Daily Updates - Rochester, NY area

RochesterEnvironment.com

Analysis of the environmental news in our area

Connecting the dots on Rochester’s environment. Find out what’s going on environmentally in our area—and why you should care. For all Daily Updates going back to 1998, go to Update Archives.

* Please read this carefully, it's not the usual Yada Yada

Local Media Doing their Job on Our Environment?

Coming up with a policy or an evaluation on the state of one's environment is impossible without data. This truism is so obvious that it need not be expressed if it were not a fact that so many engage in both without enough information to support either.

The government at the local, state, and federal levels does not have enough money (for whatever reasons) to pay for all the independent, objective and thorough studies needed to fully understand all an area’s flora and fauna and their interrelations, their ecology. Neither do universities; neither do environmental organizations--though all cover various pieces of the puzzle that is our complex environment.

There's one group left who can and should help the public evaluate the state of our environment - the media. Besides making a profit, the media's job historically and manifestly is to inform the public on all critical matters, which, I submit, includes the state of our environment. We need a healthy environment to survive and to do so we need a timely and complete picture of it. We, the public, need information to be able to form evaluations and policies on our environment, so we can anticipate dangers, decide on solutions, and choose responsible leaders. Without a media with trained environmental reporters, a vital ingredient in the equation of a sustainable environment goes missing. Scientists cannot see all that occurs in the environment despite their expertise.

The government won't notice danger signals, except those they are predisposed to see. Environmentalists would have little to evaluate the health of our environment and the roles of those responsible. And the public, without a media fully tuned to the environment, will think everything is going fine until a disaster indicates a tipping point and the aftermath splashes across the headlines.

This is all to say that in recent years it is becoming increasingly obvious that because of financial and other extraneous considerations, our local media is experiencing a dearth of trained dedicated environmental reporters. Only these professionals, who have the time and training to gather all the information from all the participants in our environment, can fill this critical role in our society. Without them, what we get is a disparate snapshot of events going on in our environment that may or may not spell disaster. A dedicated environmental reporter in each of our print and visual media would have the necessary, continual contacts to provide us with the depth and perspective that environmental stories need. If our local media were doing their job, we could be anticipating environmental problems, instead of trying to catch up to long-standing realities .

SEARCH: Use search engine below to find anything posted since 1998.

Daily Updates: Saturday, May 18, 2013

These are the daily recordings of what I believe are important indicators of our Rochester-area environment --since 1998. For all Daily Updates, go to Update Archives

