Environment Roundtable

The League believes that climate change is a serious threat facing our nation and our planet.

State and local Leagues, and individual League members, have a critical role to play in helping limit future climate change and protect the planet.

The League is calling for prompt action to cut this country’s GHG emissions, to invest in a clean energy economy, and to help the world’s poorest countries tackle the challenges of climate change.

• Raise public awareness of the causes and impacts of climate change
• Build citizen support for clean energy transition and energy conservation
• Monitor and support legislation, regulations, and local initiatives that address clean energy use, energy conservation, and protection from pollution of air, water, and land.

In addition to our own research and discussion, the ERT invites speakers to address

• climate change, its causes and consequences,
• the urgent need to transition to clean energy and the obstacles to that transition, and
• the actions we are taking, and must take, to meet this challenge.

ERT programs are recorded and posted to the LWVPT YouTube channel.

We informally partner with other nonpartisan environmental groups to strengthen advocacy for a safe and healthy environment. We may attend civic and governmental meetings and lobby lawmakers to learn how decisions are made and to speak for the League’s policies on the environment and climate change. We may take field trips to see solutions in action.

2022-2024

Matthew Mayers, volunteer with Citizens’ Climate Lobby
Mayers gave a high-level overview of how NC electric utilities (in particular Duke Energy) are regulated and highlighted some of the structural problems that stand in the way of effective decarbonization of our electric grid.
Watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/xUlRlQNdYkE?feature=shared

Dr. John Zino, Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, NC State University
Dr. Zino’s presentation at our Lunch with the League was an educational overview of the history of nuclear energy.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/2rE5e-ow5AE?feature=shared

Lisa Sorg, Environmental and Investigative Reporter for NC Newsline
Sorg spoke about NC’s nuclear power, including the move to smaller nuclear modular reactors. She shared a wealth of resources to educate us about nuclear power, including links for permitting and licensing; waste disposal; oversight and enforcement; and event notification reports, including federal and state entities. Contact [email protected] for a list of resources shared.
Watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/AX1lUOWL6tI

Rod Adams, Former US Nuclear Submarine Engineer
Adams founded Atomic Engines, Inc., which was one of the earliest advanced nuclear ventures established in the U.S., whose aim was the development of a small modular reactor (SMR). He shared some history and current development of the SMR design.
Watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/v9CmWcQu8aM

Dr. Shaleen Miller, Sustainability Director for the City of Winston-Salem, teaches the Urban Ecology & Design class in the Environment and Sustainability Program at UNCG.
Her presentation showed ways for citizens to protect and maintain a robust tree canopy essential to clean air, regulating water flow, cooling cities, providing habitat and more.
Watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/zF1zNrO454k

Dr. Shamika “Shree” Dorestant, Greensboro’s first Chief Sustainability Officer
Dr. Dorestant introduced us to the City’s Community Sustainability Council and 20-Year Strategic Energy Plan.
See Greensboro’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience
Watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/tDmaaOzp0-A

Marion Gamble, Greensboro chapter member, Beyond Plastics
Beyond Plastics is a nationwide project that “pairs the wisdom and experience of environmental policy experts with the energy and creativity of grassroots advocates to build a vibrant and effective movement to end plastic pollution.”
Contact: [email protected]

Gary Kenton, LWVPT Board Member
Gary opened a discussion of the pros and possibilities of nuclear energy as a power source for the future. The film Pandora’s Promise was recommended as an introduction.

Margaret Rowlett, Solar Power Now Coalition (SPNC)
A partner of the ERT, the SPNC advocated for the formation of the City of Greensboro’s Strategic Energy Plan (SEP) and advocates for additional clean-energy commitments in the Guilford County Board of Education’s Energy Plan.
The ERT made a written Public Comment for inclusion of three additional commitments for the Guilford County Schools Energy Plan.

Ashley Robinson, Greensboro’s Waste Management Educator
Ashley’s presentation showed the how, why, what and what not for recycling in Greensboro.
Watch the recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8Mc49jqjjM
Further information here: https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/departments/field-operations/recycle

Kirsten Minor, Health Manager for CleanAireNC (AIRE means Action and Innovation to Restore the Environment)
CleanAireNC’s mission statement is “We advocate for the health of all North by pursuing equitable and collaborative solutions that address climate change and air pollution.”
Watch the recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCn1ysDFRN8&list=UULFw7uUq2dwGH0_s7aiRMlYkQ

Justin Catanoso, ERT League Luncheon 2023
Justin Catanoso, professor of journalism at Wake Forest University and reporter for Mongabay, international environment news organization, spoke at the ERT League Luncheon, open to the public. He shared his investigative reporting about the biomass wood pellet industry in NC (Enviva) that clear cuts mature tree stands and ships pellets overseas to be burnt in industrial furnaces.
See: https://news.mongabay.com/2023/07/timber-harvests-to-meet-global-wood-demand-will-bring-soaring-emissions-study/

Contact [email protected]