Northern Virginia Sierra Club Endorses Alan Howze for Arlington County Board

Campaign finance laws may let the Koch brothers spend as much as they want on elections, but they make it much harder for local conservation groups to get involved in local elections. Tax-exempt non-profits known as a 501c3s can't get involved in elections and it costs something like $10,000 to set up a 501c4 political wing, so if your group only has a budget of, say, $75,000 for the entire year, having a say in local politics can be prohibitively expensive.

The Sierra Club makes campaign endorsements a priority on the national, state and local levels, and it's desperately needed to elevate conservation and transit-oriented growth in races like this:

The Sierra Club is pleased to announce its endorsement of Alan Howze in the Democratic Caucus on January 30 and February 1 for the the Arlington County Board.

Running in a strong field, we are endorsing Mr. Howze given his depth of knowledge and understanding of the key environmental issues facing the County, including his support of the Columbia Pike streetcar, which the Sierra Club supports as vital to the future of the growing community along Columbia Pike. In endorsing Mr. Howze, we recognize that such a significant investment in transit will require close monitoring by the County Board and its staff. We applaud Mr. Howze all the more for so clearly outlining the long-term benefits of the streetcar, which the Sierra Club views as the defining transit investment in Arlington – perhaps as significant to the County in promoting smart growth as Metrorail was to the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor a few decades ago.

When I ran for Virginia House of Delegates in 2009, Alan was one of my Democratic primary opponents and I told campaign volunteers at the time that if I hadn't been running, I'd have voted for Alan. Considering the winner of that primary, Patrick Hope, has been a great delegate and one of Virginia's most progressive state legislators, that's saying something.

Since then, Alan has worked as a certified home energy auditor providing residential energy audits & efficiency improvements, served as president of the Highland Park-Overlee Knolls Civic Association, and has been active in local Democratic politics. Plus - and TOTALLY MOST IMPORTANTLY YOU GUYS - he was a supporter of Westover Beer Garden in its battle to protect fun from overzealous county regulators.

The proposed Columbia Pike Streetcar has become a key issue in this race and Alan understands that this issue isn't just about whether the project can pass some economist's dry cost-benefit analysis - Columbia Pike needs and deserves this investment. Throwing some new buses the Pike's way would save money, but it wouldn't provide the redevelopment spark of a permanent investment in streetcars, sending a clear message to prospective residents and businesses that pinching pennies mattered more than making life on the Pike better. Also, it's odd that one urban streetcar project would get such scrutiny when suburban road projects get truckloads of money dumped into them without the austerity crowd blinking an eye.

So if you're in Arlington, go vote for Alan in this weekend's Democratic caucus and in the special election in early April (date TBD). And even if you're not in Arlington, go like Alan's Facebook page, because conservation candidates everywhere deserve your support.

Video: Two Minute Drill on What's Wrong with Coal

New video from the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign:

 

More Coal Closures in Midwest - When Will MA Go Coal-Free?

The Sierra Club is announcing a big victory for clean air and climate action in the Midwest today:

Today a coalition of citizen groups, states and U.S. EPA announced a landmark settlement agreement with American Electric Power (AEP) requiring AEP to stop burning coal by 2015 at three power plants in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. AEP also agreed to replace a portion of these coal plants with new wind and solar investments in Indiana and Michigan, bringing more clean energy on line to meet the region’s electricity needs. [...]

Coal-fired power plants are the nation’s largest source of mercury, sulfur dioxide (SO2) pollution, carbon pollution and many other deadly pollutants that can trigger heart attacks and contribute to respiratory problems. According to estimates from the Clean Air Task Force, 203 deaths, 310 heart attacks, 3,160 asthma attacks, and 188 emergency room visits per year will be averted once the Muskingum River, Tanners Creek and Big Sandy power plants stop burning coal.

Aside from the obvious climate and public health benefits, ratepayers in Ohio should be cheering this long-overdue move to get Ohio off its addiction to one source of energy. In 2009, Ohio was getting a ridiculous 84 percent of its energy from coal. That dropped to 78 percent by 2011, but with coal prices rising, natural gas prices plummeting and the cost of wind and solar dropping by the day, diversifying Ohio's electric portfolio is just good business.

We've nearly weaned ourselves off of coal here in Massachusetts, but the Mt. Tom plant in Holyoke and the Brayton Point station near Fall River remain. (I'm sure it's just a coincidence that the only coal plants left are near poor urban areas.)

