Invitation to the First Environmental Presentation of the William Issa Endowment Series

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It is with great joy and gratitude to the William Issa Endowment that I am able to invite you to our first William Issa Environmental Talk at Siena Heights University. The speaker is Mark Z. Jacobson, Director of the Atmosphere/Energy Program and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University. Mark is one of the leading experts on renewable energy and his work shows that the world could fully depend on renewable energy sources in as little as 30 years from now. The attached program provides you with more details about Mark and his talk.

I am looking forward to seeing you at the event on April 15, at 7:00 pm in Francoeur Theater at Siena Heights University, Adrian Campus. Please forward the invitation and attachment to everybody you see fit.

Sincerely, Tom

The Inexcusable Abuse of Animals in Factory Farms (CAFOs)

In 1975, a young writer published a book arguing that no justifications exist for considering humans more important than members of other species. It slowly began to gain attention. Today, a quickly growing number of prominent individuals and political activists are adopting its conclusions. They have termed the assumption of human superiority speciesism. And, as a result, they rank these animal factories among the greatest evils in our history. Speciesism: TheMovie brings viewers face-to-face with the leaders of this developing movement, and, for the first time ever on film, fully examines the purpose of what they are setting out to do.

Speciesism: The Movie - Trailer from Speciesism: The Movie on Vimeo.

Reminder: Nexus Pipeline Open House in Adrian tomorrow 5:00-7:30 pm, Ypsilanti 2/18 5:00-7:30 pm

Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Adrian College,
Adrian Tobias Center (Adrian Room),
110 S Madison St.Adrian, MI 49221
5:00pm to 7:30pm

Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Lincoln High School
Cafeteria
7425 Willis Rd.Ypsilanti, MI 48197
5:00pm to 7:30pm

http://www.nexusgastransmission.com/timeline/open-house-informational-meetings/

There were protests in Ohio:
http://www.toledofreepress.com/2015/02/13/pipeline-open-house-story/

More about the NG liquids pipeline referred to in the article. It is already in the ground in Michigan.
http://www.kindermorgan.com/pages/business/products_pipelines/utopia

How Dangerous Are Fossil Fuel Transports? - West Virginia Oil Train Derailment Sends Crude Tanker Into River

MOUNT CARBON, W.Va. (AP) — A train carrying more than 100 tankers of crude oil derailed in southern West Virginia on Monday, sending at least one into the Kanawha River, igniting at least 14 tankers and sparking a house fire, officials said.

Read more here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/16/west-virginia-oil-train-derailment_n_6693634.html

EPA: Keystone XL Will Most Likely Increase Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Read the entire EPA statement here:

http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/20140032.pdf

Agreement Eliminates a Portion of Rover’s Route through Michigan

The capacity arrangement with Vector eliminates the need for Rover to build its pipeline through Michigan’s Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer, Oakland St. Clair, and Macomb Counties.

Read the full text here: http://www.energytransfer.com/documents/RoverMichiganReleaseFinal.pdf

Although this seems to feel like a victory - at least for some other counties - it is NOT. We still have to cope with the NEXUS pipeline (see my previous announcement). And what is more important: as long as fossil fuels are utilized anywhere, especially in a dirty way such as from the Marcellus Shale by fracking, I do not really feel that this is a victory...

County denies oil search permit

From today's Daily Telegram:

County denies oil search permit

A request to conduct a seismic survey to search for oil and gas reserves at Gerber Hill Park near Deerfield was turned down Monday by the Lenawee County Parks Commission.

“I think it’s inconsistent with a park and it’s inconsistent with Mr. Gerber’s wishes. I think we should say no,” said commission member Dan Bruggeman. He said Frank Gerber donated the property as a county park to preserve its vulnerable sand hill formation.

Cutting survey sight lines through wooded areas, driving a heavy tractor on the hill and setting off explosive charges used in the seismic testing could all damage the sensitive property, he said.

“I think we have an obligation to the Gerber family not to do this,” said county commissioner Cletus Smith, R-Madison Twp.

There is no obligation for the county to aid the search for oil and gas in the area, said commissioner Ralph Tillotson, R-Adrian Twp. The company can find another path to survey property in the area if the park is not available, he said.

My commentary:
The Lenawee County Parks Commission showed more integrity and courage than the City of Adrian did in the past when Savoy wanted to build their central processing facility (now on Witt Farm) in Heritage Park, which is - like the Gerner Hill Park - also a donation. It was only due to massive citizen protest - and the availability of the Witt Farm property - that Heritage Park is today only disgraced by a oil pump and not a large processing plant...