Activities
& Updates
Education
that informs environmental action. A number of public
education projects need to be stepped-up due to their urgency.
When we the public understand the interconnections between
issues, and what they mean to us, of concepts like "Peak-Oil,"
Global Warming, Population Growth, Resource Scarcity (Food,
Clean Water and Air, Fertile Soil...) then we'll know that
time is past due for the U.S. to make an all-out effort to
lead humanity to a sustainable future. This can be very good
for us and our economic future, as well as for everybody else
and every living thing on the planet. This importance is especially
true of our energy policies and our need to build out our
renewable energy future.
LOSE NUKES & GET FIT (Feed-In-Tariff)
Nuclear Power is not the answer to global warming
- Not carbon free when you consider the life cycle of prospecting, mining, milling, enriching and construction. The life cycle of uranium leaves a trail of human exposure to deadly radiation. The largest single user of electrical power in the U.S. is the enrichment plant in Paducah, Ky.
- Every nuclear power station emits radioactive isotopes.
- After 60 years there is still no final depository for high level waste. Currently nearly 2,000 tons of highly radioactive waste deadly for millions of years are being stored in pools of water or dry casks along the shores of the Great Lakes
- Nuclear plants are dangerous; Davis-Besse near Toledo had a near meltdown in 2002. Fermi 1 near Monroe, MI was the subject of a 1974 book "We almost Lost Detroit". Out of 104 U.S. reactors there were 14 near misses in 2010 according to the NRC.
- Not affordable- Fermi 3 proposed by DTE is estimated to cost $15 billion+ and take 10 – 15 years to build. Nuclear industry relies on huge taxpayer subsidies and could increase electric rates by 40%.
- Not needed—DTE's forecast is a sales decline for electricity every year through 2020 in part due to the bad economy, loss of population, energy efficiency programs and renewables coming on line. And this is with only a tepid 10% Renewable requirement and 1% per year energy efficiency target, which is much lower than most states and countries. We can do far better.
FIT FACTS
- According to a study in Scientific American (Nov. 2009), it is possible to get all energy from wind, water and solar by 2030 with present technology. How to get there? – With a Feed-In-Tariff .
- A FIT allows homeowners, farmers, and businesses to sell renewable energy into the electrical grid for a guaranteed reasonable profit usually for a 15-20 year contract with only a modest increase in electric rates.
- A FIT is the most effective and least costly method to accelerate renewable energy according to U.S. Department of Energy. Over 80 countries, the state of Vermont, Gainesville, FL public utility and recently Ontario have adopted versions of a FIT.
- A well-designed FIT attracts manufacturers and suppliers of renewable energy. Ontario's FIT passed last year has already attracted 60 suppliers and manufacturers. Ontario expects to create 70,000 jobs in solar alone. Germany, the originator of the FIT concept claims over 300,000 jobs created because of the FIT. The Ontario government has promised to shut down North America's largest coal at Nanticoke and has canceled 4 new nuclear proposals but unfortunately is proposing 2 new nukes.
- Michigan is especially fit for a FIT. – Good wind especially offshore, more sunlight than even Germany, industrial infrastructure, trained workers, and a rising renewable sector. Wind and solar manufacturers are already here. Let's keep Michigan dollars in Michigan instead of purchasing dirty coal from Appalachia and Wyoming and uranium from Canada and Australia.
To begin with, consider
the concept of "Peak-Oil."
At the SEMG General Membership Meeting of March 6, 2008 we
had the Film Presentation
of “A Crude Awakening:
The Oil Crash” which is all about "Peak-Oil"
and what it means for us all:
Al Gore presented us with
“The Inconvenient Truth” about
global warming in 2006. Now comes “A Crude
Awakening: The Oil Crash” from the award-winning
European journalists and filmmakers Basil Gelpke and Ray
McCormack. This film tells the story of how our civilization’s
addiction to oil puts it on a collision course with geology.
Compelling, intelligent and highly entertaining, this documentary
film interviews the world’s top experts and comes
to the startling, but logical conclusion—our industrial
society, built on cheap and readily available oil, must
be completely re-tooled and re-imagined. After the film,
we had a guided discussion about peak oil and sustainable
“local future” strategies for metro Detroit.
Here are some web links for those who would like to pursue
understanding "Peak-Oil" further:
LocalFuture.org
Local Future is an organization that develops compassionate,
sustainable, local, community systems to provide basic needs
such as food, energy, transportation, community services,
money and jobs. Local Future hosts the International Conference
on Peak Oil and Climate Change: Paths to Sustainability.
