As an avid frog-lover myself, I was excited to hear that the state was considering adopting a North Carolina amphibian to join the ranks of the a-famed state drink, state tartan, and state rock. Who would've thought though that the bill introduced into the House to pass the state amphibian as the Bull Frog would cause so much controversy?

Turns out that a group of 4th graders from Plymouth were advocating for the Bull Frog--a popular species that we've all stumbled upon occasionally (hopefully not literally). Opposition to the bill was presented by folks at the NC Herpetological Society who sent a letter to a representative in the House asking them to reconsider the choice of Bull Frog and instead consider "a species that is truly original and unique to North Carolina." Among their suggestions were the Neuse River Waterdog, Yonahlossee Salamander, Eastern Hellbender, Marbled Salamander, and Carolina Gopher Frog.

NC Herps also suggested some changes to the bill's language including adding the statement "Whereas, amphibians play important roles in the natural systems of the state and serve as indicators of environmental health." [I was glad to see them advocate to get this phrase added--it's amazing how much work has been done studying amphibians for environmental impacts of toxics, pesticides, and much more (as noted by the work of the esteemed Dr. Tyrone Hayes.)]

Anyway, the bill passed the House this last Friday (I guess it's hard to say no to a group of politically involved nine- and ten-year olds) and is moving onto the Senate for their vote. While it will be interesting to see what the final decision is, the important part is that these very environmentally-sensitive creatures are getting some press and some recognition. If in the end folks still can't decide, might I suggest Kermit or the daring Frogger (not native to North Carolina, yet worthy of praise after crossing many a busy street and alligator-infested river.)

Hog poop. There are over 10 million hogs in NC, and almost all of their waste is piped into large open air lagoons and then sprayed onto fields where it runs off into water, sends pathogens into the air, and creates an unbearable stench.

The state put a 3 year moratorium on new or expanded lagoons in 1997, and then extended it several times. It is set to expire this September. In 2006 a study completed by NC State University, as part of an agreement between the state and Smithfield Foods, found that there were a number of innovative technologies that could manage the waste and meet environmental performance standards. Based on the assumptions used in the report, none were deemed economically viable for the industry.

And so we stay stalled. Being stalled isn’t so bad for the industry, which isn’t really looking to expand anyway, but it is bad for the environment and for the people living near hog farms and sprayfields. (To get a sense of just how bad, watch this 15 minute video from the NC Environmental Justice Network).

Quite a number of bills to deal with hog waste have been filed this year – two more were introduced this week – and it seems like a good opportunity to lay them out and take a look at what does what.

One way to continue to not deal with the problem would be to simply extend the moratorium on new hog waste lagoons for another three years, as a bill by Rep. Dewey Hill (Columbus-D) - H275, Extend Moratorium on Swine Farms - would do. This bill has passed the House Agriculture committee, which is chaired by Rep. Hill himself.

On the other end of the spectrum is a bill filed this week by Rep. Earl Jones (Guilford-D), along with Rep. Pricey Harrison (Guilford-D) and Paul Luebke (Durham-D) - H1822, Phase Out Lagoon and Sprayfield Systems. This bill calls for getting rid of all existing lagoons by 2012, requiring farmers to convert to systems that meet environmental performance standards. It is also important to note that there are some NC groups that want to see an end to industrial-scale Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) all together, and a reverting to pasture systems to ensure humane treatment of animals, reduce antibiotic use and support small farmers.

Then there are three bills which take a more market-stimulation approach by providing financial incentives to farmers to convert their lagoons to better systems. They all have the same name, but there are some important differences. The most comprehensive of the bills is one filed by Rep. Carolyn Justice (Pender-R), along with 33 co-sponsors - H1115, Swine Farm Environmental Performance Standards/Funds. H1115 does four main things: (1) makes the ban on new lagoons permanent and requires any new or expanded hog waste systems to meet certain cleaner environmental standards; (2) provides grants to farmers who convert their lagoons to a cleaner waste management technology; (3) ensures against abandoned lagoons by setting up a hog credit scheme; and (4) provides for well water testing and emergency drinking water for residents whose wells might be contaminated.

Sen. Charlie Albertson (Duplin-D), with 37 co-sponsors, introduced a slimmer version of Justice’s bill - S1465, Swine Farm Env. Performance Standards/Funds - and Rep. Dewey Hill (Columbus-D) introduced a companion in the House, H1254. The Albertson/Hill bill essentially incorporates the first two parts of Justice’s bill – the permanent moratorium on new lagoons and the grant program for farmers – but does not include the protection against abandoned lagoons or the community drinking water fund, which are critical pieces for environmental justice groups and community groups living near hog farms. This week a version of S1465 passed the Senate, and the funding component was taken out and put into a new bill S173, Swine Farm Env. Performance Standards/Funds.

