Alabama Environmental Council Blog

No One Wants Coal Ash

2010-02-07T06:57:00.000-08:00

Another illustration of the toxic nature of Coal Ash and the negative impacts that go along with it are playing out in multiple locations around Alabama. It's currently about the leachate from the landfill, which is the resulting liquid after rainwater and surface water has percolated through a landfill and is collected at the bottom by the liners. When the landfill was originally permitted, it apparently was planning to take this leachate, which all modern landfills collect, treat, and dispose of, to the Marion Waste Water Treatment Plant. However, that plant has been out of compliance with its permits for sometime. Did the state or federal agencies, ADEM or EPA, think that this massive influx of new material was going to take care of itself? Was this not looked at when they granted these permits and had the chance to make sure to protect public health at all cost?

Then, after complaints of citizens and environmental groups about that problem, the landfill operators started scrambling to get rid of the leachate somewhere else. There are numerous allegations that it was illegally dumped in ditches for a time until a new place was found. Demopolis came to the rescue...until it was found to have problems with its permits. So, the most recent solution was to ship it to a facility near Mobile, Liquid Environmental Solutions, that would process it before sending it to the Mobile Waste Water Treatment Plant. However, again due to citizen pressure and environmental groups, the company has decided to quit accepting the waste because it wants to continue to be a "good corporate citizen." That's one of the best statements about this situation in some time.

However, that statement also illustrates one of the problems with this whole situation. When people can stand up and say what's right, they don't want this toxic mess to deal with. When their financial livelihood is on the line, they say that they don't mind being the ash-hole of the Southeast. As a US Congressman and I discussed, this is the problem of how we have created rural economies in such a way that they are dependent on processes that more affluent, educated communities will not stand for.

Alabama, do what's right: Tell TVA that Alabama is not it's dumping ground. Bring it to corporate headquarters if it's safe. Put it in your backyard. Make a playground for your grandchildren out of this "safe" material.

I didn't think so.

And, while your at it, let's make sure to recognize that Coal Ash is another aspect of coal use for energy production that proves that our current energy dependence on fossil fuels is not sustainable. We must take the full life-cycle of coal into account, mountaintop mining to air and water pollution to by-product disposal, when we say this is the method of energy production we want to continue to depend on.

Avatar: Un-sustainability Run Ammuck!

2010-01-16T05:47:00.000-08:00

I saw Avatar last night. AEC's Board President and a friend saw it on Wednesday night and told me it was amazing, and packed with every kind of story-line you could imagine: cowboys & indians, Pocahontas, environmentalism, over-run capitalism. I would have to agree with that, and multiply it. Wow, what a story line and it's hard to think of a meaning that James Cameron didn't include.

Also, let me get it out of the way that the effects and wow-factor were off the charts. Seeing it in 3-D helped, but I think it would have jumped off the screen in any theater. With larger-than-life creatures and futuristic depictions, it was truly amazing. One of those have-to-see-at-the-theater kind of movies. I tend to evaluate a movie's worth at the theater based on whether it would lose anything being seen on DVD at home. This is one of those worth going to see.

However, that encourages more consumerism which is one of the issues that I was struck by in this film. The main story of the movie is how humans have come to this distant planet to mine it's resources, assumed to be sent back to Earth. Unfortunately, a native people's "Tree of Life" is standing on the largest deposit of this precious resource. Therefore, corporate interests and the military plot to infiltrate the natives, win their trust, and convince them to move. Sound familiar...?

They seek the precious resource "Unobtanium." How great is that! Maybe that should be a signal that we shouldn't be trying to obtain it. But, you learn through the native discussion that "they have killed their mother," referring, I imagine, to Earth being ravaged and left for waste. It's also interesting to observe the representation of Unobtanium in the movie. Looks familiar to me.

What are we doing? Why are we not able to see the signs? Why are we so intent on living beyond our means that we are willing to destroy the giver of all life? Any element that is here, has come from Earth and can never be replaced. Once its gone, that's it. We will have to go looking for more Unobtanium. Is that science-fiction?

