What is Columbia Climate Change Coalition?

To connect citizens and other groups on the subject of global warming so we can take action on a personal, local, regional, state, national and international level.

To educate and motivate the general populace, administrators and leaders to promote communication with each other and take affirmative, responsible action on Climate Change

Our full Mission Statement

 

 

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IMPORTANT UPDATES AND UPCOMING EVENTS! (And "Please Pardon Our Dust," Fall 2013.)

Written by Monta Welch.

This website is currently being redesigned, so we encourage you to also visit the facebook pages for both the Columbia Climate Change Coalition and the Peoples' Visioning. 
HOWEVER, there is still a lot of great information on this website, so PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ BELOW for information on important updates and upcoming events. 

Please also CLICK ON THE TABS BELOW THE PICTURES AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE to get
more information about us and what we all can do to help address climate change.   
 

THIS PAGE CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING:

  • Upcoming Events/Meetings/Brainstorming Next Steps

 

  • Fall 2013: Join us in Our Fight Against Fracking!

 

  • 16 Reasons We Oppose Fracking for Unconventional Fuels

 

  • Contact Info. for Action & Additional Documents

 

  • "Gasland II": A Documentary Showing & Community Discussion

 

  • What is Peoples’ Visioning? (Primary Project of CCCC)

 

  • Peoples’ Visioning "Birthday "with Ingraffea & McKibben

 

  • Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)

 

  • Columbia's First Net-Zero Energy Affordable Home

 

  • Say NO to Tar Sands

 

  • Peoples’ Visioning Panel: "Dish on Organics" Panel

 

  • Earth Hour 2013 & (Earlier)

 

 

Peoples’ Visioning

 

To Address Climate Change, Sustainability,

Good Jobs & A Better Community

 

3 ALL Topic Group Round-UPS!!

Input Ideas, Brainstorm & Strategize:

 

Monday, November 11th, 7 PM

And

Thursday, November 21st, 7 PM

Library (Bdwy & Garth) First Floor Commons Tables* (*ask specifically where at entry info desk*)

 

Then

ALL Topic Group Round-UP!!

& General Meeting

 

Tuesday, December 10th, 7 PM

 

 Music! Organic Refreshments! 6:30 p.m.

 

Friends Room, Library, Broadway & Garth

 

People Visioning to Create:

*energy efficiency, conservation & renewables, *jobs, job training, mentoring, *small business startups, *neighborhood improvement, *public transportation, *local food & water security, *historic preservation & public infrastructure, *focus on youth, veterans, homeless, former offenders, those in poverty, with low education, poor health or addiction problems, *funding this

 

Sponsored By: Columbia Climate Change Coalition Co-Sponsors: Columbia Area NOW: National Organization for Women, Democracy for Missouri, Sweet Ethics Sustainability, KOPN Public Radio, Food Not Bombs, Native American Support Group, Boone County Smart Growth Coalition, MORE: Missourians Organizing for Reform & Empowerment    

 

 

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) & Peoples' Visioning Issues

 

 

There is a movement afoot in Washington D.C. to try to bring back Fast-Track in order to get an approval via an up or down vote in the House and Senate without the opportunity to have meaningful discussion or the ability to make any changes on a highly secretive trade document, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Due to excessive secrecy, only some information about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has been leaked. We are speaking only to the leaked information that we know at present, which is subject to change. The TPP has been written by corporations for corporate interests with little to no input or awareness of even our U.S. Congressmen and women. They are not allowed to read it or take any copies of small sections out of the occasional meeting they may actually be allowed into on this.

