The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is 0-4 on first down conversions. The red zone is nowhere in sight, and the clock is running out. Why are people still betting on this team?
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The 2023 General Assembly session is around the corner, and the partisan fearmongering has unfortunately already begun. Republicans pre-filed seven bills to repeal clean car standards.
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The wine was flowing. The birthday cake was delicious. And the party-goers had a blast! Legislators, activists, and nearly 300 of Chesapeake Climate Action Network’s closest friends gathered on October 20 in Washington, DC to celebrate 20 years of climate action and the recent passage of historic federal climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act. And, most importantly, they pledged to keep working together in the future to fight climate change.
That’s right. It’s been 20 years since Mike Tidwell left behind a successful career in journalism to launch CCAN out of his home in Takoma Park, Maryland. From that humble start grew what Bill McKibben – the renowned author, educator and environmentalist – calls the “best regional grassroots climate group in the world.” Today, CCAN has tens of thousands of supporters nationwide – with 23 dedicated staffers, three regional offices, and dozens of climate activist group allies – all dedicated to protecting our planet.
Reverend Lennox Yearwood, Jr., President and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus, got us started by recalling early days in the fight against climate change – working with some of the activists who were in attendance at this anniversary event and even getting arrested at several protests with his good friend, Bill McKibben. He concluded by saying, “I’m excited for the movement… but this is the thing. We don’t have 20 more years, so we can’t be here thinking about what we’re going to do 20 years from now. We won’t look ahead to 2042. That isn’t the goal for this organization. We’ve got to fix this now. We’ve got to fix this for our children. And for our children’s children. Thanks so much CCAN for all that you do!”
DC Councilmember Mary Cheh received CCAN’s first-ever Regional Climate Champion Award. After 16 years on the council, Cheh has decided to retire but during her tenure she spearheaded groundbreaking climate bills that became law a good two or three years before similar legislation passed in the surrounding states. They include a 50% renewable electricity standard in 2016, a 100% RES in 2018, and most recently, a bill that — with some exceptions — prohibits methane gas in new buildings in the nation’s capital after 2026. In accepting her award, Cheh issued a friendly challenge to Maryland and Virginia: Please catch up fast!
Virginia State Senator Jennifer McClellan gave a rousing speech about her collaboration with CCAN. She talked about the remarkable progress that Virginia has made in recent years including passage of the South’s first-ever clean energy standards, the Virginia Clean Economy Act, and in the same year passed the Solar Freedom Act and Environmental Justice Act, then one year later passing the Clean Car standards. Every step of the way, McClellan said, “CCAN was right there.” Now, she said, there are new challenges but “with your help … Virginia can stay a leader. Happy Birthday!”
Climate activist Bill McKibben, who helped inspire Tidwell to launch CCAN, congratulated CCAN again on its victories and issued a stirring call to action: “Now, more than ever, we need groups like CCAN because we’re moving now from the exhortation phase of this fight to the execution phase! We’ve got to keep demonstrating… but we’ve got to deploy, too. So it’s going to take this set of skills that groups like CCAN have spent so much time developing. Now the role will be to help other people around the country and around the world go down the same path.” We’ve started a movement for climate action and now it’s time for us all to continue – full speed ahead!
US Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), our final featured speaker, first met Mike more than 20 years ago. Van Hollen was running for the US House of Representatives. The Sierra Club asked Mike to write a profile of the young candidate. During the interview, Mike asked Van Hollen what he thought about Mike’s idea to form a grassroots regional climate group, and what advice he had to pass transformative legislation. Van Hollen gave Mike the advice that guides us to this day: “Number one, build the biggest coalition you can for your issue. Leave no one out. Reach out widely. And two, never, ever, ever, ever, EVER, give up.”
At the 20th Anniversary event, Van Hollen underscored that theme again, urging the attendees to focus on implementation of new legislation. “In many ways, the hard part starts now. It’s also the reality that even if [the IRA] is perfectly implemented, we all know it only takes us part of the way… We need to do more to address all of the challenges we’re facing. And use the opportunity to put more people to work in the clean-energy economy. We’ve got a lot of work to do!”
In addition, to these and other speakers, we were also joined by other leading legislators — the region’s climate “royalty” who have passed landmark climate bills at the local and state levels, including:
And many others, from climate activists to dear friends and family, more than we can relay here!
