In Our Backyard Podcast
By Jenn Galler
In Our Backyard PodcastJul 03, 2020
60. The Importance of Orangutans as a Species
Leif Cocks is the Founder of The Orangutan Project. They are a passionate group of people based in Australia and are dedicated to saving the orangutan. They are led by an experienced set of wildlife experts that have been working for over 20 years to protect this species and their environment. And together they are working to protect orangutans from extinction.
Orangutans are the most intelligent beings on the planet after human beings, and they adapt to the environment by passing on culture through each generation. They are a self-aware being and as intelligent as a six year old child. Also being the slowest reproducing species in the world, they are highly prone to extinction, so if we do not act now we could lose them in our lifetime.
Contact and connect with Leif: leif.cocks@orangutan.org.au
The Orangutan Project: https://www.theorangutanproject.org/
59. Reintegration of Humans in Nature
Ben Frition is the Founder of The REED Center which is a Maryland-based nonprofit that seeks to repair the holistic connection of humans and their environment through research, engaging communities in farm programming, developing self-perpetuating ecosystems, and designing natural landscapes on residential and commercial scales. They strive to inspire and empower humanity to reconnect with Nature and co-create a more resilient, equitable, and abundant future for all communities on the planet.
They also have a Food Forest, that seeks to develop scalable diversified agro-ecosystems to produce both the maximized productively of land in both volume of food, as well as the more important bionutrient density of said food. Ben's work spawned from seeing the failures of reforestation projects that get cut down as the needs of people are unmet. He's been developing agricultural models that meet both the environmental imperative of biodiversity & resilience AND the acute needs of humans.Transitioning from almost three centuries of conventional agriculture into a diverse nature mimicking polyculture, the food forest offers a unique opportunity to study, document, and record the rejuvenation of this land over time. They intend to use this relatively standard agricultural canvas to collect key data, iterate on best practices, and pioneer novel methodologies for regenerative land management.
Contact and connect with Ben: ben@thereedcenter.org
REED Center: https://thereedcenter.org/
58. The Function of Soil in Our Society
Elizabeth Gillispie is Soil Scientist and Soil Health Vineyard Manager at Washington State University as well as a member of the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA).
Soil is the loose surface material that covers most land. It consists of inorganic particles and organic matter. Soils are not only the resource for food production, but they are the support for our structures, the medium for waste disposal, they maintain our playgrounds, distribute and store water and nutrients, and support our environment. They support more life beneath their surface than what exists above. With Elizabeth, we talk about the many different ways soil supports our life and is key in functioning our society.
Contact and connect: elizabeth.gillispie@wsu.edu
Soil Science of America: https://www.soils.org/
57. What to Know About Your Drinking Water
Lisa Sorg is the Assistant Editor and Environmental Reporter at NC Newsline. She helps manage newsroom operations while covering the environment, climate change, agriculture and energy. She talks with me in two other so listen to episodes 8 and 11 to hear more from her.
Within the episode we mostly reference NC drinking water suppliers, although you can apply this same information to your own area. According to the EPA, there are approximately 150,000 public water systems that provide drinking water to most Americans. Customers that are served by a public water system are able to contact their local water supplier and ask for information on contaminants in their drinking water, and are encouraged to request a copy of their Consumer Confidence Report. This report lists the levels of contaminants that have been detected in the water, including those by EPA, and whether the system meets state and EPA drinking water standards. Then about 10 percent of people in the United States rely on water from private wells. Private wells are not regulated and people who use private wells need to take precautions to ensure their drinking water is safe.
Contact or connect with Lisa: lsorg@ncnewsline.com
Consumer Confidence Report: https://www.epa.gov/ccr/ccr-information-consumers
Drinking water info: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-your-drinking-water
56. The History of Federal Public Land Law and Current Fights
Ben Tettlebaum is the Director & Senior Staff Attorney at The Wilderness Society. Across the U.S. there are 618 million acres of federal public lands, including national parks and forests, wildlife refuges and federally managed desert and prairie lands. Many of these special places are threatened by climate change and poor management decisions that favor development over conservation. And they are important to protect as they are a key piece of our natural heritage.
Within the episode we talk about the Western Arctic, in regards to federal land laws and to give some more background, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Arctic Refuge) is a place of spectacular beauty as well as ecological and cultural significance, but right now it's vulnerable to oil and gas development. These industries threaten to pollute our air and water, degrade public lands, and ruin an Indigenous way of life. So we talk about what the Wilderness Society is doing to help there.
BREDL has had a past working relationship with The Wilderness Society. In 1992, the Virginia Dept. of Transportation (VDOT) wanted to relocate U.S. 58 and make it a four-lane highway, bisecting the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area in S.W. Virginia. Citizens formed a BREDL chapter Mountain Heritage Alliance (MHA) and worked with another BREDL chapter Graysonites for Progressive Change to fight the VDOT proposal. The Wilderness Society (TWS) was instrumental in this fight and continues to do great work for public lands to stay public.
Contact or connect with Ben: Ben_Tettlebaum@tws.org
How to protect the Arctic: https://www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/5-questions-how-protect-arctic-oil-drilling
Here’s a brief press release for the victory: https://archive.bredl.org/MHA/may96pr.html
55. Mushrooms are the Main Character In Ecosystems
Serenella Linares is a naturalist at Mt Rainier Nature Center and also on the board of The Mycological Association of Washington, DC. (MAWDC for short)
This episode we talk about mushrooms. When we think of mushrooms, most of us think of the edible ones we can buy at the grocery store, but really they are everywhere and are vital to our ecosystems. First to give some mushroom terminology , mycelium is the root-like structure of a fungus that has networks underground, then fungi is any of a group of spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter which includes mushrooms, mushrooms are then what we normally think of as a growth with a domed cap.
They are all critically important in most earthbound ecosystems as they provide life-sustaining mineral nutrients to plants while decomposing their remains, and recycling both organic and inorganic byproducts throughout the biome as they grow and reproduce. Through mycelium, mushrooms help other plants share nutrients and communicate through chemical signals. Fungi make nutrients available to plants either through decomposition and nutrient cycling, or by directly transporting nutrients to the plants, or in some cases, both processes occur.
With Serenella we speak about the history of mushrooms, myco-remediation, fungal DNA sequencing, identification and more.
MAWDC: https://www.mawdc.org/
Mushroom articles: https://phys.org/news/2022-08-mushrooms-main-character-ecosystems.html#:~:text=Fungi%2C%20which%20produce%20mushrooms%2C%20are,as%20they%20grow%20and%20reproduce.
54. DOLLARS VS. DEMOCRACY - Greenpeace USA
Andres Chang is the Senior Research Specialist at Greenpeace. Just last year in 2023, Greenpeace came out with a report that Andres was the lead writer on, called Dollars VS. Democracy. The report talks about how Americans overwhelmingly support government action on the climate crisis. As a result, the fossil fuel industry has expanded its playbook to delay the transition to clean energy and protect its profits through efforts that undermine our right to free speech.
Since the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock in 2016, oil and gas companies have played a key role in the creation and spread of anti-protest laws with provisions specifically intended to stifle protest near fossil fuel facilities. 18 states accounting for roughly 60% of oil and gas production have enacted sweeping versions of such legislation. Another four states have enacted narrower versions of the same legislation, which could be exploited by prosecutors seeking to issue trumped-up charges against peaceful protesters.
