EC March 2008

ec@lists.wvsierraclub.org

9 participants
17 discussions

FW: Fw: home energy fair
by Grubb, Karen 27 Mar '08

27 Mar '08

Does anyone want to have a SC booth at the fair in Elkins? Is the SSC having a booth? ________________________________ From: Denise Poole [mailto:deniseap@earthlink.net] Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2008 6:42 PM To: Frank Young; lapaix(a)westvirginia.net Cc: jim_scon(a)yahoo.com; Grubb, Karen Subject: Re: Fw: home energy fair Hey all, FYI, and just in case any communication has been dropped - or information still needed on Sierra Club's end .... (I am going through all e-mails again, and reviewing as the final details for the fair). Mountain View Builders have been confirmed for quite some time, pre-E-Day, participating with a sustainable / green building workshop showing what their company is doing in Berkeley County and the region. Ken Auvil is also one of our presenters on the same subject, and all of our workshop slots are full. If the Sierra Club would like a booth however, we are continuing to add those through April 3rd. We do have about 60 booths, and the tables available on campus are spoken for (so please bring your own tables). If you decide to participate, any literature, and Jim's "Home Energy Fair" model showing examples of practical things people can do right now in their homes to save energy could very well be done at your booth. Please let me know if there is any interest in Sierra Club participating with a booth this year, and I'll be happy to add you to our list. I will need to know by April 3rd so we can finalize. Thanks so much, Denise Denise Poole, Co-Director, Sustainable Living for WV deniseap(a)earthlink.net (304) 617-7073 -----Original Message----- From: Frank Young Sent: Feb 28, 2008 6:00 PM To: lapaix(a)westvirginia.net, Denise Poole Cc: jim_scon(a)yahoo.com, Karen Grubb Subject: Re: Fw: home energy fair Thanks, Myra. Also, last Friday at WV E-Council awards we met Mike McKechnie who, along with his brother Pete, own and operate Mountain View Builders at Berkeley Springs. Their specialty is designing and building homes that incorporate renewable energy and sustainable living processes. Mike can be reached at mtviewbuilders(a)verizon.net . Telephone: 304-258-4320 . Frank ----- Original Message ----- From: Bonhage-Hale / Myra <mailto:lapaix@westvirginia.net> To: Myra Bonhage-Hale <mailto:lapaix@westvirginia.net> ; Denise Poole <mailto:deniseap@earthlink.net> ; Frank Young <mailto:fyoung@mountain.net> Cc: jim_scon(a)yahoo.com Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 4:20 PM Subject: Re: Fw: home energy fair Gee, our public relations certainly isn't finding the right people! I thought all you guys knew about the Sustainable Fair in Elkins. Jim, is there any way you could give us some contact information? Perhaps it could fit in with the Sustainable Fair on April 18th, 19th and 20th at Davis & Elkins College sponsored in large part by the WVEC. Let us know - the more the merrier! ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: "Frank Young" <fyoung(a)mountain.net> Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:59:43 -0500 >Would Jim Sconyers idea of a Home Energy Fair (see below) fit in with the Sustainable Fair in Elkins? > >I'm rather certain that Ken Auvil, who is a Green builder in Barbour County, would be a part of this. > >Frank Young > >-----Original Message----- >From: Jim Sconyers [mailto:jim_scon@yahoo.com] >Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 4:18 PM >To: Autumn; Sandra Cress; Bill DePaulo; Barbara Fallon; Regina Hendrix; >Jim; Matt Keller; Jim Kotcon; Beth Little; Duane Nichols; Dave Saville; >Kate Stone; Allan Tweddle; Paul Wilson; Mary Wimmer; Karen Grubb; >Jonathan Rosenbaum >Subject: home energy fair > >At my former group, we had a very successful Home >Energy Fair at Earth Day last year. Giveaways, info, >talks, etc. oriented toward practical things to >conserve energy at home. > >I was wondering if this seemed like something we might >want to do, say in Charleston (Capitol?) or >Morgantown. > >I would appreciate your feedback. > >Jim Sconyers >jim_scon(a)yahoo.com >304.789.2542 >603.969.6712 cell > > > ________________________________________________________________ Sent via the WebMail system at mail.westvirginia.net

1 0

Cleanbrier press release
by Beth Little 21 Mar '08

21 Mar '08

Here's what we decided at the meeting Thurs. See attached. Beth Little HC 64 Box 281 Hillsboro, WV 24946 304-653-4277 Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.21.7/1328 - Release Date: 3/13/2008 11:31 AM

1 0

Fwd: The nonturbine wind alternative - Alternative Energy dot Com
by James Kotcon 21 Mar '08