Again, I would encourage you to see this movie. I felt more appreciative of what I so often take for granted. Walking, breathing, visiting our natural wonders, respecting what others hold as sacred...they go on and on. Truly, it was amazing on so many levels.

PS. Let's all pledge to take care of this planet Earth, our island home!

5% Donations at Whole Foods Benefit AEC on January 13th

2010-01-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

This coming Wednesday, January 13th, 5% of all sales at Whole Foods Market in Birmingham will be donated to the Alabama Environmental Council. This is their quarterly fundraiser for local charities and the first time it is being donated to the AEC. Whole Foods does this benefit for non-profits as a part of its commitment to helping communities grow stronger and healthier.

Michael Churchman, executive director of the AEC, said he is thrilled with this partnership. "This opportunity provided by Whole Foods Market will allow us to educate the public about our new Regional Recycling Initiative and Downtown Birmingham Community Recycling Center, and raise some much needed funding," said Churchman. "On behalf of our organization, we are grateful to Whole Foods Market for their generosity, enabling us to further our efforts and mission.

Technical KnockOut, one of the AEC's recycling partners, will be onsite from 10AM-3PM to accept electronics recycling. If you have E-waste that needs to be recycled, this is a great opportunity. A complete list of accepted items can be found on the website www.aeconline.org.

AEC Staff and volunteers will be on hand to distribute materials, brand-new stickers, and sell T-shirts. If you have questions or comments for the organization, you can contact Michael at michael@aeconline.org.

350.org Climate Action Day in Alabama

2009-10-23T05:03:00.000-07:00

Please remember tomorrow’s day of Climate Action by joining one of more than 4,000 events worldwide, in more than 170 countries.Although, the current atmospheric concentration is nearing 390 parts per million of atmospheric carbon dioxide, 350 parts per million is the upper limit on the concentration of CO2 which can sustain our global climate conditions, according to NASA scientist Dr. James Hansen's report entitled "Target atmospheric CO2: Where should humanity aim?”

This Saturday, October 24^th, people all over the world will be gathering as part of a global day of action to urge world leaders to take bold and immediate steps to address climate change and reduce carbon emissions. From capitol cities to the slopes of Mount Everest, and even underwater on dying coral reefs—people will come together to hold rallies aimed at focusing attention on the number 350. Visitwww.350.org to learn more or join AEC in supporting one of these iconic events in Alabama:

Birmingham Event: Birmingham Southern College, 11AM-1PM with iconic photo at 11:30, climate presentations, green-fair, and food. Visit http://tinyurl.com/bham-350 for more information.

Tuscaloosa Event: University of Alabama, 11:00AM-2:30PM 350 awareness tailgate at the Alabama vs. Tennessee football game, on the quad just to the right of Denny Chimes. Fun will be provided for free, but if you would like to bring your own tailgating consumables please make a conscious effort to minimize waste by taking steps such as bringing home made dishes, reusable vessels (we'll have a dish-washing station). Visit http://tinyurl.com/tusc-350 for more information.

For additional information on Energy issues, visit www.aeconline.org/energy, including a recent presentation by Michael Churchman on environmental impacts of energy from the recent Energy Forum 2009, which can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/mc-energy-forum.

Will Alabama Face the Challenge?

2009-10-15T13:44:00.001-07:00

It is very appropriate that Blog Action Day's 2009 focus is Climate Change. After all, that is one of the hottest topics around the globe and sure to become even more important as we move closer to December of 2009, when world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to work on a new treaty to address Climate change. I'm glad to be adding my voice from Alabama with close to 10,000 bloggers in 150 countries.

It is also very appropriate that the Interfaith Environmental Initiative of Alabama just hosted Energy Forum 2009 at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on October 13-14. After introductory reflections, we jumped right into the topic at hand: Energy Challenges and Possibilities in Alabama. As Director of the Alabama Environmental Council, I was asked to share environmental perspectives of energy in Alabama, which can be found at http://tinyurl.com/yfan9gu. This Forum aimed to engage people in how we can be more efficient with the energy we use. The nearly 100 participants had many ideas of how to pursue this and it is encouraging to think of what action will happen.