Within the episode we talk about all this report, from the creation of it, key points, its significance, and what their plans for it are. BREDL sent documents to Greenpeace to use in this report, so we discuss that as well. The Anti-Slap petition that Andres mentions in the episode will be linked in the show notes below, so please sign on to that as well as a link to the full report.
FULL REPORT: https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/reports/dollars-vs-dissent/
SIGN THE ANTI-SLAP PETITION: https://engage.us.greenpeace.org/kuCKizua206SG48Bs-kTFg2
53. Conserving Maryland's Coastline with a Living Reef
Jesse Howe is the Assistant Director of the Coastal Conservation Association, Maryland (CCA) whose purpose is to advise and educate the public on the conservation of our marine resources. They seek to conserve, promote and enhance the present and future availability of coastal resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public.
One of the main projects CCA does are living reefs, which are reef balls that they create in the Chesapeake Bay to provide important habitat for oysters and other estuarine critters and they are valued in both fresh and Bay waters. And since the 1700’s oyster populations have seen dramatic decline due to over-harvesting, disease, habitat loss and more and the Bay has really seen the effects of that as oysters are natural filters. Therefore the reef balls offer a place for oysters to come back to the Bay and help maintain healthy waters and the ecosystem.
With Jesse we talk about why Maryland's coastline is ecologically significant, the goals of the Living Reefs, how they get the community involved, citizen science, and how to support their work.
Contact and connect with Jesse: jhowe@ccamd.org
CCA Maryland: https://www.ccamd.org/
https://www.ccamd.org/product/cca-membership/
https://www.ccamd.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Vision_Chesapeake_Final.pdf
https://www.instagram.com/cca_md/
https://www.facebook.com/CCAMARYLAND
52. CARE-4-AIR: Air Monitoring in the Southeast
Ann Rodgers is BREDL’s Grant Writer. In 2021 BREDL received a grant from the EPA, which Ann wrote to fund an air monitoring program, called CARE-4-Air, for our chapters who are experiencing air quality issues in their community.
I misspoke in my intro as there will be 10 air monitoring sites in TN,NC, SC, GA, and VA. These sites are all currently subject to significant sources of air pollution, including: coal-burning power generation, wood-burning biomass gasification, industrial landfill, biochar production, wood pellet manufacturing, railroad operation, biomass plant operation, coal ash deposition, natural gas compressor stations, prescribed forest burning, and asphalt plants. Many of the affected communities are experiencing documented health impacts associated with air pollution generated by these industrial operations. And then among the 10 sites at which monitoring will be conducted, 6 of them have documented health risks for African American communities.
BREDL staff and chapters are scheduled to start monitoring this spring to collect further data.
51. Sailing the World for Ocean Research
Matt Rutherford is one of the CO-Directors & Expedition Leaders of Ocean Research Project, which is a nonprofit whose mission is to observe the unknown and monitor humanity’s impact on the Ocean through dedicated interdisciplinary field expeditions. Two of the main projects they focus on is research on the melting glaciers in Greenland as well as marine plastic pollution.
Greenland has a vast coastline and the surrounding waters are largely uncharted and under-monitored due to the harsh conditions and remote location. Therefore, the Ocean Research Project goes out and pursues the observations necessary for scientists to define the conditions for monitoring the effects of climate change on the Arctic marine environment.
Then the other project we talk about is marine debris, ORP has conducted multiple research expeditions in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans. ORP completed its first marine debris research expedition in 2013. During this trip, its crew spent 70 days sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, collecting samples of plastic trash in the water and mapping out the eastern side of the North Atlantic garbage patch. They are now doing local work in the Chesapeake Bay and have helped increase the scientific community’s understanding of plastic pollution’s pervasive distribution across oceans from the sea ice to the seabed.
Ocean Research Project: https://www.oceanresearchproject.org/
Articles:
Mitigation strategies to reverse the rising trend of plastics in Polar Regions
Support ORP’s work:
https://www.oceanresearchproject.org/support-ocean-research/
50. Residents Against a Liquified Natural Gas Plant For the Common Good
Elissa Huffstetler and Theresa Ahrens are Residents of southeastern Person County, NC where Dominion Energy is wanting to put a facility that would include a 25 million gallon liquified natural gas storage tank, and plans submitted by Dominion suggest that a second tank could be built there in the future. The facility could emit 65,579 tons of greenhouse gasses, specifically methane, each year and not to mention, the what is produced there will not be used in the area, but other counties.
There are many concerns about this facility including air pollution, fire explosion risk, endangered species in the streams and creeks nearby, and loss of local wetland, forestland, and farms.
On November 9th residents went to a meeting about rezoning the land from rural to industrial for the plant to be placed there and more than 100 people came to speak out about their concerns. Many neighbors at the community meeting said they are concerned about the potential for fires or explosions. Vapor clouds are composed not only of methane, but of flammable refrigerants that can ignite. And they will be continuing the fight at future meetings.
Contact and connect: tahrens50@gmail.com and elfhuff@gmail.com
49. Insight on Overfishing and Sustainable Seafood
Adam Ratner is the Associate Director of Conservation Education at Marine Mammal Center.
The Marine Mammal Center advances global ocean conservation through rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education. They are the world's largest marine mammal hospital and rescues more marine mammals than any other organization in the world, covering a rescue range that spans 600 miles of California coastline and Hawai‘i.
Within the episode we talk about overfishing. Overfishing simply refers to the process of taking more fish out of the sea than can reproduce and replenish naturally. With the use of massive industrial fishing practices and nets that can stretch for miles, it isn’t only the targeted animals that are at risk, but also other animals that are caught by accident and killed.
With billions of people around the world relying on seafood, the pressure on fish stocks has never been greater. Currently, one-third of all fisheries around the world are overfished, and the rate is increasing drastically so we must take action now to support healthy fish stocks for people and animals.
Contact and connect:
Marine Mammal Center: media@tmmc.org
48. Duke Students Protecting Our First Amendment
Sarah Ludington is a Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the First Amendment Clinicare and Kyle Compton is a Local News Fellow of the Clinic.
The First Amendment Clinic at Duke University provides students the opportunity to work directly with clients facing free expression concerns, including defamation, content-discrimination, and reporter’s privilege. Their services are pro bono and open to the public’s use.
BREDL has used their services as we were waiting for PFAS records from the NC Department of Environmental Quality for 8 months and when we reached out to the Clinic and they sent a demand letter on our behalf, we got the records immediately.
To contact and connect with the Duke First Amendment Clinic is in the show notes below. Thanks for listening and enjoy the episode.
Contact and connect: firstamendmentclinic@law.duke.edu
First Amendment Clinic: https://law.duke.edu/firstamendment/
47. Envisioning a World Beyond Pesticides pt. 2
We’re back to continue our conversation with Jay Feldmen who is Executive Director with Beyond Pesticides. Go back to the previous episode to learn the background of Beyond Pesticides and what they are doing. And now here is the rest of our conversation.
