Cascade April 2024

NOVA Environmental Events

Apr 10 - Public hearing on Loudoun data centers

Apr 12 - Hike in Conway Robinson State Forest

Apr 14 - Monthly Second Sunday Hike - explore the potential route of the Potomc Heritage Scenic Trail on Powell's Creek

Apr 18 - Vienna’s Green Expo

April 20 - Adopt-A-Highway Clean-up for Earth Day

April 23 - Virginia General Assembly Recap Webinar

Apr 27 - Hike along Broad Run

Significant Events Details and More Events

Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Rejects Belmont Innovation Data Center Proposal

After a three-hour-long public hearing on March 13, Loudoun County Supervisors voted 5-4 to deny the Belmont Innovation Campus rezoning application. The proposal was for 2.9 million square feet of data centers on 112 acres. Concerns about the electric grid’s capacity to meet the power demands of the region’s cloud computing industry were a major factor in the rejection.

Fifty residents spoke out against the proposal at the public hearing. Supervisors cited concerns that the data center would require additional high-voltage transmission lines, which would have negative impacts on surrounding areas.

But the week after supervisors voted to deny the application, the board voted 4-3-2 to reconsider its decision, sending the application to an April 10 public hearing.

Without accountability measures in place, data center development will continue to increase pollution and ratepayers’ bills. As the data center hub of the world, Loudoun County is already facing the detrimental side effects of unchecked development. It’s time we come together to reject massive data center projects like the Belmont Innovation Project until policies are in place that require data centers to be efficient and to run on carbon-free energy.

Come out and ask supervisors to reject this and all other data center proposals until the cumulative impacts are better understood, and a public process is completed to determine Loudoun’s next steps when it comes to this type of development. Join us on April 10 to speak at the hearing or simply show up with other concerned residents.

Read the full story in the Loudoun Times-Mirror

Vienna’s Green Expo

WHEN: Thursday, April 18; 7- 9 PM

WHERE: Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St SE, Vienna, VA 22180
DESCRIPTION: The Great Falls Group will set up a table at the Vienna Green Expo to

present Sierra Club's activities and environment protection efforts. We are looking for volunteers to prepare and man the table. The Vienna Green Expo educates the public about the environment and sustainability by showcasing local and regional, environmentally friendly organizations, products, services and practices. The Great Falls Group has been participating in the Expo since its inauguration.

CONTACT: Contact Evelina to help with tabling.

SPONSORS: Town of Vienna Conservation & Sustainability Commission; Sierra VA Chapter Great Falls Group.

Adopt-A-Highway Clean-Up for Earth Day

WHEN: Saturday, April 20; 9-11 AM

WHERE: Jones Branch Drive between Westpark Drive & International Drive, Tysons
DETAILS: Sierra Club/Great Falls Group will pick up litter and debris on 1.32 miles of Jones Branch Drive, Tysons. Come on out to help clean up our super Mother Earth, make new friends, and enjoy great exercise outdoors. Litter bags, provided.
CONTACT: RSVP to Patricialeighleslie@yahoo.com, 202-316-0584. Please include in subject line: AAHiway.
SPONSOR: Sierra Club/Great Falls Group

Virginia General Assembly Recap Webinar
WHEN: Tuesday, April 23; 12:00-1:30 PM
WHERE: Online - Register
General Public Registration $15
DETAILS: Hear the inside scoop from environmental policy experts about the conservation community’s biggest victories, the missed opportunities, and any surprise outcomes after veto session. After all our hard work, legislators have passed strong environmental policies. These bills now head to the Governor's desk to be vetoed, amended, or signed into law. Legislators will reconvene for veto session on April 17 to vote on all the governor's amendments. Be the first to know about new environmental legislation.
CONTACT: nicole@vcnva.org
SPONSOR: Virginia Conservation Network

Image: VCN

Greater Prince William Corner

by Charlie Grymes

The trails community in Prince William, Manassas, and Manassas Park has become dangerously organized.

Nearly 30 organizations, including the Great Fall Chapter, formed the Greater Prince William Trails Coalition several years ago. Advocacy led to new trails map in Prince William County's Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2022, with 400 miles of planned trails. Advocacy has now shifted to getting trails funded, constructed, and maintained.

Want to get educated about local conservation issues, explore natural areas south of the Occoquan River, and get engaged in local advocacy?

