds of emails asking him what his plan was to solve global warming. Senator Webb has raised real concerns about cap and trade — handing money over to polluters for free, complicated offsets, and Wall Street gaming among them. Just last week, Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced a bill that represents a new approach to capping carbon that avoids these pitfalls. Over the past year, in meetings with CCAN members, Sen. Webb has indicated interest in this new approach.The Cantwell-Collins “Carbon Limits and Energy for America’s Renewal” (CLEAR) Act is simple, fair and built to last. With this bill all polluters pay and there are no complicating offsets. Instead of most permits given away for free and subsidies for corporations, every American would get a check each month through a monthly carbon “dividend.” Learn more>>Call Senator Webb and ask him to co-sponsor this new approach to reducing global warming pollutionSen. Webb: (202)-224-4024Call Script>>Under the Cantwell-Collins bill, the federal government would auction off carbon shares to the nation’s 2,000 or so fuel producers such as coal and oil companies. Every two years, the shares would expire and, over the years, the U.S. government would offer fewer and fewer shares for sale as a way to reduce carbon consumption. Seventy-five percent of the money raised would be rebated directly to U.S. citizens. Cantwell’s office estimated that an average family of four would receive a total of about $1,100 a year in the form of tax-free monthly checks.The other 25 percent of the money raised would be used exclusively for clean-energy research and development, energy efficiency programs and for assistance to communities and workers transitioning to a clean energy economy.Call Senator Webb now and ask him to co-sponsor the CLEAR ActSen. Webb: (202)-224-4024Call Script>>Thanks for all you do, and happy holidays!
CALL SCRIPT Hello. My name is ____ and I live in ______.
I’m calling to let Senator Webb know about the Cantwell-Collins CLEAR Act, which was introduced last Friday.
The bill is a simple, fair and enduring way for the United States to address global warming.
Given the Senator’s desire to address climate change, and his concerns about the complexities of a cap-and-trade system, I strongly urge him co-sponsor this important bill.
Report your Call
After you’ve made your call, please email Lauren Glickman at lauren@chesapeakeclimate.org so we can keep track of how many calls are placed and to let us know how the call went!
Dear Mr. President
Reposted from Its Getting Hot in Here
Yesterday morning before the Youth Clean Energy forum I awoke at 6AM and couldn’t sleep. The anticipation of our movement’s historic opportunity swirled loudly in my head. This was our chance to talk directly to the Obama administration and let them know what we think. In the dim early morning light I wrote this letter to our President and was encouraged to hear that many of the other leaders at the forum felt the same way.
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Dear President Obama,
I have one question for you: When?
When will you seal your place in American history and announce your bold vision to unite this nation behind an Apollo Project for clean energy or a Green New Deal? When will you launch the “Obama Plan” to defend America from one of the greatest threats to our national security, our nation’s health, and our economy?
Our country’s greatest Presidents have emerged to lead us through times of crisis. Mr. President, the solutions to the energy and climate crisis should be your greatest legacy.
During your inspirational campaign for the presidency hundreds of thousands of young people got involved on an unprecedented scale. We knocked on doors for you, made phone calls, harnessed the power of new media, and we voted in record numbers. We voted because we know our future is at stake and we placed our faith in a leader that gave us hope for a better world. Our generation realized its power and we stand proud and ready to see your visionary leadership.
On election night you told us it was our victory and to hold you to your promises, to keep organizing in our communities and revitalizing our democracy. Mr. President I am proud to say that we have. We have led my making our campuses and communities models of the new sustainable society we want to inherit. We are pouring our hearts and our souls into healing our communities from the ongoing violence of this failing fossil fuel economy. We are doing everything we can, but we cannot do it alone.
When will you launch your bold national plan to re-energize America with a new clean and just energy economy, create millions of jobs for those who need them most, unleash our generation’s innovation, and make us the global leader in clean technologies?
Inspire us with a visionary plan rooted in the American promise of “justice for all” and we will unite behind you. We need you as much as you need us. Time is running out, we know what’s at stake, and we refuse to wait much longer. Let’s work together to launch a national campaign for clean energy and make this generation one of the greatest in American history. Our generation has demonstrated the commitment and ingenuity to do it. When will you lead the charge?
Sincerely,
Ethan Nuss