Natural gas burns cleaner than coal. However, a new study argues that replacing all the world's coal power plants with natural gas would do little to slow global warming during this century. Apparently, the carbon dioxide burden is so large and its lifetime in the atmosphere is so long that switching from coal to natural gas would cut the warming effect by only about 20 percent in 100 years' time. In contrast, switching from coal to renewable or nuclear energy would cut the warming effect by two-thirds or three-quarters.

The two scientists who conducted the study are physicist Nathan Myhrvold--former chief technology officer at Microsoft, founder of Microsoft Research, and someone with a longterm interest in climate change--and climate researcher Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution for Science. The study was published in Environmental Research Letters in February.

Myhrvold reports that compared to emissions from coal, "Cutting emissions by a factor of two or three hardly makes a difference." To avoid significant warming this century we must cut emissions by a dramatic factor--ten or twenty times.

This is all the more reason for Virginia's Dominion Power to start investing in wind and solar energy. Currently, Dominion generates no wind or solar energy in Virginia. Read more about offshore wind and Dominion Power in the Spring 2012 Old Dominion Sierran.

Read more about the study in the National Geographic Daily News or read the study in the  Environmental Research Letters.

By Linda C. Brown

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America's Arctic is on the front lines of global warming. Its temperatures are climbing at twice the global pace.

The oil and coal industries offer a double threat in the Arctic. Among the many immediate problems caused by extracting these fossil fuels from the Arctic are oil spills, excavation, waste disposal, seismic testing, and boat and other traffic. We don't have the technology or know-how to clean up an oil spill in the Arctic Ocean. Cleaning oil out of frigid water covered in sea ice in the winter darkness is a daunting, if not impossible, task. The oil industry reported 4,534 spills across Alaska's North Slope and Beaufort Sea between 1996 and 2004. Decades-old diesel spill sites still show little plant re-growth.  

In the long term, burning fossil fuels mined in the Arctic will accelerate global warming and its drastic effects on the Arctic.

Here's how you can help:  

1. Urge the Obama administration and your representatives to permanently protect America's Arctic. Find and contact your Representative and Senators, and let the White House and Department of Interior know that the Arctic needs protection.    
2. Tell your friends. The Discovery Channel is airing the series Frozen Planet, which dramatically shows the beautiful scenery and the animals of Earth's polar regions. Great Falls Group Chair Linda Burchfiel hosted a party in her home to view a Frozen Planet DVD and discuss the danger to the Arctic. If you'd like to host a party to increase awareness of what's at stake in the Arctic and of Sierra Club's Chill the Drills campaign, contact Linda at [email protected] to borrow the DVD.  

Arctic House Party, Photo by Glen Besa

To learn more about Sierra Club's Chill the Drills campaign, visit www.ChillTheDrills.org.

By Linda C. Brown

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The Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) bestowed its second annual Sanders-Henn Community Hero Award on Roger Diedrich, Smart Growth and Transportation Chair of the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. As a civic volunteer, Roger has lead Sierra Club campaigns for sustainable transportation and smart growth at the local, regional, and state levels. He's advocated for transit-oriented development at the Vienna Metro and at Tysons Corner and worked on regional and state transportation reform.

Roger will be honored at CSG's ninth annual Livable Communities Leadership Award Reception on Wednesday, May 2, 2012, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1785 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC. Learn more on the CSG website.  

The Great Falls Group congratulates Roger on this well-deserved recognition!

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The Great Falls Group puts on monthly programs of interest to members. In case you missed some of our past programs, here's a summary:

Saving Money while Saving the World: A New Residential Energy Efficiency Program. (April 2, 2012) The Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP), a nonprofit organization, gave a fun and informative presentation on ENERGY STAR's homeowners program, designed to help you achieve greater health, comfort, and savings through improvements that increase your home's value. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy to help us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. LEAP explained the four simple steps for a Home Performance ENERGY STAR Certificate:  

1. Enroll in LEAP's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program (HPwES).
2. Schedule a Home Energy Assessment.
3. Install the home energy improvements (LEAP has financing options and can help you bundle any available cash rebates).
4. Enjoy your investment in a healthier and more comfortable home.  

Only prequalified LEAP contractors can work on HPwES jobs. Learn more on the LEAP website. 

LEAP also gave away five free in-home energy reviews.

� 2010 Colleen M. Brown, courtesy Sierra Club Library

Ocean Acidification--The Other CO2 Problem. (March 5, 2012) About a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions are absorbed by the Earth's oceans. Over the last decade, scientists have learned that CO2 absorbed by the oceans is changing the oceans' chemistry, making it more acidic. This increased acidity reduces carbonate--the mineral used to form the shells and skeletons of many shellfish and coral. As a result, shell growth is slowed, and shells are weakened. If pH levels drop enough, the shells will dissolve. This doesn't bode well for seafood like lobster, mussels, and clams and is bad news for smaller marine organisms like pteropeds and coccolithophores--important food sources for ocean life.

