Volunteers Haul Tons of Trash From City Waterway

This fall, the Sierra Club teamed up with the City of Columbia, Missouri, and other local groups* to co-sponsor the fifth annual Hinkson Clean Sweep. In two hours, volunteers hauled a record 4,000 pounds of garbage, 200 pounds of recyclables, and 15 tires from the waterway, an arterial of the Missouri River.

"This is the biggest haul and the biggest number of volunteers we've had," says Sierra Club Water Sentinels Director Scott Dye. "The first year attracted fewer than 50 people—this year we had 230. It's a gritty event where we get down and dirty, muck around, and wade chest-deep in the water at five locations along the creek."

This year's Clean Sweep netted a greater haul than Dye anticipated. "I was worried the heavy summer rains might have carried most of the garbage downstream to the Missouri." Plastic is especially problematic, as it never biodegrades, and breaks up in the ocean into pieces the size of krill, a vital food source for marine mammals and seabirds. Cigarette butts are another culprit, taking up to 15 years to biodegrade.

The Hinkson Clean Sweep complements the spring Cleanup Columbia event, now in its 11th year, which regularly draws between 1,000 and 2,000 people. "When it draws 2,000 volunteers, that's one out of every 50 Columbians coming out the same day to clean up our streets, trails, parks, and roadsides," Dye enthuses. "In a way it's a shame that we have to do this, but it's great to see so many people turn out."

Photos by Leigh Claire, courtesy of the City of Columbia.

* Other sponsors of this year's Clean Sweep include Boone County Public Works, Missouri Stream Team Program, Columbians United for Hinkson Creek Stream Team, and CARP (Columbia Aquatic Restoration Project), with the support of AmeriCorps, Hinkson Creek Valley Neighborhood Association, Sierra Club Osage Group, Wal-Mart and Best Buy. Learn more about the Missouri Water Sentinels.

Ohio High Schooler Organizes "No Coal" Conference

When a Sierra Club high school volunteer came to Nachy Kanfer of the Ohio Chapter wanting to organize a conference for environmental leaders her age, Kanfer was more than willing to lend his support.

"It sounded like a great idea to me," said Kanfer, who works on the Sierra Club's National Coal Campaign.

Kanfer provided Columbus high schooler Megan Leite with all the logistical support she needed to organize it, and on September about 25 high school students gather to learn more about coal and clean energy.

Leite credits her fellow students with helping her put together the conference as well. "This took a lot of organization and a lot of ideas," said the senior. "I had a great group of organizers working with me. They were a big help and I couldn't have done anything without them."

The one-day conference featured numerous speakers and an interactive session where students planned the power for their own town.

"Mr. Ken Riley spoke about global warming and how we are affect our environment on a global scale," explained Leite. "Then Nachy spoke about coal use in Ohio. We narrowed it down even more and Mattie Reitman spoke about what high school students can do right here in Columbus."

Leite and Kanfer said they both really enjoyed the second half of the day.

"After lunch, we had an interactive activity called Watt Town," said Leite. "In this activity, the students were broken up into groups and learned about two sources of energy. Then, each group made a presentation about the energy sources they studied. During each presentation the whole group asked questions about how and why that energy source is good for Watt Town. We then voted for which energy source would best and found out that there was no consensus for one energy source. We learned that each town will have to have multiple renewable energy sources to run their town."

The two said students were inspired and educated by the day's activities, and that some want to plan another conference for next year. Leite said she is now focused on her school's environmental club and on getting into a good college next fall.

"My impressions were overall good," she said of the conference. "The people that attended learned a lot and gave the organizer positive feedback."

EPA Rules That Coal Plants Must Limit CO2 Emissions

In a major victory for the Sierra Club, the EPA Environmental Appeals Board ruled on November 13 that the agency has no valid reason for refusing to limit carbon dioxide emissions from new coal-fired power plants. The ruling essentially stops the permitting of new coal-fired power plants in the near future. Coal plans emit 30 percent of the nation's global warming pollution.

The Sierra Club went before the appeals board in May of this year to request that the air permit for Deseret Power Electric Cooperative's proposed Bonanza coal-fired plant in Utah, which would have emitted 3.37 million tons of CO2 a year, be overturned.

"Today's decision opens the way for meaningful action to fight global warming, and is a major step in bringing about a clean energy economy," says Sierra Club Senior Attorney Joanne Spalding, who argued the case.

"It's fantastic," concurs Environmental Law Program Director Pat Gallagher. "The Environmental Appeals Board oversees all of EPA's permit decisions. They have rejected every excuse the Bush EPA put up for not regulating CO2. Now a new Obama EPA has a clear path to begin regulating CO2."

Building new plants without controlling their carbon emissions would negate much of the progress being made at the state and local level, says Bruce Nilles, Director of the Club's National Coal Campaign. Of the more than 100 proposed coal-fired power plants around the country, 74 have been halted by the Sierra Club and its clean energy allies in recent months.

Coal Plant Rejected, Wisconsin Chapter Celebrates

Here's another Scrapbook post with great news - this time from Wisconsin. On Tuesday the announcement came down that the Wisconsin Public Service Commission unanimously denied the certificate of need for Alliant Energy's Cassville coal-fired power plant.

