Two trains carrying crude oil derailed and caught fire this week: one in rural Ontario on the 14th, and one in Fayette County WV on Monday the 16th. The Ontario fires were still burning on Monday. Each tank car carries about 30,000 gallons of crude, and the train in West Virginia was carrying explosive crude from the Bakken Shale in North Dakota; the results show in the … [Read more...] about 2 More Oil Train Derailments
fossil fuels
PennEast Pipeline – a threat to communities
On Thursday, November 20, Nurture Nature Center held a program on 'Pipeline Science: Environmental Considerations for Communities'. Presentations by Dr. Dru Germanoski, Professor of Geology at Lafayette College, and Mark Gallagher, consultant with Princeton Hydro, outlined the risks presented by the geology in some of the areas on the route for the PennEast Pipeline and … [Read more...] about PennEast Pipeline – a threat to communities
‘April’, by Sarah Mantz
In 1994, this poem by Sarah Mantz, then a sophomore at Salisbury High School, was selected as a winner in an Earth Day writing contest sponsored by the Lehigh County Office of Solid Waste Management. (Her winning poem was also published in Echoes Magazine.) Her poem seems to fit not only this month, but the ecosystem-threatening times in which we live: April I am the fourth … [Read more...] about ‘April’, by Sarah Mantz
FYI: F**cking Pennsylvania
The headline actually refers to Fracking, which is obscene in more ways than the other F-word. Here are a few updates on the quantities of radioactive materials being released into our environment, a look at the corruption created by fracking and what could be done instead, and what you can do to reduce your fracking [& carbon] footprint. Take a few minutes to look at … [Read more...] about FYI: F**cking Pennsylvania
“Pennsylvanians’ Pledge to Fight Shale Gas Industry Encroachment and Pollution”
From Berks Gas Truth re: Saying No to Gas Drilling in Pennsylvania. Take The Pledge We will fight for our air. We will fight for our water. We will fight for our food. We will fight for our HEALTH. We will fight for our families. We will fight for our homes. We will fight for our farms. We will fight for our COMMUNITIES. We will fight for our safety. We will fight for our … [Read more...] about “Pennsylvanians’ Pledge to Fight Shale Gas Industry Encroachment and Pollution”
FYI – Noël Jones article on Fracking
The Neighbors of Easton blog has an article today titled 'Fracking in Western PA & Rendell’s New “Wuss” Book' which also discusses the importance of defending local self-government. A community rights ordinance is on the agenda for Easton City Council. [See 6/14 Morning Call article.] Also see Noël's essay in the 2012 edition of our Sustainable Lehigh Valley directory. … [Read more...] about FYI – Noël Jones article on Fracking
Protesting the Dirty Power Plant in Portland
I've been following coverage of the protest at GenOn's Portland Generating Station and the local officials who tried to deter it. The protest, which was held last Saturday, called attention to the harm this plant does to local residents and the thousands of tons of greenhouse gas emissions [GHG] it spews into the air, thus increasing global warming. According to organizers, … [Read more...] about Protesting the Dirty Power Plant in Portland
Drilling & mining – worse than organized crime!
Let’s see… in 2010, 29 miners died in the Upper Big Branch mine because Massey Energy didn’t want to comply with safety regulations. BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig blew up, killing 35 workers and contaminating the Gulf of Mexico with over 50 million gallons of crude oil that will affect the ecosystem for years, maybe decades. Natural gas companies foul our land and ground … [Read more...] about Drilling & mining – worse than organized crime!