Cypress Group of the NC Sierra Club

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NC Coastal Federation's North River Coastal Wetlands Restoration project in eastern Carteret County

Updated November 26, 2023

UPCOMING EVENTS

The Cypress Group Meeting in December will not take place.

The meeting would have occurred at the same time as swearing in of Greenville's new City Council members. Our leaders will be attending the Greenville event. The Cypress Group emphasizes the importance of getting to know local government representatives and of identifying to them your views on our natural environment.

Information and Musings

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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