We mentioned the Wisconsin chapter's hard work here on Scrapbook in October, and we're all thrilled to hear of this decision.

From the chapter's clean energy director Jennifer Feyerherm:

"Commissioner Mark Meyer held up all of the public comments and noted that he had never seen so many in a case before the Public Service Commission.  Comments against the plant outnumbered comments for the plant by a margin of more than 10 to 1."

Feyerherm said the commissioners all talked about the pressing need to reduce global warming pollution, saying this plant did not do that.

"One of the other commissioners also specifically noted staff's comments that this would be the most expensive conventional coal plant (per KW) in the country," said Feyerherm. "Every single commissioner pointed to the lower costs of the alternatives and the importance of reducing carbon as two of the deciding issues of the case."

Congrats to the Wisconsin chapter, as this decision came "after months of hard work from all of our members and volunteers canvassing, phone banking, writing comments and attending hearings, and holding a great protest at Alliant's shareholder meeting along with our friends from Iowa who are also fighting an Alliant coal proposal."

Learn more about the ruling in this Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article.

The photos are from the chapter's rally at the Alliant shareholder's meeting, and come courtesy of Jennifer Feyerherm.

Hamburger Alliance Promotes Local Food, Helps Small Farmers

Bob Perry, above, of the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture, had an idea in 2006. He knew small farmers in the state weren't having difficulty selling their steaks, but it was harder for them to market other cuts of meat. And so was born Perry's idea for the Kentucky Hamburger Alliance Project.

"Small farmers don't have enough quantity to go into larger markets with their extra cuts," Perry explains. "But if they go in together with their 'trim,' we can produce enough hamburger to supply a small chain or a university. And the small farmer gets to keep their own steak business, which is where the money is in beef cattle."

Working with the Green River Cattle Company, which markets only antibiotic- and hormone-free beef under its name, Perry arranged for Green River's trim to be delivered to a USDA meat plant near the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington. Above, Green River promotes its product near Louisville. Below, a farm family who supplies Green River feeds their cattle the old-fashioned way.

For the last two years the university has been buying the Green River meat, and the Kentucky Hamburger Alliance Project officially launched this October, when the school contracted for 3,000 pounds of hamburger a month. They may eventually take up to 15,000 pounds a month during the school year, and in the summer—grilling season—smaller grocery chains and farmer's markets can pick up the slack for the Alliance.

"Agricultural development is economic development when it's done the right way," Perry says. "This project lowers our carbon footprint, helps our rural economy by putting money in the farmer's pocket instead of into agribusiness, and gives consumers a locally-produced, high-quality, totally traceable product."

Bob Perry photo courtesy of University of Kentucky. Green River and farm photos by Kara Keeton, courtesy of Green River Cattle Company

Tennessee Grandfather Cleans Up Creek, Wins Volunteer Award

Sierra Club members Carl and Iva Lee Wolfe moved from Florida to Mountain City, Tennessee, three years ago, after Carl retired. That's Carl at left, above, with granddaughter Mariah.

"We were impressed with the beauty of the area," says Iva Lee. "But the condition of the road and the nearby Falls at Fall Branch was a disgrace." For years people had been tossing trash onto Fall Branch Road and dumping garbage, tires, old appliances, gas tanks, and assorted junk into the branch, which flows into Lake Watauga, a source of drinking water for the area.

After finishing work on the couple's mobile home, Carl, then 68, began venturing out to bag trash along the road. But he soon deepened his commitment—literally—rappelling 50 feet down into the creek to clean up trash at the base of the falls. "Some folks said it couldn't be done," he says, "but when someone tells me I can't do something, I want to prove I can."

The pace picked up in 2007 when Mariah moved to town and began helping out, pulling up the trash by rope that her grandfather had bagged. Over the last six months they have hauled more than 60 large garbage bags out of the creek. A few are pictured above, emblazoned with Carl's handwritten message. 

Carl and Iva Lee speak at Kiwanis and Sierra Club meetings, encouraging others to get involved. Carl also volunteers at the local recycling center and transfer station. This fall he was nominated by the mayor for a Governor's Volunteer Award, presented by Volunteer Tennessee to one person from each county in the state. Carl received his award on October 27, below, in Nashville.

"Carl is a humble man," says Iva Lee, "but he hopes this will motivate more people to volunteer and get involved in the community. This isn't our land; it's provided for us. We're the caretakers, and we could all be better stewards."

Arkansas Rallies Against Coal

The Arkansas Chapter had some great success on Oct. 18 when more than 400 people showed up at a "No Coal" rally on the steps of the Capitol building in Little Rock. The rally was co-hosted by Sierra Club, ECO, Audubon Arkansas, and Clean Air Arkansas.

Arkansas chapter staffer Glen Hooks called it "a tremendously successful event."

"Our call to action was to sign a petition to Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, asking for a moratorium on coal-fired power plants in our state," said Hooks. "Attendees could also film a 'video postcard' to the Governor."

