Notes from Lisa

"Redneck Legacy" & Mountaintop Removal Mining: Thoughts on a Presentation by a West Virginia Activist

Chuck Keeney, from Friends of Blair Mountain, gave a fabulous presentation at Bowdoin College last night on the history of coal mining and the unionization of miners in West Virginia. His great grandfather played a central role in the miners’ early resistance to coal company exploitation that eventually led to the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921. This was one of the largest civil uprisings in United States history and the largest armed insurrection since the Civil War. For five days in Logan County, West Virginia, around 10,000 coal miners confronted an army of 30,000 police and strikebreakers backed by coal operators. The battle ended after the U.S. Army intervened by presidential order.

This longstanding resistance to the coal companies, according to Chuck, is not taught in school textbooks anywhere in Appalachia but is passed down through storytelling from generation to generation. The United Mine Workers were strong in West Virginia for about 50 years but as coal companies turned to mountain top removal and the greater use of machinery, the number of workers was halved, and the strength of the unions has been weakened. The coal company lobby remains stronger than ever, and the devastation left by continued mountaintop removal mining is horrific, now covering an area the size of Delaware in moonscapes across Appalachia. Chuck listed off a deeply disturbing list of human health problems in areas where mountaintop mining takes place: cancer rates double in towns around mountaintop removal mining; there’s an increased rate of brain tumors and birth defects. There’s also increased flooding; water resources in these areas becomes poisoned. Hear Chuck talk about some of these environmental impacts on this short YouTube video we put together from the event.

Brownie Carson, NRCM’s former executive director, and Henry Heyburn (link), current NRCM board member, both originally from the Appalachia region, participated in the 2011 March on Blair Mountain along the route of the 1921 march of the miners to battle. NRCM took the opportunity of this presentation to call upon the audience to support the recently released, first-ever carbon emissions standards  for new power plants issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. These draft rules are a critical first step in addressing climate change, which is why they will be heavily lobbied against by the same coal companies that Chuck says still rule West Virginia today. Across the country, we are working to collect over one million supportive comments on the rules in the next few months. Please take a minute and write a comment here and we will deliver it to the EPA. Thank you!

Lisa Pohlmann, Executive Director

Related: Take Action: the Carbon Emission Standard

             Take Action: Mercury and Air Toxics Standard

Why the Rush? Last-minute Bills Undermine Democracy

There are bills that have been introduced in this “emergency” second year of the legislative session that are truly alarming for those of us who care about Maine’s environment. We knew when the session started in January that some of them were coming. We knew that we faced the “takings” bill that would require taxpayers to pay landowners to obey the law when environmental protections negatively impact property values. The bill to weaken the ability of the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) to protect Maine’s North Woods was in play. Others appeared early in the session, such as a bill to restrict the public from appealing agency decisions (LD 1647) and the bill to ban dam removals (LD 1718). You have been with us, turning out for hearings, calling your legislators, and writing letters that appeared in your newspapers. You have made a positive difference in how legislators are dealing with these bills as we get closer to the finish line. Elements of some of these harmful bills are still in play and will be through next week at least.

But in the final days of this session, there is a new “sneak attack.” A truckload of bad bills were introduced just recently with the clear intention of ramming them through with little public notice or debate. This is not against the rules; it’s just very bad process. This late in the session, bills can be introduced with only 24 hours notice to the public. Who has time to take off work and come to testify with that kind of short notice? What kind of window does that allow for you to learn about the bill and call your legislator? Such an onslaught of bills on so many fronts borders on being undemocratic. These proposals have been rejected before or are, understandably, unpopular with most Maine people.

These late bill introductions are also meant to tie the hands of groups like the Natural Resources Council of Maine, who carefully anticipate, track, analyze, and strategize around all bills that could have an impact on Maine’s environment. It is our role to keep our members informed and poised for action. NRCM supporters care deeply about clean water, clean air, protecting special places—the qualities that make Maine special. As we have seen this session and going back decades, when given enough notice, you contact your legislators and participate in the public dialogue of letters-to-the-editor where issues are considered openly and on a reasonable timeline.

So we were shocked and outraged when a bill to gut Maine’s mining laws (LD 1853) suddenly appeared just last week. This sweeping, complex bill was drafted by Nevada lawyers and the Pierce Atwood law firm in Maine. Maine’s existing mining standards took 18 months to write, yet LD 1853 was released for “public review” less than 24 hours before the public hearing. Now Pierce Atwood is pressing hard for the bill to be adopted immediately. J.D. Irving, Limited, from Canada, wants to create a huge open-pit mine in Maine’s North Woods and this bill would open the door for mining everywhere in the state. Such projects could seriously pollute our water and land, putting the health of wildlife and people at risk. We are working with the legislators on both sides of the aisle to beat back this misguided bill.

