Robin Everett's current focus is on eliminating coal as a primary energy source. Coal is the largest contributor to greenhouse gasses, Robin says, labeling the coal industry as the main culprit when it comes to global warming.  Washington State is currently under threat from multiple proposals for dirty and dangerous coal export facilities. Under current proposals, Arch Coal and Peabody Energy would ship as much as 130 million tons of coal per year through Washington State, which would result in 26 loaded coal trains coming into the state every day, each more than a mile long and many communities would also see the empty trains coming back, doubling the number of trains. Shipping up to a hundred million tons of coal a year through West Coast communities would spread toxic coal dust along the rail lines, clog our railroads, ports, and highways, risk our families health, pollute our air and water, and worsen the climate crisis. Sierra Club is organizing in communities across the state to help defeat this ill-conceived project.

Guest Speaker: Robin Everett was born amongst the wide-open spaces and stunning vistas of the Southern California desert, but saw firsthand the devastating effect humans can have on their environment when she moved to Los Angeles. As a result, Robin's energies quickly became focused on conservation.  In California her efforts helped bring 3,000 concerned citizens to a California Coastal Commission hearing to save a beach that they cherished.  Since moving to Seattle, Robin has become Assistant Regional Representative in the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign.  Everett's current project is attempting to derail efforts to bring coal shipping terminals to places like Longview and Bellingham, Washington.

Click here to see the slide show images from Robin's talk.

Thanks Robin for a fascinating and informative evening!