Tag: environment

Governor Hogan’s Plans to "Kick-Start" a Gas Expansion Across Maryland

While other states and cities are moving away from powering homes and buildings with gas—a potent climate pollutant—Maryland Governor Larry Hogan plans to spend $6.5 million this year in his effort to “kick-start” a gas expansion across Maryland. This $6.5 million is a portion of the $30 million his Administration can spend on expanding gas infrastructure after he negotiated the terms of a settlement allowing a Canadian company to acquire a local gas supplier.

Among the projects his Administration is backing: a new, 11-mile pipeline providing gas to two state-run facilities on the Eastern Shore. In repowering these state facilities, the Hogan Administration foreclosed the possibility of any other type of energy source by only requesting applications for gas. The government should be leading the way towards zero-emission buildings, especially when it comes to state facilities, not putting its thumb on the scale for gas.

“Natural” gas is primarily made up of methane, an extremely potent greenhouse gas. It’s 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Methane leaks during production and transportation and gas heaters themselves are inefficient. As a result, a leading scientist concludes that it may actually be better for the climate to heat your home with coal or oil than with gas. In an era of rapid climate change, we cannot wait to replace all of these polluting fossil fuels with electricity powered by clean sources like wind and solar.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, electric alternatives exist for all major energy end uses in buildings. Space heating, water heating, and cooking account for the vast majority of direct fuel usage. Electric technologies exist, and are in use today, that can supply all of these end uses.In 2017, Hogan signed a ban on fracking for gas in Maryland, saying that his administration had “concluded that possible environmental risks of fracking simply outweigh any potential benefits.” Since signing that ban, however, the Hogan Administration has continued to call gas “a bridge fuel” and has worked consistently to kick-start a gas expansion across the State.

Read the white paper here

CCAN Statement: Northam DEQ announcement raises serious concerns

CCAN “Highly Skeptical” That DEQ Head can Lead its Own Internal Review; Calls on Paylor to Recuse Himself

RICHMOND, VA — Today, Governor Northam announced Executive Order 6, which instructs David Paylor, Director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, to perform a comprehensive review of DEQ’s permitting, monitoring, and enforcement activities.
Mike Tidwell, Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, stated:

“We agree with Governor Northam that the Department of Environmental Quality needs to be seriously reformed, so we commend him for that. However, we are highly skeptical that DEQ Director David Paylor can oversee this internal review in a fair and comprehensive manner.

“The DEQ is a broken agency, and Director David Paylor is the one that broke it. In his 12 years running the agency, he has regularly sided with polluters over the environment. He has accepted gifts from mega-polluter Dominion Energy and permitted polluter-friendly practices across the Commonwealth.

“The timing of this announcement is particularly painful for the landowners who live along the route of the Mountain Valley Pipeline for fracked gas, to which DEQ just gave final approval in a process widely viewed as flawed.

“We believe David Paylor should be replaced as DEQ Director. If Governor Northam keeps him on, however, Paylor should recuse himself from this much-needed agency review. We hope Governor Northam will consider turning the review over completely to the Secretary of Natural Resources in order to ensure real and substantive changes at the DEQ.”

CONTACT:
Denise Robbins, Communications Director, 608-620-8819, denise@chesapeakeclimate.org
Mike Tidwell, Director, 240-460-5838, mtidwell@chesapeakeclimate.org

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controversy David Paylor deq environment northam paylor pipelines ralph northam Virginia

The Art of the March

Baltimore’s Creative Minds Go to Work for the People’s Climate March

The Peoples Climate March is almost here — and Baltimore is ready!
Over the past few months, CCAN and other organizations in Baltimore have been gearing up to make the most out of the upcoming mobilization in Washington D.C. by forming the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement. We want to make sure we bring Baltimore’s message to the march, and come back home with renewed hope and inspiration to make our city a cleaner, greener, more equitable place to live.
Mark our words, the resistance will be beautiful! We have hosted a series of art builds and created an art guide based on conversations with community members and local organizations. Over the past few weeks, local artists, community members, and activists have brought the ideas and drawings in the guide to life!
Scroll down to see what’s in store for art at the Peoples Climate March. And if you’re a Baltimorean, please join up with the Baltimore contingent at the march! We’ll be meeting at 4th St NW and Madison Drive this Saturday, April 29th at 11 a.m. Join us!

Drawing of the Baltimore contingent by Valeska Populoh, an artist and cultural organizer in Baltimore and co-leader of the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement art cluster.

Our themes, which came out of conversations with community members and local organizations, focus on 'People Power' (investing in youth, leadership development, and social justice), ‘Energy, Environment and the Economy’ (a just transition, jobs with dignity, clean energy jobs, zero waste solutions, and renewable energy) and ‘Fair Development’ (community-driven development, community land trusts, permanently affordable housing, and transit equity). — Our themes, which came out of conversations with community members and local organizations, focus on ‘People Power’ (investing in youth, leadership development, and social justice), ‘Energy, Environment and the Economy’ (a just transition, jobs with dignity, clean energy jobs, zero waste solutions, and renewable energy) and ‘Fair Development’ (community-driven development, community land trusts, permanently affordable housing, and transit equity).

