Current Situation

Due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic situation, we are sensitive to our constituents during this challenging crisis. . . .

Revised COVID-19 pandemic situation extends moratorium on gatherings to Feb 28, 2021. Sierra Club in-person events have been cancelled or postponed, and the cancellations extend to Feb 28, 2021. (We anticipate that the cancellations may be extended further). Some group and chapter business meetings that have been restructured for remote participation will take place. The work goes on! Most group and chapter business meetings have been restructured for remote participation.
Cancelled Events (at least through Feb 28, 2021):
Harvey Broome Group Outings
Face-to-Face Harvey Broome Group Program Meetings
Events not cancelled:
online (via Zoom) Tennessee Chapter ExCom Business meetings but note virtual program meeting info below
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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If You Don't Do Anything Else This Year....

in what is arguably the most important election in your lifetime...November 3, 2020

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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HBG and Local

Issues & Business

Virtual meeting planned for September 29.

What: Environmental and Social Impact of Coal in Tennessee by Bonnie Swinford, Organizing Representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in Tennessee, Axel Ringe, Tennessee Sierra Club Water Quality Chair, John Todd Waterman, Knoxville Climate Action
When: Tuesday, September 29, 2020, 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: VIRTUAL/ON-LINE - Please Register using this Campfire Link and you will be sent the connection information the week before the presentation.

In Tennessee the Beyond Coal Campaign (BCC) is working to replace dirty energy with better efficiency and renewable energy, like solar and wind instead of oil and nuclear. This work is centered on advocating for economic diversification in communities most impacted by the transitioning energy economy and ensuring that coal is left in the ground. Join us to learn about work happening across the state to build a clean energy future while reducing toxic pollutants from coal-fired power plants, getting coal ash cleaned up, keeping fossil fuels in the ground, and bringing together the people power needed to build a bright future for all Tennesseans.


BCC Leads the BLM hearing in Knoxville

Tennessee now has “Vote by Absentee Ballot” for Registered Voters Over 60 and others.
Worried about having to go to a polling place to vote? Check out the new rules for Tennessee voters, including first-time voters! The deadline for applying for a so-called “absentee ballot” is October 27.

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."

For utility companies in other counties and municipalities in Tennessee, e.g., Alcoa, LaFollette, Lenoir City, Maryville, Clinton, and more, links to pandemic response policies can be found here.

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.

Sign the Petition to Rename Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park.

We have 2500+ signatures but we need more!

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

Correction: Last month's article Bull Run - a lot of bull... mistakenly stated Bull Run’s coal ash toxins are already contaminating the Hallsdale-Powell Utility District (HPUD)’s drinking water. The test data HPUD provided to Bull Run Neighbors regrettably didn't specify its measurement units, which they and TVA now object were in micrograms per liter, not the thousand-fold larger milligrams per liter EPA uses in specifying safe levels. HPUD's drinking water is fine!

Read about other local events in Tennessee in our Chapter e-newsletters.

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Newsflash

*** Note to readers about accessing these articles

Environmental groups win against Trump administration threat to Migratory birds. "A federal court today overturned a Trump administration reinterpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that had upended decades of enforcement and let industry polluters entirely off the hook for killing birds.” Aug 11 NRDC press release.

Sandhill cranes.

"Trump's Methane Rollback That Big Oil Doesn't Want." Trump wants to roll back Obama era rules that reduce methane emissions. It's estimated the Trump rule would save $19 million a year in compliance costs. Some in Big Oil contend that the ill will from moving away from the Obama regime outweighs the projected savings. Aug 13 article by Jeff Brady of NPR.

National Audubon Society commits to becoming an antiracist institution. As the Sierra Club did recently, the Audubon Society has confessed its past failure to be protagonists of social justice, and has revealed in broad terms its intentions for significant change going forward. See the statement by David Yarnold, President and CEO of the National Audubon Society.

See the similar recent Sierra Club statement by Michael Brune.

Back to the future? - Environmentally friendly changes in packaging may be in our future. (Hint: it involves returnable/reusable containers.) Aug 17 article in the Wall Street Journal by Katie Deighton.

Related: Other approaches to reduce packaging waste are discussed briefly in a Jul 30 piece by Mike Scott in Forbes.

