EcoWatch Journal August/September 2011 : Page 2
Stefanie Penn Spear, founder and executive director of EcoWatch, has worked on environmental issues for more than two decades. She is dedicated to providing a voice for grassroots environmental organizations and activists working to better our planet. She can be reached at spear@ecowatch.org. VOLUME V • ISSUE VI PUBLISHER EcoWatch stefanie penn spear I had the opportunity in July to spend two days in Washington, D.C. lobbying for the Clean Air Act. I spent time in the offices of Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), and my Congressman, U.S. Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-OH). I met with Gina McCarthy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) assistant adminis-trator for the Office of Air and Radiation, and White House staff member Nat Keohane, special assistant to President Obama on energy and environmental issues. Discussing reasons why I think it’s important to uphold the 40-year old Clean Air Act and implement strong stan-dards for ozone, mercury and greenhouse gas emissions was easy, but understanding why some politicians want to weaken this law was hard to digest. According to the EPA, failure to execute these clean air standards will cause as many as 17,000 premature deaths, 11,000 heart attacks and more than 120,000 asthma attacks annually. There’s no doubt strong air standards will benefit our state. According to a Natural Resources Defense Council report, Ohio ranks number one in the nation for toxic air pollution from power plants (read page 11). The Clean Air Act is not the only historic law under attack, as the Clean Water Act is also being threatened. Be sure to read Kristy Meyer’s cover article about the impact of weakening federal and state water laws, and how you can get involved. EcoWatch is proud to sponsor and promote many events coming to Ohio in the next several months, including, Sierra Club’s Sunset Dinner Cruise on the Goodtime III on Aug. 24 (see page 12); The Ohio premier of THE LAST MOUNTAIN from Sept. 9 -15 with a panel discussion after the 7 p.m. showing on Sept. 9 (see page 5); Sustainable Cleveland 2019 Summit on Sept. 22 and Sept. 23 (see cover article); Climate Change Exhibit and programming at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, now through Dec. 31 (see page7); Green Energy Ohio’s Green Energy Ohio Tour on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 (see page 15); Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s Summit on Sustainability & the Environment on Oct. 11 (see page 15), and Environmental Day at the Chagrin Docu-mentary Film Festival on Oct. 15 (see page 14). Be sure to check out EcoWatch’s updated website for Ohio at www.ecowatchohio.org. Stay connected with EcoWatch through the many social networks listed below or sign up for our email alerts on our website to stay informed on EcoWatch’s national launch of its digital news service and mobile application that go live this fall. —Have a great rest of the summer, Stefanie Penn Spear EDITOR/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Stefanie Penn Spear • spear@ecowatch.org SENIOR EDITOR Thomas J. Quinn • quinn@ecowatch.org ADVERTISING Great Lakes Publishing -Frank Bird bird@glpublishing.com • 216-377-3657 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Pete Altman • Megan Quinn Bachman Lauren Ketcham • Brad Masi • Fran Mentch Kristy Meyer • Kelly Moody • Jack Shaner Sarah Straley • Brandi Whetstone BOARD OF DIRECTORS Matt Castelli • Lindsey Daniel • Monica Deadwiler Piyush Dubey • James Leikin • Oakland Lewis David Lindner • Sam S. Mathew • Steven Newman Ann-Marie Potemski • Thomas J. Quinn Michelle Sheehan • Jeff Smith • Ameya Tamhaney Donna VanRooy • Eileen Victoriano PROOFREADERS Jen Burke • Michele McBride • Rita Nagusky OUR MISSION EcoWatch unites the voice of the grassroots environmental movement to impact policy and promote sustainable lifestyles. EcoWatch Journal is distributed for free throughout Ohio with a readership of more than 100,000 readers per issue. ARTICLE SUBMISSION EcoWatch Journal relies on the sustainability movement to provide the content for this newspaper. Visit www.ecowatchohio.org and click on ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS for details. Submitting an article does not guarantee it getting published. EcoWatch reserves the right to edit all material for clarity, length and content. E-mail submissions to: spear@ecowatch.org. DEADLINE FOR THE OCT/NOV ISSUE: SEPT. 1 EcoWatch is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. EcoWatch Journal is published six times a year and distributed free throughout Ohio. Copyright ©2011, EcoWatch, Inc. All rights reserved. For reprinting in other publications or electronically, permission must be granted by EcoWatch and proper credit given. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or editors. EcoWatch Journal is printed on 100 percent recycled, non-bleached newsprint. Inks are soy based. When finished reading EcoWatch Journal please pass it on to someone else or recycle it. ECOWATCH 720 Literary Rd. Cleveland, Ohio 44113 216-387-1609 www.ecowatchohio.org TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 01 03 04 05 06 07 11 11 13 14 14 15 15 Statehouse, Congress, White House Should Heed the Lorax How Many Light Bulbs Does It Take to Change the World? Letters to the Editor Free Curriculum Materials to Accompany On Coal River The Last Mountain Stop Keystone XL Pipeline and Tar Sands Oil Extraction Exhibition Explores the Science of Climate Change Citizens for Oakwood Update Ohio’s Number One for Toxic Air Pollution from Power Plants In Our Fields and on Our Plates Working to Protect At-Risk Medicinals in Southeast Ohio Environmental Day at Chagrin Documentary Film Festival Summit Offers Global and Local Perspectives on Sustainability Green Energy Ohio Tour Like EcoWatch on Facebook: facebook.com/EcoWatch Follow EcoWatch on Twitter: twitter.com/ECOWATCHorg Follow Stefanie Spear on Twitter: twitter.com/StefanieSpear Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/StefanieSpear Thank You for Your Support Cleveland Foundation George Gund Foundation Neal Crandall Debra Hummert Brian Moore Nicholas Morrison Timothy O’Brien Cornelia & George Ryan Timothy Smith Timothy Strom Tom & Tracy Tappan Donna Van Rooy COLUMNS 02 08 10 12 Letter from the Editor by Stefanie Penn Spear EarthWISE by Megan Quinn Bachman Policy Corner by Jack Shanner Local Food by Brad Masi 2 • ECOWATCH JOURNAL • AUGUST -SEPTEMBER 2011 WWW. ECOWATCH.ORG
Letter From The Editor
Stefanie Penn Spear
Stefanie Penn Spear, founder and executive director of EcoWatch, has worked on environmental issues for more than two decades. She is dedicated to providing a voice for grassroots environmental organizations and activists working to better our planet. She can be reached at spear@ecowatch.org.<br /> <br /> I had the opportunity in July to spend two days in Washington, D.C. lobbying for the Clean Air Act. I spent time in the offices of Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), and my Congressman, U.S. Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-OH). I met with Gina McCarthy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, and White House staff member Nat Keohane, special assistant to President Obama on energy and environmental issues.<br /> <br /> Discussing reasons why I think it’s important to uphold the 40-year old Clean Air Act and implement strong standards for ozone, mercury and greenhouse gas emissions was easy, but understanding why some politicians want to weaken this law was hard to digest. According to the EPA, failure to execute these clean air standards will cause as many as 17,000 premature deaths, 11,000 heart attacks and more than 120,000 asthma attacks annually.<br /> <br /> There’s no doubt strong air standards will benefit our state. According to a Natural Resources Defense Council report, Ohio ranks number one in the nation for toxic air pollution from power plants (read page 11). The Clean Air Act is not the only historic law under attack, as the Clean Water Act is also being threatened. Be sure to read Kristy Meyer’s cover article about the impact of weakening federal and state water laws, and how you can get involved.<br /> <br /> EcoWatch is proud to sponsor and promote many events coming to Ohio in the next several months, including, Sierra Club’s Sunset Dinner Cruise on the Goodtime III on Aug. 24 (see page 12); The Ohio premier of THE LAST MOUNTAIN from Sept. 9 - 15 with a panel discussion after the 7 p.m. showing on Sept. 9 (see page 5); Sustainable Cleveland 2019 Summit on Sept. 22 and Sept. 23 (see cover article); Climate Change Exhibit and programming at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, now through Dec. 31 (see page7); Green Energy Ohio’s Green Energy Ohio Tour on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 (see page 15); Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s Summit on Sustainability & the Environment on Oct. 11 (see page 15), and Environmental Day at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival on Oct. 15 (see page 14).<br /> <br /> Be sure to check out EcoWatch’s updated website for Ohio at www.ecowatchohio.org. Stay connected with EcoWatch through the many social networks listed below or sign up for our email alerts on our website to stay informed on EcoWatch’s national launch of its digital news service and mobile application that go live this fall.<br /> <br /> —Have a great rest of the summer, Stefanie Penn Spear
Publication List
Using a screen reader? Click Here