Howdy!
August has been another record breaking month with more heatwaves, and now eyes are on Hurricane Idalia that will be hitting Florida and reaching NC with possible flooding. Gratefully fall is next month, so cooler temps will be here soon, along with many upcoming events and actions to take.
Mountain Valley Pipeline and MVP Southgate
September 9, Stop MVP Southgate Impacted Communities Conference
4 -8 pm, Rockingham Community College Auditorium
555 County Home Rd, Reidsville/Wentworth, NC
4-6 pm, Impacted Community Members Meet & Greet with property rights experts to get your questions answered and gain resources. Refreshments provided.
6-7-pm, Keynote Speaker: Jane Kleeb, known for her leadership helping to defeat the Keystone XL Pipeline, Founder & President of the Bold Alliance, which focuses on protecting property rights, water. and the clean energy transition.
7- 8pm, Meet & Greet part 2. Register here.
September 12, How We Protect Us: A Community Call About MVP Pipe Safety
7 pm, online
Join a community call on pipe safety featuring Pipeline Safety Trust, Mountain Valley Watch, remarks about the rumored East Mont compressor station and others. Register here.
September 14, Interfaith Totem Pole Prayer for the Water
9 am – 12 pm, Red Slide Park, 103 Elk Street, Haw River
Join 7 Directions of Service and the 17 Rivers AIM Chapter for an Interfaith Prayer as part of the “Free Leonard Peltier Totem Pole Journey.” We will gather by the banks of the Haw River—one of the largest bodies of water threatened by the MVP Southgate Extension—to lay down prayers for the river’s renewal and protection, as we also pray for the wellbeing and release of political prisoner Leonard Peltier. Register here.
The Terror Resumes. Heartbreaking article by Deborah Kushner here. This madness has to STOP!
Federal agency announces a proposed safety order for Mountain Valley Pipeline. Excellent blog post by Jess Sims here.
Protect community members from unsafe pipes! Tell federal regulators to pause construction on MVP while safety review standards are met here.
From Banking on Climate Chaos: Stop Financing the Mountain Valley Pipeline! here.
“People power has successfully stopped construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline so far, and we won’t back down now. If Congress wants to take away our legal avenues to fight this project, then we will take it to the next level by targeting the financial backers of this project. We are issuing a warning to the big US banks providing financing to the companies behind the Mountain Valley Pipeline: Our global movement is stronger than ever and the big banks should expect to be hearing more from us in the coming months. We will never stop fighting this unfinished, unnecessary, and unwanted project.” Denali Nalamalapu, Communications Director at POWHR.
The Stop Mountain Valley Pipeline & Southgate Extension Toolkit is continually updated with actions you can take here.
Information to join Appalachians Against Pipelines direct action campaign to stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline here.
Stay engaged on MVP Southgate at stopmvpsouthgate.com.
MORE EVENTS
August 4-September 24, Paperhand Puppet’s 23rd annual summer show ‘Where Our Spirits Reside’
7 pm, Fridays through Sundays, first at the Forest Theatre in Chapel Hill and last weekend at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh. If you haven’t seen the latest show yet, GO!! This year’s magical puppet show is SO great! They are collaborating with Nnenna Freelon and her son, Pierce Freelon. Tickets on sale here.
September 14, Residential Solar Webinar
5:30 pm, online
The last couple of years has seen an increase in funding opportunities that make it more affordable to go solar and make energy efficiency upgrades. Join Appalachian Voices, Solar United Neighbors, and the Internal Revenue Service for an educational webinar that will explore how homeowners can access these perks to make their property more energy efficient. Register here.
September 16, People’s Hearing: Industrial Agriculture Environmental Permitting
11 am – 3 pm, Rebuilding Broken Places, 2105 Williams Street, Goldsboro
Are you impacted by the smells, air, and water quality concerns from concentrated animal feeding operations (factory farms/industrial agriculture)? Do you feel it is unjust that NC’s environmental regulations surrounding hog, poultry and dairy operations regularly promote industry more than protect our communities? If your answer is Yes, then take action and join us to lend your voice to the discussion. Register here.
