The shutdown of many businesses and activities during the coronavirus lockdown resulted in a significant reduction in fossil-fuel use, and the low oil prices make it cheaper to make plastic from fossil fuels instead of recycling plastic. And this leads to lower demand and lower prices for recyclables — in many cases, they now go straight from your recycling bin to the … [Read more...] about Connecting the Dots (1)
fossil fuels
What will it take?
Excellent New Yorker article by Bill McKibben, titled 'What will it take to cool the planet'. Covers the Climate Interactive website that let's you see the effects of playing with different variables, a dive into the Gwich’in fight against plans for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the need for more descriptive visioning for the future. (All in all, a … [Read more...] about What will it take?
The Environment, the Beauty Industry, and the Responsibility of Women
by Sakura Shinjo We generally understand today that we need to cut our consumption of fossil fuels: we must end the use of plastics in our foods; we should try to make more responsible decisions in transportation; however, some of these issues are more easily tackled than others. Millions live in food deserts where the question of healthy foods cannot yet be asked. And … [Read more...] about The Environment, the Beauty Industry, and the Responsibility of Women
Energy Efficiency: Solution to Climate Change
by Bruce Wilson Climate Change can lead to a feeling of helplessness, but we have all the tools we need to make a difference; we just need to use them! Last year four environmental leaders, Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Bill Mckibben of 350.org, Steve Nadal of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), and Paul Hawken, editor of … [Read more...] about Energy Efficiency: Solution to Climate Change
Renewable Energy vs. Fracking & Pipelines
by Tara Zrinski In the years that I have been part of the active opposition to the PennEast Pipeline and fracking in Pennsylvania as local organizer for Food and Water Watch and through Pennsylvania Voters Against Fracking, I have seen a dynamic and exciting rise to action from people of all ages from all different backgrounds—socio-economic, racial, political, philosophical … [Read more...] about Renewable Energy vs. Fracking & Pipelines
Forgoing Fossil Fuels, Finally
By Rebecca Canright One of the greatest flaws of human nature is our urge to resist change in favor of stability. In America, many of us cling to our current way of life —our big, oil-hungry cars and homes, our destructive industrial food system, and our innumerable electronic gadgets that come with the conveniently hidden costs of unethical labor and environmental … [Read more...] about Forgoing Fossil Fuels, Finally
2 More Oil Train Derailments
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
Is explosive crude oil traveling through your community?
Trainloads of crude oil from the Bakken shale in ND do pass through the Valley — and these trains travel through the center of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, often right next to the Lehigh River. This raises major safety concerns and serious questions about how to protect people. The Wall Street Journal's map of rail shipments estimates 1–10 trains/wk on the Norfolk … [Read more...] about Is explosive crude oil traveling through your community?
Photos of recent crude oil derailments
Most trains reach their destinations safely, of course. Derailments are not common, but— but when a train carrying explosive crude or natural gas does derail and catch fire, the results can be disastrous, as the photos below show. December 2013 – Casselton, ND April 2014 – Lac-Mégantic, Quebec: November 2013 – Pickens County, Alabama: … [Read more...] about Photos of recent crude oil derailments
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