Now, take a walk through CCAN’s history by watching this video:
“CCAN is thrilled that Virginia will move forward with Advanced Clean Car Standards. We are in a pivotal moment of opportunity for the climate movement. Emissions must come down steeply over the course of this decade, and for Virginia to do its part, that means addressing our number one emitter: gas-burning vehicles. These updated standards come on the heels of a massive influx of federal dollars for electric vehicles and at a time when the demand for electric vehicles has never been higher. Virginia’s adoption of Clean Cars II is a massive win for our health, our economy, and our planet.”
Reprinted from VADA https://vada.com/blog/2022/08/29/carb-august-22/
August 29, 2022
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is responsible for evaluating the emission control systems and setting mandates for zero-emissions new vehicles and engines in California. On August 25, California established a year-by-year roadmap so that by 2035, 100% of new cars and light trucks sold in California will be zero-emission vehicles, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. States can chose to follow the California standards or the corresponding federal standards under the Clean Air Act.
In 2021, Virginia lawmakers adopted the stringent California CARB mandates — a move that can help pave the way for more EVs in Virginia.
The Virginia Office of Attorney General last week ruled that the Commonwealth is “bound” by the California decision to go fully electric by 2035 because the Commonwealth’s leaders chose to be “statutorily and regulatorily aligned with California.” To change that may require an amendment or repeal of the legislation, the office said. (Read more at The Virginia Mercury).
In Virginia, the budget to actually implement CARB here included no funding, nor direction to actually meet the standards. As we have previously said, if Virginia isn’t interested in making a real commitment to electric vehicles and a cleaner future, it must revisit CARB.
Regarding the requirement that by 2035 all new cars and trucks sold in California are fully electric (which could also impact Virginia), a statement from VADA President and CEO Don Hall:
“The EV Revolution is here. Auto manufacturers are committed globally to EVs. As we have seen from the direction of manufacturers and in global politics, electric is the future of transportation and adoption of Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) standards positions Virginia as a leader in a worldwide movement.
Virginia’s new car dealers are embracing the future of electric vehicles. VADA dealer members supported the adoption of the ZEV standards as part of the state’s commitment to fostering EV adoption, along with charging infrastructure and EV purchase incentives. The state must step up and do its part with all the related policies, in addition to these standards.
Our position in support of the ZEV mandates was not the traditional posture of dealer associations. We believe we charted the right course for Virginia dealers. We would not have been in the position to affect the EV issue more broadly had we taken a different position on this issue. We drove home the point that much more investment is needed on many fronts to make the adoption of EVs in Virginia a success.
Dealers in states with ZEV standards in place are getting EVs. Auto manufacturers send most EVs where they need to get credit for selling them – that is in states that have adopted and implemented the Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) standards.
EV adoption will be achieved only with the investment of all parties: manufacturers, dealers, electric utilities, environmental groups, government, and consumers. We are doing our part.”
US Senator Joe Manchin will stop at nothing to strong-arm fossil fuel boondoggles into existence, especially the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) in West Virginia and Virginia. His approach this time? A Dirty Deal with US Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to pass so-called “permitting reform” legislation.
This label is misleading because the bill would actually sacrifice frontline communities to fast track permits for all kinds of risky, destructive fossil fuel projects.
The MVP is a climate-warming, land-destroying, family-wrecking pipeline that is utterly unacceptable to us. Which is why we have been fighting it from the day it was proposed in 2015. That pipeline would cross nearly 1000 streams and wetlands to transport fracked gas from West Virginia to Virginia and possibly to overseas markets. We unequivocally oppose this pipeline and any legislation that would greenlight it.
The Dirty Deal bill has a difficult path to passage, but we need to pull out all the stops. No one has seen the official legislation yet, but the one-page summary of the deal that was leaked is a disaster – it guts bedrock environmental protections, endangers public health, fast-tracks fossil fuels, and pushes approval for Manchin’s pet project, the Mountain Valley Pipeline – and a draft legislative text that’s circulating is just as bad, it even bears a watermark from the American Petroleum Institute!
Manchin’s deal will not only attempt to force through the Mountain Valley Pipeline, it’ll also threaten the National Environmental Policy Act, a bedrock environmental policy.
Here’s what the draft deal claims to do if passed:
…and more. Read the full text at this link.
