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The Cascade: The Great Falls Group Newsletter
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Native Plants in the Landscape
Thursday, March 17, 7:30 to 9:00 pm
Alexandria
Virginia's Offshore Energy: Wind v. Oil
Tuesday, March 22, 7:00 to 8:30 pm
Oakton Library
Cut Carbon Rally: Day of Action in Va.
Saturday, April 2, 11 am to 2 pm
Alexandria and Leesburg
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 Students Advocate for Solar Energy
At the January 21st Fairfax County School Board meeting, three James Madison High School students advocated for installing solar panels on Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). With the assistance of Susan Stillman, Sierra Club Virginia Chapter legislative chair, the students provided compelling testimony.
First, Casey Grage recommended that FCPS move away from unclean and unsustainable energy. She advocated that FCPS join the 500 schools in 43 states that use solar energy. Casey explained that in other school systems, solar installations save money. She gave the example of Kent County, Md., which expects to save $3,000,000, and Albemarle County, Va., which is projected to save $80,000 at the six schools where solar panels are installed. Casey also explained how a power purchase agreement would allow the school to obtain solar energy without any upfront costs. A private company would own, install, and maintain the panels, and the school would pay only for the cost of the electricity at a fixed rate.
Next, Sam Ressin gave an energetic talk about the educational benefit of installing solar panels. He spoke about the value these panels would have when integrated into the science, math, and government curriculum. Sam said that students need to be stewards of sustainability. Learning about this technology would help students in their careers since clean energy jobs have grown twelve times faster than the rest of the economy.
Last, Joyce Cheng explained our duty to protect the environment. Americans have the largest per capita carbon footprint in the world. She stated that FCPS needs to be part of the solution by helping to eliminate of the use of fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change and air and water pollution.
At the end of the talk, School Board Chairman Pat Hynes praised the students' well-researched presentation. FCPS is in the process of a feasibility study. The results should be available soon.
By Susan Weltz
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Divest the Virginia Retirement System of Its Fossil Fuel Investments
Divestment means getting rid of stocks, bonds, or other investments that are unethical or morally ambiguous. The most successful divestment campaign targeted apartheid in South Africa, and the loss in investments helped overturn the apartheid government and usher in an era of democracy and equality.
Fossil fuel divestment takes the fossil fuel industry to task for its culpability in the climate crisis. The movement originally targeted colleges and universities, but now many different kinds of groups have agreed to divest (data from
http://gofossilfree.org/commitments
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- Faith-based groups--27%
- Foundations--25%
- Pension funds--13%
- Government organizations--13%
- Colleges, universities, and schools--12%
- Nongovernment organizations--6%
- For-profit corporations--2%
- Health--1%
VRS Background
The Virginia Retirement System (VRS) manages $67 billion in funds. Approximately 820 employers participate in the system, including state agencies, public colleges and universities, local public school divisions, and political subdivisions from counties, cities, and towns to special authorities and commissions. As of June 30, 2012, VRS had approximately 342,000 active members and 163,000 retirees and beneficiaries.
Divest the VRS!
On February 14, 2015, Global Divestment Day, 350 Loudoun launched the Divest the VRS campaign. Its petition brings the divestment movement to the Virginia General Assembly, which governs the VRS. This campaign directs the Virginia General Assembly to pass legislation requiring the VRS to:
- immediately stop making new investments in the top 200 fossil fuel companies identified by Carbon Tracker;
- promptly pursue responsible alternative investments in a public and transparent way; and
- within five years, divest from equities, bonds, and commingled funds that include the top 200 fossil fuel companies.
Consider petitioning your local government to adopt a resolution requesting the Virginia General Assembly to divest from fossil fuels.
Fossil Fuel Divestment Facts
- Divest the VRS Petition has been signed by
- employed and retired teachers,
- the Virginia Commonwealth Attorney,
- clergy,
- faith-based climate change activists, and
- environmental groups.
- The Rockefeller Foundation divested within 1 month of the September 2014 People's Climate March in New York City.