Tell Gov. Deval Patrick you want Massachusetts to go coal-free - and while you're at it, show your support for building Cape Wind now.

Dominion Virginia Power Proves the Sierra Club Right

Dominion Virginia Power CEO Paul Koonce has an op-ed in today's Washington Post responding to a recent evisceration of Dominion by Virginia Sierra Club Vice Chair Ivy Main. She'd made three key charges:

1. Dominion is using pre-existing hydro power or biomass projects of dubious environmental value for renewable energy credits
2. Dominion is not building large-scale solar and wind projects in Virginia to deliver that energy to Virginia customers
3. Dominion is insanely planning to slap a massive fee on customers who install their own solar power

Koonce's response?

Our renewable generation includes one of the largest biomass plants in the East, taking advantage of one of Virginia’s richest renewable resources. Four more biomass projects are in various stages of construction or development. We operate several hydroelectric facilities and have announced plans for solar arrays on commercial and public buildings. Other Dominion companies operate large wind farms in Indiana and West Virginia.

That's Koonce's big rebuttal? That Dominion DOES rely heavily on existing hydro & questionable biomass, ISN'T currently building solar or wind in Virginia ... oh, and the massive fees on renewable energy? The CEO of Dominion, which earned $1 billion in profit in the first 9 months of 2011 alone, calls them "simple matter of fairness."

He might as well have written, "The 1% don't have to explain themselves to people like you."

Dominion's Energy Tyranny: Where's the Outrage from the Tea Party & Ken Cuccinelli?

Virginia's 2007 energy re-regulation bill was a terrible idea from the start. It was essentially written by Dominion Virginia Power and rubber-stamped into law by the Virginia General Assembly & Gov. Tim Kaine, who showed no interest in challenging one of Virginia's top sources of money in politics.

Five years later, as Virginia Sierra Club Vice Chair Ivy Main writes in the Washington Post, Virginia taxpayers are seeing huge costs and little benefit:

Yes, the Dominion family owns some wind farms, one just across the state line in West Virginia. But we aren’t getting a single electron of that energy, because Dominion sells it to other states that have much tougher standards for what counts as renewable energy. For us in Virginia, Dominion buys cheap certificates that no one else wants.

That’s a great deal for Dominion. According to the Southern Environmental Law Center, $1.7 million could buy enough of these certificates to satisfy Dominion’s 2010 RPS targets, qualifying the company to collect an extra $76 million over two years from its ratepayers.

Worse yet, Dominion is aggressively using its monopoly power to target any small businesses who try to sell clean energy to customers in Virginia:

The State Corporation Commission recently granted Dominion’s request to impose a “standby” charge of up to $60 per month on customers who install solar projects in the 10- to 20-kilowatt range (about twice the size of an average home’s usage). It’s enough to make these projects uneconomic and destroy the market for them. At a time when Dominion claims we need to build more power to meet demand, it is doing its best to keep small businesses from doing precisely that.

Even worse is its treatment of a Staunton-based solar company called Secure Futures, which has stepped up to the plate to put solar installations on university campuses, using a third-party power purchase agreement to ease financing. This summer, Dominion hit Secure Futures with “cease and desist” letters, claiming it can’t legally sell solar power to Washington and Lee University within Dominion’s exclusive service territory under Virginia law. Dominion, you understand, will not sell solar power to Washington and Lee, but it seems determined to make sure no one else does, either.

Where are Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli & his Tea Party friends as Dominion treads on the rights of small businesses and Virginia energy customers? Shouldn't they be screaming about activist judges and goverment stifling liberty? Or does Tea Party outrage not cover regulations that enrich its polluting benefactors?

Want to tell Dominion to create jobs and clean our air by investing in wind power? Sign the Virginia Sierra Club's petition to Dominion CEO Tom Farrell.

Blame Canada: Another Dirty Energy Threat

Just two days ago, I was telling you about the threat posed by Canadian tar sands giant TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline proposal. Today Mary Rafferty of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter has an op-ed in the Danville Register & Bee detailing how another energy company with ties north of the border wants to play a high stakes game with Virginia's uranium deposits:

Uranium mining would benefit other nations, not America: Despite the downhome name, Virginia Uranium Inc. is a majority-Canadian owned company.

While some of the uranium mined and milled in Virginia might eventually be sold in this country, it will be part of a global market. If extracted and processed today, uranium from Coles Hill would most likely be sent to countries with the highest demand, mainly China and India. According to a letter published last week, VUI’s lead lobbyist Whitt Clement even agrees that uranium produced in Virginia may not stay in America.

