HBG November Program
What: From Climate Crisis to Climate Opportunities
When: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 @ 7 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN
Chet Hunt, Knoxville Citizens Climate Coalition Co-Chair, will speak on how we can view the climate crisis as an opportunity to energize the advocacy for change, forging solidarity, and securing the public policies that will be effective in meeting the challenges of a warming world. Come and learn the action steps we can take together.
Chet Hunt has had a career that includes professor of business administration, city manager, city planner, economic development and redevelopment, president of Hunt & Associates LLC Consulting Firm, and is a Viet Nam war veteran.
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HBG Outings
Sat 11/2/19 Dayhike. Charlies Bunion (the "Original CB" & Sawtooth), GSMNP.
Sat, Nov 9, 2019 8:00 AM (Local Time) - Sun, Nov 10, 2019 6:00 PM (Local Time) Time is tentative. Backpack. Cumberland Trail-North Chickamauga Creek.
Sat, Nov 9, 2019 8:00 AM (Local Time). Time is tentative. Day Hike. Big Ridge State Park.
Sat, Nov 16, 2019 8:00 AM (Local Time). Time is tentative. Day Hike. Honey Creek (Big South Fork NRRA).
Sat 12/7/19 8:00 AM Day Hike. Time is tentative. Greenbrier section, GSMNP.
check the HBG outings page for future events.
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Climate Strike at UTK
The Climate Strike at UTK, put on by Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville (SPEAK), began with a time for students and community members to make signs on Ped Walkway. The gathering started at 12 noon at the HSS Amphitheater where Kendall Wimberley, SPEAK Co-President, began the rally. Anyone in the audience was invited to come speak to the crowd. After all who wanted to speak had opportunity, including professors (Mike McKinney, Joanne Logan, John Nolt, Christina Ergas), community members (John Johnson), and several UT students, the march began. The route included Ped Walkway, through the Student Union, up around the hill by Ayers and back to the HSS lawn. The objective was to march around the notable UT buildings and deliver our message where students congregate. The size of the crowd has been estimated to be around 350 people throughout the rally and the march! All were very much encouraged by the number of people present and their enthusiasm. SPEAK looks forward to making it happen again!
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Proposed Oak Ridge Landfill -Update
The Saga of DOE's Proposed Oak Ridge Landfill
The Department of Energy (DOE) continues its efforts to site the proposed Environmental Management Disposal Facility (EMDF), a landfill for mixed radioactive and hazardous waste from Superfund (CERCLA) cleanup activities in Bear Creek Valley on the Oak Ridge Reservation. Release of a draft final decision (Record of Decision [ROD]), on the siting and design of the landfill has been repeatedly delayed by disputes about the site location, adequacy of the design, and composition of the intended waste.
Reports available from TDEC add to the earlier list of concerns about this proposal).
Let me be clear: we believe the waste should be shipped to existing radioactive waste dumps in Utah. Now for some reason(!) the U.S. Congress is weighing in. The Senate's FY 2020 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill (SB 2470) would eliminate most (possibly all) of the funding for the TDEC Division of Remediation office in Oak Ridge, which gets no state funding.
Contact both your federal and state legislators to tell them what you think!
Link to the full article
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Newsflash
Trump Administration Rolls Back Clean Water Protections. The rule, established under the Obama administration in 2015, is known as the “Waters of the United States,” required permits for discharging potentially harmful chemicals in many streams and wetlands. The Sept 12 article in the New York Times was written by Lisa Friedman and Coral Davenport.
Related article: Sierra Club comment on the rollback
Time magazine has released a “special report” entitled “2050: The Fight for Earth.” It’s a compilation of a series of articles on effects of climate change in various parts of the world.
NBC News has created a new “climate unit” dedicated to covering the environment. To kick it off,NBC News, MSNBC, Telemundo and NBC News Digital will present “Climate in Crisis,” a week-long series beginning Sunday, Sept. 15.
 Caption: Muir Glacier, Alaska: Aug 13 19-41 and Aug 13 2004. Source: NASA (image is cropped.)
Sierra Club Announces 2019 National Award Winners: In this time of climate crisis, it’s important to acknowledge the work of folks who remind us of the wonder and beauty of the natural world, or who lead the movement to combat the crisis. Click here for the entire list of national SC award recipients.
Trump battles California over auto emission standards. Trump wants to force California to abandon its higher standards, but even some major auto makers don’t want to renege on their prior efficiency commitments. Sept 28 NPR article by Scott Neuman.
The Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization reveals final reports on Chapman Highway Implementation Plan and Hardin Valley Mobility Plan.
Under pressure from a planned employee walkout, Amazon's Bezos pledges to meet Paris climate pact 10 years early. "The group organizing the employee walkout, Amazon Employees for Climate Change, has been pressuring Amazon for almost a year to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and detail how it’s preparing to deal with business disruptions caused by climate change.” The Sept 19 Bloomberg News article by Brad Stone.
Another example of private enterprise taking the lead. Ikea reveals $2.8 billion solar and wind energy programs. Sept 21 qz.com article by Anne Quito.
If you haven’t heard of Greta Thunberg yet, or haven’t heard her speech before the UN, here’s your chance to hear and see her speech, courtesy of PBS. "The eyes of all future generations are upon you." Also, check out this opinion piece in the Tennessean.
Cost drives climate decisions in largest US public power company. "The chief executive of America's largest public power company sees everything, including cutting greenhouse gases to address climate change, through the lens of affordability.” The article observes that the plan is not consistent with the environmental goals of major cities in the Tennessee Valley, such as Nashville and Memphis. (Opinion: It also fails to adequately weigh the countervailing costs of the environmental and human havoc that is being created by climate change.) Read about it in the Sept 26 article by Abby Smith in the Washington Examiner.
Sounding an alarm about the health of the Mississippi River. "The assertion was sobering: Eroding topsoil flowing from farmlands in the North contaminates the Mississippi River with deadly pesticides, fertilizers and other harmful chemicals.” See the Sept 30 article in the TriState Defender By Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell.
Death toll rises to 41 among Kingston coal ash cleanup workers. Comments by workers and their families are in response to a proposal to weaken the rules on coal ash disposal. The article by Jamie Satterfield is in the Oct 1 edition of the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Utility Giant Sets Up Critical Test For Top 2020 Democrats On Nuclear Power. "As Duke Energy preps renewal requests for its reactors, it’s unclear how the leading candidates would rule on a major issue in carbon-free power.” See the Oct 5 HuffPost article by Alexander C. Kaufman.
Global Climate Strike reaches the University of Tennessee. Several hundred UT students march in protest. Read about in the WATE TV Sept 20 article by Gabriella Pagan.
Read about other local events in Tennessee on the same day in our Chapter e-newsletter.
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Please vote in local elections!
Your opportunity to have a voice on the climate issue - please take advantage of it.
City of Knoxville Regular Election November 5, 2019. Early voting ends October 31.
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 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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Other Events
Knox Climate Actions has the latest information and events related to climate activism.
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HBG/Chapter Events
HBG Cosponsors Event on Sustainability at UTK
HBG members are encouraged to attend the forum at 6 pm on Oct 22.
October 25th through 27th
Pickett CCC Memorial State Park
Fall FUN Retreat 2019
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.
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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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