New Jersey Beaches, anyone?

Image courtesy of Len Pietrafesa: Groins built at right angles to the shore at Cape May, New Jersey, ostensibly to slow the migration of sand. The groins interrupt the flow of longshore currents, so sand is trapped on their upcurrent sides. This view is toward the south, and south of the groins, on the downcurrent sides. The effect of the groins is that sand is eroded away from the beaches.

We've blogged this before. Unfortunately, when it comes to coastal management, it's like a broken record over at the General Assembly. Even though scientists, environmental groups, and the state environmental agency DENR have expressed opposition to the use of "hardened" structures - jetties, sea walls, terminal groins - on the North Carolina coast, the indecent proposal comes up year after year.

The most recent legislation, SB 832, just passed out of the Senate.

Let's review:

• Jetties and groins beget more jetties and groins (take a look at the picture)
• Hardened structures protect buildings where they are located, but exponentially increase erosion on adjacent properties or islands.
• We manage our beaches pretty well here in NC. SB 832 will punch a hole in our sound, science-based coastal management policies.
• We need a more comprehensive look at how to deal with sea level rise, especially in light of climate change projections for the coast (interactive sea level map, EPA 2030 projections). We need beach management that doesn't reflexively call for hardened structures.

The natural beauty and economic value of North Carolina’s public beaches and inlets exists today in large measure because our state leaders long ago adopted a conservative management policy that bans the use of hardened structures—seawalls, jetties and groins of any kind—from our coast.

Big Opportunities for Small Towns

Did you know that small towns in North Carolina may receive up to $13 Million in grants and federal stimulus money? While this may seem like a lot at first, it ends up amounting to just under $20,000, if all funding was dispersed equally. Since the grants are competitive, let’s make certain your town is ready to get as much funding help as they can! And to use it in the most environmental friendly way that they can!

Tonight, I will be traveling to New Bern to discuss how the Energy Efficiency Block Grants (EECBG) will work for small towns. For these grants, a small town is defined as having a population of less than 35,000. Since Eastern NC is chalked full of itty-bitty towns, the Craven County Democrats teamed up with the Cypress Group to ask if I could come explain opportunities from the EECBG Program for small towns and how Cool City New Bern might earn a few more bucks.

You are welcome to join me tonight at the Golden Coral on Martin Luther King Boulevard in New Bern. We will be eating dinner at 5:30 and discussing the EECBG Program at 6:30.

In the meantime, here are some tips to get the ARRA funding optimized in your own town:
a. Start talking with your government leaders—meet with key partners/mayor/city council (they will get a vote!)
i. Reach out to your contact and get that relationship going
ii. Have the conversation—
1. what are they planning on using,
2. what have they have applied for,
3. how do they plan to use it,
4. offer to get or give them the information that they need,
5. and small nudges here and there
a. Consult Sierra Club’s Talking Points for more ideas
b. Play to America’s Entrepreneurial spirit
iii. Ask the large towns to post their EECBG applications online—Winston-Salem did!

Public Hearing: Impacts of Drilling off NC Coast

Earlier this year, state legislative leaders formed a 24 member task force to study "the economic and environmental impacts of allowing drilling for oil and natural gas off the coast of North Carolina." The task force will report back to state legislators on May 1st.

The task force will hold one public hearing on offshore drilling - on Monday, April 27th at the Carteret County Community College. We expect that the oil industry and their supporters will be turning out a significant "drill now" crowd at the hearing. Therefore, it's critical that the task force hears from North Carolinians who are opposed to offshore drilling, in particular those living near the coast. You don't need to be an expert - just speak for 2-5 minutes on why you're opposed to the state of North Carolina allowing offshore drilling for oil and natural gas.

The public hearing details are:

Monday, April 27, at 4pm [if you plan to speak, please plan to arrive by 5 PM]
Carteret Community College McGee Building
Joselyn Hall
3505 Arendell Street,
Morehead City, NC 28557

Directions to CCC and map of the campus can be found here: http://www.carteret.edu/aboutccc/CampusMap/map.htm

For talking points, visit:

http://ncconservationnetwork1.org/because_you_love_nc/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=32934815

Winds blowing off the coast

Yesterday, a report in the News & Observer detailed the Obama Administration's recent move to open tracts on the Outer Continental Shelf to wind production (further coverage with US scope - Bloomberg, AP). From the N & O report:

Eventually, the regulations could help shape energy production in North Carolina, where the Outer Banks jut sharply into the Atlantic. The area has some of the strongest and steadiest winds on the East Coast, according to a report from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

"We realize there's a tremendous opportunity offshore," said Bob Leker, a program manager with the State Energy Office in Raleigh. "I think it's a good idea. It's a resource the country as a whole has a lot of."

