Building a Community

The Bent Mountain Center has sprouted from the abandoned elementary school.

As a proud community, we celebrate a new era in our colorful history of two centuries or more. After two years of intense negotiations and hard work by Roanoke County administrator, Clay Goodman and a small group of tenacious people from the Bent Mountain community, we have finally reached the point where we have an outstanding building to utilize for the benefit of our community's future.

There are many folks that deserve special appreciation from all of us for making this happen. They will be especially recognized in successive blog posts.

For now, the best place to get info about activities taking place at our center go to:

http://www.bentmountaincenter.com/Home_Page.html

eBase USA Blue Ridge

Project Video Update

eBase USA Blue Ridge Take 4 from Eldon Karr on Vimeo.
Inspired by Robert Swan, polar explorer, who established the world's first eBase in Antarctica to serve as a self-powered educational center to balance our energy demands with a commitment to protect our remaining natural environment; this video features a local effort at establishing the world's 3rd eBase in the USA in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Hope for Our Beloved Hemlocks

For several years, we have been quietly experiencing a devastating loss in our Southern Appalachian Forests. The Eastern Hemlock has been slowly destroyed by the woolly adelgid, a imported predator insect from Japan, first noticed in Richmond, Va. in 1951.

Only in the past decade have I noticed massive losses of the trees that provide dark, cool environments even during the heat of summer to promote healthy streams that provide habitat for native brook trout. The brook trout are still here but the water temperature of our mountain streams is rising.

In today's Roanoke Times, I was particularly pleased to find the story of a Virginia Tech research team working to stop destruction of Appalachia’s iconic hemlock trees unleashed a new microscopic weapon in the fight against the tree-killing woolly adelgid.

According to the Roanoke Times story, "Tech entomology professor Scott Salom and graduate student Katlin Mooneyham seeded infested hemlocks on private property near Mountain Lake in Giles County with about 1,000 laboratory-grown eggs of the Laricobius osakensis, a newly discovered beetle species from Osaka, Japan, that preys almost exclusively on the woolly adelgid."

Pursuant to a recent commitment to change the course of this blog, I want to share this news with my neighbors that share my deep love for our "Garden of Eden" natural environment in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. I pray that we will see the return of our majestic hemlocks that have provided storybook setting for our lives for generations.

Is it time to change our course?

I've been thinking about all of the wasteful expenditure of our energy for decades. Indeed, I've focused upon that almost exclusively for the past four years. And, I've found solace in realizing that I am not alone with my negative perspective. Ironically, I've been encouraged with assurances that my viewpoints have been right.

Junkie for dopamine highs, that I am, I have continued to focus upon what is wrong with the direction our society (school of fish) is heading toward. Just today, I experienced yet another high when I read my good friend Dan Smith's dissatisfaction with the loss of elderly journalists to the vague benefit of greedy young publishers and stockholders.

Another "downer" that I got a "high" from was a report that "The Crooked Road" foundation or organization was dumping its efforts to become designated as a "National Heritage Trail." Don't misunderstand, these highs I receive are not necessarily enjoyable to me. They merely confirm my addiction to being "right."

With that said, (apologies for the cliche), I decided it might be time to change course with the posts on the Bent Mountain blog. This will not be easy for me, but I will try to offer more positive, and hopefully more inspirational, perspectives regarding our community.

Apple Ridge Farm, one of our shining stars in our mountain community, has requested my volunteer assistance in developing the world's third e-Base. The world's first e-Base was established on King George Island in Antarctica as a vision of Robert Swan, OBE, the only human to walk to both the North and South poles. The mission of the e-Base is to educate about balancing the accelerating human appetite for energy while preserving our wonderful natural environment.

The second e-Base was opened in the Interpretive Center of the Pench National Park in India in 2011.

And now thanks to the leadership of James Bray of Akzo-Nobel, LLC, we eagerly look forward to establishing the world's third e-Base USA at Apple Ridge Farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains.




E-Base USA Blue Ridge from Eldon Karr on Vimeo.
Inspired by Robert Swan, polar explorer, who established the world's first eBase in Antarctica to serve as a self-powered educational center to balance our energy demands with a commitment to protect our remaining natural environment; this video features a local effort at establishing the world's 3rd eBase in the USA in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Cape Cod community considers taking down wind turbines after illness, noise

By Molly Line

Published February 26, 2013
FoxNews.com

http://video.foxnews.com/v/2189054120001/

Two wind turbines towering above the Cape Cod community of Falmouth, Mass., were intended to produce green energy and savings -- but they've created angst and division, and may now be removed at a high cost as neighbors complain of noise and illness.

"It gets to be jet-engine loud," said Falmouth resident Neil Andersen. He and his wife Betsy live just a quarter mile from one of the turbines. They say the impact on their health has been devastating. They're suffering headaches, dizziness and sleep deprivation and often seek to escape the property where they've lived for more than 20 years.

"Every time the blade has a downward motion it gives off a tremendous energy, gives off a pulse," said Andersen. "And that pulse, it gets into your tubular organs, chest cavity, mimics a heartbeat, gives you headaches. It's extremely disturbing and it gets to the point where you have to leave."

The first turbine went up in 2010 and by the time both were in place on the industrial site of the town's water treatment facility, the price was $10 million. Town officials say taking them down will cost an estimated $5 million to $15 million, but that is just what Falmouth's five selectmen have decided to move toward doing.
"The selectmen unanimously voted to remove them. We think it's the right thing to do, absolutely," Selectman David Braga said. "You can't put a monetary value on people's health and that's what's happened here. A lot of people are sick because of these."