The rally included speeches from:

• Dr. Robert McAfee, climatologist and member of the Arkansas Governor's Commission on Global Warming
• Dr. Dan Scheiman of Audubon Arkansas
• Joyce Hale, representative from the Arkansas League of Women Voters
• Maggie Bailey of Clean Air Arkansas
• Dr. Leah Hennings, DVM
• Cody Hooks and Grace Arnold, high school students and members of "The Greenest Generation"

At one point rally-goers even lined up to spell out "No Coal"in front of the building.

Hooks said he was happy to see so many people come out to protest and get educated - adding that the attendees were from all over the state, multi-racial, and ranged from kids to senior citizens.  

All photos courtesy of Glen Hooks.

Urban Edibles Helps City Dwellers Nourish Themselves

 

When you think about city life, growing your own food isn't necessarily the first thing that comes to mind. But a movement is blossoming in cities from coast to coast to grow and harvest fruits, vegetables, and herbs in urban backyards and community gardens.

As part of this movement, small companies are springing up to help people get started. One such company is Urban Edibles, the brainchild of Catherine Butler, above, a native Virginian transplanted to San Francisco. The company offers a range of services, from one-time consultation, to planting, maintenance, weekly harvesting—even delivering fresh produce door-to-door.

"Our goal is to maximize the productivity of urban spaces and localize food production," Butler says. "There are a lot of small spaces in San Francisco, and you can grow food on a patio or small deck. If we grow food where we live, it's fresher and it reduces the negative effects on global climate change. And by growing organically in people's back yards, we reduce pesticide use, chemical fertilizers, and petroleum use associated with food transport."

Urban Edibles also connects neighbors with one another so if one person has a surplus of a certain food, they can trade for something else from a neighbor's garden. The company adheres to the precepts of permaculture design, an approach to designing human settlements that encourages community self-sufficiency by mimicking structures found in natural ecologies, reducing society's reliance on industrial systems of production and distribution.

Read more about Urban Edibles and urban food production.

Tennessee Sierra Club Networks With Sportsmen

Not long ago, tabling at the Mid-South Hunting and Fishing Extravaganza in Memphis might have been a stretch for the Sierra Club. Not anymore. "Working a hunting and fishing show exposes Club volunteers to a different audience than our usual venues," says Chickasaw Group activist and Tennessee Water Sentinel James Baker, above with Sierra Club raffle winner Lindsey Mitchell. "It isn't preaching to the choir."

Kentucky Water Sentinel Tim Guilfoile, who is also president of Northern Kentucky Fly Fishers, worked all three days at the show. Guilfoile, below at left at the Sierra Club booth with Chickasaw Group activists Ed Jones and Don Richardson, is a fervent believer that environmentalists and sportsmen have much in common because of their love for woods and waters.

Club volunteers at the show had to work hard to overcome skepticism and distrust, including comments that the Club opposes hunting and fishing and supports gun control. "We also heard that America needs to allow more domestic drilling for oil to reduce gas prices, and we tried to counter those arguments with positive responses," says Baker.

By raffling items like a high-quality fly-fishing rod (emblazoned with the logos of the Sierra Club and the Federation of Fly Fishers) and two $100 gift certificates to a local sporting goods store, the Club enticed more than 225 people to sign up for the Sierra Sportsmen Network.

Baker gives special thanks to Chickasaw Group volunteers Jones and Richardson (pictured), Amy Stewart-Banbury, Keith Hoover, Nancy Ream, and Walter Diggs.

Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining On Tour

No, not the practice itself - but Sierra Club National Coal Campaign team member Lauren Trevisan went on the road in September and October to increase awareness about this devastating practice most commonly found in Appalachia.

As part of this Mountaintop Removal (MTR) Road Show, Trevisan traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, inwhere she spoke to more than 40 people about MTR. In October, Trevisan took the road show to two sites in Delaware, speaking to more than 60 people. She said the focus of the road show was not only to publicize the realities of MTR mining itself, but also to encourage the public to speak to their Congressional leaders on behalf of the Clean Water Protection Act.

"In both (states), when I initially asked how many people had heard of MTR, only a few raised their hands," said Trevisan. "Many had similar reactions - disbelief, incredulity that this could be legal, and sympathy for the people in Appalachia.  People seemed to respond equally strongly to the environmental devastation and the community impacts."

Trevisan said that made it easy to talk about supporting the CWPA, and many road show attendees then wrote letters to their Congressional representatives asking them to support the bill.

"Numerous people seemed surprised at the audacity of the Bush Administration's Clean Water Act rule change (which changed the definition of fill to include waste from mining operations) which made valley fills legal," she explained. "At the end of the presentations people were very willing to write letters, and gave us a lot of good feedback - namely that they are concerned about this issue, and want to do what they can to stop it and move towards renewable energy."

Another highlight for Trevisan included the high school science teacher and her students who attended the Iowa presentation and committed to getting involved. Trevisan said overall, she enjoyed people becoming spurred into action after learning that just about everyone in the U.S. is affected by MTR - whether it's through their homes being powered by MTR coal, or by their homes being powered by companies who engage in MTR in Appalachia.

To learn more about mountaintop removal coal mining, check out the National Coal Campaign's MTR website.

All photos courtesy Lauren Trevisan.