- Momentum for divestment is growing. GoFossilFree.org reports that in the 10 weeks leading up to the Paris Talks, more than 100 institutions made new commitments to divest from fossil fuels, bringing a total of more than 500 institutions representing over $3.4 trillion in assets into the divestment campaign.
- On October 8, 2015, California's Governor Brown signed a bill requiring the $291 billion California Public Employees retirement funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS, to divest from thermal coal. These funds are the largest pension funds in the world.
The Great Falls Group is developing a campaign to divest with the goal of introducing a bill in the 2017 Virginia Assembly.
By
Natalie Pien, Conservation Chair, Sierra Club, GFG
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Pipelines Don't Belong in Virginia's Energy Future
Virginia Sierra Club Pipeline Chair Kirk Bowers presented to a full house at the Reston library on February 22. Concerned citizens turned out in record numbers to hear about four proposed natural gas pipelines in Virginia: the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, the Mountain Valley Pipeline, the Atlantic Connector Pipeline, and the WB Pipeline. A new compressor station is also in the works for the western edge of Fairfax County.
Local landowners are fighting these pipelines as they stand to lose their land through eminent domain. Their property values will drop and their peace of mind will suffer, as "liquified natural gas (LNG) pipelines always leak, and often explode," Bowers said. The pipelines would traverse some of the most scenic and sensitive wilderness on the East Coast, leaving swaths of clear cuts, eroded hillsides, polluted streams, and fragmented landscapes.
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| Photo by Susan Bonney |
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Attendees were outraged that Dominion and other energy companies are planning to build these pipelines, which will carry LNG from fracking sites in Ohio and West Virginia to power plants and LNG export terminals on the coast. The feeling of the group was that expansion of oil and gas infrastructure at a time when we need to be quickly transitioning to clean renewable energy was counter to our best interests.
Together with a coalition of other concerned groups,
Sierra Club is working with nine counties in Virginia and four in West Virginia to oppose the pipelines.
By Trish Wotowiec
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Va. Native Tree and Shrub Seedling Sale and Swap
Trees and shrubs have many benefits. They help cleanse water, prevent soil erosion, provide habitat, cool our climate, and clean our air.
The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD) is having its annual native seedling sale, and for the first time, you can order online!
Consider adding native trees and shrubs to your community today to improve our environment.
Seedling packages will be available for pickup in early May.
The Tree Package features 6 seedlings for $11.95 and the Small Tree and Shrub Package features 10 seedlings for $16.95. Both packages contain bundled bare-root seedlings. The bundles are not large and can easily fit into a small bucket in the backseat of your car. To see the tree and shrub species offered in this year's packages, and to place your order, please visit
NVSWCD's website
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For those who may not need all the seedings in a 6- or 10-seedling package, or perhaps would like a few more, the Great Falls Group will offer a seedling swap service, which will try to match up members with extra seedlings with members who need more. If you are interested in this service, please contact
norbertsierra@aol.com
for more information.
By Norbert Pink
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Interfaith Prayer Flags for Climate Action
In the fast pace of life in northern Virginia, families often are too busy to stop and think about the importance of the natural world and the impact of climate change. The following activity helps people consider climate change from various vantage points. This simple but meaningful and creative activity can be used in many different ways.
WHAT:
Most belief systems have a tradition of prayer, though forms vary. Respecting all faiths, we've borrowed from the Tibetan Prayer Flag tradition because of the universality of its principles drawn from nature.
"Prayer flags are simple devices that, coupled with the natural energy of the wind, quietly harmonize the environment, impartially increasing happiness and good fortune among all living things," says Timothy Clark, a prayer flag enthusiast.
WHY:
Climate change is a global and overwhelming concern for all mankind. Think of your artwork as you will--a prayer, a hope, a plea, an intention, a commitment. Children can think of it simply as representing something in nature that they love and never want to lose.
Our collective prayers for humans to cease inducing climate change will be sent into the universe, blowing "silent prayers spoken on the breath of nature, to fill all of space."