NEW! - Watch
conference presentations & download podcasts for free.
http://drydipstick.com/
"The purpose of this website is to give you up-to-date
links to all the information you need to understand Peak
Oil and what you can do to deal with its consequences."
http://energybulletin.net/
news by category; home, search, peak oil primer, about us,
contribute; Related Issues; Regions; Resources (Oil, Natural
Gass, Tar Sands, Shale Oil, Coal, Methane, Nuclear, Other
Resource Depletion, renewables...)
http://theoildrum.com/
Discussions (and videos) about Energy and our Future; "Cassandra's
curse: how "The Limits to Growth" was demonized"
“What
gets us into trouble is not what we don't know,
it's what we know for sure that just ain't so.”
—Mark Twain
http://CrudeAwakening.org/
New to Peak Oil? If this is the first time you are hearing
about Peak Oil, you are among the majority of the population.
In the book, "Plan
B 3.0," “Lester
R. Brown gives concise, but very informative, summaries
of what he regards as the key issues facing civilization
as a consequence of the stress we put on our environment.
. . . a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate.”
—The Ecologist. Download
the whole book (and
updates) at:
http://www.earthpolicy.org/Books/PB3/Contents.htm
It's also good to buy a case to pass out at local activist'
meetings. We plan to start a book club in the Fall of 2008
with this as the first book.
Stopping
Nuclear Power Plants and Uranium Mining.
The Sierra Club has national policies
that oppose these plants and mines, here are some
fact sheets and websites to help you understand why, and what
you can do to help. URGENT! stop Fermi 3
from being built in Monroe, MI!
For
those looking for the (MORE) content
to the article from the THE ACTIVIST Vol. 26, Issue 1,
"NEW NUCLEAR PROPOSALS IMPACT MICHIGAN AND THE GREAT
LAKES," click for the link to the complete article:
here.
Ed
McArdle, Conservation Chair, submits this (PDF) fact sheet
about nuclear power in Michigan.
Here is the Club's fact sheet, “The Basics of Nuclear
Power:”
http://www.sierraclub.org/energy/factsheets/basics-nuclearpower.pdf
Beyond
Nuclear This organization is a great source of information
and might help in appreciating the Sierra Club endorsed
presidential candidate Obama (whose policies oppose nuclear
power to the extent of a few caveats), versus the unendorsed
McCain (who is gung-ho for 40+ more of these unsustainable,
expensive, nuclear accidents-waiting-to-happen, power plants.
www.beyondnuclear.org
Michael
J. Keegan, Coalition for a
Nuclear Free Great Lakes.
Don't
Waste Michigan
- DWM. "The
MIDWEST"S YUCCA MOUNTAIN," The Canadian nuclear
industry and government are proposing to bury all of Ontario's
"low" and "intermediate" level radioactive
wastes (at the
Deep Geological Repository in Kincardine, ON) 1 kilometer
(0.6 miles) from the Lake Huron shoreline at the Bruce Nuclear
Complex, just 50 miles east across Lake Huron from Michigan.
Ontario has a whopping 20 nuclear reactors (by comparison,
Illinois is the U.S. state with the most reactors, with
"just" 12 operating reactors; Michigan has "just"
4 still-operating reactors, and 1 permanently shutdown reactor).
That's a lot of radioactive waste targeted for burial on
Canada's Lake Huron shoreline!"
Letter
Opposing Construction to Deep Geological Repository in Kincardine,
ON (Near "Bruce").
Great
Lakes United, "With an
energy crisis looming across the eastern seaboard, several
jurisdictions are contemplating nuclear revival to meet
demand. Great Lakes United points this discourse to the
legacy of radioactive waste in storage facilities along
the shores of the Great Lakes and to the enrichment and
processing facilities that provide feedstock to a radioactive
future. Nuclear fuel is mined in your neighbor's backyard
and the waste is stored in yours. It’s not cheap.
it’s not safe. it’s not good.
Great Lakes United
is building a coalition of community groups from across
the Great Lakes basin. We’d like to know your thoughts
on a nuclear-free clean future, email us at: cleanenergy@glu.org.
Nuclear
Information and Resource Service, Routine
Radioactive Releases, Aging Reactors, Reactor Accidents;
Tritium,
Water and Reactors; Emergency Preparedness, Nuclear Security,
Fire Protection, Mother Nature & Nukes, Counterfeit
Parts, Price Anderson Act, Decommissioning, Licensed to
Kill, and NIX/MOX (militarization, and plutonium proliferation).
Price-Anderson
Act of 1957, United States (Encylopedia
of Earth - Content, Credibility, Community)
Forget
Nuclear, an article on nuclear's
high costs and poor advantages by By Amory B. Lovins, Imran
Sheikh, and Alex Markevich found on the Rocky Mountain Institute's
website.