 

The gist is that this partnership will reach even further than any previous corporate-favoring trade agreement such as NAFTA, quickly eroding, in favor of business and corporations, human and others rights. In fact, TPP has been referred to as “NAFTA on steroids.” It will impact almost every area of commerce and government oversight, as well as the cultural, social, economic, and environmental justice aspects for which Peoples's Visioning stands, including:

 

*Health Care

*Food Standards

*Product Labeling

*Clean Air and Water

*Energy and Resource Extraction

*Internet Freedom

 

It's important to get the word out about Fast-Track, the TPP and what it means for all of us. Check out www.expsoethetpp.org  as well as the Peoples' Visioning open Facebook Group. Write Opinion Editorials, Letters to the Editor, share information via social media, use Twitter, share anti-TPP memes, make phone calls and leave comments on U.S. Legislators’ Facebook pages and websites, educate, tell your friends and co-workers to do the same! Letters or Op-Eds to the media are very helpful and can be the same or nearly the same as the letter or message you’ve already written to send or use as ‘Talking Points’ to tell your Representatives: ‘NO on Fast-Track and NO on TPP”! Call Radio and Talk shows.

 

We have to work together to build a peoples' movement to resist corporate domination. We urge you to stand with Peoples’ Visioning on this and other things and take action, from local to global, for all our sakes!

 

U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121, Senate Leader Harry Reid: (202) 224-3542 and White House Comment Line: (202) 456-1111.

 

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Earth Hour 2013

Written by Monta Welch.

 

Earth Hour 2013

Written by Monta Welch.

INTERNATIONAL EARTH HOUR 2013 

 

 

YOU’RE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CITY OF COLUMBIA AND SURROUNDING AREA’S ‘EARTH HOUR DAY AND HOUR’ 2013!

  

PARTICIPATE HERE OR WHERE EVER YOU ARE/COLUMBIA EVENTS BELOW!!! 

 

The first Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against the human contributions to climate change. From there, Earth Hour has now become a global sustainability movement with hundreds of millions of people, across more than 156 countries and territories in over 7,000 cities and towns, including Columbians, all adding their ‘voices and votes’ by ‘flipping the switch’! Landmarks including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Coliseum, have stood in darkness, each year since, to send a message of solidarity in a critical cause that grows more urgent by the hour!

 

Every year since Sydney’s beginning of Earth Hour, growing millions have ‘switched-off’ in solidarity, pledging support to act together and this effort has been brought to you by the Columbia Climate Change Coalition, along with participation from Columbia’s Mayors, Darwin Hindman and now Bob McDavid, the Columbia City Council, the City of Columbia, and other organizations, businesses, schools and area faith communities.

 

 In 2013 Mayor McDavid issues Columbia’s Earth Hour Day and Hour Proclamation, once again, calling on all Columbians to join with the International community to “Switch off”, brought to you again by the Columbia Climate Change Coalition, our Mayor, Columbia’s City Council, the City of Columbia, and other friends, community organizations, businesses, and schools. On Saturday, March 23, 8:30 PM-9:30 PM, please join citizens here and around the world in saving money; reducing our environmental impact; creating “green” jobs and whole new industries and economies; improving our national and homeland security; reducing healthcare costs by improving our health through a cleaner environment; educating about sustainability and the impacts of global climate change; and having fun with family, friends and neighbors all at the same time!

 

Start planning now to observe Earth Hour 2013, Saturday, March 23, 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM! Invite family, friends, and neighbors into backyards, enjoy the night sky! Discuss sustainability, how you’re “going green”, reducing your carbon footprint, saving money and how you plan to save even more! Enjoy a dinner by candlelight at home or at a local, participating restaurant, invite family and friends---discuss the issue, share information or read a book on the topic by flashlight, play cards or board games. Buy a solar or human-powered flashlight for the occasion---expand your safety equipment while boosting the economy. Make it fun and educational! Join others here, wherever you are, and around the world “switching-off” in symbolic solidarity, celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all share---our planet, Earth!!!

 

Spread the Word! Help make International Earth Hour 2013 the biggest yet!!

 

 

THANK YOU FOR ‘SWITCHING OFF’!! 

 

 HELP ‘SPREAD THE WORD’!!

 

TWITTER, TWEET, FACEBOOK, EMAIL, FORWARD WIDELY!!