There are also some ancillary hog bills out there. H1504, Certain Limited Permitting for Swine Farms, introduced this week by Rep. William Wainwright (Craven-D) would require the state to issue a permit for a new lagoon if the farmer was prevented from building their lagoon by a local regulation before the state moratorium took effect. And then there are two bills by Rep. Russell Tucker (Duplin-D) that address waste to energy. H1052, Hog Farms/Methane Gas and H1264, Cost Sharing Tied to Energy At Swine Farms. The first, H1052, would require utilities to purchase hog waste generated from methane gas at hog lagoons. H1264 would provide grants for hog waste technologies that reduce greenhouse gasses (such as methane) or produce energy. While these bills seem good on their surface, neither bill ties the energy production to any environmentally superior technology – in other words they allow polluting lagoons to profit from energy production.

Advocates have been working hard for years on finding an acceptable solution to the state’s hog waste problems. (For more background on the hog issue click here). It seems there might be momentum this year to do something more than extend the moratorium again, yet just what comes out the other end of the legislative process remains to be seen. We will keep you updated on hog waste happenings down at the legislature.

That's right - give it back!

This is what some students from a middle school in downtown Raleigh are requesting in a new video produced by the Neuse River Foundation that was released this week.

Tell us what you think of the video.

In addition, the Neuse River Foundation is asking people to contact their legislators in support of H1822, which would phase out hog lagoon and sprayfield systems in NC. To find contact information for your NC legislators, click here.

Student groups on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus are stepping it up this Earth Day to put on a whole week long series of events that all are welcome to attend!

Later today, the Morehead Planetarium will put on “Our Vanishing Skies” and will then be leading a lighting tour and sky watch at the giant sundial all beginning at 7:30pm!

Don’t miss the official Earth Day speaker and president of Environmental Defense, Fred Krupp, who will be speaking on Wednesday at 7pm in Carroll Auditorium at the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication!!

On Thursday, we’ll get a variety of perspectives on climate change from an interdisciplinary panel on global warming hosted by the UNC Focus the Nation effort with speakers ranging from the head of the Carolina Environmental Program, Dr. Douglas Crawford-Brown to former Sierra Club president, Dr. Robbie Cox! Come join us in Manning 209 at 7pm.

Events will culminate to an Earth Week Fair on Friday from 10am to 2pm when dozens of campus and community groups and businesses will be tabling on Polk Place with information and interactive activities about the environment! The rain location for this event is the Multipurpose Room in the Frank Porter Graham Student Union - Room #1505.

Finally – Saturday and Sunday is the annual Piedmont Farm Tour!!

All events on campus are free and open to the public and a campus map can be found here!

What are your plans for this year’s Earth Day? Please share any events that others may want to attend!

Lots of Earth Day events going down in Charlotte this weekend and beyond! Check out the details below.

• Wildstock Festival 2007, April 14, Concord
  This concert and outdoor festival launches the WildStock labeling campaign, which benefits the state’s Wildlife Diversity programs. WildStock is a unique partnership opportunity that allows North Carolina merchants and their customers to help the state’s nongame and endangered species through sales and purchases.
  
• CPCC Earth Day Celebrations, April 10-24, Charlotte
  The CPCC Earth Day Celebration is a collaborative effort between College programs and community organizations dedicated to protecting the environment through education and community engagement. On Wednesday April 18 and Thursday April 19 they will show Kilowatt Ours, with our own Veronica Butcher as a special guest!
• Earth Day Charlotte, April 21, Charlotte
  A fun-filled day of exhibits at Ray's Splash Planet. If you're interested in volunteering for a few hours, please contact Veronica at veronica[at]ncconservationnetwork.org.

I found out about an interesting event going on this weekend in Raleigh at the Southern Ideal Home Show. It's a tour hosted by Toyota called "Highway to the Future: Mobile Hybrid Experience." According to the media advisory (pdf):

The hands-on exhibit is designed to provide consumers with the opportunity to experience automotive hybrid technology.

Highway to the Future: Mobile Hybrid Experience is a mobile museum designed to provide attendees with interactive ways to learn about alternative fuels, simple ways to help the environment and Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system.

Check out the website for more information about the event happening this Friday through Sunday.

Also this weekend in Raleigh is the Neuse River Foundation's Spring Clean Up on Saturday, April 14! To date, 776 volunteers have removed more than 53,000 lbs of trash and debris from the river, all access points to the river and along river greenways. This is a tremendous community event--so consider coming out to help clean up the Neuse!