However, this Forum was not the place to address the bigger issue of impending Climate Change and Alabama's lack of action concerning it. It is very frustrating to hear so many voices in Alabama denying that Global Warming is occurring or that humans are not having an impact. (It was encouraging to hear Dr. Stan Meiburg, EPA Region IV acting Director, state that the science is in and there is no longer a debate about it's cause. Now we must start doing something.) No matter how many doubters try to distract Alabamians, the scientific community is still in consensus that warming is occurring and that humans are having an impact.

It is up to us to demand that our government leaders address this impending global crisis. It may be uncomfortable, and some costs may increase. But, a lack of action will be much worse and costs to address it later will skyrocket. It is not about our lifetimes, but those of our children. The time for business as usual has passed and the window of opportunity is closing.

We must change our overly-consumptive lifestyles and reduce our waste. (With 4% of global population, the US cannot continue to use 23% of it's resources, nor should we be the example of how developing countries want to live.) We must stop subsidizing fossil fuels and begin to equally invest in Clean Energy.

We must move away from conventional dinosaur energy systems of the past, find ways to utilize clean energies today, and get busy with research and development of technologies that hold the most promise for our Clean Energy future.

Sustainable Living

2009-08-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

It's a simple concept: live in such a way that your impact is not so huge that it threatens living into the future. It's the golden rule applied to the environment around us. And, it's not a new concept. Farmers understand this and have been practicing this way of living throughout time. They new that their actions today were related to what had happened in the past, and had an impact on the future.

Yet, somewhere along the way, we as Americans have begun to believe that our actions don't have consequences. Actually, I'm not saying we've made a choice to destroy our future. It has been a gradual shift in thinking and living. I would say that it is through not thinking that has gotten us to where we are. Thinking takes effort. Thinking about every little detail takes a lot of effort! Yet, every action we take, whether it is thought out or not, has a ripple effect on everything going forward.

This morning, I've been reading about No Impact Man, which is a book & film being made about a guy and his family in NY that chose to live a year with absolutely no impact on the environment. Yes, this is a little extreme...or actually A LOT extreme and not practical for most people. Yet, there are choices that we make every single day that we could do differently. Actually, those choices occur every single hour, minute, and maybe even every second.

Recycling is something big that AEC works on. It's very hands-on, deliberate, and quantifiable. But without the first 2 R's, we've missed something. Reducing comes first and is all about the choice. Reduce our consumption by choosing bulk over individual servings, choosing to carpool or bike instead of drive alone, choosing to give up beef for one day or meal a week, can save over 1,000 pounds green house gas in a year. Reusing is as simple as not throwing away the shoebox but using it to hold something else after shoes, shopping at thrift stores for clothing that is perfectly good, picking up that perfectly good 2X4 from your neighbors project that can be used in your project. (guilty too many times!) Then comes recycling.

I'm attempting to make different choices and hope you will commit with me.

Changes...

2009-05-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

Big changes have been occurring at the Alabama Environmental Council. (That may be the largest under-statement I have said this year!)

Most recently, you will notice these at the Downtown Birmingham Community Recycling Center. Through a new relationship with American Recycling of Alabama(ARA,) a Bessemer-based recycler operating paper-recycling for more than 20 years, the downtown Center will be undergoing a face-lift. ARA will contract with Allied Waste to install a 40yd compactor to collect and process all paper products in one bin. Unlike separating into Mixed Paper, Newspaper, and Cardboard, all fibrous paper products will go in the same bin. This will cut-down on staff-time tremendously with no longer having to stack, re-stack, and re-stack the cardboard. It will also allow for more material being collected between empties. We understand how frustrating it has been to make the trip to the Center only to find the Cardboard or Paper bins full and have to bring them home, or even throw them away. This will be a much more streamlined process.

Other materials will also be collected differently. Unfortunately, we will no longer be accepting plastic with #'s 3-7. We've come to learn that those materials are extremely difficult to process and most have probably been ending up in a landfill anyway. There is not a market in the southeast for those materials, co-mingled like they are, and cannot be processed all together. So, we will return to collecting #'s 1 & 2's, separated. This will be awkward until the best collection is determined, but will become more streamlined, soon.

