June 2024 Program
What: Cryptocurriencies and Climate Change Casualties by John Nolt, Professor Emeritus, University of Tennessee
When: Tuesday, June 11, 2024, 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN.
There’s a lot not to like about cryptocurrencies. For one thing, they make it easy to conceal financial crimes. But they also have detrimental long-term effects on the environment. Cryptocurrency “mines” (data centers, really) pull enormous quantities of power from the electrical grid. Thus they are attracted to states like Tennessee where electric power is relatively cheap. This forces TVA and other utilities to plan new fossil-fueled power plants or extend the lifetimes of old ones to meet the demand. If these plans are carried through, we will blow through greenhouse gas emissions targets and global heating will intensify dangerously. The predictable result is increased human casualties (injuries, illnesses, displacements, and deaths) and rapidly accelerated degradation of nature. This talk traces the causal links that lead to such tragedies and suggests ways to break them.
John Nolt in front of GRIID Infrastructure LLC, a Bitcoin mine in Maynardville. The photo was taken by Isaac Collins.
John Nolt is a member of the Harvey Broome Group’s Executive Committee and Professor Emeritus in Philosophy at the University of Tennessee, where he taught beginning in 1978. He retired in 2022. His academic specializations include logic, environmental ethics, climate ethics, and intergenerational ethics. He has published eight books, including four on environmental topics. Two deal specifically with the Southern Appalachian environment. (For a detailed list, see http://web.utk.edu/~nolt/CV-Nolt.pdf.) While at UT he moonlighted as an environmental activist. For a decade in the 1980s and 90s he helped lead Project Witherspoon a community-based effort to force cleanup of toxic and radioactive waste sites in the impoverished Vestal community of South Knoxville. He served on the founding board of Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center, where afterward generations of his students worked and learned. He also helped lead the ultimately successful effort to halt the extension of the James White Parkway across South Knoxville, researching and filing a citizen petition to have the Berry Cave Salamander, which lives there, declared a federally endangered species.
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July 2024 Program
What: Not a Program - Let's Get Outside on Third Creek Greenway
When: Tuesday, July 9, 2024, 6:30-8:30 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN
Evenings on long summer days should not spent indoors undergoing death by powerpoint so let's talk a walk on Knoxville's first greenway and do a bit of cleanup. Gloves and litter grabbers will be provided but if you have your own please bring them. We'll start with a little food and drinks at TVUUC before heading down to the greenway just a short distance away.
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He will make the necessary contacts and set up the program. Then come and enjoy the program with us.
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Past Programs:
March 2023 Program
What: The Benton MacKaye Trail: Path to Becoming a National Scenic Trail and Tips for Thru-Hikers - Clare Sullivan, BMTA Vice-President; and Kathy Anderson, BMT Thru-Hiker
When: Tuesday, March 14, 2023, 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN.
There are currently 11 National Scenic Trails (NST) in the United States. NSTs are intended to showcase our country’s spectacular natural resources and beauty. The Benton MacKaye Trail Association (BMTA) has recently announced their efforts to seek Congressional approval for the Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) to be designated an NST. The BMT traverses 82 miles in Georgia and 206 miles in Tennessee/North Carolina, which includes the Chattahoochee-Oconee, Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests as well as 93 miles in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, making it the longest trail in the Smokies. Clare Sullivan, Vice President of the BMTA and avid hiker will provide the latest update on the process and other BMT updates.
Also hear from Kathy Anderson, a thru-hiker who has completed more than 270 miles on the BMT, 500 miles on the Appalachian Trail and is planning a 500-mile Colorado Trail thru-hike this summer. She will share her experience on trail and tips learned along the way from preparing and planning for a thru hike, what equipment, food and water to bring and how you can reduce your pack weight to ensure a successful injury free and safe hike.
This was in-person only. No recording available.
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April 2023 Program
What: Help Create Knoxville's Urban Forest Master Plan by Kasey Krouse, Urban Forester City of Knoxville and members of the Forest Master Plan Executive Committee
When: Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN.
Please RSVP through this Campfire Event Link.
This presentation is an opportunity to hear about Knoxville’s Urban Forest Master Plan from Knoxville’s Urban Forester. Attendees will have opportunity to give feedback about the Plan to members of the Urban Forestry Steering Committee who will also be in attendance. The Plan will be released to the community later in April 2023, so this is your best opportunity to hear about the Plan and to provide your thoughts and input to Knoxville's Urban Forest Master Plan Executive Committee!
photos courtesy Kent Minault
This was in-person only. No recording available.