At our meeting, 45 people came out to watch the 20-minute video, Acid Test, put out by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Afterwards, Paul Schopf, professor of Oceanography at George Mason University, led a discussion of the movie. If you'd like to learn more about this important issue, visit the NRDC website, read about "the other CO2 problem," and watch the video online. 

• Support the conservation of natural areas and wildlife
• Minimize air and water pollution as well as tourist waste
• Offer safe, enriching, and educational visitor experiences
• Respect the cultural tradition of the host destination
• Maintain and enhance the landscape to avoid physical or environmental degradation
• Efficiently use scarce or non-renewable resources, and
• Maximize opportunities for local prosperity for the host destination in the form of long-term economic viability for tourism, local management control, quality employment, local retention of visitor spending, and fair distribution of economic and social benefits.

Learn more on how to recognize a true eco-hotel from others employing greenwashing practices and see Irene's featured tours on the Greenloons website.  

By Linda C. Brown

Sign up for the Great Falls Group weekly listserv to keep abreast of upcoming programs.  

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In celebration of Earth Day 2012, Appalachian Spring will donate 15% of purchases made by Sierra Club members between April 14 and May 30, 2012, to the local Sierra Club Groups--Mount Vernon and Great Falls. Appalachian Spring is giving each member of these Northern Virginia Groups a gift certificate for $20.00, which can be spent in any of Appalachian Spring's DC-area stores. Mention you are a Sierra Club member to have your purchase count toward the donation to Sierra Club. Print out your gift certificate below and present it at time of purchase to take advantage of your $20.00 gift. 

Wednesday, April 18, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., "Cheers to Our Health" Happy Hour, Falls Church, VA.

Virginians plan to gather in Falls Church to thank the EPA for protecting our health. Enjoy great food and drink and socialize with like-minded people. Sierra Club members, friends, and neighbors from the DC Metro area will attend a happy hour toasting the EPA "to our health" to thank them for their safeguards that prevent us from getting sick from toxic pollution from coal and dirty energy. Mad Fox Brewing offers happy hour discounts until 7:00 p.m. Open to all.

Mad Fox Brewing Company, 444 W. Broad St., Falls Church, VA 22046. Phone: 703-942-6840. Free parking in building; frequent bus service from West Falls Church Metro Station on buses 28A, 28X, or 3B.

Contact Susan Bonney, (703) 402-9292, [email protected].

Thursday, April 19, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., 4th Annual Vienna Green Expo, Vienna, VA.

The Town of Vienna and the Community Enhancement Commission will be hosting the 4th annual Vienna Green Expo at the Vienna Community Center off Park Street SE.  There will be a wide variety of exhibitors, including the Sierra Club.  The focus will be on attracting students and their families to the Green Expo.  There will be a "passport" that students will take around to the exhibitors. Upon answering a question about the exhibitor's service or product, students will receive a stamp in their passport.  At the end of the evening, there will be a drawing for prizes. Visit the Vienna website for details.   

Wednesday, May 2, 7:00 - 8 p.m., Lecture: Nature's Altered Seasons, Reston, VA

Saturday, May 5, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Climate Change in Virginia: Local Impacts, Local Action, Vienna, VA. A forum sponsored by the Northern Virginia Climate Action Network to support the EPA's work to curb greenhouse gases. Patrick Henry Library, 101 Maple Ave., East, Vienna, VA.

Monday, May 7, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. (refreshments at 7 p.m.), Oakton, VA.

Natural Gas Hydrofracking: Come hear two speakers discuss natural gas as an energy source and the challenge of safe extraction. Jeffrey Brown is an energy economist and management consultant with over 30 years experience in the energy industry. Hobson Bryan has studied shale gas development closely and served as an analyst on the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. Oakton Library, 10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton. Contact: Linda Burchfiel, [email protected].

Thursday, May 31, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Vienna, VA. Great Falls Group's FIRST ACTIVIST night! If you're concerned about the environment, consider committing 2 hours a month to supporting it at our monthly Activist Night, held on Thursday nights, 7-9 p.m., at the Patrick Henry Library in Vienna.  Come have fun. Meet new people. Save your planet. 101 Maple Avenue, East, Vienna  22180. Contact: Linda Burchfiel, [email protected].

   

 Check our website for meeting updates or changes: http://virginia.sierraclub.org/greatfalls/