Saturday, June 27, 2009

PBC Environmental Summit on July 5th

from 2-4 at Patch Reef Park in Boca Raton

There will be food, music, sports and plans for environmental activism.

We will be discussing:

-The new Scripps fight brewing at FAU Jupiter Campus,
-Our ongoing battle with FPL (including lawsuit updates),
-Banning plastic bags in PBC
-Addressing climate change at the grassroots level
-And any other topics those in attendance would like to discuss.

Anyone who is interested in helping to organize this event, contact
Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition: Barry Silver (561)483-6900

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Critics take aim at FPL natural gas pipeline during open house in Indiantown

By Alex Tiegen
Monday, April 27, 2009

INDIANTOWN — Critics Monday night expressed disapproval for a proposed 300-mile natural gas pipeline as representatives of Florida Power & Light presented the project at an open house.

FPL’s open house at the Indiantown Civic Cneter was the third in a week. The pipeline will go from the Martin Plant in Indiantown to Bradford County, where it will receive natural gas from deposits out of state.

The $1.5 billion pipeline project is intended to increase the natural gas supply to FPL plants in Cape Canaveral and Riviera Beach and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the two locations. The project must be approved by the state Public Services Commission before it can begin.

FPL employees showed guests maps of the new project, an example of the pipe to be used and information about the economic and environmental impact of the project. Another display indicated how many of the 7,500 jobs, 3,500 of which are in construction, will be located in each county and how much tax revenue the project could generate in each county in 40 years. Treasure Coast counties could receive $102 million in property taxes from FPL over the period.

Ed Luscinskas, a Stuart resident, said he was glad FPL was investing in clean-burning natural gas, although he also believes in investing in alternative energy sources.

“This is a good step in the right direction,” Luscinskas said.

Across the center’s parking lot, a small group of environmental advocates that included members of the Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition and Everglades Earth First waited with a sign reading Florida’s Pollution Legacy (FPL) and a ream of flyers claiming the state’s largest utility is using the allure of jobs to draw support for projects that will increase pollution.

The flyers stated the 1,100 jobs offered as part of FPL’s Solar Power Plant, slated to start construction next year in Martin County, and the solar energy project were just marketing strategies for “power-hungry executives.”

And the natural gas pipeline?

“FPL’s creating a regional dependence on natural gas, which is going to be depleted pretty soon,” said Peter Shultz, a Hobe Sound resident and member of Everglades Earth First.

Shultz said money should instead be invested in renewable energy instead of gas.

Jackie Anderson, a spokeswoman for FPL, refuted the group’s claims. She said the company needs to diversify its investment in energy sources because there was no single silver bullet to preventing energy waste. The group protesting the project could be using its efforts on other issues, she said.

“We just feel that their claims are baseless,” she said.

Source:
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/apr/27/critics-take-aim-fpl-natural-gas-pipeline-during-o/?feedback=1#comments

Monday, June 1, 2009

Support Barley Barber Swamp Defender Brittany Pottle!

On May 29th, one of the Barley Barber 17, Brittany, was sentenced to 30 days in Martin County Jail. She plead no-contest to three charges. Back in January, Brittany bravely defied law enforcement officers as well as Florida Power & Light security guards by crossing into Barley Barber Swamp through a water way that is both waters of the State and waters of the U.S. Brittany carried out a swamp occupation attempting to protect and call attention to the old growth cypress swamp with 1000 year old cypress trees. Barley Barber is a gem, a primeval landscape, and one of the only old-growth cypress forests left in the Southeast Coast. FPL's Martin Power Plant, the largest fossil fuel power plant in the U.S. is pulling water from below the forest causing soil subsidence and the eventual collapse of the entire ecosystem.

Please support Barley Barber Swamp, Brittany, and eco-defense by writing to her at the following address. She could also use lots of books! Also, consider donating to Everglades Earth First! to help with legal funds! Check out the paypal link on www.evergladesearthfirst.org home page.

Martin County Jail
Brittany Pottle
800 SE Monterey Rd.
Stuart, Florida 34994


Martin County Jail Regulations on published materials:
"Inmates may receive Newspapers, magazines, books and periodicals sent directly from the publisher or approved vendor such as a retail book seller, internet distributor or book club via the US Postal Service or private delivery service. Inmates may receive educational, and reference books through the U.S. mail system, provided they are mailed directly from the publisher or bookstore. There are no limitations on religious material. All reading material must be in paperback form."

from: http://www.evergladesearthfirst.org/legal.htm