![Lengths of pipe placed the ground along the under-construction Mountain Valley Pipeline near Elliston, Virginia, U.S. September 29, 2019. Picture taken September 29, 2019. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller (Newscom TagID: rtrleleven529716.jpg) [Photo via Newscom]](https://chesapeakeclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/unnamed.jpg)
This is a dirty deal written by and for the fossil fuel industry. It’ll also sacrifice frontline communities to fast-track permits for other fossil fuel projects. Leader Schumer could attach this legislation to a must-pass government spending bill this September, so we must do everything we can to stop this legislation in its tracks.
Manchin’s deal will not only attempt to force through the Mountain Valley Pipeline, it’ll also threaten the National Environmental Policy Act, a bedrock environmental policy.
We will not stand for this.
Manchin’s Dirty Deal would have monumental repercussions. It would gut existing environmental law by cutting public input and dismissing tribal authority. The clear result would be more dangerous fossil fuel infrastructure that decimates public health and accelerates out-of-control climate chaos.
No one should be sacrificed for profit. We have to fight back and urge our elected officials to do all they can to stop this terrible legislation.
Send a message to your members of Congress. Tell them to say NO to Manchin’s Dirty Deal!
I will remember today for the rest of my life. Today The House of Representatives passed The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and sent it to President Biden for his signature. Today kicks off a clean energy revolution that will save thousands of lives, prevent countless climate disasters, and shape the carbon record for millennia.
While it is not perfect, this groundbreaking legislation will reduce US emissions 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, create 1.4 million new jobs, expand the U.S. economy by nearly one full percentage point, and prevent up to 3,900 premature deaths annually, mostly in communities of color. It will also expand health insurance and lower the cost of prescription drugs.
The Inflation Reduction Act is the first sweeping climate legislation to be passed by Congress, and it would not have been possible without the advocacy we have been doing for years. Thank you. It has been an honor to build this movement together with you. Now our job is to build more power and pass even bolder legislation. We must make this the first, and the smallest, climate legislation Congress passes.
CCAN Action Fund is enthusiastically applauding House passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. A side agreement of the bill, however, could accelerate approval of oil and gas pipelines, drawing fierce opposition from groups like CCAN Action Fund with pledges to defeat this separate measure in September.
The climate features of the bill are described in more detail here. CCAN Action Fund advocated for the removal of the provisions that would open up new leases for fossil fuel extraction, and we are disappointed to see that these provisions were included in the final bill. We will continue our decades-long practice of fighting all fossil fuel infrastructure.
While the Inflation Reduction Act does not affect the Mountain Valley Pipeline in any way, its passage is linked to a separate bill to greenlight the Mountain Valley Pipeline through a deal between Senators Manchin and Schumer. Even as we celebrate our representatives for finally passing sweeping climate legislation, we need to let them know that they must vote against ANY legislation that facilitates construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
Statement from Mike Tidwell, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and CCAN Action Fund:
“Today’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act by the US House of Representatives is a game-changing step in the fight to rescue our planet from extreme climate change. The bill will be remembered as a turning point in the nation’s move to ‘electrify everything’ with clean energy while protecting our most vulnerable communities from climate impacts and energy cost burdens.
“In the Chesapeake region of Maryland, Virginia, DC, and West Virginia, this bill will greatly incentivize manufacturing for wind and solar energy systems while growing our offshore wind industry with smart and strategic tax credits. It will mean many more affordable electric cars throughout our region with a rapidly growing network of charging stations in addition to funding for more walkable communities.
“Also, thanks to the tireless efforts of Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, this bill will create America’s first national Green Bank with $9 billion. The bank will transform American homes with loans and grants for heat pumps, electric water heating systems, and other low- and zero-carbon energy systems.”
“Many thanks also to Stacey Abrams of Georgia. Her tireless efforts over the years to register Georgia voters and fight for justice led directly to the US Senate election victories of Rafael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in 2021. Without Abrams’ visionary efforts, the Senate would not have had the votes to win today on climate and prescription drugs. Period.”
“But the climate fight will be far from over. We must do more to right the wrongs of climate injustice and continue our effort to make communities of color, that have been disproportionately impacted, whole again. CCAN Action Fund is committed with hundreds of other groups to stopping any ‘permit reform’ legislation – proposed for a September vote – that could ease approval of unimaginably destructive fossil fuel pipelines like the Mountain Valley Pipeline proposed for West Virginia and Virginia. We will fight as hard to stop that bill as we’ve fought to pass this climate bill.”