This short activity can be done in many different settings:
- With family at home
- At places of worship or Sunday school
- In schools: Elementary through high school, integrated into an art or cross-curricular activity, or in after-school clubs
- At community fairs/festivals
HOW:
- Tear most of an old bed sheet into 7-inch squares. One flag will include five squares. Tip: after tearing a long length, iron it before tearing into squares to make it easier to draw on.
- Tear the rest of the bed sheet into 2-inch by 4- to 5-foot lengths to string the five 7-inch squares together.
- Use markers to create designs/images/messages on each flag.
- Use a simple running stitch to attach the squares to the long piece.
- Hang outside your home, your place of worship, your school.
By Natalie Pien
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Great Falls Group Election Results
The Executive Committee of the Great Falls Group has unanimously elected the following officers, who will serve one-year terms:
Chair - Norbert Pink
Vice-Chair - Susan Weltz
Treasurer - Joe Apple
Secretary - Peg Hausman
Members of the Executive Committee who were elected for two-year terms are:
Joe Apple
Susan Bonney
Peg Hausman
Linda Stevens
Trish Wotowiec
Other members of the Executive Committee who are filling unexpired terms are:
Norbert Pink
Patricia Leslie
Susan Weltz
Thanks to all who voted and all who serve. We are working on simplifying the voting process so more will vote in the next election which will begin late this year.
By Patricia Leslie
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Great Falls Group Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup
Madison High School students Sydney Lewis (left) and Jenna Weltz earned school service hours when they helped Great Falls Group members Susan Weltz (Jenna's mom) and Patricia Leslie clean up Jones Branch Drive in Tysons Corner. The Great Falls Group has adopted the roadway, and members pick up litter four times a year. At the most recent pick-up, the women enjoyed exercise on a springlike day and picked up hundreds of cigarette butts, plastic, cardboard pieces, and other bits of garbage. The Virginia Department of Transportation supplies bags and safety vests.
The next cleanup is set for April 22, Earth Day, and April 23. Come and enjoy exercise, sunshine (guaranteed), safe walkways, and meeting and mingling with other Sierra Club members who work for the Earth.
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Pien (right) at a rally against
Dominion Power. |
Smiling, energetic Natalie Pien, of environmental group 350 Loudoun, first became interested in the environment when she read Rachel Carson's
Silent Spring in high school. She was deeply concerned by the threat to nature posed by human activities: "I felt it was so wrong, and I wanted to do something," she says, "but I did not know what." She kept the book in mind as she went to college, traveled, earned a pair of master's degrees, raised a family, and worked, but it was nearly 40 years before she found an outlet for her concern.
At that point, Natalie joined the Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun and discovered one of its central principles: "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part." She felt validated, she says: "It was so exhilarating to see a scientific truth embodied in a statement of belief!" Natalie learned that many in the congregation were social activists, which encouraged her to take a stand herself on local issues, starting with a water quality problem.
Natalie's climate change activism began with hosting a film by Bill McKibben at her church in 2013. She says McKibben's message in the film
Do the Math was so powerful that a local chapter of his international 350.org--350 Loudoun--was formed that same evening. Helping to spearhead 350 Loudoun's efforts led Natalie to begin working with her Sierra Club counterparts in the Great Falls Group (GFG) and, eventually, to her position as the Conservation Chair of the GFG Executive Committee today.
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| Pien at the People's Climate March, September 2014 |
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Together with GFG leaders such as Susan Bonney, Natalie has lobbied Congress on climate and helped organize actions such as the People's Climate March in New York City, Hands Across the Sands, Hands Across the Lands, and the National Day of Action. Recognized as one of the GFG's Outstanding Volunteers of 2015, she has just received a Unitarian Universalist for Social Justice in the National Capital Region award as well.
