Solutionary Rail

Check out this two part interview with Fritz Edler, retired locomotive engineer and champion for railroad workers.  Fritz serves as a special representative for Railroad Workers United, aka RWU.

On this episode (in 2 parts) we discuss the latest developments on the Solutionary Rail campaign and hear from our featured guest Jim Heneghan, the renewable-energy engineer at the Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA), a co-op on the western end of Colorado.

"Solutionary Perspectives" is a video podcast series hosted by Bill Moyer and Diane Wittner, examining the perspectives of Solutionary Rail allies and stakeholders.

In this episode Bill talks with Daphne Wysham an early supporter of Solutionary Rail and Dr. John Talberth, both from the Center for Sustainable Economy. The CSE has been front and center in the campaign to create Portland's No New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure policy, and is now offering a new model for putting a price on the risks of fossil fuel transport.

"Solutionary Perspectives" is a video podcast series hosted by Bill Moyer and Diane Wittner, examining the perspectives of Solutionary Rail allies and stakeholders.

June 14, 2017 -- This week, in a two-part interview, we hear from environmental justice advocates Eric Kirkendall and Leticia DeCaigny of Kansas City, KS - an American crossroads, and home of the second-largest railyard in the U.S. Leticia and Eric will share their experience with the impacts of diesel exhaust on their communities and the personal experience that propels their activism to protect their families and community from the impacts of diesel pollution from intermodal freight.

"Solutionary Perspectives" is a video podcast series hosted by Bill Moyer and Diane Wittner, examining the perspectives of Solutionary Rail allies and stakeholders. Bill and Diane recently spoke with Patrick Cox, Ph.D, a sustainability advocate who led the Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) in Central Texas, the largest and now one of the most innovative electric cooperatives in the nation.  We discussed the history of electric co-ops in the US, as well as their future potential as an important part of a decarbonized energy and transportation infrastructure.  Read the full 'Nation' article by Nathan Schneider shown in the video here. 

"Solutionary Perspectives" is a video podcast series hosted by Bill Moyer and Diane Wittner, examining the perspectives of Solutionary Rail allies and stakeholders.

Here's our conversation with Ron Kaminkow of Railroad Workers United (RWU) about the history of railroad unions, their fight against hazards such as crew fatigue and single-person crews, and their essential role in a just transition to a sustainable transportation and clean energy economy.

Ron Kaminkow is a contributor to the Solutionary Rail book and has advised our project since its beginnings. [An excerpt from the book is below.] Railroad Workers United (RWU) has been a key ally along the way, including as a co-producer of two conferences on the Future of Rail, workers, communities, safety and the environment in Richmond, CA and Olympia, WA in spring of 2015. 

ARCHIVED VIDEO OF THIS Webcast:

"Solutionary Perspectives" is a new video podcast series featuring the perspectives of Solutionary Rail allies and stakeholders, and is hosted by Bill Moyer and Diane Wittner. Our guest, Richard Mabion of Kansas City, Kansas is the the founder of Building A Sustainable Earth Community and Breaking The Silence. Richard spoke about his experiences as an environmental justice advocate and the impact of freight and diesel exhaust in one of America's major crossroads.  He spoke about Solutionary Rail as an organizing tool and answered a range of questions from listeners.

Thank you to Richard and all those who participated, to the series producer Diane Wittner, and video editor Sarah Palm.

Forward Together!

The Solutionary Rail Team

"Solutionary Perspectives" is a video podcast series hosted by Bill Moyer and Diane Wittner, examining the perspectives of Solutionary Rail allies and stakeholders.

From Angelo Logan, Moving Forward Network's campaign director:

"In the last few years diesel pollution has been recognized as one of the most deadly pollutants around. Trains are one of the biggest sources of deadly diesel pollution, spewing their black cloud of soot over communities the country and world."

"Our communities need zero emission trains now! Electric train technology is over a hundred years old. It is time we advance into the 21st century and advance zero emission technology that protects public health and environment. Zero emissions now!"