Uranium
Mining
This [PDF] "Uranium
Fact sheet" comes from IEER
(Institute for Energy and Environmental Research)'s website
where a great number of factsheets and a full, free PDF
book can also be found: http://www.ieer.org
The book, "Carbon-Free and
Nuclear-Free: A Roadmap for U.S. Energy Policy" covers
a great many subjects including a large section on some
pros and cons of biofuels.
• • • • •
• • • • •
Protection of Public
Lands. The Sierra Club continues
to work hard to protect southeast Michigan's wetlands and
other sensitive habitats, such as Humbug Marsh.
Picture
Michigan Tomorrow (PMT), Land
Policy Institute 3rd Fl. Manly Miles Bldg., 1405 S. Harrison
Rd., East Lansing, MI 48823 PH: 517.432.8800 Fax: 517.432.8769.
This site gives us a way to visualize changes in land use
into the future.
• • • • • •
• • • •
Incinerators (by
any other name... (including
mass-burn, gasification, pyrolysis, plasma arc, refuse derived
fuel and other incinerator technologies. [PDF] Learn
more.))
"Heating
Up" Metro Times article from May 21-27,
2008 Issue; Incinerators
- [Weblink]
Here's the latest on the Detroit Incinerator. "When
Detroit Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams spoke at a "stop
the incinerator" rally last week, it was a little bit
like walking into a lion's den and then poking the lion
with a sharp stick.... "
[Weblink] "Fired
up" (Metro Times) Detroit incinerator's
long-simmering opposition
by Curt Guyette 4/30/2008 (Dirty business down in Motown)
[Google Search Link] Zero
Waste
Sierra Club (PROPOSED Policy) Zero Waste – Cradle-to-Cradle
Principles for the 21st Century. [PDF] Sierra
Club (PROPOSED)
Conservation Policies. Approved by the Sierra Club Board
of Directors, February 23, 2008.
The National Sierra Club has a whole [Weblink] "Zero
Waste" committee and website section (http://www.sierraclub.org/committees/zerowaste/).
And, among the great links
from that page are:
[Weblink] Zero
Waste - Don't Burn or Bury Garbage (http://www.sierraclub.org/committees/zerowaste/garbage/)
[PDF] Garbage
is Not Renewable Energy
and,
[PDF] Exclude
Garbage from Renewable Energy Standards
Here's what you need
to know to fight back:
Don't
Trash Michigan (For more information, go to: http://www.stoptrash.org/.)
The Sierra Club endorses the "Don't Trash Michigan"
campaign, a movement whose focus is to clean up Michigan
by working to reduce the amount of trash that comes into
the state from Canada and Michigan’s neighboring states.
This group also works to improve recycling and end illegal
dumping in Michigan communities.
[Weblink] The
Story of Stuff Video (as seen in the SEMG General Membership
Program 5-1-08). Watch the 20 minute video about the value
of recycling, the life cycle of consumer products, and trash:
StoryofStuff.com
. While you're there,
check out the [Weblink] "Resources"
Section; especially about [Weblink] "Another
Way." And don't miss the [Weblink] "Recommended
Reading" section, for example, there's lots of
info about [Weblink] "Another
Way, Taking Action, Solutions." “Zero
Waste." We have the right, and duty, to speak out
about community well being.
Bottled Water (just
say no!)
Sent: Friday,
May 16, 2008 7:12 PM, On Behalf Of Carl Pope
At the suggestion of a number of
Sierra Club volunteer leaders, and in agreement with the Club's
overall value of using resources efficiently and avoiding
waste, bottled water should no longer to be offered at any
Sierra Club event or be sold from any Sierra Club office vending
machine. For additional information on the down side of using
bottled water, please visit the following Sierra Club web
site:
http://www.sierraclub.org/committees/cac/water/bottled_water/bottled_water.pdf
- Carl
~~~~~~~~~
Rochester
Ecos
Eco Friendly Organic
Lawn and Garden
After extensive research on how to do lawns organically (without
artificial pesticides or fertilizers), I (Hal Newnan) discovered
that:
Our lawns in South East Michigan are cold-grass types whose
roots are only growing during 2 periods each year:
1) a) a short time (about a
month in the Spring, about the 2nd Week in May, right after
the Forsythia bloom (I have lots on the Northern edge of
my property), and
1) b) from mid-September to the end of October. This second
period is the better time to apply fertilizer if you are
only going to do one application.
The "1) a)" period is a good time to put down
an application of Corn Gluten because it inhibits the germination
of broad leafed weeds (including crab grass, dandelions,
and others that are considered unsightly). Corn Gluten also
slowly releases nitrogen which is good for your lawn and
okay for the environment.
A second application of Corn Gluten about 3 months later
will discourage weeds for the whole year.
