What is Earth Day, and what is it meant to accomplish?

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by Kathleen Rogers, president, Earth Day Network

On April 22, 1970, millions of people took to the streets to protest the negative impacts of 150 years of industrial development.

In the U.S. and around the world, smog was becoming deadly and evidence was growing that pollution led to developmental delays in children. Biodiversity was in decline as a result of the heavy use of pesticides and other pollutants.

The global ecological awareness was growing, and the US Congress and President Nixon responded quickly. In July of the same year, they created the Environmental Protection Agency, and robust environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, among many.

One billion people

Earth Day is now a global event each year, and we believe that more than 1 billion people in 192 countries now take part in what is the largest civic-focused day of action in the world.

It is a day of political action and civic participation. People march, sign petitions, meet with their elected officials, plant trees, clean up their towns and roads. Corporations and governments use it to make pledges and announce sustainability measures. Faith leaders, including Pope Francis, connect Earth Day with protecting God’s greatest creations, humans, biodiversity and the planet that we all live on.

Earth Day Network, the organization that leads Earth Day worldwide, has chosen as the theme for 2018 to End Plastic Pollution, including creating support for a global effort to eliminate primarily single-use plastics along with global regulation for the disposal of plastics. EDN is educating millions of people about the health and other risks associated with the use and disposal of plastics, including pollution of our oceans, water, and wildlife, and about the growing body of evidence that plastic waste is creating serious global problems.

From poisoning and injuring marine life to the ubiquitous presence of plastics in our food to disrupting human hormones and causing major life-threatening diseases and early puberty, the exponential growth of plastics is threatening our planet’s survival….

read more at Earth Day Network

Support Neighbors for Crebilly vs. Toll Brothers in Pittsburgh!

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from Neighbors for Crebilly, 4/17/19

Commonwealth Court moved oral arguments to Pittsburgh!

Corporate interests again placed ahead of the people’s interests

In an inexplicable and highly unusual move, Commonwealth Court has moved the venue and date of oral arguments from June 3rd in Philadelphia to May 6th in PITTSBURGH!! Westtown Township appealed to the court to move the proceedings back to Philadelphia and they refused, saying that not all parties agreed to the move. In other words, Toll would not agree to move arguments back to Philadelphia. Of course, the court has blithely ignored the fact that Westtown Township and Neighbors for Crebilly did not agree to move oral arguments to Pittsburgh in the first place!

The judicial system is supposed to be convenient and accessible to the people, so this move makes a mockery of long established tradition and, quite frankly, puts corporate interests above the people’s interests. With a ten hour round trip, it also means that Neighbors for Crebilly and Westtown Township will have to pay much larger legal fees to get our attorney and the township’s solicitor to Pittsburgh.

We’re not going to take this lying down. A bus has been chartered to Pittsburgh which will leave from Randall Spackman’s Thornbury Farm at 6am* and return the same day. The bus has room for 54 concerned residents and it also has Wi Fi for those who would like to bring a laptop. This bus also comes with a lavatory! $45 per ticket covers most of the costs of chartering the bus. There is also plenty of parking at Randall’s Farm.

Also, some very generous supporters are supplying Crebilly Day Trippers with gourmet doughnuts and coffee. We hope you can join us!

*Location and other details are available on the ticketing site: here or via Facebook

More about Neighbors for Crebilly here

Yes, climate change is costly

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Chart from “Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters: Overview” at National Centers for Environmental Information, NOAA. The last 3 years have been way above average (adjusted for changes in GPI) in the number of weather events with damage over one billion dollars in the US, and 2019 is starting out the same way. Military bases are among the affected areas (see here).

When nature harms itself: Five scary climate feedback loops

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DW, 4/5/18

The thing about climate change is, the worse it gets – the worse it gets. Feedback loops accelerate the warming process. Now, scientists looking at lakes have found yet another alarming vicious circle to add to the list.

Lakes make a tiny fraction of the world’s water, but they’re home to lots of plants and animals. They’re often situated in the midst of still more biodiversity, in the form of forest. At least, they used to be.

Lately, forests have been vanishing, while aquatic plants continue to thrive. Due to this change, the lakes of the northern hemisphere could almost double their methane emissions over the next 50 years, new research has shown. Why? Climate change.

This increase of emissions will further contribute to global warming, in what scientists call a positive climate feedback loop.

And it’s just the latest addition to a growing list of ways we’re altering natural processes with spiraling impacts on the climate and carbon cycle….

read more, see images and diagrams, and follow links at DW

Uwchlan Township Launches Sustainability Initiatives

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Uwchlan Township has started 2019 with a commitment to move toward greater environmental sustainability. On Monday April 8th, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution encouraging township businesses and residents to reduce the use of singe use plastic bags and straws.

This resolution follows a commitment by the township to move toward renewable energy with the ‘Ready for 100’ resolution passed during the February Board of Supervisors meeting. These efforts were led by the Uwchlan Environmental Advisory Council (EAC), which was formed under the leadership of Supervisor Mayme Bauman in 2018.

Supervisor Bauman states “Uwchlan Township is fortunate to have actively engaged citizens who care a lot about their community and are willing to dedicate their time and expertise to help the township tackle various environmental issues. I am proud to support the work of our EAC volunteers, which will help put our community on a path toward a cleaner environment and a more sustainable future.”

