Ethical Action Report
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“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
― Debbie Macomber
Upcoming Events
Thu, Dec 12th, 5:45- 8:00 PM: Baking Night at Moveable Feast
(http://bmorethical.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3aa75bc4225ef78fa467991b1&id=979b6e730d&e=cfd0cc8401)
, 901 N. Milton Ave., Baltimore
Sun, Dec 15th, 9:15 AM: Ethical Action Committee Meeting
(http://bmorethical.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3aa75bc4225ef78fa467991b1&id=44c0a7e74b&e=cfd0cc8401)
In the News:
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick declared Dec. 8th "Humanist Community Day" t
(http://bmorethical.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3aa75bc4225ef78fa467991b1&id=77240ff7d9&e=cfd0cc8401)
hroughout the state. "We are building positive communities to help society,
and now we can say that the highest official in our state has honored our work
and encouraged others to welcome us with open arms."
Baltimore Sun Op-Ed
(http://bmorethical.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3aa75bc4225ef78fa467991b1&id=331639c179&e=cfd0cc8401)
echoes BES public position for a full scientific review of the impacts of
natural gas fracking and export before any decisions are made.
** Winter Food and Warm Clothing Drive
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The snow has fallen, and we are in the midst of our yearly Winter food and warm
clothing drive! This year we will bring our donations to TurnAround, a
Baltimore organization that works to empower adults and children experiencing
domestic violence. With your help, we hope to match last year's goal of 300
pounds of food to donate before Dec 31st. The Sunday School students are
helping to track our progress, and are learning about hunger and food equity
with our teacher LindaJoy this month. The collection box for non-perishable
food items, decorated by our students, is by the coffee counter.
We are also collecting hats, gloves and other warm items. You can place these
items on our “mitten tree”, which will be adorned through the Human Light
festival at the end of the month.
A big Thank You to Adam Garst who volunteered to bring our donated items to
TurnAround. If you would like to volunteer to help weigh the food donations or
provide additional assistance with transport, let us know at
bmorethical.act...@gmail.com.
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Last month's Events and Actions
Click here
(http://bmorethical.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3aa75bc4225ef78fa467991b1&id=40fd32b93b&e=cfd0cc8401)
to see a report of the November EAC meeting minutes.
Crossroads Tour
(http://bmorethical.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3aa75bc4225ef78fa467991b1&id=4ec9ee19d4&e=cfd0cc8401)
with Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Over 250 Baltimoreans came together last month to learn about Dominion Energy's
proposed Natural Gas Export Facility in Cove Point, MD. It was a
multi-generational crowd, and the largest of the nine tour stops in Maryland.
Among them were BES members and friends Lucas, Paul, Bernie, Jeanette, Dedrick,
Don, Alan, Cheryl and Kate.
Take-Away Messages:
1. Dominion Energy is the largest climate polluter in their home state of
Virginia. They have tried to circumvent reporting the required Environmental
Impact Statement, and refuse to say how many pipelines and compressor stations
they plan to build for this project. They will need to build their own 130
mega-watt industrial power plant just to run the export facility because of the
massive amount of energy required to super-cool the gas to liquid for transport
on ships across the ocean.
2. The Department of Energy estimates net economic losses for almost all U.S.
private sectors including agriculture and manufacturing as a result of natural
gas export, while gas companies are the only ones expected to gain profit. This
is because export will drive up prices here at home, which has the largest
impact on businesses that use a lot of energy, like agriculture and
manufacturing. The rest of us will be stuck with the price increase as well
(unless you're already on wind power
(http://bmorethical.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3aa75bc4225ef78fa467991b1&id=9f9e3463f2&e=cfd0cc8401)
!).
3. Pennsylvania is an example of what happens once incentives to frack reach a
critical mass. Currently there are 7,000 wells across the state. Gas companies
plan to increase that to over 100,000 fracking wells if the export facility is
built. If this export revenue stream is set up there will be immense pressure
to frack in Maryland, where there are shale gas deposits in 19 counties
including Garrett, Allegheny, Frederick, Montgomery, Charles, Prince George's,
and Queen Anne's counties
(http://bmorethical.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3aa75bc4225ef78fa467991b1&id=26e984810d&e=cfd0cc8401)
. These wells also come with miles of pipeline, and large, loud compressor
stations in our communities to keep the gas liquid for transport. This export
facility truly is the Crossroads.
4. Wind power offers both environmental and economic advantages. Once the
turbines are built, the wind power is carbon-free, and estimates show that we
could harness enough to cover 3/4 of Maryland's energy needs. In contrast, the
Cove Point Facility and the exported natural gas will release more carbon
dioxide (CO2) than all seven of Maryland's coal-fired power plants combined
(http://bmorethical.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3aa75bc4225ef78fa467991b1&id=c8dae02af1&e=cfd0cc8401)
, and will not contribute at all to fulfilling our energy needs. The wind
industry wants to build manufacturing plants for the wind-mills in Eastern
shore states, where the turbines are most often used, and Maryland could be the
one to get this opportunity if we invest in the infrastructure now. They are
estimated to create 400 new, permanent jobs every year, and more temporary ones
as windmills are installed. That is 3x the estimated jobs that Cove Point will
bring.
5. We need to combat climate change using every means necessary, and that means
as little fossil fuel as possible. Several intense storms this year, changes to
our oceans, and threats to the life within them are just the early warnings of
what we face. Back in 2006, the insurance company Allstate stopped offering
flood insurance coverage for new homeowners within one mile of the Atlantic
Ocean because of the "company’s catastrophic storm forecasting models
(http://bmorethical.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3aa75bc4225ef78fa467991b1&id=c2a0d8e1b6&e=cfd0cc8401)
". Biodiversity scientists estimate that if we do not dramatically reduce
burning of fossil fuels, at least 25% of the world's land-based plant and
animal species will be extinct by 2050
(http://bmorethical.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3aa75bc4225ef78fa467991b1&id=2465c3e80c&e=cfd0cc8401)
. And we don't yet know how these lost "links" in the world's food chain will
affect the rest of life on Earth. As Bill McKibben of CCAN put it, "The choice
is not between wind power and unspoiled nature.
The choice is between wind power and the destruction of the world's biology."
We have the power to make that choice
(http://bmorethical.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3aa75bc4225ef78fa467991b1&id=1b990386b6&e=cfd0cc8401)
.
** National Action and Effectiveness
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** See the Action reports from Ethical Societies around the U.S.
(http://bmorethical.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3aa75bc4225ef78fa467991b1&id=71a97e3f24&e=cfd0cc8401)
, coordinated by our own Hugh Taft-Morales. The report also offers suggestions
on what makes an effective Ethical Action. We invite you to share your thoughts
in conversation on the Dialogue List; email
dialo...@baltimoreethicalsociety.org with the subject line "Effective Action".
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