All that can be guaranteed to stay in Virginia is the 29 million tons of mill tailing waste that would be created by the project.

What's "mill tailing waste"? This by-product of uranium mining needs to be stored for up to 1,000 years because it's radioactive and harms human health. It's worth repeating: This one project at Coles Hill would generate up to 29 million tons of radioactive mill tailings waste, plus associated waste water and chemicals in the tailings.

While the uranium industry would have us believe we have to choose between a healthy environment & a thriving economy, the truth is the two are interdependent. The real question is whether Southside will choose a clean energy future - or sign its future over to the uranium mining industry.

Saturday: Canvass for Climate Champs Connolly & Moran

Northern Virginia Congressmen Gerry Connolly & Jim Moran were two of the American Clean Energy & Security Act's biggest supporters, helping them earn the Sierra Club's endorsement. On Saturday, the Sierra Club will join with Arlington Young Democrats, Organizing for America & others to say thanks:

Date: Saturday, October 9, 2010
Time: 2:30 PM
Location: Woodrow Wilson Library, 6101 Knollwood Dr, Falls Church, VA

Let's go door to door and spread the word about what this election means for our country, our environment and our future!

Hope you can spare a couple of hours to help out! RSVP at MyBO or on Facebook.

Sierra Club Flunks McDonnell on Chesapeake Bay

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell ran claiming to be a sensible moderate. But his governance record is clear -- from trying to privatize Virginia ABC stores at a massive loss to taxpayers to ignoring Metro's desperate need for funding, Bob McDonnell puts big business first & the little guy last.

Nowhere does that record become more stark than on environmental issues. McDonnell has made it clear that the agricultural interests like cigarette companies & pork processors that have given him over $1 million come first & the Chesapeake Bay comes last.

Now the Virginia Sierra Club has issued its Chesapeake Bay Report Card, making it clear that when it comes to the Bay, Bob McDonnell has been a total failure:

McDonnell: Meh, Chesapeake Bay Fine The Way It Is

Dead zones spawned by runoff from farm fields, urban sprawl & inadequate water treatment plants? Crab populations constantly on the brink of collapse? Oysters in need of human helping hands just to survive? Watermen having to go to court to preserve their way of life?

Gov. Bob McDonnell's response: Sounds fine to me!

The restoration plan developed by Virginia offers tax incentives to farmers to use pollution- and erosion-reducing practices, yet still estimates the cost to agriculture could range up to $800 million. It also calls for the expansion of other programs intended to limit bay pollution.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation was unsparing in its criticism, saying the plan lacks details and is "stunningly deficient on how the commonwealth will implement many of these proposals."

J.R. Tolbert, assistant director of the Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club, said the plan relies too heavily on voluntary measures and General Assembly passage of program expansions aimed at a cleaner bay. He called it a "status quo" plan.

"I think our governor has an approach that the free market is going to solve all the problems of the world," Tolbert said. "We've spent the last 25 years relying on the free market to clean up the Chesapeake Bay and, while we've made a little bit of progress, we have failed time and time again."

Considering McDonnell has gotten more than $1.1 million from agriculture interests in his career, should we be surprised who he's looking out for here?

Today at 2pm: Chap Petersen Live Blog at HR Sierra Club

Just a quick heads up that State Sen. Chap Petersen, one of the Virginia General Assembly's leading advocates of energy & environment reform, will be taking questions at the Hampton Roads Sierra Club's blog at 2pm today.

Wednesday: Sierra Club Forum on Energy in Ballston

The Green Miles will be moderating a forum on energy and the environment tomorrow night in Ballston:

Town Hall Meeting -- Achieving an Energy Efficient Virginia
Wednesday, November 12, 7:30 pm
NRECA Building, 4301 Wilson Blvd, Arlington

Energy efficiency is the most cost effective, least polluting, and safest way to meet increasing electricity demand. Energy efficiency programs are an investment in a state's economy that encourages innovation, creates non-exportable jobs, and increases competitiveness. What's more, energy efficiency can meet new electricity demand for 50% of the cost of new generation. Unfortunately, Virginia has lagged behind other states in establishing and funding efficiency programs.

Speakers at the Town Hall meeting will review the methods for creating and managing electrical energy efficiency programs and recommend the best and most relevant ones to be used to craft a strong, viable program for Virginia.

