Current Situation
Due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic situation, we are sensitive to our constituents during this challenging crisis. . . . As a result, cancellations of Sierra Club events have been extended to August 31. (We anticipate that the cancellations may extend beyond August 31, depending on conditions, so no outings or public meetings are listed in this edition of the newsletter). Some group and chapter business meetings that have been restructured for remote participation will take place.
Cancelled Events (at least through August 31):
Harvey Broome Group Outings
Harvey Broome Group Face to Face Program Meetings - a virtual meeting has been planned for August (see below).
Events not cancelled:
online (via Zoom) Tennessee Chapter ExCom Business meetings
online (via Zoom) Harvey Broome Group ExCom meetings
Note: Consult the HBG website Calendar for updates to our calendar. Questions regarding HBG events should be addressed to HBG Chair Joanne Logan (loganjojolo@gmail.com).
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August Program Meeting
What: Species Extinction
by Jamie Watkins, Species Guardian and Knox County Organizer for the Endangered Species Coalition
When: Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: Virtual via Zoom - Please RSVP using this Campfire Link
Jamie Watkins will be telling us about her activities for the Endangered Speceis Coalition, as a Species Guardian and Organizer for Knox County TN. She will be giving details about the Endangered Species Coalition's efforts to fight the extinction crisis, touching on issues about the 6th Mass Extinction, and what is driving the problem. Currently, 1 in 5 species are at risk of extinction, and such an unprecedented decline of that speed is causing drastic damage to our environments and biodiversity. She will be inform us of the many causes of extinction, and what we can do to prevent further damage from occurring.
Please join us for this exciting event and a chance to see each other, albeit virtually, again!
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HBG Issues & Business
Sierra Club Statement on the Murder of Rayshard Brooks.
Released June 16 by Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune and Jessica Morehead, Chapter Director of the Sierra Club’s Georgia Chapter.
Read the statement here.
ICO STAYING CONNECTED TO KIDS IN MIDST OF PANDEMIC
by Janet Bigelow
Every organization in America that normally works with children during summer vacation is struggling with how to stay safely connected to them during the Covid19 pandemic. Our local Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) group, which brings outdoor, hands-on experiences to youth with little access to the outdoors, is no exception. Led by Mac Post, the ICO leaders group has had held virtual meetings to assess resources we can offer to the local Boys & Girls Clubs and other client groups.
Mac produced a 20-page Junior Naturalist Observation Journal. Over 100 copies have already been distributed.Tremont naturalists are working with the Boys & Girls Clubs several days a week, and the journals will be something the kids can complete outside on their school grounds or at home. Other organizations we work with, (Amachi, Girls Inc, and Big Brothers Big Sisters) also have received copies. As an incentive for everyone in the class to complete the journal, the ICO team is offering a large box of sidewalk chalk and easy pictures of animal faces—yet another activity to get children outside and thinking about the natural world. If you would like a PDF of the Journal e-mailed to you, contact mpost3116@gmail.com.
We are also compiling a notebook of activities requiring few resources, such as nighttime explorations, that teachers can use to help students connect to nature. We welcome donations to our local Harvey Broome ICO group.
Any ideas for nature activities that can be done by children can be emailed to Janet Bigelow, ICO Education Coordinator, at janet_bigelow@tds.net. Thank you in advance for helping children during this difficult time! We are all in this together.
mpost3116@gmail.com
janet_bigelow@tds.net
 ICO Outing on the French Broad River
Bull Run Community Group Newsletter Launched
With a little help from the Harvey Broome Group, SOCM, Beyond Coal, and Appalachian Voices, a group of Bull Run residents and neighbors concerned with the coal ash issues surrounding the closing of Bull Run Power Plant have begun publishing the “Bull Run Community Group Newsletter.” The first issue contains updates on happenings and events relating to the scrapping of Bull Run coal-fired power plant. To subscribe, email BullRunNeighbors@gmail.com or call Adam Hughes, at (865) 249-7488.