21 Mar '08

>>> Nathan Askins <nate.askins(a)gmail.com> 3/20/2008 6:41 PM >>> http://alternativeenergy.com/video/video/show?id=1066929%3AVideo%3A21951

2 1

Fwd: Sic Semper Transmission?
by Duane330＠aol.com 19 Mar '08

19 Mar '08

From: pecnews(a)pecva.org Sent: 3/19/2008 7:44:06 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time Subj: Sic Semper Transmission? (http://www.pecva.org/) Three Weeks, Two Nervous Utilities & One Website to Hear it All Dear Duane, After three witness packed weeks, the Virginia transmission line hearings have come to a close. Since I last wrote we have heard from expert witnesses for PEC, Virginia's Commitment, Fauquier County, Prince William County, the Powerline Landowners Alliance, Oakwood et al, VDOT and the SCC staff. The cumulative expertise provided by these groups is unparalleled. _Listen to the Testimony on the SCC Website_ (http://citizen-networks.org/ct/vdswh5F1LqRY/) Sic Semper Transmission? There was more testimony than I can possibly summarize in email format, so I'd like to touch on some of the major takeaways. 1. Dominion and TrAILCo's entire case is based on assumptions that are woefully inadequate and unrealistic. There was a lot, I mean a lot of testimony regarding the planning assumptions dictated by PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator. PJM and Dominion ask you to accept that all of their models are reasonable and accurate. You must next assume that the growth of the past few years will continue unabated, energy conservation will never be more than it has been in the past and that efficiency is always outpaced by greater usage. You must also assume that planned generation projects that contribute to the identified problem should be modeled, while those that contribute to the solution should not be modeled. And finally, you must assume that business-as-usual should be continued while the world around us changes. 2. There is a very real negative impact to building this line. This line will cost over a billion dollars to construct, make the east coast more dependent on distant (and largely coal-fired) generation, make it less cost-effective to build clean generation on the east coast, require clear-cutting of forests, increased use of herbicides, ruin public viewsheds in three states and impact property values along the entire 240-mile long route. 3. There is a better way. It was very clear from the testimony that neither PJM, Dominion or TrAILCo analyzed viable alternatives to building this line. Together, the witnesses from various groups showed that a combination of demand side reduction, clean and appropriately placed distributed generation and realistic planning will allow essential services to remain cost-effective and reliable. To use the words of Virginia's Commitment attorney Michael Gerrard, PJM and Dominion "put all of their eggs in one basket and never came up with a Plan B". Time to Write the Best Brief Ever Our legal briefs will be due in early May. The brief is an argument of law referencing the record that has developed over the course of the proceeding. The Hearing Examiner will review briefs, as well as the public testimony, pre-filed testimony of expert witnesses and transcripts from the hearings. He will then come up with a recommendation for the SCC Commissioners regarding whether to approve or deny the transmission line applications. A final decision by the Commissioners is expected some time this Summer or Fall. TrAILCo heads to Pittsburgh for the beginning of their case in Pennsylvania on March 24. And we are all awaiting the West Virginia Public Service Commission ruling. They are scheduled to make their final decision on May 2. Needless to say, May 2 is going to be a big day for all of us. Thank You for Making this Case Possible I would once again like to thank all of you who have supported us (or any of the Respondents) and stayed vigilant throughout this long process. A utility has never faced opposition like this before. If you are able to listen to only one day of the hearing, I would encourage you to listen to PEC's engineering witness Dr. Hyde Merrill, his testimony can be _found here_ (http://citizen-networks.org/ct/v1swh5F1LqRR/) and begins at minute 16:15 of the audio file. Best, Bri West Piedmont Environmental Council _pecnews(a)pecva.org_ (mailto:pecnews@pecva.org) ps: None of this happens without you. _We need your continued support to keep this up_ (https://secure.citizen-networks.org/08/energytransmission/np7swh5F1DIJW?) . ____________________________________ This message was personalized for you. Please spread the word and safely forward this message using: (http://citizen-networks.org/campaign/sb525/forward/8b7nsdufok88i38?) _Tell-a-friend!_ (http://citizen-networks.org/campaign/sb525/forward/8b7nsdufok88i38?) This message was sent to duane330(a)aol.com. Visit your _subscription management page_ (http://citizen-networks.org/pec/smp.tcl?nkey=8b7nsdufok88i38&) to modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop receiving Power Line Alerts, click to _unsubscribe_ (http://citizen-networks.org/pec/remove-domain-direct.tcl?ctx=subscription&n…) . To stop ALL email from The Piedmont Environmental Council, click to _remove_ (http://citizen-networks.org/pec/remove-domain-direct.tcl?ctx=center&nkey=8b…) yourself from our lists (or reply via email with "remove or unsubscribe" in the subject line). (http:///) **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom0…)

