HBG September Program
September 10 @ 7 PM: Traveling in Cuba - Three Different Approaches, by Will Skelton, Steve Hancock, Bob Grimac
Tennessee Valley Unitarian-Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike
CUBA: NOW IS THE TIME TO VISIT! Three Knoxvillians have recently visited Cuba and will talk and show photos of their trips. They report that it is safe, easy to visit, inexpensive, and well worth seeing with friendly people, excellent food, wonderful culture, music and dance, scenic vistas, and of course a history lesson. Steve Hancock has done three recent bicycle trips in Cuba, Bob Grimac spent time in Havana living with a local friend, and Will Skelton and Amy Neff did a more traditional visit but using a local Cuba owned travel agency. Cuba remains somewhat of a museum of the past, with colonial Spanish and French architecture along with international styles of the early 20th century, automobiles from the 1950’s, and almost no American companies (i.e. McDonalds), all of which will change in time, so now is the time to see it.
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Newsflash
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture just announced the transfer of 2,690 acres of the Cedars of Lebanon State Forest to the TN Department of Environment and Conservation. This allows for the conservation of native species and the eventual construction of a trail connecting Cedars of Lebanon State Park to Long Hunter State Park through Wilson County, and along Percy Priest Lake. This has been a long-time goal of TN Sierra Club ExCom member Cris Corley. See Sierra Club's letter supporting the swap at http://bit.ly/2YRbddn , and the June 27 TN Dept of Agriculture Announcement at http://bit.ly/2MdC1xP.
The United Methodist Church supports fight against climate change . . . "Big and painful changes in a short window of time are the only way to preserve planet Earth’s ability to continue hosting human life. That was the consensus at the 2019 United Methodist Creation Care Summit.” Read the July 16 article by Jim Patterson online at: http://bit.ly/2Mdl5Yf.
Knoxville Signs on to Climate Mayors EV Purchasing Collaborative. Knoxville is one of 142 U.S. cities and counties that have committed to purchase over 2,100 electric vehicles before the end of 2020, as part of the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative. The Collaborative provides training, best practices, educational resources, and analysis to create a one-stop shop to support electric vehicle transitions for public fleets. Many municipalities will purchase these vehicles through group-buy platforms designed to mitigate electric vehicle and charging infrastructure costs for local government and other fleets. To learn more, visit http://bit.ly/2H1sfKZ and http://bit.ly/31w4mmG.
Related news from Chattanooga - CARTA diesel buses out, electric buses in thanks to $2.2 million grant. "The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority will be replacing its diesel buses with all-electric buses thanks to a $2.2 million federal grant announced this week.” See the July 30 article by Meg Scarbrough -Times Free Press: http://bit.ly/2KEZvJ8.
We only earned a grade of “D. Tennessee earned a grade of “D” in the US PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) study of the "performance" of the 50 states + DC + Puerto Rico regarding their use of VW Diesel mitigation funds. They found that most states have not done a very good job, in terms of addressing the negative impacts of diesel powered vehicles on public health and the environment. Tennessee has been given 4 points out of 8 in the scorecard that USPIRG created and used. PIRG calls that a "D". The small bit of good news is that only 15 states got a better score than TN. See the “scorecard” at: http://bit.ly/2YZUAYl.
Remember the snail darter? "Small Tennessee fish that made big headlines no longer needs federal protection, conservation group argues." See the See the Times Free Press July 18 article by Mark Pace at: http://bit.ly/31wTm8z.
Bill Lee visits West Tennessee to survey 'historic' flooding, talk creative solutions. This article talks about historic record-breaking and sustained flooding issues along the Mississippi. Funny, there’s no mention of climate change? (Last remark by the editor of HBG e-news.) See the July 17 Jackson Sun article by Cassandra Stephenson: http://bit.ly/2ON03Sj.
Union of Concerned Scientists forecast "A hotter future that’s hard to imagine.” The recent (July, 2019) report—titled "Killer Heat in the United States: Climate Choices and the Future of Dangerously Hot Days,” was published this July. Read the summary in the July 16 issue of Common Dreams, by John Queally http://bit.ly/2MYWOoo, or see the entire report at: http://bit.ly/2ZVbwRd.
"We have to increase food production without expanding land and without adding more fertilizer and using more water.” This quote is from Tim Searchinger of Princeton University and the World Resources Institute. He added that we also need to reduce our greenhouse gases from agricultural production by two-thirds in the same time frame! Read about it in a July 18 article by Georgia Gustin in Inside Climate News:
http://bit.ly/2KsYlS7.
