So Much Happening! 4QT Mecklenburg Environmental/Social Justice Events

Here are some of our Sierra Club and community events that are related to environmental and social justice issues. I hope to see you at many of these!

People’s Climate March

See, listen and learn about the March and what you can do to grow the movement!

Memories and Images of the Peoples Climate March

VOICES OF THE PEOPLE’S CLIMATE MARCH Volume 1

The New Climate Movement Has Begun – Be a Part of the Change!

“The alarm bells keep ringing, our citizens keep marching. We must answer the call”

 Oct 6 – MSNBC “All In: Coal Country” with NC Coal Ash and Duke Energy

Monday, October 6th at 8:00 PM, Chris Hayes on MSNBC will be doing an hour-long investigative special on the coal industry

Oct 6 – MSNBC “All In: Coal Country” with NC Coal Ash and Duke Energy

 Oct 7 – 2nd of 3 NC Senate Debates with Kay Hagan vs. Thom Tillis, ‘Round 2’

Host a house party to watch and discuss. Or, Drinking Liberally Charlotte is hosting a viewing party at Kennedy’s Premium Bar & Grill – 366 N. Caswell (http://www.kennedyscharlotte.com). Folks will be upstairs starting at 6:30pm and stick around afterwards as long as you’d like to discuss how the candidates performed. The Debate starts at 7pm and lasts just 1 hour. This one is hosted by George Stephanopoulos!

 Oct 9 – Charlotte Bike Talk!

Charlotte Bike Talk! – Oct 9

 Oct 10 – Voter Registration Deadline

More information at http://charlottesierraclub.org/political-2/elections-2014/

Oct 10 – Carolina Thread “Fall Into the Thread”

One Week To Fall Into The Thread on October 10th!

 Oct 14 Webinar: Advocating with Compassion & NC General Assembly 101

Oct 14 Webinar: Advocating with Compassion & NC General Assembly 101

 Oct 16 – Charlotte Moral Movies – Disruption

Oct 16 More Moral Movies – Watch and Discuss “Disruption”

 Oct 18 – Rocky Face Mountain Outing

Oct 18 Outing: Exploring Rocky Face Mountain Recreation Area

Oct 20 – Citizens’ United and Corporate Personhood

Oct 20 Program: Citizens’ United and Corporate Personhood

Oct 22 – Sierra Club monthly meeting

Oct 22 Sierra Club Monthly Meeting – Members Trip Highlights

Oct 22 – “Coal Ash In Our Water: An Unfinished Business” Town Hall Meeting

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Charlotte-Environmental-Action-CEA/169329816552913

Oct 23 – Early Voting Begins

More information at http://charlottesierraclub.org/political-2/elections-2014/

Oct 26 – Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Sierra Club: Relive the Legacy of the Appalachian Trail

Oct 26 – Relive the Legacy of the Appalachian Trail

Oct 27 – Charlotte City Council vote on the future of area water quality (PCCO)

For more information on this issue see:

Public Hearing Comments on the Proposed Weakened Stormwater Ordinance

Come Tell Charlotte City Council to Protect Our Streams, Lakes, and Rivers

81% of Total Mecklenburg Watershed Considered Unfit – Support Strong Stormwater Regulations!

Charlotte Stormwater Pollution – Harming Our Lakes, Streams and Rivers

Sept 22: Charlotte Public Hearing – The Future of Area Water Quality

Will Developers Take Control of Our Water Quality?

Will Charlotte Continue to Weaken Storm Water Controls?

Nov 1 – Early Voting Ends

More information at http://charlottesierraclub.org/political-2/elections-2014/

Nov 1 – Catawba Wildflower Glen Service Outing

More information at: http://www.meetup.com/Charlotte-Sierra-Club/events/210703312/

Nov 4 – General Election Day

More information at http://charlottesierraclub.org/political-2/elections-2014/

Nov 21 – NC Climate Justice Summit

More information at NC Climate Justice Summit, Nov 21-23

2014 Mecklenburg County State of the Environment Report

At our August meeting we had a great presentation about the Sustain Charlotte 2014 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Sustainability Report Card – “What would your parents say if you brought home this report card?”