 

 

 

EARTH HOUR 2013

 

Turn Off Lights & Non-Essential Electricity in Solidarity with World Citizens Pushing For Global Sustainability, Energy, & Environmental Solutions!

 

 

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 8:30-9:30 PM

 

PARTICIPATE AT HOME AND/ OR AT THESE EVENTS

 

 

WATCH LANDMARKS DARKEN:

 

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, JESSE HALL; CITY HALL; DANIEL BOONE REGIONAL LIBRARY! INTERFAITH COMMUNITY RINGS BELLS; BUSINESSES OFFER CANDLELIGHT COFFEE, FOOD; MUSICIANS, ART SHOWINGS BY CANDLELIGHT

 

 

EARTH HOUR LEAD-UP EVENTS: 

 

‘AN EVENING WITH ‘GREEN’ ARCHITECT’, DANIEL KARLOV & ‘FREE’ SCREENING OF EXCELLENT, INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED DOCUMENTARY: ‘DEEP GREEN’

7-9 PM, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, TATE HALL AUDITORIUM, MU CAMPUS

 

EDUCATIONAL ‘FORUM ON SUSTAINABILITY & CLIMATE JUSTICE’, WITH QUESTIONS TO  MAYORAL &/OR CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES, 7PM, THURSDAY, MARCH 21, ARTS & SCIENCE BLDG, MU CAMPUS, ROOM 311

 

EARTH HOUR ‘KICK-OFF’ EVENT, HEAR MAYOR’S EARTH HOUR DAY & HOUR PROCLAMATION; TAKE GREEN TOUR OF LEED CERTIFIED CITY HALL; VISIT WITH ‘GREEN’ ARCHITECT & SEE NET-ZERO AFFORDABLE, DEMONSTRATION HOME PLANS/MODELS; LEE ELMENTARY RECYCLED ART INSTALLATION, THURSDAY, MARCH 21, CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS & LOBBY, 12 NOON -1 PM, BDWY & 8TH ST!

 

‘FREE CITY BUS’, ‘ALL DAY’, MARCH 21 (&23), FOR EARTH HOUR ‘KICK-OFF’ DAY!!

 

 

EARTH HOUR DAY & HOUR EVENTS:

 

EARTH HOUR SERVICE PROJECT:

*JOIN ‘EARTH HOUR DAY’ SERVICE PROJECT LAUNCH: Neighborhood Energy, Food Security, Transportation, & Tree Planting ‘GREEN SURVEY’ with ACTION!! JOIN OUR LAUNCH OF ON-GOING/’BEYOND the HOUR’ & KICK-OFF for ‘EARTH HOUR SERVICE PROJECT’!! ALL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! E-MAIL US:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  OR CALL: 573-777-2216

 

 

WATCH LANDMARKS GO DARK *8:30 – 9:30 PM*

 

ENJOY FOOD, DRINK & COMPANIONS AT THE FOLLOWING EARLY, PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES SERVING BY CANDLELIGHT: BLEU, SYCAMORE, ADDISON’S AN AMERICAN GRILL, FLATBRANCH, SOPHIA’S, LAKOTA COFFEE & OTHERS**

 

ENJOY ACCOUSTIC, SIDEWALK MUSIC IN & NEAR PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES**

 

OBSERVE INTERNATIONAL EARTH HOUR, IN SOLIDARITY, ‘WHERE EVER YOU ARE’, SATURDAY, 3/23/2013, 8:30 – 9:30 PM!! ‘VOTE WITH YOUR SWITCH’, ‘CONNECT’, THINK ABOUT HOW WE EACH CAN HELP CREATE A SUSTAINABLE, HEALTHIER, CLEAN FUTURE FOR PRESENT & ALL GENERATIONS TO COME!!

 

 

TAKE THE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGE:

 

TAKE “GREEN” TRANSPORTATION: Walk, Bike, Car-pool & Bus—Support Future Health & Sustainability!