TN Sierra Club provides input on Smokies transportation/recreation issues
by Axel Ringe
National Park Service proposes four transportation projects for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The NPS is proposing feasibility studies for the following transportation projects in the GSMNP:
• Wears Valley Mountain Bike Trail Network Feasibility Study
• Metcalf Bottoms Access Improvements Feasibility Study
• Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Spur Safety Improvements Planning
• Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Spur Greenway Feasibility Study.
The TN Chapter has submitted comments on these proposals. In brief, we support the development of a bike trail along the Foothills Parkway corridor between Wears Valley and Pigeon Forge; we support reasonable safety improvements to the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Spur; we support the development of a greenway along the Spur between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge as long as impacts to the riparian zone along the West Prong Little Pigeon River are minimized; and we strongly oppose opening a new park entrance road from Wears Valley into the park at Metcalf Bottoms.
Tennessee now has “Vote by Mail” for Registered Voters
Worried about having to go to a polling place to vote? Check out the new rules for Tennessee voters - just about any Tennessee registered voter can now vote by mail. The deadline for applying for a so-called “absentee ballot” is Juy 30 for the primary to be held on Aug 6, and requests for a November general election absentee ballot can be made starting on August 5.
KUB posts intentions with respect to disconnections for non-payment.
They also include their suggestions for “assistance” for those in need, and how those of us in better circumstances can assist those in need via “Project Help."
Federally Funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
This federal program provides federally funded assistance in managing costs associated with: home energy bills, energy crises, weatherization and energy-related minor home repairs.
Harvey Broome Group Nominates Trees Knoxville for Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award (GESA)
by Kristine Johnson
The annual Tennessee GESA awards provide an excellent opportunity to showcase our community organizations, and the HBG ExCom determined Trees Knoxville was particularly deserving of this recognition. While our candidate was not selected in the 2020 competition, the nomination itself brings attention to their many worthy programs. The non-profit Trees Knoxville was organized in 2015 to preserve and increase the urban tree canopy on public and private land in Knoxville and Knox County. They have given away thousands of trees to Knoxville City and Knox County, many organizations, and to individual families. The organization also encourages and facilitates a vibrant and healthy community through education, public outreach, and volunteer engagement. They offer a Volunteer Forester training program in tree maintenance and care, and a graduate forester course yielded 27 certified graduates. The Harvey Broome Group is proud to acknowledge their contribution to our community. Check out their website here.
Sign the Petition to Rename Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park.
Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park in Benton County was named after a Confederate General notorious for being the first Grand Wizard of the KKK.
Link to sign
Read about other local events in Tennessee in our Chapter e-newsletters.
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Newsflash
*** Note to readers about accessing these articles
Editorial note: The events following the killing of George Floyd are still heavy on our minds, and of course, the Covid 19 pandemic remains a critical issue affecting all our thoughts and plans. Nevertheless, there is is work to be done addressing many social justice and related environmental issues. Some “older” news items that were omitted from the “special” July issue will be included in this issue.
 NOAA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography independently measure carbon dioxide levels from NOAA's Mauna Loa observatory. Credit: NOAA
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentrations reach historic levels in May, reaching 414.7 ppm. Predictable, yet distressing stats from Hawaii’s NOAA’s Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory. June 4 posting on NOAA website.
Insights about the "Racial Inequity in Clean Energy and How to Fight It.” To quote: "It doesn’t take much of a leap to see a connection between underrepresentation in the solar work force and the lower use of solar in some neighborhoods. Whole communities are much less likely to have job contacts in the industry, and are also less likely to know someone who has rooftop solar and can talk about its benefits.
These discrepancies touch on a larger environmental justice issue: Majority black neighborhoods also have higher levels of air pollution from industry and fossil fuel electricity than majority white neighborhoods, according to a large body of research.” This and other insights in a June 11 Inside Climate News article by Dan Gearino.
