Environmental groups from across Alabama and will gather in the state capital for the 12th annual Watershed Leadership Conference hosted by the Alabama Rivers Alliance Feb. 27-March 2.

This year’s conference will feature the first ever Alabama (Clean) Water Rally, a four-day event geared toward informing citizens about key water issues affecting the state and ways that citizens can become involved in protecting their waters, according to a press release.

With environmental issues playing such a key role on the national stage, concerned citizens from all backgrounds have much to gain from attending this rally, according to Elizabeth Salter, who attended the annual event five years ago as a concerned citizen, and now is the conference organizer.

“I’d always been a lover of nature and the environment, and I wanted to know what I could do to get involved in protecting it,” Salter said. “I first heard about the conference in 2004 and decided to go see what it was about. Five years later, I am now a staff member with the Alabama Rivers Alliance and I’m in charge of organizing the conference for other people who want to learn about Alabama’s environment.”

Read the rest of this entry »

State Rep. Patricia Todd, a Birmingham Democrat and the first openly gay legislator in Alabama, is one of more than 1,000 state legislators from across the country calling on the U.S. Senate for action on clean energy jobs legislation.

A letter signed by the legislators from states in every corner of the country was sent to Congress and President Obama last week, accordin to a press release. Lawmakers from coal states, representing urban and rural economies, from the East Coast, the West Coast, and the plains states, raised one collective voice urging swift, decisive action from the United States Senate.

“Alabama is moving forward to grow jobs and increase our energy security, but we also need the federal government to be our partner. It’s time for Congress to act to increase job growth, strengthen national security, and make America a leader again in the global economy,” Todd said. “Alabama must begin to invest in renewable energy and decrease our dependency on foreign oil. As a state representative, my priority is to secure state funding for public transportation and clean energy.”

The Coalition of Legislators for Energy Action (CLEAN) is a national group of bipartisan legislators working to pass federal clean energy jobs legislation. Lawmakers say action is necessary for the future of America and the recovery of our economy.

Read the rest of this entry »