Beyond Pesticides are science and research based. They seek to protect healthy air, water, land, and food for ourselves and future generations. By forging ties with governments, nonprofits, and people who rely on these natural resources, they reduce the need for unnecessary pesticide use and protect public health and the environment. They believe that people must have a voice in decisions that affect them directly and that decisions should not be made for us by chemical companies or by decision-makers who either do not have all of the facts or refuse to consider them.
With Jay, we discuss what pesticides are, common places they are found, effects they give to humans, research they’ve done and are continually doing, alternatives, and how it is all interconnected.
Jay has a wealth of knowledge, so to contact and connect with him will be in the show notes below. Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy the episode.
46. Envisioning a World Beyond Pesticides pt. 1
Jay Feldman is the Executive Director of Beyond Pesticides.
Beyond Pesticides are science and research based. They seek to protect healthy air, water, land, and food for ourselves and future generations. By forging ties with governments, nonprofits, and people who rely on these natural resources, they reduce the need for unnecessary pesticide use and protect public health and the environment. They believe that people must have a voice in decisions that affect them directly and that decisions should not be made for us by chemical companies or by decision-makers who either do not have all of the facts or refuse to consider them.
With Jay, we discuss what pesticides are, common places they are found, effects they give to humans, research they’ve done and are continually doing, alternatives, and how it is all interconnected.
Jay has a wealth of knowledge, so to contact and connect with him will be in the show notes below. Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy the episode.
This episode will be broken into two episodes since it’s longer, so be on the lookout for it in two weeks.
45. Working for the Public's Interest in Maryland
Emily Scarr is with the Maryland Public Interest Research Group.
Maryland PIRG is an advocate for the public interest. They speak out for the public and stand up to special interests on problems that affect the public's health, safety and wellbeing.
For every issue they work on, they have a bold vision of how to transform our country. Although, they understand that change comes one step at a time, and often powerful interests are standing in the way. The focus is on making a difference for the public, not just making a statement.
With Emily we speak about the campaigns she is working on from energy issues to PFAS contamination in Maryland. She ends the conversation with saying Maryland can be a great state to be leading the change and then for other states to follow.
Contact and connect with Emily: emily@marylandpirg.org
Maryland PIRG: https://pirg.org/maryland/
44. Protesting for Peace: Stories from the Netherlands pt. 2
This is the continuation of last week’s episode of interviews from my week at the International Peace Camp in the Netherlands. Go back to the last episode to get the background of why we were there and actions we did, and those stories. And without further ado, here are the rest of the conversations.
45 of us from around Europe and the U.S. gathered together for a week of actions in protest against the U.S. Nuclear bombs stored at the Volkel Air Base. The Netherlands is one of five NATO members to host US nuclear weapons on its territory as part of a nuclear-sharing agreement. The Dutch air force is assigned approximately 15 B61 nuclear bombs, which are deployed at the Air Base. And The F-35 and F-16 fighter-bombers emit over 10 tons of CO2 per flight hour practicing to bomb the world with new, even ‘better’ nuclear bombs in the next war. And during the week, we heard those fighter-bombers practicing numerous times a day.
First is Marion Kuper from Germany who is speaking at our gathering on Hiroshima Day about the nuclear free work in Germany and reads some of the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), then we talk with Judith from Germany, Hubert from Germany, Vera from the U.S., Brian from the U.S., Onnau from Germany, Ria from Germany, Theo from the U.S. and then Susan from the U.S.
These are just a few stories and testimonies from the week there. You can check out the links below to learn about why we were there and nuclear sharing in general. There is also some background noise, since I record this in person with people, so I apologize for that.
News coverage: https://www.democracynow.org/2023/8/10/nuclear_protests_netherlands
43. Protesting for Peace: Stories from the Netherlands pt. 1
This week's episode is a compilation of short interviews from my week at the International Peace Camp in the Netherlands. 45 of us from around Europe and the U.S. gathered together for a week of actions in protest against the U.S. Nuclear bombs stored at the Volkel Air Base. The Netherlands is one of five NATO members to host US nuclear weapons on its territory as part of a nuclear-sharing agreement. The Dutch air force is assigned approximately 15 B61 nuclear bombs, which are deployed at the Air Base. And The F-35 and F-16 fighter-bombers emit over 10 tons of CO2 per flight hour practicing to bomb the world with new, even ‘better’ nuclear bombs in the next war. And during the week, we heard those fighter-bombers practicing numerous times a day.
First is Marion Kuper from Germany who is speaking at our gathering on Hiroshima Day about the nuclear free work in Germany and reads some of the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), then we talk with Judith from Germany, Hubert from Germany, Vera from the U.S., Brian from the U.S., Onnau from Germany, Ria from Germany, Theo from the U.S. and then Susan from the U.S.
These are just a few stories and testimonies from the week there. You can check out the links below to learn about why we were there and nuclear sharing in general. There is also some background noise, since I record this in person with people, so I apologize for that. Since this episode ended up being about an hour long I cut it into two episodes so look out for part 2 in two weeks.
More on the international camp: https://noelhuis.nl/peace-camp-volkel-2023/
https://www.icanw.org/netherlands
News Coverage:
https://www.democracynow.org/2023/8/10/nuclear_protests_netherlands
42. Uniting Baltimore Through Parks
Steve Preston is the Director of Parks with Parks and People. Parks and People have a single goal in mind: to improve the quality of life for residents of Baltimore by ensuring that everyone is connected to nature through vibrant parks and green spaces.
According to the Parks and People, the act of reclaiming a vacant lot or beautifying a neglected open space, by even a few residents on a single block, can serve as a catalyst for positive change and growth throughout a community. They have seen this transformation take place time and again. In neighborhoods where someone establishes and maintains open public green spaces: people experience a stronger sense of community, develop closer relationships with their neighbors, and report feeling safer.
With Steve we talk about the importance of parks in a city, how many parks Balitmorians have access to, what makes a well-designed park, park maintenance, and the possibility of getting Biden Administration funding for public spaces in Baltimore.
Contact and connect with Steve: steven.preston@parksandpeople.org
Parks and People: https://www.parksandpeople.org/
41. The Theory of Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT) pt. 2
We’re back with the second part of Dr. Claudia Miller’s talk on Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT). Go back to part 1 to listen to more of an explanation, but TILT seeks to explain the mystifying range of symptoms suffered by people with chemical intolerances. To listen to the full talk with presentation slides, I have linked the youtube video by Beyond Pesticides below as well as anything that is mentioned in this talk.
Contact and connect with Dr. Claudia Miller: millercs@uthscsa.edu
Watch the full presentation from Beyond Pesticides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8sjxyOZ-Ew
TILT Website: https://tiltresearch.org/
Chemical Exposures: Low Levels and High Stakes, 2nd edition 1998: https://tiltresearch.org/provider-resources/publications/
Microbiome video: https://tiltresearch.org/2022/06/20/toxicant-induced-loss-of-tolerance-for-chemicals-foods-and-drugs-a-global-phenomenon/
Full Papers attached:
Mast cells article: https://tiltresearch.org/2021/12/02/overlooked-for-decades-mast-cells-may-explain-chemical-intolerance/
TILT Connection article: https://tiltresearch.org/2021/06/28/new-study-provides-a-link-between-common-chemicals-and-unexplained-chronic-illnesses/
40. The Theory of Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT) pt. 1
I’m airing Dr. Claudia Miller’s presentation on her theory of TILT. Dr. Miller is a Professor, Allergy/Immunology and Environmental Health at the University of Texas. For decades Dr. Miller has championed a new theory of disease to join the germ theory and the immune theory: Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT). TILT explains the mystifying range of symptoms suffered by people with chemical intolerances. It is a two-step process. First, initiation involves acute or chronic exposure to environmental agents such as pesticides, solvents, or indoor air contaminants, followed by triggering of multi-system symptoms by exposure to small quantities of previously tolerated substances such as traffic exhaust, cleaning products, fragrances, foods, drugs, or food-drug combinations.