"How Public Opinion Has Moved on Black Lives Matter." In the last two weeks, American voters’ support for the Black Lives Matter movement increased almost as much as it had in the preceding two years. June 10 New York Times article by Nate Cohn and Kevin Quealy.
Gay and Transgender workers get support in the form of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. ". . . the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects gay, lesbian, and transgender employees from discrimination based on sex.” June 15 NPR article by Nina Totenberg.
Senate passes major lands conservation bill. "The Great American Outdoors Act, which passed in a 73-25 vote, would permanently provide $900 million in oil and gas revenues for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which helps secure land for trails and parks.
The legislation will also put $6.5 billion toward addressing a maintenance backlog at national parks.” June 17 article by Rachel Frazin in The Hill.
Good News: Coal Ash Plans for Bull Run are withdrawn by TVA. (Ed. note: see July 11 note below - disputes over policy w/respect to existing coal ash storage remain unsettled.). Read here.
Related article: TVA withdraws permit applications for coal ash storage at Bull Run. Gregory Raucoules June 17 piece at WATE.COM.
Study estimates Chattanooga gets only 30% as much power from the sun as other southern cities. The story is based on study by the Southern alliance for Clean Energy. June 24 Times Free Press article by Dave Flessner.
Concerned about plastic pollution? An article by Environment+Energy Leader grades 50 of the largest U.S. consumer good companies on their attempts (or lack thereof) to reduce plastic pollution. June 17 article by Emily Holbrook at environmentalleader.com.
Disappearance of the permafrost -- far away doesn’t mean it won’t affect us. Watch this June 25 video with William Brangham from PBS News.
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rules against Trump’s plan for financing the “Wall.” The June 26 ruling came in a lawsuit, Sierra Club v. Trump, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the Sierra Club and Southern Border Communities Coalition.
"Environmental, social justice groups pushing for change to KUB Board makeup.” Spurred on with a slogan of "ACT on KUB,” a primary election ballot initiative for the August 6 contest is being led by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy along with Appalachian Voices and One Knox Legacy Coalition, among others. KUB has objected to the action, which seeks to replace two of the seven board members with a low-income representative and another representing environmental interests. City Council must approve before the initiative can be put on the ballot. (Interested parties who wish to support this initiative should contact HBG’s Kent Minault kminault@gmail.com) June 30 piece by Tyler Whetstone for the Knoxville News Sentinel.
"Atlantic Coast Pipeline project Abandoned.” Dramatic announcement was made by Dominion and Duke Energy utilities. The project had been harried by much opposition from environmental groups, as well as spiraling costs and several legal defeats. July 5 press release by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC).
Related article: "Utility Giant Kills Gas Pipeline, Sells Assets to Berkshire." July 7 article by Gerson Freitas Jr., Rachel Adams-Heard and Katherine Chiglinsky, Bloomberg News.
Related article: How the pipeline victory was achieved by citizen groups.
Related story: "ANTI-PIPELINE POWER- Last week saw some major victories against pipelines in the US. First, the Atlantic Coast pipeline was canceled! Then a judge dealt a blow to the Keystone XL pipeline! And then, another judge dealt a serious blow to the Dakota Access pipeline! Congrats to all who are working against these pipelines!" Read a roundup of these victories and movements by Beyond Dirty Fuels director Kelly Sheehan Martin. July 13, Sierra Club, Hitched (e-news).
Environmentalist critiques timber harvest policies in Tennessee State Forests. “(A) co-director of Tennessee Heartwood . . . said logging activities under agreements with the Division of Forestry in some 15 state forests are leaving the land to scrub growth that limits recovery, biodiversity and results in growth of lower-value timber and fewer native hardwoods.” July 5 Times Free Press article by Ben Benton.
Sierra Club critiques MLGW-TVA report. "The environmental group’s position is that MLGW should cut ties to TVA as its sole supplier of electric power and instead go with a portfolio of renewable energy sources 'with large amounts of local solar energy.’ ” July 6 Daily Memphian, by Bill Dries.
