Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) will listen to customers in a series of community workshops planned for March and April to look at opportunities and problems the community might face in the next 20 years.
The workshops are planned from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at locations across Memphis. The utility also launched an online survey for those unable to attend in person.
Find a workshop here:
• March 5
Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave.
• March 7
Hickory Hill Community Center, 3910 Ridgeway Rd.
• March 18
Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center, 3663 Appling Rd.
• March 21
Orange Mound Community Center, 2572 Park Ave.
• March 26
Gaston Community Center, 1048 S. Third St.
• April 1
Whitehaven Community Center, 4318 Graceland Dr.
• April 2
Ed Rice Community Center, 2907 N. Watkins
• April 11
Raleigh Community Center, 3678 Powers Rd.
• April 16
Gaisman Community Center, 4221 Macon Rd.
• April 25
Bert Ferguson Community Center, 8505 Trinity Rd.
• April 30
Lucius E. & Elsie C. Burch Jr. Library, 501 Poplar View Pkwy.
Climate problems are starting to find solutions, from solar panels at the Memphis Zoo to state officials readying for potential millions of federal dollars to reduce air pollution.
Memphis:
Zoo officials announced last week it would soon install solar panels on building rooftops, thanks to a $676,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. Memphis Mayor Paul Young said the panels will be the first-ever solar panels installed on any building owned by the city of Memphis.
The grant will also expand community outreach at the zoo and clean energy education programs. A portion of the grant will fund a waste characterization study and regional solid waste master plan for Memphis and Shelby County. Those programs will be run by city and county officials.
These programs further the Memphis Area Climate Action Plan. That plan aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels here by 71 percent by 2050. The latest figures from 2020 show the plan is mostly on track. It met GHG reduction targets in the transportation and waste sectors, but missed the mark on energy.
Tennessee:
State officials are working to deliver part of Tennessee’s emissions-reduction plan to the feds by March. That’s the deadline for government agencies to get in line for $5 billion in federal grants to develop and implement “ambitious” plans for reducing GHGs, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The funds come from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Tennessee’s plan is called the Tennessee Volunteer Emission Reduction Strategy (TVERS). It is truly a “volunteer” program.
”While other states have imposed mandates to reduce emissions, we hope to reach established goals through voluntary measures that may differ throughout the state,” reads the TVERS website.
TVERS will be the state’s first-ever climate plan. Memphis has one, as noted above. So does Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.
Late last year, the state took public opinion on taking action on climate change. The vast majority (75 percent) said they were motivated to act out of concern for the environment and future generations. The biggest challenge for them to act, though, was the high cost of efficient or sustainable alternatives.
Credit: state of Tennessee
To be eligible to get the federal funds, states had to identify low-income communities. State officials found that 54 percent of its census tracts were considered to be low-income/disadvantaged communities (LIDACs) by federal standards. Those applying for the funds must show their projects will bring significant benefits to these communities.
Tennessee Valley
Last month, a new study from the University of Tennessee (UT) found that carbon emissions throughout the Tennessee Valley fell 30 percent since 2005, a decrease of abut 78 million tonnes. The report said half of the decrease was attributable to a 50 percent reduction in emissions from Tennessee Valley Authority’s electricity generation. Another large chunk of the decrease (39 percent) came from agriculture, thanks to the adoption of no-till farming.
The Tennessee Valley region, which covers parts of seven southeastern states, emits about 200 million tonnes of carbon each year, about 3 percent of the nation’s total. Of that, the state said in 2019 it emitted about 112 million tonnes. The Memphis-area emitted about 17 million tonnes.
In Tennessee and the Tennessee Valley, transportation emitted the most GHGs. The UT report said electrifying light-duty vehicles was the single largest carbon reduction opportunity for the Valley. In Memphis, the top carbon emitter came from the energy sector.
It all started about a year ago in a studio apartment in Memphis. Two creatives came together to combine their love for music and dance.
Brande Pa’trice and Trippy Tribbitt sat in Pa’trice’s apartment bouncing ideas off each other when they decided to form the entertainment company Toxic Soul Music Group in joint with BrandeWine Entertainment. Together they are known as Tripp and B.
They’re much more than just a hip-hop duo.
“We do it all — hip-hop, R&B, pop, act, dance,” says Tribbett. “If you name it, we can do it.”
The two had already established themselves as successful solo performers before they joined forces. Pa’trice is a dancer, choreographer, and recording artist; Tribbett is a DJ and recording artist as well.
“He has been a great performer since I’ve known him,” says Pa’trice. “I haven’t known him all my life, but it feels like [I have] and he is a great performer.”
One day, when they were both solo artists and scheduled interviews for the same day, Tribbett ran into Pa’trice. “I saw her at the interview and knew I wanted to work with her, but she kind of just brushed me off,” Tribbett jokes.
Now you will never see one without the other.
Brande Pa’trice and Trippy Tribbett (Photo: Brande Pa’trice)
“We actually never discussed the topic of performing together, it just kind of happened naturally,” Pa’trice says.
In May 2023, the two formally formed a duo when Pa’trice agreed to assist Tribbett in promoting his album, Unscripted Feelings. They started their project “No Munch (Jump)” — a song that has an accompanying dance — after realizing their chemistry.
“It’s at a point now where if my name [Tripp] is on the flyer everybody already knows she’s going to be with me and vice versa,” says Tribbett.
This collaboration has brought them a feeling of peace and comfort.
“We are sharing everything now and it feels good too because now we both have each other to lean on,” says Pa’trice.
Sitting across from them, the creative connection is clear. Pa’trice is the partner who likes to keep pushing like a train in route, while Tribbett is there to help pause the train to ensure it doesn’t speed to a crash.
“She definitely knows what she is doing, but sometimes I have to come in and say let’s slow down,” Tribbett says. “It’s the balance that we bring to each other because sometimes when she’s on go I need to be on go.”
They agree the past year has been rewarding, challenging, and a blessing. Not only have they launched their entertainment company, they have also dropped music, produced music videos, and traveled across the country on their “No Munch” tour, where they sing and dance in front of various crowds.
They made it their goal to visit college campuses while on tour, not only to increase their visibility but also to demonstrate to their younger fan base the opportunities available to them.
“It was important to us that we went to these colleges and stamped them, just to show what is all out there,” says Pa’trice.
While they are helping the youth, they are also fulfilling their childhood dreams. The duo performed at a recent Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers halftime show in front of a crowd of 20,000 people.
Tripp and B perform a halftime show (Photo: Brande Pa’trice)
“It was a fun experience,” Pa’trice says. “I think I was more excited for him because I know it’s something he always wanted to make happen.”
Like any creative person, the two are always trying to figure out what their next project will be.
“We are always thinking about what can be next, and I think that’s what makes us click because we have that same mindset,” says Tribbett.
They recently released their song “Step and Move,” along with a music video.
“We have big goals and dreams that we both want to reach,” says Pa’trice. “We want to sell out arenas.”