5/18/2013 - I’ll admit, Rochester the next Solar Capital sounds better than just another city that fell to Fracking. Let’s get smart energy, not dumb energy. Rochester, The Next Solar Capital? Lt. Governor Bob Duffy has announced half-a-million dollars in tax credits for solar technology company Natcore. The credits come as an incentive for the company to expand its footprint at the Eastman Business Park in Rochester. “There’s no doubt in today’s day and age that Natcore and companies like Natcore have choices to make, they can go anywhere they want and they chose to come here. They chose to bring a great company, a great technology here, they’re going to be a big part of the team here at Eastman Business Park,” says Duffy. (May 17, 2013) WXXI News [more on Solar Power in our area]
5/18/2013 - I know it’s not fashionable to talk about the Great Lakes and Climate Change and ice loss, but there you are: New documentary explains how ice continues to shape Great Lakes region The Great Lakes formed thousands of years ago when a glacier moved across the region and melted. The film "Project:Ice" depicts the important role ice continues to play in the Great Lakes Basin. Bill Kleinert, the documentary’s executive producer and director, discusses the importance of ice to the Great Lakes region. (May 14, 2013) WKAR [more on Great Lakes and Climate Change in our area]
5/18/2013 - "Ithaca Premier of GASLAND Part II, Friday June 7, 7:00 PM, Statler Auditorium on the Cornell Campus with Director Josh Fox and Dr. Robert Howarth, Ph.D. Who: Josh Fox, Director of GASLAND and GASLAND 2, Dr. Robert Howarth, Ph.d. Earth Sciences Researcher at Cornell. Special Guests TBA. What: The grassroots tour of GASLAND Part II with discussion and Q&A directly following. When: Friday June 7, 7:00 PM, doors open at 6:00 PM Where: Alice Statler Auditorium on the Cornell Campus. Just off Campus Rd. between East Ave. and Statler Drive. Right next to the Statler Hotel, Ithaca. Tickets: Reserved Seats Available in advance for a $10.00 suggested donation at the Ticket Center Ithaca, 171 The Commons, 607 273-4497. Online www.IthacaEvents.com Event based education in support of Gas Free Seneca, Earthjustice, and the Fight For Seneca Lake. Co-sponsors include, Shaleshock, Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival, KyotoNOW!, The Green Umbrella, New Yorkers Against Fracking (NYAF), Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition (DRAC), Enfield Neighbors for Safe Air and Water (ENSAW), and Hector Clean Waters. For Updates and Further Information Contact: Chris Tate 607.351.3768 mobile 607.387.9285 office, ctate@lightlink.com Keep up to date @ Facebook events/GASLAND II Ithaca, with/GrassRoots Festival Ticket GiveAway info this Sunday Night. Find us @ Facebook pages/FingerLakesCleanWaters **There are also screenings scheduled in Binghamton and Syracuse. For a full schedule of screenings go to http://gaslandthemovie.com/screenings. ** www.FingerLakesCleanWaters.org "
5/17/2013 - ‘Citizen Scientist’ programs are critical to monitoring our environment to prepare and adapt to Climate Change. Check out: EPA Region 2 Citizen Science ""... the launch of the EPA Region 2 Citizen Science Website. It contains links to our June 2012 Workshops in New York City and Edison, New Jersey; the MyEnvironment Webinar held on March 13, 2013; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Community Air Screening Program and our recent April and May 2013 workshops on “Leveraging Environmental Monitoring - Key Steps in Producing Credible Data Training” that includes all speaker presentations, the new Citizen Science Quality Assurance Project Plan guidance and other helpful information and reference links. In addition, the first of six Citizen Science videos is ready for viewing! The video features Erin Heaney and the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York’s groundbreaking work at Tonawanda Coke Corporation. Please visit our link below: EPA Region 2 Citizen Science --from Patricia A. Sheridan EPA Region 2 DESA -DO 732-321-6780 sheridan.patricia@epa.gov
5/17/2013 - Whoops! Wrong Rochester! For a moment I thought our dream for high-speed rail in Rochester, NY came true. Imagine eliminating a lot of greenhouse gases by increasing rail transportation for those long distant trips out of Rochester. We could ride out bikes via bicycle boulevards, safe and easy though our neighborhoods to the train station, then zip across the state on high speed rail—instead of hundreds of thousands of gas guzzlers chocking our highways and warming our atmosphere even more. ROCHESTER SELECTMEN: High-speed tourist trains to begin running this week ROCHESTER — Sitting once again in solidarity with a shared resolve, Selectmen, the Police and Fire Chiefs and the Highway Surveyor, met with officials representing the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Rail and Transit Division Monday night to iron out safety concerns regarding high-speed trains that will begin running this week, cutting through Rochester on Boston to Hyannis weekend treks. (May 16, 2012) Wicked Local Marion
5/17/2013 - Been wondering why NYS is so jittery about getting its water Fracked? Maybe industry ain’t been so careful. Read “A Toxic Flood” Is Your State Home to One of the 20 Worst Water Polluters? The Ohio Valley Electric Corporation, Ferro Corporation, American Electric Power, U.S. Department of Defense and Southern Company top the list of the most hazardous polluters of U.S. surface water, according to a report released today by the national consumer advocacy organization Food & Water Watch and the Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (PERI). A Toxic Flood: The United States Needs Stronger Regulations to Protect Public Health From Industrial Water Pollution ranks the entities responsible for toxic industrial water pollution in the U.S., based on facility reports to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This report comes on the heels of Senator Frank Lautenberg’s (D-NJ) reintroduction of the Safe Chemicals Act, which would protect Americans by helping the EPA screen chemicals for safety and promote the development of safe alternatives for industry. May 16, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Water Quality in our area]
5/16/2013 - Don’t forget. It could be you who helps stop New York State from Fracking on May 22nd. Wednesday, May 22, 9 am – 3 pm Fracking Lobby Day for the 2 Year Fracking Moratorium State Capital, Albany, NY The New York State legislative session is ending next month, and the NYS Senate has still not taken any action to protect New York from fracking. In response to overwhelming public pressure, legislation was introduced in both the Assembly and Senate to enact a two-year moratorium on fracking, which would allow for a comprehensive health impact assessment of fracking to be completed. The Assembly has already acted, and now it is time for the Senate to pass the bill! Read Citizens Campaign for the Environment's Memorandum of Support for Fracking Moratorium Bills A5424 and S4046 Join us in Albany and tell the NYS Senate that we need a moratorium on fracking tied to a health study! LOBBY REGISTRATION HERE There will be a briefing in the morning, then participants will be divided into teams to have legislative visits. Participating in Fracking Lobby Day is free, and no experience is required! 9-9:30AM Registration/check-in 9:30-10:30AM: Briefing 11AM-3PM: Lobby Visits 3PM: Drop off Report Forms/Check Out It's a four hour drive from Rochester: ALBANY DIRECTIONS & PARKING ATTACHED Contact me if you're interested in carpooling from the Rochester area: asears@rochester.rr.com Can't Make It To Albany? You can do two things from home: 1. Call your senator and tell them you want a hydro-fracking moratorium this year. 2. Make a contribution to CCE and help get people to Albany. Organized by Citizens Campaign for the Environment
5/16/2013 - Has your position on Climate Change been poisoned by a purposeful misleading media? Should find out as we now speak for the planet. Unreliable Sources 2: How the Media Help the Kochs & ExxonMobil Spread Climate Disinformation This six-part series, "Unreliable Sources: How the Media Help the Kochs and ExxonMobil Spread Climate Disinformation," documents that the press routinely cites climate contrarian think tanks without reporting their ties to the fossil fuel industry. If you missed part 1, you can find it here. Part 2: Disinformation Laundering at the Competitive Enterprise Institute Social scientists use the term "information laundering" to describe the phenomenon of corporations funding seemingly independent think tanks to convey their message. A more accurate term would be "disinformation laundering." To be sure, it's just one of a number of tactics corporations and trade associations use to protect their interests, including supporting candidates and political parties, lobbying legislators, financing public relations campaigns, and underwriting university-based institutes. But backing anti-regulation think tanks enables corporations to disseminate their message anonymously--and more effectively. After all, a "scholar" with an "independent" think tank has more credibility than a corporation with the general public and, more important, with policymakers and the news media. (May 15, 2013) The Huffington Post [more on Climate Change in our area]
5/16/2013 - Help green up Rochester's first EcoDistrict. See designs. Imagine. A Sustainable Sunken Garden for Browns Race "A sunken garden in an old replica mill raceway to green our city's oldest neighborhood and create an interpretative window of Rochester's first EcoDistrict as we green this rustbelt city | Friends of the GardenAerial is seeking to transform Rochester's oldest neighborhood into an EcoDistrict through the GardenAerial project! Friends of the GardenAerial sees this project as core to the organization’s vision to advocate for conversion of pre-existing structures & trails along the Genesee Gorge at High Falls into multi-use, extraordinary public green spaces."
5/15/2013 - Some great spring programs for the family and learn about our environment. Spectacular Spring Programs David Spier Spring into action at the Montezuma Audubon Center with these family friendly programs and special events! Bird watching, nature walks, guided canoeing and van tours are a great way to experience the waterfowl and songbird migration and Montezuma's bald eagle and sandhill crane families! Click here for the spring program calendar. From Audubon New York.
5/15/2013 - Thoughts to consider when Climate Change planning: What is pristine nature and what are invasive species in a warming world? True Nature: Revising Ideas On What is Pristine and Wild New research shows that humans have been transforming the earth and its ecosystems for millenniums — far longer than previously believed. These findings call into question our notions about what is unspoiled nature and what should be preserved. Are there any pristine ecosystems out there? The evidence is growing that our ideas about virgin nature are often faulty. In fact, the lush rainforest or wind-blown moorland we think is natural may be a human creation, with alien creatures from distant lands living beside native species. Realizing this will change our ideas about how ecosystems work and how we should do conservation. We like to think that most nature was pristine and largely untouched until recent times. But two major studies in recent weeks say we are deluded. In one, Erle Ellis, a geographer at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and colleagues have calculated that at least a fifth of the land across most of the world had been transformed by humans as early as 5,000 years ago — a proportion that past studies of historical land use had assumed was only reached in the past 100 years or so. (May 13, 2013) Environment 360
5/15/2013 - Like it’s not hard enough already to get public on board with Climate Change science so we can adapt, without this: Unreliable Sources: How the Media Help the Kochs and ExxonMobil Spread Climate Disinformation Part 1: A Glaring Lapse in Climate and Energy Coverage One of my morning rituals is half-listening to NPR's "Morning Edition" while I'm getting ready for work. But on January 3, when a story came on about the fate of the wind industry's production tax credit, I snapped to attention. It was good news. Congress's eleventh hour "fiscal cliff" agreement had left the tax credit in place for at least one more year. The NPR story featured a spokesman for a small Iowa wind project who explained how the tax credit benefits rural communities. For balance, it also included a naysayer: Thomas Pyle from the American Energy Alliance, who wanted Congress to kill the subsidy. "It's not that the subsidies for the wind industry in and of themselves are bad, but it is part-and-parcel of a larger problem, and that is, is that the federal government is notoriously bad at energy policy," Pyle said. "They have been for decades, and we think it's time for them to step aside." (May 13, 2013) Huffington Post [more on Climate Change in our area]
5/15/2013 - So, Buffalo has a recycling coordinator & NYC has a Deputy Commissioner for Recycling. Rochester, NY? Bloomberg Administration Charting Bold, New Direction on Recycling in New York City In a significant turnabout during his final year in office, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is orchestrating a shift in solid waste policies that should improve the environment, reduce costs to taxpayers and strengthen the Mayor’s legacy on sustainability issues. Overall, the Mayor has established an impressive track record on environmental matters over his three terms in office -- taking steps to reduce global warming emissions, expand green spaces and create new bike lanes and pedestrian plazas, among other accomplishments. But recycling and waste prevention have, until recently, been a weak link in the city’s sustainability chain. Indeed, over the past twelve years, NYC residential recycling actually declined from a peak of 20% to just about 15%. (April 22, 2013) NRDC Switchboard [more on Recycling in our area]
5/15/2013 - We are glad for Buffalo, but could Rochester also have a recycling coordinator to increase recycling rates—at all? Buffalo finally hires recycling coordinator Buffalo has its first recycling coordinator in four years. Commissioner of Public Works Steven Stepniak has selected Susan Attridge for the job that has been vacant since 2009. Attridge was hired May 2 at an annual salary of $54,500. She lives in Hamburg and will have to move to the city as a requirement for all Civil Service positions. The city hasn’t officially announced her hiring. The job had been funded but vacant, with many of the duties handled by Raymour Nosworthy, the son-in-law of University Common Council Member Bonnie Russell, an ally of Mayor Byron Brown. The city advertised the position last October after Investigative Post questioned officials about the vacancy in light of the city’s anemic recycling program. (May 14, 2013) Investigative Post [more on Recycling in our area]
5/15/2013 - Gee, I thought Fracking in Pennsylvania was all peaches and cream. Now they want a moratorium? Poll Shows Support for a Drilling Moratorium in Pennsylvania A new poll out Tuesday shows strong support for a moratorium on natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania, despite showing general support for gas extraction. The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at the University of Michigan, in conjunction with the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, surveyed both Pennsylvania and Michigan residents on fracking. The survey shows general support for gas extraction in Pennsylvania. Forty-nine percent of respondents approve, and 40 percent oppose. But almost two-thirds support a drilling moratorium in order to study the risks. Pollster and University of Michigan professor Barry Rabe says that’s not such a contradiction. (May 14, 2013) State Impact/NPR [more on Fracking in our area]
5/14/2013 - Being a ‘water sentinel’ would look really good on your resume. Check: New York Water Sentinels "Sierra Club Water Sentinels work to protect, improve and restore our waters. Here in New York, Sentinel teams are working to address the threats posed by gas extraction by monitoring surface waters regularly for contamination. "
5/14/2013 - Great opportunity to learn (and get credit at no cost) about how to make our communities more green and sustainable. LET’S Plan 2013 Activities "Learn about Greening our Towns, Villages, businesses and homes; Gain an understanding of the programs and benefits of the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets; and Tour farms and agricultural businesses in Livingston County, with local and regional experts. Earn training credits for attendance at each of the programs listed below for County, Town and Village Planning and Zoning Board members. Livingston County Planning Department Livingston County Government Center 6 Court Street, Room 305, Geneseo, NY 14454 585-243-7550"
5/14/2013 - ACTION: Volunteer opportunity. Help make major Rochester event nearly zero waste. Sat 6/2/2013 - 4 time slots 6am-6pm - @ Monroe County Community College. Sierra Club's Zero Waste Committee is seeking lots of volunteers for a fun event - ambitious waste minimization at the Tour de Cure bicycle tour with post-event conversion of organic waste to ethanol by Epiphergy. A.S.A.P. please volunteer (slots: 6a-9a, 9a-noon,noon-3p,3p-6p), contact Dave Goldman dhgdeals@aol.com and fill out Tour volunteer form to get a t-shirt.
5/14/2013 - Of course, there are no more ‘new’ lands, but nearly pristine areas should be left alone and monitored for Climate Change changes. We here in NYS, or anywhere else for that matter, don’t have many areas where nature is allowed to do its thing without human interference. You’d think we’d set aside more land to find out just how animals and plants, on their own, react to Climate Change in various regions around the world. Including NYS. These could be regions where scientists and trained citizen scientists continually monitor the myriad changes predicted for Climate Change. Adirondack Park Agency will hear from public on how to use new lands The Adirondack Park Agency has drafted seven options for classifying 47,000 acres of state land in the central Adirondacks, including the first phase of former Finch, Pruyn and Co. timberlands acquired by the state. The options range from mostly wilderness, the most restrictive state land classification where motorized vehicles are prohibited, to wild forest, where more opportunities for public access and recreation are allowed. The APA board voted Friday to host a series of public hearings on the proposals (May 13, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Parks in our area]
5/13/2013 - Of course, news on reaching CO2 @ 400ppm doesn’t get attention of GOP’s attempt to make Benghazi issue a ‘Watergate,’ still…. Climate Change news.
5/11/2013 - Tried to find news about Climate Change benchmark CO2 400ppm reached in Rochester, NY media, but nary a word. Guess science is a special interest thing here. Be interesting to do a comparison study about the level of concern the local public has on Climate Change and other environmental issues and the lack of serious environmental news in our local media. The most important issue of our times, Climate Change, is just passing us by here in Rochester, NY—until it doesn’t, of course. It’s going to get hot, regardless, unless Rochester media, politicians, and consumers get moving on Climate Change. We are all stakeholders in our environment (our live support system) and it would be nice if our media stopped blinding us to that. There is a world of news on Climate Change and its implications, but largely ignored here. Think about changing your media unless they start reflecting reality.
5/11/2013 - Reducing phosphorus going into our Great Lakes, especially during Climate Change, is critical. Hope others follow Scotts lead. Scotts drops phosphorus from lawn fertilizer Marysville company acts to reduce risk of runoff feeding toxic-algae blooms in lakes; competitors likely to follow its lead Scotts Miracle-Gro has removed phosphorus from its popular Turf Builder line of lawn fertilizer to help reduce the type of harmful algae blooms that have plagued waterways such as Grand Lake St. Marys and Lake Erie. The Marysville maker of lawn-and-garden products sees the move as a milestone for its industry, which it says is partly responsible for the phosphorus runoff that feeds one of the nation’s most costly and challenging environmental problems — nutrient pollution. “As consumers feed their lawns this spring, they should know they can get great results from our products while also protecting and preserving our water resources,” said Jim Lyski, Scotts’ chief marketing officer, in a written statement. (May 10, 2013) The Columbus Dispatch [more on Great Lakes in our area]