Another example is the late introduction of Governor LePage’s four bad energy bills intended to destroy the independence of Efficiency Maine and undermine Maine’s renewable energy progress. These are issues that Maine people and businesses care deeply about, but Governor LePage apparently has decided to subsidize Canadian government-owned Hydro Quebec, and allow it to flood the Maine market and undercut the Maine businesses and jobs in Maine’s growing renewable energy industry. Bringing these controversial bills to the table so late in the session flies in the face of the “transparency” the Administration has been touting.

NRCM’s job is harder than ever, but I am proud of our dedicated staff that works at the State House every day and late into the evening talking to legislators and gathering information so we can share it with you. We don’t like the way this process is playing out but we are determined to make sure your voices are heard from near and far, and to fight for what we know is right. And I’m proud of you. Some of you have made it to hearings and called your legislators despite the last-minute calls to action.

Your voices are so critical. Thank you. We will continue to keep you informed and ready for the next step.

Lisa Pohlmann, NRCM Executive Director

Related:
No Gold Rush Mentality on Mining Rules

Maine Lawmakers Should Not Back New Energy Policy

Daffodils, Tornadoes, and Global Warming

I’ve been traveling lately. I recently vacationed on the Florida Keys where it was so unseasonably hot one day in late February that locals remarked how odd it was. And I just returned from a meeting in Washington, D.C., where daffodils were already in bloom and the annual Cherry Blossom Festival has been moved up two weeks.

Sound nice? Not really. In Maine we received a blanket of snow last week, but overall those of us who live in typically snowy states have had a warm and relatively snowless winter. Meanwhile, Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois are picking up from a series of devastating tornadoes that took the lives of dozens of people and left behind a long and tragic path of destruction. 

We are seeing signs of climate change everywhere: from severe weather and ocean acidification to melting glaciers, eroding shorelines, and northern shifts in the ranges of plants and animals.

Maine has experienced our share of extreme weather, and the consequences of global warming that will result in sea-level rise are on the minds of many of us. NRCM produced maps showing the impact of sea-level rise on a number of Maine’s coastal communities. The city of Portland has taken this threat seriously and has begun to consider how it might deal with rising sea levels. For the third time, the Sebago Lake Fishing Derby, a local and much-loved tradition that has attracted as many as 6,000 anglers in years past, was canceled due to lack of ice, and this year was the earliest cancellation ever: February 2.

A new study by the USDA shows that Maine—and the nation—are getting increasingly hotter, as shown in their new map of hardiness zones, the reference book for farmers and gardeners who use it to determine which plants will best thrive in a particular geographic area. Based on real temperatures for the last 30 years, parts of Maine have moved into a warmer growing zone. Is Maine on track for a shift that makes our temperatures here feel more like Washington, D.C., as experts have suggested?

The EPA soon will be coming out with new standards for climate-changing pollution for power plants. As Scientific American reports, the U.S. currently has about 500 fossil fuel-fired power plants and 150 oil refineries. Together, they emit more than 2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other global warming pollution per year, accounting for nearly 40 percent of total emissions in the U.S.

The EPA’s new standards are critical to address climate change, and we should all be cheering. Here in Maine, where our environment is woven into our economy and our way of life, we know and care deeply about what’s at stake. To stay informed about this issue, join the Natural Resources Council of Maine's Action Network. We’ll let you know when you will have the opportunity to weigh in on the new standards and call upon Maine’s delegation to support them.

Lisa Pohlmann, Executive Director
 
Related:
Publication: Global Warming in Maine: Warning Signs, Winning Solutions

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Global Warming Brings More Oddball Winter Weather to Maine

A Gift of Clean Air

Yesterday, the EPA released new standards for power plant emissions that will significantly cut emissions of mercury, arsenic, acid gases and other toxics from power plants. This is great holiday news for Maine, since we are located downwind from coal-burning power plants to the South and West that have polluted our air, lakes, and streams for too long.

Earlier this week, NRCM met our coalition partners in downtown Portland to highlight the importance of these rules with a press conference featuring physicians, a biologist, and parents— and even a “real” Santa putting “clean air” and “healthy kids” packages in our stockings— thwarting the Grinch, who was there symbolizing out-of-state polluters, with bags of dirty coal.

We need Senators Snowe and Collins to join us in the spirit of giving clean air to the people of Maine, and to stand up for these new standards and against attacks and delay tactics from their Congressional counterparts. I can’t think of a better gift for us all! Happy Holidays from all of us at NRCM, and thanks for all you do for Maine's environment.

Lisa Pohlmann
Executive Director

I'm Dipping - Are You? Discount Ends Today!

