Public Education Campaigns

Clear the Air!

Over the years, CCNC Foundation has helped to educate the broader public on important environmental issues using radio, printed reports, direct mail, and occasional phone calls. Most recently, we’ve been a part of a larger collaborative effort to raise awareness of the state of North Carolina’s air quality, and the need to demand clean air for our health. CCNCF focused significant resources on several public education pieces to educate and mobilize citizens throughout NC on rules to reduce the nitrogen oxide emissions from power plants. As part of this effort, CCNCF reachedover 69,000 North Carolina voters, either through direct mail, phone messages, or through email alert systems. These coordinated efforts produced a significant amount of public awareness of and support for improving NC's air quality, including over 12,000 public comments in support of stronger nitrogen oxide standards. However, in spite of overwhelming and unprecedented public and editorial opinion, Governor Hunt, in last minute deal-making, urged the Environmental Management Commission to adopt a weaker measure supported by the utilities, resulting in only a 68% reduction requirement by power plants, rather than the 80% supported by citizens concerned about clean air.

The significant momentum and public awareness/support for clean air has galvanized action across the State, but particularly in the western mountain region. During the 2000 election, air quality was a top tier issue, and potentially the top issue, in several campaigns. Throughout 2001, air quality has continued to be a leading issue for the public and for environmental groups working on landmark legislation to clean up North Carolina’s 14 coal-fired power plants.

Watch for future education campaigns on environmental enforcement, and clean air!