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May 2023 Program
What: Native Fish Restoration in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by Caleb Abramson, Fisheries Technician, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
When: Tuesday, May 9, 2023, 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN
Great Smoky Mountains National Park contains nearly 2,900-miles of perennial waterways ranging from high-elevation creeks to lower elevation rivers. Approximately 700 of those miles are occupied by almost 70 species of fish from 12 different families, including: lampreys, darters, shiners, minnows, suckers, bass and trout. Brook Trout, the only native salmonid species in the Smokies, lost more than 75-percent of its original range due to wholescale logging prior to the National Park’s establishment. Those populations that did survive were relegated to the highest elevation streams that saw little timber harvest. Unfortunately, the areas those fish persist also receive higher loads of atmospheric deposition, which lowers stream pH. Fishery managers have been working to restore native Brook Trout to select mid-elevation watersheds with more stable stream chemistry. To date, managers have restored more than 31-miles of select streams to purely Brook Trout. Restoration efforts continue to be performed.
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June 2023 Program
What: Current Happenings, Master Plan Development, and Capital Campaign at Ijams Nature Center by Amber Parker, Executive Director
When: Tuesday, June 13, 2023, 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN
Ijams Nature Center is the region’s leading wildlife sanctuary and environmental learning center. Join us to find out about plans being developed for the future of Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville's most visited park.
(Photos by Mac Post)
Currently serving as the Executive Director of Ijams Nature Center, Amber Parker is an experienced and passionate nonprofit leader and consultant. She has spent her career devoted to public service and conservation, working to connect people to places and create access to nature for all. With a background in natural resource management, executive leadership, and a strong belief that only through partnership can we attain the greatest feats, Amber is known for bringing people and organizations together to forward mission. Amber has served 29 years in the nature and environmental center field. She has led organizations such as Ijams Nature Center and Chincoteague Bay Field Station, a 400-bed residential environmental field station and marine science center on the Easter Shore of Virginia. Amber has also worked as an Education Director at Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, where she created the Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program. Amber is an avid hiker, paddler, birder, and all-around nature junkie.
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July 2023 Program
What: Not a Program - Let's Get Outside on Third Creek Greenway
When: Tuesday, July 11, 2023, 6:30-8:30 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN
Evenings on long summer days should not spent indoors undergoing death by powerpoint so let's talk a walk on Knoxville's first greenway and do a bit of cleanup. Gloves and litter grabbers will be provided but if you have your own please bring them. We'll start with a little food and drinks at TVUUC before heading down to the greenway just a short distance away.
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August 2023 Program
What: Tennessee's Environmental Legacy of Coal, Indian Removal, and Industry by Rob Winslow, Filmmaker and Historian
When: Tuesday, August 8, 2023, 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN
East Tennessee has a pivotal role in the story of the modern world. Especially in this moment of transition, re-thinking our own landscape can equip us for creating change in our own time. Robert Winslow is filmmaker and public historian from Chattanooga. Tonight's program grows out of a 2022 arts residency on "climate resilience", spent reporting the legacy of coal country, Indian Removal, and generations of industry..
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September 2023 Program
What: HBG Annual Picnic
When: Tuesday, September 12, 2023, 5:00-8:30 PM
Where: Holston River Park, 3300 Holston Hills Rd, Knoxville, TN 37914
Our annual picnic is a chance to get together for a few hours with good food and good friends. It's very informal, and even if you're not an active Sierra Club member or even a member, we welcome you to this event. It's a good chance to chat with other members to catch up on what we're doing and find out if you'd like to get involved in outings, program meetings, or environmental action.
The picnic will be held on September 12 at Holston River Park, located at 3300 Holston Hills Rd. This park has very nice paved walking and bilking trails as well as some open areas. Paddling and fishing are also available activities. The hours of the picnic are from 5:00 PM until 9 PM, though the park does not close until 11 PM. HBG will provide hotdogs, and both hamburgers and veggie burgers. So just bring a side dish, dessert,or beverage (no alcohol) as your contribution.
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October 10, 2023
What: Measurements and Models: The Science of Climate Change by Dr. Peter Thornton, Director of the ORNL Climate Change Science institute
When: Tuesday, October 10, 2023, 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN.
Earth’s climate is changing faster today than at any time in recorded history, and human influence on the atmosphere through fossil fuel combustion and other sources of greenhouse gas emissions is known to be the primary factor driving this change. Atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is higher than any time in the previous million years and is rising steadily. The impact of these changes is seen on every continent with global and regional warming trends that are unambiguous since at least the 1980s.
In this presentation we will examine at the observations underlying our understanding of these Earth system changes, and we will explore how we know what causes the observed changes. We will also look at what computer models can tell us about future climate changes, and the uncertainties around those predictions. We will assess the impacts of climate change and discuss options for how humanity can respond to this unfolding crisis.
