Map of the Illinois Coal Basin
REGISTER NOW FOR MAY HCA ORGANIZING RETREAT
Register today to join us from May 17 to May 19 at Camp Ondessonk in the beautiful Shawnee Hills (see map)!
We’ll focus on building the skills, networks and campaigns we need to ensure that the true costs of coal are borne by the industry as we work to create a just and sustainable energy future in America’s Heartland. There will be three different tracks (general, organizing and technical), offering something for all, no matter what your level of knowledge or expertise.
Free time will be scheduled so that you can enjoy the beauty of mid-May in southern Illinois, and we’ll enjoy Carter and Connolley, Illinois’ “Preeminent Folk Warriors”, who have a gift for conveying environmental messages through their songwriting and storytelling in the most entertaining and engaging way.
Programming is free and will focus on: learning the basics; organizing successful campaigns; and understanding the technical and legal mechanisms communities can use to fight proposed coal mines and power plants. Our workshops will have something for everyone, whether you are new to the movement or a seasoned activist. Click to download a copy of the draft schedule.
Cost covers food and lodging, and ranges from $25 (tent camping) to $60 (hostel-style rooms in the lodge) for the entire weekend.
Let’s work together to build the skills, networks and campaigns needed to create a just and sustainable energy future in America’s Heartland. Need more information? Click here. Or … click here to register now.
CONGRATULATIONS GO TO
STAND UP TO COAL!
In a positive development and favorable outcome for area residents, farms, and natural resources, on Monday, February 11th, the Village of Homer voted 3-2 against an ordinance that would have approved a contract to sell potable water and sewer services to Sunrise Coal LLC, a subsidiary of Hallador Energy.
“Clearly, a majority of the Homer Village Board members understood that this vote was not just about selling water,” said Jonathan Ashbrook, rural Homer resident and member of Stand Up to Coal. “This vote is a key step in preventing Sunrise Coal from bringing an unwanted coal mine to our community.”
While representatives of Sunrise have stated the vote will not impact their plans to open a coal mine, this does seem to represent a major setback for their operational plans.
Join the ongoing conversation on Stand Up to Coal’s Facebook page, and learn how you can help them protect their community from coal. More …
TAKE ACTION NOW
Illinois’ abundant high-sulphur coal saw record demand oversees last year, according to according to a new report commissioned by the Illinois Office of Coal Development that was released Wednesday, May 2, 2013.
The study, prepared by Energy Ventures Analysis Inc., found that 13 million tons of Illinois coal was exported in 2012. That’s a fivefold increase from the 2.5 million tons shipped out of the U.S. in 2010.
Please take a moment to remind Governor Quinn this increase in coal exports comes at a huge expense to Illinois communities:
- New surface and underground mines threaten the state’s agricultural communities by destroying and subsiding prime farmland.
- Coal mines pollute our rivers and streams with impunity, racking up hundreds of pollution violations while our state agencies rubber stamp new permits.
- “Jobless” coal boom – Illinois exported 5 times as much coal in 2012 as in 2010, but mining jobs only increased by 14% (~3,500 to 4,000 miners) – the fact remains, coal mining is an insignificant part of the state’s economy, so why is DCEO bending over backwards to please the industry?
- Digging coal is digging Illinois even deeper into debt as the coal industry raids our mineral wealth without sending so much as a cent back to the state in severance or sales taxes, which all neighboring coal producing states collect.
Click for more and contact information for Governor Quinn.
MARY ANNE HITT TO KEYNOTE MAY RETREAT
Mary Anne Hitt, Director, Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign
We are pleased to announce that Mary Anne Hitt, director of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign will deliver a keynote address at our May organizing retreat that will take place from May 17 to May 19 at Camp Ondessonk in the Shawnee Hills. Have you registered?
About Mary Anne
Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign is working to eliminate the pollution caused by coal throughout its life cycle, and repower the nation with clean energy. In 2012, Mother Jones described the campaign as “a grassroots rebellion [that] is winning the biggest victory yet on climate change.” Mary Anne previously served as executive director of Appalachian Voices (where she was one of the creators of the award-winning campaign, iLoveMountains.org), the Ecology Center, and the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project.
This year, the Washingtonian listed Mary Anne as part of “The New Guard: People Who are Shaping Washington” in Obama’s second term. She is a senior fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program.
Mary Anne obtained her Master’s of Science degree from the University of Montana, where she received the Len and Sandy Sargent Environmental Advocacy Award, and her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, where she was a Whittle Scholar and the founder of the campus group Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville (SPEAK), and where she later received the 2008 Notable UT Woman Award.
Mary Anne grew up in the mountains of eastern Tennessee,and now lives in West Virginia with her family.
