Appalachia--Science in the Public Interest

Spring 1999 Number 59

The Appalachian Ginseng Foundation (AGF) which is sponsored by ASPI has been organized to provide research, information and workshop opportunities for high quality commercially-desired virtually wild ginseng. People have shown a keen interest because this is a way to save our woodlands, serves as an alternative to tobacco, is a way to save endangered wild ginseng, adds economic value to property and has enormous sales potential especially in the Orient. The first AGF general event was held at ASPI's Nature Center on February 13th on planting virtually wild ginseng and was oversubscribed soon after it was publicized. We held an additional meeting on March 6th at Wallins Creek Community Center in Harlan County, KY which was well received.

Notice: The third ginseng planting meeting is scheduled for August 21st at the Syl Yunker farm in Powell County, KY, and the fourth on August 28th at Wallins Creek Community Center in Harlan County, KY. Limited participant spaces are available under the same conditions as for the winter meetings, namely, a $45 fee for one or two persons and this includes lunches for two, one videotape of growing ginseng, a quarter pound of seed, and a packet of background materials. There should be plenty of room available until mid-summer. Some have already registered when they found they could not come to the first two workshops.
For further information about future AGF events visit the ASPI web, site www.kih.net/aspi or write to ASPI, 50 Lair Street, Mount Vernon, KY, 40456.

Forest Staff Addition. Bonnie Chinn comes from the University of Kentucky Graduate School and will be coordinator of forest projects at ASPI's Appalachian Sustainable Forest Center. She has previously worked with ASPI during several summers on monitoring test forest plots in Kentucky.

AT Demonstration Center

During this past winter we calculated that space heating at our 2000 square foot office was 40% from the sun through the solar attached greenhouse and 60% from propane. The sun did not seem to shine more this winter but often when it was just at freezing outside, the inside of the greenhouse at early afternoon would reach 97 degrees Fahrenheit (until we open the windows to allow it to warm the office space).

Amanda Allen is our ASPI garden coordinator and is a recent graduate from Berea College. She has worked as an intern on a number of organic garden projects and brings much practical knowledge and a natural enthusiasm for gardening.

Joshua Bills and Matt Green continue to build the solar car and this should be ready for River Day. We also intend to construct later in the year a solar car port at Mount Vernon to recharge the vehicle between drives.
Eddie Stallsworth has been working on the cordwood facing on the Land Trust mobile home. Jack Kieffer is moving into that building.

Ming Wei and Mark Spencer are developing the Nature Center's environmental education outreach program for school children. Much time in the past few months has gone into revamping and adding displays to the Center. After a winter trip with her husband to set up a Habitat for Humanity program in the Philippines, Ming Wei has created 15 educational exercises for grade school teachers to prepare students for visits to our Center. She is placing this material on our Internet Web site.

Resource Assessment Service

A number of resource assessments are being conducted this spring and these include the Holy Cross Services Corporation at Notre Dame, Indiana; three for the Sisters of St. Joseph in New Jersey; the David School at David, Kentucky; the nature trails at the Pastoral Center at Kearneysville, West Virginia; and St. Benedict Monastery at Bristow, Virginia. While we are unable to do more in the spring, the summer and fall months could be open for additional assessments.

Publications and Television Shows

A number of technical papers have been recently completed that can be obtained from ASPI for $2.00 plus 1.00 P&H: The ASPI Solar Photovoltaic Update by Joshua Bills (TP 49); Heritage Apples in Appalachia by Paul Gallimore (TP 50); the ASPI Energy Policy Statement by Al Fritsch (TP 51); and Chip Mills in Appalachia by Casey Sterr (TP 52). A report by Al Fritsch, Drowning in Garbage: Kentucky's Waste Problems, is available for $5.00 plus $1.00 P&H. An informative videotape by Syl Yunker (Virtually Wild Ginseng) is available for $25.00 from ASPI Publications.

As of the end of March, 14 shows in the Pollution Prevention series have been shown on WOBZ. Our efforts to make this a solar powered station have been put on hold as the Federal Government required the station to increase from 180 to 3,000 watts. The loss has also been a gain for us, since the viewing audience has expanded from a quarter of a million to about a million and a half.

ASPI 1999 Energy Policy Challenges

Two from ASPI attended the January, 1999 Public Citizen's meeting of members of the Ratepayers for Affordable Green Energy and have been keeping our Kentucky congressional delegates posted of rate hikes due to possible deregulation of electric rates. Our ASPI service area states (Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia) are all in areas where there may be electric rate hikes if deregulation occurs. Due to current interest in energy rates and regulation, ASPI has reaffirmed its comprehensive energy policy as a lengthy statement below.