By Nikia Johnson
My name is Nikia Johnson and I have served as the Virginia Grassroots Fellow for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. Growing up in Norfolk, Virginia, I was able to observe the direct impacts that climate change has had on Hampton Roads and the surrounding areas. Sea levels rising has led to constant flooding in the area, which is only becoming worse over time. If climate change continues at its current rate, significant portions of Hampton Roads are expected to be underwater as soon as in the next 10-15 years. This is initially what sparked my interest in the position.
Throughout this fellowship, I have been presented with incredible opportunities to learn more about climate change, the impact it is having on the entire state of Virginia, as well as solutions that are being implemented. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the bulk of the work I was able to do was virtual. However, through attending both CCAN and other grassroot events (such as SAVE Coalition VA), I was able to meet with people with specific expertise surrounding climate climate change, as well as concerned citizens. This allowed me to understand the issues at hand from multiple different perspectives and form my own opinions regarding possible solutions.
Prior to working for CCAN, I had little experience working behind the scenes in environmental justice movements. I often saw well organized events and protests, but I neglected to consider all the work that happens behind the scenes. For example, my first time phone banking, I was nervous about the way I would be perceived and whether people would want to listen to me. However, the more calls I made, the more confident I felt. This fellowship also provided me with the opportunity to develop my research skills. Since I did not have an extensive background in climate change, it was necessary for me to research various laws and policies being implemented right now and the negative impacts they may be having on the environment. By utilizing these skills, the members of CCAN and I have been able to help organize and facilitate events, as well as connect local residents to these issues through understanding and education.
One particular experience that stood out to me was attending the Virginia Mobility for all Launch. While I knew that car transportation in large volumes is not good for the environment, I was unaware that transportation alone accounts for almost 50% of greenhouse gas emission in Virginia. At this event, several different mobility options were discussed and solutions were proposed to cut down on gas emissions. Some of these solutions included the electrification of cars and incorporating more bus stops/routes.
This event led me to seriously consider why Virginians rely so heavily on their cars. The short answers are convenience and reliability. While taking the bus to your destination in Virginia is certainly doable, it is not necessarily the easiest option. Hampton Roads has the Tidewater Transit, but it doesn’t include very many stops and is not heavily used. I believe that Virginia would benefit from incentivizing public transportation more as well as an increased funding for modes of transportation such as buses and the transit. I plan to use the knowledge I gained from this event as well as the skills I acquired through this fellowship to continue to educate others about this issue and fight for change.
Working with CCAN has also shown me the impact that leadership, determinism, and passion for change can have on the community. I connected with CCAN because of their ability to shine a light on important issues and make them personable. The CCAN team very involved in their work and are dedicated to listening to the community and putting forth the change people would like to see in any way they are able.
Overall, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be the CCAN Virginia Grassroots Fellow. I plan to continue being involved with CCAN, and use the knowledge I gained to continue fighting for environmental justice in my own community and at my own school. It has truly been an honor and privilege to work with CCAN and I look forward to seeing the accomplishments that will continue to be made in Virginia and across the nation.
Dear friends,
I founded Chesapeake Climate Action Network nearly 20 years ago with the hope that one day, if we worked hard enough, the US Congress would enact a truly transformative climate bill. In mid-November, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act that invests $550 billion in climate solutions. But, as you’ve probably heard, Senator Joe Manchin now says he cannot vote for the bill as currently written.
It is up to all of us to change his mind. In the days and weeks ahead, CCAN will use its on-the-ground organizing in Manchin’s home state of West Virginia to make it happen.
We can’t let Build Back Better die because we need it for a livable future. We need BBB investments to fuel the clean power sector, increase access to electric vehicles, and support communities most severely impacted by changing climate. We need BBB to create over 300,000 good jobs in a new Civilian Climate Corps and 150,000 in clean manufacturing. We need BBB to install 500,000 EV charging stations across the country as well as convert more than 60,000 diesel school buses to clean electric buses. And that’s just the beginning.
CCAN is already making plans to renew the battle for climate sanity in 2022 and beyond. We’ll do whatever it takes to get the White House and Congress to deliver bold climate action when they reconvene. And after the Build Back Better Act is enacted, we will continue to press ahead because there is more work to be done. .
Modeling shows that, while the Build Back Better Act gets us close, it doesn’t achieve the full 50 percent reductions in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions that scientists say we need by 2030. But don’t worry. Individual states can and will make up the difference. Our teams in Maryland, Virginia, and DC are going to keep pushing for state-level reductions. We’ll join other states nationwide to mandate that all new buildings are powered by electricity, not gas. We’ll push for pedestrian-friendly communities while fighting new fossil fuel infrastructure projects. And we’ll make sure all new federal climate spending — tens of billions of dollars in our region — is invested wisely.