Related items - August 8 New York Times piece "Climate Change Threatens the World’s Food Supply, United Nations Warns": https://nyti.ms/2ZVetkp and underlying research in the August 2019 IPCC report on agriculture and land use: http://bit.ly/2MSKDcV.
Bristol, Tenn., company fined $200K for polluting creek. Necessary Oil Co. says it’s a “misunderstanding?” See the July 23 article by Leif Greiss in the Bristol Herald Courier: http://bit.ly/2H1aJ9S.
Nashvillian works to introduce solar in places where it has yet to take off and to people who may not think that solar is for them. Nashville Public Radio calls it "A Mission To Bring Solar Energy To Communities Of Color.” Read the July 24 writeup by Andrea Hsu online at: http://bit.ly/2yS8hOo.
CNN and MSNBC announced climate-focused events featuring 2020 Democratic presidential primary candidates. Kudos to the SunRise movement for encouraging these critically important events. See the July 26 writeup by Jessica Corbett at: http://bit.ly/2YEqi1Y.
12 Years to Save the Planet? Make That 18 Months . . . "While the world can't be healed within the next few years, it may be fatally wounded by negligence until 2020," said Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, founder and now director emeritus of the Potsdam Climate Institute.” See the July 25 aricle by Matt McGrath in Common Dreams at: http://bit.ly/2MYIADW.
Trump EPA Proposes Weaker Coal Ash Rules, More Use at Construction Sites. (editor’s comment: Why am I not surprised?). The August 1 article by James Bruggers is in Inside Climate News: http://bit.ly/2OSXazI.
Finally, a bit of good news for jaguars, frogs, fish, birds, delicate plants, sparkling streams and sacred lands: Judge Blocks Destructive Mine in Southern Arizona. "The decision tosses out the Trump administration's 2017 approval of the mine.” Endangered Earth August 1 e-news: http://bit.ly/2YTq9Hp.
"Environmental groups are concerned about newly proposed state rules that regulate farms with large numbers of confined animals.” "Environmental Attorney Brian Paddock said newly proposed rules from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) do not address a significant loophole in the current law.” Read about it in the Nashville News Channel 5 July 31 posting: http://bit.ly/2ZWuZ3V.
Shifting Subsidies to Renewable Energy Instead of Propping Up Fossil Fuel Giants Would Prompt 'Clean Energy Revolution', Study Shows. "What we are doing is using taxpayers' money to boost hurricanes, to spread droughts, to melt glaciers, to bleach corals. ” See the August 1 Common Dreams article by Julia Conley at: http://bit.ly/2YJVDQK.
Honor goes to Tennessee Sierra Club member. A great conservation honor was bestowed on long-time Sierra Club and TN Ornithological Society Member Ken Dubke, who just received TDEC's 2019 Robert Sparks Walker Lifetime Achievement Award. See the announcement at: http://bit.ly/2YJVDQK.
TVA’s CEO meets with sick coal-ash cleanup workers. The article says that, among the hundreds of workers n the 2008 Kingston Coal Ash cleanup, some 40 have died, and perhaps 400 are dying. Lyash (the new CEO) heard first-hand from several workers or their family members. The August 8 News Sentinel article by Jamie Saterfied is posted online at: http://bit.ly/2GYJVqE. (Two earlier related articles were also published in the News Sentinel.)
Project at Savage Gulf Natural Area leads work to restore Cumberland Plateau. See the August 8 Times Free Press article by Mark Pace: http://bit.ly/2ZVYjHB.
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Please vote in local elections!
Your opportunity to have a voice on the climate issue - please take advantage of it.
This year’s votes for Knoxville City and Knox County elections are critical to our committment in the fight against Climate Change. It’s our chance to have a say in who will make the decisions in this critical period of climate action or inaction. Inaction is tantamount to ignoring the issue and suffering enormous costs to our children and future generations to come. So please REGISTER if you have not already done so, and VOTE for support of a robust effort to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. Information about voting and election districts can be found, respectively, at the county's website https://www.knoxcounty.org/election/, and the city's website: http://knoxvilletn.gov/residents/newcomer_information/election_information.
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Sierra Club Members Made a Difference!
City Council acts to reduce Greenhouse
Over 50 Sierra Club members, who live in Knoxville, sent letters to City Council members encouraging the Council to approve an inspirational resolution:
AGGRESSIVELY REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS!
This resolution calls for reduction in:
• Municipal emissions of 50% by 2030 and
• Community emissions of 80% by 2050
The resolution further requires establishment of a specific strategy to achieve this emission reductions that will be prepared by the Mayor and Office of Sustainability with input from stakeholders, such as the Sierra Club! Now the real work begins!