Dr. Miller gave me permission to air her presentation where she further explains it along with her research and findings. To listen to the full talk with presentation slides, I have linked the youtube video by Beyond Pesticides below.
Contact and connect with Dr. Claudia Miller: millercs@uthscsa.edu
Watch the full presentation from Beyond Pesticides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8sjxyOZ-Ew
TILT Website: https://tiltresearch.org/
Chemical Exposures: Low Levels and High Stakes, 2nd edition 1998: https://tiltresearch.org/provider-resources/publications/
Microbiome video: https://tiltresearch.org/2022/06/20/toxicant-induced-loss-of-tolerance-for-chemicals-foods-and-drugs-a-global-phenomenon/
Full Papers attached:
Mast cells article: https://tiltresearch.org/2021/12/02/overlooked-for-decades-mast-cells-may-explain-chemical-intolerance/
TILT Connection article: https://tiltresearch.org/2021/06/28/new-study-provides-a-link-between-common-chemicals-and-unexplained-chronic-illnesses/
39. Nuclear Free in the Netherlands
Susan Crane is a Peace Activist.
Susan and I met last year at the 2022 International Peace Delegation in Germany. This year that same peace delegation will be held again in the Netherlands at the Volkel Air Base. The 2023 Volkel Peace Delegation will focus on the climate and a nuclear free world. Activists from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the United States and possibly other countries get together for these days of action.
The Netherlands is one of five NATO members to host US nuclear weapons on its territory as part of a nuclear-sharing agreement. The Dutch air force is assigned approximately 15 B61 nuclear bombs, which are deployed at Volkel Air Base. And The F-35 and F-16 fighter-bombers emit over 10 tons of CO2 per flight hour practicing to bomb the world with new, even ‘better’ nuclear bombs in the next war. And when those nuclear bombs are used, it is very harmful to the climate and to all life on earth.
With Susan we talk about the delegation, actions that will take place, the main objectives, why nonviolence, and more.
Contact and connect with Susan: susan.s.crane@gmail.com
More on the international camp: https://noelhuis.nl/peace-camp-volkel-2023/
38. Keeping Norris Lake Blue
Todd Thiele is the president of the Norris Lake Protection Alliance (NLPA). Norris Lake, also known as Norris Reservoir, is a reservoir that is located in East Tennessee. The lake was created by the Norris Dam on the Clinch River in 1936 by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for flood control, water storage, and hydroelectric power. And today, Norris Lake is a recreation hub with 809 miles of shoreline and 33,840 acres of water surface and is the largest reservoir on a tributary of the Tennessee River.
NLPA has a mission to provide a unifying voice to people who regard environmental preservation of Norris Lake as a top priority, enabling current and future generations to enjoy its responsible use. NLPA is currently working to monitor and prevent water contamination from a chicken farm under construction in Sharps Chapel TN.
With Todd we talked about the history of Norris Lake, why he does this work, the projects they are currently involved in, water monitoring and more.
Contact and connect with Todd: tthiele@harriscompany.com
NLPA website: https://hoppyhiker.wixsite.com/nlpa
More on Norris Lake: https://www.tnvacation.com/local/norris-norris-lake
37. Ensuring the Anacostia River Flourishes
Trey Sherard is a Riverkeeper with Anacostia Riverkeeper. As an organization they aim to create meaningful encounters with the river for all people in order to open opportunities for enjoyment of the Anacostia River. Their primary programmatic goals are centered on trash mitigation, advocacy, water quality, stormwater reduction, and river access.
The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel and ultimately empties into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. And the river itself is about 8.7 miles long.
Within the episode we talk about what makes the river unique, the different jurisdictions it's under, what makes a healthy river, trash mitigation, and green infrastructure.
Contact and connect with Trey: trey@anacostiariverkeeper.org
Anacostia Riverkeeper: https://www.anacostiariverkeeper.org/programs/
36. Designing Regenerative Cities
Mike Ross is an assistant professor in the University of Tennessee Department of Plant Sciences’ Sustainable Landscape Design concentration and in the School of Landscape Architecture. Originally he was trained as an organismal biologist and evolutionary ecologist. And now, he translates ecological systems and relationships into design and management strategies.
In the episode we talk about city design in an environmental context. According to the United Nations, more than half the world’s population live in cities. By 2050, an estimated 7 out of 10 people will likely live in urban areas. Cities are drivers of economic growth and contribute more than 80 per cent of global GDP.
In our conversation we talked about a lot of different aspects of city planning and design from elements that make a city well designed, public transportation, and green infrastructure but ultimately we couldn’t talk about city planning without mentioning equity, poverty, homelessness, redlining, privilege, and more. It is all interconnected and complex so we mention some of those aspects as well.
We also discuss suburbs vs cities in an environmental context, and know both have their pros and cons. There is no right answer because again, it’s a complex system, we were just having a conversation about them. And we end it by discussing how we should change some of our languaging from sustainable cities to regenerative cities.
Contact and connect with Mike: mross28@utk.edu or https://archdesign.utk.edu/people/michael-ross/
More on sustainable cities: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/sustainable-communities
35. An Industrial Waste Landfill in A Communities Backyard
Julie Griffin and Julie Owen, are residents in Ringgold, VA where they have an industrial, open air landfill in their backyards. The landfill is owned by First Piedmont where they created the landfill after the community had already existed there for 50+ years. The residents have to look at that mess every time they come out of their houses’ and deal with the odor from it 24 hours a day. There is no fence around it so there is high risk with children and pets in this residential area, not to mention what is in the air and water from it.
They are a chapter of BREDL called, Coalition for a Clean Dan River Region, where they are taking a stand to protect their family, homes and the air and water that we all depend on!
Industrial landfills have industrial waste in them which can contain metals, glass, asphalt, and more. Landfills produced gasses such as methane, carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and non methane organic compounds. Not to mention, they produce leachate which is a liquid produced by landfill sites, contaminating nearby water sources, which further damages the ecosystems.
I would highly suggest going to their facebook page “Save our rural community” to see pictures of the landfill and what they have to deal with daily.
Contact and connect with Julie Owens and Julie Griffin: julieo495.33@gmail.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/971369563328746/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=1599197337212629
Information about damage of landfills: https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/2021/04/15/hidden-damage-landfills
https://www.epa.gov/landfills/industrial-and-construction-and-demolition-cd-landfills
34. Firefighters PPE leading to PFAS in Our Waterways
We’re back with Jason Burns who is Executive Director at Last Call Foundation and he's been a Firefighter since 2006. He has spent much of his career advocating for better and safer working conditions for his firefighters. I talked with Jason at the end of last year in episode 24, about how there is PFAS in firefighters PPE. We ended the conversation on how when they wash their PPE, the PFAS ends up in their waterways. Now we’re picking the conversation back there.
