CleanAIRE NC

Workshop: Prepare for the Durham Energy Rate Hike Hearing
2023-08-10 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Center for Responsible Lending, 302 W. Main Street, Durham, NC, 27701, United States
Duke Energy hopes to increase energy rates by 17.9% over the next three years such that by 2026, the average annual residential electric bill would be about $240 higher than it is today. To share your story and prevent this energy rate increase, you can give testimony to the NC Utilities Commission at a public hearing in Durham on August, 14.
Sunrise Durham, People Power NC, and other community organizations are organizing a teach-in workshop on Thursday, August 10 from 6-8 PM at the Center for Responsible Lending to help you learn about the increases and prepare for the hearing on the 14th. Participants will walk through the energy rate increases and work on public statements together in preparation for the hearing.
RSVP at tinyurl.com/dukeratehikes if you would like to learn more and/or take action.

Sustainable Fleet Technology Conference & Expo 2023
2023-08-14 08:00 - 2023-08-16 17:00 | Raleigh Convention Center, 500 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC, 27601, United States
Discover the latest and greatest in sustainable fleet technology, operations, and implementation.
Join the NC Clean Energy Technology Center, along with other leading fleets and technology providers, to share industry ideas, trends, strategies, and technologies that will improve the efficiency and sustainability of fleet operations. The event will include keynote presentations, 50+ panelists, breakout sessions, indoor vehicle/equipment displays, and plenty of networking opportunities.
Learn more and register here.

Public Hearings: Duke Energy Rate Hikes
2023-08-14 19:00 - 20:00
This summer, the NC Utilities Commission (NCUC) is seeking public feedback on Duke Energy’s plan to raise energy bills. The increase would disproportionately impact low-income ratepayers, requiring them to spend more of their income on electricity than those with higher incomes.
Public Hearings are scheduled for the following locations:
7/24/2023 7:00pm Forsyth County Courthouse 200 North Main Street Courtroom 1A Winston-Salem
7/26/2023 6:30pm Held remotely via Webex
7/31/2023 6:00pm Held remotely via Webex
8/14/2023 7:00pm Durham County Courthouse 510 South Dillard Street Courtroom 7D Durham
All local and surrounding area residents are encouraged to show up in support of clean, affordable energy. Learn more here >>

Don't Keep that Same Energy: 2023 Sol Summit + Kickback
2023-08-24 18:00 - 2023-08-26 22:00 | The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City, 320 E 9th St, Charlotte, NC, 28215, United States
Are you ready to spark the change Charlotte and North Carolina need to create healthy, vibrant communities?
We are living in a historic moment where we have the opportunity to shape the future of our society and our planet. We are facing major challenges, such as the rollback of federal policies that protect human rights and dignity, and the massive investment of public funds in climate and environmental justice initiatives. We cannot afford to be divided or complacent. We need to stand together and fight for both causes, because they are inseparable. Environmental justice is social justice!

“Don’t Keep That Same Energy” Sol Summit 2023 is designed to break down barriers and foster cross-movement collaboration! We aim to strengthen the skills and partnerships required to create the solutions our communities deserve in order to flourish. Sol Summit brings together organizers, community members, elected officials, and the issues in a way that promotes cooperation on solutions to some of our communities’ most urgent environmental and social justice challenges.
This summit is not only for environmental justice advocates. It is for anyone who cares about social justice in any field or sector, such as housing, education, health care, re-entry, technology, food sovereignty, arts and culture, etc. If you want to make a difference in your community and the world, this summit is for you!
Learn more and get your tickets here.

Spidey Sens-r Party: A Community Air Monitoring Effort
2023-09-09 09:00 - 14:00 | Goldsboro, NC, Goldsboro, NC, 27530, United States
The North Carolina Environmental Justice Network (NCEJN) invites you to their first-ever Spidey Sens-r participatory air monitoring effort! Spidey Sens-r is a community science project that works by collecting dust that settles on funnel weaver spider webs. Help monitor the air quality in your community by collecting spider webs from around Goldsboro.
Learn more and register for free here.
NCEJN is co-hosting this community sampling event with Down East Coal Ash Environmental and Social Justice Coalition. Down East will share concerns about current sources of air pollution in Greenville. Participants will then use Spidey Sens-r to help measure and address them.
“Spidey Sens-r” is a network of air quality monitors using spider webs. Participants will learn how to identify and collect funnel webs, log coordinates, and send them to our lab to be tested for metals. After a few demonstrations, you will go out into the community and collect these webs together. With spider webs as bioindicators, we can detect differences in air quality at the neighborhood level.
Tentative Agenda
9:00 – 9:15 AM Welcome and Registration
9:15 – 9:25 AM Spidey Sens-r Project overview
9:25 – 10:10 AM Web sampling training
10:10 – 1:00 PM Community web sampling
1:00 – 2:00 PM Lunch and closing