The Single Use Plastics resolution kicks off a “Sustainable Uwchlan” campaign planned for the township, including the launch of the Environmental Stewards program. This is a family friendly passport activity created for area families as a fun way to learn more about our environment and encourage environmental stewardship among residents of all ages. Participants are invited to complete environmental tasks and activities throughout 2019 to earn recognition in the fall as an Honorary Environmental Steward of Uwchlan Township.

Uwchlan EAC Chair Laura Obenski said ‘The EAC us excited to host a series of educational events and initiatives to provide guidance on how we can collectively, as a community, work to preserve our most valuable asset- the environment. Modeling and encouraging responsible environmental stewardship and engaging our youngest community members serves an important role in sustaining and preserving our community for generations to come.“

The Uwchlan EAC is also hosting a community event at the township campus this Wednesday, April 17th at 6:30pm featuring Kendra McMillin, Forest Health Program Specialist with the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Kendra will be speaking with residents and answering questions about the Emerald Ash Borer and Spotted Lanternfly.

On Saturday May 11th, a Sustainable Uwchlan Open House will be held outdoors at the township building from 11-2p. This family friendly event will provide an opportunity for residents to learn about local environmental initiatives and provide information on a variety of topics such as recycling, native gardening, and renewable energy.

Photo above: Taryn Steinmeyer of Uwchlan Township checks a tree in her yard for Spotted Lanternfly eggs with her mom, Paige, as part of Uwchlan’s Environmental Steward Passport program.

More information on these events can be found on http://www.uwchlan.com.
# # #
Contact:
Laura Obenski
Uwchlan Township EAC Chair
484-947-6149
eac@uwchlan.com
Uwchlan.com/276/Sustainable-Uwchlan

Why climate change is a national security issue

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Besides the threat of climate refugees desperate to escape droughts and storms trying to migrate (as is the case already with some pressing at the US-Mexican border), US military bases such as the often-flooded Naval Station in Norfolk VA are also in jeopardy.

Emailed by the national Sierra Club, this photo of Offutt Air Force Base in Sarpy County, Nebraska, shows damage from the recent flooding there (photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force taken by Tech. Sgt. Rachelle Blake):

Here is the Sierrra Club comment:

Exacerbating Circumstances

Was climate change the cause of last month’s “bomb cyclones” and catastrophic flooding in Nebraska, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Iowa? No one can say for sure, although the magnitude of recent storms, floods, and wildfires—and the fact that the 18 hottest years on record have all been since 2001—certainly suggest a correlation. “Climate change is here,” says Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune. “We can’t stop the rain if it comes, and we can’t stop the rivers from rising….

Local lawmakers, municipal leaders push for renewable energy

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Daily Local News, Apr 2, 2019

WEST WHITELAND—Local lawmakers and municipal leaders found out what it will take to transition to 100 percent renewable energy at PennEnvironment and Sierra Club’s Chester County Ready for 100 program in West Whiteland.

More than 150 Chester County residents explored clean energy and energy efficiency at the expo Saturday, and learned how they can transition their homes to cleaner resources to help reduce carbon footprint.

“I am very pleased to see the current focus on our environment and climate change,” said state Rep. Christina Sappey. “We have a responsibility to next generations to take immediate action to protect and preserve what we’ve done right, correct what we haven’t and implement strategies that get us to 100 percent renewable energy. It’s for these reasons I am honored to do whatever I can to work with our environmental advocacy partners towards this goal.”

The event also featured a panel discussion, “Our Clean Energy Future,” which engaged attendees in a discussion about how to push our communities and the state of Pennsylvania to transition away from dirty fossil fuels. The panel featured local elected officials and energy experts who showcased the existing momentum there is to transition away from dirty fossil fuels and how our community can help.

“Climate change is real,” said Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan. “It is happening, and we do cause it. It is something that as a country we, and frankly, a world, we need to deal with as quickly, as rapidly, and as aggressively as we possibly can.”

Houlahan is a cosponsor of The Climate Solutions Act which calls for 100 percent Renewable Energy by 2035 and sets greenhouse gas emission targets to 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050….

read more at Daily Local News

PennEnvironment in Chester County: One climate defender at a time

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By Richard Gaw, Chester County Press, 3/26/2019

Jess Cadorette, the Chester County volunteer coordinator for PennEnvironment’s efforts in the county, sat at a coffee shop in West Chester on a recent Friday, at the end of a week where she had already been everywhere.

The extra-large strawberry beverage she enjoyed was merely a brief respite in a whirlwind tour of the county. Earlier that week, she conducted volunteer education with a few of PennEnvironment’s more than 400 volunteer citizens in the county – called “climate defenders.” She met with colleagues in the environmental industry, and she arranged meet-and-greets between elected officials and volunteers. In between, she continued to put the finishing touches on the upcoming “Chester County 100% Renewable Energy Expo & Discussion,” which will be held March 30 at West Whiteland Township in Exton, and co-hosted by PennEnvironment and the Sierra Club of Chester County.

For Cadorette, who has been with the PennEnvironment for the past two years, it’s a job marked by miles, advocacy and patience – from Oxford to Nottingham, from Kennett Square to East and West Whiteland townships, and from restaurants to community fairs to information table shows, all in an effort to ratchet up citizens’ voices in support of science and the need for expediency, she said. …

read more at Chester County Press