January/February 2009

See how your NEO Conservation Committee Chairs have been protecting the environment and our health, and advocating for social and political causes. If a chair has not submitted a report, it is usually because they are too busy in their activism, not because there is nothing to report.

Human Health & Environment Committee and Agriculture Committees
Laurel Hopwood, Chair

The NEO Sierra Club Human Health and Environment Committee worked with Beyond Pesticides Ohio to convert the public land at University Circle’s Wade Park to organic. This area is enjoyed by many families in the summer for activities such as free outdoor concerts, picnics, and frisbee playing.

The NEO Sierra Club Agriculture Committee is working with Governor Strickland to allow full disclosure on dairy products which come from cows that have not been injected with the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rBGH). This was initiated after lobbyists hired by the manufacturer of rBGH tried to persuade several states to ban rBGH-free labeling.

NEO Sierra Club Air Quality Committee
Jane Halbedel, Chair

After attending the Blue-Green Alliance training sponsored by the USW in Pittsburgh PA the summer of 2006, I agreed to serve as Air Quality Chair in January 2007.
In fall 2007 I met with other concerned community members in Congressman Kucinich’s office. I took an opposing stance at a public hearing conducted by the Coast Guard, in order to prevent live ammunition firing drilling practices from occurring on Lake Erie.

Ohio was ranked as the sixth sootiest city in 2007, and that summer I took rather extensive photographs around the Cleveland area representative of extensive soot contamination. Two of my photos were selected by a NOACA attorney for her presentation to the NOACA Board and they were mounted on NOACA’ Web site.

Attending stationary sources meetings at the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) meetings, through winter and into early spring in 2008, resulted in my receiving an invitation to tour Mittal Steel, now ArcelorMittal. Recognizing the extent of Mittal’s emissions and their impact on Cleveland’s inner ring suburbs, as was substantially documented by Ohio Citizen Action, I led an orchestrated tour of Mittal Steel that involved several NEO SC members. Our presence allowed us to overtly position our concerns for Mittals’ emissions and for their impact on the Greater Cleveland Area.

From January 2008 through mid-March 2008 I attended weekly sessions attended by several local environmentalists. I verbally opposed the AMP-OH coal-fired power plant to members of Cleveland City Council on four separate occasions.

I engaged Holly Harlan Director of Entrepreneurs for Sustainability, (E4S), to speak at one of the Sierra Club’s open meetings. Holly was extremely well received as she highlighted the great strides E4S was making throughout the Cleveland area.

Eric Schreiber, one of Al Gore’s emissaries, presented a provocative presentation “Global Climate Change” for Shadybrook of which I am a member. I wrote a summary of his presentation that included expanded information on climate change for their Web site. A portion of what I wrote was also included in Shadybrook’s newsletter.

I attended a Sierra Club meeting in Cincinnati this past summer that overviewed their recent conservation efforts, that would hopefully and eventually contribute to their city’s mass transit development.

This past summer I attended the Midwest Coal Conference in Madison Wisconsin and as a result of participating in the various seminars, I am a member of the Coal Committee under the Renewable Committee for Ohio; regularly participate in midwest and national coal calls, and have engaged in two webinars that pertained to the use of coal in city and rural settings.

I intend for my future activities as Air Quality Chair to assist in mitigating climate change with emphasis on Carbon reduction. I presume that there will be opportunities to support the national incorporation of energy efficiency and renewables that will hopefully result in the reduction of current levels of Carbon in the atmosphere.

(Jane is also a member of the state-level Coal Committee)

Rainforest Committee
Michael Melampy, Chair

The Rainforest Committee continues to meet regularly. By the end of 2008, we will have met a total of 7 times. Meetings are usually attended by 6 to 7 individuals. The focus of our attention continues to be Ecuador, particularly the cloud forest region of Intag in northern Ecuador. We have been in constant touch with Carlos Zorrilla, a founding member of DECOIN, a grassroots environmental organization in Intag. DECOIN successfully prevented the establishment of an open pit copper mine in Intag despite an intense campaign of intimidation on the part of the Canadian mining company that sought to establish the mine. We have supported DECOIN with cash contributions generated primarily from sales of handicrafts and coffee at Earth Fest. We hope to continue this.

In addition to helping DECOIN, our members have made a variety of presentations at our meetings concerning diverse topics related to conservation in the tropics. These topics included the demise of neotropical frog populations, the birds and plants of Namibia, and the plants of Madagascar. An upcoming presentation will focus on the flora of Guatemala.

We hope we can expand our activities in the coming year, but that will depend on the time, interest, and energy of members. New members interested in the tropics are encouraged to contact Michael Melampy at mmelampy@bw.edu or 440-826-3826 for the times and places of future meetings. We need new members interested in taking action.

Agriculture Committee
Reggie Perna, Co-Chair

I’ve been attending meetings (in person or via phone) with the Ohio Environmental Council in Columbus on the use of antibiotics in farm animals. We meet once a month. Those who attend the meetings are from a variety of areas; physicians, veterinarians, scientists and environmental activists. We generally have a scientific lecture on the topic followed by a discussion. We also discuss various readings and practical experiences. The goal of the Council is to stop the use of non-therapeutic antibiotics in farm animals.

Mining Committee and Wild Lands Committee
Linda Sekura, Chair

Mining: Attended public hearings and submitted testimony, with other NEO Sierra reps and with input from the state-level Sierra Energy Chair, in an attempt to reverse the City of Cleveland’s decision to buy into 50 years of coal power and supporting the building of a new coal-fired power plant in Meigs County. Provided renewable energy and efficiency technology ideas and “road maps for a clean energy future” to Cleveland, Oberlin, and Yellow Springs. Many are continuing to work toward solutions. NEO members can help by promoting energy efficiency and clean, renewable power regulations with public officials at all levels.

Wilderness/Wild Lands: Worked with CARE (Citizens Advocating Responsible Energy) in trying to prevent a permit to construct a 9-mile First Energy power line in Geauga County. Studied various rivers’ headwater stream systems and listed plants and animals, and environmental considerations, not included by the contractor hired to assess impacts. Recent word from CARE indicates the Power Siting Board is allowing the First Energy permit, but the decision will be appealed. Contact CARE if you would like to support their efforts: jgalm@caregeauga.org.

Also, supported the Conservation Symposium at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and gave two free passes to NEO Sierra members to learn about headwater stream conservation.