The People's Hearing
2023-09-16 11:00 - 15:00 | Rebuilding Broken Places CDC, 2105 N William Street, Goldsboro, NC, 27530, United States
Are you impacted by the smells, air, and water quality concerns from concentrated animal feeding operations/factory farms/industrial agriculture? Do you feel it is unjust that North Carolina’s environmental regulations surrounding hog, poultry, and dairy production regularly promote industry more than protect our communities?
If your answer is yes, then JOIN community members across the state for a People’s Hearing and lend your voice to the discussion about what needs to be done to protect the environment and our communities from the impacts of industrial animal agriculture!
WHERE:
Rebuilding Broken Places CDC
2105 N. William St.
Goldsboro, NC 27530
WHEN:
Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Lunch, travel subsidies, child care, and Spanish interpretation will be provided.
To register and for more information go to tinyurl.com/peopleshearing23
Background:
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality is seeking public input on a series of general permits regulating industrial animal operations at concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), including permits governing hog production, wet poultry, cattle and biogas — a dirty source of energy that is converted from untreated waste at CAFO facilities. The existing general permits are all set to expire September 2024. They will be renewed for a 5-year term that starts October 2024 and runs until September 2029.
These permits outline how animal waste must be managed at these facilities and the rules meant to prevent waste from harming the environment and nearby communities. Unfortunately, many of these rules are outdated and ineffective, and CAFOs continue to pollute the environment and harm nearby residents across southeastern North Carolina.
The purpose of the People’s Hearing is to gather testimonies from those impacted by industrial animal operations to prove that NCDEQ must strengthen permits to protect our communities from toxic pollution.
Join us to share your story and get connected with others involved in the fight for healthy communities!

Climate Week NYC and International Climate March
2023-09-17 - 2023-09-24 | New York City, NY, New York City, NY, 10017, United States
Climate Week NYC is the largest annual climate event of its kind, bringing together some 400 events and activities across the City of New York – in person, hybrid, and online. Each year, business leaders, political change makers, local decision takers and civil society representatives of all ages and backgrounds, from all over the world, gather to drive the transition, speed up progress, and champion change that is already happening.
This year Climate Week NYC will be held from September 17 – 24, 2023. Thousands of people from across the country and the world are coming to New York on September 17 for a Climate March to demand urgent and real climate action, just ahead of the United Nations Climate Ambition Summit.

The Smell of Money Free Film Screening
2023-09-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Davidson College, 225 Baker Drive, Davidson, NC, 28036, United States
A century after her grandfather claimed his freedom from slavery and the family land, Elsie Herring and her North Carolina community fight the world’s largest pork corporation for their freedom to enjoy fresh air, clean water, and a life without the stench of manure. Watch the trailer: smellofmoneydoc.com
Join us on Tuesday, September 26 at Davidson College for a special screening of The Smell of Money, a film about the pork industry’s impacts on eastern NC communities. Tickets are free, but seats are limited. Click here to reserve your seat.
Sponsored by CleanAIRE NC, Davidson College, and the North Carolina Conservation Network. Food will be served at 5:30pm for the first 100 attendees. Parking available at Baker Sports Complex.

How Charlotte is Going Green
2023-09-27 18:00 - 20:00 | Lenny Boy Brewing Co., 3000 S Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC, 28217, United States
Environmental sustainability can sound like a complex global problem, and it is—but there are innovative local nonprofits working to make Charlotte a leading-edge city in environmental sustainability.
Join our Executive Director Jeffrey Robbins for a panel discussion on how environmental sustainability can transform Charlotte’s carbon footprint. The event will be held at Lenny Boy Brewing and hosted by SHARE Charlotte.
Panel Discussion: “How can Charlotteans help to create a more sustainable Charlotte?”

