This blog post is written by Kellie Ferguson, a resident of Giles County, Virginia, and a community organizer with the Protect Our Water, Rights, Heritage (POWHR) Coalition. Her community is directly impacted by the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
As a single mom of four, I work hard every day to teach my kids to be kind, healthy, independent, and happy. I know that outside our home they will be exposed to the grave injustices of a capitalist, extractive society. The best I can do is give them a loving foundation to stem from.
The horrors of extractive systems are now more apparent than ever for my family. Outside our windows in rural Appalachia, a reckless, greedy pipeline company is destroying our home to build a 303-mile fracked gas pipeline during a climate crisis. Every day I feel grief, rage, and dread for the future.
Read the full article here: https://www.sierraclub.org/articles/2024/03/asset-managers-threatening-my-kids-futures-financing-mountain-valley-pipeline
#StopLNG Sit-in at Department of Energy in Washington, DC
February 6-8, 2024
Department of Energy•1000 Independence Ave SW, Washington
More information: takingaction@thirdact.org
Forum: Radford Army Arsenal Plant Threat to Public Health
November 16, 2023, 7 pm
Video of presentations:
https://video.vt.edu/media/
Moderator: Terry Mcguire, Earthjustice
Panelists:
1. OB/CD threats to Public Health. Presenter: Dr. Stephania A. Cormier, Wiener Chair and Professor of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Director, LSU Superfund Research Program
2. Alternatives to OB/CD. Presenter: Jane Williams, Executive Director for “California Communities Against Toxics,” a member of the Cease Fire!, a California-based organization that works to end the open burning of hazardous chemicals.
3. 2018 Study of RAAP. Presenter: Dr. Christopher K. Thompson. Assistant Professor in the School of Neuroscience at Virginia Tech. Dr. Thompson co-led a 2018 study of RAAP emissions health effects.
4. Next Steps. Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Richmond-Bryant, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Center for Geospatial Analytics, and Center for Human Health and the Environment at North Carolina State University.
Film: Fallout, September 6, Grandin Theatre
As community members in a rural Appalachian town become sick, the source of the contagion is called into question. Fallout follows three individuals experiencing illnesses after exposure to environmental contamination from a nearby United States Army Ammunition Plant. Manufacturing propellants, explosives, and rockets for the Department of Defense, the facility is the largest polluter in Virginia emitting millions of pounds of toxic pollutants into the air, soil, and water each year.
Fallout examines how the United States Military, in collusion with the private manufacturing industry, perpetuates the cycle of exploitation and environmental contamination that has inundated the Appalachian region for decades. The film incorporates digital footage as well as over 1200 feet of 16mm film processed with contaminants from the facility.
https://facebook.com/events/s/fallout-screening-and-qa/840469691086029/
Rally: August 28, noon, Blacksburg Post Office
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin's latest attack on climate is now official. On July 31, the Dept. of Environmental Quality published the regulation which repeals the requirement for Virginia to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Youngkin initiated this effort when he assumed office in 2022, and we fought him every step of the way! Help us continue the fight for climate action, and RALLY AGAINST THE REPEAL. Stand in solidarity for people, planet and climate action at the location closest to you.
What: RALLY AGAINST THE RGGI REPEAL. Each rally location will feature speakers, skits and chants.
When: Monday, August 28 at 12 noon
Where: 118 N. Main Street, Blacksburg, VA 24060
Why: The climate crisis is driving the record-breaking heat waves and the Canadian wildfires that have been clouding the skies and polluting the air all summer – and harming Virginians. So we need to reduce carbon emissions as quickly as possible. We'll keep taking to the streets until the Governor takes climate action seriously.
May 24, 2023
Stop the MVP!
Senator Joe Manchin is at it again! He is trying to pass his Dirty Deal, bypassing the courts and the required permitting process, to force the completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline!
We stopped him in September! We will do it again!
This time, Manchin and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives have tied the fate of the MVP to the debt ceiling!
Join your New River Valley neighbors and ride a free charter bus round-trip from here to the Capitol on June 8. Lunch and dinner will be provided by your NRV Sierra Club Group.
Details on the event and transportation are available here:
Action Network: https://actionnetwork.org/events/biden-stopmvp-now/
Bus registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHvN6olie5O0Z8I6k3c463_VCfs1H1UGI-jdUd-zeHDQmlCg/viewform
January 11, 2022
New River Valley Volunteer Opportunities
We are fortunate to have an abundance of amazing outdoor habitats in our area, each with wildlife and fauna we can easily interact with. We are also fortunate to have organizations, groups and individuals maintaining these habitats and offering interesting free programs for our enjoyment.
Some of these organizations and groups have structured volunteer programs that enable people like you to make a meaningful difference to their communities and habitats, while providing the opportunity to meet and work with like-minded individuals. Opportunities range from administrative and marketing to gardening and nature guide roles. Check out some of the organizations below to learn about ways you can help.
Friends of the Blue Ridge
FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge is a non-profit, volunteer and membership organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the Blue Ridge region. FRIENDS works with local and regional government, common-minded nonprofits, clubs, and other organizations. In addition to trail and habitat building and maintenance, we assist communities with cultural, historical, educational projects.
To find out more about how you can volunteer for one or more of the many projects currently underway in our area for this organization, contact Jae Furman, volunteer@friendsbrp.org.
Virginia State Parks
With millions of guests annually, over 70,000 acres, and more than 500 miles of trails, there is always more we can do to improve our Virginia State Parks. Volunteers share their knowledge, experience and time to help Virginia State Parks meet its mission.
Virginia State Parks need volunteers to help run the parks and manage their natural resources. The New River Trail State Park is an example of a wonderful park in our area. This 57-mile linear park has several active projects including an exciting new team working to improve mountain bike trails at Hoover Mountain. To get involved with this project and learn about other projects at various locations within and adjacent this park, contact Drew Davis, Chief Ranger at New River Trail State Park, benjamin.davis@dcr.virginia.gov.