5/11/2013 - Yikes! With attempts to undermine Home Rule in NYS and invoking "Ag-Gag" law in Penn., Frackers say “Screw You!” to public and environment. Fracking Activists Could Face Felony Charges as "Ag-Gag" Laws Spread New Pennsylvania law would criminalize animal rights and anti-fracking activists The same "Ag-Gag" laws that make it a crime to film or document egregious abuses on industrial farms may soon be used to criminalize anti-fracking activists who seek to expose environmental harms brought on by the gas drilling industry—if a bill recently proposed in Pennsylvannia passes. House Bill 683, sponsored by Rep. Gary Haluska, D-Cambria, would make it a felony to take photos, video or audio on private land used for "agricultural purposes," downloading or distributing any such recordings; and entering agricultural property if one plans on recording. However, as Pittsburg's TribLive reports, the bill would go even further, in that gas frackers now commonly drilling on land that would otherwise be used for "agricultural purposes" would also be protected—meaning anyone looking to document what goes on in the ordinary day of a gas fracker, could be slapped with felony charges. (May 9, 2013) Common Dreams [more on Fracking in our area]
5/11/2013 - Ride of Silence. It’s about the importance of Sharing the Road. Event for Rochester, NY Bike Week: Rochester Ride of Silence May 15 to honor fallen cyclists On Wednesday, May 15 Rochester's Ride of Silence will honor cyclists who have died while riding. It is a processional paced, 9 mile route along Penfield's quiet roads. The riders do not talk, to better remember their friends or family members who are no longer able to ride with them. (May 10, 2013) Gates-Chili Post [more on Transportation in our area]
5/11/2013 - Breaking news: Humanity’s ‘wait and see’ approach to Climate Change is not working. Heat-Trapping Gas Passes Milestone, Raising Fears The level of the most important heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere, carbon dioxide, has passed a long-feared milestone, scientists reported Friday, reaching a concentration not seen on the earth for millions of years. Scientific instruments showed that the gas had reached an average daily level above 400 parts per million — just an odometer moment in one sense, but also a sobering reminder that decades of efforts to bring human-produced emissions under control are faltering. The best available evidence suggests the amount of the gas in the air has not been this high for at least three million years, before humans evolved, and scientists believe the rise portends large changes in the climate and the level of the sea. (May 10, 2013) New York Times [more on Climate Change in our area]
5/11/2013 - Important talk by expert on Climate Change and how birds are responding in our region: Birds and Climate Change: Developing Your Own Simple 5 Point Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis | In this talk Kim relates her love of science and nature to the current climate crisis and its implications for biodiversity. After outlining the “climate change basics”, she shares specific stories of how birds are responding to climate change, closing her talk with a more personal message. Sharing her response to the climate change crisis as a parent and a naturalist, she outlines a 5-point plan that each of us can use to organize our own response to climate change. |KIM BOSTWICK Curator, Birds and Mammals Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates Ithaca NY 14850 Visitors Center Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge 3395 U.S. Route 20 East Seneca Falls, New York 13148 | MAY 18: Saturday, 10 am to noon At the: Visitors Center Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge FREE to the public - Refreshments served FAMILY friendly! This free community presentation is cosponsored by: Cayuga Lake Watershed Network Intermunicipal Organization of the Cayuga Lake Watershed Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge “It takes a Network to protect a watershed!” Contact: steward@cayugalake.org www.cayugalake.org
5/10/2013 - I would think that anyone in Rochester, NY (even a pro-nuclear person) would be concerned about the “possibility” of running high-level radioactive waste from Canada (or anywhere else for that matter) through our city. Running a large wind turbine or a solar panel through our city might annoy some, but renewable energy accoutrements are unlikely to contaminate us all. Just saying… NY: Move over and slow down for radioactive waste? Anti-nuclear activists, who seems to very active in New York these says, may be girding for battle over the proposed shipment of high-level radioactive waste from Canada to South Carolina. No route has been selected, apparently. But the most direct path would seem to be right through central New York. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is reviewing the proposed shipment, which would involve 23,000 litres of an acid solution that contains highly enriched uranium. That’s about enough to fill 110 of those well-known 55-gallon drums. It would come from Chalk River Laboratories, a large facility in the Canadian province of Ontario near its border with Quebec that conducts nuclear research and produces radioactive isotopes for medical use. The laboratories are operated by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., a government-owned crown corporation. (May 9, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle 520 [more on Energy in our area]
5/10/2013 - Why would one of our political parties stop the President’s ability to protect our environment? I know…, we’re dysfunctional. Nature will wait until we get our act together and address Climate Change and other environmental issues—ya think? McCarthy's nomination in doubt, angering Democrats President Barack Obama’s nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency is in jeopardy after Republicans formed a united front Thursday to deny her a vote in committee. Democrats erupted in frustration at the GOP “obstructionism” and vowed to find a way to push Gina McCarthy’s nomination through the Environment and Public Works Committee, despite the last-minute Republican boycott of the vote. (May 9, 2013) Politico
5/10/2013 - Cows affected by and affect Climate Change, who knew? Also, NYS dairy industry may need help to cool cows down in a warmer NY. $9.9M grant to reduce dairy's environmental hoofprint A team of scientists from seven universities – including three from Cornell – has joined forces with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on a five-year, $9.9 million project to study the environmental impact of dairy production systems in the Great Lakes region and develop best management practices for producers to implement on farms. Emissions of greenhouse gases and ammonia, soil carbon sequestration, and soil and forage quality will be measured during ongoing dairy forage production field experiments in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and New York, with the goal of understanding how various management practices and regional climate differences affect carbon, nitrogen, water and energy fluxes across the dairy production system. (May 9, 2013) Cornell Chronicle Online [more on Climate Change in our area]
5/10/2013 - Asian Carp, which may seriously upset Great Lakes ecology, is getting uncomfortable close. How that ‘wait and see’ approach working? Asian carp fish found in Grand River sparks alarm for conservation officials WATERLOO REGION — They have no natural predators, eat nearly everything in sight and can take over lakes and rivers like an invading army. Conservationists are sounding the alarm after a 40-pound Asian grass carp, an invasive species of monster fish that has wreaked havoc in U.S. waterways, was caught by an angler last week in the mouth of the Grand River nearDunnville. “They have the power to remake an aquatic ecosystem to meet their needs and they just push out the native species,” said Dave Schultz, spokesperson for the Grand River Conservation Authority. (May 9, 2013) The Record [more on Invasive Species in our area]
5/10/2013 - How is Climate Change affecting bird migration and Boreal Forest? Sounds like Climate Change is getting complicated. Maryland's Backyard Birds at Risk ANNAPOLIS, Md. – From their beautiful songs to their stunning colors, birds are putting on their best displays this time of year in Maryland. It's the spring migration season, and more than half the birds you see at your feeders and soaring across the sky right now are headed north to Canada's Boreal Forest, the largest intact forest on earth, and the nesting grounds for America's birds. Dr. Jeff Wells, senior scientist with the Boreal Songbird Initiative, says many of the birds are at risk as the forest faces new threats. "It is an area that is under threat from mining, forestry, oil and gas, hydro,” he says. “Lots of different factors. And it is being impacted by climate change." (May 10, 2013) Public News Service [more on Wildlife and Climate Change in our area]
5/10/2013 - Demonstrate your commitment to bringing down greenhouse gases by joining a Bike Week event in Rochester, NY. Check the Bike Week schedule here: Bike Week begins Saturday Rochester’s deputy mayor announced Thursday that Bike Week will begin Saturday in Rochester. “Biking is the way for urban living,” Deputy Mayor Leonard Redon said. He said biker-friendly communities have less traffic congestion and help local businesses thrive. Bike Week — which takes place during National Bike Month — lasts until May 19 and aims to bring together Rochester’s biking community and raise awareness of the city’s ongoing investments in bicycle infrastructure. (May 9, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Transportation in our area]
5/09/2013 - Shouldn’t stopping and clearing out of invasive species be a part of a comprehensive Climate Change plan for New York? Many invasive species (including weeds) are probably going to fare better in a warmer New York because they are usually aggressive and more resilient to changes—which makes them invasive species. Attacking the invasive species problem cannot be accomplished by a quick-response anymore than cancer can be rid of with a single zap of radiation. Rapid response funding proposed to tackle invasive species threat Invasive species can cause environmental and economic damage, and present a threat to the shipping, fishing and recreation industries across upstate New York, according to Sen. Chuck Schumer. Schumer, a Democrat, is proposing a rapid response grant program to help tackle the issue. The proposed legislation would allow states and local authorities to request federal grants for early detection and rapid response when the presence, or threat, of a new aquatic invasive species is identified. “Early detection would allow locals to hire and train individuals that have a specific job responsibility to find invasive species. Rapid response efforts contain and where possible eradicate invasive species before they get their stranglehold on the waterway,” Schumer says. (May 9, 2013) Innovation Trail [more on Invasive Species in our area]
5/09/2013 - I know, this is a really, really dumb question: Why are we so used to Brownfields that we can barely muster the money and effort to clean them up? It’s amazing to me that there are so many Brownfields (industrial waste sites) in New York State and yet we are even considering to Frack New York State. How much evidence and history do we need to prove that industry cares very much about making money and very little about how they treat our environment? Do we really think and a bunch of rules and regulations is going to stop the Fracking industry from polluting our water and environment? How long can we kid ourselves that industry cares about our environment and should be left alone because they will treat our environment as our life support system? EPA Provides $1.4 Million to Communities in Upstate New York to Support Assessments, Cleanups and Revitalization of Contaminated Properties The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing nearly $1.4 million to Fort Edward, Glens Falls, Ithaca, Rensselaer, and Rochester, New York to help those communities clean up abandoned and contaminated sites. The funding was awarded through EPA’s Brownfields Program, which helps communities assess, clean up, redevelop, and reuse contaminated properties. Brownfields are properties where moderate contamination threatens environmental quality and public health and can interfere with productive re-use of the sites. “Cleaning up brownfields sites protects people’s health and the environment, revitalizes neighborhoods and create jobs,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. “Brownfields cleanups and the reuse of formerly contaminated properties improve the lives of those who live and work in these communities.” (May 8, 2013) EPA News Releases from Region 2 [more on Brownfields in our area]
5/09/2013 - In the near future, educating our children on Climate will be the norm. Filling In The Gap On Climate Education In Classrooms The auditorium at James Blake High School in Silver Spring, Md., is packed when Cy Maramangalam strolls onstage, sporting jeans and a shaved head. "All right, how's everyone doing today?" he says to rousing cheers. It feels as if he's about to introduce a hot new band, but Maramangalam is with the Alliance for Climate Education, or ACE, and he's here to talk climate change. In the past few years, the nonprofit has put on multimedia presentations for more than 1 million students across the country. Think of it as Al Gore for Gen Y. (May 7, 2013) NPR [more on Environmental Education and Climate Change in our area]
5/09/2013 - By this time if you live in NYS and you don’t know what ‘Fracking’ is, then you need to change your media. Then, join efforts to stop this unnecessary, invasive, threatening, environmental surgery to extract fossil fuels from a patient that doesn’t want or need it. NYS should go renewable energy. 2013 HYDRO-FRACKING DAY OF ACTION Come to Albany on May 22 for a Fracking Lobby Day! We need action on Fracking! In response to overwhelming public pressure, legislation was introduced in both the Assembly and Senate to enact a two-year moratorium on fracking until a comprehensive health impact assessment can be completed. The Assembly has all ready passed it, and now it is time for the Senate to pass the bill and the Governor to sign it into law! Join us on May 22 to tell our legislators we want a health impact assessment and a two-year moratorium! --from Citizen's Campaign for the Environment
5/08/2013 - With Wind and Solar power you don’t have to test your emergency public notification system. Renewable energy doesn’t contaminate—ever. Just saying… Ginna to test public notification system Wednesday Ginna Nuclear Power Plant in Ontario will perform a test of its public notification system. The test will be between 9:45 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday and will involve sounding all 96 sirens. Residents who live within a 10-mile radius may hear it. (May 7, 2013) Rochester NY NBC News [more on Energy in our area]
5/08/2013 - Remember: Dealing with Hurricane Sandy is addressing Climate Change. We have to plan for more Sandy’s but we won’t if we don’t connect the dots. If we take the ‘swat-every-fly’ approach to Climate Change disasters, we will quickly run out of money. We have to plan, adapt, and mitigate Climate Change. Interior Announces $475 Million in Hurricane Sandy Relief Funds to Rebuild Region, Make Communities Stronger and More Resilient WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced that the Department is releasing $475.25 million in emergency Hurricane Sandy disaster relief appropriations to 234 projects that will repair and rebuild parks, refuges and other Interior assets damaged by the storm. The funding will also provide investments in scientific data and studies to support recovery in the region, as well as historic preservation efforts. The strategic plan and a list of the approved projects are available here. “The funding we are making available today will help repair and rebuild facilities, reopen roads, and restore services in order to get our parks, refuges, beaches, and public lands fully operational and open to the public this summer,” said Jewell. “We will continue to focus our efforts on rebuilding to welcome visitors, help jumpstart local economies, and make communities stronger and more resilient to help withstand potential damage from future storms.” (May 7, 2013) US Dept. of the Interior [more on Climate Change in our area]
5/08/2013 - You’d think discovering massive amounts of plastic bits in our Great Lakes would attract our local Rochester, NY media to check it out, but they’re busy elsewhere I guess. That’s too bad because solving fresh water drinking problems if NYS implements Fracking, dealing with Climate Change, and solving food and agricultural issues are not separate problems. They are all connected to Water Quality as our region and other regions warm. With Climate Change, we must see our environmental issues not as separate issues but as parts of a looming crisis. OUR SINGULARITY FUTURE: HUMANITY’S TRASH PILING UP IN GREAT LAKES Mass-producing, mass-consuming humanity continues to leave its lasting mark on planet Earth. You’ve probably heard about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an “island” of floating debris in the north Pacific twice the size of Texas. While it isn’t always as large, and its debris is diffuse enough as to be nothing resembling an actual island, the Great Patch is still a great problem. And if one has formed in the middle of the ocean, might we expect other like patches to form closer to the coastlines from which the waste is dumped in the first place? They found one. Call it the Great Great Lakes Garbage Patch. (May 7, 2013) SingularityHUb
5/08/2013 - Neighborhood Seed Library at the Monroe Branch library | Join the neighborhood seed exchange! Beginning today, May 7, get free vegetable, flower and herb seeds (including some heirloom) from the Children's Room of the Monroe Branch library (809 Monroe Avenue) to plant in your own garden. When you pick up your seeds, also take some envelopes. In the Fall when you harvest your goodies, gather and dry some of the seeds your plants produced, stick them in your envelope, label and bring them back for someone to "borrow" next year. Check out Monroe Branch Children's Room for pictures and details. Library hours are: Mon 12:00-8:00, Tues 10:00-6:00, Wed 12:00-8:00, Thurs 12:00-6:00, Fri 12:00-6:00, Sat 10:00-2:00, Sun Closed. Telephone: 585-428-8202
5/08/2013 - We tend to understand environmental issues as the purvey of particular groups, but it’s nonsense. We are all affected. This is a fundamental point we are going to have to get soon or we will perish. The collapse of bees, which are crucial to our agricultural, and Climate Change, and other environmental issues won’t just affect those who are interested. Bee Deaths May Have Reached A Crisis Point For Crops According to a new survey of America's beekeepers, almost a third of the country's honeybee colonies did not make it through the winter. That's been the case, in fact, almost every year since the U.S. Department of Agriculture began this annual survey, six years ago. Over the past six years, on average, 30 percent of all the honeybee colonies in the U.S. died off over the winter. The worst year was five years ago. Last year was the best: Just 22 percent of the colonies died. "Last year gave us some hope," says Jeffrey Pettis, research leader of the Agriculture Department's Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Md. (May 7, 2013) NPR [more on Wildlife and Food in our area]
5/08/2013 - Important acknowledgment of Climate Change: N.Y.'s climate change clearinghouse, a Web-based, map-enabled reference library and climate database to be headquartered at Cornell N.Y.'s climate change clearinghouse to offer info to all No longer an abstract concept, climate change is affecting the air, sea and land. To comprehend the effects on New York and the Northeast region, scientists begin collaborating this summer on the New York Climate-Change Science Clearinghouse, a Web-based, map-enabled reference library and climate database to be headquartered at Cornell. A team of academic, nongovernmental, state and federal scientists will develop the project. At Cornell, Art DeGaetano, professor of climatology and director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast Regional Climate Center, will lead the effort. Climate change affects all sectors of the New York economy. “This project will provide the information necessary for policy- and decision-makers to reach scientifically sound decisions regarding climate change,” said DeGaetano. The public also will have access to the data. (May 7, 2013) Cornell Chronicle Online [more on Climate Change in our area]
5/08/2013 - Vastly increasing our urban forests is critical for a sustainable future. U.S. Urban Trees Store Carbon, Provide Billions in Economic Value, Finds State-By-State Analysis From New York City's Central Park to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, America's urban forests store an estimated 708 million tons of carbon, an environmental service with an estimated value of $50 billion, according to a recent U.S. Forest Service study. Annual net carbon uptake by these trees is estimated at 21 million tons and $1.5 billion in economic benefit. In the study published recently in the journal Environmental Pollution, Dave Nowak, a research forester with the U.S. Forest Service's Northern Research Station, and his colleagues used urban tree field data from 28 cities and six states and national tree cover data to estimate total carbon storage in the nation's urban areas. (May 7, 2013) Science Daily [more on Plants and Climate Change in our area]