For some background, the City’s greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts implemented since 2008 will reduce emissions more than 20% by 2020, when compared with 2005. This achievement is consistent with other major US cities that are committed to a sustainable future. While other cities are tracking renewable energy installations, Knoxville is tracking greenhouse gas reduction—which is the objective of efforts to fight climate change.
The City Council unanimously voted to advance sustainability goals by continuing to reduce both city and municipal greenhouse gas emissions. These actions are critical to respond to the challenge of climate change and consistent with internationally recognized calls to action.
Now that the City Council has formalized these goals, the first step is to re-baseline current greenhouse gas emissions so that progress can be measured. The City’s leadership is non-partisan, and is earning Knoxville status among other cities that are acting to ensure a livable planet.
If you would like to discuss next steps, please contact Jan Berry, Ready for 100 Lead, Harvey Broome Group at: janatclimatechange@gmail.com
This is a historical turning point for Knoxville and we should be grateful for this responsible leadership. Please tell them that you support their decision with a thank-you email at: http://knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_council/city_council_members
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APIEL: the 2019 Appalachian Public Interest Environmental Law Conference
When: Friday, September 27 - Sunday, September 29, Knoxville
Where: University of Tennessee College of Law, 1505 Cumberland Ave, Knoxville, TN 37996
Sponsored by UTK College of Law, Sierra Club, United Mountain Defense (UMD), and others.
At APIEL 2018, Kentucky activists Davis Mounger and Jim Scheff wrap up their presentation, “Winning: It’s a thing: Strategies and stories from the front line of public lands defense.”
APIEL is unique in our region as an informal and lay-friendly opportunity to learn from and connect with environmental lawyers, leaders, and activists concerned with environmental and social justice from all over the country - and it’s open to all. Two days of workshops are scheduled generally two at a time.
“The conference features a series of workshops with the goal of exchanging information, sharing skills, and fostering collaboration between grassroots organizations, the bar, and future lawyers and policy-makers.”
Register to attend, apply to present, and find more info at APIEL.org
Send questions and ideas about the conference to apiel.info@gmail.com
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Other Events
Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Forum, October 1-2, 2019, UT Conference Center, Knoxville. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), and Tennessee Clean Fuels (TNCleanFuels) will hold the fifth annual Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Forum & Expo (STF&E) on October 1-2, 2019 at the UT Conference Center in Knoxville. The research, technology, planning, and policy developments shared at STF&E aim to improve transportation efficiency, reduce vehicle emissions, and address the mobility needs of all. An agenda for the 2019 STF&E will be made available soon. Learn more about STF&E at: www.sustainabletransportationforum.com. Registration is currently open at http://stfe.eventbrite.com.
Knox Climate Actions has the latest information and events related to climate activism.
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HBG/Chapter Events
Fall FUN Retreat 2019
October 25th through 27th
Pickett CCC Memorial State Park
Join the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club as we host the Fall Fun Retreat. Meet old friends or make new ones. Sierra members and their friends from around the state will be there. Please come and share the experience. Bring your friends.
https://www.sierraclub.org/tennessee/blog/2019/10/tennessee-chapter-fall-2019-retreat
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HELP THE HARVEY BROOME GROUP
PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT
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Can't donate now? Sign up for Kroger Community Rewards. Kroger donates a portion of what you spend to the Harvey Broome Group as long as you designate HBG as your preferred charity.
Here's how:
1. Go to the Kroger Community Rewards web page
2. Register (or Sign In if you already have an account.)
3. Enroll in Community Rewards (or Edit if you're already enrolled.)
4. Enter HBG's Community Rewards Number 27874.
That's it. Swipe your Kroger Card when you shop and know that you're helping protect your environment.
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Who We Are
Founded by legendary conservationist John Muir in 1892, the Sierra Club is now the nation's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization -- with more than two million members and supporters. Our successes range from protecting millions of acres of wilderness to helping pass the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act. More recently, we've made history by leading the charge to move away from the dirty fossil fuels that cause climate disruption and toward a clean energy economy.
The Harvey Broome Group (HBG) is one of five Sierra Club Groups within the Tennessee Chapter. HBG is based in Knoxville and serves 18 surrounding counties. HBG's namesake, Harvey Broome, was a Knoxvillian who was a founding member of the Wilderness Society and played a key role in the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Visit our website.
Join HBG.
Donate.(click the Donate button on the HBG home page)
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