 

CITY BUSES ‘FREE’ ALL DAY ON ‘EARTH HOUR KICK-OFF DAY’ & ‘EARTH HOUR DAY & HOUR’, 3/21 & 3/23!

 

 

 

Ideas to Participate at Home:

 

Observe Earth Hour 2013, Saturday, March 23, 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM where ever you are! Invite family, friends, and neighbors into backyards, enjoy the night sky! Discuss sustainability, how you’re “going green”, reducing your carbon footprint, saving money and how you plan to save even more! Enjoy a dinner by candlelight at home or at a local, participating restaurant, invite family and friends---discuss the issue, share information or read a book on the topic by flashlight, play cards or board games. Buy a solar or human-powered flashlight for the occasion---expand your safety equipment while boosting the economy. Make it fun and educational! Join others here, wherever you are, and around the world “switching-off” in symbolic solidarity, celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all share---our planet, Earth!!!

 

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: COLUMBIA CLIMATE CHANGE COALITION WITH CITY OF COLUMBIA, CPS, MU, OTHER SCHOOLS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, & COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

 

 

THANK YOU FOR ‘SWITCHING OFF’!!  

 

HELP ‘SPREAD THE WORD’!!

 

TWITTER, TWEET, FACEBOOK, EMAIL, FORWARD WIDELY!!

 

FREE City Bus Rides All Day in honour of Earth Hour, 

Thursday, March 21st, our official ‘Kickoff’ day,

AND  

FREE City Bus Rides All Day on Earth Hour Day, 

Saturday, March 23rd!!

 

 

Earth Hour 2013 Kickoff at City Hall, Thursday, March 21st,

Noon to about 1 PM,

Downtown Columbia, Missouri, 8th & Broadway!!

 

Enjoy a ‘Green Tour’ of LEED Certified City Hall building, view net-zero affordable home models and Q&A with the architect! Take a FREE city bus ride, from the bus stop nearest you, and attend the 5th Annual International ‘Call to Act’ on Clean, Green Energy also thought of as International Earth Hour and the Earth Hour Kickoff at your LEED Certified City Hall ‘Green Building’, 8th & Broadway, downtown Columbia, Missouri, 12 Noon to about 1 PM, Thursday, March 21st! Hear Earth Hour ‘Event Updates’ and the Mayor’s Earth Hour Proclamation, urging participation and observance of Earth Hour, then take a ‘Green Tour’ of LEED City Hall, view model entries in a competition to design and build an energy efficient, affordable, ‘green’ home, then enjoy lunch downtown at our local eateries—many participating for 5 years, now, in candlelight dining for Earth Hour, always the 4th Saturday in March from 8:30-9:30 PM!

 

 

                         EARLY PARTICIPANTS IN COLUMBIA:

 

The City of Columbia                           Daniel Boone Regional Library                                         

University of Missouri                          Café Berlin

Columbia Public Schools                     Bleu            

MacXprts (Cherry Hill)                         Sycamore Restaurant

Boone County National Bank              Addison’s an American Grill

Landmark Bank                                   Sophia's                                                

Commerce Bank                                  The Blue Note                                                 

Brian Pape, Architect                           MoJo’s                                                                          

Daniel W. Karlov, Architect                  Lakota Coffee

My Secret Garden                                 Sub Shops

Broadway Brewery                               The Candy Factory

 

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Address Climate Change Create Good Jobs

Written by Monta Welch.

‘A People’s Visioning’

Address Climate Change Create Good Jobs

Without corporate tax giveaways, ‘false blight’, TIFs or EEZs

 

4th Mini-Conference

Tuesday, January 22nd, 7 p.m.

 

Live Music & Vegan Refreshments 6:30 p.m.