"For over two decades ASPI has had an energy policy which seeks to utilize local energy sources, demonstrates and promotes renewable energy, champions energy conservation, exposes the dangers of non-renewable energy utilization, and attends to needs of poorer central Appalachians. These five elements continue to constitute our general policy, even though we must face the following challenges, some of which have recently emerged.

The Globalization Challenge. Through global communications and transportation networks this world is becoming smaller. In recent years NAFTA and GATT treaties, along with international corporate ventures and mergers, make matters far more complex than in previous decades. ASPI advocates using local necessary bulk items (building materials, food, water, and energy supplies) whenever possible. Each locality has its unique energy sources such as solar energy for domestic space and water heating, food cooking and drying, and for other such uses. In some cases non- or low-polluting non-renewables could have local utilization. However, having said this, the thrust for a globalized economy flies in the face of such a goal of local energy utilization. Localizing energy sources may mean greater effort and ingenuity.

The Low-Priced Energy Challenge. No one predicted that in 1999 the price of petroleum would be lower (even with inflation adjustment) than at any time in the past few decades. This $10 per barrel condition may be very short-lived or may be extended by world or national recession or depression. The struggling wind and solar industries simply cannot compete with such low-priced fuels. Renewable subsidies are in short supply. Prices for wind and solar technology are about the same as in the 1970s and tax incentives are few. ASPI awaits the solar age and has championed solar cookers, food dryers, space heating, water heating, photovoltaic lighting arrays, and a solar electric vehicle. ASPI has implemented these in Appalachia and in a number of Third World countries. ASPI's demonstration work is featured in the book Renewables Are Ready by Nancy Cole and P.J. Skerrett of the Union of Concerned Scientists (Chelsea Green, 1995). ASPI has also tried to refute the power industry-originated myth that green energy needs much more research and development. In fact, green energy has worked a long time (e.g., windmills and solar water heating units), works on a decentralized scale, and, if there is a level playing field, will be popular in the future.

The Waste Culture Challenge. During prosperous economic times people appear to neglect conservation measures. Cheap oil, which could be a short-lived economic benefit, discourages energy conservation in vehicles and homes. Ironically, so-called conservationists are often the ones who neglect resource conservation the most. Even during relatively good times a sound energy and resource conservation policy should be operative. ASPI's work in environmental resource assessment calls for halting waste immediately. Individuals and institutions will not make any noticeable advance in environmental consciousness if they waste resources such as food, water, or energy. A major waste area is the rapid increase in the size of homes, businesses, churches and schools -- all the expanded spaces demand more material resources for construction, heating, cooling, and maintenance. ASPI has sought to initiate energy conservation by encouraging less dependence on the power grid or through utilization of locally available alternative sources of green energy.

The Health Challenge. People do not want to breath dirty air and, while some improvements have been made, still many areas are polluted. Electric generation from fossil energy sources is one of the major culprits. Emerging major issues also include increased global warming from emissions of carbon dioxide and the presence of heavy metals such as mercury that comes from the combustion of coal. The former can only be addressed when major energy consuming nations agree to curb fossil fuel combustion; the latter is perhaps not technologically solvable at any reasonable cost at this time and thus emerges the need to phase out coal-fired power plants in the next two or more decades.

The Deregulation Challenge. The poor in many parts of the nation are being fleeced by rapidly rising electric rates. Affordable electricity is a concern in certain areas which have rates three-times as high as Kentucky's (11.1 cents/kilowatt hour in New York to 4.1 cents in Kentucky, Idaho and Washington). This wide variation from the national average of 6.9 cents makes it difficult to develop a national strategy on reducing rates and promoting green energy in areas which have varying amounts of wind, hydropower and, to a lesser degree, solar energy availability. The challenge becomes more complex as one tries to balance consumer concerns such as reliability, labor unions and jobs, minority groups and the poor, and pressures from the power monopolies to retain their relative position, receive bail-out money and thus ensure their profitability at the expense of consumers.