GPWTC offers a Second Sunday hike each month on - you guessed it - the Second Sunday (April 14). Coalition's next Quarterly Meeting is April 25. Special hike for Sierra Club members, on a site not normally open to the public along Broad Run, is April 27.

All members of the Sierra Club are invited - see details on GPWTC calendar at https://www.gpwtrails.org/calendar

Sierra Club Outings Hikes

April 12, 5-mile circuit hike in Conway Robinson State Forest, starting at 10AM. The highlight of
this hike will be a section of the "Unfinished Railroad,” construction of which was begun before
the Civil War, but never completed. In 1862 the roadbed was used as a Confederate defense line in a major battle. Another “battle” rages today over a proposal to develop a huge data
center complex nearby.

On April 14, 1:0--3:00pm: The monthly "Second Sunday" hike sponsored by the Greater Prince William Trails Coalition (https://www.gpwtrails.org/) will explore the potential route of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail on Powell's Creek. For details and to register, go to https://tinyurl.com/e27h4m8s

April 27, 10:00am-noon: Sierra Club Outings hike on the 150+ acres along Broad Run acquired by American Battlefield Trust. A historian from Prince William County will interpret the Union victory during the Civil War at the historic Bristoe Station battlefield, on land that is not normally open to the public. We will view Broad Run from a 75' high bluff and see two beaver lodges. Hike will be about 1.5 miles on informal trails.

These are joint events between the Sierra Club Potomac Region Outings (SCPRO), SC Great Falls Group, and the Greater Prince William Trail Coalition. For registration details look for them to be posted when ready at https://www.sierraclub.org/virginia/events-calendar.

Climate Education Needed in Schools for an Environmentally Just World

By Ariya Lee, 9th grade, Chantilly High School

The first time I heard about climate change, it wasn’t through school. I still remember learning about this concept of “global warming” when I read about dying coral reefs in third grade, and later on, hearing about the “climate crisis” from Greta Thunberg’s speeches. It would take a couple more years until I joined the youth climate movement, Fridays for Future and started taking action in my community. It would take even longer before I started welcoming other young people into the climate movement. But it started with knowing about what climate change was in the first place—and why it was going to take all of us to stop it.

Ariya Lee speaking at the Fairfax County General Assembly Pre-2024 session public hearing. Photo credit: Lynetta Chao

When I was in middle school, I started to realize there was a significant information gap regarding climate education in schools.

I started researching Virginia’s public school science curriculum, looking for anything relating to human impact on the environment. It wasn’t until sixth grade that climate change appeared in the science curriculum. Then in seventh grade (Life Science) students were also expected to receive a climate lesson. But in neither of those years was I taught about the climate crisis. Eighth grade science curriculum didn’t include climate or environment at all. So, as a ninth grader, halfway through my public school education, I have never learned about climate change in school. Worse, plenty of other students in Virginia probably don’t know how serious climate change is. And at the way things are going, they could find out too late.

Full Story

Volunteering is good for the environment!

We have new opportunities for volunteers in the Sierra Club Great Falls Group. See nine ideas here to find some that are a fit for you. Local volunteering for the environment helps you and your community by:

Cutting down on emissions by traveling close to home
Giving you a sense of belonging in your own community
Opening you socially to more people in your area
Supporting local projects and people
Teaching you more about your community and other ways to help.
The personal connections you can gain from volunteering locally can open you up to a wide range of advantages.

Not only will you make new friends but you’ll also be able to develop relationships in the long-term for as long as you live in the area. You learn more about what’s going on in your area, like events, groups and clubs, and more.

See the opportunities

For the GFG weekly environmental events email, join the listserv here and select subscribe (or unsubscribe).

The MeetUp group for Sierra Club Potomac Region Outings (SCPRO) is a special activities section of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. The group organizes hikes and other events in Virginia, DC and Maryland. No Sierra Club membership is necessary to participate. SCPRO welcomes all people on a variety of outdoor adventures, nature walks, conservation outings, and exploration of our natural and regional history. Join SCPRO MeetUp here

Power for the People Virginia

A recent post from Ivy Main's blog on energy-related matters in Virginia.

Virginia climate advocates find progress requires more than a Democratic majority

Ivy Main, Renewable Energy Chair for Sierra Club's Virginia Chapter

Cascade April 2024

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