 

Climate & Visioning Project Updates

ALL Topic Group ‘Round-Up’

 

Friends Room, Public Library, Broadway & Garth

 

Join us in implementing ‘Peoples’ Visioning’ ideas to:

*create jobs, job training and mentoring, *small business startups, *neighborhood improvement projects including renewable energy & energy conservation, *better public transportation, * local food & water security, *maintenance for historic buildings & public infrastructure, *assistance for youth, veterans, homeless, former offenders, those in poverty with low education/poor health or addiction problems, *funding all this

 

Sponsored By: Columbia Climate Change Coalition.org  

 

 Co-Sponsors: Columbia Area NOW National Organization for Women, Democracy for Missouri, Sweet Ethics Sustainability, KOPN Public Radio, Food Not Bombs, Native American Support Group, Boone County Smart Growth Coalition 

 

More Info: www.ColumbiaClimateChangeCoalition.org  573-443-4717, 573-777-2216

Search: ‘Peoples’ Visioning’ for Facebook Group & Event Pages    

 

 ‘A Peoples’ Visioning’ for

‘A Different Community Vision’

4th Mini-Conference

Climate & Visioning Project Updates

ALL Topic Group ‘Round-Up’

 

 Live Music & Refreshments at 6:30 PM

 

Friends Room, Daniel Boone Regional Library, Bdwy & Garth

www.ColumbiaClimateChangeCoalition.org 

‘Peoples’ Visioning’ Facebook Group & Event Pages 

 

Topic Group Schedule:

 

Development/Finance

Thursday, January 10, 5:30-7:30 PM, Daniel Boone Regional Library (DBRL)

Tuesday, February 12, 5:30-7:30 PM, DBRL—Library

Energy

Tuesday, January 8, 7-9 PM, DBRL—Library

Monday, February 4, 7-9 PM, DBRL—Library 

 

Transportation/Infrastructure

Tuesday, January 15, 6-8 PM, DBRL—Library 

Education

Monday, January 14, 6-8 PM, DBRL—Library

Monday, February 11, 7:30-8:30 PM, DBRL—Library 

 

Neighborhoods /Water & Food Security/Public Health/Zoning & Land Use

Tuesday, January 15, 6:30-9 PM, DBRL-- Library

Tuesday, February 19, 6:30-9 PM, DBRL—Library

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Help Address Climate Change

Written by Monta Welch.

HELP US SAY NO TO FRACKING!

 

IT IS TIME, ONCE AGAIN, TO THINK
GLOBALLY AND ACT LOCALLY!!

 
Unless you support Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for city vehicles, and a CNG fueling station in our community, then you need to be at Columbia City Hall at 6:30 PM!! 

 Following the 6:30 PM rally at City Hall, City Council starts at 7PM, where you can speak in public testimony, to say you & yours do not support actions by the Council to quickly move in support of fracking! Please ask them to ‘pause’, listen to our voices, and move quickly on the 100% Renewable Solutions coming out of work by the People's Visioning.

 Additionally, PLEASE Call & Email Council Members & Mayor!  BUT ALSO, PLEASE SHOW-UP THIS TUESDAY.  Your Face=70 calls/emails.  AND BRING FRIENDS!!

 

 

16 MAJOR REASONS TO
OPPOSE ‘FRACKING’ for CNG:

 

1) Fracking is taking place here, in Missouri on the Kansas border as well as in the New Madrid Fault area in the ‘Boothill’.

 

2) Hydraulic Fracturing: ‘Fracking’, has been scientifically proven to infiltrate and contaminate underground fresh water!! (Fracking is why we have a NG boom!!) 

Fracking Water Concerns:

http://www.nrdc.org/energy/files/fracking-Wastewater-FullReport.pdf 

 

3) Fracking for NG has been proven to release methane, unable to be captured, over 20 times more potent than the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) CO2; and, it’s ‘front-loaded’! Shale Gas GHG Footprint: http://www.eeb.cornell.edu/howarth/web/Marcellus.html

See also:

http://www.eeb.cornell.edu/howarth/publications/


4) Fracking for NG requires extreme volumes of municipal, public, county, etc…fresh water, which is, then, loaded with toxic ‘Fracking’ chemicals and sand, high-pressure blasted below ground to break up underground bedrock, releasing NG! Some stays and does not return! What does return has even more toxins than previous: heavy metals, radon, etc! This even more toxic, recovered ‘slip’ must be stored or ‘treated’! Ingraffea Link Below and:

5) Large amounts of sand are required to Frack! Getting it is causing something akin to ‘mountain top removal’which is devastating the environment and communities in these areas.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/07/frac-sand-mining-wisconsin-health_n_2256753.html

 

6) The Fracking combinations of toxic substances cause human, animal and plant illness and toxicity near these Fracking areas! These chemicals do NOT have to be revealed or reported to the public and are exempt from our Clean Water Laws and EPA oversight by the ‘Halliburton Loophole’. Some folks have actually lost their lives due to fracking, many their health, their healthy lands, their livestock, farms and other livelihoods, property values, etc!! http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/08/19/a-toxic-spew.html


7) Earthquakes and sinkholes, more frequent since the ‘new’ version of Fracking has begun, which utilizes horizontal drilling along with the original vertical Fracking, are being linked to activity related to this new ‘Horizontal Fracking’!! Fracking is taking place in seismic areas including around the New Madrid Fault in Missouri, as well as California’s San Andreas!

Arkansas has been having quakes now every single day since horizontal Fracking commenced: 

http://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/recenteqs/Quakes/quakes0.html

Dallas earthquakes caused by fracking

http://rt.com/usa/news/fracking-earthquake-dallas-usa-610/

From MIT: Studies Link Earthquakes to Wastewater from Fracking

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/508151/studies-link-earthquakes-to-wastewater-from-fracking/


8) There are other options! If there was political will to invest as much in an ‘Apollo-Type’, WWII-type developmentand deployment of wind and solar, current and tidal, geothermal and a few other good renewable options, wherewe are right now, we would not need what those who influence government directions, call this ‘energy bridge

technology’=’Fracking bridge,’ with all the above negatives** Instead we could eventually, and quickly, have ‘free
energy’ for ‘the people’— NOT what those who want to keep selling us not-free and non-renewable energy want!!


9) NO ‘Free Power’ for the People –not for as long as this ‘bridge energy’ 
can be ‘sold’ to the public ‘as necessary’— a ‘bridge’ that will be built with the plan for it to last for a ½ century or more, no doubt, with the kind of investment there instead of towards renewables*** Not a very short-term bridge as is proposed, ‘sold’ or described!! This ‘bridge investment’ displaces and challenges investment in renewables.

 

10) Fracking, along with other polluting non-renewable fuel/energy receives 6-7 times more taxpayer assistance than does renewable energy** http://priceofoil.org/fossil-fuel-subsidies/

 

11) The cost of NG gas is kept significantly lower due to taxpayer subsidies and tax breaks.

Prices WILL Change As Circumstances Influence Markets:

http://www.alternet.org/fracking/anti-fracking-activists-celebrate-cancellation-gas-leases-and-drilling-plans-ne 

See also:  

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/first-drive-261-mpg-volkswagen-110000361.html


12) The cost is further kept down because of a large glut of NG now on the U.S. market. The plan is to export NG to supply global energy markets! Once this happens, there will be huge NG/CNG price adjustments, upwards, so the cost that Columbia’s decisions are calculated on will be significantly different and will able to be manipulated by markets and production for more and higher profits to corporations focused on their greatest maximum profit!


13) This local CNG direction supports not only Fracking, but also local public investment in an energy being described, inaccurately, as a ‘bridge’, as well as ‘low-cost’ (for now), climate and environmentally friendly, hugely inaccurate criteria/data/considerations supporting an investment taking our energy and tax dollars out of the community, essentially derailing and ‘starving’ investment in the real direction people want government to go---‘level the playing field’ with equal or no taxpayer assistance or give support only to more recent clean, renewable energy directions, far better for public

health and the environment! Environmental and public health costs have NOT been factored into this direction requiring this form of fracking!! Give the people the ability to generate their electricity by decentralizing and diversifying renewable,
cleaner options locally/(here in Columbia) allowing each of us a plan to generate our own electricity on our own homes and
property and/or buy ‘shares’ we own in a community or neighborhood solar (or wind, current, etc) installation,
lifting all our boats!! This is what we, CCCC along with Peoples’ Visioning (PV), have proposed to City Council, Boards,
Commissions, Water & Light Dept! Please ask Columbia City Council, to implement PV’s ‘Renewable Energy Plan for All’ (PV-REPA)
in your emails, calls and comments!!!