And of course the Global Warming Rally is also this Saturday in Raleigh (it's a busy weekend!) Come rally for a national day of action on global warming. Create a smart energy future - join faith, environmental, justice, and student activists as we take proactive steps to stop global warming and protect our treasured places and people.

As we're approaching Earth Day, I'm sure there are lots of other events going on in other parts of the state. Feel free to send any announcements to blog[at]ncconservationnetwork.org and I'll try to post about them.

By now, I imagine most folks have heard that Sims Hugo Neu is pulling their proposed megadump from the predominantly African-American town of Navassa.

Many are speculating that they cut and run thanks to pending legislation at the NC General Assembly. We don't know whether it's one of the two proposed pieces of legislation specifically dealing with Navassa's zoning and deannexation, or the long-awaited (since last year's moratorium passed) Solid Waste Management Act of 2007.

In addition to scaring away Sims Hugo Neu, these potential new rules have many of the other companies who have proposed megadumps for eastern NC runnin' for the hills. And, we think the rules should have them shaking in their boots.

Solid waste companies are balking at the idea of having to create larger buffer zones and put up money for potential contamination. I, for one, hope that these companies' reactions get NC towns and counties to think twice before accepting the risk of hosting a megadump and instead ask these companies, "what are you really selling us?" Because, it sure doesn't smell good to us. How about you?

One of the key issues impacting North Carolinians these days is that of environmental justice. As opposed to water and air quality issues, environmental justice issues haven't seen as much publicity until rather recently. Just last year, however, the legislature decided to form a commission to study environmental justice issues in our state--a great step in the right direction to ensuring that all North Carolinians, regardless of race, ethnicity, or income, are treated fairly and equally when it comes to environmental legislation. But just how far have we really come as a country in solving these issues? According to an article from United Press International, a recent study conducted by the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University:

...found more than 5.1 million people of color, including 2.5 million Hispanics or Latinos and 1.8 million blacks, live in neighborhoods with at least one hazardous-waste facility. Overall, more minorities reside near hazardous-waste sites than in 1987.

What's more is that in another study (not published yet), researchers

...found minorities are already present when hazardous waste sites are put in. Although the numbers of people of color and poor increase, these changes had already been set in motion before the facilities were sited.

While having this information can certainly help our states pass effective legislation on environmental justice, we still need legislative champions to support the legislation as well as a federal government that takes environmental justice seriously. And being that just last year the Environmental Protection Agency decided that federal facilities no longer have to report their toxic chemical releases to the Toxic Release Inventory, it's hard to believe environmental justice is an important issue to the administration.

To me--it's all about equal opportunity, fair legislation, and good, sound, environmental decisions based on science (shall I mention the Navy's OLF proposal and the mega-landfills proposed for our state?) Don't we all deserve the chance to live without fear of toxics, without putrid fumes, without declining property values? Don't we deserve to feel comfortable in our own homes--despite our racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds?

At our Annual Retreat last weekend, we talked about creative ways to get the message out for the campaigns we are working on. I stumbled across a great example of this in a recent campaign by Greenpeace. A group of Greenpeace activists "hijacked" a Kleenex ad campaign--Kimberly-Clark (the makers of Kleenex) representatives were on the streets of New York asking passersby to tell their sob stories and "let it out" by crying into a Kleenex tissue.

What most folks don't know is that Kleenex tissues are made from 100% virgin fiber from the Boreal ancient forest. Greenpeace activists made up pretend sob stories to get behind the Kleenex camera. Once the tape was rolling, they claimed what makes them really sad is the way that Kleenex is destroying ancient forests and clearcutting trees. They call their thwarting of the Kleenex ad their "Kleercut" campaign and passed out information trying to get Kleenex to change their ways. Check out the YouTube video--for a laugh, for ways to get involved on the campaign, and for a great example of thinking outside the box in terms of campaigning.

Today the Supreme Court made an exciting ruling regarding the regulation of carbon dioxide emissions. According to a New York Times article,

The Supreme Court ruled today, in what amounts to a rebuke of the Bush administration, that the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide from automobile emissions, and that it has shirked its duty in not doing so.

This is big news because it dismisses the Bush administration's viewpoint that the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A) doesn't have the authority to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant through the Clean Air Act. While this is certainly not the end for the ongoing discussions surrounding the issue of global warming, it's certainly a step in the right direction.

Final word or not, today’s decision was bound to please environmentalist groups. “The Supreme Court has reaffirmed what we have been saying all along: the Clean Air Act gives E.P.A. authority to fight global warming,” said Howard Fox, a lawyer for Earthjustice, who argued the case before a federal appeals court.

To see the U.S. Supreme Court slip opinion (decision), click here (pdf).