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When What You Don’t Know Actually Can Hurt
It seems reasonable that if something were to cause us harm, we’d like to know about it—such as a faulty part in a car that would cause the brakes to fail. It’s the way we protect ourselves and our families, by avoiding those things that might cause us harm, or at least being made aware…
Read MoreProposal For Longview Coal Export Terminal Returns
They’re baaack! The shipping and logistics company Millennium Bulk Terminals last week filed applications for federal, state and county permits to build a coal export terminal in Longview, Wash. Last year, Millennium withdrew its permit applications to build a coal export facility in Longview after Earthjustice attorneys uncovered internal company memos discussing secret plans to…
Read MoreTennessee Standing Up For Its Mountains
A bipartisan bill is coming up for a vote in the Tennessee state legislature tomorrow (Feb. 29) that would ban surface mining and mountaintop removal mining at altitudes above 2,000 feet in the state. This legislation would ensure that the most scenic vistas are protected for residents and visitors instead of being razed. The Tennessee Senate’s Energy and Environment…
Read MoreTr-Ash Talk: Lessons Unlearned from Buffalo Creek Disaster
February 26, 2012 marked the 40th anniversary of the Buffalo Creek disaster—the “most destructive flood in West Virginia history,” which took 125 lives in Logan County, West Virginia, injured 1100, and left 4000 homeless. The accounts of the manmade tsunami, borne of greed and negligence, are heartbreaking. The close-knit community was destroyed in an instant…
Read MoreRemembering Buffalo Creek
Yesterday, Feb. 26, was the 40th anniversary of the tragic Buffalo Creek coal sludge (also known as “slurry”) dam failure that killed 126 people and left thousands injured and homeless. What is sludge? Before coal can be sold, it has to be processed. During the processing of coal, it’s washed in a chemical mixture to…
Read MoreFriday Finds: War on Terra
Big business attack ads create fear conditions for environmental scientists.
Read MoreTr-Ash Talk: $2 Billion Coal Ash Suit In Chesapeake
On Tuesday, Virginia attorney Ted G. Yoakam, representing nearly 400 people living near the Battlefield Golf Club in Chesapeake, refiled a lawsuit against Dominion Virginian Power, MJM Golf LLC (the owner of the golf course) and two additional parties involved in building the course, requesting more than $2 billion in damages. The refiling doubles the demand…
Read MoreThe Oil Shale Funding Mirage
Getting energy from oil shale is a half-baked idea. Literally. Oil shale, also known as kerogen, is a waxy pre-petroleum substance found in rock layers in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Unlike pools of oil in the ground, it can’t be turned into liquid fuel for transportation unless it’s baked to 700 degrees. And no company in…
Read MoreObama's Energy Efficiency Clock Is Running Slow
In his State of the Union address, President Obama stated that the administration would “not walk away from the promise of clean energy.” The president also recognized that, especially in these tough economic times, “the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy.” President Obama’s speech brings to mind a pledge he made…
Read MoreFriday Finds: Colleges Pull All-Nighter On Bottle Ban
College students crush plastic water bottles, industry wines As banning bottled water becomes the cause du jour amongst college students, the bottled water industry is crying over spilled water, reports NPR. Everywhere from San Francisco to national parks like the Grand Canyon, cities and community members are considering banning plastic water bottles, which contribute to landfill…
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