1 0

FW: Architecture 2030: BYOBlue
by Grubb, Karen 19 Mar '08

19 Mar '08

This person gave a talk at the Good Jobs Green Jobs conference in Pittsburgh. ________________________________ From: Peter Chapman [mailto:pandrewchapman@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 12:59 PM To: Grubb, Karen Subject: Architecture 2030: BYOBlue Hello Karen, Thank you for your interest in helping Architecture 2030 to spread the work about BYOBlue. Our goal is to reach as many people as possible with this clear message: wear BLUE for Earth Day 2008 as a vote for NO COAL! BYOBlue / Earth Day 2008 April 19-22 Want to stop global warming? Wear BLUE for Earth Day 2008! Join millions of people around the world who will be wearing BLUE to signify their vote for NO COAL. ***** Earth Day 2008 is going to be historic! Architecture 2030, along with numerous other groups around the nation, is calling on everyone to wear BLUE during Earth Day 2008 to signify their vote for No Coal. Events will be happening around the world from April 19th through April 22nd, so... If you're attending the Earth Day event on the National Mall in Washington, DC on April 20th, wear BLUE. If you're attending another Earth Day event, wear BLUE. No matter what you're doing for Earth Day 2008, wear BLUE. A BLUE shirt, top, sweater or jacket...whatever. Just wear BLUE. Then, on April 22, as a culminating action, pick up the phone, call Congress at 202-224-3121 and ask for an immediate 'Moratorium on Coal' - a halt to the construction of any new coal-fired power plants. Through this Call for Climate event, Earth Day hopes to generate over a million phone calls to Congress. Visit Earth Day's website to learn more about this critical event. Your BLUE vote will count. Fifty-nine coal plants were canceled in 2007. That's over a third of the 151 planned. That happened before millions of people joined together to say No Coal. BYOBlue for Earth Day 2008. Be the vote that tips the balance. ***** Architecture 2030 is asking the global community to help get the message out: - send this message to everyone on your email list. - download <http://www.byoblue.org/downloads/BYOBlue_web.zip> the banner ads and display them prominently on your website, Facebook, MySpace etc. - link to www.byoblue.org <http://www.byoblue.org/> or create your own BYOB web page. - attend an Earth Day event wearing BLUE and - on April 22nd, wear BLUE all day - to work, lunch and dinner - and make the call to Congress at 202-224-3121, asking for an immediate 'Moratorium on Coal'. -- Peter Chapman Marketing Coordinator 2030, Inc. / Architecture 2030 505-988-5309 x17 chapman(a)architecture2030.org www.architecture2030.org

1 0

Fwd: 132 coal plants vanish - POOF!
by James Kotcon 15 Mar '08

15 Mar '08

This is pretty significant news. The data may seem boring, but I suspect that it would be quite relevant to our case on TrAILCo. These data do not assume a carbon cap and trade program, but even with just the recently passed H.R.6, “Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007” signed by President Bush in December 2007, the reduction in the electric demand growth rate is tremendous. I recommend clicking on the link and spend some time with the numbers. JBK >>> "dave saville" <daves(a)labyrinth.net> 3/15/2008 3:30 AM >>> No New Coal Plants! (nonewcoalplants(a)energyjustice.net) On March 4, without fanfare, a bureaucrat named Guy Caruso caused 132 coal plants to disappear with a wave of his magic wand. Actually, he used a spreadsheet, but the effect was the same. Caruso is the head of the Energy Information Administration, the division of the U.S. Department of Energy that, well, comes up with information on energy. Sort of like the CIA, but less glamorous. A year ago, the EIA projected that electricity use would grow at the rate of 1.5 percent per year through 2030. But on March 4, Caroso told Congress that the EIA had revised its projected growth rate downward to 1.1 percent. As we all learned in algebra, a small change in a percentage rate can make a big difference over time. Applied to coal, the new growth rate caused projected electricity generation from coal in 2030 to drop from 3191 Billion kilowatt hours (Bkwh) to 2756 Bkwh, a decrease of 435 Bkwh. What does 435 Bkwh equate to in terms of coal plants? Assuming a 75% capacity factor (the percentage of hours in an average year that a plant is running full-bore), that's the output of 66,200 Megawatts of generating capacity, or 132 new coal plants (500 MW each) that won't have to be built afterall between now and 2030. Of course, a lot of people already knew this was going on, including Wall Street. For years, the Energy Information Administration, which should be leading the way in guiding decision makers, has been out of step with reality. It tends to play the role of cheerleader for an industry that has always wanted to build, build, build. But at some point reality intrudes -- the cheerleader turns around and actually looks at the game. And that's why 1.5% just became 1.1%, and 132 coal plants suddenly went poof. Here is Caruso's March 4th testimony to the U.S. Senate: <http://www.nreca.org/Documents/PublicPolicy/caruso030408.pdf>http://www.nre ca.org/Documents/PublicPolicy/caruso030408.pdf Here is last year's projection -- see Table A8 <http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/archive/aeo07/pdf/appendixes.pdf>http://www.eia .doe.gov/oiaf/archive/aeo07/pdf/appendixes.pdf Here is the latest projection -- again, see Table A8 <http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/pdf/appa.pdf>http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ae o/pdf/appa.pdf

