Mattawoman Creek Maryland's Most Polluted?

Hey, Maryland and Virginia Sierra Club Members, not to mention any friends I have at American Rivers! Here's the skinny right from the horse's (That'd be the Sierra Club) mouth:

Dear Members of the Maryland Sierra Club,

Spring and summer are in the air! As temperatures reached in the 90's this weekend I'm sure all of us thought about our favorite spot by the water. Everyone has that special creek where the water is refreshing and the swimming and fishing are perfect. Unfortunately, one of those gems that is a favorite to many Maryland residents is in jeopardy.

Mattawoman Creek, one of the most productive tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay is in danger. Charles County officials have requested permits to construct a four lane, 6.5 mile highway, the Cross County Connector - extension, that would plow across the full width of the sensitive Mattawoman Creek watershed.

Where do things stand?

Before the highway can be built, Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) must decide by June 1st whether or not to issue a permit. According to the Southern Maryland Newspaper, MDE has "indicated that they are prepared to deny the permit." (http://www.somdnews.com/stories/04222009/indytop94347_32253.shtml)

Mattawoman Creek is so threatened by this road, that it has been recognized by American Rivers as the FOURTH MOST ENDANGERED RIVER IN THE COUNTRY!

WE as a state can stand up for Mattawoman Creek and urge MDE to deny a permit to build the Cross County Connector. If Maryland is for cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay, let's be sure not to pollute one of the remaining healthy tributaries.

ACT NOW: Please, email Secretary Shari Wilson today at stwilson@mde.state.md.us (or call 410-537-3084) and share this message (in your own words is best):

Subject: Deny wetland permits for the Cross County Connector extension. Save Mattawoman Creek.

"Please deny permits for the proposed Cross County Connector extension in Charles County which threatens the Mattawoman Creek. The Mattawoman Creek is the healthiest fish nursery in the Chesapeake Bay because it is protected by surrounding forests and wetlands. This highway proposal would destroy the Mattawoman Creek by increasing traffic, development, and pavement in its watershed. Finally, if transportation is really needed, let's build smarter, with public transportation like a light rail link to Waldorf.

"Your name

Your address (especially town and zip code!)

Be sure to give your town and zip code when writing!

The Secretary needs to understand both the breadth of concern (if you are nonlocal) and the depth of local opposition (if you are local).

So that we can keep track of the amount of pressure MDE is getting on this issue, PLEASE LET US KNOW WHEN YOU CALL OR EMAIL MDE. Hopefully, come June 1st we'll all have something to celebrate! Please see below opportunities to join us at Mattawoman Creek for a canoe trip, hike, or invasive plant removal to see with your own eyes just how wonderful a place it is. Hope to see you at the creek!

Alana Wase
Conservation Program Coordinator

***Want to do more?
Visit this site: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.mattawoman07apr07,0,3072403.story , print out the newspaper article and mail in a copy to Governor O'Malley (Office of the Governor, State House, 100 State Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401) with the same message, urging that Maryland deliver its promise on cleaning up the Bay and therefore, DENYING a permit to destroy non-tidal wetlands.

***Want to see the Mattawoman Creek for yourself? Join us at one of these upcoming outings: Mattawoman Creek Canoe/Kayak Trip Saturday May 2nd at 9am to attend, you MUST RSVP for more details visit: http://www.maryland.sierraclub.org/events/e103.asp

Chapman Forest Invasive Removal Sunday May 3rd at 10am http://maryland.sierraclub.org/action/p0005.asp#Calender

Mattawoman Wildland Family Walk Saturday May 16th at 1pm, you MUST RSVP for more details visit: http://www.maryland.sierraclub.org/events/e100.asp

***For more information about the Mattawoman Watershed: http://mattawomanwatershedsociety.org

Tell the President NO on Mountaintop Removal Mining

Ya'll already know I'm against coal because its the dirtiest burning fossil fuel we've got. We'll here's another good reason:Moutaintop Coal Mining is literally blowing the top off of the iconic Appalachian skyline. High explosives blast loose the very stones of the mountain, and the scraps are shoved into valleys and streams, forever changing the topography of the mountain range and causing massive water pollution. The biological diversity of one of the planet's oldest mountain ranges is at risk of being devistated by a recent court ruling which states that the Clean Water Act 'as written' will not protect streams. According to The Stop Mountaintop Removal Campaign 'About 100 mountaintop removal mining permits were on hold pending this case. The ruling potentially opens the floodgates for more destruction in Appalachia. These permits will destroy 432 valleys and 213 miles of streams in Kentucky and West Virginia alone.'

So what can we do? Tell them to rewrite the Clean Water Act so it DOES IT'S JOB! And to not allow Mountaintop Removal Mining to do any more irreversible damage to one of the most geographically and culturally unique locations in America. You can do so by sending a message to our leaders through both The Sierra Club campaign, and the Stop Mountaintop Removal Campaign.

Sierra Club's message (Video)
Stop Mountaintop Removal Campaign

Don't let them build a railyard in our state park, Arizona!

From SaveThePeak.org:

"Picacho Peak State Park and the surrounding areas are in danger. On November 29, 2006, the Pinal County supervisors unanimously voted to revise the general plan, allowing industrial use at the base of Picacho Peak. They gave Union Pacific a green light, encouraging them to purchase just less than 1500 acres of land at the base of the peak to build a mega railroad hump/switching yard. This yard will cover an area that is over six miles long and three miles deep, along the I-10 corridor.