Because of our grassroots supporters, we’ve made incredible progress… but there is so much still to do. Help us make 2022 — CCAN’s 20th year — our best year yet. Join us as a member here, sign up to volunteer here or make an end-of-year donation here.
Thanks again for your support… and Happy New Year!
Mike Tidwell
Director, CCAN and CCAN Action Fund
On November 19th, the US House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act. It’s the strongest climate legislation ever passed by a legislative body and will keep millions of Americans out of poverty. You can find a helpful description of what’s included in the plan at this link.
Our sister organization, CCAN Action Fund (CCAN AF), worked tirelessly and in close collaboration with allies across the country over the past year to help pass this plan. A half dozen Democrats in the House initially refused to vote for the bill! So, the coalition of activists went to work and our targeted, coordinated advocacy helped get those holdouts to vote YES.
Today, this legislation still needs to pass the Senate. CCAN Action Fund has been working all year to communicate to Senator Joe Manchin why the people of West Virginia support the Build Back Better Act. We‘ve recruited hundreds of constituents to call his office, projected images of climate disasters onto his local office, convinced community organizations to sign resolutions, and so much more. And now we will redouble our efforts in order to achieve success in early 2022.
The Build Back Better Act will get us into the ballpark of reducing our emissions 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. You can find a detailed projection of the plan at this link. Reaching the 50 percent reductions called for by 2030 will require further executive action and state legislation to close the gap, and our powerful community of advocates and grassroots members will help make sure that happens. That means we need you. Join us as a member for as little as $1 per year.
Represented by our friends at the Environmental Integrity Project, we announced on December 9th our intention to file suit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to properly regulate pollution from landfills, including potent greenhouse gas, methane. The EPA’s model for measuring emissions is based on a set of methods called “emission factors” which the EPA is required to consider updating every three years. These factors haven’t been updated since 1998. The underestimation of emissions results in landfills avoiding regulation and prevents regulators and the public from realizing the full extent of air pollution coming from landfills. We expect our lawsuit to result in the EPA updating these 1998 emission factors and better regulating landfills across the country. See our press release.
Join us on February 12, 2022, for our annual Polar Bear Plunge (also our inaugural event to launch and celebrate CCAN’s 20th Anniversary)! We’re holding a “hybrid” Plunge this year, meaning you can join us from anywhere — in person at National Harbor, just outside of DC, or you can take the Plunge from your backyard or a water body of your choosing.
So grab your friends and family and #TakeThePlunge.
Though landmark renewable energy legislation was passed in 2019, we haven’t yet adequately addressed the two other top-emitting sectors — transportation and buildings. We’ve been working with a broad coalition since the summer, vetting policies and preparing for big wins in Annapolis in 2022.
This year, we’ll be working on policies to electrify our transportation sector and decarbonize buildings. We’ll also be working on crucial legislation to divest Maryland pension funds from fossil fuels and put the environmental human rights amendment to the Maryland Constitution on the 2022 ballot. Learn more about our Climate Platform Resolution and show your support.
In the last few weeks before the legislative session begins, our sister organization, CCAN Action Fund, will hold lobby trainings, legislative previews, and preparation and planning meetings with our partners and volunteers. We hope you can join us! Contact victoria@chesapeakeclimate.org to learn more, or sign up here to volunteer.
The transportation sector is the number one climate polluter in Virginia and nationally. Our “Mobility for All” campaign pushes for a comprehensive approach to decarbonizing transportation by rapidly electrifying as many vehicles as possible and providing folks with safe, reliable, and affordable alternatives to driving such as transit, biking, and walking. Our sister organization, CCAN Action Fund, had a number of key legislative victories on this front in the 2021 session and we plan to continue this work in the upcoming year.
The recent election results in Virginia mean CCAN Action Fund will likely have to defend a number of recent climate victories in the Commonwealth, like the Virginia Clean Economy Act of 2020. We’ll be working closely with partners to ensure that state senators and delegates understand the health and economic benefits of transitioning to a clean energy economy. If you want to help advocate for continued progress and protect the strides already made, please encourage your friends and family to join CCAN as a member. Members receive monthly updates on our legislative and political campaigns, have access to training and discussions, and learn how they can best plug in to our campaigns.
