Winds of Change Newsletter, December 2005     See sidebar for table of contents

Renewable Energy and a Renewed E-Council

by Denise Poole, WV Environmental Council President

The West Virginia Environmental Council (WVEC) is, well – there’s just no other way to put it - energized! Energized, because we have renewed our commitment to better protect our environment, communicate with WVEC groups and individuals and spearhead efforts towards renewable energy for West Virginia!

This past summer, we embarked on a self-imposed campaign to increase our outreach and education efforts, improve our programming, and strengthen our legislative presence – and thereby work even harder to communicate with the many environmental groups and individuals throughout the state. WVEC contracted with three part-time staff - Don Garvin, legislative coordinator; Chuck Wyrostok, outreach coordinator; and me, program coordinator.

During our annual Fall Conference, attendees from several WVEC groups and individual members prioritized these three initiatives for the upcoming 2006 legislative session: renewable energy, sludge impoundments and storm water drainage. We will also support Fair and Clean Elections (campaign finance reform) led by PERC, and the container law (bottle bill) led by WV-Citizen Action Group. We like to say that we are a “special interest” too: Folks who like to breathe clean air and drink clean water!

Stay tuned for updates on our renewable energy and legislative efforts beginning in January. We hope you are energized too – and we have many, many ways in which you can help. Please take a look at the enclosed new WVEC brochure – and feel free to get in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you!

If you are able to support our efforts, simply return the donation slip to the WVEC address provided. If you’d like to volunteer and want more information, contact us using the information in the brochure.

Thanks to OVEC for including our brochures in this issue, and the continual support throughout the years!

Please visit our website, www.wvecouncil.org.