Cypress Group of the NC Sierra Club

Welcome!

Kayaking Goose Creek State Park Marshes

Updated April 19, 2024

UPCOMING EVENTS

The next Cypress Group Program takes place
Monday, May 13, 7:00 PM,
at Tapped, 650 E. Firetower Rd, Winterville.

Topic: Lake Mattamuskeet Challenges; Flooding and Nitrogen Contamination

Randall Etheridge, PhD, Associate Professor AAH CET Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, ECU,

Dr. Etheridge says a goal of his research is to increase the sustainability of the agriculture industry by reducing water use and improving water quality leaving agricultural operations. Lake Mattamuskeet is a shallow lake surrounded by large farms in Eastern North Carolina. It is vital to waterfowl and migrating birds.

Everyone is invited.

You do not need to be a Sierra Club member to be part of this fascinating talk.

Hope to see you there!

You may also attend from home by Zoom.
The link will be posted shortly.

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April 20 Earth Day Celebration

We are having an Earth Day Celebration, and you are invited!

Click here for more information.

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Information and Musings

1/27/2024: Here is positive news about efforts to reverse global climate change. Some climate-change deniers appear to be switching to acceptance, even a number of those who dogmatically called it a hoax.

A recent article in Greenville's (NC) The Daily Reflector (Friday, January 26, 2024) may be an example. The story, titled "Summit floats ideas to fight flooding" described comments made in the recent Water Adaption to Ensure Regional Success (WATERS) Summit held at the Greenville (NC) Hilton.

One of the event organizers was Republican Greg Murphy, a Conservative representing NC District 3 in the U.S. House. Murphy, notably, is Vice Chairman of the Conservative Climate Caucus. The Daily Reflector reported Representative Murphy said that he and others do not doubt that weather has increasingly impacted the state.

Comments like this from conservative politicians seem to indicate a change in opinion is occurring. Are comments like these tacit agreement by Conservatives that climate change is real?

As always, you should read everything you can about the environment, on all sides of the debate. Think about what you read, make decisions, and then talk about it a lot.

12/11/2023: Here are two N.C. environment wins to celebrate. The Coastal Federation reports in the fall Our Coast newsletter that their work with N.C.’s Legislature generated two new pieces of legislation. The first prohibits unencapsulated polystyrene for being used in floating docks. Unencapsulated polystyrene is fragile and easily breaks apart into tiny foam beads. The second adds residential docks to our state’s building code. This means docks must now be built to withstand severe storms. If you have kayaked in our salt marshes or the Intercoastal Waterway after a big storm, you will have seen floating debris from docks. This will now be reduced. Small wins eventually add up to large-scale environmental victories!

12/9/2023: Solar and wind power are in the news lately and not always in a good way. Recent media stories talk about canceled wind-farm projects, decreases in solar company stock prices, and weakening sales of all-electric cars. Don’t despair, alternative energy is continuing to expand. The reason for the stories is Economics 101. For example, the Federal Reserve Bank has been successfully working to decrease inflation by slowing the economy though higher interest rates. Also, a year or two ago, alternative energy companies received strong financial incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act. In response, they quickly expanded. Not everybody who expanded or jumped into the business was good enough to succeed. Finally, all-electric (not hybrid) vehicles are probably being purchased by early-adopters. The rest of us will take more time to get comfortable. We will. The technology is sound (and getting better and better). Hybrid, electric/gasoline, cars continue to sell well. To stay sane in these times, read a healthy cross-section of news stories. You will see we are dealing with a shakeout in the industry and not a collapse. Don’t forget, the planet requires alternative energy!

11/26/2023: "This year, investments in renewable energy projects will surpass investments in new oil and gas extraction." (Sierra Magazine, Fall 2023). Environmentalists can't rest though. In a recent Pitt County Board of Commissioners meeting, a solar project was voted down despite the county zoning board unanimously recommending it go forward. Supporters of the environment and those that believe accelerated climate change is occurring, please get involved with your local governments and speak out about your views.

11/22/2023: Stephen Lapp from Plug-in North Carolina educated us on electric car technology, usability, charging, and importance for the Earth, at our meeting Nov 13. Questions from the audience proved many Sierra Club members own or are strongly considering buying an electric vehicle. Stephen painted a picture of what to expect when owning one. More on Plug-in North Carolina can be found here. A switch to electric vehicles from ones with engines running on carbon-based fuels is a necessity that needs to occur in our lifetimes, according to almost all environmental scientists.

11/9/2023: Sound Rivers, the riverkeepers for the Neuse, Tar, and Pamlico waterways, provided in their recent newsletter some positive news. They reported, "We have a new, amazing partnership with Cummins Rocky Mount Engine Plant that will engage employees and community members in our work in the upper Tar River basin." This illuminates the often-ignored fact that many industries are interested in helping keep the environment healthy, especially in their local community. Yes, industries need to make profits, and yes, many industries want to preserve the environment. Seek out and support the ones that are pro-environment!

10/28/2023: You may have heard about the increasing global awareness of the existence of PFAS chemicals in the environment, including, sometimes, in containers we use every day. Ongoing research is seeking to define health risks associated with levels of PFAS chemicals ordinary people are exposed to and may have in their bodies. If you want to be cautious, here is a tip from Business Week magazine. Flip the container over. If printed on the bottom is "PET" or "PETE," the container is not suitable for treatment with PFAS chemicals. If it says "HDPE," the plastic is suitable for treatment with PFAS chemicals. Treatment makes the plastic tougher and more resistant to what is stored in the container. Business Week goes on to say, keep in mind, seeing "HDPE" does not mean it was treated with PFAS. In fact, many product manufacturers say they take steps to prevent PFAS in what they sell. Still, these are good things to be aware of.

10/12/2023: Recycling is a very green, very environment-benefiting thing, and is easy to do. Recycling reduces material going to landfills and reduces energy used to mine and process ore. Counties in North Carolina have multiple drop off locations at their trash transfer stations. One note, many things are recyclable, and many are not. Here is a link to what Pitt County accepts for recycling.

10/10/2023: Wind and solar power work! This from the Fall 2023 edition of Sierra Magazine: "Wind and solar power provided a record amount of renewable power during a Texas summer heat wave," 35% percent. This renewable power helped protect Texas's gird from becoming overstressed.

10/9/2023: The Cypress Group of the NC Sierra Club just finished two exciting events: participating in the Tar River Community Science Festival at Greenville's Town Commons on Oct 7, and a wonderfully informative presentation by Heather Deck from Sound Rivers, Oct 9, at Greenville's UUCG chapel. Sound Rivers is the river keeper for the Tar-Pamlico and Neuse River basins.

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