On December 14th, the Virginia State Water Control Board sided with a polluter in approving a key water permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline. This happened a few short days after hundreds of pipeline fighters got together for the “NO Mountain Valley Pipeline Violation Vigil,” which highlighted the more than 300 water violations — yes, 300 — that the pipeline company has already committed. The fight is not over. We will continue to fight, as we await decisions from our neighbors in West Virginia, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. We’re eyeling legal and other action — stay tuned. See CCAN’s statement.
The climate and political challenges today are even bigger and more complex than when CCAN was founded 20 years ago. Which means we have to adapt. In September we launched a new Membership program to build volunteer leadership capacity, which is critical to building a movement at the scale needed to solve today’s challenges. If you’ve made a gift to our work in the past year, you were automatically enrolled in our Membership program. If not, you can join for as little as $1 per year. Find more information on the Membership program at this link. Or contact mustafa@chesapeakeclimate.org to connect with a CCAN organizer.
Several members have already taken on new projects and leadership roles. Here are a few highlights:
Training up
Rob, longtime CCAN supporter (now member), designed a Letter to the Editor training we recently used to prepare dozens of volunteers in Maryland to write LTEs around our legislative priorities. Meanwhile, volunteers in Virginia wrote LTEs to encourage Virginia’s Water Control Board to deny a 401 permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
National action teams
Pamela and Christy are working together to develop Friends, Family and Neighbors Action Teams. These teams will offer a mechanism for members across the country to gain information, strategies, and general support on reaching out to and engaging friends, family, and neighbors (FFN) in the climate movement.
Thank you to our Polar Bear Plunge sponsor, Ne
ighborhood Sun.
Neighborhood Sun is a community solar company and certified B Corp that works to bring clean, affordable, and local solar energy to thousands of residents and small businesses who can’t have or don’t want solar panels on their rooftops.
Anyone who pays an electric bill is eligible to subscribe to a solar project and receive a majority of their electricity from locally-generated solar energy! You can find the latest on their projects at neighborhoodsun.solar.
Everyone has a few quirks. A big one of mine is to travel each year to a place I’ve never been and do a 100-mile bike ride. Since 1996, I’ve travelled across the US to a new spot each year to do a bicycle “century” ride. At first, I did them for the adventure and to stay in shape. But they morphed into something bigger along the way and became pieces of a puzzle showing how geology and climate change have impacted our country. I rode the “Hotter Than Hell 100” in Wichita Falls, TX in 2013, which lived up to its name with an air temperature of 102 degrees. The natural waterfall that gave the town its name was no longer- having been taken out by a flood in the 1800’s. In 2015, the “Cycle Greater Yellowstone” ride passed trilobite fossils embedded in Wyoming cliffs from the Eocene epoch (34 to 56 million years ago) when a vast, shallow sea covered the state. This year, I went to the heart of Cajun country in Louisiana for a Bayou Century Ride.
Central Louisiana prospered in the 1700’s when French Canadians (known as Acadians) were lured to the area from Nova Scotia with the promise of a better future. The Acadians created the Cajun culture by combining their French traditions with their new bayou homes. They hunted, fished, trapped and raised cotton. Cotton was replaced by rice and sugarcane fields after the Civil War and through the 1800’s. Next up was the oil industry, which drilled its first well in a rice field near Jennings, LA in 1901. Today, over 205,000 oil wells exist in the state. Climate concerns and the need for a cleaner environment are making oil a tenuous business, and Louisiana suffers some of the harshest climate impacts of any state. Louisiana’s Gulf Coast region accounts for nearly half of the US mainland’s coastal wetlands. Yet since the early 20th century, the commercial ventures of oil exploration and logging, along with hurricane damage, have led to the destruction of almost 2,000 square miles of wetlands. Louisiana has been hit with 28 hurricanes since the year 2000. The strongest was Hurricane Katrina in 2005, causing over 1,800 deaths and $100 billion in damages. The second-strongest, Hurricane Ida, occurred on August 29, 2021 (ironically, the 16th anniversary of Katrina), rendering the entire state a FEMA “Disaster” area.
According to a 2020 ProPublica study, an estimated 4 million US residents will become “climate refugees” between 2040-2060. They will move to the north and midwest as the southern and coastal regions of the US become too difficult to live in. When we hear the term “climate refugees” we tend to think of people in countries thousands of miles away. We think of heat waves in India causing residents to move to cooler locations or of sea level rise in Indonesia that is forcing the entire city of Jakarta to move to higher ground in Borneo. In reality, climate refugees are all around us and their numbers are on the rise. As the ProPublica study shows, the need for habitable land, freshwater and safety will be driving millions of Americans to flee sea level rise, wildfires, extreme heat and drought in the coming decades. No federal agency has authority to lead national assistance on climate migration efforts. This is a problem that needs to be solved- quickly.
