Native American Heritage Month is celebrated every November to honor the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of Native American peoples. This month provides an opportunity to learn about traditional arts and crafts such as jewelry making, rug and blanket weaving, quillwork, and beadwork. For environmentalists, this month offers a unique opportunity to deepen their understanding… Read more
Environmental justice is an important area of advocacy, and there are several organizations dedicated to environmental justice in Virginia. It focuses on ensuring that people, regardless of race, income, national origin, or disability, are involved in agency decisions affecting the environment. Involvement of all people in these decisions is crucial to ensuring that everyone (i)… Read more
Don’t be mistaken: Taxpayers are paying for these big data centers “What we know historically about fossil fuel plants is they’re placed in poor communities, and black and brown communities.” Virginia’s data centers have raised environmental concerns as they consume significant energy to support their operations. The energy demand from these facilities results in carbon… Read more
Opponents of the Mountain Valley Pipeline have experienced a tumultuous few years. In the summer of 2022, Senator Joe Manchin made a deal with President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. He agreed to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act in exchange for a commitment to pass a bill that would try to… Read more
Clean water is a necessity of life, and while it is a physical resource, it also has a significant human aspect. Access to clean water is essential for the health and well-being of individuals and communities, and lack of access can lead to a range of problems, including illness, poverty, and social inequality. Grethe Lindemann,… Read more
About a year ago, on August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was passed by Congress and signed into law. This landmark legislation intended to tackle inflation, lower costs for Americans, accelerate the deployment of clean-energy technology, combat climate change, and advance environmental justice. As we mark the first anniversary of the IRA, let’s… Read more
This blog is the first of a four-part series reprinting policy papers from “Our Common Agenda,” an annual publication from the Virginia Conservation Network (VCN). This first installment, entitled “Preventing Pipeline Harms,” builds on the hard lessons learned from the fight against the destructive Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) but is designed to look forward, to… Read more
On June 26, 2023, environmental and community organizations filed a response opposing efforts by the U.S. Department of Justice and Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, to dismiss the environmental groups’ pending challenge to the latest biological opinion and incidental take statement under the Endangered Species Act. Also today, the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of… Read more
The U.S. Senate has followed the House of Representatives in approving the dirty deal hatched by Senator Joe Manchin and the Biden White House to force completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) through legislative fiat. Manchin and his allies, including Senate Leader Schumer, extorted their colleagues by jamming this rancid measure into a must-pass… Read more
UPDATE: On Dec. 5, more than 750 frontline communities, environmental justice groups, and allied organizations sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) voicing their opposition to the permitting rider. The executive directors of more than 20 environmental organizations also sent a letter to President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and… Read more