Today is the last day for early bear registration for NRCM’s Polar Dip and Dash on New Year’s Eve. C’mon! Take the plunge with me and help fight climate change so we can keep that old Atlantic Ocean plenty cold like it should be. Get all the details and watch our fun (short!) video here to find out how you can help us get my friend Dylan out of that pesky polar bear suit! Thanks. Register now and save!

Who Wants Dirty Air from Away? Not Us!

The EPA has finalized the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule to reduce harmful emissions from power plants in the eastern half of the U.S. These clean air protections are called for under the Clean Air Act and protect people in states like Maine, that are downwind from polluting plants in other states. Maine is expected to see $490 million in health benefits each year from this measure. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose since our power generators are not subject to these requirements. But entrenched coal and oil interests are trying to block this – as usual. Senator Rand Paul is trying to do so using the Congressional Review Act and is pushing for a vote next week. We need to make sure Senators Snowe and Collins do not go along with this. I urge you to call their Portland offices today and tell them to reject the Rand CRA and stand up for clean air in Maine.

Senator Susan Collins: (207) 780-3575
Senator Olympia Snowe: (207) 874-0883

Lisa Pohlmann
NRCM Executive Director

Don't Be Afraid to Take the Plunge!

You know what’s scary? Global warming. Imagine what it could do to Maine’s coastline. To our lobster fisheries. To our ski and foliage season. Image our beautiful beaches washed away and our kids with more asthma.

You can take action to help keep this from happening. Join NRCM for our Polar Bear Dip and Dash on December 31^st. This special event was created to raise awareness about a cleaner energy future for Maine and to raise fund for NRCM’s work for clean energy and efficiency. Please join me in taking the plunge.

To help inspire you, we’ve put together this fun video about a man (NRCM's own Dylan Voorhees!) stuck in a polar bear costume: http://nrcm.typepad.com/nrcminsider/2011/10/man-trapped-in-polar-bear-costume.html

Sign-up now at http://www.nrcm.org/dipdash.asp and take advantage of our early-“bear” registration fee! Don’t let a little cold water scare you!

Happy Halloween!

The Last of My Dahlias

The other night, I was outside at 10 p.m. cutting a big bouquet of the last of my dahlias before the frost that finally came. Beautiful!

But I had to ask myself, why do I have dahlias in the final days of October at all? When I moved to Maine 30 years ago there were no flowers much after Labor Day.
 
There also were no ticks to speak of but this week I pulled four off my cat. I worry about this for many reasons, including because of Lyme disease, especially considering how widespread and numerous ticks have become in reason years.

Today, the weather forecast is calling for six inches of snow—and it's only October 29th!
 
Climate change is real. That’s why we need to get going on clean energy and energy efficiency. Please help by collecting signatures on November 8th for a 2012 citizen’s ballot measure that will protect the nature of maine by reducing pollution, create jobs, and improve our economy. Contact Emmie at emmie@nrcm.org if you can offer a few hours. Find out more about this urgent new citizen's initiative today!

Today's Big Announcement

Today, NRCM, along with a diverse coalition, announced the launch of Maine Citizens for Clean Energy, a new ballot initiative to increase Maine’s energy independence, protect Maine’s environment and people by reducing pollution, create jobs, and improve our economy. Climate change is the greatest threat facing our state, our nation, and our planet. We can’t wait any longer for policy-makers to agree on solutions equal to the scale of the threats. We are taking it to the voters with a ballot initiative for 2012 that will put Mainers back to work and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger economy and a cleaner environment.

Businesses and workers, doctors and nurses, environmentalists and entrepreneurs are part of the coalition working together on this extremely important initiative, which we kicked off this morning in Bangor at a press conference. Here are a few of the stories that have already emerged:

• http://bangordailynews.com/2011/10/27/business/coalition-kicks-off-ballot-initiative-to-reduce-energy-costs/
• http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/18666/Default.aspx
• http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9QKPMBG0.htm

To succeed, we need your help to start collecting signatures right away – on Election Day, Tuesday November 8, 2011. Please help us by collecting signatures from your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers. If you can help us, please email Emmie Theberge at emmie@nrcm.org or call her at (207) 430-0105. Please forward this message to your friends and family.

Download a factsheet and check our website for today’s press announcement and news coverage.

Solar’s Heating Up!

Nice to see that the price of solar energy installation is coming down and becoming more accessible. http://www.pressherald.com/news/solar-rising-with-tax-credits-lower-costs_2011-10-23.html?cmpid=morning-news-update-html

I’ve been hoping solar panels would be like flat screen TVs and computers—most of us should be able to buy them someday. I imagine a world where we are all running our homes on solar. Meanwhile, the federal tax credits have been crucial public investments to give the technology—and business and homeowners—a boost.

Lisa Pohlmann
NRCM Executive Director