In many ways the state is ahead of the federal government. Wednesday's regulations apply to federal waters, which are at least three miles offshore. Those waters are deeper, and the potential for high waves and hurricanes makes them a more treacherous location for wind farms than the state's expansive system of shallow sounds and inlets.

As usual, the comments range from hysterically opposed to measured and optimistic, but the article is nothing but clear that generating wind power off the NC coast is feasible. The move by this Administration opens the door to offshore clean energy production in North Carolina; with the General Assembly considering how to permit wind turbines, the move was much needed.

Foothills Photo Mosaics

In celebration of Earth Day, and to gather activists in support of Winston-Salem's tree ordinance, the Foothills Group held a photo petition. Take a look at the results:

Want to learn more about the stimulus money?

Three Upcoming Events: (1.) ARRA Happenings in NC Conference Call; (2.) Economic Recovery Workshop Tour; and (3.) The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: What does it mean for Eastern North Carolina?

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ARRA Happenings in NC Conference Call
April 23, 2008

Learn what federal ARRA stimulus funds are coming to North Carolina and how it is affecting our NC Cool Cities and Counties. This conference call will provide an overview of the American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) monies for NC, weatherization opportunities, and specific Energy Efficiency Block Grant information. We will also discuss potential next steps for Sierra Club.

April 23, 2008
7:00—8:00 p.m.

Before the call: RSVP and email me (kara.craig@sierraclub.org) with questions
At call time: dial 1-866-501-6174; Your conference code # is 1003100.

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Economic Recovery Workshop Tour
April 28, 2009

The N. C. Office of Economic Recovery (OERI) will hold the first of six Economic Recovery Workshops across the state starting April 28th through the month of May.

Tuesday, April 28
1:30 p.m. (2 hr. workshop)
Winston-Salem State University, Dillard Auditorium
Winston-Salem, NC

Five additional workshops will be held during the month of May in the following five cities (in alphabetical order):

Asheville
Charlotte
Greenville
Raleigh
Wilmington

Dates and venues to be announced; for more information contact OERI at ncrecovery.gov

Workshops will feature OERI Director Dempsey Benton and representatives from state government departments administering recovery funds in North Carolina. Governor Perdue will be present to introduce the first of the workshops in Winston-Salem (at Winston-Salem State University, Dillard Auditorium).

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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: What does it mean for Eastern North Carolina?
April 27, 2009

Join local Cypress Group members and the Craven County Democrats to learn more about federal stimulus funding for weatherization, energy efficiency, and small town competitive grants. Energy Efficiency funding opportunities are arriving in North Caroline in two ways: direct block grants to towns with a population over 35,000 and smaller funding processes through the State Energy Office to towns with a population under 35,000. We will discuss what this means for New Bern and other towns in the east.

April 27, 2009
5:30-7:30
Golden Coral on Martin Luther King, Blvd., New Bern

You can arrive at 5:30 to join others in the eating dinner in the Conference Room at the Golden Coral, or arrive at 6:30 to hear the presentation.

A Time to Act Indeed

The State Energy Office A Time to Act 6th Annual Conference was a success. I would like to share with you a few things I learned these past two days:

Approximately $76 Million are filtering through the State Energy Office. A chunk of the monies will go to small towns, and approximately 12% will be used for general programs and state initiatives. The Department of Energy approves the state plan for use of energy efficiency funding through the State Energy Office on May 12th—so look for more information to come!