Our September meeting on Wednesday the 24th will feature Heidi Pruess, Environmental Policy Administrator for Mecklenburg County’s Land Use and Environmental Services Agency, as she provides an Update on the Mecklenburg County Livability Plan (Click link for meeting information).

If you haven’t had a chance to review the 2014 Mecklenburg County State of the Environment Report, I highly recommend that you do so before the meeting. You can also click the link – Listen – to hear a discussion of the report from a WFAE Charlotte Talks show.

See you on the 24th for our monthly meeting!

 

WFAE Charlotte Talks: “Mecklenburg County Environmental Report Card” (from March 25, 2014)

Listen

Every two years Mecklenburg County does an environmental assessment and delivers an environmental report card of sorts. The report card for the last two years has just been released and we’ll meet with two officials to see how our region fared in Air, Land, Water and Waste use and efficiency. In most aspects the county has fared well but the recession did have an impact in some areas. We’ll find out which ones, what aspects of our environment passed with flying colors and what has room for improvement. We check the county’s environmental grade.

Guests
Heidi Pruess – Community Plan and Sustainability Officer for Mecklenburg County
Jeff Michael – Director, UNC Charlotte Urban Institute

The State of the Environment Report (SOER) has been used as an informative tool for understanding the current environmental state of our region while identifying strategies and recommendations to maintain and enhance our quality of life by ensuring clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and healthy land on which to live and recreate.

This 2014 SOER expands on the traditional identification of priority environmental indicators in Mecklenburg County by providing a trend analysis for each environmental indicator during recent history. Each SOER chapter button below provides a list of recommended actions for addressing these priority environmental indicators as well as informative and fun videos.

Environmental Indicators
Environmental Indicators can be found through the chapter buttons above or via the table below. This website will be updated as either the indicator trend changes or as new information becomes available.

Air	Overall Air Quality	Ozone	Particulate Matter	NOx, SO2, CO, Lead
Land	Climate Change and Wildlife	Nature Preserves	Greenways	Facility Planning
Waste	Commercial Waste	Yard Waste	Residential Waste	Household Hazardous Waste
Water	Groundwater	Lakes	Public Involvement

If you are interested in exploring trends back to 1987, you are encouraged to read the 2008 SOER. If you are interested in learning more about how Mecklenburg County’s State of the Environment reflects on our region, you are encouraged to read the 2010 SOER or the 2012 SOER.

Mecklenburg County is fortunate to have County staff with both the technical expertise and practical knowledge to produce the information contained in this 2014 edition of the State of the Environment Report. Please join me in thanking them for their determination and skill in producing this exceptional report!

Additional information at http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/LUESA/SOER/Pages/default.aspx.

 

 

What would your parents say if you brought home this report card?

Thanks to Meg Fencil, Education and Outreach Program Director for Sustain Charlotte, for a great presentation at our August Monthly Meeting!

Click below for a link to the Executive Summary of the report. You really should read the entire report which is available at 2014 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Sustainability Report Card.

The August 21st edition of WFAE Charlotte Talks focused on the report. You can listen to the show using the link below.

Sustain Charlotte 2014 Sustainability Report Executive Summary

Note: The national comparison grade for any given metric was based on the percent difference between the values from the most recent year for which both national and local data were available, not the percent difference between multi-year averages for national and local. We had considered calculating it by both of these methods, but ultimately decided on the “snapshot” comparison of the most recent year. This calculation method has the advantage of highlighting the most up to date progress (or lack thereof). The downside is that because it’s based on comparison of only two data points, an anomalous year could drive the national comparison grade. For example, if Charlotte has a year with unusually low ozone concentrations due to a rainy and cloudy summer, we could receive a favorable national comparison grade that doesn’t reflect the true baseline situation. As we consider how to revise the methodology for future reports, we’ll take these concerns into account to paint as clear a picture as possible of both our absolute ranking and trend over time for the metrics.

Want to hear a discussion of the report?