"Tennessee’s farmers can deliver solutions in climate change fight.”  In this opinion piece HBG's own Joanne Logan (OK, so she has Univ of TN credentials too) discusses examples of current Tennessee farm issues created by climate change, and proposed national legislation called the "Growing Climate Solutions Act." She states: "This legislation provides the incentive for farmers and foresters to engage in sustainable practices by helping them to access lucrative carbon credit markets and get paid for emissions they reduce and carbon they sequester.” Aug 20, in the Commercial Appeal.

Great News for environmentalists following the proposed Pebble Mine project in Alaska. A decision by the U.S. Army Core of Engineers sets the stage for the reversal of the administration's prior support for the Pebble Mine project. Ironically, Donald Trump Jr’s enjoyment of fishing in the area that would be affected by the project may have been a factor in the decision. But the Corps argued that the proposal was simply inconsistent with the Clean Water Act. Aug 24, by Julliet Eilperin and Jeff Stein, The Washington Post.

Opponents of the Pebble Mine protested in Anchorage in 2019, arguing that the Corps of Engineers’ environmental review of the mine was inadequate. (Liz Ruskin/Alaska Public Media)

Maybe you missed this: “The End of Oil is Near." Among the many tidbits of gloom about the oil industry: "ExxonMobil Corp. is removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company’s previous incarnation, Standard Oil, was the Dow’s oldest member.” A nice summary of recent economic factors affecting the oil industry. Story by Antonia Juhasz, Sierra magazine, Aug 24.

"Alabama regulators dismiss challenge against utility’s solar charge, approve increase." The payback on small rooftop solar projects (e.g., a monthly fee f $5.41 per kilowatt from Alabama Power) substantially increases the payback period for residential solar projects. “The Public Service Commission’s decision hurts Alabama Power customers and our state,” says Keith Johnston, Office Director of SELC’s Alabama office. “As the nation moves forward with cleaner energy and the jobs that it creates, the Commissioners and Alabama Power continue to do everything they can to stop it. Not only do they allow this unfair charge to citizens to continue, they increase it.” Sept 2 article, Southern Environmental Law Center.

"Alaska’s Wild Places Face a Barrage of Big Development Projects." The Trump administration is charging ahead with development projects for Alaska's public lands. Though the Corps of Engineers rejected the EIS on the Pebble Mine, other significant projects that threaten Alaska's sensitive ecosystems are being advanced. Audubon Advisory for September.

"Another widow mourns as death toll hits 50 among Kingston coal ash workers." This article presents the tragic story of the death of Doug Bledsoe and his wife Johnnie's struggle to hold TVA and contractor Jacobs accountable for their losses. "Both TVA and Jacobs deny any role in any of the workers’ deaths or the sicknesses hundreds of other Kingston disaster relief workers say were caused by exposure during the cleanup to coal ash, including radioactive heavy metals dangerous to breathe."  The article reports that, according to Jacobs Engineering, TVA gave Jacobs legal protection from liability related to sickness or death of its workers. September 3 story by Jamie Satterfield, Knoxville News Sentinel.

"The Memphis miracle: Marquita Bradshaw; U.S. Senate candidate beats odds to win the Democratic primary, but can she do the same in November?"  Bradshaw will face a steep uphill battle, according to pundits interviewed. Bradshaw touts "great representation" in 45 (of 95) Tennessee counties, but said she needs to raise $4 million for the fight with Republican opponent Bill Hagerty. "Her platform mirrors its national Democratic counterpart, calling for the banning of gerrymandering, voters’ rights, improving physical and mental health services to addicts, legalization of marijuana, a $15 minimum wage, the right to unionize, the environmental Green New Deal, Medicare for all and a fully-funded educational system for all.” Sep 10 article by Michael Sangiacomo, in the Tennessee Lookout.

Hotter earth leads to drought, record temperatures, and FIRES! The west is experiencing a record breaking fire season, and new records will be set in losses of life and property. By the time you read this newsletter, there will be many more stories, but this Sept 10 New York Times piece provide a bleak outlook. Sept 10 New York Times piece by a team of reporters and photographers.


Flames consume a home in California. | Noah Berger/AP

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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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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