Now the matter will go to a town meeting vote in April and could ultimately end up on the ballot during the municipal elections in May.

"It's highly likely that what the voters will be determining is are they willing to tax themselves at an appropriate amount to cover the cost and dismantle and shut down the turbines?" Falmouth Town Manager Julian Suso said.

In the meantime, the turbines are being run on a limited schedule as the selectmen respond to the concerns of nearby neighbors. The turbines only run during the day -- from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. -- which means they're operating at a loss.

The dispute has been a bitter three-year battle in the seaside town where officials argue the project was thoroughly vetted, researched and put to public vote multiple times.

"To say 'let's let the voters decide' -- it sort of flies in the face of what we went through all these years," said Megan Amsler of the Falmouth Energy Committee.

"We never tell somebody 'hey, you're going to have to take that coal plant down or you're going to have to stop mining the mountain tops.' These are very visible and a lot of other ways that we get our energy are invisible to the average American," Amsler argued. "People don't even know how much energy they consume on a yearly basis so I think it's good for people to be able to see where their energy comes from and know that it's coming from a clean source."

"I think if we end up taking these turbines down it will be a shame. It will be an embarrassment for the Town of Falmouth," said Amsler.

Town leaders say the state bears some monetary responsibility for the situation because Falmouth was granted renewable energy credits and received advice from state level energy officials through an ongoing partnership.

"They certainly have been involved and have a tremendous stake in this process," said Assistant Town Manager Heather Harper. Harper said the Mass Clean Energy Center "provided the technical assistance to conduct all of the feasibility studies."

"I feel the state is responsible because they were really pushing for more wind power which, believe me, the whole board of selectmen are supportive of renewable energy. I am. Maybe wind, but not in this location," said Braga.

Ultimately, town leaders are hoping the controversy will be resolved and the community will find a way to move forward together.

"It's imperative to the community that we do have a coming together and a healing and find a resolution one way or the other," said Suso. His advice to communities considering a similar project to the one causing strife in Falmouth is "move cautiously, communicate well, have extreme public dialogue and listen well."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/26/cape-cod-community-considers-taking-down-wind-turbines-after-illness-noise/#ixzz2M75bYYQP

Governor signs repeal of renewable energy incentives

 

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/02/governor-signs-repeal-renewable-energy-incentives

By Kathy Adams
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 22, 2013

Gov. Bob McDonnell signed legislation Thursday repealing certain financial incentives for electric utility companies that use renewable energy sources.

The change means utilities, such as Dominion Virginia Power, will no longer be eligible for a bonus for obtaining a certain portion of their energy from renewable sources, such as solar power. Reduced incentives remain for nuclear and offshore wind power.

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli proposed repealing the "adders" after a study showed they were increasing consumers' bills without having the intended environmental impact.

Opponents of the repeal, mostly environmental groups such as the Virginia Chapter Sierra Club, argued the law needed to be changed, not done away with altogether.

Dominion still plans to meet the goals of the program, even without the financial incentive from the state, and is pursuing projects to that end, said spokesman Jim Norvelle.

"We are looking for ways to get onshore wind generation, and we are launching a pilot program to add a large amount of solar-generated electricity to our grid that will begin this year as well," he said.

Also under consideration is an offshore wind farm for Virginia Beach and an expansion of Dominon's nuclear facility in Louisa County, Norvelle said.

Clean Energy SHOULD NOT be a Debatable Issue

All we need is:
A MAJOR PARADIGM SHIFT IN APPLICATION
I would like to share a recent email communication with a politically oriented friend:

An email from my friend:

Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 9:06 PM
To: Myself
Subject: RE: America Zealots, an existential threat to America and the world...... Whose responsibility?

Eldon,

Sunday I spoke brieftly with Dr. Jill Stein at the climate rally in DC about using the RW previously acquired for the pipeline as an energy corridor.  She liked the idea, saying so twice.  Your thoughts?

I think every room should have an led glow from simple collectors.... so don't have to have the ceiling light on sometimes.

Don't we need to strive for wind and solar?

_____________________________________________________________________________

My reply to my friend:

Dear (Friend),

How would you see the “energy corridor” being utilized?

LEDs are a superior and world changing development for lighting. It’s not even necessary to try to expend the energy to shape them into the form of obsolete technologies, like A-19 bulbs or fluorescent tubes. I have used them on projects as indirect lighting in reflective lighting troughs like crown mold. LEDs can be purchased in tape strips very inexpensively.

Yes, we do need to continue to pursue wind and solar. The real problem is that we are stuck in the idea of pursuing these resources within the outmoded paradigm of mass production utilizing the power grid. Surprisingly, it is analogous to trying to make LEDs look and perform like antiquated light bulbs. Both wind and solar generated electricity is far more efficient in smaller installations where we do not have to contend with the “convenience” costs of mega-scale transmission and distribution.

I am advocating a major paradigm shift here that would put hundreds of thousands of construction worker back to work installing small property based generating systems to supplement our growing energy demands. We already have in place in many states a sustainable loan program that could accomplish such an effort. Look up the P.A.C.E. program (Property Assessed Clean Energy) on Google. Currently, big banks and mortgage institutions like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are opposed to such programs because they might stand even further back than local governments on mortgage defaults. The current stumbling block could easily be overcome by Congress.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to express my ideas,