The meeting will be held at the NRECA Building, 4301 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, which is within 5 minutes of the Ballston Metro. Parking is also free under the building from North Taylor Street.

The event is being organized by the Sierra Club's Mount Vernon Group. Scheduled speakers include current Arlington County Board Chair Walter Tejada and past chair Paul Ferguson. Hope to see you there!

New Details on How to Comment on Kaine's Energy Plan

The Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy has released details on how to give your feedback on Gov. Tim Kaine's Virginia Energy Plan. You can submit short comments online or submit long comments via e-mail (not sure how/why they're separating the two).

For more details, you can visit energy plan website or download the complete PDF document (5.5MB). You can also read The Green Miles' review of the the Virginia Energy Plan or the Sierra Club's alternative Citizens Energy Plan (777K PDF).

Think Green, Vote Blue

Don't forget to get out and vote today! More than any single thing you could do individually, voting for environmentally-conscious candidates is the best thing you can do to fight global warming. Elected officials have the power to implement policies and use the state's purchasing power to drive rapid change.

Here in Arlington, we're lucky enough to have plenty of candidates who understand the threat posed by global warming. But generally speaking in statewide elections, unless you're lucky enough to have a strong Green Party candidate running in your district, if you're going to be green, you have to vote Democratic. While some individual Republican candidates may be friendly to the environment, their party leadership long ago chose to back big business and fossil fuels over our environment and public health.

It's something the Sierra Club didn't get when it endorsed Lincoln Chafee last year, prompting Kos to say, "This may very well be the most moronic move by any organization this election cycle." And it's apparently something the Virginia League of Conservation Voters doesn't get either as it endorses a long line of Republicans.

For example, I understand Republican Del. Bob Marshall takes good stands on environmental issues. But Marshall is in a close race against Democratic challenger Bruce Roemmelt. Let's say Democrats pick up eight other seats in the House and this race decides control. Marshall's individual positive environmental vote could not outweigh his party's ability to kill environmental legislation in committee before it ever reaches the House floor. Even though he's not as strong on environmental issues in general, you'd clearly want Roemmelt in that case to give you a much more environmentally friendly House leadership.

So if you'd want the Democrat in that case, why wouldn't you want the Democrat in every case?

Three EnviroEvents Next Week

A few environmental events coming up next week! First, there's ...

Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment Volunteer Overview
Monday, September 17, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Arlington Central Library Auditorium, 1015 N. Quincy St. (nearest Metro: Ballston)

An overview of volunteer opportunities with ACE, the only group working exclusively on protecting Arlington’s environment. Learn about the following activities: leading service projects, board committees, newsletter writing, water stewardship teams, community wildlife habitat project, and more. Join us following the presentation for a social hour at a nearby restaurant. More information or register at volunteer@arlingtonenvironment.org or 703-228-6406.

Then on Tuesday night ...

Launching Virginia's Global Warming Action Team - National Environmental Trust
Tuesday, Sept 18, 2007, 6-7:30pm
Lee Community Center, 5722 Lee Highway

The time is here - Congress is finally making plans to tackle global warming. We need to make sure these plans coincide with what scientists say is necessary. Join your neighbors, from concerned citizens to volunteers within the civic, environmental and faith communities to find out how we can help Senator Webb and Senator Warner be leaders on this issue. Scientist have determined the US must cut global warming pollutants 80% by 2050 and say that we must act now to avoid the worst impacts of global warming. On September 18, 2007 find out how you can be part of this solution. Please RSVP by Monday, September 17, 2007 (w/ Veggie or Meat option) to mary@greencorps.org.

And at 7:30pm, all the NET people will head to ...

Sierra Club and Beer Night
September 18, 7:00 pm
Carpool, 4000 Fairfax Drive (nearest Metro: Ballston)

Join fellow Mount Vernon Group members for free beer, a few games of pool, and good conversation! The Sierra Club and Beer happy hour will take place on September 18 from 7-9 pm at Carpool in Arlington. Carpool is located at 4000 Fairfax Drive. Visit Carpool's website for menus, directions and more.

The Green Miles hopes to check out all three. Hope to see you around!

Burning More Coal, Drilling for Oil, and Splitting Atoms: Meet Gov. Kaine's Energy Plan

I give up. I'm moving to Montreal so I can be there when global warming makes its weather more like Boston's is today.