Charlotte’s Sustainability Report Card by WFAE

We’ve talked a lot about sustainability – the state and quality of Charlotte’s air, water, energy use and more – and whether or not Charlotte is headed for a sustainable future. But now, the non-profit Sustain Charlotte has used the power of data to compile and compare nine different categories into one study, the first of its kind. The group rates our local sustainability trends, and compares them to national trends in air quality, energy use, equality and empowerment, food, jobs and income, land use, transportation, waste and water use. So, how are we doing? The report shows we’re making progress on energy use, and the area’s water use per household is lower than the national average. But we’re lagging behind when it comes to transportation and land use. And food insecurity and childhood poverty are on the rise.

Guests

Shannon Binns – Founder and Executive Director, Sustain Charlotte

Dena Diorio – Mecklenburg County Manager

John Autry – Charlotte City Councilman and Chairman of the council’s Environment Committee

Listen to the full broadcast here.

P.S. For a top line review, check out 15 takeaways from Sustain Charlotte’s Sustainability Report Card by Ana McKenzie of Creative Loafing.

Happy 70th, 50th, 40th, 30th Birthday Party

At our August monthly meeting last night we had a Happy 70th, 50th, 40th, 30th Birthday Party! What you ask is a 70th, 50th, 40th, 30th Birthday Party?

This is a special year for NC and Charlotte outdoors!

This is the 70th anniversary of the Smokey Bear Wildfire campaign – Happy 70th Birthday Smokey Bear! 

The 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act – 50 Years of Wilderness

The 40th anniversary of Char-Meck Park & Rec – Happy 40th Birthday Mecklenburg Park and Rec!

And the 30th anniversary of the NC Wilderness Act – 30 Years of NC Wilderness

 

Here is Mary Lou Buck doing the birthday honors!

And don’t forget that the celebration continues! You need to Celebrate Your Wild Side and Sign Up Today for Our Wild NC Celebration – September 26-27 at Morrow Mountain State Park. It’s going to be a wild time with folks from across the state.

Reminder – Monthly Meeting Tonight, Aug 27 at 6:30pm, “Char-Meck Sustainability Report”

Please join us on August 27 for a presentation of Sustain Charlotte’s just released 2014 Charlotte-Meck Sustainability Report Card. Over a year in the making, this Report Card reviews the status of nine major categories relevant to our overall sustainability, including comparisons with national trends, and with suggestions as how we can improve. Overall compared with national trends Charlotte-Meck gets a “C”. Given that the Charlotte City Council has chosen to have ” … be a global leader in sustainability …” as one of its’ focus goals, this letter grade is disappointing.

Sustain Charlotte will be represented by Meg Fencil who will conduct the presentation and discussion.

As usual, pizza will be served around 6:30pm. We will have a short business meeting at 7pm. And the formal presentation will begin around 7:15pm.

We meet at the Mahlon Adams Pavilion in Freedom Park, 2435 Cumberland Ave., Charlotte, NC. Plenty of free parking is available.

See you there for this timely presentation.

David Robinson
Chair, Central Piedmont Group Sierra Club

Why wilderness?

Just two and a half weeks until the official 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Join us for a celebration this month – Aug 27 – Join us for a 70th, 50th, 40th, 30th Anniversary Party! – and next month too – Save the Date! Sierra Club Wilderness Celebration, Sept 26-28.

September 3, 1964

Sierra Club Wilderness Celebration
Morrow Mountain State Park
Sept 26-28
We are planning a fun weekend full of outings, camping, picnics, presentations and more!
Save the Date! Sierra Club Wilderness Celebration, Sept 26-28

Sierra Club NC Chapter Wilderness Celebration website
Our Wild NC

Central Piedmont Group (Charlotte) Area Resources
Birkhead Wilderness – Uwharrie National Forest – Morrow Mountain State Park

Central Piedmont Group (Charlotte) 50th Wilderness Act
50 Years of Wilderness

Central Piedmont Group (Charlotte) North Carolina 30th Wilderness Act
30 Years of NC Wilderness

Celebrate wilderness
Aug 27 – Join us for a 70th, 50th, 40th, 30th Anniversary Party!
Host a house party and protect America’s special places!