A group of concerned citizens and experts voiced dozens of reasons to stop the rezoning, ranging from the adverse affect to the natural environment to a moderate chemical spill that would shut down I-10 for a minimum of 12 hours. The Pinal County supervisors did not waiver, dismissing the environment and public safety in favor of the slanted report, submitted by Union Pacific, showing economic growth.

This report was not site specific; the rail yard does not have to be built at the base of Picacho Peak for Pinal County to benefit from any potential economic growth. The Picacho Peak site was chosen because of the decrease cost to Union Pacific. In 2006, Union Pacific set an all-time quarterly record, growing 15 percent to $4.0 billion in operating revenue. They can afford to build at another location.

This yard will adversely affect the natural environment and future economic development of Picacho Peak State park area. We need your help to fight this “David and Goliath” battle -- with your support we can convince Union Pacific and the State of Arizona to choose an alternative site that does not destroy our coveted natural resource for generations to come. Click here to send a letter and to post your thoughts.

The decision now lies with State Land and the Governor. Please help preserve the peak for our future generations. Get involved now."

Picacho Peak is truly a land mark in Arizona. I call it 'Draco's Mountain' because for some reason to me I can just imagine a big ol' dragon perching up on that craggy peak. Passing it is a highlight of my trip every time I drive up from Tucson to Phoenix. Don't let the Union Pacific and the government desecrate our State Park! Go to SaveThePeak.org and voice your thoughts now!

They want to put a 6x3 MILE railyard here?! (damn blogger pictures aren't working AGAIN. Visit the Gallery!)

How not to save the Planet

Here's a fabulous idea someone came up with to combat our dependence on oil: liquid coal.
Could anything be MORE what we do not need than this? Coal on its own is one of the dirtiest things we can burn, and the process by which it becomes liquid produces TWICE as much carbon dioxide as the coal itself, not to mention the additional pollution created when we USE it. Only the coal exec's who would stand to make even more of a fortune on his venture would think it was a good idea. They're right up there on my list along with the Big Oil exec's, and the politicians who support them.
Carbon emissions aside, the environmental impact of coal mining is staggering. Coal mining makes clear-cut logging seem like child's play. In my home mountain ranges of Appalachia strip- and mountaintop mining techniques are used, both of which leave the mined areas completely devastated, the open pits and neighboring valleys filled with overburden and slag. Many an iconic skyline has changed drastically due to mountaintop mining. Even in underground mining, years after a mine has been closed underground tunnels may collapse, causing drastic changes in topography and damaging nearby infrastructure such as roads and power lines. Furthermore: "Historically, coal mining has been a very dangerous activity. Open cut hazards are principally slope failure, underground mining roof collapse and gas explosions. Most of these risks can be greatly reduced in modern mines, and multiple fatality incidents are now rare in some parts of the developed world."
SOME parts, it says. But if you've been keeping even a remote eye on the news ticker in the past several years we seem to have at least one, usually more instances of mining explosions, cave-ins and floods in the U.S. every year. 2004 reported 28 deaths in mining accidents. This means that the high cost of cheap coal is more than just environmental impact. It's human life.
Let our government know that this is NOT the solution we're looking for!

Author's Note: Still working on mustangs! I found a list of all of the BML roundups scheduled for this year but I've misplaced it, I'll have it up as soon as I can!

Random Rant on Global Warming, Alternative fuels

I've been wanting to get this off my chest for some time. All right. Assume we listen to all the theories about global warming; it's caused by human actions, it's a natural cycle; we can do something about it, we can't do anything about it. Al Gore is an idiot, George Bush is an idiot (I won't argue that second one.) You can believe whichever side of the argument you want to, and it makes no difference when you come right down to it. Say, just for argument, that global warming is a natural cycle and humans can't make any real difference at all. So what? Why is that a reason to not do things that would help our entire planet and ultimately ourselves anyway? How is this a logical argument? At this point there is nothing logical about the debate over global warming. With elections just around the corner and all its nothing but political mudslinging and one-upping these days. So let's pretend global warming just doesn't exist at all. Should we then just go on belching harmful chemicals into our atmosphere, chemicals that cause childhood asthma, acid rain, and ugly smog, just because hey, its not making the planet any hotter, so why not? Is there a good reason to rape our National Parks and public lands for fossil fuels that, lets face it, though it may not be in the foreseeable future are going to run out anyway some day, or become too expensive to extract, when we could be developing and embracing cleaner burning, renewable fuels? The fact that at this point in time (and I have no doubt this will change for the better!) it is no less expensive to make and use alternative fuels such as Ethanol is no excuse not to do it! Its not MORE expensive, and its better for the planet and ourselves. What do you have to lose, people? The problem is people seem to want Ethanol to be a cure all for all of their problems...they want it to solve the problem with the cost of fuel, with global warming, with our agriculture, with jobs...and it's possible that some day it can do all these things. But we're just starting out people. Change like that doesn't happen over night.
The bottom line I'm trying to get to is that there is absolutely no good reason why everyone should not do what they can to keep our planet, animals, and ourselves clean and healthy. It just makes sense.
Author's Note: While I find Earth Day Energy Fast (.org) to be a radical group, I've gone ahead and included their link in the picture above...since I stole the picture from them. haha.