5/07/2013 - We cannot talk about the future of Great Lakes water levels without talking about Climate Change. NOAA understands the drivers, but not the destination, of lake levels Will deepening climate change raise or lower lake levels over the next, say, 20-50 years? “There is considerable uncertainty about how climate change will affect lake levels, due to the interplay between changes in precipitation and changes in evaporation,” said Gronewold. “Increased temperatures, which most climate models indicate are likely to happen, are likely to increase water temperatures. What we’ve found is increasing water temperatures, relative to the cool air that tends to come over the Great Lakes in the fall, leads to increased evaporation.” (May 2, 2013) The Voice [more on Great Lakes and Climate Change in our area]
5/07/2013 - Leaders increasingly connect the dots on Climate Change and extreme weather events. Jerry Brown blames climate change for state's early fire season SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Jerry Brown put the state’s early wildfire season in global terms Monday, saying the state would have to grow accustomed to more forest fires as a consequence of climate change. Brown’s remarks at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s aviation management unit in Sacramento came as firefighters in Ventura County said they expected to have the 28,000-acre Springs fire fully contained by Tuesday. State firefighters have responded to about twice the average number of wildfires so far this year – more than 1,100 in all. (May 6, 2013) Los Angeles Times [more on Climate Change in our area]
5/07/2013 - Let me think: Should NYS allow natural gas storage next to Finger Lakes, with 7% of world's fresh waster? Hmmm… NO! Finger Lakes gas storage plans draw outcry Company wants to use depleted salt mines to store natural gas The Finger Lakes region, frequented by tourists for its vistas, recreation and vineyards, is dotted with caverns left behind a century ago when the area was a major salt-producing region. Now, an energy company is eyeing those caves as ideal spaces for storing natural gas, upsetting opponents who are trying to prevent a resurgence of industry to what they call an environmental gem. The plans call for six new rail spurs to handle 24 propane tanker cars every 12 hours. A round-the-clock cycle of trains and tanker trucks seven days a week would bring propane in and out of the facility. Four 700-horsepower compressors would be built, and two open brine ponds would be placed on a hillside above Seneca Lake. (May 5, 2013) Albany Times Union [more on Water Quality in our area]
5/07/2013 - I think NYS restrictions on combating invasive species coming through the St. Lawrence River into the Great Lakes should be very tough. The Great Lakes has enough problems with too many phosphates, plastic bits, Climate Change without more invasive species like the Zebra Mussels. National Wildlife Federation expands challenge to new invasives rules A national environmental group is expanding its legal challenge to new state and Federal rules designed to keep invasive species out the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes. Neil Kagan, senior counsel with the National Wildlife Federation, says new standards aren't strict enough to keep dangerous organisms from reaching the US in the ballast water of ships, "Neither the EPA permit, nor the state's certification of that are sufficient to prevent new invasive species from coming into New York waters." The National Wildlife Federation is already suing New York, pushing the state to adopt tougher standards. (May 6, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Invasive Species in our area]
5/07/2013 - Us greenies in the Rochester, NY region like this part about Mayor Thomas S. Richards' 2013 State of the City Address: “Sidewalk and curb replacements along with street lighting so our citizens have great places to walk, bike or run. Park and trail improvements, environmental and green improvements for our citizens to enjoy nature and for sustainability for our future generations. And, also for water system improvements so that families have a clean, healthy and reliable source of drinking water.” City of Rochester News Release -Mayor Richards Presents 2013 State of the City Address
5/07/2013 - Bug Bonanza: Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Day at Chili Public Library! From 10am until noon Saturday, May 18. Many local horticulture and environmental professionals will be hosting an interactive, educational event for the whole family. Kids can come earn their Forest Bureau of Investigation badge by visiting our 7 education stations. New York State DEC will be on-hand to provide two presentations for private home/landowners to learn all about how to deal with the onset of this invasive species. Find out more Monroe County Emerald Ash Borer Task Force
5/06/2013 - Curbside Composting: a business model that’s good for you and your environment and keeps food waste out of landfills. Curbside Composting Makes Use of Food Waste A pilot program is making it easier for Rochester residents to get rid of their food scraps in a more useful way than throwing them in the garbage. For those who don't like wasting your food, Community Composting might be for you. With the help of the organic waste up-cycling company Ephiphergy, Steven Kraft will give Rochester residents the opportunity to turn their food waste into something useful. "We are filling up our landfill with material that can otherwise be replenishing all of our soil," said Kraft, the co-founder of Community Composting. Kraft and a business partner are starting the food scrap pick up service. (May 5, 2013) (Rochester YNN [more on Recycling in our area]
5/06/2013 - Cleaning up Brownfields is never a cure worst that the disease. It’s just more inconvenient and expensive. Think: environmental health. Neighbors Resist a Plan to Clean a Toxic Canal Almost everybody wants the Gowanus Canal cleansed of its toxic gunk. But a $500 million plan by theEnvironmental Protection Agency to do just that has run into protests from otherwise environmentally conscious residents in several Brooklyn neighborhoods. They want the canal purged of pollutants like PCBs, lead, mercury and raw sewage, but are fighting the methods the agency has chosen. One neighborhood fears that the sludge taken out from the canal would poison the air over their ball fields, and others worry that the location of a sewage-processing site needed for the cleanup would destroy a beloved swimming pool. The disputes illustrate a predicament that often crops up in environmental remediation: those affected see the cure as worse than the disease. (May 5, 2013) New York Times [more on Brownfields in our area]
5/06/2013 - Really should watch this speech by Bill McKibben on Climate Change. Climate Change isn’t just another issue. Watch This Climate Change Sermon To Understand Why We Aren’t Acting In A Crisis That Threatens Our Survival You’ve probably wondered why we as a nation cannot act on climate change given that at least 98 percent of the world’s non-big-oil-financed scientists agree that it is manmade and we may be only two summers from an ice-free Arctic. Why can’t we follow the lead of Germany, which is quickly moving away from carbon polluting while growing their economy? A certain amount of this is basic Republican intransigence. If Al Gore is for it, I must be against it. There’s also greed. I don’t want to pay more for gas; it’s too expensive already. But the truth is, the decision to act on climate change is being blocked by a tiny group of people. (May 3, 2013) The National Memo [more on Climate Change in our area]
5/06/2013 - Burnable Ice? Burning massive amounts of methane hydrate, methane one of the most potent of all GHG’s, sounds pretty insane to me. Approaching 'peak oil'? We look at how much longer oil has to run, and ask if new alternative energy finds have delayed the inevitable. And in a world-first, resource-challenged Japan says it has extracted gas from offshore deposits of a substance known as "burnable ice". The environmental impact of this process is not yet fully understood, but production could be the answer to Japan's growing energy needs. Gerald Tan reports for Counting the Cost. (May 4, 2013) Aljazeera [more on Energy in our area]
5/04/2013 - If you attended the (G-FLATS) last week, or read the city Roc the Bike site, you’d know lots are afoot on active transportation in Rochester, NY New Bikes Lanes In City Of Rochester There are new bike lanes in the city of Rochester. Crews painted the lines on Probert Street Friday near the new East Avenue Wegmans. The street runs between University Avenue and East Avenue just west of Winton Road. (May 3, 2013) WHAM [more on Transportation in our area]
5/04/2013 - If NYS Health Dept. is serious about "Get to Know Your H2O" they’d conduct water quality baseline studies before Fracking. In Recognition of Drinking Water Week, State's Top Health Official Encourages New Yorkers to "Get to Know Your H2O" ALBANY, NY (May 2, 2013) – To help celebrate the 35th year of National Drinking Water Week, May 5 – 11, 2013, New York State Health Commissioner Nirav R. Shah, M.D., M.P.H., highlighted the essential role drinking water plays in our daily lives and encouraged New Yorkers to get to know their H2O. "Drinking Water Week provides an opportunity for New Yorkers to learn about their water and how they can become better advocates of this precious resource," Commissioner Shah said. "The State Health Department and our state and local partners are committed to maintaining a safe and sustainable supply of drinking water and we hope consumers will help to keep our water sources and water systems healthy and vibrant." Nearly 95 percent of New Yorkers receive their drinking water from public water systems. Approximately 17.8 million people are served by community public water systems, including about 12 million receiving drinking water from surface water sources (reservoir, lake or river) and more than 4.7 million obtaining their water from groundwater sources. (May 2, 2013) NYS Department of Health
5/04/2013 - It’s my opinion that despite legal wranglings and how you label water (commodity?), thirsty cities must have water as Climate Change makes this issue desperate. We need to plan for water shortages as Climate Change kicks in, not throw it all to the courts, which will have to give in eventually to the fundamental need for water. We here in the Great Lakes and Finger Lakes region should be very concerned indeed about properly planning for Climate Change. Thirsty States Take Water Battle To Supreme Court On Tuesday, Oklahoma and Texas will face off in the U.S. Supreme Court. The winner gets water. And this is not a game. The court will hear oral arguments in the case of Tarrant Regional Water District v. Herrmann, et al. The case pits Oklahoma against Texas over rights to water from the river that forms part of the border between them. Depending on how the court decides, it could impact interstate water-sharing agreements across the country. (April 21, 2013) NPR [more on Water Quality in our area]
5/04/2013 - Learn how to establish and monitor water quality baselines by taking a Water Sentinels Training "Sat 5/11/2013, 9a-3p sharp, Join the Sentinels stream team! Water Sentinels Training - meet at the public library in Wellsville, NY, on the Genesee River. Sponsored by Sierra Club and conducted by Dickinson College, PA. Sentinels test and document stream quality now, so future effects from gas drilling are more easily identified. Water Sentinels has trained over 100 citizens to use simple scientific methods to evaluate stream quality. With stream information (such as stream depth and conductivity), we can help regulators recognize trends and address problems. $20 fee for workshop. Scholarships available for those who can't afford it but want to be part of our team. Registration required. Contact Gundrun Scott 607-478-8793 or NYWaterSentinels@gmail.com "
5/04/2013 - Is humanity going to ignore the 400ppm CO2 benchmark coming up on Global Warming? Climate Change Milestone Demands Shift to Renewable Energy The need to shift to sustainable and clean energysources will be reinforced when the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere reached 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in human history in the next few days. Scientists from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii are set to announce that levels of atmospheric CO2 are reaching 400ppm now, marking a critical point on the pathway to dangerous levels of global warming. The imperative to drive down these emissions has never been stronger, says Samantha Smith, World Wildlife Fund leader of the Global Climate & Energy Initiative. (May 3, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Climate Change in our area]
5/03/2013 - Does this ruling that Home Rule rules over Fracking companies that us citizens of New York State actually have sovereignty over our own land? Holy Cow! Does this mean our Revolutionary War actually accomplished something, and we are a free people capable of determining the fate of our own property? God Bless America. Hydrofracking foes win in Dryden and Middlefield: New York appellate court rules towns can ban drilling A New York state appeals court ruled today that towns can ban gas drilling, including hydrofracking, within their borders. In two related decisions, the Third Appellate Division in Albany ruled that the Tompkins County town of Dryden and the Otsego County town of Middlefield had the right to ban drilling when they enacted their ordinances in 2011. The rulings upheld decisions by lower courts, and rejected arguments by drillers and landowners that only the state could say where gas drilling can take place. The two cases have been important to both sides in the hydrofracking debate. Drillers say allowing towns to ban drilling will make it harder to reach New York's important gas resources, while towns say they should be able to control land use within their borders. (May 2, 2013) Syracuse.com [more on Fracking in our area]
5/03/2013 - If we don’t seriously start planning for more Hurricane Sandy’s, Climate Change is going to get very, very expensive. EPA to Award Over a Half Billion in Funding to Areas Impacted by Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey and New York (New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that it will provide grants of $340 million to the state of New York and $229 million to the state of New Jersey for improvements to wastewater and drinking water treatment facilities impacted by Hurricane Sandy. The funding announced today will help storm-damaged communities in both states as they continue to recover from the damage caused by the storm on Oct. 29, 2012. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, wastewater and drinking water treatment systems in New York and New Jersey were so severely damaged that some could not provide safe drinking water or treat raw sewage. The funding announced today will give states the capacity to further reduce risks of flood damage and increase the resiliency of wastewater and drinking water facilities to withstand the effects of severe storms similar to Sandy. (May 2, 2013) EPA News Releases from Region 2 [more on Climate Change in our area]
5/03/2013 - I wonder, how healthy is our Great Lakes ecology if we have to stock thousands of fish each year and keep them alive until they’re caught? Has intensive restocking fish each year become so regular that we’ve forgotten how productive our Great Lakes used to be? Thousands of King Salmon to be Released into Lake Ontario More signs of spring in Orleans County as Lake Breeze Marina prepared more than 100,000 king salmon to be released into Lake Ontario. In an effort to improve end of the season fishing, charter boat captains met on Wednesday to put 106,000 king salmon into pens to later be released into Lake Ontario. (May 1, 2013) Rochester YNN [more on Great Lakes and Wildlife in our area]
5/03/2013 - Important: “Global momentum to tackle climate change is growing.” But during “The Critical Decade” is it enough? The Critical Decade: Global Action Building on Climate Change The Critical Decade: Global Action Building on Climate Change presents an overview of progress in international action on climate change since August 2012, with a particular focus on China and the US. The report also considers progress in Australia, as it is one of the 20 countries contributing most of the world’s emissions. Since the Climate Commission’s international report in August 2012 (The Critical Decade: International Action on Climate Change), there has been significant progress in many countries across the globe. --from Climate Commission in Australia
5/03/2013 - I cannot believe that two months after these books have been delivered these unused phone books still sit on folk’s porches. These unused phone books belong in the recycling bin. Directory dilemma In San Francisco, if you want a copy of the yellow pages, you have to ask for it. City law prohibits delivery of the phone books to anyone who hasn't specifically requested them. A similar opt-in system could cut down on the number of unwanted or unused phone books that sit in piles at Rochester-area apartment buildings and office complexes, says Frank Regan, chair of the local Sierra Club's Zero Waste Committee. And Regan says he and other like-minded club members are planning to start a campaign for a local opt-in law. (May 1, 2013) Rochester City Newspaper [more on Recycling in our area]
5/03/2013 - Because I walk a lot, I especially liked this quote by Maggie Brooks on active transportation: Brooks also said the county will complete a major active transportation initiative this year: it'll finish installing countdown crosswalk signals on county roads. It's a federal mandate, but it's something officials wanted to do anyway, she said.” Countdown crosswalk signals give pedestrians a chance to get across the street. Brooks says broad support makes bike-ped projects attractive Elected officials are finding it easier and easier to get behind active transportation initiatives. As she spoke to the audience at yesterday's Genesee-Finger Lakes Active Transportation Summit, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks ticked off the reasons why, including economic and community health benefits. But she also pointed out that active transportation initiatives, from creating bike lanes to making sure sidewalks have curb cuts at crosswalks, are politically popular. Many different constituencies have made active transportation — biking, walking, and other human-powered ways of getting around — a priority, Brooks said. And that's true. Parents of school-age children, some government agency staff, competitive and recreational cyclists, environmentalists, and the AARP are just some of the groups embracing active transportation initiatives and infrastructure. (May 1, 2013) Rochester City Newspaper
5/02/2013 - Don’t have to ponder value of landfill in Finger Lakes or anywhere else. They’re much less than Zero. Read “Stop Trashing the Climate” Pondering the value of landfills in the Finger Lakes The Finger Lakes is home to New York’s two biggest landfills. A proposed expansion - and odor problems - at one of them has made this a particularly touchy subject of late. Ontario County administrator John Garvey was one of three speakers invited to participate in a summit, hosted by Hobart and William Smith Colleges. His home turf includes the Ontario County landfill and he says waste issues are inherently complicated, "but I think we have agreement on general directions in New York state, and I think we’re headed that way, to reduce the waste stream," he says. (May 1, 2013) Innovation Trail [more on Recycling in our area]
5/02/2013 - Wish Rochester, NY area media would cover Recycling issues like the Investigative Post does for Buffalo. Housing authority ignores recycling mandate Executive director says pilot program started at one development but reporters found no evidence of program The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, the city’s biggest landlord, is ignoring a City Charter requirement that mandates recycling at apartment buildings and other multi-family housing units. As a result, roughly 500 tons of recyclable materials end up in a landfill each year, costing the city both money and an opportunity to improve its anemic recycling rate. There also may be a related out-of-pocket expense to the authority. The authority appears to have engaged a public relations firm to coach officials on how to deal with reporters inquiring about the recycling program. Managers are unwilling to discuss the arrangment, however. (May 1, 2013) Investigative Post [more on Recycling in our area]
5/02/2013 - Just out the May 2013 Penfield Green Initiative newsletter. Lots of events and helpful ways to live greener in Penfield and beyond… Penfield Green Initiative May 2013 Newsletter "We are Penfield residents who want to promote positive environmental action and provide a forum for the general public to be involved in supporting a “green Penfield” "Penfield GREEN Initiative
5/02/2013 - Remember it’s time to curb your car (or garage it) and do some active transportation Announcing Curb Your Car Week 2013 Spring Edition When? Sunday May 12 through Saturday May 18, 2013. What? Families throughout the greater Rochester area and beyond will pledge to leave their cars home for one or more trips during the week. Can you walk, bike, take the bus, carpool, telecommute, or combine trips? It can be to school, to work, to piano lessons, the grocery store, or anywhere you would otherwise normally drive your vehicle. Learn more.