1 0

Fwd: FW: Global warming expert from Alaska to be in WV
by James Kotcon 15 Mar '08

15 Mar '08

I got a call from these folks. They have funding to do a speaking tour in WV April 10-15, and would appreciate some help with local arrangements. I suspect we could easily host them in Huntington, Charleston, Fairmont, Morgantown, and perhaps at Shepherdstown or somewhere in the Eastern Panhandle. They would also like to do editorial board visits, meet with local congressional staff, etc. We have often done quite well with talks on Alaska, so perhaps this might be an easy way to promote a global warming agenda with popular programs. Would anyone else be interested in serving as a local arrangements person? JBK P.S. I already gave away some of your names and e-mail addresses, so look forward to hearing from them. _____ From: Margaret Manousoff [mailto:margaret@alaskaconservationsolutions.com] Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 4:18 PM To: 'cjkotcon(a)wvu.edu' Subject: Global warming expert to be in WV Dear Jim: I am writing to alert you to a FREE educational speaking tour (funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation) being conducted in West Virginia from April 10th-15th by Deborah Williams, President of Alaska Conservation Solutions. Ms. Williams is Alaska's foremost spokesperson on global warming. (Her bio is below.) She would be honored to give a free presentation on the topic to West Virginia University Students, the Sierra Club, and interested guests. Her talk addresses the alarming consequences already evident in Alaska and the commonalities between our state and yours (i.e. impacts on wildlife, water quality, recreation, tourism, etc.) She offers practical carbon-reducing strategies that not only reduce emissions but also protect human health, save money and increase America's energy independence. Deborah is a highly intelligent and articulate speaker, and I believe that a meeting between your group and her would be mutually educational and inspiring. For further information about Alaska Conservation Solutions and Ms. Williams, please visit our website at <http://www.alaskaconservationsolutions.com/> www.alaskaconservationsolutions.com . Because Ms. Williams' speaking calendar fills up quickly, I would appreciate a response as to the feasibility of a presentation to your group at your earliest convenience. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Kind regards, Margaret Margaret Manousoff Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator Alaska Conservation Solutions 308 G St., Suite 219 Anchorage, AK 99501 Phone: (907) 929-9370 Fax: (907) 929-1562 <http://www.alaskaconservationsolutions.com> http://www.alaskaconservationsolutions.com Deborah L. Williams, President Ms. Williams has been actively involved in conservation and sustainable community for over 35 years, and is now focusing on global warming. She received her B.A. from Pomona College, summa cum laude, with a concentration in Biology and Economics. Subsequently she was graduated from Harvard Law School, with honors, and was the principal founder of and co-editor-in-chief of the Harvard Environmental Law Review <http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/elr/> <http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/elr/> . After serving in the Department of Interior's Solicitors Honors Program in Washington D.C., Ms. Williams represented the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska. Between 1981 and 1994, Ms. Williams was the Executive Director of the Alaska Consumer Advocacy Program and of the Alaska Lung Association, while serving on many boards and commissions, including Trustees for Alaska (president of the board) and the Municipal Health Commission (chair of the Environmental Health Committee.) In 1994, Ms. Williams received a Presidential appointment and became the Special Assistant to the Secretary of Interior for Alaska, in which position she advised the Secretary about managing over 220 million acres of national lands in Alaska and working with Alaska tribes and others associated with the Department's broad natural and cultural resource jurisdiction. She also was a Trustee on the Exxon Valdez Trustee Council and other boards. For over six years, Ms. Williams served as the Executive Director of the Alaska Conservation Foundation, winning many awards in that role. Currently Ms. Williams is President of Alaska Conservation Solutions, an organization devoted primarily to addressing global warming. Ms. Williams has published numerous law review and other articles, has been featured repeatedly in the media (including 60 Minutes, the New York Times and the BBC), and has taught graduate-level courses at both the University of Alaska and Alaska Pacific University. Deborah greatly enjoys backpacking, skiing, gardening, traveling, and serving on boards and in service organizations such as Rotary and the American Land Conservancy.