The Upcoming Deregulation Battle. Deregulation is sweeping through a number of states with higher electric rates and nuclear powerplants. In these states utilities help draft legislation which requires ratepayers to foot the bill for their massive investments in nuclear power and other power-generating plants. These costs are termed "stranded costs" and amount to over $200 billion. In California and other recently deregulated states this is becoming the century's greatest financial bailout - far eclipsing the savings and loan debacle. Unfortunately a number of environmental groups, along with so-called minority groups, have accepted corporate handouts and mouth the deregulation and corporate bail out line. National deregulation legislation by the 106th Congress is uncertain as is deregulation in central Appalachian states. All need to be prepared for either. Elements needed in federal or state legislation have been developed by the Ratepayers for Affordable Green Energy (RAGE) coalition based in Washington, DC.

ASPI 1999 Energy Policy

Because of these challenges - some of them new - a basic energy policy for central Appalachia must also be integrated with the national energy policy and be conscious of a global energy stance as well. We consider that the refined policy should continue to include the following activities: promote local energy sources; demonstrate and promote renewable energy; champion energy conservation; expose the dangers of non-renewable energy use and be sensitive to the energy needs of the poor in our region and beyond.

Some form of renewable energy will soon be available to consumers in all regions of the United States. Will renewable energy be affordable while electric utilities fleece smaller electric users at the same time as they will undoubtedly offer bargains to larger corporate consumers? The lower electric rates in central Appalachia should not deter the formation of alliances with like-minded folks throughout the nation. We must be aware that our lower-cost coal-fired plants (Kentucky and West Virginia do not have nuclear plants) are often quite dirty and their clean-up or closure would quickly move our people into higher rate brackets. We are thus torn between wanting to keep affordable energy for all Appalachians and the broader need for cleaner energy that will preserve the health of the nation and world.

Promote Local Energy Sources. Local energy sources have less environmental impact (less transportation problems and wastes), do not pose large-scale reliability problems, and allow for greater citizen control. People should not be dependent on energy coming from half way around the world. Such dependence breeds expensive and dangerous security problems, e.g., military actions in the Persian Gulf. Nor should people be dependent on a national electric grid that is inherently unreliable. Our ultimate goal is for domestic users to remove themselves from the power grid.

Demonstrate and Promote Renewable Energy. ASPI is committed to continue popularizing solar and other renewable energy sources through the sponsorship of the Kentucky component of the National Solar Tour each October, the development of low-cost electric vehicles, and solar ventilation, lighting, food drying, food cooking and water heating. ASPI will continue to produce and distribute technical resource (written, television and workshop-related) materials dealing with renewable energy and other appropriate technology applications. ASPI pledges to continue to make these materials available to public interest coalition groups working on national, regional or state levels, as well as to individual parties in central Appalachia. It ought to be noted that these materials are being progressively added to the ASPI world web site, www.kih.net/aspi.

Champion Energy Conservation Measures. Resource conservation is a key to the success of the transformation to a sustainable economy that gives all a fair share of world resources. ASPI's current pollution prevention television series includes many resource conservation measures such as water-saving dry composting toilets and fuel-efficient wood stoves. Forty half-hour videotapes are being produced on these and other subjects and will be available for public service television viewing by the end of 1999. All the while ASPI will continue to advocate for such national conservation measures as appliance and vehicle efficiency standards, more efficient insulation and building materials, and reduction in resource use in the manufacturing sectors.

Expose the Dangers of Non-Renewable Energy Sources. ASPI has spent time in the past exposing the dangers of irresponsible surface mining operations (e.g., blasting effects of surface mining operations, coal haul and nuclear waste transportation problems, etc.). Environmental and health threats are ongoing concerns, e.g., mountaintop removal by coal companies and sites for nuclear waste disposal. ASPI is committed to remaining involved in such issues, especially those dealing with nuclear wastes and the rising concern about emissions from dirty coal-fired plants which are often found within the Appalachian region. While it is more difficult to address these plants in coal-producing states, still it is necessary to support the public interest health areas through testimony, reports, and actual work on such issues as mercury contamination.

Be Attentive to Energy Needs of the Poor. ASPI will continue to focus on low-income people through advocating the use of low-cost solar applications as well as home-built dry composting toilets, artificial wetlands, masonry stoves, intensive backyard organic gardens, and greenhouses. The working principle is that energy innovation techniques must not be reserved for the middle and upper class but must always be accessible for low-income people as well. This is reason for the promotion of do-it-yourself practices, whether low-head hydropower units for domestic use or affordable, but safe, low-cost housing. Affordable electric rates become somewhat problematic, for they are often based on excluding some hidden costs such as environmental degradation. Small consumers must not be penalized by escalating electric rates. Power marketers and utilities seeking to buy and sell captive consumers in deregulated markets is emerging as a horror story. Deregulation was sold last year to California voters on the promise that consumers would have a choice of power supplies. In reality experts report that the opposite is occurring: captive consumers with no choice of suppliers are themselves being bought and sold in blocks by deregulated power companies. ASPI will continue to belong to and support coalitions such as RAGE in Washington, DC which champion these consumers."