St. Martin Parish, Louisiana is ranked number 3 on the “most at-risk counties” due to climate change (behind Beaufort County, SC and Pinal County, AZ). My Bayou Bike Ride was centered in St. Martin Parish, starting in the town of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. The self-proclaimed “Crawfish Capital of the World”, Breaux Bridge could have been the original movie set for “A River Runs Through It”, as the Mississippi River cascaded directly through the area 5,500 years ago. Like any river, the Mississippi is always in search of the path of least resistance, and it shifted eastward over millennia, carving out new channels as it went.
Ever-changing outlets and inlets formed Louisiana’s bayous. A bayou is technically a slow-moving stream. It differs from a “swamp” because swamps are stagnant water bodies with no flow-through, although their waters may rise and fall seasonally. Louisiana’s coastal bayous contain a mixture of saltwater and freshwater, known as brackish water. Vast cypress forests thrive here, as do alligators and over 200 species of birds. The shifting path of the Mississippi created healthy swamps and bayous, but caused irreparable damage to communities displaced by the whims of the River. In Breaux Bridge, it left behind a channel that now holds Bayou Teche. The town of Breaux Bridge was inundated with 25’ of water in 1929 when the Mississippi River flooded. To prevent this from happening again, the US Army Corps of Engineering developed the Atchafalaya Basin Project, a series of levees and locks that contain an 833,000-acre floodway to catch Mississippi River floodwaters. Breaux Bridge is protected by a levee to the east of the town, a 30-foot tall earthen mound that runs for many miles and has become the social scene. Airboat swamp tours and restaurants dot both sides of the levee, with bayous on one side and the floodway and swamps on the other. I booked an Atchafalaya Basin Airboat Swamp Tour, joining a group of 7 others as we glided through 500-year old cypress trees. The swamp was alive with wildlife, and we watched herons, egrets, owls, nutria, and a dozen or so alligators go about their day.
My Bayou Bike Ride took place on November 6, 2021, while much of the state was still recovering from Ida. The scheduled “sunrise” start of 7:33A was delayed for 30 minutes by a heavy fog. About 125 riders took off, covering anywhere from 15-100 miles on a variety of routes. The 100- mile route followed Bayou Teche north from Breaux Bridge, looped through St. Landry Parish and returned south on the levee. Along the way, four rest stops refueled riders with Gatorade (naturally), bananas and gouda-and-pimento sandwiches. The ride began and ended at Tante Marie, a Cajun restaurant that welcomed riders home with gumbo, jambalaya and local beer from Bayou Teche Brewery. Although the route was fairly flat, it was challenging due to the wind and the need to pedal constantly.
I spoke to Glenn Monte, a volunteer on the century ride and the owner of a construction business that builds metal houses, primarily in St. Martin Parish. He has more business than he can handle right now, thanks to Hurricane Ida, and estimated that his company was building 18-20 homes in the town of Houma alone. His metal homes can withstand winds of up to 200 mph, an appealing trait in a battered state. I asked him about the resilience of the communities. How many times can someone rebuild, after all? He replied that the area “is simply home” to many people, and moving elsewhere is a hard concept to grasp. Having lived in LA for 55 years himself, Glenn has seen coastal degradation of his favorite hunting and fishing spots. The environmental crisis spawned a new word in the early 2000’s. “Solastalgia” is a term formed by the combination of the Latin words sōlācium (comfort) and the Greek root -algia (pain, suffering, grief). It describes a form of emotional or existential distress caused by environmental change, such as living through a storm that devastates one’s home or community. The feeling of safety that someone once had in that home is gone forever.
One of the first examples of “climate refugees” in the US is found in Louisiana, where a relocation program is underway. Isle de Jean Charles is a narrow island in Terrebonne Parish that is home to indigenous tribes (the Bilox, Chitimacha and Choctaw). The island once encompassed 22,000 acres, but erosion and subsidence have slashed that to just 320 acres. The road to the mainland- Island Road, built in 1953- is often impassable due to storm surge, sea level rise, tides and high winds.