In 2022, there was a test of 114 waterways from across the country, in which 83% were found to contain at least one type of PFAS—dangerous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that are widely linked to serious public health and environmental impacts.
These findings are an important step toward filling in a major data gap and validate the call to EPA for increased and widespread monitoring to gain a complete picture of PFAS contamination in all watersheds across the country.
In spite of the serious health risks, there are currently no universal, science-based limits on the various PFAS chemicals in the United States. For many PFAS chemicals, the EPA has not even set a health advisory limit that would give the public a baseline to determine what amount of PFAS is unhealthy in drinking water. In most cases, the EPA is not doing adequate monitoring for these chemicals, which is why these findings are so unique and important.
Contact and connect with Jason: jasonjburns@comcast.net
Study/survery mentioned: https://waterkeeper.org/news/unprecedented-analysis-reveals-pfas-contamination-in-u-s-waterways-shows-shocking-levels-of-contamination/
33. Microplastics in Our Waterways
Dr. Michael McKinney is the Director of Environmental Studies at University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I personally did microplastic research with him on invertebrates in local creeks and the Tennessee River. And now, he is teaching a course on microplastics at UTK along with his research.
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that result from both commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics. They are classified as less than 5 millimeters in diameter. The problem with microplastics is that—like plastic items of any size—they do not readily break down into harmless molecules. Plastics can take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose—and in the meantime, wreak havoc on the environment. They can be from sources such as synthetic clothing, fishing nets, food packaging, cosmetics, PPE, and so much more. There is still so much research being done about them and what dangers they impose.
With Dr. McKinney, we talk about his research on them, how washing clothes put microplastics into our waterways, how they affect wildlife and humans alike, bioaccumulation, and policy solutions.
Contact and connect with Dr. McKinney: mmckinne@utk.edu
Microplastic articles: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/microplastics/
32. The Dangers of Dioxins: The Ohio Train Derailment
Steven Lester is a Toxicologist and the Science Director at the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, CHEJ.
We speak about the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment where 38 of its 150 cars derailed while carrying a variety of hazardous chemicals on February 3rd. A few days after the train cars derailed the company, Norfolk Southern, was afraid of a bigger explosion and decided to dump and burn the 5 cars carrying vinyl chloride.
The burning of this leads to dioxins in the air, soil, water, and farm animals there. “Dioxin” is the name given to a group of persistent, very toxic chemicals that share similar chemical structures. Dioxin is not deliberately manufactured. It is the unintended byproduct of industrial processes that use or burn chlorine. Dioxin exposure can have serious environmental and human health effects such as cancer, reproductive damage, developmental problems, type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease, infertility in adults, impairment of the immune system and skin lesions.
The high exposure to this particular chemical puts the community at high risk, but also has the potential to travel through the air and water and have an effect on the produce and animals we consume as it's in the soils. Norfolk Southern and the EPA have been denying and delaying testing for this. Steven along with the community has been putting pressure on them to do accurate and timely testing. Steven also got invited by the community to attend public meetings and is in contact with residents on the ground there. We speak about their concerns and if the area will ever be safe again.
Contact and connect with Steven: slester@chej.org
https://www.nytimes.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-timeline.html
Guardian article with Steven: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/02/epa-toxins-test-east-palestine-ohio-train-derailment-dioxins
31. The Piney Grove Community 1 Year After a Chemical Disaster
Sabrina Webster is a resident of Piney Grove, NC - which is in the 1 mile radius of where the Winston-Salem Weaver Fertilizer Plant Fire that happened in January of last year.
I did four other episodes about the fire itself and stricter regulations that need to be in place, especially for Ammonium Nitrate that the community was exposed to, so listen to episodes 5,6,7, and 8 for that.
There is now a report out about the fire from the Analysis of Publicly Disseminated Air Quality Information During Facility Fire Incident highlights instances when local officials told the public that the air quality was okay and pollutants were just “irritants” when, in fact, levels of Particulate Matter 2.5 were in the EPA’s hazardous and very unhealthy categories. Yet, they told residents it was safe to go back to their homes four days after the fire.
With Sabrina, we talk about the day the fire happened, the process coming back, the rich history of the Piney Grove community, how the media portrays the community, the lack of compensation they got, and now the current situation.
Contact and connect with Sabrina: www.bredl.org
Report: https://archive.bredl.org/air/220803_Weaver_Fire_Air_Analysis.html
30. Re-Populating Freshwater Mussels in the Potomac River
Emily Franc is the Vice President of Development & Philanthropy at Potomac Riverkeeper Network.
Freshwater mussels like Eastern Lampmussel, and Alewife floaters are among 16 species native to the Potomac River and its Maryland tributaries, and they once existed in the millions, similar to the oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay. Like oysters, mussels are effective at removing nutrients and toxins, filtering out sediments and improving water quality. The mussels population in the Potomac has suffered due to climate change, increased urbanization, and stormwater erosion. Scientific opinion is unanimous that mussel recovery is an important part of improving the water quality in the Chesapeake Bay; both Maryland and Virginia’s departments of environment have expanded their commitment to the recovery of mussel populations.
With Emily we talk about the history and significance of the Potomac River, why mussels are a vital part of our ecosystem, why we’ve seen a decrease in them, their mussel restoration work, and how we can support this work.
Contact and connect with Emily: emily@prknetwork.org
Potomac Riverkeeper Network: https://www.potomacriverkeepernetwork.org/
https://www.potomacriverkeepernetwork.org/50-million-mussel-project/
29. Stop the Dominion Pipeline Along the Great Pee Dee River
We check back in with Kathy Andrews where 2 years ago when she was in the middle of the fight against Dominion Energy putting a pipeline through her land in Florence County, SC. Now she is Executive Director of BREDL and she is continuing her work on stopping this same pipeline and protecting people’s properties.
Dominion Energy, one of the nation’s top polluters, they have condemned the land of several African-American heirs and working class citizens as part of their proposed pipeline project, which would run along the Great Pee Dee River and through several communities, including Pamplico, SC.
And now Dominion has installed a gas pipeline in front of Kathy’s home — without notice. She’s lived in it for nearly two decades. Kathy said she walked out of her door to see Dominion Energy workers digging a hole in her front yard; something she said she never gave permission or received a notice for. We talk about this as well as how she is getting her community involved.
Contact and connect with Kathy: gkandrews4932@gmail.com
www.bredl.org
28. The Peoples of New Mexico: Legacy Contamination
This is New Mexico, a sacrifice zone for the nuclear industry. From the first testing of a nuclear weapon, the relentless mining of uranium, radioactive areas, and now transportation and storage of nuclear waste. New Mexico and the Indigenous Peoples have experienced far too much neglect and harm - all caused by the nuclear industry.
In September 2022 Jesse Deer In Water, based in Michigan, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and a leader in CRAFT (Citizen Resistance At Fermi Two) and I went to visit Leona Morgan in New Mexico, who is a Dine/Navajo woman who has spent a good portion of her life in New Mexico and is fighting against nuclear coming into her communities. (both of whom are co-hosting this 3 part series) Within the episodes and conversations we learned about their history from the local people and those who are fighting against it.
