Happy FALL!! Lots of events and actions!

The summer was busy, but fall is always busier!!! There are many upcoming events and actions!!

First, call Gov. Cooper at 919-814-2000 and thank him for joining the U,S. Climate Alliance yesterday! The Alliance is a bipartisan group of states committed to reaching the goals outlined in the Paris Climate agreement.

More good news! The NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has delayed the decision on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) 401 permit, saying much more information is needed, calling for extensive additional information to be submitted to them within 30 days. They expect to delay a decision for three months, so around mid-December. They also referred to the many comments they received. THANK YOU! PEOPLE POWER!!! Celebrate the delay, but there is MUCH more work to be done to STOP the pipeline that I’ll share with you as they are organized!! Read Elizabeth’s article about the announcement.

Today is the launch of The Fossil Fuel Resistance Map!!! Supported by 350.org and Power Shift Network, the map shows that people power everywhere are fighting for the health and safety of their communities and the climate by standing up to fossil fuel projects. 350 Triangle is included on the map, as we are partnering with others across NC to stop the Atlantic Coast Pipeline!

Sept. 23, The Countdown to Climate Change featuring Michael Mann, 2-4 pm, Park Road Baptist Church, 3900 Park Rd, Charlotte, presented by NC Carolina Climate Change Solutions. Info here.

Sept. 23-24, Carolina Farm Stewardship Eastern Farm Tour, 1-5 pm. Always fun to tour local, sustainable farms in the Triangle area!! More info.

Sept. 23, Rivers Run Through Us – Lumbee River Paddle, 9 am – 5 pm, Lumber River SP
We invite you to “Rivers Run Through Us”, a cooperative effort of the Lumbee Elders Circle, Winyah Rivers, and Center for Community Action to strengthen knowledge about our rivers. Participants are invited to enjoy a Lumbee River canoe paddle and connect with community through ceremony, storytelling and a recommitment to protect the Lumbee River and all Rivers for current and future generations. Enjoy food, fun and fellowship on and off the river as we learn and celebrate the importance of our rivers to our communities and our quality of life.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rivers-run-through-us-lumbee-river-paddle-tickets-37017640760?aff=eac2

Sept. 25, NC Utilities Commission public rate hike hearing and rally, 7 pm in Commission Hearing Room 2115, Dobbs Building, 430 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh. Here’s a link with directions. Rally begins at 5:30 at Halifax Mall (green space behind the Legislative Building) and sign up to speak begins at 6 pm. Wear blue! It’s time to let Duke Energy know how we feel about them trying to raise our rates, again, to pay for their toxic pollution from coal ash, pay for $416 million worth of investments in new gas-fired power plants, and more! We want to fill up the room at the public hearing to make sure Duke Energy knows a just transition to 100% clean renewable energy is the only way forward!! More details here and talking points here, here, and here.

Sept. 26, Dogwood Alliance’s Call-in Day of Action. Call Governor Cooper and ask him to revoke Enviva’s permit to build another wood pellet mill in Richmond County. Rescheduled after having to be postponed because of Hurricane Irma. More information here.

Sept. 27, 5 pm, Bill McKibben, Climate Crisis/Climate Hope Duke Divinity School’s Goodson Chapel

The event is the first biannual Luce Lecture. Part of the Kenan Institute’s programmatic focus “Ethics & Environmental Policy,” it launches the Anthropocene Project, led by Norman Wirzba, a Senior Fellow at Kenan and Professor of Theology, Ecology, and Agrarian Studies, and Jedediah Purdy, the Robinson O. Everett Professor of Law. No RSVP required. EXCITED about this one!!! Will be great to have Bill back in the Triangle!

Sept. 29, Wood Pellet Forum, The Warwick Center at UNCW, Wilmington, 9 am – 3 pm. The Wood Pellet Forum is a public event focusing on the effects of the wood pellet industry on the forests and environment of North Carolina. More info and RSVP here.

Oct. 1, The Gathering: The Moral Demand for Care of the Earth is a Fight Against Poverty, 6-7:30 pm, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, 1801 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh. Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II & Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove co-host this monthly program to equip communities with resources for faithful reflection and public action on moral issues. The October 1st issue is Ecological Devastation. More info here.

Oct. 7, Clean Water for NC hosts Summit on the Impacts of the ACP: Preventing Harms to Eastern NC’s Water, Air, Communities and Environmental Justice, 1:30-5:30 pm at Wilson Community College, Del Mastro Auditorium. Rescheduled because of Hurricane Irma, the summit will include speakers talking about climate impacts, environmental justice impacts, and pipeline safety hazards. Advance registration required by Oct. 4. Register here!

Oct 9, Sarah Van Gelder, Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4907 Garrett Road, Durham, 7-9 pm

YES! Magazine co-Founder and columnist, will be speak about her experiences with people and grassroots groups working to make a difference in their communities for climate, environmental, economic, and racial justice. Recounted from her latest book, “The Revolution Where You Are: Stories From a 12,000 Mile Journey Across a New America”. More info here.

Oct 14, Mitigation Through Education: Climate Change Panel Discussion, 10 am – 4:30 pm, Dobo Hall, Cahill Drive, Wilmington, NC

Join us at UNCW to listen to a lineup of UNCW professors, business leaders, and local politicains talk about the impacts of climate change and solutions to mitigate its effects. More info here.

Save the Date! Oct. 26, Creating a Climate For Change Conference, Florence-Darlington Technical College, SIMT Building, Florence, SC. More info here soon.