14) Investment in CNG/LNG/NG is further ‘risky’ as fracked wells are not all producing as strongly as hoped! The idea we have 100 years worth of this hard to reach and extract (read: ‘risky’) shale gas is promoted by folks with financial and political gains in their sight. This is discussed more here: http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/09/26/shale-gas-and-foreign-policy-highly-uncertain-prospect


15) The possibility of a leak, poor workmanship and construction, faulty design, or other ‘accident’ causing a natural gas explosion of significant destruction and magnitude is quite real! We only have to look at all the leaks, oil spills and other large explosions with just NG across the country and with our own history here, as well, to know this is certainly possible. The land for the CNG fueling station, purchased with $300,000.00 of our public money, is located immediately next to two health care facilities and a FEMA site, all 3 providing/storing oxygen tanks for customers, patients and victims of disaster! If this station had a problem, any explosion would impact 4 locations, taking out the FEMA response unit and would likely spread to 2 more volatile business a block or 2 away: the MFA and Break Time gasoline fueling stations and mini-marts. ‘Great’ location…Duh!


16) There is further concern regarding safety of large or increasing numbers of CNG vehicles being

driven in our society, the safety of these vehicles on our roads with cell phone users, smokers and other sources of volatility including severe, growing and quite negative ‘road rage’, with some people willing to go to extreme lengths expressing it!! Fracking rigs prohibit on site use of cell phones for reasons of extreme volatile potential!!

 

roup

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Create Good Jobs, Address Climate Change

Written by Monta Welch.

**Take Action on theKeystone XL Pipeline**

 

Please contact YOUR government leaders everyday.  CONTACT INFORMATION IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS ANNOUNCMENT.

Make a 20 second phone call!!

Share this on Facebook

Send e-mails to your family and friends

The Columbia Climate Change Coalition sent the following: (Use as sample ‘Talking Points’ even past the ‘deadlines’ until the President announces his decision!!!!!)

Dear__________,

On behalf of 80,000 voters in the Midwest I write and send the following, asking you to say 'NO' to TransCanada or any corporation or entity trying to move the Tar Sands to world or domestic markets through the U.S.!! Thank you for your respectful consideration and keeping your promises on transparency and action on climate change, including moving to renewable, cleaner energy making dirty energy quickly obsolete.

M. Welch

The Keystone XL Pipeline is dangerous, dirty, and destructive! The latest Environmental Impact Statement was inaccurate, incomplete, tainted with conflict of interest, even expunging connections to TransCanada and Tar Sands for several heading up the ERM, ignoring significant risk of toxic spills, ignoring catastrophic impacts on climate, and the clear consensus of financial analysts and oil executives that this pipeline will make the difference in tar sands development!

It will contribute dramatically to climate change. The State Department confirmed tar sands fuel is up to 19% more greenhouse gas intensive than conventional fuel and the industry admits it will lead to more tar sands production!

Its carbon pollution impacts are equivalent to 9 million cars on the road considering the total emissions of tar sands and refining processes.

Contrary to claims of supporters, it could end as many jobs as it creates with toxic spills in farmland or water resources, threatening essential jobs along the chain, including issues with quality and shortages of food and water on a warming planet dealing with severe drought, floods, ocean rise, hurricanes, tornados and other extremes!

Only 10% of the created jobs would be filled by local people in communities along the route.