Bonus
Happy 70th Birthday Smokey Bear! and Happy 40th Birthday Mecklenburg Park and Rec!

Aug 27 – Join us for a 70th, 50th, 40th, 30th Anniversary Party!

This is a special year for NC and Charlotte outdoors!

This is the 70th anniversary of the Smokey Bear Wildfire campaign – Happy 70th Birthday Smokey Bear! 

The 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act – 50 Years of Wilderness

The 40th anniversary of Char-Meck Park & Rec – Happy 40th Birthday Mecklenburg Park and Rec!

And the 30th anniversary of the NC Wilderness Act – 30 Years of NC Wilderness

Wow! Join us Wednesday, August 27th at 6:30 PM for a celebration with pizza and cake. The celebration will take place prior to our regular monthly meeting at the Mahlon Adams Pavilion in Freedom Park, 2435 Cumberland Ave., Charlotte, NC. Free parking is available.

July 23rd Monthly Meeting: Outdoor Treasures of Mecklenburg County

Please join us on Wednesday July 23rd for a presentation on the Outdoor Treasures of Mecklenburg County.

Stephen Hutchinson, Nature Center Manager at Latta Plantation, will present on the abundant resources of Mecklenburg Parks and Recreation Department. You will be delighted to learn about such great opportunities as kayak tours, canoe rentals, horseback riding, tractor drawn hay rides, cowboy style campfire dinners, Segway adventure tours, GPS treasure hunts, hiking, camping, and more – all nearby.

As usual our meeting is at the Mahlon Adams Pavilion in Freedom Park. It begins at 6:30pm with free pizza, followed by a short business meeting, and then the formal presentation.

Parking is free. All are welcome. We look forward to seeing you.

Sierra Club and Solarize Charlotte – A Perfect Match

Our Wednesday monthly meeting drew a big crowd and lots of first timers. So glad that you joined us!

Special thanks to our presenters and panel members Steve Rundle, Solarize Charlotte Champion, Hanna Mitchell, Solarize Charlotte Outreach, and Jeff Redwine, Co-Founder of RED Group who provided some great information about solar installation and the Solarize Charlotte program.

Following the Q&A the attendees broke into 2 groups to brainstorm and plan events for getting the word out about Solarize Charlotte (photos by Renee Reese and Ahmer Inam).

For more information, to request a presentation, or to volunteer to be a Solarize Charlotte Champion, email Bill Gupton or Hanna Mitchell.

Click below to see and share the presentation!

Sierra Club and Solarize Charlotte Presentation

May 28 – “Making Every Day a Sun Day: How We Can Solarize Charlotte”

Thomas Edison was right long before solar energy became an affordable option for homeowners. The availability of generous federal and state tax credits, low interest rates, and ease of installation make this the time to put solar energy panels on roof tops across North Carolina. Whether you’ve considered installing solar in the past or are just passionate about supporting clean and renewable energy, this is the time for us to learn the facts and finances about solar energy installation and encourage our friends and neighbors to become part of the solar energy revolution.

Make plans to join us Wednesday, May 28th, at 6:30 PM to learn how you can “Make Every Day a Sun Day and Solarize Charlotte”. The program will include a presentation by Steve Rundle, Solarize Charlotte Champion, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A. Joining Steve on the panel will be Hanna Mitchell, Solarize Charlotte Outreach, and Cynthia Redwine, Founder of RED Group. The meeting will be held in the Mahlon Adams Pavilion at Freedom Park, 2435 Cumberland Avenue, Charlotte, NC, 28203. Cumberland Avenue is off of the 1500 block of East Boulevard.

Our meeting starts off at 6:30 PM with free pizza, refreshments and a chance to meet and socialize with other Sierra Club members and friends. The business meeting and program will begin at 7:00 PM. Non-members and potential new members are very welcome!

The program is free and open to the public and you do not have to be a member to attend. Free parking is available.

Bring a friend or two; you’ll be glad you did!