I saw the injustice and hurt that has gone on here, but also immense strength that has gotten the People where they are today. This is a story of the People in New Mexico, who are fighting for justice and guiding a new generation of activists to write their own narrative. Los Alamos National Lab came into New Mexico in 1943 and were the ones who designed and tested that first nuclear weapon. Beata, who we hear from first, speaks about how Los Alamos National Lab was actually supposed to be a temporary site and they stole the land through eminent domain from the Pueblo Peoples. There is now a narrative from the Lab that the people in the area should strive to work for them, coming into schools and speaking of the good they’re doing. While leaving out the stolen land as well as the vast amounts of radiation they’re consciously exposing them to. Another aspect to this is that they don’t encourage the Native People to work in management roles, rather the clean up and remediation of it.
Contact with Jesse Deer in Water and Leona Morgan: Changethelifeoftheworld@gmail.com leona.morgan.nm@gmail.com
Resources: https://tewawomenunited.org/
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/04/travel/new-mexico-atomic.html
http://www.dinenonukes.org/radiation-monitoring-project/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDgBUwhUAVE
27. The Peoples of New Mexico: The Lasting Effects of Uranium Mining
We’re back with the New Mexico series where Jesse Deer in Water, Leona Morgan and I talk to and learn from the local peoples who are fighting against the nuclear fuel chain in New Mexico. As mentioned, New Mexico has been a sacrifice zone for the nuclear industry. From the first testing of a nuclear weapon, the relentless mining of uranium, radioactive areas, and now transportation and storage of nuclear waste. New Mexico and the Indigenous Peoples have experienced far too much neglect and harm.
Jesse: Now we’re in Churchrock, just east of Gallup, New Mexico. Where the world’s largest uranium spill happened. On July 16th 1979, the United Nuclear Corporation's mill tailings dam collapsed which released the largest amount of radioactive materials in the world. More than 11,000 tons of solid radioactive waste and 94 million gallons of acidic, liquid radioactive tailings made their way into the Puerco River and contaminated more than 80 miles downstream. Residents along the Puerco report smelling chemicals during heavy rains, even more than 40 years after the spill. In 2015, twice the legal limit of allowable uranium was found in the tap water in Sanders, Arizona just downstream from Churchrock. The community was told not to drink the water and the schools were given bottled water.
Jenn: We’re greeted by Edith Hood and Bertha Nez who live right by the spill and between 3 abandoned uranium mines. We’re in their community center that is open air and surrounded by dirt ground. We felt the harsh wind blowing on us and I felt the sediment blowing and surrounding us that may still be contaminated. In May 2007, the EPA announced that it would join the Navajo Nation tribal government in cleaning up radioactive contamination near the Church Rock mine, although it cannot be cleaned that easily and will be a timely process with many still developing cancer and other illnesses in the meantime. There are still over 500 abandoned uranium mines on Navajo traditional homelands that need to be cleaned up.
Contact with Jesse Deer in Water and Leona Morgan: Changethelifeoftheworld@gmail.com leona.morgan.nm@gmail.com
Resources: https://tewawomenunited.org/
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/04/travel/new-mexico-atomic.html
http://www.dinenonukes.org/radiation-monitoring-project/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDgBUwhUAVE
26. The Peoples of New Mexico: Abandoned Uranium Mines
Petuuche Gilbert is an elder from the Pueblo of Acoma. He talks about his life in the “Grants Mining District,” and takes us on a tour of cultural sites and abandoned uranium mine lands in the region, where he worked and still lives today.
Uranium extraction in New Mexico was primarily done in the “Grants Mineral Belt,” or “Grants Mining District” –depending who you ask, which is in the northwest part of the state. Residents in this area have had abnormally high rates of lung cancer, from radon gas in poorly ventilated in underground mines. The effect was particularly pronounced among miners, because the incidence of lung cancer is normally low among Indigenous populations. Further south in central New Mexico, on July 16th, 1945, a plume of plutonium mushroomed over New Mexico. Less than 20 miles away from people and communities. This was the United States government's first detonation of a nuclear weapon, a part of the Manhattan Project, one of the first ways New Mexico became a national sacrifice zone for the nuclear industry.
Contact with Jesse Deer in Water and Leona Morgan: Changethelifeoftheworld@gmail.com leona.morgan.nm@gmail.com
Resources: https://tewawomenunited.org/
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/04/travel/new-mexico-atomic.html
http://www.dinenonukes.org/radiation-monitoring-project/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDgBUwhUAVE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u0o48EWO-E
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6AHdI1RakU
25. Volunteer Firefighters Against PFAS Pt. 3
Mark Vick is the Chief Volunteer Firefighter for the Rich Square Volunteer Fire Department and President of the Northampton County Firefighters Association.
As a volunteer firefighter, they’re not only in service of the community, but also a more visible member of the community. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 70 percent of firefighters in the United States are volunteers. As mentioned in the previous two episodes, firefighters are at particular risk of exposure to PFAS from it being in their Personal Protective Gear as well as the foam to put out fires. The research shows that PFAS can leach out of turnout gear onto firefighters' skin and potentially enter their bloodstream.
With Mark, we talk about his experience as a firefighter, when he began to learn about PFAS, where volunteer departments get their funding and what volunteer departments can do to reduce their exposure.
Thanks for a great year everyone and I’ll be back with more episodes in January!
Contact and connect with Mark: mark.l.vick1625@gmail.com
Information on Firefighters exposure to PFAS: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/firefighter-gear-may-contain-chemicals-linked-cancer-rcna44511
https://www.usfa.fema.gov/blog/ig-091522.html
Help your local fire department: https://www.firehouse.com/volunteer-firefighter/article/12213967/how-to-help-your-volunteer-fire-department-step-up-and-stand-out
24. PFAS in Firefighters Personal Protective Equipment Pt. 2
Jason Burns who is Executive Director at Last Call Foundation and he's been a Firefighter since 2006. He has spent much of his career advocating for better and safer working conditions for his firefighters. He currently serves as a District Vice President for the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts. Jason has also been a part of the team of people who have collaborated on a nation wide effort to rid firefighters’ personal protective equipment of toxic PFAS chemicals.
PFAS is used in fire fighter turnout gear and poses an unnecessary occupational threat. Recent studies have shown that all three layers of firefighter turnout gear contain Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), a class of fluorinated chemicals known as “forever chemicals” which have been linked to cancer and other serious health effects. These studies highlight the risks associated with the materials and finishes used in turnout gear even before it is exposed to its first fire.
With Jason, we talk about his experience as a firefighter, what he’s seen in the field, the nation wide effort he’s apart of, what risk this puts firefighters at, and alternatives fire departments can use instead.
Contact and connect with Jason: jasonjburns@comcast.net
Jason’s Organization: https://www.lastcallfoundation.org/about
PFAS in PPE: https://www.iaff.org/pfas/
23. PFAS Exposure in Firefighting Foam to Veterans and Firefighters Pt. 1
Kevin Ferrara is considered a PFAS subject matter expert who has 34-years of fire service experience, and agile Fire Protection and Emergency Service (FPES) consulting expertise, to emergency service affiliated organizations around the world.
