In Philadelphia -- Proceed With Great Care

Coalition vows to combat pollution and promote green jobs and sustainable energy

>>> From an Article by Hayden Mitman, Philly Voice Staff, October 14, 2015

With a rallying cry of “no pollution,” representatives from several environmental associations on Wednesday announced a new “Green Justice Philly” coalition intended to promote green jobs and sustainable energy in the city.

During an afternoon rally that drew a large group to the plaza outside the city’s Municipal Services Building, organizers argued that the city needs to work on combatting air pollution and renewable energy.

Notably, speakers throughout the afternoon event pointed to Philadelphia Energy Solutions, the largest oil refinery on the East Coast, and a proposed “Philadelphia Energy Hub” – a plan announced in April to bring Marcellus Shale gas into the city before piping it to other cities – as projects that would work against Mayor Michael Nutter’s stated goal of making Philadelphia the greenest city in America.

Tracy Carluccio, deputy director of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, called the energy hub plan “dirty.” Instead of focusing on creating jobs in that energy hub, the city should be trying to create jobs in renewable energy sources, she said.

“We want the city to open up a path to clean and renewable and sustainable energy economies,” she said. Instead of focusing on fossil fuels, she said the city should look at investing in clean energy, such as solar and wind power. ”It’s a dead end if we pursue fossil fuels,” she said. “We need to develop an alternative plan.”

Ron Raze, a life-long environmentalist from Pipersville, Bucks County, agreed. “We have to change. We can’t continue on the way we are,” he said.

The new “Green Justice Philly” coalition includes representatives from the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, ACTION United, the Clean Air Council, Clean Water Action, Food and Water Watch, the Maypop Collective for Economic and Climate Justice and the Philadelphia Chapter of Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light, as well as at least 20 membership organizations.

During the rally, Walter Tsou, who served as health commissioner for the City of Philadelphia from 2000 to 2002, told the crowd that investment in fossil fuel technologies would only “make this situation that much worse.”

“Air pollution is going to be the number one health threat facing the world,” said Tsou. “Let’s use the money that’s out there and invest in renewable energy.”

An investment in renewable energy is something the city, and indeed, the entire state of Pennsylvania sorely needs, said Micah Gold-Markel, a Northern Liberties resident and founder of Solar States, a solar power installation and education company. ”We’ve lost jobs instead of gained jobs because of our dependence on dirty, instead of clean, energy,” said Gold-Markel.

In fact, the focus on Marcellus Shale gas has reduced the number of jobs at clean energy companies throughout the state from about 4,000 in 2008 to only about 500 this year. ”It’s embarrassing,” he said.

The first order of business for the new Green Justice Philly coalition, Carlucci said, will be to deliver a letter to City Council to seek its cooperation in supporting renewable energy and green job creation in Philadelphia. ”I’m going to deliver it myself,” she said.

See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

These secret trains keep rumbling thru ...

Hard Look at Oil on Rail Tanker Cars

Investigative reporter Marcus Stern of Inside Climate News was interviewed on NPR’ Fresh Air, on Wednesday, February 24, 2014. Here is the audio recording of that broadcast. If you listen to this thru, you will be shocked! He discusses the crude oil train wrecks in Quebec, Alabama, North Dakota, Virginia and West Virginia, the latter on February 16th.

Duane Nichols, www.FrackCheckWV.net

>>>>>>>>>>>

Bomb Train Traffic is up 4000 % …… With Explosive Results!

What do Quebec, Alabama, North Dakota, Virginia and West Virginia all have in common?

These were all sites where trains carrying fracked crude oil derailed and exploded over the last two years, with the derailment in West Virginia occurring just last week.

The derailments, explosions, fires, and oil spills in these locations killed 47 people, threatened the lives and safety of entire communities, and led to the evacuations of many thousands of people, while polluting waterways and poisoning drinking-water supplies.

Ribbons of railroads lace most of our country, running through our cities and towns and over or next to our nation’s waterways, making it very likely that one of these bomb trains is rolling through or near your neighborhood right now.

Fracking has caused a 4000% increase in crude-by-rail transport. And 85% of the railcars the industry uses are outdated and unsafe DOT-111’s that cause the lighter, more volatile fracked Bakken crude oil to explode and burn in an accident.

Adding to this growing threat is the fact that the rail industry is looking to double the speed at which these trains travel, from 30 mph to 60 mph. But the train that derailed, exploded, and spilled thousands of gallons of oil into Virginia’s James River was only traveling at 24 mph!

These bomb trains are disasters waiting to happen that must be stopped now!

And that’s why I’m writing and asking for your help today. Please help Waterkeeper Alliance fight these bomb trains and other frontline threats to our public health, communities, waterways, and environment. Please help us STOP these deadly bomb trains.

Thank you in advance for your passion and generosity!

Sincerely, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President, Waterkeeper Alliance