Glass will continue to be collected in a 40yd roll-off and delivered to the cement plant in Calera operated by LaFarge NA. Cans will also be sorted by Aluminum and other mixed metals. This had been started in the last few months, with separated 8yd dumpsters. We will begin to compact and collect aluminum in bales to be processed, with mixed metals being hauled directly to a local scrap-yard. We are also continuing to collect ink & toner cartridges, cell-phones, and Electronic recycling, with our partner Technical Knock Out in Homewood.

Many of these changes are two-fold: making it more efficient for customers and staff and making the materials more marketable, hopefully adding value that can help with operations of the center. For many years, the Alabama Environmental Council has operated the Center at a tremendous cost to the organization. Yes, we get donations from the City of Birmingham, a few businesses, and individual donors, but not equal to the operational costs of the Center. This has been a burden and kept the Council from being able to sustain and expand at times. This new operation will help remedy that.

Other changes, of course, are in the operation of the other programs at the Council. In April, a difficult decision was made to lay-off the Program Coordinator. This decision was financially driven and unfortunate in such a time of need for more work for Clean Air and Efficient & Renewable Energy. Fund-raising over the past year has actually increased, but not enough to sustain all operations and additional staff. The Board and Director made this decision to get on more stable ground, analyze our programs and campaigns, and continue re-building the organization. This new funding-plan at the Recycling Center along with continued growth in fundraising and fiscal responsibility will keep the organization on stable ground. The Board has become very engaged in this process and everyone is looking forward to an annual June mini-retreat.

"The Great Disruption"

2009-03-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

Op-Ed from the March 8, 2009 NYTimes:

The Inflection Is Near?
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Sometimes the satirical newspaper The Onion is so right on, I can’t resist quoting from it. Consider this faux article from June 2005 about America’s addiction to Chinese exports:

FENGHUA, China — Chen Hsien, an employee of Fenghua Ningbo Plastic Works Ltd., a plastics factory that manufactures lightweight household items for Western markets, expressed his disbelief Monday over the “sheer amount of [garbage] Americans will buy. Often, when we’re assigned a new order for, say, ‘salad shooters,’ I will say to myself, ‘There’s no way that anyone will ever buy these.’ ... One month later, we will receive an order for the same product, but three times the quantity. How can anyone have a need for such useless [garbage]? I hear that Americans can buy anything they want, and I believe it, judging from the things I’ve made for them,” Chen said. “And I also hear that, when they no longer want an item, they simply throw it away. So wasteful and contemptible.”

Let’s today step out of the normal boundaries of analysis of our economic crisis and ask a radical question: What if the crisis of 2008 represents something much more fundamental than a deep recession? What if it’s telling us that the whole growth model we created over the last 50 years is simply unsustainable economically and ecologically and that 2008 was when we hit the wall — when Mother Nature and the market both said: “No more.”

We have created a system for growth that depended on our building more and more stores to sell more and more stuff made in more and more factories in China, powered by more and more coal that would cause more and more climate change but earn China more and more dollars to buy more and more U.S. T-bills so America would have more and more money to build more and more stores and sell more and more stuff that would employ more and more Chinese ...

We can’t do this anymore.

“We created a way of raising standards of living that we can’t possibly pass on to our children,” said Joe Romm, a physicist and climate expert who writes the indispensable blog climateprogress.org. We have been getting rich by depleting all our natural stocks — water, hydrocarbons, forests, rivers, fish and arable land — and not by generating renewable flows.

“You can get this burst of wealth that we have created from this rapacious behavior,” added Romm. “But it has to collapse, unless adults stand up and say, ‘This is a Ponzi scheme. We have not generated real wealth, and we are destroying a livable climate ...’ Real wealth is something you can pass on in a way that others can enjoy.”