Jeffrey Robbins, Executive Director, CleanAIRE NC
Shannon Binns, Founder and Executive Director, Sustain Charlotte
Jane Myers, Executive Director, TreesCharlotte
Bart Landess, Executive Director, Catawba Lands Conservancy & Carolina Thread Trail
Moderated by John Searby, Executive Director of Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation and Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens

Attendees will have the chance to meet and network with nonprofits who are working to create a zero-waste, low-carbon future and ensuring that our surrounding rivers, land, and wildlife are being protected. Learn about ways all Charlotteans can go green, support theses nonprofits and create a more sustainable future.
Purchase tickets here.

NC Public Health Association 2023 Fall Educational Conference
2023-09-27 19:00 - 2023-09-29 17:00 | Concord Embassy Suites, 5400 John Q. Hammons Dr NW, Concord, NC, 28027, United States
The NCPHA Fall Educational Conference gathers public health professionals at every level from students to mid-career professionals to retired experts from around the state to exchange information and create a healthier North Carolina through effective public health practice and engaged citizens. Dedicated public health professionals who want to connect with peers, pick up new ideas, and gain skills to bring back to their workplace or community are encouraged to attend.
Register by September 13 to exchange ideas, strategize new medical practices, and network with others with similar interests, goals, and backgrounds. And be sure to stop by our CleanAIRE NC exhibit to learn more about our Health Program.

From Barrels to Batteries: A Roundtable on Rural Transportation Electrification in the Southeast
2023-10-04 09:00 - 17:00 | Central Piedmont Community College – Harris Conference Center, 3216 Cpcc Harris Campus Dr, Charlotte, NC, 28208, United States
Join local and state leaders for a roundtable discussion on vehicle electrification in the rural southeast. The rapid growth in electric vehicles (EVs) today is part of a fundamental shift in transportation. All Americans and communities can benefit from the lower operating costs and increased economic development opportunities. Implementing charging infrastructure will also require a large-scale on-the-ground effort, which will create high-quality jobs for rural communities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
This event will bring together new stakeholders and participants from previous transportation electrification roundtables to share information, develop policy plans, and form partnerships that traverse state lines.
Learn more and register at: electrificationcoalition.org/se-rural-roundtable

Kenansville Public Hearing: CAFOs General Permit
2023-10-05 18:00 - 19:00 | James Sprunt Community College, 133 James Sprunt Drive, Kenansville, NC, 28349, United States
Are you impacted by the smells, air, and water quality concerns from concentrated animal feeding operations? Do you feel it is unjust that North Carolina’s environmental regulations surrounding hog, poultry, and dairy production regularly promote industry more than they protect our communities?
The NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is holding a series of public hearings across North Carolina, seeking public comments on a new General Permit regulating:

Dangerous pollution from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (also known as CAFOs); and
Hog waste biogas, a dirty source of energy that is converted from untreated waste at CAFOs.

We invite you to attend the public hearing nearest you to share your story and urge state regulators to protect clean air, clean water, and healthy families:
Kenansville
6 PM on October 5, 2023
James Sprunt Community College
133 James Sprunt Drive, Kenansville, NC 28349
Goldsboro
6 PM on October 10, 2023
Wayne Community College
3000 Wayne Memorial Drive, Goldsboro, NC 27534

Statesville
6 PM on October 24, 2023
Statesville Civic Center
300 S. Center St., Statesville, NC 28677
Virtual
6 PM on October 26, 2023
Click here for the Virtual Meeting Link
and Comments Sign-up Form

Nobody should have to live with feces or urine in their air and drinking water. Yet this is an unfortunate reality near industrial-scale hog farms that spray untreated waste into the surrounding environment, posing huge health risks for nearby communities.
To adequately protect public health, NC DEQ must ensure new permitting requirements for CAFOs include:

Transparent recordkeeping & reporting
Safer waste management technology
Monitoring of health & environmental impacts

Goldsboro Public Hearing: CAFOs General Permit
2023-10-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Wayne Community College, 3000 Wayne Memorial Drive, Goldsboro, 27534, United States

NC Marine Debris Symposium 2023
2023-10-11 09:00 - 2023-10-13 12:30 | Duke University Marine Laboratory, 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd, Beaufort, NC, 28516, United States
The North Carolina Marine Debris Symposium provides a collaborative forum for the exchange of information on recent research and top-down solutions that prevent and remove plastic pollution.
Learn more and register here: coastalcarolinariverwatch.org/marine-debris-symposium

Biketoberfest 2023
2023-10-22 12:00 - 18:00 | Triple C Brewing Company, 2900 Griffith St, Charlotte, NC, 28203, United States
Registration is now open for Sustain Charlotte‘s ninth annual Biketoberfest on Oct. 22!
Get your tickets today! Biketoberfest is a fun, scavenger-hunt-style event for all ages and abilities and a great way to explore and discover new places around central Charlotte without a car. Participants choose a route and bike, walk, jog or ride transit to local businesses, parks, and greenways, collecting stamps for their Biketoberfest passports along the way.
Stamps are then traded in for raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes during the after-party. Biketoberfest is a fundraiser that helps Sustain Charlotte continue advocacy work to make Charlotte a more vibrant, healthy, and equitable city, a mission we share. The event starts and ends at Triple C Brewing in South End, where there will be an afterparty with a special Biketoberfest beer and live music.
Learn more and register here!

Statesville Public Hearing: CAFOs General Permit
2023-10-24 18:00 - 19:00 | Statesville Civic Center, 300 S. Center Street, Statesville, NC, 28677, United States

The Smell of Money Free Film Screening
2023-10-25 17:30 - 20:00 | Lenoir-Rhyne University–Asheville, 36 Montford Ave #302, Asheville, 28801, United States
A century after her grandfather claimed his freedom from slavery and the family land, Elsie Herring and her North Carolina community fight the world’s largest pork corporation for their freedom to enjoy fresh air, clean water, and a life without the stench of manure. Watch the trailer: smellofmoneydoc.com
Join us on October 25 at Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Asheville Campus for a special screening of The Smell of Money, a film about the pork industry’s impacts on eastern NC communities. Tickets are free, but seats are limited. Register here >>
Sponsored by CleanAIRE NC, Lenoir-Rhyne University – Asheville, and the North Carolina Conservation Network.

Virtual Public Hearing: CAFOs General Permit
2023-10-26 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual

Halloween Street and Stream Cleanup
2023-10-28 09:00 - 12:00 | Long Creek Greenway, 9841 Northlake Centre Pkwy, Charlotte, NC, 28216, United States
Volunteers will work with the Keep Charlotte Beautiful and NC League of Conservation Voters teams to remove trash from streets and streams. Wear your best, kid-friendly, costume to join the costume contest and win prizes!
Sign up now at mobilize.us/lcvnc/event/588382/

CleanAIRE Affair
2023-11-04 19:00 - 22:00 | Discovery Place, 301 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC, 28202, United States

Election Day
2023-11-07 06:30 - 19:30

Webinar: Federal Funding for Improving Electric Vehicle Infrastructure & Resilience
2023-11-13 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual
This webinar will give an overview of federal funding sources that can be used to improve the resilience of electric vehicle infrastructure.
Register now.

A Summit on Climate and Environmental Justice, Racism, and the Law
2023-11-16 08:00 - 2023-11-17 17:00 | Durham, NC, Durham, NC, 27708, United States
Save the Date for a Summit on Climate and Environmental Justice, Racism, and the Law on November 16-17 in Durham, North Carolina.
This will be a space for frontline advocates, lawyers, and scholars–particularly those working on climate, environmental, energy, water, and land justice–to come together, share information, engage in political and legal education, build consensus around law and organizing strategies, and advance just solutions rooted in Civil Rights and Black Liberation.
Registration will open August 29th.

No Man's Land Film Festival 2023
2023-11-28 18:30 - 21:00 | New Belgium Brewing’s Brewhouse, 21 Craven Street, Asheville, NC, 28806, United States
MountainTrue and New Belgium Brewing Co. are proud to invite you to No Man’s Land Film Festival (NMLFF) – the premier all-women adventure film festival featuring Conservation-focused documentary shorts – at New Belgium Brewing’s Brewhouse in Asheville, NC, on November 28 (Giving Tuesday!).
NMLFF is free to attend, and the event will also be available virtually for those who cannot attend in person. The NMLFF in-person screening is first come first serve – be sure to arrive early to get your seat(s)!
Register here.

Webinar: How to Be a Citizen Intervenor (part 1)
2023-12-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Please join BXE and regulatory expert Nancy LaPlaca as they unpack Duke Energy Carolina’s (DEC’s) fuel docket in four one-hour webinars. (The first webinar is Thursday, December 7th.)

Why the fuel docket? Because Duke’s much-criticized rush to build more gas plants is dependent on fuel to keep those plants going. DEC (and DEP) are planning to run these fossil gas plants for 30 years, but how much pollution will that create, and how much risk to ratepayers for increasingly volatile gas costs? Duke Energy conveniently ignores the enormous effect that fossil gas has on our climate, a stunning 86 times worse than CO2 emissions from coal power.

Learn about how a docket works: how to intervene, and what to look for in sometimes-voluminous filings. Learn how to make a difference on critical policy issues that will affect our future, our climate, good local clean energy jobs, reduce air and water pollution, and our pocketbooks.

Register for the webinar here.

Climate and Age-Friendly Communities with Author Danielle Arigoni
2023-12-12 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual
In her new book Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation, community resilience and housing expert Danielle Arigoni argues that we cannot achieve true resilience until communities adopt interventions that work to meet the needs of their oldest residents.
Join this America Walks webinar for a discussion on how to integrate age-friendly resilience into community planning and disaster preparedness efforts The discussion will be hosted by America Walks board members Arlis Reynolds, a city council member from Costa Mesa, CA, and David Dixon, an urban planner with Stantec.
Register here: https://americawalks.org/webinar-climate-and-age-friendly-communities/
The discussion will be hosted by America Walks board members Arlis Reynolds, a city council member from Costa Mesa, CA, and David Dixon, an urban planner with Stantec.

Sustainability Trivia Night
2023-12-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Divine Barrel Brewing, 3701 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC, 28205, United States
Join Sustain Charlotte for a FREE trivia night at Divine Barrel Brewing in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood! Learn a little bit about the city while having some low-key competitive (or cooperative) fun!
RSVP here

Impact 704 Academy
2023-12-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Charlotte Art League, 4237 Raleigh Street, Charlotte, NC, 28213, United States
This in-person series will equip you to help shape our future and meet others who share your desire to make an impact!
Impact 704 Academy is an advocacy-focused series hosted by Sustain Charlotte about sustainable land use and transportation. The December 14 session will dive into transportation systems and their critical role in land use and smart growth decisions. Staff from the Charlotte Department of Transportation and CATS will give presentations followed by a panel discussion and Q&A.
Learn more and register.

Forever Chemicals: North Carolina's Toxic Tap Water (Documentary Screening)
2023-12-19 18:30 - 20:30 | Petty Thieves Brewing, 413 Dalton Avenue, Suite B, Charlotte, NC, 28206, United States
Join NC Conservation Network for a special screening of WRAL’s 20-minute documentary, Forever Chemicals: North Carolina’s Toxic Tap Water. Also known as PFAS chemicals, they’ve been found across the state and are harming our communities’ health and well-being. The screening will start promptly at 6:30 so we encourage you to arrive early to secure your spot.
Learn more and reserve your tickets at ncconservationnetwork.org/events/charlotte-forever-chemicals-film-screening

Forever Chemicals: North Carolina's Toxic Tap Water (Documentary Screening)
2024-01-10 18:45 - 20:00 | Protagonist Brewery and Pizza, 227 Southside Dr, Unit A, Charlotte, 28217, United States
Join NC Conservation Network for a special screening of WRAL’s 20-minute documentary, Forever Chemicals: North Carolina’s Toxic Tap Water. Also known as PFAS chemicals, they’ve been found across the state and are harming our communities’ health and well-being. The screening will start promptly at 6:45 so we encourage you to arrive early to secure your spot and mingle with everyone in attendance. If you plan to come, RSVP by clicking the link below, or email kristen@ncconservationnetwork.org if you have any questions.
Reserve your tickets: https://action.ncconservationnetwork.org/page/61609/subscribe/1
Stick around after the screening to join a short discussion about forever chemicals in our state and learn about some immediate actions you can take to help stop forever chemical pollution. NC Conservation Network also will be raffling off a reusable tote bag!
