Tennessee Environmental News

from the

Tennessee Environmental Council

February 2007

 

THANK YOU

 

As we start the New Year we would like to thank all of our members and supporters for a tremendous start of a new chapter at TEC. Over 85 people attended our event at Blackstone in December to meet and greet our new Executive Director John McFadden. TEC truly appreciates the financial support of its many members without whom we would not be able to continue our important work for Tennessee’s environment. THANK YOU.

 

SAVE THE DATE

2007 Green Tie Affair

Saturday, March 31 at the Cannery Ballroom

For more information go to www.tectn.org

 

 

Issues and Other Important news:

 

Update Public Hearing for DuPont landfill

          TEC along with Sierra club and United Steel Workers testified during a public hearing regarding the modification of Dupont landfill at their New Johnsonville facility. TEC has been involved in waste issues regarding the New Johnsonville facility since the early 1990s.  Read more

 

 

TEC Launches Urban Community Forest Initiative

Why Trees?

Trees are important to our way of life in the U.S. and Tennessee. Unfortunately, in many of Tennessee’s urban areas we have “deforested” much of our landscape and that has led to real threats to our environment and public health.  The threat becomes more real as we begin to see the myriad of benefits of trees and forest canopy.  To mention a few of the ecological benefits of trees: they stabilize and fertilize the soil, they provide habitat for everything from small insects to some of Tennessee’s largest mammals like the black bear.  More Details

 

TEC and Duck Rivers Opportunities Project (DROP) partner on restoration efforts.

          TEC will be partnering with the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association’s DROP which was started in 1999 with the intent to identify and correct water quality problems in the Duck River Watershed. The Duck is Tennessee’s most biologically diverse river system with over 151 species of fish and 54 species of mussels and serves as a drinking water source and recreational resource for many communities.  DROP will be working to restore stream bank and streamside habitat on the following dates.  Please RSVP if you can come out and help as dates are weather dependent.

 

DATE                              Location                                   Activity

February 17, 2007             Spring Hill, TN                            Bank Re-vegetation

                                      Jerry Erwin Park

                                      McCutcheon Creek

 

March 14, 2007                 Spring Hill, TN                            Forest maintenance

                                      Chapman’s Retreat

                                      Aenon Creek

 

April 14, 2007                   Spring Hill, TN                            Re-forestation                                               Wyngate Subdivision                  Bank Stabilization

                                      Grassy Branch        

 

PLEASE REMEMBER TO RSVP FOR FULL DETAILS

 

 

Help Stop Water Pollution for the Sake of Public Health and

Our Environment!!!

 

Grassy Branch Creek -- Spring Hill, Tennessee

A tributary of the Duck River watershed system... Mud in Creeks due to improper development practices causes water pollution – a serious public health concern! Details here

 

      

 

 

For a current list of Known High Quality Streams in Tennessee please visit http://www.state.tn.us/environment/wpc/publications/hqwlist.pdf 

         

 

EVENTS:

 

Nashville Community Gathering on the Environment:

Christian Influence on Environmental Issues Driving Businesses in Middle TN.

Facilitators: Dr. Sandra Dudley and Dodd Galbreath

When: Tuesday, February 13 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Lipscomb University.

For more information contact j.aaron.simmons@vanderbilt.edu

 

Wolf Creek Dam Public Hearings:

February 12th at 6:30 p.m. at the 1st Baptist Church in Hendersonville

February 15th at 6:30 p.m. at Gallatin City Hall

 

Nashville Green Drinks is a local chapter of worldwide phenomenon. Each month in more than 180 cities, people who work and think in the field of sustainability get together and share a beer, ideas and a vision for a green future. Meetings are every 1st Wednesday of the month @ 7 p.m. at the Blackstone Brewery on West End Ave. For more information go to www.Nashvillegreendrinks.com

 

The Tennessee Organic Growers' Association invites you to attend the 3rd Annual Conference, to be held March 3rd, 2007 on the campus of TSU. For more information visit www.tnorganics.org

 

          Landfill Story on Channel 4

Demetria Kalodimos of Channel 4, WSMV is doing a story on landfills.  Although she is still editing, she intends to use the Smith County landfill as an example of lessons that have not been learned at the Dickson County landfill.  She will also touch on the number of landfills that are known to be leaking across the state, and what TDEC is / is not doing about it.   
At this point, it appears that the story will air on Wednesday, February 14 at 10 pm.   Demetria has kept the Dickson County landfill in the media spotlight for the last several years and will also be working on follow-up stories related to this story that will air in the future.  

  

Take Action:

Join TEC Today 

Call Ellen at 615-248-6500 to get your membership packet or check us out on the web at http://www.tectn.org. 

 

Volunteer for the Green Tie Affair

For more information, please email Barbara at BarbaraDeneke@comcast.net

 

Volunteer for the Nashville Earth Day Festival

This year’s NEDF takes place on Saturday, April 21 at Centennial Park. If you are interested in volunteering at this event, please email Charles Jobe at Charles.Jobe@state.tn.us

 

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs:  I Can See the Light…

          Get this.  If every home in the United Stated replaced one light bulb with a Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb (CFL), the reduction of green house gas emissions would be the equivalent of taking 800,000 cars off the road.  In addition, the energy saved would be enough to light more than 2.5 million homes. 

          Using CFLs in your home will not only benefit mother earth, but will save you money also.  They use 2/3 the amount of energy that a normal bulb does and last up to 10 times longer!  This means that each bulb could save you $30.

          What is the best way to use CFLs?  To have highest effectiveness, use the CFLs in the lights that you use most.  Also, make sure to read packages if you require bulbs for a special type of light fixture.  For example, there are specific bulbs recommended for lights on a dimmer switch as well as “reflector” lights for recessed fixtures.

          All info came from the US Government ENERGY STAR program.  To learn more go to www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls.

 

 

 

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The Tennessee Environmental Council is a 501 (c) (3) conservation organization whose mission is to educate and advocate for the protection of Tennessee's environment and public health.