High school students from Baltimore Beyond Plastic making a banner for their group, which is working to get the city to ban styrene and plastics.

Valeska Populoh, Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement art cluster co-leader, lending a hand to Billy as he makes a crab sign.

Finn looks on as his mom paints a cloud sign that reads “Build Schools Not Jails,” as he works on a sun sign that reads, “Don’t Keep Out My Light.”

Wyl Tucker, a steady contributor to our art builds, working on a row house sign that reads, “Failed Development Harms Our Communities.”

A group of local organizers and artists painting signs at a satellite art build we hosted at Maryland Environmental Health Network’s event “Fired Up and Ready to Go!” at the 2640 space.

As more people joined the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement, we learned about ongoing campaigns and movements across the city. This knowledge motivated us to make signs that speak specifically to these issue areas so that the signs and banners can have a useful life after the march. Samuel Jordan from the Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition joined a table meeting and educated us about the movement to build the red line in Baltimore, leading to the creation of this banner.

The Peoples Climate March is an opportunity to spotlight local issues and existing campaigns on a national stage. This sign draws attention to Baltimore’s extremely high air pollution death rate.

Taylor Smith-Hams, CCAN’s Baltimore organizer and art cluster co-leader, painting a banner for the Baltimore contingent, which reads, “Baltimore United for A Just, Clean Energy & Economic Future.” Photo by Valeska Populoh.

Rebecca Mark, an organizer with Maryland Working Families and member of the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement, painting a cloud that reads, “Close Prisons, Open Schools.”

We held our last pre-march table meeting at Black Cherry Puppet Theater this week. Members of the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement posed for a group photo and practiced chants that Nabeehah Aziz with Communities United wrote. One chant goes, “Climate change is so outrageous! Less than $15 is poverty wages!”

These art builds would not have been possible without the generosity of Black Cherry Puppet Theater. Thank you for allowing us to use your wonderful space.

advocacy advocates art art activism artistic artistic expression Baltimore Baltimore climate civic engagement climate change creative creativity earth environment environmental justice environmental science global warming march painting people power People's climate march protest social justice

Maryland just passed a fracking ban. I'm weeping.

This is it: We have officially made history.

Last night, the Senate voted 35 to 10 to ban fracking statewide in Maryland. The bill will be sent to Governor Hogan’s desk to be signed in a matter of days. We are now the third state to ban fracking and the first state with gas reserves to pass a legislative ban. This is the most environmentally significant bill that Maryland has ever passed. Period.
As I write this, I can barely see the computer screen as my eyes keep welling up with tears. This has been the most personal, grueling, and gratifying campaign that I have ever worked on.
As a Western Marylander, the stakes on this campaign were enormous. If we failed, we would have opened up my family’s land and community to the dangers of fracking — contaminating our water, risking birth defects in our children, and scarring the natural beauty of Western Maryland.
Today, we proved that grassroots power can overcome partisan politics and Big Oil and Gas if we organize and work together for a common purpose.
Today, we proved that together, we can overcome anything.
When I first began this campaign, I learned about my grandfather’s activism in Western Maryland. He led sit-ins to bring racial integration to local restaurants and community pools in Frostburg. He did this to protect his seven sons and one daughter so that they could live a life that was just and free of harm. When I began organizing in Frostburg, I carried his spirit with me.
And today, I can proudly say I carried on his legacy of protecting his family. But we could not have done it without each of you. You gave your time, your efforts, and your passion to secure a better future for my family and for all of Maryland. From the start, each of you worked to build a movement that secured this victory.
Thank you to the residents of Frostburg, where over 800 of you signed petitions and hundreds of you rallied and urged your city council to ban fracking.
Thank you to the citizens of Bel Air, who rallied in the freezing cold and told your city council all you wanted for the holidays was for them to ban fracking.
Thank you to Frederick County activists, who met with your local officials and did not relent until they supported a statewide ban.
Thanks to each of you in Friendsville and across Western Maryland, who were met with harsh criticisms and shouted down by your legislators for standing strong to keep your communities safe from fracking.
Thank you to the countless local officials who stood up against fracking in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Charles County, College Park, Friendsville, Frederick County, Frostburg, Greenbelt, Mountain Lake Park, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County.
Thanks to each of you who called, wrote your legislators, lobbied in Annapolis and were part of the rally where over a thousand people took to the streets in Annapolis to demand an unfractured future for generations to come.
Thank you to the “Annapolis 13” who were peacefully arrested and helped carry the message to our state Senate that we would not compromise on a ban.
And thanks to each of you who had unwavering faith that sometimes David can beat Goliath. You pushed forward the notion that grassroots organizing can truly change the world.
Because it has.

Please take a moment to thank each and every one of our legislators who cast a “yes” vote after YOU made your voices heard.
Thank them for representing our voices in Annapolis and making sure we have a frack-free future.

climate environment frack fracking Maryland organize politics resistance