Natalie stresses that her spiritually grounded activism has given her a strong sense of purpose. "I feel more connected to our Earth," she says, "by advocating for it and sharing my advocacy."
by Peg Hausman
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Free Entrance to National Parks in 2016
On August 25, 2016, the National Park Service turns 100 years old. The National Park Service is celebrating by offering 16 entrance-fee-free days to 127 parks in 2016. Parks that charge an entrance fee will waive the fee for everyone during the selected days listed below.
- April 16 through 24: National Park Week
- August 25 through 28: National Park Service Birthday
- September 24: National Public Lands Day
- November 11: Veterans Day
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Featured Spring Hike: Lake Accotink Park
Lake Accotink Park's 493 acres include a 55-acre lake, wetlands, and streams with views of waterfowl and marsh life.
Situated along the Cross County Trail, the park has a
four-mile loop hiking/biking trail
. In addition, the park has bike rentals, canoe and pedal boat rentals, boat launch, tour boat rides, fishing, nine-hole miniature golf course, antique carousel, snack bar, pavilion shelters, restrooms, and picnic areas with grills.
Explore, enjoy, and protect the planet!
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Get Outdoors with the Sierra Club
Sierra Club Potomac Region Outings (SCPRO) is a special activities group of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. It organizes hikes and events year-round for the general public on behalf of the Sierra Club's chapter in Washington, D.C., and the Maryland and Virginia Chapters' Washington-suburb groups. Volunteer leaders conduct the events, many of which include conservation, educational, or historical elements. For information about SCPRO and its upcoming events, visit the
SCPRO Events website. To obtain a free calendar subscription, inquire about becoming a SCPRO outings leader, or get answers to other questions, write to
info@sierrapotomac.org.
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Great Falls Group Executive Committee
The monthly meeting of The Great Falls Group (GFG) Executive Committee is open to all Sierra Club members. Contact Norbert Pink for meeting times and location. If you would like to help the group, please volunteer by contacting one of the following leaders or Norbert Pink.
Officers:
Committee Chairs:
Committee Support:
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Calendar of Events
Native Plants in the Landscape, 7:30 to 9:00 pm
John Magee of Magee Design has created quite a few native plant projects over the years, which he will discuss with before and after photos. He'll offer helpful suggestions about planting more natives on your property. In addition to serving as the Virginia Native Plant Society (VNPS) State Board Horticulture Chair, John serves on the board of the Piedmont Environmental Council and the board of Wild Ones.
Location: Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria
Sponsor: Potowmack Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society
Tuesday, March 22
Virginia's Offshore Energy: Wind v. Oil
, 7:00 to 8:30 pm
The Atlantic coast of the United States has been protected for decades from offshore drilling--until now. Come and learn the latest on the federal government's plan to allow offshore drilling off the coast of Virginia. The oil and gas industry claim that opening the East Coast to offshore drilling is the best option for jobs and our economy, but offshore wind would produce twice the number of jobs and twice the amount of energy. Join us for a presentation and call to action to protect Virginia's coastline and tourism industry.
Location: Oakton Library, 10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton
Sponsor: Sierra Club Great Falls Group
Saturday, April 2, 11 am to 2 pm
Cut Carbon Rally: Day of Action in Virginia
Virginia citizens and organizations are joining together to hold a Day of Action on April 2nd, calling on Governor McAuliffe to cut carbon now. The Virginia People's Climate Movement is gearing up for rallies and events across the state--and we need everyone to be part of the action! Northern Virginia is taking action in solidarity with our neighbors in Richmond, who will be delivering thousands of petitions to Governor McAuliffe, asking him to keep his climate action commitments by developing a bold Clean Power Plan that reduces carbon pollution from all of Virginia's dirty power plants. At the same time, we will be rallying in Alexandria, Leesburg, Charlottesville, and communities all over the state so that this message reverberates across the commonwealth and cannot be ignored.
Two Northern Virginia Locations:
Alexandria
Sponsor: Sierra Club/Virginia
Loudoun County Court House, 18 E. Market Street, Leesburg
Sponsors: 350 Loudoun & Environment America
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