September 17, March to End Fossil Fuels!
The United Nations Secretary-General is hosting a Climate Ambition Summit to demand that nations stop the fossil fuel expansion that is driving the climate emergency. Thousands will be marching in New York City to demand President Biden take bold action to End Fossil Fuels. More info here.
September 19, Transforming Global Economies for People, Planet, and a Just Transition
1 pm, online
Rooted in neo-liberal capitalism, the current economic system is set to continue rapidly extracting resources from the Earth and drive climate chaos and further exploitation of people and the planet. During this event hosted by Women’s Earth & Climate Action Network, global women leaders will spotlight alternative economic models, solutions, and frameworks that are predicated on community-led solutions, Indigenous knowledge, and ancient concepts of reciprocity with the Earth and all living beings. Register here.
September 19, Safeguarding the Amazon: A Call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Zone
2-4 pm, online
This event seeks to identify solutions and pathways forward to a fossil fuel free Amazonia that addresses human rights, ecological, economic and political barriers to stopping oil drilling in the Amazon rainforest. Indigenous and civil society leaders will share proposals for the protection of the Amazon with government representatives, press, and other guests with experience in the region. Register here.
ACTIONS TO TAKE!
Hold Enviva Accountable to Communities! Wood pellets release more carbon than coal when burned. Sign here.
National Forests Should NOT Become Carbon Waste Dumps! Sign here.
At a time when the climate crisis requires we begin now to phase out oil and gas production, nearly all hydrogen production — including “blue” or “green” — is from fossil gas. Tell the Department of Energy: DON”T believe the Hydrogen Hubs Hype here!
Stop Carbon Pipelines! A letter is circulating in the House of Representatives that will be delivered to President Biden asking that he enact a moratorium on carbon pipelines until safety regulations are completed. Take action by urging your U.S. Representative to sign that letter here.
NO Nuclear at Belews Lake! Duke Energy wants to convert Belews Creek to nuclear energy. The Dan Riverkeeper and The Lilies Project are collecting signatures to say NO more pollution in our frontline community in Stokes County, NC. Sign as individual and/or organization here.
Bolin Creek is an urban forest in Carrboro that is a wildlife corridor that must be protected. Urge the Carrboro Town Council to conserve, not pave the Bolin Creek trail. Keep Bolin Creek Wildhere! For more information about Bolin Creek check out the Bolin Forest Climate Action site.
ARTICLES AND VIDEOS
It’s official: July 2023 was the warmest month ever recorded here.
Thousands of penguins die in Antarctic ice breakup by John Amos here.
“A catastrophic die-off of emperor penguin chicks has been observed in the Antarctic, with up to 10,000 young birds estimated to have been killed. The sea-ice underneath the chicks melted and broke apart before they could develop the waterproof feathers needed to swim in the ocean.”
‘Off-the-charts records’: has humanity finally broken the climate? by several Guardian writers who spoke with 45 scientists here.
Jeff Goodell, author of The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet on Democracy Now! here and on Lever Time’s podcast here.
Duke Energy’s Carolinas Resource Plan/Carbon Plan was filed August 17 with the NC Utilities Commission. As expected unfortunately, there is new gas and nuclear and not enough solar, wind, and energy efficiency for the just transition that is needed. Article from David Boraks at WFAE here.
‘Climate Scam’: 180+ Groups Tell Biden to Drop Support for Hydrogen by Jake Johnson here. “Calling hydrogen clean energy is a scam to prop up the oil and gas industry.”
The Deadliest Wildfire In 100 Years The Lever team speaks with Kaniela Ing about the recent disaster in Maui and how the community aims to rebuild here.
Why was there no water to fight the fire in Maui? by Naomi Klein and Kapuaʻala Sproat here.
Forever Chemicals: North Carolina’s Toxic Tap Water. A new WRAL Documentary explores the damage caused by massive amounts of toxic chemicals dumped into the Cape Fear River here.
Recording of “She Speaks” Moral Monday Call to Conscience on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington here.
Election season! You will need a photo ID to vote in NC elections this year. You can get a free ID at your county board of elections. More info here.
Thanks for reading and for taking action!