The Priorities for the State Energy Office use of the energy efficiency funding is to support small businesses through energy savings and green work, to relieve government spending through energy efficiency, and to relieve the general public through residential building energy efficiency.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is not the only climate legislation on which Congress is working. These are some other pieces that are being discussed this year:
House

• CAP and Trade—reduces CO2 20% below 2005 levels by 2020
• Low Carbon Fuel Standard—10% below 2005 by 2030
• Renewable Electricity Standard—similar to NC’s Portfolio standard; 25% Renewable Energy by 2025
• Energy Efficiency Resource Standard—similar to NC’s Building Standard; by 2020, reduce electricity by 15% and natural gas by 10%

Senate

• Renewable Electricity Standard—25% renewable energy by 2025; unclear whether this bill will be tied to House’s similar bill
• Transmission Standard---priority access to renewable energy
• National Building Code Standard
• Fossil Fuel Vehicle Mandate—50% reduction; starting in 2012, increasing 10% in fossil fuels each year through 2017

Earth Day Events

Earth Day celebrations will take place all across the state this weekend. Earth Day began in 1970 as a way to highlight concerns over human impact on the environment. It has grown to a worldwide celebration with over 500 million people participating in 2008.

Earth Day is a great time for Sierrans to celebrate successes, educate the public on environmental concerns, and highlight the Club’s dedication to protecting our air, water, and wild spaces.

Sierra Club has two primary goals for this week: to educate on local environmental actions and to strengthen the skills of our volunteer base.

New Chapter Website

http://nc.sierraclub.org

On the road again

Tomorrow I’m joining clean energy leaders across the state at The New Reality: A Time to Act annual energy conference, hosted by the State Energy Office. I will discuss Cool Cities and the benefits of being a Cool City; I will also facilitate the “Local Government Sustainability Resources” panel.

• Kara Craig, Sierra Club
• Claudia Powell, Project Green, NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources
• Anne Galamb, NC Department of Natural Resources
• Kathy Boyer, Triangle J Council of Governments
• Tom Edgerton, Central Waste Reduction Partners

If you plan to attend, please find time to stop by and say 'Hello'.

The O-C

I had a great time in Chapel Hill last night. Pat Carstensen, the Chapter Chair and I both spoke Sierra Club happenings and potential. I really appreciate opportunities to get out and meet our volunteers. Pat shared with the group the latest on the stimulus funding and how it might impact Orange and Chatham County. Here are some notes about the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) which will directly impact Chapel Hill:

• $3.2 billion to US through Dept. of Energy (DOE)


• Chapel Hill to receive $554,900 from the EECBG


• Purpose


• Decrease total energy consumption


• Spur economic growth


• What can Sierra Club Orange-Chatham Group do?


• Suggest projects to the stimulus manager for Chapel Hill

I shared with the Group some potential projects for Chapel Hill that the Orange-County Group could suggest:

Special Tax Financing Law paired with Municipal Bonds
Allows the municipality to fund upfront costs of neighborhood energy efficiency and renewable energy projects while providing a pay-back mechanism through the property taxes

Low Income Energy Efficiency Projects
A project or program that reduces fiscal strain and promotes comfort in low income homes, while also decreasing the use of energy and emission of greenhouse gases

LED Expansion
Replace all incandescent lighting with light emitting diodes (LEDs) throughout municipality operations.

Of course, Chapel Hill already does so many “green” things that I would be remiss if I did not mention them:

• Cool City and a City for Climate Protection


• Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Reduction Plan


• Sustainability Committee


• Sustainability Officer of Chapel Hill


• Climate Action Fund


• Environmental Purchasing Agreement


• Energy Efficient Building Standard


• LED Lighting Pilot Program


• Green Fleets Policy


• Free bus fair

The future of transportation: lots of riders

NC Policy Watch had a good article about the state's incoming transportation needs. We remain one of the fastest growing states in the nation, and Raleigh has usurped Austin, TX, as the location with the most transplants coming in (the city was also named America's best city for business and careers). It follows that the Triangle, the Triad, and other large urban areas should take a hard look at the success Charlotte has had with its LYNX light rail system.

From the Policy Watch article:

...We need only look at the spectacular early success of Charlotte's Lynx Blue Line to see how light rail in North Carolina can take off fast, greatly exceed ridership estimates, and boost local economies by facilitating transit-oriented development. Our state legislature is now considering authority for other metro counties to finance their own rail systems. From Asheville to Wilmington-and in towns and cities across the state-we see a growing boom in greenways for biking and pedestrian connections.