My friend Lowell at RaisingKaine.com just pointed me to Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine's newly-released Virginia Energy Plan (news release, full report). Here are the highlights:

- Virginia will not stop burning coal for you or for anyone else. We also will not burn less. In fact, we'll actually burn even more.
- Search the entire document and you will not find the words "mountaintop removal." Let's pretend it doesn't exist, mmmkay?
- "Coastal energy production" sounds so much nicer than "drilling off Virginia's coast so we can have more oil to burn," doesn't it?
- Massive taxpayer subsidies should be given to Dominion Virginia Power to build new nuclear power plants.
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs will save us. (For why they'll help but won't do nearly enough on their own, click here.)

Adding to The Green Miles' frustration, the Washington Post's article on the energy plan appears to be rife with factual errors:

- "Gov. Timothy M. Kaine unveiled long-range health-care and energy plans Wednesday that would slash the number of uninsured Virginians and dramatically reduce energy consumption."
False. You'd think they could get through the first sentence without an inaccuracy, wouldn't you? Energy use would actually rise under the plan, just at a slower rate. It's right on page 8 of the report, Figure 1-8.

- "One aspect of the plan calls for the state to reduce the energy it uses by 40 percent over the next decade."
Still, in fact, false. The plan calls for reducing the rate of growth of energy use by 40 percent. Energy use would continue to rise. And page 20, the report calls for increasing in-state energy production by 20 percent over projected 2017 levels. Did the reporter even read the plan?

- "Kaine (D) calls for a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025."
Sorta. That's one way of putting it. It's the way the press release put it, so why wouldn't the reporter reguritate it unchallenged, right? Another way of putting it is that Virginia will only reduce carbon emissions to 2000 levels.

- "Virginia could become a leader in efforts to combat global warming if lawmakers embrace the plan."
Batshit insane. The Republican governors of California and Florida have committed to cutting carbon emissions 20% off 1990 levels by 2050. They're the leaders. And under the Western Climate Initiative, Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington have all already committed to steeper cuts than Kaine is even proposing (read the full plan), and that's before the Republican-controlled House of Delegates gets a chance to soften it up.

But apparently the Virginia Conservation Network likes the plan. Which raises the question, how bad would the plan have to be for them to not like it?

Where's a renewable portfolio standard? Where's cutting our greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050, the amount scientists say is needed to avoid the worst effects of global warming? Where's decoupling?

A better plan comes from the Virginia Sierra Club, which has issued its Citizens Energy Plan. Let's hope the governor's paying attention.

Sierra Club's "Pick Your Poison": Are All Oil Companies the Same?

The Green Miles' sweet ride got a new addition this week when my Sierra Club air freshener arrived in the mail! Like with any air freshener, its pine scent was a little, um, bold at first, but it softened up after a couple of days.

I got the air freshener free from SierraClub.org. It's part of their Pick Your Poison report, rating the environmental record of each of the major oil companies. Here are the results with links to the full write-ups of each of the companies:

Top of the Barrel

BP

Sunoco

Middle of the Barrel
Royal Dutch Shell
Chevron
Valero Energy Corporation
Citgo

Bottom of the Barrel

Exxon Mobil

ConocoPhillips

Reports like this are perfect for making sure my consumer choices reflect my climate conscience. Is there a term for that? I don't think so, therefore I'm making one up right now -- climate consumerism. Done.

The air fresheners take it one step further, getting that clear, concise information to the exact place I need it as I'm making your choices. Unfortunately, the Sierra Club's website now says they're out of the air fresheners.

Obviously there's not going to be a BP or Sunoco around the corner every time I need to gas up. But in the long term, it'll help direct my dollars away from climate deniers and towards oil companies that are taking some steps to reduce their environmental impact.

Tomorrow: Urge Senate to Pass Strong Bills on Global Warming, Energy

My friend and fellow ACE volunteer Rick just passed this along:

URGENT: Global Warming Activists Needed!

8-9 AM, Friday, June 8, 2007 (meet at 7:45 AM)

Intersection of Lee Highway & N Quincy St, Arlington, VA (high-traffic intersection with multiple gas stations & auto dealers)

WHAT: Visibility Event to Support Good Senate Bills on Energy and Global Warming and Fight Off Bad Provisions like Liquid Coal

ACTION NEEDED: Help us hold signs and encourage drivers to call Senators Warner and Webb to support responsible energy and global warming bills.

For more information and to RSVP, contact Chris Carney at the Sierra Club!