A new pipeline now, locks us in to higher carbon emissions when we should rapidly invest in renewable energy that cannot be exported which will provide a more secure, cleaner and healthier, energy future for the U.S. and other countries following suit. This will bring more global peace and less fighting, like the young John Kerry opposed decades before, and is now part of his duty as Secretary of State and the President’s, as well!

Tar sands will increase toxic pollutants in communities near refineries already suffering from high rates of asthma and cancer.

Data suggests current analyses of the impacts of tar sands under-estimate climate impacts by at least 13%. They don’t account for a high-carbon byproduct of the refining process used as a cheap alternative to coal: petroleum coke.

The pipeline's risk to water has not changed at all with the new route. It still crosses the Sandhills and the Ogallala aquifer, reasons Gov. Heineman, Sen. Johanns and you rejected it before!

It crosses more than 1,000 water bodies across 3 states and 875 miles threatening drinking water for people, farms, and ranches with devastating tar sands spills, as have repeatedly bee seen, posing unacceptable risk to water, health livestock, industry!

The first Keystone spilled 14 times in the U.S. in its first year! Enbridge spilled over one million gallons in the Kalamazoo River in 2010. We recently saw 3 new spills in 3 states in little more than a week! How much do we have to be shown? NO TAR SANDS PIPELINES!

This is a project for personal/private good over the public good! The Koch brothers privately held empire is reported to save $2 billion with this pipeline by shifting to the Canadian Tar Sands bitumen! They and other energy corporations are lying to the American people! This energy source is NOT for the U.S. and U.S. energy security, but for the world markets! They and others, along with TransCanada, are, even without approval, are mobilizing, transporting and readying pipe, using eminent domain in this country, forcing on farmers and us this extremely dangerous, personal ‘dirty energy’ project, corporate mis-management, their greed and ‘golden parachutes’, extreme CEO compensation at stockholder’s and U.S. taxpayers’ harm and expense!

 

Please reply to my concerns!

Sincerely,

Your Name____________________

Your Contact Info___________________

 

The White House:

Email: www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

 

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

TTY/TDD: Comments: 202-456-6213
Visitors Office: 202-456-2121

Secretary of State/Kerry/2013:

General Switchboard (open 24 hours): (202) 647-4000, then 4, then ask for the Comment Line! 20 Second recording

Fax: (202) 647-3344

Secretary of State Staff on Peace and Security Concerns:

Dr. Esther Brimmer: (202) 647-2492

Asst: Colleen Greer: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Director of PR/Outreach for P & S Concerns:

Mark Schlachter: (202) 647-6889

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.



'A People's Visioning'

 

'To Create Good Jobs, Address Climate Change and Build a Better Community!!'

Mini-Conference, Wednesday, October 10th, 7PM

Music and Refreshments 6:30 PM

Friends Room, Library, Garth & Broadway

We will offer Solutions to Climate Change and Jobs, without Blight/EEZ, & Include Your Ideas!

Creating

"A Different Community Vision"

Please join CCCC & others rolling up our sleeves to bring jobs, address climate issues, and petition city leaders and our educational community to collaborate for jobs with job-specific training and mentoring in fields our community needs:

* renewable energy, energy-efficiency and conservation,
* neighborhood improvement,
* more local food,
* addressing sustainable clean water issues,
* focus, improve and support education,
* incubating small business startups thru high schools, community colleges & the university,
* improving and maintaining historic buildings,
* maintaining public infrastructure,
* remedying blight,
* improving well-being, public health, and Columbians' quality of life,
* find solid and creative funding,
* heal old community wounds and address healthy, inclusive, community building, etc!

Your ideas & resulting good jobs will alleviate poverty; low education; lack of transportation; etc. while assisting those with health, rehabilitation or addiction problems; our youth; veterans; former offenders; etc.

Sponsored By: CCCC at www.ColumbiaClimateChangeCoalition.org M. Welch 573-777-2216 or 573-443-4717 Co-Sponsors: Columbia Area NOW, Democracy for Missouri, Mid-Mo WILPF, Osage Chapter Sierra Club, Sweet Ethics Sustainability

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