Archive for September, 2009
Congress, don’t embarrass us in front of our friends
This December when President Obama attends the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen he hopes to restore the United States’ reputation as a global leader on the world stage by demonstrating evidence of the United States strong commitment to curb global warming. Congress seems to be reluctant to help the President meet that objective.
Chapel Hill part of coal free campus campaign
On Wednesday, September 16th the Sierra Club announced a new campaign to “kick coal off campuses” nationally. Around 60 campuses who signed on to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment still use coal – an ancient, dirty technology that is far too common place in the 21st Century. One of those campuses is right here in North Carolina in the form of the flagship University of the University of North Carolina system – UNC Chapel Hill.
Charlotte and Ozone
“A lot of local governments were just trying to dodge the bullet,” said Molly Diggins, state director of the N.C. Sierra Club, about meeting the EPA rules. “They hoped conformity would go away.”
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There’s some recent converage in the Charlotte paper about the Queen City and ozone, mainly on the EPA’s ozone rules and how Charlotte has [...]
Duke Energy proposed rate increase
Reports in the Indy Weekly and the Charlotte Observer indicate that the public hearings on proposed rate increases are turning into referendums on the Cliffside power plant. The 13.5 percent rate increase under consideration by the North Carolina Utilities Commisision will help foot the construction bill for the 800-megawatt boiler – now nearly 50% completed and coming in at around $2.4 billion in public dollars.
Raleigh 2030 Comprehensive Plan launches
Raleigh’s City Council passed the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. Read about it at New Raleigh.
Microgrid = fast, flexible, secure; macrogrid not so much
Why the microgrid could be the answer to our energy crisis (Fast Company article). “It’s a similar story in North Carolina. “Because of its rate structure, Duke Energy has acted as the greatest impediment in the state to the rapid adoption of energy efficiency and renewables,” says Ivan Urlaub, the executive director of the North [...]
OBX: now with clean beaches, healthy turtles
Joining San Francisco, North Carolina’s Outer Banks became only the second community in the US to ban “single use” plastic bags on Tuesday.
Old blog
You can find all of our older posts on blogger. We’ve just made the switch to Wordpress.
National Political Director in Chapel Hill
Cathy Duvall, Sierra Club’s National Political Director, spoke last night in Chapel Hill about the future of climate legislation on Capitol Hill and the role North Carolina might play in the vital debate.
How not to power your state
ther than Georgia, North Carolina uses more coal from mountaintop removal than any other state. Approximately 30% of our state’s electricity comes from impoverished and environmentally devastated communities in southern Appalachia.
Representative Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford) tried to remedy North Carolina’s dirty secret in the past legislative session, introducing the Appalachian Mountains Preservation Act, which gained 27 co-sponsors from both sides of the [...]
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