Earth Care

correction March 6, 2007

In my post about Barnwell, I mistakenly wrote that SC would accept waste from SC only, after 2008. However, according to the Atlantic Compact terms, we would also accept waste from New Jersey and Connecticut, but close to all other states at that time.

Barnwell nuclear waste dump meeting Tuesday March 6 March 6, 2007

date: Tuesday, March 6
time: 2:30 p.m.
place: Blatt Building of the State House complex, room 410
what: public meeting of the House Environmental Affairs Subcommittee to discuss the future of Barnwell Nuclear Waste dump

Dear Environmental Issues committe and friends,

Tomorrow afternoon the House Environmental Affairs agriculture subcommittee will meet to discuss the future of the Barnwell low-level nuclear waste landfill. As you may have read in The State newspaper (article on front page of today’s paper and others in prior issues), the SC State Legislature is being lobbied by energy Solutions, the current owner of the Barnwell site, to continue accepting waste from the entier nation through the year 2023. it is currently scheduled to close to other states next year, according to an agreement reached in 2000. It would then accept waste from South Carolina only.

Energy Solutions has also applied for approval to enlarge the facility, building more trenches to increase the capacity of the landfill. While it is officially called “low-level” the waste received at Barnwell includes highly radioactive parts from nuclear reactors.

I plan to attend the meeting of the subcommittee along with other citizens concerned about South Carolina becoming the nation’s only dumping for low-level nuclear waste. If your schedule permits, and you would like to voice your concern or find out more information, please join us.

If you cannot attend the meeting, please contact Rep. Joan Brady, who serves on this sub-committee and is interested in hearing from constituents on the subject. Her office telephone is 734-3027 and her email is BradyJ@schouse.org

Best wishes,
Meira Warshauer

Stanford Initiative Website November 17, 2006

This is from The Scout Report, Nov. 17, 2006:

1. Stanford Initiative on the Environment and Sustainability [pdf]

http://environment.stanford.edu/

“Sustainability” is a phrase that is bandied about frequently and at times
it is hard to determine if an adequate definition exits. Stanford University
is intimately concerned with this subject, and they recently created the
Initiative of the Environment and Sustainability to deal with questions
raised by this phrase and other such thorny areas of inquiry. On their site,
they pose this query which will give visitors to the site pause: “Can we
adequately meet current human needs while protecting and restoring planetary
life support systems for the welfare of people today and generations to
come?” A good way to start browsing through the site is by clicking on one
of their four primary areas, which are represented by small graphic symbols
that read “Energy & Climate”, “Fresh Water”, “Land Use & Conservation” and
“Oceans & Estuaries”. Perhaps one of the most intriguing sections of the
site is “Sustainability at Stanford” area, where visitors can learn what
initiatives they are working on at their own campus in Palo Alto. [KMG]

SC Mayors sign Climate Protection Agreement October 29, 2006

The mayors of Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Sumter have all signed the Climate Protection Agreement. More information about grassroots movements and the Kyoto Protocol can be found in Wikipedia.

Judaism and the Environment program at Beth Shalom this Sunday October 25, 2006

ADULT EDUCATION SEMINAR:

Sunday, October 29th
10 a.m. – 12 noon
Beth Shalom Synagogue – Social Hall
5827 N. Trehnhom Rd
782-2500

Moderated by: Dr. Leon Spotts
Presentation by: Rabbi David Siff

Topic: “Judaism and the Environment”
Special Guest: Dr. Bruce Coull, Dean Emeritus of the USC School
of the Environment, will join us for this seminar.

($3 charge for lox & bagel breakfast, 10-10:30 a.m.)

For those interested, following the Adult Education presentation, the Sisterhood Education and Environmental Issues Committee will be showing

“An Inconvenient Truth” at 12:30 p.m.

Please stay to watch this documentary or come join us at 12:30 p.m.. Parents who want their high school age children to stay after Hebrew school are welcome to join us. A light lunch will be provided.

