Current News

Carbon Offsets at William & Mary offer Local Impact

W&M Carbon Offset Program Most of us want to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide someone else is putting into the atmosphere.  But when it comes to turning the spotlight on our own activities, it can become a little uncomfortable.  For example, do we give up a family reunion in California because, added to all of our other activities, it makes our carbon footprint look like that of a dinosaur?  One way to compensate is to use carbon offset programs.

Carbon Offset programs suggest a donation to create a positive action for the environment to counterbalance our actions which might negatively affect the environment – (like the carbon dioxide emitted by that airplane on our round trip flight to California). Read more »

A Coal Plant’s Drain on Health and Wealth

CBF Reports on ODEC Coal Plant Report by Chesapeake Bay Foundation, May 2011

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation usually issues reports on the health of the Bay, not on Coal Plants.  But the Surry Coal Plant proposed by the Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, ODEC, would have a huge affect on the health of the Bay and on the health and economy of the entire Tidewater region.  This report documents the illnesses, premature deaths, health-related costs, and pollution that would arise from a 1500 megawatt coal-fired power plant in the Hampton Roads area.

The report concludes the following: Read more »

Dominion Converting 3 Coal Plants to Biomass

Courtesy of WY Daily
April 5, 2011 by Desiree Parker

Dominion Virginia Power recently announced two initiatives that will help green their power generation:  plans to convert 3 coal plants to biomass and a study on an underwater transmission line that would connect to future offshore wind turbines.

The power stations being considered for conversion are Altavista, Hopewell and Southampton County, all of which are identical and went into operation in 1992, according to Dominion. Read more »

Surry Judge Green Lights ODEC Lawsuit

Courtesy of the Daily Press
March 9, 2011  by Allison T. Williams, at  247-4535

SURRY – A Surry Circuit Court judge has refused Old Dominion Electric Cooperative's motions to have a lawsuit filed by four county property owners dismissed and for the residents to pick up the company's legal tab.

Judge Samuel Campbell, in a written decision filed Tuesday, denied Old Dominion's motion to dismiss the citizens' suit lawsuit that alleges that the power cooperative and the town of Dendron didn't include proper information in legal ads published before a February 2010 public hearing. Read more »

Williamsburg City Council Concerned About Coal Plant

On Nov. 18, 2010,  Mayor Clyde Haulman signed and sent letters to the Army Corps of Engineers and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality expressing the city’s concerns about the ODEC proposal to build a coal fired electric utility plant 18 miles from Williamsburg and James City County.

By advising these regulatory agencies that the City of Williamsburg intends to monitor the application review process, the City has alerted these agencies and the Old Dominion Electric Cooperative that we are aware that their plans “will impact the natural environment in the City and the surrounding communities. Read more »

WCAN joins 350.org Global Work Party, October 10, 2010

On 10/10/10, volunteers from Williamsburg Climate Action Network and Eco Discovery Park joined an international effort to design and take environmental action in our communities.  Over 7000 project took place around the globe.

Here in Williamsburg, dozens of volunteers devoted their Sunday to exchanging new energy efficient compact fluorescent lights for older incandescent bulbs in participating homes and businesses in order to reduce energy consumption in our area and save money.  Thanks to the generosity of local non-profit organizations, the City of Williamsburg and local businesses, these bulbs were free to residents of low-income housing and at a small fraction of their normal cost to local businesses.

Stay tuned for the 2011 version of 350.org Global Work Party.