Pisgah Group of the Sierra Club covers Transylvania, Henderson, Polk, and parts of Jackson and Macon Counties along US64 from Brevard.  Most of the Pisgah Group's leadership has come from Brevard where the Group originated in 1990, with the consequence that local Henderson County issues are not covered.  Within the past several years the "Four Seasons Sierra Committee" of the Pisgah Group has sprung up in response to the many local environmental issues in Henderson County, and to serve the large number of Sierra Club members who live there.  

FOUR SEASONS SIERRA COMMITTEE HISTORY

The Four Seasons Sierra Committee first met in the spring of 2007 at the Henderson County Main Library to plan a program for two new “green” schools.  This August the Hillandale and Mills River “green schools” opened their doors for the fall semester.  Energy conservation has been a priority for our Committee and we have had two debates with Duke Energy on the issue of nuclear power and clean coal technology.  The most recent program was “Your Energy Future” Solar, Wind or Geothermal?  A favorite program of the public was in 2007 when we aired the film “Who Killed the Electric Car” an expose of the auto industry giant General Motors.  There are many more memorable programs concerning air quality, water resources, globalization and technology.

We invite our members to join us in planning new programs for 2010 and we invite the public to join us and become stewards of the Earth.
    For Info:  Call Barbara Barnett 694-3738

ANNOUNCEMENT:  The Four Seasons Sierra Committee will begin a new study on the impact of nuclear power on humans, wildlife, & plants.  Please join us at our next meeting on November 19.

RECENT STATE AND NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE ACTION

STATE  ASSEMBLY:  SUSTAINABLE LEGISLATION ENACTED INTO LAW 2009

1.    Counties and municipalities are authorized to provide developers with incentives in exchange for reductions in energy consumption.

2.    The State will consider the fuel economy when buying vehicles.

3.    Voluntary conservation and water use efficiency measures will be taken by commercial car washers.

4.     Expands the cap on projects that use guaranteed energy & water savings to pay for efficiency retrofits.

5.    Credit for investing in renewable energy property has been extended to January 2016 & extends credit to geothermal heat pumps.

6.    Cities and Counties loan programs to finance renewable energy or energy efficiency improvements in real property.

7.    Lifts restrictions on City & County ordinances regulating solar panels & prohibits deed restrictions on the right to hang clotheslines.

8.    Dam Safety Act (for the first time) includes Coal Ash Dams and allows State inspections.  NC has 12 of the 44 highest hazard dams in the US.  The law facilitates the conversion of dirty coal plants to natural gas.

9.    The State Energy Office and the Residential Energy Conservation Assistance Program has been transferred to the Department of Commerce.

10.    $5 Million of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds has been appropriated to the State Energy Office Green Business Fund.

STATE ASSEMBLY LEGISLATION NOT PASSED!

HB349  Prohibits NC Power Plants from using Mountain Top Removal Coal.  NC is the largest consumer which has resulted in the destruction of 500 mountain tops.

HB1353  The right of an individual to use a clothesline.

HB1354  Regulates coal ash ponds to have safer storage.  NC has more ponds, 17, than any other State which contains a toxic soup of lead, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, mercury and there is a high incidence of cancer in nearby residences.  This toxic residue is used in structural fill at constructions sites and in construction materials.

HB810/SB1068  Establishes a permitting system for wind turbines , but not in the mountains.

HB1443  A “Greener”  Building Code was defeated by the powerful Home Builders Lobby.

HB282  Would have established a “Green” School Construction Fund.


NATIONAL:     GLOBAL WARMING / CLEAN AIR ACT

An Amendment to the FY2010 Interior Appropriation Bill would ignore the worldwide scientific consensus that carbon dioxide is a pollutant.  The Bill would block Clean Air Act protections, clean American-made Energy and threaten public health.

The Murkowski amendment seeks to exempt the biggest polluters Big Oil and dirty Coal Power Plants which emit twice as much CO2 as cars.  Exempting the biggest sources of CO2 from the Clean Air Act delays the nations transition to clean energy.   Call your Representative – Defeat the Amendment.

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