In the episode we speak about Kevin’s personal experience and exposure with PFAS during his years of service and specifically Aqueous Film Forming Foam or (AFFF) which is a fire suppressant used by firefighters. In order to make the mixture foamy and create a film that helps extinguish fires, AFFF contains chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
Two of the most common types of PFAS found in AFFF are perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and/or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). These chemicals are human-made compounds and don’t occur naturally in the environment. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, they are harmful if a person suffers long-term exposure. The chemicals build up in the body and may cause negative health effects, including cancer.
Lab studies have found that PFOS and PFOA are toxic to animals. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found evidence suggesting that PFOS and PFOA may cause cancer.
With Kevin we talk about his experience as a firefighter, risks involved with AFFF, how people can test for exposure, his advocacy about it, and his response from the military, fire departments, and the VA.
Contact and connect with Kevin: kferrara@afso21.com
AFFF: https://www.consumernotice.org/environmental/afff/
PFAS in blood: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/health-effects/blood-testing.html
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/pfc/index.cfm
22. Defending the Law for Citizens Groups in the Appalachian Region
Dean Rivkin is an attorney as well as a professor at University of Tennessee, Knoxville College of Law. His work includes civil rights, air pollution, public interest, protecting the environment, and more.
He has been counsel in public interest litigation concerning issues such as air pollution, TVA, and a challenge to the Tennessee Barratry Statute. As well as he was a member of the Southern Appalachian Mountain Initiative, a comprehensive effort to combat the adverse effects of air pollution on the national parks and wilderness areas in the Southeast.
With Dean we speak about how he got into law, people’s expectation of lawyers in Appalachia, the term “petty disturbances”, what he’s currently working on, and how he thinks citizen groups can make the most effective change.
Contact and connect with Dean: drivkin@utk.edu
21. Frontline Communities Rising Up Against the Mountain Valley Pipeline
Grace Tuttle Development & Programs Coordinator at Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights (POWHR).
POWHR is an interstate coalition representing individuals and groups from Virginia and West Virginia dedicated to protecting water, land, and communities from harms caused by the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure, including the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP).
The Mountain Valley Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline system that spans approximately 303 miles from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia.
Current happenings of the MVP are that, they have asked FERC to amend its ‘certificate’ to allow it to bore under water bodies to install pipes and they applied to the US Army Corps of Engineers for a Clean Water permit to cross waters.
With Grace we talk about the people power and frontline communities that are fighting against the MVP and what litigation comes their way. As well as ways to combat environmental injustice and meaningfully address the climate crisis.
Contact and connect with Grace: grace@powhr.org
POWEHR: https://powhr.org/
20. The Manchin Bill and Mountain Valley Pipeline
Freeda Cathcart who is the Mothers Out Front Team Coordinator.
We talk all about the Manchin Bill which is proposed by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin. It's a bill with an outline of tax, climate, energy, and healthcare measures that speeds up fossil fuel and clean energy projects. In the episode we will focus on its effects on the Mountain Valley Pipeline, MVP.
Manchin’s bill includes a mandate for agencies to approve the contentious Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline project. Many Virginia communities have revolted against the venture. The pipeline, proposed will run through West Virginia, Virginia and a sliver of North Carolina, has had multiple permits repeatedly struck down since it was initially approved in 2017. It is now expected to cost more than $6 billion to complete, more than double the original cost estimate.
The Manchin bill would move the legal venue for challenges to Mountain Valley from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond to the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The bill text also includes a provision imposing a two-year deadline on permitting reviews for major projects under NEPA, and one year for projects with less impact.
With Freeda we talk about the work she does, the bill, the effects it has on the MVP, how the MVP effects communities and energy permitting provisions.
Contact and connect with Freeda: contactfreeda@gmail.com
Voting: https://www.coxenterprises.com/cox-conserves/cox-conserves-heroes/vote/freeda-cathcart
Manchin Bill: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/21/joe-manchin-energy-bill-fossil-fuels
19. Stop GenX and Other Perfluoroalkyl Chemicals
Beth Markesino is the founder of the non-profit North Carolina Stop GenX.
North Carolina Stop GenX in Our Waters is a group wanting to stop the contamination of GenX and other harmful chemicals in North Carolina waters. GenX is a Chemours trademark name for a synthetic, short-chain chemical compound. The chemicals are used in products such as food packaging, paints, cleaning products, non-stick coatings, outdoor fabrics, and firefighting foam. In North Carolina, the Chemours Fayetteville plant released GenX compounds into the Cape Fear River, which is a drinking water source for the Wilmington area.
With Beth we speak about what got her into this work, what GenX is and where it comes from, environmental racism from corporations, her personal experience with these chemicals, the report she helped with, and how people can protect themselves.
Contact and connect with Beth: bethamarkesino@gmail.com
North Carolina Stop GenX: https://ncstopgenx.org/
18. The Legacy of Uranium Mining and Nuclear on Indigenous Peoples Land
Leona Morgan (Diné/Navajo, she/her) is an indigenous community organizer and activist who has been fighting nuclear colonialism since 2007. Her work includes stopping: new uranium mining, transport of radioactive materials, and nuclear waste dumping in the Southwestern United States.
Uranium mining in New Mexico was a significant industry from the early 1950s until the early 1980s. New Mexico has the second largest identified uranium ore reserves of any state (after Wyoming). Although uranium has not been mined in the state since 1998, it left behind a legacy of contamination. New Mexican uranium miners and people nearby have had abnormally high rates of lung cancer, from radon gas in poorly ventilated underground mines, contaminated water, and other serious health effects.
The legacy of uranium in New Mexico, shows the decades of indifference from uranium companies and the federal government to the health and lives of people who’ve lived near uranium mines and mills. This deserves to be more widely known, especially the disproportionate effects on Indigenous populations and the communities that live in the region. And now New Mexicans are dealing with nuclear waste and storage in their communities.
With Leona we talk about her family history that brought her to this work, nuclear issues NM faces, uranium mining, what locals think about nuclear, and what she’s looking forward to in the future.
Contact and connect with Leona: leona.morgan.nm@gmail.com
Legacy of Uranium mining: https://nmindepth.com/2022/the-toxic-legacy-of-uranium-mining-in-new-mexico/
https://www.propublica.org/events/new-mexicos-death-map-uranium-and-nuclear-energy-in-the-us
17. Conserving and Protecting the Gunpowder River
Theaux Le Gardeur who is executive director of Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER®, they are a grassroots, advocacy-based membership organization charged with protecting, conserving and restoring the Gunpowder, Bird and Bush Rivers and their Watersheds located in Monkton, MD.
Because of the economic, biological and recreational importance of the Gunpowder River, there exists a pressing need for independent, comprehensive baseline environmental monitoring and mapping of the river and its watershed. They participate in monitoring projects such as temperature, pH, dissolved solids, Chlorophyll A, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and bacteria are collected throughout the watershed. This data will be visualized with GIS mapping and shared with regulatory agencies.
With Theaux we talk about the river itself, what problems the river is facing, projects and sampling they’re working on, and NASA satellite training that they’re a part of.
And to give more information on the NASA satellite training we attended, every day, several NASA satellites circle the globe from the North to the South Pole. As the earth turns, these satellite routes will cross over the entire planet, one swath at a time. Some of these satellites take pictures of the ever-changing waters of the earth.
This program is designed to ground truth the satellite data by comparing information from samples obtained in the field to the satellite data to determine how precisely the space images capture water quality data.