There is no charge for the movie which has been made available by Interfaith Power and Light for screenings in congregations during the month of October.

Public Forum: Our Energy Future October 15, 2006

Sept. 14, 7pm: Public Forum: Our Energy Future, Unitarian Fellowship, the corner of Heyward and Woodrow. Speakers include

Avram Friedman, Jean Larson, Ned Ryan Doyle, Mary Olson and will feature the film “Kilowatt Ours,” and a comedy presentation of “All Perspectives on Energy.” Mixing humor, information,and a call to action -The Energy at the Crossroads Tour is on the road to promote sustainable energy – Green Power, energy efficiency and conservation – to help stop the plans of major utility corporations to build new coal and new nuclear power reactors in our region. The Crossroads Tour is seeking organizational co-sponsors for these events. There is no fee. For information, call 828-675-1792 or email nirs@main.nc.us.

Also, I ordered a free DVD of “An Inconvenient Truth,” available to congregations.  I’m hoping we can find a date in October to show it at Beth Shalom, and if there is interest, at Tree of Life.  Please let me know if you would like to help with that.  There should be educational materials and promotional posters accompanying the film.

8/30 Update: Recycling and more October 15, 2006

Tonya Dotson, secretary at Beth Shalom reports that Michal arranged  for a recycling truck to pick up from BSS, so we are now recycling  from the office there.  The Day School will also participate in  recycling.  Andrew Seidenberg is looking over the energy bills from  Beth Shalom to see the patterns and where we might save.

Carolyn Hudson and Marc Rapport attend the Community Relations  Council meeting this week and raised concerns about global warming  and a Jewish response. (I couldn’t attend, but their participation  was recorded in the minutes I received. They may have more to share  with this list.)

Thanks,
Meira

“An Inconvenient Truth” October 15, 2006

Dear fellow congregants,

Last night the Environmental Issues Committee of the Sisterhood organized an outing to see Al Gore’s movie on global warming, “An Inconvenient Truth.”  A group of about 15 went to the movie, including a few members of Tree of Life Congregation.  Afterwards, most of us stayed to discuss the movie, and I would like to report on that discussion.

First, we felt it is very important that as many people as possible see this movie.  There are free showings this Tuesday and Wednesday nights:  Tuesday night sponsored by the SC Wildlife Federation (256-0670) and Wednesday night, sponsored by Kai Guettner (233-77624 and Shannon Staley (843-260-8407).  The theater, Columbiana Grande Cinema, expects to keep the movie running for another 1 1/2 weeks.  There are afternoon shows for those who don’t drive at night.  Try to carpool with someone.  It is good to see it with other people.

Another option for learning about this subject:  Tom Brockow has a new documentary on global warming, which will be aired on TV this Sunday night on Discovery Channel:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13756299/

Second, Catherine Morgan offered to keep an e-mail list of people interested in staying informed and taking action in the synagogue and Jewish community.  Please contact her if you would like to be on the e-mail list at cbmorgan@usit.net.  We welcome leadership on this committee.  Whatever your interest, please volunteer.

Third, Carolyn Hudson, a member of Tree of Life, has been asked for form a Jewish committee as part of the Christian Action Committee for this issue.  If you’d like to help with that, contact her at earth18@earthlink.net

Fourth, Misti Benchabbat, a new member, offered to arrange a speaker, possibly for our adult education series on Sunday mornings.  Misti is an environmental engineer.  Also, Andrew Seidenberg, son of Ellen and Fred, who is starting his master’s in Environmental Health at Yale in the fall, offered to help design an energy strategy for Beth Shalom.

Our overwhelming feeling, after viewing this movie, is that global warming is a matter of great urgency that we need to address immediately and collectively.  The situation reminds me of Noah and the flood.  But in this case, there is no ark that can save us.  The earth is our only ark.

With love and prayer,

Meira Warshauer

Environmental Issues Committee

Beth Shalom Sisterhood

Hello world! October 15, 2006

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