For the 1) b) application (the 3rd application), I recommend
Fertrell Super N 4 - 2 - 4. It's another slow release (very
good!) organic fertilizer; as it says on the package: "An
organic plant food for all plants" (including vegetables,
flowers, african violets, roses, shrubs, and bulbs of all
kinds). "It encourages earthworms and feeds soil bacteria
and the diverse micro-organisms that constitute a healthy
soil flora."
Eco Friendly Organic
Lawn and Garden Supplies
Where do you get this stuff at the best price? Many garden
supply stores might carry similar products. I recommend
(but the Sierra Club does NOT endorse):
1.) Uncle Luke's Garden Supplies
(248) 879-9147
6691 Livernois
Troy MI 48098-1540
Questions? I recommend asking Dale of Uncle Luke's
2) GardensAlive.com (this is a mail-order online store and
more expensive)
Gardens Alive! (Indiana)
http://www.gardensalive.com
Contact Us. Our Customer Service team is here to help in
anyway we can. Please drop our Customer Service department
a note, or give us a call weekdays at (513)354-1483
St.
Clair County Conservation Committee
(Example of one of our
monthly meeting programs...)
SCConCom link: http://groups.google.com/group/sc-st-clair-concom
(In this website we have forums to continue the meeting
from wherever we are.)
"The Dangers of Metallic
Sulfide and Uranium Exploration in U.P."
Presented by Teresa
Bertossi of Save the Wild U.P.
Time: November
25 at 7pm
Location: Acheson Community Resource Center - (Note change
of location)
Street: 514 McMorran
City: Port Huron, MI
Sponsored by Sierra Club, St. Clair County, Conservation Committee
Due to an escalating global demand for metals and the potential
for rich mineral deposits in a geological feature called the
Mid-continent Rift, mining companies are focusing on the Upper
Midwestern United States for exploration. Mining in this region
is challenging because many of the minerals are found within
sulfide ore bodies. This challenge is further exacerbated
in water-rich areas within the Great Lakes Region. On November
25th, Save the Wild UP will give a presentation at the Acheson
Community Resource Center on the exploration of metallic sulfide
ore bodies and uranium throughout Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
According to Save the Wild UP Public Outreach Coordinator
Teresa Bertossi, "It is important that citizens of the
Great Lakes Region understand the risk of metallic sulfide
and uranium mining before they make a choice whether or not
to allow this type of mining in the Great Lakes Watershed."
Save the Wild UP is a nonprofit organization whose mission
is to protect the U.P.'s unique way of life, wildlife, landscape,
and freshwater resources through public awareness and education.
Sierra Club, St. Clair
County Conservation Committee is a part of the S.E. Michigan
Group of the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club:
http://michigan.sierraclub.org/semg/
Mark your calendars! Next meeting
of the Sierra Club, St. Clair County Conservation Committee
is Tuesday, December 30th 7pm at the Acheson Community Resource
Center, 514 McMorran.
************************************************************
SOCRRA Communities - Recycling
SOCRRA link: http://www.socrra.org/srr.htm
In this website you can find the list of hazardous materials
which they will take along with the phone number to make
an appointment for drop off. You will need to show ID to
verify that you are a resident of one of the listed cities
participating in this recycling program.
(Thanks Linda!)
************************************************************
RAIN BARRELS
Most rain barrels are fairly expensive. However deals can
be found; buyer beware. These barrels are made of food grade
plastic. Please keep in mind that shipping costs might increase
their price. Here are the links:
Craigslist -Metro Detroit ==>
http://detroit.craigslist.org/search/grd?query=rain%20barrel
(Most are 55 gal, prices range from $65- $95)
You can also find some out of state sales in ebay ===>
www.ebay.com .
Our tour hosts, Anne & Peter, said that plastic
barrels don't last very long (approximately 3 yrs).
Wooden barrels are preferable. They got
their gorgeous barrel at California Wine Grape Co. in Detroit
(http://www.cawinegrapes.com/)
and adapted it into a rain barrel. Peter said that wine
barrels are very expensive, but this company also sells
barrels that contained vanilla which are
a lot cheaper.
Also, rain gardens don't necessarily have to be in a land
depression. Raingardens.org
rain garden fact-sheet (http://www.raingardens.org/docs/rain_garden_factsheet.pdf)
says the best rain garden location is "down-slope from
building foundations and up-slope from storm drain infrastructure".
***********************************************
Last but not least... below is the link to the Rain Garden
Tour pictures. I, Italia, took over 90 shots! If you would
like to have any of these, e-mail me the photo description
and I will send you the file.
Sierra Club - Rain Garden
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15301828@N00/sets/72157605201642168
About the set, there are 45 pictures | of the Rain Garden
& Lawn Elimination Tour - Birmingham, MI, 5/17/2008
Regards,
Italia |