5/02/2013 - Don’t forget Green Drinks coming up for May. Be green, get connected, help others be green. Green Drinks May Join us at Worm Power for the May Green Drinks Networking Event. "Worm Power is an ALL ORGANIC WORM CASTING product based on the power of beneficial microorganisms and earthworms to boost soil fertility for all your plant and soil needs." Green Drinks is a networking event for people working toward environmentally sustainable solutions for businesses and institutions. When: Thursday, May 16, 2013, 6:00 to 7:30 PM Where: 1691 Jenks Road, Avon NY 14414 Event includes: 1. Tours of the facility 2. Cheesed and Confused truck. Food truck that serves 8-10 different "pannini" sandwiches and soup 3. Deer Run Winery: Wine tasting of local award winning Conesus lake Winery 4. Custom Brewcrafters: Local micro-brewery (Honeoye Falls) tasting We look forward to seeing you there! For more information contact Dan Johnson at (855) 260-9676 or djohnson@wormpower.net Green Drinks is a monthly networking event where people in the environmental field and the sustainably minded meet over drinks (alcoholic or non), in an informal setting to exchange ideas, find out who's doing what and spread the word on what you're doing, find employment leads and make new friends and contacts. --from Center for Environmental Initiatives (CEI)
5/01/2013 - 11 Billion Gallons of Sandy Sewage Overflow is why planning and preparing for Climate Change is critical in NYS and beyond Hurricane Sandy’s Untold Filthy Legacy: Sewage Hurricane Sandy was one of the largest storm to hit the northeast U.S. in recorded history, killing 159, knocking out power to millions, and causing $70 billion in damage in eight states. Sandy also put the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in stark relief by paralyzing subways, trains, road and air traffic, flooding hospitals, crippling electrical substations, and shutting down power and water to tens of millions of people. But one of the larger infrastructure failures is less appreciated: sewage overflow. (April 30, 2013) Climate Central [more on Water Quality and Climate Change in our area]
5/01/2013 - Last Chance to Register for the EPA Region 2 “Leveraging Environmental Monitoring - Key Steps in Producing Credible Data” in Buffalo, New York on May 8, 2013 | All - This is the “Last Chance” to sign-up for the EPA Region 2 “Leveraging Environmental Monitoring - Key Steps in Producing Credible Data” training at the University of Buffalo on Wednesday, May 8th . The final agenda is attached. Below is the link for the Buffalo Eventbrite registration page: http://epadatabuffalo.eventbrite.com/ Registration closes at Noon on Monday, May 6, 2013. Patricia A. Sheridan EPA Region 2 DESA -DO 732-321-6780 sheridan.patricia@epa.gov
5/01/2013 - BAN FRACKING Community Meeting Thursday, May 2nd at 7 p.m. 1272 Delaware Ave Buffalo, NY "Fracking is a natural gas drilling technique that goes miles underground to break up shale rock using water, sand, and toxic chemicals. In Pennsylvania, residents living in areas with fracking operations have reported flammable tap water, unexplained health problems, increased municipal costs, degradation of air quality, huge increases in truck traffic, and the list goes on. With fracking posed to happen in New York State this year if we don't stop it, now is the time to act! So what can you do locally to fight fracking? A lot! Join us for our next community meeting where we will be discussing how to achieve a ban on fracking in Erie County and ways to contribute to the campaign to ban fracking in New York State. We will be meeting on Thursday, May 2nd at 7 p.m. at the Network of Religious Communities located at 1272 Delaware Ave. Buffalo, NY (use entrance off back parking lot). All are welcome! "
5/01/2013 - Remember when you flip on a an electric light switch in New York, you could be blowing up somebody’s mountain if your grid doesn’t run on renewables. New York Loves Mountains "New York Loves Mountains, founded in 2008, is an independent, volunteer-run organization devoted to raising awareness about mountaintop removal coal mining and to helping New Yorkers break our connection to one of America’s dirtiest forms of energy. Only a small percentage of NY’s electricity comes from mountaintop removal coal – an amount easily replaced by renewable energies. We believe a commitment to ban the purchase of mountaintop removal coal in New York state would be both a realistic and powerfully symbolic action. "
4/30/2013 - Come celebrate 25 years of Peacework Organic CSA! May 5, 2 - 6 pm at the farm | MAY 5 Peacework Farm - May Day (Cinco de mayo) Party! 2 - 6 pm at the farm, 2231 Welcher Road, Newark, NY Musicians Edith Gawler and Bennett Konesni will be joining us for the May 5 celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Peacework Organic CSA! Edith is a wonderful fiddler and together they share a rousing repertory of work songs from around the world! At 2 pm, we will perform our usual joyous ritual - dancing around the May Pole. (no experience required!) Edith and Bennett will play for an hour as we join in some light work or just enjoy the music. Then we will visit the wildflowers growing along the trail through the Kraai Preserve, have a farm tour, and finish the afternoon from 4:30 to 6 with a potluck supper. Please bring a dish to pass and your own plates and silverware. Drinks provided. Everyone invited! free of charge. Help us celebrate 25 years of the CSA, 70 years of farmer Elizabeth Henderson, 80 years of founding organizer Alison Clark, along with 80 years of Lila Bluestone and Peter Mott, and 60 years of Marianne Simmons! Lots to celebrate!
4/29/2013 - Not all human achievements are great. Passing the 400ppm Carbon Dioxide in atmosphere is a bad benchmark, not a good one. Carbon dioxide now at highest level in 5 million years The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere could top 400 parts per million next month. For the first time in roughly 5 million years, the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere could top 400 parts per million in the Northern Hemisphere next month. Human ancestors were just learning how to walk on two feet about that time, in a world that was much warmer than the one we walk on today. Carbon dioxide is the greenhouse gas that is responsible for 63% of the warming attributable to all greenhouse gases, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Lab. (April 24, 2013) USA Today [more on Climate Change in our area]
4/27/2013 - Few individual actions can have more impact on adapting and mitigating Climate Change than planting a tree. Trees help our environment retain and nourish our soil, provide homes for wildlife, shade area of streams that keep temperature sensitive fish cool, take in our excess carbon dioxide, and not to mention they look great on your community. Plant a tree; Plant lots of trees. Arbor Day Celebrated in New York State New Yorkers Encouraged to Recognize Numerous Contributions Provided by Trees throughout the State Student and State Arbor Day Poster Contest Winners Announced The State Arbor Day Committee, made up of several state agencies and industry associations, joined state and local officials to celebrate Arbor Day at the north end of the Empire State Plaza, state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens announced today as part of DEC's week-long celebration of Earth Day. This annual celebration encourages New Yorkers of all ages to recognize the importance of trees and the impact they make in our everyday lives. "Arbor Day is celebrated nationally as a time to remind us of the valuable role trees play in our daily lives and in our environment, said Commissioner Martens. "Trees help improve air quality, reduce energy consumption and beautify the landscape in New York's urban areas. As the warmer weather approaches and we're outside appreciating the benefits of trees, I encourage everyone to take a moment and consider how each of us can help preserve and protect our precious natural resources." (April 26, 2013) NYS DEC Press Releases [more on Plants in our area]
4/27/2013 - Solarizing seems a whole lot more fun and healthier for our environment than Fracking. Check this out: "May 1, Solarize Tompkins SE Public Meeting, Varna (Dryden): 7-9 PM, Varna Community Center, 943 Dryden Rd./Rte 366. Solarize Tompkins SE is bringing many new solar photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal (hot water) installations to Caroline, Dryden, and Danby in 2013. Working with state and county organizations, area residents, and solar energy installers, this campaign is streamlining the installation process, making a Solar Energy system easy and affordable. This program is open to residences, farmers, business owners, municipalities, and institutions. Go here for info, dates of meetings in your town or village: www.SolarizeTompkinsSE.org "
4/26/2013 - Sure wish the governmental institution in NYS that supposed to protect our environment (DEC) would stop pushing fossil fuels on us. Sign a petition here: Save Seneca Lake: Reject Inergy’s LPG Facility "Dear DEC Commissioner Martens, We call for New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation to reject Inergy Midstream‘s proposal to store Liquefied Petroleum Gas and expand natural gas storage at facilities on the shore of Seneca Lake in Reading, NY. The proposals threaten the health and well-being of residents throughout the region. Specifically: " FrackAction
4/26/2013 - Learn about butterflies in our area: "MONDAY, APRIL 29 at 7:30 PM BUTTERFLIES, THEIR BIOLOGY AND BEAUTY By Jon Dombrowski Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Avenue in the Downstairs meeting room (lower level at back of building) A presentation for the Rochester Butterfly Club Join us for an illustrated talk by Rochester Butterfly Club member Jon Dombrowski as we explore butterflies through close up photography. Butterflies are not only beautiful creatures but also have fascinating abilities. Learn how butterflies navigate, find food, manage to eat, taste with their feet and much more. This meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Carol Southby, 383-8168 or www.rochesterbutterflyclub.org Butterflies are an indicator of the health of our environment. Many are in decline due to habitat loss and changes in quality of habitat. The Rochester Butterfly Club is an independent club formed to promote the study of butterflies in Western New York. We focus on butterfly watching, habitat, environment, life cycles, education and reporting our findings. www.rochesterbutterflyclub.org "
4/26/2013 - The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, in collaboration with Rochester General Hospital, are hosting a series of workshops aimed at educating Parents and Soon to be Parents on environmental hazards. The workshops are below: April 30: Environmental Health at Home and in the Nursery Preparing your home and nursery can be overwhelming! With so many options, you want to make sure you create a home that is safe for you and your new baby. Learn how cleaning products, cookware, furniture, mattresses, and paint can affect your health and that of your family by understanding the alternatives and making more informed decisions. May 4: Environmental Health and Children’s Products & Toys There are so many children’s products and toys on the market, it’s difficult to choose. It’s important to understand the products‘ details and their potential impacts on your health and the health of your baby. Learn how to choose environmentally preferable children’s products, including bottles and feeding products, bibs, car seats, personal care products, and toys. Sources for toy testing and product recalls, as well as purchasing tips, will be discussed. These free workshops are open to the public and are held at Rochester General Hospital. Registration is required. Contact Rochester General Hospital for more information or to register: 585–922–5465. Find out more here - from The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I)
4/26/2013 - As of today: CO2 concentration on April 24, 2013 is 398.36 ppm. In 1850’s is was 280ppm The Keeling Curve A DAILY RECORD OF ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE FROM SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY AT UC SAN DIEGO "Concentrations of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the global atmosphere are approaching 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in human history This website provides daily updates, analysis, and information on the state of climate " from Scripps Institution of Oceanography 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla, California 92093
4/26/2013 - ACTION: We are so going to cook on our planet if we don’t have a media that covers Climate Change. Mainstream media must wake up. TELL NBC, CBS, AND ABC TO GIVE US BETTER COVERAGE ON CLIMATE CHANGE! In a year that brought the U.S. record-breaking heat, massive wildfires, a historic drought, and devastating storms like Hurricane Sandy, the nightly news programs on ABC, CBS, and NBC barely talked about what was fueling this extreme weather -- climate change. We need better coverage if we want people to connect the dots and demand real action to curb global warming pollution. Please sign our petition below to Michael Corn, Executive Producer of ABC World News, Patricia Shevlin, Executive Producer of CBS Evening News, and Patrick Burkey, Executive Producer of NBC Nightly News, asking them to give us more frequent, accurate coverage of climate change this year. " --from League of Conservation Voters
4/26/2013 - One of the things we should be doing in New York State to prepare and adapt to Climate Change is cleanup those Brownfields, which will help make our environment more resilient and robust in a time of extreme stress. DiNapoli: State's Brownfield Cleanup Program Needs To Reach More Sites; Be More Cost-Effective Report Provides Options for Strengthening Cleanup Efforts; Calls for Separating Clean Up and Development Tax Credits The New York State Legislature should examine options to restructure the state’s primary program to revitalize contaminated properties — the Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) — in order to fully achieve the important economic, public health and environmental goals set when the program was created, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. “While two decades of efforts to clean up brownfields have delivered some successes, much more can and should be done,” DiNapoli said. “Thousands of contaminated sites in communities across the state continue to pose environmental and health threats and prevent economic development. The state has an opportunity now to improve the cleanup program to encourage more remediation and redevelopment of contaminated properties, and do so in a more cost-effective manner through better targeting of program dollars.” (April 22, 2013) Office of New York State Comptroller [more on Brownfields in our area]
4/25/2013 - How will Climate Change negotiations play out in the future? Get thoughts from world expert: Global Meltdown: Christiana Figueres While UN negotiations continue to push industrialized and emerging countries toward agreement in reducing global greenhouse gases, many clean energy advocates say a global deal once dreamed of at Copenhagen will never happen. Others see incremental progress and say that UN talks have a meaningful (and moral) role to play in averting catastrophic climate disruption. Are we any closer today than we were four years ago in coming to international agreement? If so, what has changed? (April 22, 2013) Climate One
4/25/2013 - Important Recycling event happening in Buffalo this weekend by our friends at the Buffalo Recycling Alliance. Community Carnival and RecycleFest to Take Place April 27 A Community Carnival and RecycleFest will be held on April 27th from 12 to 2pm at Community Charter School, 404 Edison Avenue. All are invited for a chance to play games, win prizes, learn about recycling, and enjoy free food and refreshments. Expect to see SabreTooth, the mascot of the Buffalo Sabres, as well as leaders such as Assembly Member Crystal Peoples-Stokes and Legislator Tim Hogues at the event. A drum ensemble from Community Charter will also perform. A part of Global Youth Service Day, RecycleFest is a celebration of youth involved in recycling projects and programs. Global Youth Service Day is an annual event in which youth around the world do acts of service for their communities. This year, the Buffalo Recycling Alliance has made recycling a focus for Global Youth Service Day in Buffalo. Youth from schools and universities in Buffalo are joining together to spread the word about recycling at their schools and in their communities. Buffalo Recycling Alliance
4/25/2013 - Of course, Air Quality in Rochester is a bit more complicated as we move into Climate Change | Rochester Air Quality Improving The air we breathe is getting cleaner. Monroe County's air quality grades from the American Lung Association improved drastically over the last four years. The report gave the county an "A" for ground level ozone pollution and a "B" for short-term particle pollution. (April 24, 2013) WHAM [more on Air Quality in our area]
4/25/2013 - Important public meeting on fish health in Lower Genesee River and the Rochester Embayment: Tue 5/7/2013, 7p-9p - The Rochester Embayment Remedial Action Plan Oversight Committee and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will hold a public meeting to discuss and seek feedback on the proposal to remove the "Fish Tumors and Other Deformities Beneficial Use Impairment". The meeting will be held at the Hazelwood Lodge in Ellison Park on Tuesday May 7 from 07:00 to 09:30 PM. Directions: Please come and offer your thoughts on this effort to document efforts to move the Lower Genesee River and the Rochester Embayment toward eventual delisting as an Area of Concern. If you have questions or concerns, please call Charles L. Knauf 753-5440.
4/25/2013 - What is NYS Complete Street’s law; What is Rochester, NY’s Complete Street’s policy; and, why should you care? Rochester, NY Complete Streets Policy The City of Rochester recognizes that our streets should accommodate a wide range of transportation modes and balance the needs and interests of users of all ages and abilities in a context-sensitive manner. Our streets are the focal point of the public realm, the primary means by which we experience our city. As such, our streets are a reflection of our community. A complete street is one that accommodates all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and persons with disabilities. While different features may be necessary or feasible to complete a street, the goal of accommodating everyone remains the same. A good example of a complete street in Rochester is South Avenue through the South Wedge neighborhood. While serving as the neighborhood’s “main street,” South Avenue boasts complete street features, such as convenient two way travel, wide sidewalks, bike lanes, street lighting, signalized crosswalks, ADA sidewalk ramps, curb bump-outs to shorten crossing distances, on-street parking, bike racks and benches at bus stops. Rochester’s Complete Streets Policy went into effect December 1st, 2011. City of Rochester, NY
4/25/2013 - Cuomo’s Earth Day message says much about Solar Power and Solar jobs, nothing on Fracking. Dare we hope? Governor Cuomo Releases Earth Day Statement and New Environmental Initiatives Proposes Expanded NY-Sun Program to Help Combat Climate Change and Create Green Jobs across the State Announces Partnership to Create Web-Based Repository of New York Climate Change Data “Today is Earth Day – a day we stop to appreciate the great natural wonders around us and consider the world we will leave behind for future generations. At this time of year, we are often reminded of nature’s beauty in this great state, but this week we are also reminded of the fury and devastation Mother Nature can bring at a moment’s notice. Six months ago Hurricane Sandy made landfall, killing 60 New Yorkers, destroying over ten thousand homes and causing tens of billions of dollars in damage. While rebuilding efforts are well underway, we must not lose sight that extreme weather is now the new normal with two ‘once in a century’ storms occurring in the last two years alone. Climate change is very real and has had destructive and deadly consequences in New York. My administration has worked to implement policies that protect our environment and preserve the natural beauty of our state. That work continues today, and I encourage all New Yorkers, at this moment in our history, to join us in pursuing new ways each of us can help reverse the impacts of climate change and add to the narrative of Earth Day. Celebrating Earth Day and working to combat climate change should go hand in hand – it is the only way we can ensure that New York's natural resources and beauty will be protected and enjoyed for generations to come.” (April 22, 2013) NYSERDA [more on Solar Power in our area]
4/25/2013 - Bike week is coming up in Rochester, NY. Get the schedule of events from May 11-19. Bike Week in Rochester 2013 Bike Week 2013 Rochester will celebrate the bike from May 11 through 19 for Bike Week 2013. The program is being developed now, so stay tuned to see what's in store. In the meantime, read below to see what Bike Week 2012 involved. To learn more about how easy it is to bike in Rochester, visit www.cityofrochester.gov/rocthebike Bike Week 2012 Rides and Events