About Peter Thornton: Peter studies biogeochemistry of land, coastal, and aquatic ecosystems, and incorporates that knowledge into models to improve predictions of future climate. His research spans spatial scales from plots to the global Earth system. A special focus of his research is the coupling of the biotic and abiotic cycling of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus which limit growth and metabolism of plants and microbes.
Peter is the Director for ORNL’s Climate Change Science Institute, which brings together researchers from across the Lab with shared interests and expertise in climate change science, impacts, and solutions. He is also Section Head for the Earth Systems Science Section within ORNL’s Environmental Sciences Division, which integrates the efforts of empiricists, experimentalists, and modelers working at scales from sites to watersheds to the globe. Peter has been recognized multiple times by Clarivate’s Web of Science as a Highly Cited Researcher. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Peter is a mentor to several technology projects within the Oak Ridge Public Schools and serves as a board member for the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation. He enjoys running, hiking, and making music. Contact: thorntonpe@ornl.gov
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November 14, 2023 Program
What: Safe Passage: A Way to Get Animals Across I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge, by Tracy Davids, Senior Representative, Southeast, Defenders of Wildlife
When: Tuesday, November 14, 2023, 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN.
For wildlife whose ancestors have traversed our landscapes for centuries in search of food, mates, and territory, this is not the question. Their instinct is to continue moving across age-old geographical paths.
Since 2017, more than 20 regional organizations have been collaborating to make Interstate 40 between Asheville and Knoxville safer for people and wildlife. This partnership ultimately led to the creation of Safe Passage: The I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Crossing Project.
This presentation will explore what this coalition is doing to prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions in this vital wildlife corridor. You’ll learn what the project is, why it's important, what’s a stake, who’s involved, what activities are currently underway to provide safe passage for wildlife across this major highway that bisects the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Pisgah National Forest, and how you can help.
Tracy Davids is the Outreach Committee Chair for the Safe Passage Fund Coalition comprised of The Conservation Fund, Defenders of Wildlife, Great Smoky Mountains Association, National Parks Conservation Association, North Carolina Wildlife Federation, Wildlands Network and The Wilderness Society — all of which are dedicated to making the 28-mile section of Interstate 40 in the Pigeon River Gorge a safer place for wildlife and humans alike. They are supported by a stakeholder group of nearly 20 federal, state, tribal, and non-governmental organizations. More information on the coalition can be found at smokiessafepassage.org
Photo Credit: Susan Detweiler
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January 9, 2024 Program
What: Tennessee Riverline: North America's Next Great Regional Trail by Lila Honaker, Communications and Marketing Director, and Jennifer Webster, Programs Manager
When: Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN.
The Tennessee RiverLine is North America’s next great regional trail system, spanning all 652 miles of the Tennessee River and representing 1.2 million acres of connected river experiences. It is a catalyst for economic, social, and environmental impact in four states and dozens of cities, towns, and rural communities along the Tennessee River, as well as the more than 4.5 million residents who call the Tennessee River Valley home. Beyond recreational, environmental, and economic potential, the project embodies the spirit of innovation and regional collaboration that is our legacy in the Tennessee River Valley.
In this presentation, we will explore how recreation, stewardship, and land use come together to inspire new thinking amongst its many generations of committed stewards–both young and old–about our relationship with this valuable resource.
Lila Honaker - Communications and Marketing Director
Lila Honaker is the Communications and Marketing Director for the Tennessee RiverLine. She is responsible for curating the brand voice and identity, creating a destination marketing strategy, supporting partners through communication and marketing efforts, and sharing the many stories of the Tennessee RiverLine. With nearly two decades of experience in the arts and entertainment industry working for brands such as Food Network, HGTV, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, and the Tennessee Theater, she has a passion for connecting brands and people. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Tennessee. Lila loves hiking and kayaking with her dog, Gus, as well as traveling, cooking, yoga, pottery, and music.
Jennifer Webster - Programs Manager
Jennifer is a program manager with the Tennessee RiverLine, where she works with RiverTowns to develop and implement community programs that serve to strengthen connections between residents and the river. Jennifer holds a bachelor's degree in Wildlife Biology and a masters in Curriculum and Instruction. Prior to joining Tennessee RiverLine, she taught, developed, and managed environmental education programs throughout the southeast and served as a classroom teacher specializing in science education for all ages. Jennifer lives in the Walland community of Blount county with her husband Jesse and son Lyle. Outside of work, she and her family enjoy exploring and playing on the Little River, hiking, gardening, and traveling to discover wild and natural areas.
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February 2024 Program
What: The Value of Trees for Sustainable Urban Water: Interest in an Old Friend by Dr. Jon Hathaway, Associate Professor, UTK
When: Tuesday, February 13, 2023, 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN.
