Climate Change and Clean Energy

People all across Maryland - especially in Baltimore, Frederick, and Montgomery County where communities have fought or are fighting against trash incinerators in their neighborhoods - have been working to make sure that any increase in the renewable portfolio standard not increase subsidies for trash incineration. Today, on the last day of the legislative session, the current version of the Clean Energy Jobs Act maintains burning trash as a tier 1 renewable energy source, keeping it eligible for the maximum amount of subsidy available.

In the predawn hours of Christmas Eve, December 24, 2018, early rising residents of the Monongahela Valley southeast of Pittsburgh might have thought they were getting surprised by an early sunrise, but the reality was just as surprising and much more dangerous. A massive fire at the Clairton Coke Works (CCW) painted the sky red and orange as on site first responders and steelworkers heroically battled a blaze that stretched the size of a football field.

I’ve been canvassing with the Northampton office of Clean Water Action since November. I’m also studying social thought and political economy, working to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of social and political change. Organizing for Clean Water Action has given me the opportunity to gain experience on the ground, advocating for environmental justice and sustainability. I have been extremely lucky to work with an incredible group of people and have gained a much better understanding of the local and national campaigns Clean Water Action is taking on.