Over a billion people today suffer from water scarcity; deforestation in the tropics destroys an area the size of Greece every year — more than 25 million acres; more than half of the world’s fisheries are over-fished or fished at their limit. “

Just as a few lonely economists warned us we were living beyond our financial means and overdrawing our financial assets, scientists are warning us that we’re living beyond our ecological means and overdrawing our natural assets,” argues Glenn Prickett, senior vice president at Conservation International. But, he cautioned, as environmentalists have pointed out: “Mother Nature doesn’t do bailouts.”

One of those who has been warning me of this for a long time is Paul Gilding, the Australian environmental business expert. He has a name for this moment — when both Mother Nature and Father Greed have hit the wall at once — “The Great Disruption.”

“We are taking a system operating past its capacity and driving it faster and harder,” he wrote me. “No matter how wonderful the system is, the laws of physics and biology still apply.” We must have growth, but we must grow in a different way. For starters, economies need to transition to the concept of net-zero, whereby buildings, cars, factories and homes are designed not only to generate as much energy as they use but to be infinitely recyclable in as many parts as possible. Let’s grow by creating flows rather than plundering more stocks.

Gilding says he’s actually an optimist. So am I. People are already using this economic slowdown to retool and reorient economies. Germany, Britain, China and the U.S. have all used stimulus bills to make huge new investments in clean power. South Korea’s new national paradigm for development is called: “Low carbon, green growth.” Who knew? People are realizing we need more than incremental changes — and we’re seeing the first stirrings of growth in smarter, more efficient, more responsible ways.

In the meantime, says Gilding, take notes: “When we look back, 2008 will be a momentous year in human history. Our children and grandchildren will ask us, ‘What was it like? What were you doing when it started to fall apart? What did you think? What did you do?’ ” Often in the middle of something momentous, we can’t see its significance. But for me there is no doubt: 2008 will be the marker — the year when ‘The Great Disruption’ began.

Omnibus Public Lands Legislation - Take Action Today

2009-02-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

From AEC's longtime friend Pat Byington:

Friends,

You can make a difference today.

The Omnibus Public Lands bill will likely be voted on in the House this week. On Monday (Feb.23) or Tuesday (Feb.24), please take one minute and call your Representative or ask to talk to their Environmental Legislative Assistant if you can't get through to the Congressman. Tell them directly, you want to see them vote YES on the Omnibus Public Lands Bill with no amendments.

This bill in Alabama will expand Little River Canyon National Preserve, create the North Alabama National Heritage and Chattahoochee National Heritage Areas, and authorize several important coastal public land and research provisions vital to Mobile and Baldwin Counties.
Nationally, the bill will designate nearly 2 million acres of Wilderness and over 1000 miles of "Wild and Scenic" rivers.

The Capitol Switchboard is 202-224-3121.

Our delegation - Parker Griffith (Huntsville), Robert Aderholt (Halelyville), Mike Rogers (Anniston), Spencer Bachus (Vestavia Hills), Artur Davis (Birmingham), Bobby Bright (Montgomery) and Jo Bonner (Mobile )

Here is a link to an op-ed I wrote about the legislation that published in Sunday's Birmingham News. I've also enclosed a link to a website describing the legislation and that places that will be saved and protected.

http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/123529412650120.xml&coll=2

http://wilderness.org/content/omnibus-tour-intro

Please make the call today. It will make a difference. I deeply appreciate your support.

Best Wishes,
Pat Byington

Stimulus Promotes Clean Energy and Green Jobs

2009-02-18T06:29:00.000-08:00

Borrowed from the Regeneration Project Blog. This is a good summary of what was included in the Stimulus Bill:

The Stimulus Bill Funds Clean Energy and Green Jobs

Grist reports: “It’s rare for a compromise to make a bill better, but that’s what happened yesterday,” said Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters. “According to the reports we’ve seen, the members of the Conference Committee kept the best aspects of the House and Senate versions of the bill. Tens of billions of dollars for clean energy, energy efficiency, public transportation, scientific research and a smart energy grid remain. Tens of billions set to be wasted on coal and other outdated energy sources were removed.”