4/24/2013 - Just gone live from NY: NYS DOT Complete Streets site. In NYS Complete Streets is the law = streets for people too. Complete Streets Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed the Complete Streets Act (Chapter 398, Laws of New York ) on August 15, 2011, requiring state, county and local agencies to consider the convenience and mobility of all users when developing transportation projects that receive state and federal funding. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) supports the law and is working to ensure that its policies and procedures meet the new standards. The initiative presents an opportunity to expand upon existing programs and collaborate with bicyclists, pedestrians, people with disabilities and others to identify best practices and designs for transportation facilities. Strengthening NYSDOT’s Complete Streets efforts requires both internal evaluation and ideas from everyone who uses and relies upon the transportation system – individuals, organizations and even entire communities. We encourage you to provide your comments about Complete Streets in New York State at completestreets@dot.ny.gov. What is a Complete Street? A Complete Street is a roadway planned and designed to consider the safe, convenient access and mobility of all roadway users of all ages and abilities. This includes pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation riders, and motorists; it includes children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Complete Street roadway design features include sidewalks, lane striping, bicycle lanes, paved shoulders suitable for use by bicyclists, signage, crosswalks, pedestrian control signals, bus pull-outs, curb cuts, raised crosswalks, ramps and traffic calming measures. NYS Department of Transportation
4/24/2013 - Join a free webinar about planning for Climate Change in the communities around the Great Lakes – Must pre-register by May 6. WEBINAR: CLIMATE TOOLS CAFÉ 2 This two-hour climate tools webinar will introduce four models and tools that can help planners and others address climate adaptations in their communities. On the agenda are the Great Lakes Coastal Resilience Planning Guide, a NOAA tool that provides hazard and climate change data, tools, and resources; Climate Wizard, a Nature Conservancy resource providing historic or projected spatial data on temperature and precipitation for Great Lakes region areas; Climate Collaboratory, a Nature Conservancy web-based platform for collaborative research, education, and strategy development; and EPA's BASINS and WEPP (Water Erosion Prediction Project) climate assessment tools for creating climate change scenarios and assessing potential effects of climate and landuse change on water quality. The webinar is free, but you must pre-register by Monday, May 6. To register, click here. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with log-in information.
4/23/2013 - Hope federal, state, and commercial commitment to Climate Change solutions wasn’t just Earth Day talk. Earth Day in the USA: 2013 WASHINGTON, DC, April 22, 2013 (ENS) – “We cannot afford to ignore what the overwhelming judgment of science tells us: that climate change is real and that it poses an urgent threat to our people and our planet,” President Barack Obama said Saturday as he proclaimed April 22 to be Earth Day 2013. “That is why my Administration set historic fuel efficiency standards that will nearly double how far our cars go on a gallon of gas while reducing harmful carbon pollution. It is why we made unprecedented investments in clean energy, allowing us to double renewable energy production in only four years. And it is why I am challenging Americans to double it again by 2020,” the President said. (April 22, 2013) Environmental News Service [more on Climate Change in our area]
4/23/2013 - Is Rochester, NY going to get serious about ridding itself of plastic bag litter? Time and pollution will tell. The Good, The Bags, and Earth Day You see them just about everywhere, and on this Earth Day, the plastic shopping bag is getting some attention. And not in a good way. "I don't think we think that eventually this stuff has to go someplace," said Frank Regan, Sierra Club. "And it does go someplace." They dangle from trees, like ugly ornaments. Shuffle down streets, like plastic tumbleweeds. "I think most people think they're a way of life." (April 22, 2013) Rochester YNN [more on Recycling in our area]
4/22/2013 - Clearly, Earth Day is not a celebration; it is a time for a serious reflection about our relationship to our survival mechanism. Toxic legacy’s time bomb Nearly 800 hazardous waste sites are located in Erie, Niagara and Cattaraugus counties, and the majority of them are a threat to the largest source of fresh water in the world – the Great Lakes First of a three-part series Thirty-five years after underground toxics turned the Niagara Falls neighborhood of Love Canal into a ghost town, researchers are warning that Western New York is still home to nearly 800 hazardous waste sites that could someday lead to big trouble, not only for local residents, but for the entire Great Lakes region. A recently completed study, believed to be the most comprehensive look ever at hazardous waste sites in Western New York, finds potential chemical hazards lurking across Erie, Niagara and Cattaraugus counties. (April 20, 2013) The Buffalo News [more on Brownfields in our area]
4/22/2013 - There are some to whom Earth Day is every day as it should be to us all A tale of two Earth Day heroes: Tim DeChristopher and Sandra Steingraber Earth Day, oddly, has never been a huge deal for me. I’m just a little too young to really remember its remarkable debut in 1970, when one American in 10 went out in the streets to demand action on clean air and water. That unprecedented activism laid the groundwork for the swift passage of legislation, and the almost-as-swift rehabilitation of lakes and rivers. But in the years after, many Earth Day celebrations drifted in a slightly more corporate direction; there wasn’t anything wrong with them, but they didn’t seem to be helping arrest environmentalism’s slide into relative impotence. This year, however, the holiday really resonates, because there are two heroes reminding us of the sacrifices they’ve made to move the fight forward, and the way the rest of us need to step up our game. (April 21, 2013) Grist [more on Climate Change in our area]
4/20/2013 - Holy Cow! An Earth Day event that talks about Climate Change! Who knew? "4/21 Noon to 5 pm: Earth Day Ithaca on Sunday - at the Farmers Market on Steamboat Landing (off Rte 13 across from the ScienceCenter): All are encouraged to celebrate Earth Day at the Ithaca Farmers Market and learn how they can share in the responsibility of coping with climate impacts while preventing additional damage to our atmosphere. Live music will be provided on the solar-powered stage by Sim Redmond and the Crow Weaver Band from 1:30-3:15 p.m. Dan Hill, of the Cayuga Nation, will present Sounds and Stories from the Natural World at 3:30 p.m. Hertsgaard will give a lecture titled “Parenting in a Warming World,” at 12:15 p.m., and Angie Beeler from Music in Motion will lead children’s activities at 12:45 p.m. People also can learn to build a small wind turbine and test it on site. For more information, contact Joey at (607) 387-7799 orsolkitchen1@gmail.com. "
4/20/2013 - Earth Day event on Earth Day in Rochester, NY Bidder 70 part of national-wide celebration "Looking for a special way to celebrate Earth Day? Join us as Greentopia | FILM and the First Unitarian Church of Rochester host a nationwide screening of Bidder 70, a documentary exploring environmental activism. Don’t miss the live-streamed, Twitter-fed Q&A with the subject of the film, Tim DeChristopher, one day after his release from prison. We’re proud to bring Bidder 70, our 2012 Fork in the Road Award recipient, back to Rochester and to participate in this one night only, interactive celebration. See trailer HERE Student protester Tim DeChristopher impulsively bid on land at an oil and gas lease auction (which was later deemed invalid). His actions helped save 150,000 acres of pristine Utah wilderness from development, but cost him five years of legal battles and a federal prison sentence. BE PART OF IT! Help us celebrate DeChristopher’s release from prison at one of 50 simultaneous screenings of Bidder 70 on Earth Day, Mon. April 22 (9:00PM at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, 220 Winton Road South). Pre-screening Busker at 8:30PM. Post-screening live-streamed Q&A where DeChristopher's answers your tweeted questions. Get your tickets NOW: $10 online HERE "
4/20/2013 - Don’t miss this important environmental summit coming up in September: FUTURES SUMMIT In 2012, Greentopia, in partnership with the Center for Environmental Initiatives (CEI), presented its first Innovation Conference. This was a one-day, B2B gathering of speakers who addressed sustainability and green practices. The conference was wildly successful, drawing attention and building support for a larger effort. For 2013, we have expanded to a two-day event called Greentopia | FUTURES SUMMIT with a more contemporary approach to sharing knowledge and practices among people who are working towards building sustainable communities and businesses. While we will have a handful of individual speakers, the bulk of our program will consist of plenary discussion groups and a variety of panels so that we can offer as many viewpoints and share as much experience as possible in two days in a relaxed but dynamic setting. The FUTURES Summit will be held at The Theater on the Ridge facility at Ridge Road West near Lake Avenue in Rochester, Tuesday 9/10 and Wednesday 9/11. Please save this date as we know you will want to be a part of this. Greentopia
4/20/2013 -Two other ways to stop Fracking: Answer two Wall Street Journal surveys - they're near the top on the left side of these articles where it says "Vote": Should the U.S Expand Offshore Oil Drilling? Should the Federal Government Regulate Fracking?
4/20/2013 - ACTION: Stop Fracking, contact the Governor Cuomo. Email template makes it easy-peasy. Go Hog Wild! Calls to Action: Write Governor Cuomo! Toxics Targeting has made it super easy.. Just fill in the blanks with as much or as little as you wish to say and click "send" Write Governor Cuomo Today using a new "Public Health Impact Study" email application that you can customize to your heart's content. It could not be simpler. Just fill in a couple of blanks with as much or as little as you wish to say and click "send:" Email Application Request for a Shale Gas Public Health Impact Study
4/20/2013 - Important that you get rid of unused pharmaceuticals properly. Here’s how to do that: NATIONAL TAKE-BACK INITIATIVE Upcoming Take-Back Day — April 27, 2013 (10:00AM - 2:00PM) The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day which will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity for those who missed the previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications. In the five previous Take-Back events, DEA in conjunction with our state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners have collected more than 2 million pounds (1,018 tons) of prescription medications were removed from circulation. The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of these medications. US Department of Justice | Drug Enforcement Administration |Office of Diversion Control [more on Recycling in area]
4/19/2013 - Of course, if the NYS DEC really wanted to make Earth Day special they’d announce a permanent ban on Fracking in New York State. Just saying… DEC Commissioner Martens Announces 2013 Earth Day Activities Diverse Environmental Activities Planned Throughout the State The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will commemorate the 43rd Anniversary of Earth Day with DEC-sponsored events around the state from April 19 through May 4, DEC Commissioner Martens announced today. The earth-friendly activities include tree plantings, pharmaceutical collection events, litter clean up, and a variety of exhibits to educate New Yorkers on the importance of sustaining the environment. "Earth Day continues to be a global movement to raise the consciousness of individuals, families, communities, businesses and government about how to co-exist with the environment in a sustainable manner," said Commissioner Martens. "Every New Yorker has a role to play in ensuring future generations are able to enjoy the state's natural resources and benefit from a clean environment. I encourage all New Yorkers to participate in some of the events to learn more about the state's natural resources and practices we can make part of our daily lives to protect the environment." (April 18, 2013) NYS DEC Press Releases
4/19/2013 - That lake trout are no more reproducing in Lake Erie and the lack of public attention on this says something about shifting baseline syndrome. That’s the technical name for the boiling frog syndrome, which is the jargon version of our becoming so used to environmental degradation that we barely notice it anymore. At what point do the loss of species and Climate Change and pollution get our attention? Hopefully, before it’s too late. Lake trout struggling to rebound in Erie Anglers chasing transplanted Pacific Ocean salmon on lakes such as Ontario, Huron and Michigan occasionally tie up with a native lake trout and generally are happy about it. Rarely is the linkup made on Lake Erie, although Tom Harbison’s Ohio record, a 201/2-pound, 34-incher caught in April 2000, proves that such a thing is done. Shallow and temperate Lake Erie, being the southernmost outpost for the cold-water lakers in North America, produces neither numerous nor especially large specimens. The biggest lake trout caught on a rod and reel weighed 72 pounds and came out of Great Bear Lake in Canada’s Northwest Territories. A lake trout weighing 102 pounds has been taken with a net. (April 14, 2013) The Columbus Dispatch [more on Wildlife and Great Lakes in our area]
4/19/2013 - If we are to adapt and mitigate Climate Change, citizen scientists are critical. Find out how to be a citizen scientist with the EPA program: EPA Region 2's Citizen Science Program Presents 2013 Training: “Leveraging Environmental Monitoring – Key Steps in Producing Credible Data” Wednesday, May 8th – Buffalo, NY One of the biggest issues Citizen Scientists face is getting their data taken seriously by regulators and industry. As follow-on to our successful 2012 Citizen Science Workshops, EPA Region 2 is pleased to present a day of training and discussions with federal and state regulators. The morning session will include presentations on our EPA Region 2 Citizen Science Program, How to Design a Study, Streamlined Quality Assurance Project Plans, Measurement Uncertainty, and Using New Sensor Technologies for Air Monitoring. The afternoon session will include a Roundtable Discussion with federal/state regulators as well as an opportunity for one-on-one discussions with the regulators. Eventbrite Registration Now Open http://epadatabuffalo.eventbrite.com/
4/19/2013 - Let's stop Lead Poisoning in Rochester, NY: The Rochester Medical Orchestra proudly presents Peter and the Wolf Hansel and Gretel & Sousa’s Washington Post March Featuring poet Shaq Payne & the Flower City Ballet Saturday, May 4th, 2013 Edgerton Stardust Ballroom 41 Backus Street 2pm - 4pm SAVE THE DATE: SATURDAY MAY 4 at 2PM. Please join us and bring your friends, family and co-workers for this wonderful fundraiser being presented by the Rochester Medical Orchestra in support of the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning on Saturday May 4th at 2PM at the Stardust Ballroom at the Edgerton Rec Center! Please share the attached flyer with everyone you know! "In 2011, over 200 children were poisoned just in Monroe County. Lead poisoning damages children’s brains and bones for the rest of their lives. We can all make a difference. We can make lead history. Throughout this site you’ll find specific things you can do to protect our entire community. See how easy it is to have your house or apartment inspected for lead, get your child tested for exposure to lead, or make your own home safer. "
4/19/2013 - Our coming together on Feb. 17, 2013 to fight for action on Climate Change was a realization that the window is closing quickly. How Science Can Predict Where You Stand on Keystone XL Want to make sense of the feud between pipeline activists and “hippie-punching” moderates? Talk to the researchers. On February 17, more than 40,000 climate change activists—many of them quite young—rallied in Washington, DC, to oppose the Keystone XL pipeline, which will transport dirty tar sands oil from Canada across the heartland. The scornful response from media centrists was predictable. Joe Nocera of the New York Times, for one, quickly went on the attack. In a column titled “How Not to Fix Climate Change,” he wrote that the strategy of activists “who have made the Keystone pipeline their line in the sand is utterly boneheaded.” (April 17, 2013) Climate Desk [more on Climate Change in our area]
4/18/2013 - From Dr. James E. Hansen on Climate Change and doing something about it: Making Things Clearer: Exaggeration, Jumping the Gun, and The Venus Syndrome 15 April 2013 James Hansen I "retired" so that I can focus my time better on (1) climate science, (2) communications thereof, and (3) policy implications. I will do this via research published in the scientific literature and translationsfor a wider audience. I have had the good fortune of my research being reported by top science writers: Walter Sullivan on the first major climate paperthat my colleagues and I published1 , Richard Kerr2 on my congressional testimony in the late 1980s, and Justin Gillis3 on my retirement. Their articles raised some issues and queries, which are relevant to the task of getting the public to understand the urgency of effective policy actions." from Dr. James E. Hansen
4/18/2013 - I know, combined sewer overflows increasing with Climate Change isn’t sexy news like Fracking NYS. But we here in New York and around the Great Lakes have a lot of combine sewer systems that throw raw sewage into the Great Lakes and rivers when overwhelmed by frequent heavy rainfall as predicted by Climate Change studies. A reasonable position here in New York State and elsewhere would be to drop Fracking altogether because our fresh water doesn’t need the stress, adopt 100% renewable energy, and update our water waste infrastructure. Sure, it’s politically difficult; the fossil fuel industry will say it’s too expensive; and updating our water infrastructure bores most readers—and, yet it could help us adapt to Climate Change. A sustainable future, it sounds so dull potatoes to mainstream thinking, but there is no other way. Sewers spilled 594 million gallons of wastewater Last week's torrential rains overwhelmed regional sewers and the deep tunnel, combined sanitary and storm sewers spilled an estimated 594 million gallons of untreated wastewater to local waterways, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District officials said Tuesday. Overflows to rivers and Lake Michigan began April 10 to reduce the risk of sewage backups into basements. Overflows ended Saturday morning as rains eased. With more rain and thunderstorms in the forecast Wednesday and Thursday, the threat of tunnel-filling storms and overflows will return, said Peter Topczewski, the district's director of water quality protection. (April 16, 2013) JSOnline [more on Climate Change and Water Quality in our area]
4/18/2013 - Climate Change studies predict more bad algae blooms in our Great Lakes. Wonder why there isn’t more alarm about this? Troubled waters: Big, bad algal blooms could become new norm for Lake Erie Lake Erie faces a greener future—and that’s bad. Scientists say harmful algal blooms like the one from 2011 will strike more often. More extreme weather and warming trends could also extend bad blooms’ duration. As a result, Lake Erie’s aquatic life and wildlife in nearshore areas face more frequent exposure to toxins. Food webs face disruption. Fisheries will suffer. Lake Erie’s persistent dead zone will expand. And water chemistry will change. The reason is that all trends that caused Lake Erie’s 2011 algal bloom show signs of continuing. From mid-July through October that year, bright green scum covered the western third of Lake Erie. Climate change, farming practices, land use, and invasive species all combined to produce that record-setting event. (April 17, 2013) Great Lakes Echo [more on Great Lakes and Climate Change in our area]
4/17/2013 - Care about our water? Go here: "EARTH’S WATER” Poetry Event Saturday, April 27th BUG JAR, 219 Monroe Avenue Rochester NY