Contact and connect with Theaux: gunpowderriverkeeper@gmail.com
Gunpowder and their work: https://gunpowderriverkeeper.org/
NASA and SERC collaboration: https://gunpowderriverkeeper.org/reflecting-on-a-successful-training-with-the-smithsonian-environmental-research-center/
16. Plant Vogtle, Shell Bluff, and Zero Waste Updates
Charles Utley is Associate Director of BREDL. He was last on the podcast 2 years ago in Episode 45 called “What’s Happening at Plant Vogtle?” so go back and listen to that one. Now, I check back in with Charles to get updates on what’s been happening with his projects and BREDL for the past two years.
We speak about the Shell Bluff for Concerned Citizens chapter, the zero waste plan for Augusta, GA, industries coming into the area, Plant Vogtle, and what he’s looking forward to in the future.
Charles mentioned a chemical company that is coming to Augusta and they called Aurubis and they are a world leader in recycling copper, precious metals and other non-ferrous metals, which sounds good, but they are known for contaminating waterways during this process and that is the last thing the city of Augusta needs in their community.
Contact and connect with Charles: bredlutley@gmail.com
Zero waste plan for Augusta: https://www.augustaga.gov/1298/Augusta-Sustainable-Development-Agenda
15. The Pollution of the Fermi 2 Power Plant
Jesse Deer In Water, based in Michigan, is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and a leader in CRAFT (Citizen Resistance At Fermi Two). This grassroots, Indigenous-led environmental activism group is focused on protecting the Great Lakes. The Fermi 2 Power Plant, on the shore of Lake Erie in Newport, Michigan, supplies 20 percent of the power generated by DTE Energy.
Fermi 2 power plant and a neighboring coal plant are polluting the water, air, and land of this area. CRAFT originally formed after the Christmas Day 1993 incident at Fermi2 that resulted in radioactive release due to damage to one of the main turbines, subsequently dumping 1.5 million gallons of untreated toxic, radioactive water into Lake Erie.
With Jesse we talk about what got him into this work, the dangers of the Fermi 2 plant, actions his organization has done, the tie between the Fermi plant and nearby coal plant, and what is stopping the government from making changes.
Contact and connect with Jesse: Changethelifeoftheworld@gmail.com
14. Stop the Burning of Waste in Baltimore
Steph Compton is a Baltimore Organizer for Energy Justice Network, she has been working on Environmental justice issues since 2012 and she is currently working on all things pertaining to zero waste.
Baltimore currently has a large waste incinerator in the middle of the city that burns not only Baltimore’s trash but surrounding states and counties trash. This makes for some of the most dangerous air to breathe in the nation. MIT researchers showed that Baltimore City had the deadliest air in the nation in 2005. According to the EPA, in 2014, Baltimore was the 81st most air polluted locality in the nation (out of over 9,000) and is the most polluted city in Maryland. In 2018, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranked Baltimore as the 33rd worst asthma capital in the nation. This law we’ve been working on would force the city’s largest air polluter (the Wheelabrator Baltimore trash incinerator) and the nation’s largest medical waste incinerator (Curtis Bay Energy) to abide by the nation’s strictest standards or shut down.
With Steph we talk about how she’s going about tackling this incinerator, zero waste and recycling, organizing in Baltimore, politics of the city, deconstruction, and what she’s looking forward to in the future.
Contact and connect with Steph: Steph@energyjustice.net
Clean Air Baltimore: https://www.cleanairbmore.org/
Baltimore Waste Incinerator: http://www.energyjustice.net/md/moco
13. Peace Wanted: Get U.S. Bombs Out of Germany
In this re-release episode I talk with John LaForge who is the co-director of NukeWatch. We highlight his work advocating the issue of the U.S. nuclear bombs in Germany. To give some historical background, Despite the end of the Cold War, about 20 US nuclear bombs are still deployed in Germany. German pilots are both trained and obligated to take off with these bombs in their Tornado jet fighter-bombers and, if the orders come from a US president through NATO, to use them on their targets. This terrifying NATO war plan is part of the “nuclear sharing agreement” between the US and Germany, and includes a first-strike option. NATO calls this nuclear proliferation “Power and Burden Sharing.”
Because of this every year a Peace Delegation is held in Germany to bring together people and organziations to send the existing U.S. nuclear weapons back home, and to halt production of the new B61-12 nuclear bomb to be deployed in five European countries as well as to pressure the government and remind lawmakers to permanently remove the US weapons.I will be attending the Germany Peace Delegation at the Büchel Air Base from July 11-17th to participate in direct actions towards this goal.
With John we talk about Germany and the US relationship with nuclear weapons, differences in direct actions between the two countries, the goals of the Peace delegation they hold every year, if Germany is making itself a target by having these nuclear weapons, and the relationship Germany has with other NATO countries.
Contact and connect with John: nukewatch1@lakeland.ws
NukeWatch: https://nukewatchinfo.org/category/nuclear-weapons/
US and Germany history/ background: https://nukewatchinfo.org/category/direct-action/us-bombs-out-of-germany/ https://www.dw.com/en/us-set-to-upgrade-controversial-nukes-stationed-in-germany/a-52855886
Nonproliferation Treaty: https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/npt/
Germany’s progessive stances: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2015/11/germany-renewable-energy-revolution/
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=99&nr=24&menu=1449
Germany Peace Delegation: https://nukewatchinfo.org/action-alerts/
Two Plus Four Treaty: https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/politics/germany-europe/two-plus-four-treaty
12. Georgia State Legislation Passed Unanimously!
In this episode I check back in with Ruth Ann Tesanovich of the Madison County Clean Power Coalition Chapter (MCCPC) and retired Medical Laboratory Scientist from UGA.
When I last talked to Ruth Ann 2 years ago, they were in the middle of their fight to ban the burning of creosote railroad ties at the biomass plant in their small agricultural community. Now we talk about their massive success in getting the State of Georgia to unanimously pass the bill to ban the burning of them across the entire state. And how they are now working on the noise pollution and water quality concerning the plant.
Contact and connect with Ruth Ann and MCCPC chapter: rtesanovich@outlook.com https://www.facebook.com/madisoncleanpower/
Learn more about MCCPC and their efforts: https://www.madisoncleanpowercoalition.com/
Learn more about biomass: https://www.leonardodicaprio.org/dangerous-delusions-biomass-is-not-a-renewable-energy-source/ https://www.nrdc.org/experts/sasha-stashwick/health-groups-congress-burning-biomass-bad-health
11. Environmental Reporting Can Bring Policy Change
This episode I bring back Lisa Sorg after 2 years on the podcast, she is an Environmental Reporter for N.C. Policy Watch. She has been a journalist for 22 years covering environmental issues, including social justice, pollution, climate change and energy policy. To listen to your previous episode is episode 8, called Inside the Mind of An Environmental Reporter.
With Lisa we talk about what’s been going in terms of her environmental reporting in the last 2 years, her recent articles about Hurricane Matthew victims, microplastics, her motivation to write these articles, and what she’s looking forward to in the future.
Contact and connect with Lisa: http://www.ncpolicywatch.com or lisa@ncpolicywatch.com or https://twitter.com/lisasorg
Read Lisa’s stories here: http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/author/lisa-sorg/