Earth Day 51, a Sense of Wonder, Environmental Activism, and the Law
There is much to be thankful for on Earth Day 51—way too much for a blog post! But here are some significant and promising environmental developments that occurred recently. Environmental activism and the law are alive and well. Bald Eagle Nesting Pairs Quadrupled I look up from the greening pastures […]
Drams from Whiskey Creek Angus: We Bought the Farm and Fenced the Cows Out of the Streams
Adventure of a Lifetime Well, here we are at Whiskey Creek Angus. I’m 65 years old; Jeanne is 60. We sold our dream house of a lifetime, Meadowview, and bought a farm during the worst pandemic in a century. What’s up with that? Meadowview, located in Swoope, Virginia, was built […]
The Unnamed Tributary
The unnamed tributary. That little creek, or seep, or spring, or bog, or wetland without a name begins its life as surface water when it emerges from the ground. Most streams don’t have a name. In fact, about 60 percent of all streams are unnamed. I’ll bet you know of […]
Utility Scale Solar on Farmland?
Note: the text of this post was published in the Virginia Mercury on 1/25/2021. Virginia is on a path to achieve 100% renewable energy use by 2050, and utility-scale solar (USS) projects are being proposed in many counties throughout the Commonwealth. Energy companies are seeking landowners who will let their […]
A Humble Man and the Scarlet Ibis
We were in Trinidad to “bird.” Yes, the verb of the word bird: to look for birds. It was our last vacation before the coronavirus pandemic. Trinidad is an independent republic and the southernmost island in the Caribbean Sea, lying just seven miles off Venezuela’s coast. It is one of [...]Hope and Healing—Reflections and Pictures 2020
Are there words that can describe 2020? Plenty of negative ones come to mind, like “Why can’t you wear a mask?” But I am staying positive and sharing images of hope and healing—and planting more trees. The presidential election is over. Vaccines to treat the virus are on the way. […]
Guide for Successful Environmental Activism and Justice
One of the best gifts of 2020 was Dominion Energy’s abandonment of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. It was a victory for the little guy over corporate bullying and profiteering. I’ve written an educational guide based on how the six-year fight unfolded—Four Factors That Led to the Defeat of the Atlantic [...]Growing Climate Solutions
At last, farmers and foresters might have a seat at the carbon market table. Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in both the Senate and the House of the United States Congress to help farmers and foresters receive credits for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing soil organic matter—carbon. Note: The […]
Pipeline Fighters Defeat Dominion’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline
Note: The text from most of this post was published as an op-ed piece in the News-Leader on 7/17/20. A Six-Year Fight Against Dominion Celebrate the victory—the defeat of Dominion Energy’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP), a 600-mile, high-pressure, fracked-gas pipeline planned to rip through West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. […]