4/17/2013 - Not just Nairobi, Rochester, NY and other cities can benefit from reduce congestion and pollution by installing bike lanes. See Genesee-Finger Lakes Active Transportation Summit Tuesday, April 30th in the Rochester area: Nairobi's new bike lanes aim to cut congestion and pollution NAIROBI (AlertNet) – Cyclists in Nairobi are benefiting from the Kenyan government’s plan to reduce congestion and pollution with new highway construction. The government has created bike lanes on a new superhighway in the capital and lowered taxes on bicycles to encourage urban residents to use them. The aim is to make people less dependent on cars, easing the city’s notorious traffic clogs and reducing carbon emissions from vehicles. Around 100 km (60 miles) of new highway have been built in the Nairobi area alone, equipped along much of their length with dedicated lanes for those who wish to ride their bikes instead of driving. Mwai Kibaki, Kenya’s outgoing president, opened the highways in December 2012. (April 15, 2013) AlterNet [more on Transportation in our area]
4/16/2013 - Hope new study on lake effect-snow includes Climate Change predictions as loss of ice cover means bigger storms because of cold fronts hitting warmer water. Already, we know that there has been less ice cover on Lake Ontario. “Lake Ontario saw the most dramatic decrease with an 88% drop in ice coverage.” from Shrinking ice worries Great Lakes scientists (March 7, 2013) USA Today SUNY Oswego gets grant to study lake-effect snow An upstate New York college located in one of the snowiest places in the nation is getting a $320,000 federal grant to study lake-effect snow storms. The State University at Oswego is one of four getting a portion of the nearly $4 million grant from the National Science Foundation to gather data with the help of an airplane, Doppler radar-equipped trucks and weather-profiling instruments. The work will be done in conjunction with the Center for Severe Weather Research in Boulder, Colo., University of Wyoming, University of Alabama-Huntsville and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (April 16, 2013) Rochester NBCNews [more on Great Lakes in our area]
4/16/2013 - That lower lake levels reveal ‘hidden’ debris highlights our collective ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind’ issue with trash. In our high-tech and changing world because of Climate Change we are finding that our waste really never disappeared. It went someplace and we are finding out where it went and what it’s been doing. That’s why we need to actively pursue the garbage we have put into our air, soil, and land before we can predict the future as our planet warms. Low Lake Levels Reveal More Debris On Great Lakes Beaches CHICAGO (CBS) – Lower water levels in the Great Lakes have been revealing more than just extra beach land. Less water reveals garbage that had been hidden in Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes, according to the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Alliance spokeswoman Jamie Cross said tires and more are being spotted along the Great Lakes beaches. (April 12, 2013) CBS Chicago [more on Recycling in our area]
4/16/2013 - Please don’t curb your old electronics. Here’s a event where you can take them to and get the properly recycled. Residential Electronics Recycling Event, Sunday, May 5th from 9am-12:30pm, Temple B’rith Kodesh, 2131 Elmwood Ave. Rochester, NY
4/16/2013 - Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about local birds of prey: BIRD OF PREY DAYS 2013 – Opening Night! Apr 19 2013 – 7:00 PM Download a printable schedule for the entire weekend here! BBRR’s 25th Annual Bird of Prey Days kicks off this evening with a LIVE RAPTOR presentation with Paul Schnell from the Institute for Environmental Learning. The program features several species of birds of prey, with the highlight being an up close and personal encounter with Liberty the Bald Eagle. Program takes place at the lodge at Braddock Bay Park, East Manitou Road in Greece. Admission is a suggested donation of $5/adult, which covers all events for the entire weekend (not just Friday night). Kids are FREE. Paul Schnell introduces Liberty the bald eagle to a young visitor at Bird of Prey Days. Seating is limited, so plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before the program starts. Doors will be open by 6:30 pm. While here browse displays, sales items and bid on our silent auction items. All proceeds benefit the research and educational activities of BBRR. --from Braddock Bay Raptor Research
4/15/2013 - As much fun as Monroe County’s PiciUpTheParks was this year, we are still finding too much trash in our parks. How do we stop that? Monroe County Parks Undergo Spring Cleaning Rochester, N.Y. – About 1,000 volunteers spent Saturday morning picking up trash at several parks throughout Monroe County. It was a record turnout for the fourth annual Pick-Up-The-Parks Project, which helped 17 parks get cleaned up in order to shine for springtime visitors. (April 13, 2013) WHAM [more on Recycling in our area]
4/15/2013 - Learn about Fracking and our public health at this event: Thursday Evening, May 9, 6-8PM Hydrofracking As Seen Through the Lens of Public Health at NTID's Panara Theatre* Rochester Institute of Technology Speakers: Dr. David O.Carpenter Professor, School of Public Health, SUNY Albany David Kowalski, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Roswell Park Graduate DivisionUniversity of Buffalo *Panara Theatre is in Hugh Carey Hall, Building LBJ/014 Closest parking lot is S Click here for Campus Map and click on Academic Buildings to see where Hugh Carey Hall is. This forum is free, handicap accessible and ASL interpreted. Organized by: R-CAUSE with help from our friends
4/15/2013 - ACTON: Due Date: Mon 4/22/2013 - Last day to submit Public Comments on TransCanada Corp's proposed Keystone XL Pipeline Crossing from Canada to US. The environmental review will be performed for the Federal Government by ERM (Environmental Resources Management). Application details: http://www.keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/ ---> Send comments by midnight 4/22/2013 (so is that really end of day 4/21?) to: email at keystonecomments@state.gov or U.S. Department of State, Attn: Genevieve Walker, NEPA Coordinator,2201 C Street NW., Room 2726,Washington, DC 20520. (The 45-day comment period started Mar 1st.) News 4/2/2013: Pipeline hits snag as U.S. engineers plan review Joe Mahoney of The Daily Star reports: "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is urging federal regulators to hold off on approving the controversial Constitution Pipeline project until all parcels along the 122-mile stretch are studied for potential impact on waterways." More about ERM: ERM provides technical & risk management services in several industry sectors (including oil & gas, mining, power, chemicals) has many offices internationally, including Buffalo, Rochester & Syracuse. Example ERM service to the Oil & Gas sector: Our holistic services and extensive expertise enables operators to: •Mitigate major accident risks and develop emergency response plans; •Explore and extract resources in sensitive and highly populated areas; •Remediate and divest downstream facilities; and •Meet their regulatory and ethical obligations.
4/15/2013 - Mon 4/15/2013 6:00pm - Rally in Support of Preserving and Protecting Canadice and Hemlock Lakes/Forest from Fracking and Logging. At DEC, Avon office 6274 Avon-Lima Rd. (Rtes. 5 and 20) Avon NY, Right of Way front lawn, near sign. Help reflect the will of the people in a strong showing of concerned folks who want the UMP changed. Signs and costumes appropriate! http://frackfreegenesee.blogspot.com/
4/15/2013 - Very Important: Last Day, Save Rochester's drinking water: Mon 4/15/2013 - Last day to submit Public Comments on NYSDEC's Draft Hemlock-Canadice Lakes Draft Unit Management Plan (UMP). This is our source of drinking water for Rochester & several towns. Please review the plan & provide your important citizen input. Does the UMP sufficiently protect our drinking water from hydrofracking, other drilling & mining, pipelines, unnecessary logging, excessive recreational use, and major industrial water withdrawals? Your written comments may be sent to Region 8 UMP email box (r8ump@gw.dec.state.ny.us ) or NYSDEC, Division of Lands and Forests, Region 8, 7291 Coon Rd. Bath, NY 14810. Details: http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/68822.html Resources & maps at r-cause.net.
4/15/2013 - Reading this very readable book on what climate science predicts for global warming. Really inexpensive read, if you get the Kindle edition. The Weather of the Future: Heat Waves, Extreme Storms, and Other Scenes from a Climate-Changed Planet
4/15/2013 - Many Earth Day events coming out of Buffalo: FEATURE FRIDAY: EARTH DAY EXTRAVAGANZA Earth Day is fast approaching, and the GrowWNY team has a good problem: there are not enough Fridays to feature all the great Earth Day events happening in Western New York. Over the next two weeks the WNY environmental community is coming together to celebrate our planet in a variety of ways. Check out our list and community calendar to find an event to attend, or a volunteer opportunity to help at. If we missed your Erath Day event, please tell us about it in the comment section below or add it to our community calendar by clicking here. (April 12, 2013) GorwWYN
4/15/2014 - Lots of activities coming up for Rochester’s Bike Week this year. We’ll keep you informed of activities for bike week as we learn more. Rochester Bike Week 2013 As part of May being National Bike Month, Rochester Bike Week (May 11th-19th, 2013) is a collaborative effort to unite the cycling community and promote cycling in Rochester!
4/12/2013 - Flooding in the spring will accelerate as Climate Change kicks in more and we’ll need big bucks to protect infrastructure. This is the kind of news the media should be stove-piping to the headlines, but it won’t because it doesn’t get Climate Change. Schumer: Funds needed to fix 800 hazardous NY dams U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says there are more than 800 hazardous bridges without adequate emergency plans in New York. The Democrat says the bridges are hazardous because they lack emergency plans if the structures break and there's flooding. Schumer says the threat is often greatest during the spring thaw. (April 12, 2013) Rochester, NY on NBCNews.com
4/12/2013 - Earth Festival Workshops Free admission / donations accepted At Rochester Greenovation 1199 E. Main St. Rochester, NY April 20th SATURDAY April 20 “Earth Festival” 11:00am - 4:00pm Come and enjoy a day of green initiatives, art, documentaries, workshops, music, conscious shopping and good food! **Workshops are free but space is limited, registration is encouraged** 11:00am - 1:00pm. Compost Tumbler with Joey Di Fiore from the Little Flower House Cooperative Learn how to build a recycled compost tumbler with easy-to-find materials. 1:00pm - 2:00pm. Introduction to Permaculture with Patty Love from Barefoot Permaculture What is Permaculture and Why Should I Care? Learn the ethics and principles of permaculture. A design science rooted in natural systems and a few examples of how we can apply these ideas to our everyday living, to decrease the impact we have on the Earth. 2:00pm - 4:00pm. Rain Barrels with Ryan Pauling. Learn how to build your own rain barrel from easy-to-find materials. Free or take home a finished barrel for $25.
4/12/2013 - Interesting report against wind power from a pro-coal report. It’s a ‘report’ so it must be true, right? Wind power kills jobs and increases electricity costs: Report TORONTO — Ontario's pursuit of wind power has driven up electricity prices, is killing jobs and might even lead to more smog, a new Fraser Institute report says. Ross McKitrick, author of Environmental and Economic Consequences of Ontario's Green Energy Act (GEA), says the Ontario government's electricity plan is now 10 times more costly than installing pollution-control equipment on existing coal plants — an option he argues would have produced similar improvements in air quality. (April 11, 2013) Toronto Sun [more on Wind Power in our area]
4/12/2013 - Don’t miss this major article on Climate Change by Bill McKibben. It’s about the/your future. The Fossil Fuel Resistance By BILL MCKIBBEN As the world burns, a new movement to reverse climate change is emerging - fiercely, loudly and right next door It got so hot in Australia in January that the weather service had to add two new colors to its charts. A few weeks later, at the other end of the planet, new data from the CryoSat-2 satellite showed 80 percent of Arctic sea ice has disappeared. We're not breaking records anymore; we're breaking the planet. In 50 years, no one will care about the fiscal cliff or the Euro crisis. They'll just ask, "So the Arctic melted, and then what did you do?" Here's the good news: We'll at least be able to say we fought. After decades of scant organized response to climate change, a powerful movement is quickly emerging around the country and around the world, building on the work of scattered front-line organizers who've been fighting the fossil-fuel industry for decades. It has no great charismatic leader and no central organization; it battles on a thousand fronts. But taken together, it's now big enough to matter, and it's growing fast. (April 11, 2013) RollingStone [more on Climate Change in our area]
4/11/2013 - Amphibians weathered the dinosaurs’ extinction 65 million years ago, but Climate Change may do them in. Alarm over vanishing frogs in the Caribbean PATILLAS, Puerto Rico (AP) — A curtain of sound envelops the two researchers as they make their way along the side of a mountain in darkness, occasionally hacking their way with a machete to reach the mouth of a small cave. Peeps, tweets and staccato whistles fill the air, a pulsing undercurrent in the tropical night. To the untrained ear, it's just a mishmash of noise. To experts tracking a decline in amphibians with growing alarm, it's like a symphony in which some of the players haven't been showing up. In parts of Puerto Rico, for example, there are places where researchers used to hear four species at once and they are now hearing one or two, a subtle but important change. "You are not hearing what you were before," said Alberto Lopez, part of a husband-and-wife team of biologists trying to gauge the health of frogs on the island. (April 10, 2013) San Francisco Chronicle [more on Wildlife and Climate Change in our area]
4/10/2013 - Hope NYS doesn’t have to find out afterwards that NYS DEC didn’t do its due diligence on Fracking risks. Judge rules administration overlooked fracking risks in California mineral leases A federal judge has ruled the Obama administration broke the law when it issued oil leases in central California without fully weighing the environmental impact of "fracking," a setback for companies seeking to exploit the region's enormous energy resources. The decision, made public on Monday, effectively bars for the time being any drilling on two tracts of land comprising 2,500 acres leased for oil and gas development in 2011 by the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management in Monterey County. (April 9, 2013) Reuters [more on Fracking in our area]
4/10/2013 - "Join Us For Earth Day Lobby Day 2013! Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013 9:30 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. New York State Capitol Albany, NY Please join us for the 23rd annual Earth Day Lobby Day in Albany, New York. Hear from state government and environmental leaders, learn about environmental bills that are pending in Albany, and lobby your state lawmakers on environmental issues that are important to you. This year's Earth Day Lobby Day will focus on critically important environmental issues such as expanding solar energy, preventing climate change emissions, keeping toxic chemicals out of children’s products, and a moratorium on hydrofracking until a complete public health impact assessment is completed. In addition to this exciting agenda, this year for the first time ever, we will be including campaign finance reform as a key plank in our legislative platform. Join hundreds of environmentalists from across the state in advocating for measures to protect our air, water, land and health. No lobbying experience needed! This event is free and open to the public, but you must register by April 18th to attend. -- Caitlin Pixley Conservation Associate Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter 353 Hamilton Street Albany, NY 12210 (518)426-9144 caitlin.pixley@sierraclub.org Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SierraClubAtlanticChapter "
4/10/2013 - Pollutants clinging to plastics in our Great Lakes needs our attention. We drink Great Lakes water and eat the fish. This is one of those issues, though not sexy like Fracking and guns, needs the work of our local media to investigate. Toxic chemicals turn up in Great Lakes plastic pollution Toxic chemicals clinging to plastics could cause health problems for fish and other organisms in the Great Lakes. They were discovered in samples from the first-ever Great Lakes plastic survey in Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Superior last summer, Lorena Rios Mendoza, an assistant chemistry professor at the University of Wisconsin – Superior, announced Monday. And instead of just sitting in sediments as some scientists previously thought, those pollutants might be traveling with plastics to other parts of the Great Lakes. (April 9, 2013) Great Lakes Echo [more on Great Lakes in our area]
4/10/2013 - ACTION: Here’s your chance to use the power of the Internet to stop a major fossil fuel project that will spell game over on Climate Change. A Million Comments Against Keystone XL The State Department's official public comment period on Keystone XL Pipeline is now open -- and it's a crucial opportunity for us to flood them with comments. We'll take your comments and deliver them directly and immediately to the the State Department.
4/10/2013 - Important sustainability conference coming up at Alfred State in June: 2013 Sustainability Conference Registration is now open. Sustainability leaders Leith Sharp and Roger Ebbage will be joining us as keynote speakers this year. Leith is an internationally recognized consultant on change management and sustainability and was the founding director of Harvard's Office for Sustainability. Roger is the Executive Director of the Association of Community College Energy and Water Educators (ACCEWE) and an Energy Management Program Coordinator at Lane Community College. The conference will also include a pre-conference summit on sustainability and civic engagement and a post conference workshop on change leadership for education for sustainability. The full schedule of events, along with descriptions of each session is now available on the conference website. Registration for the main conference is available for only $180. Please register online by May 17.
4/09/2013 - Get the feeling that local news doesn’t understand Climate Change so they just pass along any tidbit that might grab public’s attention? Global Warming Could Mean Bumpier Flights Transatlantic flights will likely be bumpier in the future, and scientists say global warming will be to blame. (April 8, 2013) WHAM [more on Climate Change in our area]
4/09/2013 - Don’t forget, ‘Curb Your Car Week’ is coming up. Help reduce greenhouse gases by joining this demonstration of your recognition of fossilfuel’s harmful role in our transportation. "Curb Your Car Week, May 12-18, 2013 *Find one or more trips to leave your car home that week: to school, work, piano lessons, grocery store, or anywhere. *Bike, Walk, Bus, Carpool, Telecommute, Combine Trips *Register for free at ColorBrightonGreen.org, and then report your miles saved after May18. (All by email) *Open to all, don’t need to live in Brighton. *We will calculate total miles, gallons of gas, and pounds of CO2 saved, and announce the grand total. (By Email) *Prizes will be awarded to high mileage savers, and randomly to participants. *Cut Global Warming: Cut Air Pollution: Increase Energy Independence! Have fun! Enjoy a community of bikers and walkers all over Rochester for one week. Then, find out how fun it is, and how much money you save in gas and parking, and keep on doing it! Contact: Cheryl Frank 241-3078 730-1719 cell cherylmfrank@yahoo.com info@colorbrightonGreen.org Prizes may include environmental books for children and adults, energy saving small appliances such as lighting, donated by area businesses. All Brighton public schools, and many other schools and employers are participating by reporting their families' miles saved and their school or employer name online, to see how much we can save altogether. Join with your school, employer, or just on your own to be counted in the savings! Coincides with National Bike to Work Week. For more info contact info@ColorBrightonGreen.org "
4/09/2013 - Learn more about Fracking in our area: "Rochester Committee for Scientific Information Annual Meeting focusing on Hydraulic Fracturing Issues Tuesday, April 16, 2013 7:00 PM “Hydrofracturing: The Geologic Discussions are too Superficial” Presented by Dr. Richard Young Professor, Geological Sciences SUNY Geneseo “The Health Effects and Other Hazards of Hydrofracking” Presented by Thomas Shelley Chemical Safety & Hazardous Materials Specialist Rochester Institute of Technology Xerox Auditorium – Room 2580 James E. Gleason (Engineering) Building 9 Park in Lot J (See map on reverse side) Co-sponsored by the Rochester Institute of Technology College of Liberal Arts Free – open to the public
