Legislative Update: Quiet week allows fracked gas promos
May 21, 2021
After a hectic few weeks leading up to crossover, this was a quiet week at the NC General Assembly. Senate leadership grabbed the opening to use the gasoline shortage stemming from the Colonial Pipeline shutdown to promote fracked gas pipelines.
NC was a solar leader. How do we move back up the ranks?
May 19, 2021
Through 2019, North Carolina ranked second in the United States in installed solar capacity (meaning, not including rooftop solar), trailing only California. Last year, however, we dropped to third overall - and fifth based on solar added that year...
Legislative Update: Farm Act's 'lipstick on a pig' moves to House
May 14, 2021
Thursday was crossover day at the General Assembly, which made this one of the session's most hectic weeks. The Senate approved the Farm Act, decried by one opponent as “lipstick on a pig” - the pig being the antiquated lagoon-and-sprayfield hog...
News: Senate Approves Bill to Ease Hog Biogas Despite Opposition from Communities
May 11, 2021
The N.C. Senate voted Tuesday (May 11) to approve Senate Bill 605, "NC Farm Act of 2021." Section 11 of the bill would require the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to create a general permit for biogas production at North Carolina’s...
Legislative Update: Tree, PFAS bills move as legislature ramps up
May 7, 2021
This week was the busiest legislative week yet this year with lawmakers voting on hundreds of bills, including some that are helpful and some harmful to our environment. The negatives included a bill that would hamstring local government efforts to...
Legislative Update: DEQ secretary gets hearing amid pre-crossover haste
April 30, 2021
The NC General Assembly moved at a frenzied pace this week as legislators reviewed and voted on priority bills in advance of crossover and hundreds of new bills were filed. In addition, there was a Senate confirmation hearing for the recently named...
Meet the Sierrans who make our mission happen
April 26, 2021
In honor of National Volunteer Appreciation Week and Earth Day, we celebrated a few of the folks who give their time, energy and passion to safeguard our air and water, help people threatened by pollution, cherish our wild places and endangered...
Legislative Update: House votes reflect Earth Day spirit
April 22, 2021
This week at the NC General Assembly, the House seemed to get in the Earth Day spirit by moving forward helpful bills to address plastic waste, update a health standard for lead in water and restore dedicated conservation funding.
Which NC universities are stepping up to climate challenges?
April 20, 2021
College campuses use a lot of energy - some are the equivalent of small towns. So when they take steps to address climate change, such as making a carbon neutrality commitment, it can have a profound impact. What are North Carolina's colleges and...
Legislative Update: Spring brings no break in enviro bill filing
April 16, 2021
The N.C. General Assembly took a spring break last week, but there were still many new environmental bills filed, some helpful and others harmful. This week the pace of committees picked up as crossover looms on May 13th.