"Open meetings advocates fear governor’s order provides excuse to limit public access.” Sierra Club’s Scott Banbury weighs in. Pro and con views discussed. The issue is deprivation of the publics’opportuity to attend and participate in meetings. July 7 Daily Memphian article by Sam Stockard.
High and low tech solutions combined at Tennessee’s largest solar facility. Grazing sheep are used to control vegetation at the Millington Solar Farm. (Ed. note: fascinating, but it’s probably risky to try this at home.) By Michael Waddel, Daily Memphis, July 07, 2020.
Gov. Bill Lee sides with TDEC/TVA in Anderson County's dispute with TVA over toxic coal ash residual at Bull Run. The issue is whether to allow TVA to leave over 5 million tons of toxic waste at the Bull Run site when the plant closes in 2023. Gov. Lee trusts in TDEC judgement, and, according to the cited article, TDEC “ . . . is allowing TVA to investigate itself and insists Anderson County leaders have no authority over the utility’s coal ash dumps." July 11 Knoxville News Sentinel article by Jamie Satterfield.
Trump attempts to weaken NEPA. In an attempt to compensate for his disastrous leadership on the Covid19 pandemic and the resulting damage of the pandemic on the economy, Trump is attacking this important law that protects of the environment. July 13 article by Juliet Eilperin,The Washington Post.
Read about other local events in Tennessee in our Chapter e-newsletters.
*** A democracy with informed citizens requires the professionalism that we have historically expected of credible news sources. Most “local" newspapers today are asking folks who access their online news stories to purchase a subscription to their paper. This is understandable generally, and reminds us that we should do our part to pay for the resources that result in publication of local news. Those of us who use summaries of published print news, as we do, are no exception, and we ask the same of our readers. However, we also believe that a person who only wants to see an occasional article published in a newspaper should not be required to subscribe. So if you believe that you are in the latter category - only an occasional reader, you may be able to read an article without a subscription if you "browse anonymously" or clear your browser cache before activating a link to an article. This may help you avoid many "pay walls" at these news sources (some sources restrict access even with anonymous settings). Another approach is to search for alternate source on the particular news item. But we recommend that our readers who find themselves accessing an online news source on a regular basis subscribe to an online version of the paper, which is generally much cheaper than a print version.
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Please vote in Tennessee statewide elections!
 Tennessee Statewide election dates
August 6, 2020: Primary
November 3, 2020: General election
We are approaching one of the most critical election cycles EVER. Climate change is one of the REALLY BIG issues at stake. The officials we elect next will be the ones to carry out our response.
You can register to vote at: https://ovr.govote.tn.gov.
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Other Events
Please join us for our virtual 2020 Citizens' Climate Southeast / Appalachia Conference on Saturday, August 22nd, from 8:15 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.
REGISTER HERE
A whole lot of planning went into this conference and it shows! You’ll enjoy timely and inspiring presentations and have your choice of three educational breakout tracks. Here are some of the highlights:
- The morning Plenary session is a panel discussion "Public Policy Challenges in Acting on Climate Change featuring a bipartisan panel of elected officials who represent Tennesseans (where our host planning committee is located) and includes elected officials at the local, state and federal levels of government.
- Our Acting on Climate Track Keynote: "Diversity: talking honestly about climate, challenges and opportunities" features panelists who will discuss the challenges of climate change and the opportunities of tackling it in communities of color.
- Hear the latest climate projections during our Science and Engineering Track Keynote: What the Science is Telling Us: Projection Models Advancing understanding of climate change and its impacts on human and natural systems.
- Explore climate impacts, adaptation, and vulnerabilities. You can choose among three themed breakout tracks all day: 1) Sustainable Cities, 2) Acting on Climate, and 3) Science and Engineering.
- There are way too many excellent breakouts and keynotes to mention all of them here so please check out the Registration page to see them all!
- Want to learn more about taking action on climate change? You CAN! Sign up for and take: Climate Advocate Training It’s fun and free of charge!
Knox Climate Actions has the latest information and events related to climate activism.
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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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