4/09/2013 - Where are those air, water, and land toxic chemicals being released near your home? What health effects are they causing? Find out here: myRight-To-Know TRI application Are you interested in learning what facilities are near your home, office, school or another area? The myRight-To-Know app can help you. For any location or address, myRTK geographically displays nearby facilities that report to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program, as well as facilities with EPA air, water or hazardous waste program permits." -from the Environmental Protection Agency
4/08/2013 - For those struggling to deny Climate Change despite all evidence to the contrary—they still have to prepare… Texas Provides Clues of Climate Change Impacts A city administrator looks out at the Gulf of Mexico from this Southeast Texas town, wondering what vicious hurricanes it may spawn. In the Panhandle, a farmer tries new techniques to keep soil from turning to dust. In West Texas, ranchers watch prairie grass die. Others grow algae as water becomes too salty for other crops. And statewide, reservoirs dry up. Want to see what happens when the impacts of climate change are felt? Well, just look at Texas, some scientists say. While Gov. Rick Perry disagrees with scientists who say global warming is at least partly caused by the human release of heat-trapping gases, state agencies are adapting to weather changes that have already brought a historic drought, higher temperatures and sea level rise that contributed to nearly unprecedented sea surge during a hurricane. (April 6, 2013) NBCDFW.com [more on Climate Change in our area]
4/06/2013 - Wonder why local media doesn’t connect dots with water contamination, Fracking, and Climate Change? I know, they never did it before, so why start now? But then again, if your water is still contaminated from decades of industrial waste and your planet warming up, you’d think the media would wonder why considering Fracking for more fossil fuels makes any sense when so much else needs to be done to get our environment robust and resilient enough to address the clear and present danger of Climate Change. Just saying…. Tribe: PCB remedy disappointing AKWESASNE — St. Regis Mohawks are not satisfied with the federal government’s choice to dredge and cap nearly 300 acres of PCB contamination in the Grasse River near Alcoa. The cleanup at the Grasse River Superfund site will cost the Massena-based aluminum manufacturer $243 million. It will take four years to complete the in-river work following a two-year design phase. (April 6, 2013) Press Republican [more on Brownfields in our area]
4/06/2013 - After ‘wait & see’ approach fails to prevent Asian Carp ruining Great Lakes, we can say we tried. But we didn’t really. Provides an interesting heuristic on our approach to Climate Change—do nothing until it’s too late. I remember the half-hearted attempts to stop the Zebra Mussels from taking over the Great Lakes back in the 1980’s. How’s that working out, billions of dollars later? Asian carp invasion of Great Lakes looms While efforts are being made to stop the invasive species, are they enough? Only time will tell. Two boys stood at the end of a dock off the shore of Grand Island on a hot day last July casting fishing lines into the shallow water, time after time pulling up small rock bass from the edges of the Niagara River. The boys are Parker and Connor Cinelli, two of Chris Cinelli’s sons. They are waiting for their dad to finish preparing his 2025 Lund Pro V, which Chris describes as the Cadillac of fishing boats, before they head out onto the largest freshwater system in the world for an afternoon of angling. (April 4, 2013) Investigative Post [more on Invasive Species in our area]
4/06/2013 - Why is the diligence on creating a water quality baseline before New York State Fracks itself, left to just heroic volunteers? Shouldn’t the NYS DEC also be doing this critical work along with volunteers, citizen scientists, instead of only having time to read thousands of letters about how crazy it would be to Frack in New York? Why would any state begin Fracking before they understood what their present water quality was so they could tell after an accident who caused that contamination? "Water Sentinels" Test Water Before Fracking Begins BATH, N.Y. (WETM-18) - Volunteers in the Southern Tier are worried about our water staying safe if hydraulic fracturing comes to New York State—so now they're testing all of it. The program is organized by the Sierra Club. The volunteers are doing simple testing on area streams and rivers. Their idea is to get everything documented now, so they notice if something changes if fracking starts in New York. At one of the area meetings Wednesday night, these so-called “water sentinels” learned how to test the waterways. 88 volunteers are testing 77 sites in the Southern Tier. They use devices provided by the Sierra Club and enter the information online. (April 6, 2013) WETM [more on Water Quality and Fracking in our area]
4/06/2013 - We need baseline environmental data please. Think of groups like this before you Frack NY or warm our climate Not only preparing a baseline of critical water data before New York State even thinks of Fracking, this group and others like it will be critical in gather environmental baseline environmental information we need to understand Climate Change. You cannot tell the damage done to our environment if you don’t have environmental data about what our environment was like before it was warmed and Fracked. Please ‘like’ this page and get all your friends and colleagues to “like’ this page. New York Water Sentinels "Sierra Club Water Sentinels work to protect, improve and restore our waters. Here in New York, Sentinel teams are working to address the threats posed by gas extraction by monitoring surface waters regularly for contamination. Mission Sierra Club Water Sentinels work to protect, improve and restore our waters by fostering alliances to promote water quality monitoring, public education, and citizen action. Description The best way to defend our waterways from misuse and pollution is to empower committed local activists with accurate information and train them in water quality monitoring techniques and grassroots advocacy. Standing knee-deep in the local waters they cherish is a powerful position from which to advocate for the strongest protections and proactive changes. Sierra Club’s Water Sentinels comprise a ...See More "
4/06/2013 - When you consider that “more than half of the original 221 million acres of wetlands that existed in the continental U.S. at the time of white settlement were destroyed by the 1980s” restoring wetlands to mitigate and adapt to Climate Change are critical. This is one of those expensive issues about Climate Change that needs to be ever present in our media so the public will understand and get behind these very inconvenient measures to address Climate Change. Great Lakes wetlands may mitigate climate change Long valued for biological diversity and flood control, Great Lakes coastal wetlands are now seen as a tool to suck up and store excess carbon dioxide. It’s an important function as researchers seek to blunt climate change caused by that greenhouse gas. “Wetlands are at the top of the list of best systems for sequestering carbon on the landscape,” said William Mitsch, professor emeritus at Ohio State University and director of the Everglades Wetland Research Park at Florida Gulf Coast University. There are more than 535,000 acres of coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes basin, according to the Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Consortium. The nutrients, water and light flowing through these systems fuel a tremendous amount of photosynthesis, a process that absorbs carbon dioxide to produce energy for plant growth, said Donald Uzarski, director of the Institute of Great Lakes Research at Central Michigan University. (April 5, 2013) Great Lakes Echo [more on Great Lakes and Climate Change in our area]
4/05/2013 - One of the biggest knowledge gaps on Climate Change is the state of our soil. More research please. Soils in newly forested areas store substantial carbon that could help offset climate change Forest plantations established on formerly non-forested land, like this experimental poplar stand in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, accumulate soil carbon that helps to offset carbon emissions and climate change. Credit: Ray Miller Surface appearances can be so misleading: In most forests, the amount of carbon held in soils is substantially greater than the amount contained in the trees themselves. If you're a land manager trying to assess the potential of forests to offset carbon emissions and climate change by soaking up atmospheric carbon and storing it, what's going on beneath the surface is critical. (April1, 2013) Physics.org [more on Climate Change in our area]
4/05/2013 - Find ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle: Enviro-Fair SEVENTH ANNUAL at Buffalo's City Hall A celebration and exhibit of earth and ecology Friday, April 26, 2013 (Arbor Day) 11am - 2pm FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC "Buffalo’s only official celebration of Earth Day and Arbor Day. Many booths by sustainable and green organizations and companies who specialize in sustainability. Free tree seedlings and other free items handed out. Rain or shine. A tree planting will take place at noon. "--from Buffalo.com
4/05/2013 - Local opportunities for getting rid of prescription drugs on National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, April 27th "National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, April 27th The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day which will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Type in your zip code and Locate Collection Site Near You. This is a great opportunity for those who missed the previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications! Click for more information " -from Center for Environmental Initiatives (CEI)
4/05/2013 - You don’t get the connection between the high ranking of Rochester, NY as having one of the worst spring allergy locations (37th) and probably caused by Climate Change unless you read further than local news. Worst Allergy Season Ever? This spring could be the most miserable one ever for those of us with allergies, and we can blame it on climate change. People in the Northeast, in particular, will be among the hardest hit in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and this winter's record-setting blizzard, both of which dumped massive amounts of precipitation over the region. "[This] promises a robust allergy season,'' said Leonard Bielory, an allergy and immunology specialist with the Rutgers Center for Environmental Prediction in New Jersey, a state which suffered widespread destruction from Sandy. (March 29, 2013) Live Science [more on Environmental Health and Climate Change in our area]
4/04/2013 - Lots of Earth Day events and local environmental information just in. Check out: Penfield Green Initiative April 2013 Newsletter "Penfield Green Initiative Vision Statement: The Penfield Green Initiative began in Dec 2007. We are Penfield residents who want to promote positive environmental action & provide a forum for the general public to be involved supporting a "green Penfield." We encourage people to attend any of the following events or meetings. E-mail us with your comments & permission to publish them in the next monthly newsletter. Please let us know of any other Environmental Issues or events. We'd enjoy hearing from you." Penfield Green Initiative Facebook
4/04/2013 - Rochester, NY joins nationwide celebration of Climate hero’s, Tim DeChristopher, release from prison. See ‘Bidder 70’ on Earth Day. Greentopia | FILM Presenting An Earth Day screening of Bidder 70 | Greentopia | FILM and the First Unitarian Church of Rochester will participation in the nationwide Earth Day screening of Bidder 70, a documentary exploring environmental activism, followed by live-streamed, Twitter-fed Q & A with the subject of the film, Tim DeChristopher, one day after his release from prison. Bidder 70 was the recipient of Greentopia | FILM's 2012 "Fork in the Road Award" honoring "a film that helps us understand how our choices determine the world we live in and and the possibilities for those who follow," said Linda Moroney, Greentopia | FILM Director. "We're proud to bring this film back to Rochester and to participate in this one night only, interactive celebration." As a student, Tim DeChristopher monkey-wrenched an oil and gas lease auction in 2008, which was later deemed invalid, saving 150,000 acres of pristine Utah wilderness from exploitation. After three years of legal wrangling, he was jailed for two years. Greentopia | FILM and the First Unitarian Church of Rochester will celebrate his release from federal prison on April 21, 2013 by hosting one of nearly 50 simultaneous nationwide screenings of Bidder 70 on Earth Day, April 22, 2013. Be part of it! Celebrate Earth Day with us on Monday, April 22, 2013 at 9:00PM at The First Unitarian Church of Rochester, 220 Winton Road South, Rochester, N.Y. 14610. Come early at 8:30PM to enjoy our talented busker. Get your tickets NOW: $10 online HERE or $12 at the door.
4/03/2013 - What a deal! Free Pizza & Save Rochester, NY’s Drinking Water. Get help writing that comment to DEC by April 15th. JOIN THE LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN PARTY!! Sunday, April 7, noon - 5PM Eagle Crest Vineyards 7107 Vineyard Road, Conesus, NY 14435 SAVE HEMLOCK AND CANADICE LAKES LETTER-WRITING WOOD-FIRED PIZZA PARTY Eagle Crest Vineyards will be donating the wine and pizzas throughout the day. They hope to fill the warehouse with people writing letters. Bring your laptop! Click here for details and directions on Facebook Organized by Eagle Crest Vineyards and Frack Free Genesee
4/03/2013 - Don’t miss this Earth Day celebration either: "The 6th annual Earth Day at the Park celebration will be at Hamlin Beach State Park Area 3 on Saturday, April 20th, from 9AM – 3PM. A partnership between the Friends of Hamlin Beach State Park, NYS Parks, the Town of Hamlin, the Hamlin Lions Club, and SUNY Brockport Department of Environmental Sciences, Earth Day 2013 will feature environmental exhibits, eco-friendly vendors, crafters, and artisans and a display of fuel efficient vehicles from local car dealerships. An organized spring beach clean-up from 9:30 – 11:00, and free tree-seedling give-away are also planned. “Imagine It” will accept for recycling: printer cartridges, PDAs, cell phones, MP3s, and electronic devices including cameras, camcorders, I pads and tablets, GPS devices, satellite radios, e-books, USB memory keys, gaming devices and 3D glasses. Food and refreshments will be on hand. Concluding the event will be a guided tour of the Hamlin CCC/POW Camp which will begin about 3PM. "
4/03/2013 - Don’t forget the biggest and longest running Earth Day event in Rochester, NY: Sierra Club Forum. This year, it’s: Thursday April 25, 2013: Forum at Monroe Community College 5:15pm:Networking & Exhibits 7-9pm: Keynote Speaker: Maude Barlow - get the flyer here Sierra Club – Rochester Regional Group Presents 15th Annual Environmental Forum “Great Lakes Need Great Friends: Protecting the Great Lakes Forever” Thursday 4-25-13: Forum at Monroe Community College 5:15pm: Networking & Exhibits 7-9pm: Keynote Speaker: Maude Barlow, world renowned champion of water as a human right more...
4/03/2013 - As Earth Day quickly approaches, it would be great to see Governor Cuomo make New York Frack Free. Let Cuomo know that. Give him a call. CallCuomo.com Campaign Launches to Protect New Yorkers’ Health and Safety from Fracking A group of more than 30 health, environmental and grassroots organizations including Concerned Health Professionals of NY, National Resources Defense Council, 350.org, Environmental Advocates of New York,Riverkeeper, Democracy for America, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Frack Action, United for Action and New Yorkers Against Fracking launched a new anti-fracking call-in campaign with a website and a robust social media plan. Celebrities, activists and others are expected to send hundreds of thousands of emails and reach hundreds of thousands more through Facebook and Twitter. The group’s stated goal is to get tens of thousands of New Yorkers to call Governor Cuomo during April and urge him to follow the science and protect New Yorkers’ health. The new united social media campaign marks a revitalized push to protect New York from fracking following the passage of New York’s 2013/2014 budget. (April 2, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Fracking in our area]
4/02/2013 - Providing air conditioners for those with heat-related health problems due to heat, including elderly and infants, will be a major health issue for adapting to Climate Change in New York State. Wish local media would focus on this aspect of environmental health as we move into more Climate Change. It’s going to be costly, a matter of equality and increased energy use that should not release more greenhouse gases and the public should be prepared. NY will provide air conditioners under program New York state has set aside $3-million to provide air conditioners to people with heat-related health problems. The State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance said Monday that eligible households must meet income guidelines and have at least one person with a medical condition that makes hot weather dangerous. (April 2, 2013) Rochester, NBC News com [more on Climate Change and Environmental Health in our area]
4/02/2013 - Dr. James E. Hansen has set the moral standard for scientists working on Climate Change. Earth is not just a pale blue dot in the sky—it’s us. Climate Maverick to Quit NASA James E. Hansen, the climate scientist who issued the clearest warning of the 20th century about the dangers of global warming, will retire from NASA this week, giving himself more freedom to pursue political and legal efforts to limit greenhouse gases. His departure, after a 46-year career at the space agency’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in Manhattan, will deprive federally sponsored climate research of its best-known public figure. (April 1, 2013) New York Times [more on Climate Change in our area]
4/02/2013 - A new environmental start-up on the block. Been considering how neat it would be to have your food waste collected at your residence and composted, instead of landfilled? Some folks are trying to make that work. Check out CommunityComposting.org and sign up to learn more. CommunityComposting.org "We appreciate your interest in Community Composting. Please leave your information below and we will notify you when the service comes online. By signing up, you are helping us gauge interest in our project. Please help spread the word! "
4/02/2013 - Reminder that you need to sign up to participate in Monroe County’s 4th annual Pick Up the Parks: SIGN UP TO PARTICIPATE Keep America Beautiful and Cascades Recovery bring you the 4th annual Pick Up the Parks Event, a green initiative from County Executive Maggie Brooks and the Monroe County Department of Parks. Saturday, April 13th, 2013 9am-noon: Cleanup Noon: Thank You Picnic Join the Monroe County Department of Parks, Keep America Beautiful, and Cascades Recovery for “Pick Up the Parks.” This great parks stewardship event will expand to several parks in 2013 including Abraham Lincoln, Churchville, Durand Eastman, Ellison, Genesee Valley, Greece Canal, Highland, Irondequoit Bay Marine, Irondequoit Bay West, Lehigh Valley Trail, Lucien Morin, Northampton, Ontario Beach, Powder Mills, Seneca, Tryon, and Webster Parks. Special thanks to these organizations that have already been instrumental in supporting this upcoming event: Water Education Collaborative/Larry the H2O Hero, Friendly’s, Sunnking Electronics Recycling, Delta Laboratories, Fleet Feet Sports/YellowJacket Racing, Monroe County Sports Commission, Wegmans, Churchville Lions, and Irondequoit Fish & Game Club. Email or call today to register your family, group of friends, club, organization, business, scout troop, or class! We strongly recommend that you pre-register; each park has a maximum number of volunteers needed. To pre-register contact Ryan Loysen at rloysen@monroecounty.gov or 585-753-7281. Be sure to tell us your group size, preferred park, e-mail address, and phone number, or you can just come out to one of the nineteen meet-up sites on April 13th and register there. Check www.monroecounty.gov/parks for additional details, proper attire, and park information. Be sure to join us for the “Thank You Picnic” & 125th Anniversary of the Rochester Parks Commission Celebration, at the Highland Park Bowl, starting at noon. All volunteers will be required to submit a Volunteer Registration Form (VRF) in order to participate. The Monroe County Parks and our waterways belong to all of us; so let’s join together to keep them clean and green! Thanks Deb Muratore Penfield Green Initiative Planning Committee (one of the co-sponsors)

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RochesterEnvironment.com

Analysis of the environmental news in our area

Connecting the dots on Rochester’s environment. Find out what’s going on environmentally in our area—and why you should care. For all Daily Updates going back to 1998, go to Update Archives.

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Daily Updates: Saturday, May 18, 2013

These are the daily recordings of what I believe are important indicators of our Rochester-area environment --since 1998. For all Daily Updates, go to Update Archives