In 2016, Louisiana was given a $48.3 million dollar Community Development Block Grant to work with Isle de Jean Charles residents to retreat and resettle into a safer community about 40 miles north. Plans call for all homes to be built 3 feet above the 500-year flood plain and the first residents are scheduled to move in by the end of 2021.
Closer to home, Tangier Island, a small Virginia fishing town that 400 people call home, is sinking quickly and predicted to be uninhabitable wetlands by 2051. To relocate the townspeople to the mainland is pegged at $150 million; to bulk up the island and protect its shoreline would cost $350 million. It is a victim of both sea level rise and ground subsidence and over 67% of its land mass has disappeared since 1850.
My bike rides have revealed climate secrets over the years, showing how wind has carved mesas and buttes in Albuquerque, New Mexico and flowing water has created canyons in Moab, Utah. In Louisiana, I learned that the dual destructive forces of climate change and humans are strong enough to drive long-standing communities to safer ground. And I don’t see a finish line in sight.
REFERENCES
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). (October 19, 2021). Areas of assistance, FEMA map. dec_4611.pdf (fema.gov).
Grist. (November 10, 2021). What a tiny island in the Chesapeake Bay teaches us about sea-level rise. What the tiny Tangier Island teaches us about sea level rise | Grist.
Louisiana Government. (2021). Isle de Jean Charles Resettlement. Isle De Jean Charles Resettlement Project | IsleDeJeanCharles.la.gov.
Planetizen. (September 15, 2020). 1.2 million climate refugees and counting in the United States. 1.2 Million Climate Refugees and Counting in the United States | Planetizen News.
Reference*. (2021). Why did the Acadians come to Louisiana? Why Did the Acadians Come to Louisiana? (reference.com).
Shaw, A., Lustgarden, A. and Goldsmith, J. (September 15, 2020). ProPublica. New climate maps show a transformed United States. New Climate Maps Show a Transformed United States | ProPublica.
US Army Corp of Engineers. (n.d.). The Atchafalaya Basin Project. Atch Bro1.qxd (army.mil).
US Energy Information Administration. (October 21, 2021). Louisiana State Energy Profile. Louisiana Profile (eia.gov).
Halloween weekend always produces some startling sights, but in 2021, the most frightening image of all wasn’t a ghoul or ghost, but a very real picture of an iconic statue slipping below climate change-driven flooding.
“The Awakening” is an aluminum statue located in National Harbor, MD, just a few feet away from the tidal Potomac River. The statue was originally created in 1980 by the late Seward Johnson and located on Hains Point in Washington, D.C. before being moved to its current location in 2008.
In normal conditions, the statue depicts a giant grasping at the air, struggling to emerge from the earth. However, after the Mid-Atlantic experienced some of the region’s worst tidal flooding in years this weekend, the sandy space where the statue sits was inundated with unusually high floodwaters. Instead of emerging from the dry ground as the artist intended, the giant appeared to be drowning as water filled its open mouth and rose several feet to nearly eclipse one of its massive hands.
Unfortunately, this image is one that we will see with increasing frequency as climate change causes more precipitation and severe storms along the East Coast, including in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. According to a 2018 NOAA report, the average incidence of high-tide flooding in the Mid-Atlantic doubled between 2000 and 2015, from three to six days a year. National Harbor wasn’t the only local area affected by the flooding over the weekend—the mayor of Annapolis paddled through his city’s streets to assess flood damage, waves lapped at storefronts in Alexandria’s Old Town, and the Tidal Basin overflowed in downtown D.C. In Annapolis, early data shows this weekend’s flood was the fourth-highest in the city’s recorded history.
What is especially concerning about this weekend’s flooding is, as anyone who was in the area can attest, there wasn’t a deluge of rainfall that caused the Potomac River to flood D.C. and surrounding areas. Instead, as Dean Najouks of the Potomac Riverkeeper Network pointed out, distant storms drove water up the river from the Atlantic, meaning the flooding was the “direct result” of sea-level rise and climate change. Although hurricanes and large rainstorms will also pose increasingly dire threats, it’s clear that it doesn’t take a direct hit from a storm anymore to cause significant flood damage in the region.
Although the viral photos of “The Awakening” this weekend provide a dramatic snapshot of the effects of climate change, the more haunting fact is that these impacts are constantly occurring whether we get a striking picture of them or not. To preserve our region’s health, safety, economic-well being and overall quality of life, it is imperative that we take steps now to immediately reduce our climate-disrupting emissions.