3 2

[Fwd: [fom] Coal companies seek deals with state DEP]
by Regina Hendrix 14 Mar '08

14 Mar '08

FYI

1 0

[Fwd: [fom] DEP chief to quit]
by Regina Hendrix 14 Mar '08

14 Mar '08

FYI

1 0

ALASKA GLOBAL WARMING IMPACT PRESENTATIONS
by Allan Tweddle 13 Mar '08

13 Mar '08

Deborah cc: Margaret Manousoff Please also mail to ; margaret(a)alaskaconservationsolutions.com<mailto:margaret@alaskaconservationsolutions.com> Thanks you for the time and stimulating conversation last evening. I look forward to meeting with you when you are here in West Virginia. It is certainly a small world when we can connect with mutual friends like Judge Holland. I was always very proud to have been a close friend in Ann Arbor in our undergraduate days, and ever since, and then to read as he dealt with the EXXON Valdez oil spill case. We had a spill here in West Virginia of toxic coal sludge that was reported to be 22 times the volume of the Valdez spill. It is quite a story of how the power of coal interests have successfully diverted any real consequences to the company, and in fact led to the termination of a very senior and dedicated environmental engineer on the MSHA staff because he told the truth about the mismanagement that led to the spill. I look forward to sharing my other experiences in trips to Alaska...both in winter and summer...Hope, Kenai Peninsula, the crab dinners on the tip of the Spit in Homer...WOW...lots of memories for me. In particular, I appreciate your suggestion that we could combine forces to bring the real impacts of global warming in Alaska to the realities and opportunities for West Virginia. I have giving my tailored version of the Gore Presentation about 20 times since last April's training in Nashville. I try to tailor to the audience and to add my own 40 years of experience solving air pollution problems as an engineer in my native Canada, including 30 years in Southern California. And in the last 20 years I have been involved in addressing environmental policy and regulations in California as a consultant to industry and the regulators, addressing how clean technology solutions can in fact be good economics. We are constantly being reminded daily that coal brings 50% of all electricity in the US, 95% in West Virginia, and that to suggest any alternative form of energy is speaking against the flag, motherhood, apple pie, jobs and all mankind...well, at least West Virginia's families. The Oxymoron "Clean Coal Technology" is being pounded into the citizens everywhere, while the truth of how dirty coal really is, is off limits for public discussion. And any speaker who speaks out about the dirty truth about coal is pillared as an enemy of the good working folks of the State. So your planned tour is quite timely and appropriate. I would have as an objective to give you as much exposure as time will allow, and achieve a reality check for the few open minds of West Virginia, and some of the skeptics, to see why we cannot continue to use coal without achieving zero emissions. Now as to the tour itself. There is not much time to plan this. And I am concentrating on Charleston, the State Capitol, as I do not have the same number and level of contacts in the other cities But we do have many of us who have received Margaret's e-mail able to work on a schedule. I have a few questions: 1.. Are all details in place, and/or are there local folks working on this already? 2.. Do you have specific sites , halls, venues in mind or already arranged? 3.. How many presentations would be appropriate in this time period. 4.. Would you entertain TV and radio talk show interviews? 5.. As a member of the West Virginia Public Energy Authority, I could call for a special meeting just to receive your presentation. But as we, who are labeled global warming "alarmists", do not have a majority, that request may be denied. 6.. I see that you are a member of Rotary. Have you spoken to Rotary before? I am not a member, however, one of our very successful, but now retired corporate CEO's is in Rotary, so I could explore with him and see of the Friday that you are here would work. They may already have a speaker for that date. 7.. The memo from Margaret says that the tour is sponsored. Does that include any provision for fees or rent at any venues? You are scheduled from the 10th to the 15th. That is over a weekend. What if any other plans do you have in those available days? My wife and I would certainly be interested in spending some quiet time to get to know you better. In fact, if you would like, you would be welcome ion our home while you are here in Charleston. By the way, I have tried to e-mail Margaret, and I cannot get anything I write to go once I press the send button. One "computer guru" here suggested that it was because her e-mail address is too long. I think that I can speak for all of us that we look forward to meeting you and doing what we can to make your tour here very successful. Allan Allan Tweddle Quidvis recte factum quamvis humile praeclarum Sir Henry Royce, 1924

1 0

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

EC March 2008