Thanks -- Robert Ashmore, Dr. George Schloemer, Tom Eick, George & Martha Talbott, Leon & Phyllis Dickinson, Bob & Mary Davis, Mary Chapman, Joeli Armstrong, Leith Patton, Karen Grass, Charles & Lucricia Cummins, Claire Oberst & David Irvine, William Boeck, Glenn & Dorothy Grimm, Martin & Brenda Evans, Mary Yocum, Paul & Ann Halverstadt, Nicholas & Julie Schnitzer, Louise otero, Ken & Cathy Tuggle, Mariana D Amico, Michael Jacobson/CSPI, George & Bonnie Barnette, Catherine Cameron, John & Jade Hargrave, Karen Silfvast, Cecile Parker, Ruth Kanin, Kathryn Campbell, David Mudrinich, Everett Brooks, Lena Cramer, Newell Jones, Greg VanWormer, Richard & Elaine Stoltzfus, Judith McCandless, Sr. Elaine Betoncourt/St. Paul Catholic Church, Daniel & Rosemary Chalfant, Carl & Mary Moore, Victor & Joyce Hannan, Charles & Mary O.Neill, David & Nancy Fry, Richard & Martha Lammers, Mary Louise Perraut, Gene & Joanne Wilhelm, Karol Osborne, Donna Brott, Paul Waltz, Joan Scanlon,O.P./Dominican Srs. of St.Catharine, Dennis Gregg, Christopher & Carole Pierce, Dale & Carol Lisi, Wendell & Tanya Berry, Sr. Mary Jolens,SND/Srs. of Notre Dame, George Chang & Lynda Kieffer, Kate Larken, Michele Morek, Gregory & Ruth Malatta, George & Charlesetta Perraut, James Hall, Mary E. Fritsch, Brian & Barbara Bansenauer, Sr. Catherine Reichenberg, Clare McBrien, David Melton, Paul Torrence, Dottie Farrell, Thomas & Carol Lamm, Michael & Patricia Hazard, Beth Dotson, Marion Mitchell, Pamela Tinnin, Roger Roskin, Susan Nachazel, Bill Deutsch, Robert Patton, Angie Jonson, Colleen Fogarty, Richard Jentgen, Marian Baker, Anne Woodard, Kailyn Willbanks, John Noel III, Robert Beaudoin, John & Jean Rosenberg, Virginia Polanski, Bill Cahalan & Deborah Jordan, Robert Dever, Tom Bell, Patricia Wolf, John & Margaret Robbins, Doug & Pat Macneal, John & Nancy Gallini, Joseph Steen, Lee Burton & Roberta Shaw-Reeves, Margaret Touma/St.Johns De Lasalle Rosary Altar Society, Ann Ware/Loretto Earth Network, Nelson & Annie French, Pamela Moe-Merritt, Bernie & Elen Engelman, Richard Krajeski & Kristina Peterson, Mary Dresser/Pine Mountain Settlement School, Richard Peckham, Lonnie & Sandra Sears, Claire Nader/Safety Systems, Heidi Gross, Timothy Collins & Shannon Price, George & Bonnie Estill, Mary & Janet Furlong, Robert & Barbara Perkaus, Claire Carpenter, John P. Rogers, Mary Wicksten, Charles & Kathy Fritsch, Kathleen Mavournin, Roger & Gloria Smith, Betty Spohn, Beth Gunn, Agnes Mascott, Nancy Osborne, Paul Buterbaugh, Roger & Arleta Hommes, David Grandgeorge, Royal Graves VI, Alice Haberle, Mary E. Cummings, Nancy Stein, Richard & Barbara Blewett, Paul Rothkrug, Margaret Kickhaefer, Michael Francis Zalla Memorial Foundation,Inc., Amy Thut, Donald Newton, Barbara Blecka, Jennifer Van Alstine, Jim Graf, Leo Babeu, Nancy Merrick, Robert & Rosemary Courboin, Sally Chappell, Maria Powers, Hesperia Bevan, Don & Mary Girton, Ron & Mary Lusby, Rustum & Della Roy&Kathleen Mourant/Incogniti Trust, Kristine Thonnings, Ernest & Minnie Egerer, Frank & Barbara Creegan, Ernest Spittler, SJ, Bernard Maurer & Lindsay MacFarlane, Betsy Bennett, Philip & Terri Curd, Robert & Diane Mushaben, Joseph Cayen, Marilyn Lebourveau/Naturie Grace, John & Colleen Harmeyer, Robert Hoover,Woody & Carol Bartlett, Barry Horowitz, Paul & Ann Rapien, John Schultz, Rebecca Finch, Andy & Gwen McMahon, Alan Raflo, Pamela Holt, John & Susan Lang Saponara, Warren & Pat Brunner, Dean Hill Rivkin, Frank Ettensohn, Chad & Carol Jackson, Michael Carberry, Andrew & Kathleen Weigert, James Spotila, Jerry Hardt, Phyllis Machta, Jim Fournier & Karen Zeleznak, Richard & Rita Middendorf, Phyllis Fitzgerald, Albert & Jean Cevasco, Deborah Messner, John Cleveland, Paschal Phillips/Abbey of Gethsemani, Judson Cramer, Byron Stutzaman, Mary E. Clark, Rebecca Trow, Frank Hare Phillip & June Allen, Richard Hoar,SJ., JoopVanDerGrinten, Richard & Barbara Schmidt, Ron & Nan Leeseberg, Carl & Amy Gardner, Margaret Hollowell, James Zeller, Michael Bentley, Audrey Schomer, Kathleen Thomsen Hall, Winnie Hepler, John Meents, Kenneth & Virginia Smith, Louise Hamel, Candace Kresse, Jessie Lang, Frank & Mary Fritsch, Walter L. Farrell,SJ./Detroit Province of the Society of Jesus, Barbara Spicer, Rheta Lanehart, Tom DeLaura, Marge Movch, Steve & Erika Solberg, Wayne & Shirley Davis, Peter Sonek, James & Therese Mudd, Arthur Redmond, John Ball, Mary Jo Engesser, Richard Mercy, Mary Bertell, Mike & Elizabeth Mattox, Jack Hoefer, Srs. of St. Francis, Kristin Shrader Frechetta, Ian Ridick, Beverly Kent, Robert & Melissa Thompson, Marvin Jensen, Marian Lowry, David Schmenk, Louis Lipps,SJ./Jesuit Community of Lexington, Henry Bech, o.f.m./ Justice,Peace& Integrity of Creation, Marikay Boles, Evelyn Kressler, Gerry & Joe Scardo, Patricia Watlington, S.S. Peter& Paul Catholic Church, Don & Linda Dott, Garrett & Betsy Brauer, Gwendolyn Hall, Nancy Acara/Buffalo Christian Life Community, Peggy Parente, Geoff Cox, Bruce Carter, Henry Wehman, Margaret Kruse, Mary Bertell, and Alan Okagaki.

