If everyone in California replaced four conventional light bulbs with four compact fluorescent ones, they would save enough electricity to shut down 17 average-sized power plants. If they all installed low-flow shower heads, the hot water saved would allow another 15 power plants to go off line. But while they’re at it, if they installed solar hot water heaters they would be able to shut down 67 average-sized power plants.

If the state of California bought all the bulbs, shower heads and solar panels and gave them out free to every family the cost would be about $135 million. This is a small fraction of the price of building just one power plant – price tags for nuclear plants start at about $4 billion. (Excerpted from May 2001 "News on Earth")

Sprawl, defined by the American Planning Association (APA), is the amount of land developed per person. In a recent study by APA, West Virginia had the dubious distinction of being number one in the nation for sprawl.

Not only does the current spate of highway building eat up tax dollars in true boondoggle fashion, destroy more forests, add to the hazard of serious flooding, cause more air pollution from the increased traffic, but it also is a prime reason for the sprawl in West Virginia.

Sprawl increases the cost of basic services like water, sewer police and fire protection. It gobbles up forest and farmland and makes it impossible for public transportation to be economical – forcing still more dependence on the biggest air polluter of them all, the automobile.

(Excerpted from the May 2001 issue of "The Potomac Highland Steward.")

In Saskatchewan Province Percy Schmeiser has farmed for forty years. He was one of those who weren’t buying when Monsanto came around to twist farmers arms into buying their "Roundup ready" genetically altered seed. So he was astounded to find he was being sued by Monsanto for not paying them for growing their "Roundup ready" canola seed. Unknown to him, Monsanto agents trespassed on his lands and obtained a sample of canola which they said was a product of their seed. Apparently the pollen from adjoining farms had drifted in and contaminated his crop, producing some plants that were of the Monsanto’s patented variety without Percy’s consent or knowledge. So he would be entitled to damages for contaminating his fields, right? Wrong! -- a Federal Court of Canada judge ruled a large settlement for Monsanto! Could this happen in the US? You be it could, especially with the current administration in power. Scary! (Excerpted from an Elizabeth Fattah article in the Spring/Summer issue of "Green Politics.")

The Bush Administration last month decided to spend 20 million of taxpayer dollars to bail out Aventis, the genetic engineering behemoth that was responsible for the infamous Star Lite genes. The money used for this had been earmarked for disaster relief for farmers. (From the Rural Advancement Foundation, International)

"The Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Tucker County is one of West Virginia’s natural jewels," Byrd said. "Within the refuge’s boundaries, 40 different wetland and upland plant communities support an equally varied wildlife of more than 290 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

"The adjacent 12,042 acres at the northern end of the grounds will provide important new resources for the refuge, allowing it to continue to be one of the largest and most diverse freshwater wetland areas in central and southern Appalachia," Byrd said.

July 16, 2001 Washington, D.C- - The leadership team of Dianne Bady, Director; Janet Fout, Project Coordinator; and Laura Forman, Organizer, of Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC) from Huntington, West Virginia today was named a national finalist of the "Leadership for a Changing World" awards program, which was launched by the Ford Foundation in September 2000. OVEC is one of 36 finalists selected in a highly competitive process from a pool of over 3,000 nominations. OVEC is now eligible to become one of the twenty national award winners who will receive $100,000 each to advance their work and an additional $30,000 for supporting activities. The final winners will be announced on September 13, 2001..

Bady, Fout and Forman are three names now well known to the political and industrial powers of the Ohio River Valley. Since forming OVEC a decade ago, the three women have proved a formidable force in fighting for sustainable and environmentally sound economic development in the region. Through community activism, strategic use of the media and tireless political action, the trio has led a successful effort to fight off new polluting businesses while publicizing information on special interest donations to state politicians. Through this work, OVEC is pursuing its long-standing battle against mountaintop removal, which continues to threaten the state’s environmental future.

They forced dramatic pollution reductions at a huge oil refinery, resulting in cleaner air and water. They've spearheaded successful efforts to fight off new, heavily polluting industries, including a toxic waste incinerator and landfill, and the planned largest-on-the-continent pulp mill whose owners refused to use clean technologies. Bady, Forman and Fout have also initiated numerous lawsuits which resulted in stronger environmental enforcement. They co-founded the Peoples’ Election Reform Coalition / West Virginia, to work on an underlying cause of environmental destruction – our current political campaign finance system. OVEC’s biggest issue is its battle against mountaintop removal / valley fill strip mining, which continues to threaten West Virginia's environment, long-term economy, and coalfield communities. _

Penny Loeb has had a web site for some time which describes many coalfield communities and how mountain top removal mining impacts them. She has recently added a whole new section, complete with many photos, on the disastrous floods in Southern West Virginia of July this year.