Who controls your Water usage in NC?
If you are a regular reader of the Gaspee you may have already seen this video. However, if you have not, it is vital you watch this video first. In the first few minutes of this video sustainability expert, Andrew Winston, admits that Climate Change Science has been downgraded to more theory than science. However, in his very next breath he claims we are in store for a world wide water shortage armegeddon! Later in the video he quotes the CEO of Duke Energy talking about sustainability in the corporate world . This video truly gives you a great 30,000 ft. view of the sustainability agenda and how vast it has already spread in the US.
State, and Local water “shortages” will be the next “emergency” that the globalists, posing as sustainabilists, will not let go to waste in NC. Once again I will try my best to show you where to connect the dots but YOU will have to do the work. All the key players from the Feds, coordinating with Raleigh, are poised to swoop in and declare a drought emergency, and use it to do God Only Knows what.
This tale begins with a news release about an impending NC drought from NCDENR.
Before you read the news release it is important for you to first recognize the role of NCDENR (still controlled by the Executive Branch of NC) in the sustainable development agenda in NC. In SB 897 NCDENR has been legally charged for the ”redevelopment of the State’s communities in a sustainable manner”. Section 13.5 of SB 897 states:
Ҥ 143B-344.34 creates the North Carolina Sustainable Communities Task Force
(a) The General Assembly finds that the rapid growth of the urban and suburban areas of North Carolina and the economic challenges facing many of the State’s urban cores, rural areas, and smaller communities create a significant need for the strategic use of resources to plan and accommodate healthy and equitable development without compromising natural systems and the needs of future generations of North Carolinians.
(b) The General Assembly finds that the following principles describe sustainable development for North Carolina’s communities:
(1) Better transportation choices. – Offering safe, reliable, and economical motorized and nonmotorized transportation options to decrease household transportation costs
Equitable, affordable housing. – Encouraging the provision to North Carolina citizens of all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicities expanded location-, water-, and energy-efficient housing choices that increase mobility, decrease the impact on existing water and energy infrastructure, and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.
(4) Support of existing communities. – Targeting public funds toward existing communities that are using strategies such as transit-oriented, mixed-use development, and land recycling to increase community revitalization, enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of public works investments, and protect rural landscapes.
Recognize and support communities and neighborhoods. – Preserving and enhancing the unique characteristics of rural, urban, and suburban communities by investing in healthy, safe, and walkable neighborhoods.
There is created within the Department of Environment and Natural Resources the North Carolina Sustainable Communities Task Force to lead and support the State’s sustainable communities initiatives. The duties of the Task Force shall be as follows:
(2) To promote regional partnerships and to assist local governments and regional or interlocal organizations in North Carolina in seeking and managing funding from federal, public, or private initiatives, grant programs, or donors related to the planning, development, or redevelopment of the State’s communities in a sustainable manner.
Now read the NCDENR drought news release. Click HERE.
The news release mentions a public/private group called the Drought Advisory Management Council.
I say public/private because it contains Federal agencies, State agencies, and the University of Nebraska’s Drought Mitigation Center. The Drought Advisory Council also has a .ORG at the end of their website not a .GOV.
This deliberate tangling of governmental and private interests is particularly dangerous because any recommendations for water usage at the state or county level the council makes, based on “data” from the University, is NOT subject to Freedom of Information Act. This council, and the NC Laws that empower it, is a small nudge designed to take more power away from We The People.
Click here to see the Drought Advisory Council’s website.
The following is from the About Us section of the Drought Advisory Management Council:
“The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council that originated in 1992 was given official statutory status and assigned the responsibility for issuing drought advisories in 2003. The drought advisories provide accurate and consistent information to assist local governments and other water users in taking appropriate drought response actions in specific areas of the state that are exhibiting impending or existing drought conditions.
The Drought Monitoring Council was an interagency coordination and information exchange body created in 1992. In 2002, the council did a creditable job monitoring and coordinating drought responses, while increasing public awareness of the council’s function and effectiveness. The General Assembly recognized the Drought Monitoring Council’s leadership and performance by giving them an official statutory base and changed its name to the Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC) to reflect the broader role of the council, which extends beyond monitoring drought conditions.
On July 17, 2003, North Carolina General Statute 143.355.1 was ratified to assign the DMAC an important new role, which became evident in 2002. A number of local governments indicated that it would be helpful to have official, objective drought status advisories to give them a reliable basis for their management responses. The new statute assigned this new advisory role to the DMAC and also specified that drought advisories are to be based on technical data to address varying conditions throughout the state. The new system avoids the problems that some states have experienced in declaring drought warnings statewide, when conditions did not warrant it in all regions of the state, by tailoring advisories to local conditions. When determining the issuance of a drought advisory, the Council takes into account stream flows, ground water levels, the amount of water stored in reservoirs, weather forecasts, the time of year, and other relevant factors for assessing the location and severity of drought conditions.
The intent of the new statute is for the DMAC to continue with essentially the same membership and functions that the Drought Monitoring Council previously exercised, but with new statutory authority and a new responsibility for providing a system of localized drought assessment and to issue advisories when needed. Importantly, the operation of the DMAC continues to carry on the same role as the Drought Monitoring Council did in support of the North Carolina Emergency Operations Plan and the activation of the Drought Assessment and Response Plan.
The General Assembly amended the statute in 2004, requiring the Council to submit an activities report to the Secretary, the Governor, and the Environmental Review Commission by October 1st of each year. The report includes a review of drought advisories issued by the Council and any recommendations to improve coordination among local, State, and federal agencies; public water systems; and water users. The purpose of the report is to continue to identify areas for improving the management and mitigation of the harmful effects of drought. (2003-387, s. 2; 2004-195, s. 2.5)
An act to improve drought preparedness and response in North Carolina as recommended by the Environmental Review Commission was signed into law by Gov. Mike Easley on July 31, 2008. Drought Legislation, Section 16 of Session Law 2008-143 included added detail about members and participants in the work of the DMAC The Representatives designated to serve on the Council will have expertise or responsibility in meteorology, ground water and surface water hydrology, water system operation and management, reservoir management, emergency response, or another subject area related to assessment and management of drought impacts. Other agencies and organizations may be invited that represent water users, including local governments, agriculture, agribusiness, forestry, manufacturing, investor-owned water utilities regulated by the North Carolina Utilities Commission, and others as appropriate to participate in the work of the Council with respect to particular drought related issues.
Organizations invited to serve on the Council include:
- NC Cooperative Extension Service
- State Climate Office at North Carolina State University
- NC Public Staff of the Utilities Commission
- NC Wildlife Resources Commission
- NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- NC Department of Commerce
- NC Department of Crime Control and Public Safety
- US National Weather Service, NOAA
- US Geological Survey
- US Army Corps of Engineers
- US Department of Agriculture
- Federal Emergency Management Agency, US Department of Homeland Security <!–
- Other agencies and organizations that represent water users, including local governments, agriculture, agribusiness, forestry, manufacturing, and others, as appropriate, to designate a representative to serve on the Council or to participate in the work of the Council with respect to particular drought related issues
The Chair of the Council is an employee of DENR designated by the Department. The Council is required to meet at least once in each calendar year in order to maintain appropriate agency readiness and participation. In addition, the Council will meet on the call of the Chair to respond to drought conditions.
A main purpose of the DMAC is to provide consistent and accurate information on drought conditions in the state to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the Environmental Management Commission, the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Environmental Review Commission, and the public.
In the matter of DMAC issuing drought classification and response actions by county, SL 2008-143 requires that if the U.S. Drought Monitor of North Carolina shows more than one drought designation in a county, the drought classification for the county is the highest drought designation that applies to at least twenty five percent (25%) of the land area of the county. Drought response actions are based on the drought classification for each county within a drought area that is listed each Thursday on the DMAC Website.
The law states that the council may recommend to the secretary a drought designation for a county that is different from the designation based on the U.S. Drought Monitor of North Carolina if the depiction of drought does not accurately reflect localized conditions. In recommending a drought designation that differs from the U.S. Drought Monitor designation, the council will consider stream flows, ground water levels, the amount of water stored in reservoirs, weather forecasts, the time of year and other factors that are relevant to determining the location and severity of drought conditions.”
Did you catch the Federal Agencies involved?
USDA, NOAA, USGS, and Homeland Security? Why is Homeland Security involved at all, in ANY desicion making process related to drought conditions in NC ?
If you visit the US Department of States Sustainable Development Partnerships website (click here) you will see that USDA, NOAA, and USGS are major Ferderal players in the sustainable agenda.
Also NOAA, US Department of Energy, EPA, and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were also major contributors to the ICLEI/STAR guidelines.
Below is a candid video of an NOAA scientist publically calling for population reduction, a major theme of sustainable development, in the US and the world, and “empowering women to not have children by providing them birth control”.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
today announced the formation of Sustainable
Communities Building Blocks
I picked this story up from the Green Gov list serve, managed by the UNC System. Green Gov is used frequently by ICLEI to coordinate efforts amoung NC cities on sustainable initiatives. Notice at the end the contact info for the Program Director of the Sustainable Communities Initiative, Office of Conservation, Planning & Community Affairs, North Carolina Department of Environment & Natural Resources is listed. I assume that means he posted this story to the Green Gov UNC List Serv.
Release date: 02/03/2011
Contact Information: Richard Yost, yost.richard@epa.gov, 202-564-7827, 202-564-4355
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the formation of Sustainable Communities Building Blocks, a program designed to help interested communities adopt sustainable planning methods. Sustainable planning helps safeguard the environment and spur economic development while also improving Americans’ health. Interested communities are invited to apply to receive technical assistance during a day-long session that will help them achieve their sustainable planning goals. The application period opens on February 3 and ends on February 23, 2011.
“We’re pleased to be part of this program to help communities build vibrant, healthy neighborhoods where families want to live and businesses want to invest and grow,” EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe said. “Through this program, we’ll walk communities through the process of making smart, cost-effective investments by helping them navigate existing tools vital to securing a lasting foundation for prosperity.”
EPA will work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to select 20 participating communities through a competitive process. During the day-long session, participants will explore proven sustainability tools, including zoning code reviews, walkability assessments, parking policy analysis, climate action planning, and commuter benefits. Each community will select a specific tool to focus on and also learn about general smart growth development strategies.
Sustainable Communities Building Blocks is being coordinated through the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, a joint effort between the EPA, HUD, and DOT to coordinate federal actions on housing, transportation, and environmental protection. This interagency collaboration achieves efficient federal investments in infrastructure, facilities, and services that meet multiple economic, environmental, and community objectives.
More information and submission instructions for the Sustainable Communities Building Blocks Program: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/buildingblocks.htm
More information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities:http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/partnership/index.html
Brian Byfield, AICP
Program Director
Sustainable Communities Initiative
Office of Conservation, Planning & Community Affairs
North Carolina Department of Environment & Natural Resources
e: brian.byfield@ncdenr.gov
p: 919 715 7691
f: 919 715 3060
NC city and state representatives discuss the U.S.-
China EcoPartnerships program with the Bureau of
Oceans and International Environment and Scientific
Affairs
Clicke here for article.
“On Monday, January 31, I co-hosted with the office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change (S/SECC) and the Bureau of Oceans and International Environment and Scientific Affairs (OES) over fifty energy, environment and climate officers, as well as representatives of their professional organizations, for a post-Cancun conversation about climate change. Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change Dr. Jonathan Pershing served as the distinguished speaker. Representatives from state and city governments from California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin joined us in the dialogue. Organizations of elected state and local officials — such as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), the National League of Cities (NLC), and Sister Cities International (SCI) — engaged in the conversation. Policy specialists from the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS), the Georgetown Climate Center (GCC), and the U.S. Green Building Council (GBC) shared global and local perspectives. Eric Maltzer from OES shared information about the U.S.-China EcoPartnerships program.”
Duke Energy and China’s ENN Group Collaborate on
Green Cities Initiative
Fantastic! I guess if they own 25% of our debt they get to have a say in the US’s energy usage.
Duke Energy and ENN Group Collaborate on Green Cities Initiative – Duke Energy.
I am encouraging my in and out of state readers, if you have not already, begin focusing very closley to what your state capitals are doing. I believe God’s divine intervention, and the power vested in the States within the 10th Amendement, are are only hope of irradicating this political agenda.
Neal Thomas
