March/April EarthShare NC E-News 
In This Issue
ON THE HOMEFRONT
We are happy to announce ESNC's newest workplace partners! If your workplace is interested in supporting EarthShare NC and our 70 member nonprofits to protect our water, air, land, and wildlife, contact Heather Beard, 919-687-4840.

                         

Strata Solar
is one of the top solar providers in America, committed to fostering sustainable energy while providing a sharp focus on the bottom line. They develop cost efficient alternatives to traditional energy sources. 

McAdams

was founded in 1979 and is now one of the largest infrastructure design firms in North Carolina. McAdams provides design, surveying, and permitting services to public and private clients.

YOUR DOLLARS AT WORK
Photo from Waterkeeper Alliance
Coal Ash Spills: ESNC Member Response
 

NC made national news recently when Duke Energy's coal ash containment basin in Eden, NC contaminated the Dan River with approximately 39,000 tons of coal ash. Sources say this spill is the third largest coal ash spill in US history. The spill strikes at an intersection of issues that EarthShare NC member nonprofits work to protect and improve, including water quality, wildlife, river ecosystems, environmental policy, and cleaner energy alternatives.

 

Coal ash is a byproduct of burning coal for electricity.  ESNC members including Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), Western NC Alliance, and Sierra Club have been working for years to close coal ash ponds in NC. According to the SELC, coal ash ponds are often unlined and have leaked arsenic, mercury, thallium, selenium, and other contaminants into rivers and groundwaters. These contaminants increase risk for cancer and have been found in waters near Wilmington, Asheville, Myrtle Beach, and Charlotte. In response to the Dan River spill, NC League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense Fund and others are working to hold the State and Duke accountable for taking care of North Carolinians'  health. For updates, visit the NC Sierra Club. To find out about coal ash near you, see SoutheastCoalAsh.org, a site run by SELC, NC Conservation Network, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, and others.

Rails-To-Trails A Plus for NC Health, Community, and Economy

Photo from NCRT

 

Trails have been in the news lately with the completion of the American Tobacco Trail connection from NC-54 in Durham to the Chatham County line, including a long-awaited pedestrian bridge over I-40. The American Tobacco Trail is part of a trail system that runs from Florida to Maine.

 

This trail opening was particularly celebrated by NC Rail-Trails, an EarthShare NC member that works with communities across NC to create walking, biking, and horseback riding trails from abandoned rail corridors. NC Rail-Trails Executive Director Carrie Banks recently contributed to a ScienceLine article about the benefits of rail-trail projects, saying, "Unused rail corridors often become dumping areas and loitering grounds. When they become a rail-trail they become alive again."

 

"The rails-to-trails movement is booming in the United States," wrote Caitlin Davis, the article's author. "The trails have become popular not only because they encourage people to get outside, exercise and enjoy nature, but because they also connect neighboring communities." Carl Knoch of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy pointed to research that transforming abandoned rail corridors into trails tends to reduce crime in those locations. Bike and pedestrian trails can provide an alternative transportation corridor to help residents access schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. For example, a 2 mile rail-trail project planned in Marion, NC would give one-third of all Marion residents trail access to McDowell Technical Community College and early college facility.

 

NC is home to more than 30 rails-to-trails projects. For more information, see NCRailTrails.org. 
HIGHLIGHTS
Earth Hour: March 29th

Join World Wildlife Fund for Earth Hour 2014. Turn off your lights for one hour on March 29 at 8:30pm! Earth Hour is a simple idea that quickly turned into a global phenomenon. Hundreds of millions of people around the world turn off their lights for one hour on the same night to focus on the one thing that unites us all--our planet. Go to the WWF Earth Hour website to sign up and tweet at national landmarks to encourage them to participate. Charlotte, NC, Appalachian State University, Duke University's Environmental Alliance have already signed up. Will you help represent NC?

Earth Day: April 22

Earth Day is April 22, 2014! Earth Day is a great time to rally your workplace in support of environmental nonprofits. EarthShare NC's workplace partner IBM holds an Earth Day event every year in conjunction with Take Our Children to Work Day. Belk has a variety of activities slated for Earth Month. How is your workplace celebrating Earth Day? Tell allison@earthsharenc.org and you may be featured in our special Earth Month E-News.

Winging toward Spring: Bird-Friendly Communities
One in five adults watch birds, and Audubon North Carolina's Bird-Friendly Communities program is focusing conservation efforts where most people live---in cities and towns. Audubon is working with a coalition of citizens, nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses to create sustainable urban habitats for birds. Bird-Friendly Communities in North Carolina will help birds succeed by providing habitat dominated by native plants, minimizing threats by the built environment, and engaging people of all ages and backgrounds in stewardship of nature.
ESNC Member Events:
See all events on our ESNC Member Event Google Calendar
3/22 Bilingual Hike at Cane Creek in Fletcher, NC
with Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy. Sign up for free
3/23 Pea Creek & Dunnagan Trail Hike with Eno River Association. Meet at parking lot at Cole Mill & Umstead 2pm
3/29 Kickin' Ash: A Triple C Brewing Company Fundraiser for Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation.
In Charlotte. Click for details
4/6 Spring Gathering
with Western NC Alliance. Hike, eat, dance, celebrate. Email for details
 
SUSTAINABILITY CORNER
Green Your Spring Cleaning

from EarthShare

 

Consider the following recipes for low-polluting alternatives.

Glass Cleaner

Make your own glass cleaning solution from 2 tablespoons borax or washing soda and 3 cups water. Spray onto the glass using a pump sprayer.

Counters & Walls

Dip a cloth in warm water, add a little dish soap and baking soda. The baking soda acts as a soft abrasive to remove tough spots and light scratches.  

Drain Cleaner

Mix together 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup salt, and � cup cream of tartar. Pour � cup of this mixture into the drain, followed by a pot of boiling water. Repeat on other drains. 

Earth Share of North Carolina | 9196874840 | info@earthsharenc.org |
P.O. Box 196
Durham, NC 27702

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