Wish List

Three ASPI staff persons are setting up individual living space and could use some furnishings, dining ware, basic tools, and cooking utensils. If you have any to spare, please call or write us. We're still looking for display items for the Nature Center, anything from fossils to butterfly wings.

Notices -- Kentucky Heartwood has a variety of non-tree paper products for sale made from kenaf and hemp as well as paper made from post consumer waste. Write to KH, 660 Mount Vernon Ridge, Frankfort, KY, 40601 for a price list.

BEWARE of the false claims in the article, "The Hidden Dangers In Organic Food" which appeared in the fall issue of American Outlook and somehow managed to receive coverage in the Wall Street Journal. The article falsely stated that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) conducted research and found that it is more likely to contract E. coli bacteria from organic food when compared to conventional food. Alternative Agriculture News (February, 1999 newsletter) indicated that no such research was conducted by the CDC.

River Day Image

1999 Events

Stream Monitoring Workshop,
Saturday May 8, 1999
at ASPI. More Info?
Call 1-800-928-0045 Ext 473

River Day, Saturday, June 5th, 1999

Ginseng Planting Workshops,
August 21, & August 28, 1999
(limited space)

Solar Home Tour-99
Saturday October 16th, 1999

Nature Center Tours
Youth in spring & fall school year.
Others during work week from
8:00 to 4:00. Please call ahead
(606) 453-2105.

AT Library work week hours (606) 256-0077

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