Urbanization causes fundamental shifts in the landscape’s water balance, leading to unintended consequences such as 
flooding and water quality degradation. For nearly a decade, Dr. Hathaway’s research team at the University of Tennessee has worked to understand the role of trees for mitigating these effects. From tree contributions to rain gardens, to rainfall interception, its clear trees have significant value in urban spaces. In this presentation, Jon will provide a synopsis of what we’ve learned, and discuss his next project that will bring a substantial number of tree-centric stormwater treatment practices to East Knoxville over the next five years.
About Jon Hathaway: Hathaway received his PhD from North Carolina State University in 2010, where he studied the fate, transport, and removal of indicator bacteria in urban stormwater runoff. After a brief research fellowship at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and nearly two and half years at one of the nation's leading ecological design and consulting firms, he joined the faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He has research in the areas of sustainable urban water, green infrastructure, anthropogenic influences on the environment, and urban pollutant fate and transport. See more information at http://hathaway.utk.edu Contact: hathaway@utk.edu
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March 2024 Program
What: Why Trust Models? The Process of Building Confidence in Projections of Climate Impacts
When: Tuesday March 12, 2024, 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN.
Prediction is difficult, especially if it’s about the future. For scientists working to understand consequences of a rapidly changing climate, that famous quote is not just a humorous quip, but a workaday challenge. As we grapple with the consequences of a changing climate for water resources, built infrastructure, and the environment, complex computer models are indispensable tools. Models used for projections of climate impacts are system-level models that combine representations of surface water, soil water, surface vegetation, and groundwater dynamics. In this presentation, we will explore how scientists build confidence in those integrated hydrologic models as tools for understanding climate impacts. Using ORNL work to understand how a warming climate will likely affect Arctic tundra landscapes as an example, we will explore how multiple lines of evidence are used to improve confidence in model projections.
About Scott Painter: Scott is a computational hydrologist and leader of the Watershed Systems Modeling Group at ORNL. His research focuses on improving predictive understanding of how water, waterborne material, and heat move through natural and human impacted environments and the implications of those flow and transport processes for society and ecosystem health. He and his team build state-of-the-art simulation tools, compare model results to laboratory experiments and field observations, and perform numerical experiments to understand implications of climate change on water resources and ecosystems. Prior to joining ORNL, Scott had research positions at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, and CSIRO-Australia. Contact: paintersl@ornl.gov
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May 2024 Program (postponed from April)
What: Collaborations for Conservation by Nancy Manning, Executive Director TCWP
When: Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN.
The Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning (TCWP) and the Harvey Broome Group of the Sierra Club share a rich history dating back to the founding of both organizations. Throughout the years, we have collectively identified environmental threats and mobilized the strength, resilience, and commitment of our members to address them. Despite numerous successes, we have never allowed ourselves to rest on our laurels. Even as we've secured protection for threatened areas, new challenges have emerged, sometimes within those very areas we fought to safeguard. Today, the stakes are higher than ever in our organizations' histories, as we confront unexpected failures within the legal system.
In this presentation, Nancy will discuss the historical and ongoing successes of TCWP, the enduring inspiration that propels us forward in the face of persistent threats, and a proposal for immediate collaboration in conservation efforts. Drawing upon the Native American principle of "Calling the Circle," Nancy will present a compelling case for united action in preserving our natural heritage.
Nancy Manning, JD, current Executive Director of Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning, is an attorney, certified mediator, trainer, manager, facilitator and consultant. Nancy owned the Law Office of Nancy Manning for 25 years, with a primary focus of serving indigent Native Americans in Rapid City, South Dakota. Nancy served on 3 nonprofit boards in Rapid City, including Lifeways, the Restorative Justice Center and the Pennington County Air Quality Control Board. She created the first mediation practice and training center in Rapid City and was the only service provider there for 15 years. Nancy moved to Texas in 2007 and became Executive Director of a conservation nonprofit, where she helped to raise more money in 7 years than had been raised in the prior 52 years. As the Executive Director she led efforts to develop, plan & implement a 7-year outreach initiative to engage an ethnically diverse community in conserving a 10-acre habitat on the east side of Austin which engaged local youth in outdoor education. Nancy was recognized for Innovative Environmental Leadership; one of 40 individuals nationwide selected as a 2011 Audubon / Toyota TogetherGreen Fellow to further this east Austin conservation outreach effort, which engaged over 1200 volunteers. Nancy founded her consulting company, Power Your Mission, in 2014 and founded Austin Nonprofit Meetup in 2018 where she provided online monthly meetups for nonprofit leaders nationwide until 2022. She is currently the Executive Director of Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning.