Roundup of enviro bills being considered by N.C. legislature

There have been numerous bills introduced at the North Carolina General Assembly this year dealing with environmental matters -- from legislation imposing a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants to a measure encouraging more sustainable farming. For a comprehensive roundup of the green-oriented legislation under consideration, see the latest issue of the Raleigh Report, the legislative newsletter of the N.C. Council of Churches.

Action needed to save N.C. Office of Environmental Education

Citing the state budget crisis, Gov. Beverly Perdue and the legislature have proposed eliminating the state Office of Environmental Education. A division of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, OEE serves as a central source of environmental education information for schools, universities, citizen groups, businesses and libraries.

Adam Migliore Meyer of Raleigh's Richland Initiative points out that OEE also supports environmental education centers including Umstead State Park and the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences' Prairie Ridge Ecostation for Wildlife and Learning.

"It is hard to imagine our state not even having an office to coordinate environmental education efforts with the emergence of green jobs and renewable energies," Migliore Meyer said in an alert letting supporters know about the planned cuts.

For more information about the cuts and to take action to stop them, click here.

Arborfest features sustainable gardening workshops

The J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh is holding its annual Arborfest on Saturday, April 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and this year's workshop offerings feature several topics of interest to ecologically-minded gardeners. They include the use of compost in ornamental agriculture, composting with worms, organic insect management and rain gardening. There will also be plant vendors offering hard-to-find trees, shrubs, perennials and ornamental grasses. The event is free and open to the public; for more details, visit the Arboretum's website.

(Photo of Magnolia 'Elisa Odenwald' courtesy of the Arboretum's online photograph collection)

Mountaintop removal documentary coming to Chapel Hill

There will be a showing of the award-winning documentary film "Mountain Top Removal" at the University of North Carolina's Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill on Friday, April 10 at 8:15 p.m in the Hanes Art Center Auditorium. Director Michael O'Connell will be there to introduce the documentary, a production of Pittsboro, N.C.-based Haw River Films, and answer questions from the audience. For more information about mountaintop removal -- including your personal connection to the destructive practice -- visit North Carolina-based Appalachian Voices' website, iLoveMountains.org.