The details…

Energy transmission and alternative energy research:
$11 billion for smart grid
$7.5 billion for renewable energy and transmission-line construction
$400 million for the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Project Agency for Energy for the development of alternative energy sources and efficiency

Efficiency:
$4.5 billion for energy-efficiency improvements to federal buildings
$6.3 billion for local government energy-efficiency grants
$2.25 billion for energy-efficiency retrofits for low-income housing
$2.25 billion for the HOME Investment Partners Program to retrofit community low-income housing
$5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program for efficiency in low-income households
$510 million for energy-efficiency retrofits for Native American housing programs
$420 million for energy-efficiency improvements at the Department of Defense
$300 million for Department of Defense research on energy efficiency at military installations
$300 million for the appliance rebate program for Energy Star products

Mass transit and advanced automobiles:
$8.4 billion for transit capital assistance programs
$8 billion for Amtrak and intercity passenger rail
$300 million for the purchase of more alternative-fuel and hybrid vehicles for the federal fleet
$300 million in grants and loans for technologies that reduce diesel emissions

Green jobs training:
$500 million for green jobs programs through the Workforce Investment Act

Total: $62.2 billion in direct spending on green initiatives and $20 billion in green tax incentives, while funding for nuclear and coal projects was dropped from the final version!

(+) NRG

2009-02-14T04:55:00.000-08:00

We started this Blog with the interest in keeping you updated on our conversations. Yesterday, our staff, with the help of ARA’s Liz Salter and AEC long-time friend Kirsten Bryant (and Jared,) had a great discussion about our Efficient and Renewable energy Program work. I felt like it continued to lay the ground-work for continued development of our Energy campaign. We were all struck with the term “Positive Energy,” which we shortened to +NRG and were really excited about our discussions.

So often in Alabama, you hear negative energy about our current energy equation. We say we are too dependent on Coal and other unsustainable fuel sources as well as aren’t encouraging TRUE renewable, enough. The other side would say that more environmental regulations would be too costly and Alabamians wouldn’t want to bear the burden, and we “can’t do” renewables. They also use words like “existing Clean Coal” and “inexpensive new Nuclear” and other things that are not progressive approaches, nor are they fully factual. I want Clean Energy, not Coal.

+NRG is all about solutions, which is what we like to focus on. We want to talk about what we can do, not just point out that someone is doing it wrong. We all have a great opportunity to move the energy discussion forward in Alabama. There are Energy bills moving around the House and Senate, right now. Although we aren’t in love with all of them, and there are some difficulties mixed in with some of them, it is a huge step forward that they are even there. We’ll be watching where they go and what they mean for Alabamians.

Our commitment is to represent Alabamians in the Energy discussion and we want to hear your views. I found this article very interesting and help us to see the national discussion, which will have a huge impact on our state. I think the new administration is committed to a clean energy future and I look forward to what is to come.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/us/politics/12chu.html?_r=1

Op-Ed Column on Energy in Alabama

2009-02-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

"At the Joint Committee on Energy meeting last week in the Statehouse, it was clear that dirty coal and nuclear interests are trying to dominate the energy discussion...They call it "clean coal." We call it dirty business as usual.

Read full column here in the Anniston Star

AEC & ARA Lead Call for Action on Coal Ash Waste

2009-02-10T08:12:00.000-08:00

On the heels of a massive spill of toxic coal ash waste in Tennessee and another similar incident in Alabama, 32 local and regional environmental organizations and other concerned public interest groups have called on leaders to take immediate action to ensure that our citizens, wildlife, and natural resources are better protected from these unregulated coal combustion waste (CCW) storage facilities.

Press Release and Letter to Alabama Leaders here

2008 AEC Year in Review

2009-01-04T00:07:00.000-08:00

As this year comes to a close, the staff of the Alabama Environmental Council has published it's annual highlights for the year and can be found on our website. Visit the following links for each program area:
Clean Air Program Activities
Efficient and Renewable Energy Program Activities
Waste Reduction Program Activities

Recycling in Birmingham Video

2008-12-27T08:29:00.000-08:00

The AEC is bloggin' now!

2008-11-18T09:43:00.001-08:00

We've got a blog. :)