August 30, 2009 RENewsletter

RENewsletter | August 30, 2009

The Free environmental newsletter from RochesterEnvironment.com

“Our Environment is changing: Keep up with the Change.”

[08/23/09– 08/30/09]

* Need to vent? | Go to my blog: Environmental Thoughts - Rochester, NY

* Found an important Rochester environmental story from a credible source that you think needs attention? SEND ME THE LINK.

*** The August Environmental Site of the Month Award goes to ACT Rochester | Go to Award.

[Hyperlinks work by CTRL + click to follow a link]

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Opening Salvo: “Green Grants”

Ok, there’s probably no grants specifically labeled ‘green.’ And admittedly, there’s not anything particularly new or fresh about the field of grant writing worth noting: It still involves long hours of research, tedious and meticulous fact checking, and (at least from the grant writer’s side) it’s a crap shoot.

What’s different now is that a window of opportunity for cleaning up pollution, promoting conservation, getting funds for new energy efficient devices, and getting monies to provide jobs helping our environment has opened wide at the same time lending by banks has tightened up. Recessions shake things up. This latest market crash, with the proliferation of stimulus monies in the form of grants, offers a chance for governments, institutions, and businesses that may not have had a previous environment focus to off-set some of their unsavory practices and policies by encouraging environmentally positive practices (clean-ups, studies, innovative designs that conserve energy, or retrofitting an existing facility to be more efficient) that make our environment and our economy more sustainable.

Another sea-change in the world of grants is that healthy attitudes towards our environmental, once mostly the bailiwick of non-profit groups, are now being supplanted by businesses. It’s not that the major environmental groups, dedicated for decades to compel governments and industries towards better environmental practices, have lost their clout to the almighty dollar. It’s that on the whole these groups have been successful alerting and demonstrating the urgency of the present environment crisis: the planet is warming up, pollution proliferates, and bad development is trashing what’s left of our verdant world. Most of those in government (now) and in business get it. Of course, advocating and rallying for the planet to clean up its act is probably not going to fall under the purview of the business sector any time soon. But, much of the implementation for a sustainable world will be accomplished by the market.

This doesn’t mean there’s a free-for-all out there: Grants, especially federal and state grants, have strings attached. Because they are usually reviewed by experts, often engineers, your request has got to make sense all the way down, from the moment of conception to the moment of implementation. You have to follow all the laws—local laws, conservation laws, laws of physics, economic laws, and the laws of common sense. And, you usually have to report on your progress all along the way. Someone’s not only holding your hand when you get a grant, they usually have a very firm grip.

But grants, because they can be shaped by what we’ve learned about our environment, instead of the reckless ‘invisible hand’ of the free market, offers an excellent alternative to influence peddling and bad practices. Monies provided though governments or foundations set up by businesses can reset the direction of those businesses hitherto only focused on profits for the shareholders. Grants, the way they are designed and implemented, offer an excellent way to infuse into our economy one of the crucial ingredients long since missing from it—the wise use of our resources.

FrankRegan@RochesterEnvironment.com (Click on my email for feedback)

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NewsLinks – Environmental NewsLinks – [Highlights of major environmental stories concerning our area from the past week]

· On Cormorants

· Great Lakes Potential

· Bees Issue

· Recycling Issues

· Park Expansion

· More On High-Speed Rail

· Cats

· More on High-Speed Rail

· Flu Update

· Water Quality Issue

· NYS Politics & Environment

· West Nile Virus Update

· High-Speed Rail Update

· Aid For Rochester Beaches

· Mothballing Ginna Nuclear Plant?

· Tomato Blight Update

· Lake Ontario Conference Tuesday

· Energy Grant for Region

· Sustainable Houses

· Fixing Creek Erosion

· High Speed Rail Update

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Updates – Daily Updates – [Connecting the dots on Rochester’s environment. Find out what’s going on environmentally in our area—and why you should care? Clicking on -DISCUSSION – will take you to my blog “Environmental Thoughts, NY, where you can add your comments.]

8/26/09 - As we move into the flu season with the Pandemic still around, it's good to keep track Novel H1N1 Influenza Novel H1N1 Influenza Hotline for the Public 1-800-808-1987 New York City residents call 311 | New York State is carefully monitoring a new flu strain, referred to as Novel H1N1 Influenza, that began to appear in the U.S. and worldwide in Spring 2009. New York is working with national, state and local officials to track the disease and provide guidance to members of the public, health care professionals and others. --from the New York State Department of Health

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Events – Rochester Environmental Events Calendar – [The most complete listing of all environmental events around the Rochester, New York area.] If you don’t see your event, or know of a local environmental event, please send me the info: FrankRegan@RochesterEnvironment.com with (EV event) in the subject line.

Dear Friends of Letchworth State Park, As you may be aware, scientists have documented the considerable diversity and value of the plants and animals within Letchworth State Park including many occurrences of rare, threatened, and endangered species. However, we have also documented an extreme loss of this biodiversity in the southern end of the park. There is a very high population of deer in this relatively small area of the park and as a result, the impact of deer on habitat for other animals and for plants has become a significant concern. In order to provide information on this loss of biodiversity, our monitoring efforts, and what State Parks is considering, both long term and in the more immediate future, I am inviting you to a Public Information Meeting. The meeting will be held at the Castile Baptist Church on Wednesday, September 2nd at 7:00 pm. The church is located at 5824 Portageville Rd (Rt. 19-A) just south of the village of Castile. Representatives from New York State Parks and the Department of Environmental Conservation will be on hand to provide an overview of the situation and options being considered. There will also be plenty of opportunity for you to provide input into this matter of importance on the stewardship of our natural resources and of our park patrons as well. I hope you can join us at this important meeting and please call me at 585-493-3601 if you have any questions.
Please join the Bath Peace and Justice Group for a showing of the film Taking Root, which tells the dramatic story of Kenyan Wangari Maathai whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy. In 2004 Maathai became the first environmentalist to win the Nobel Peace Prize. For more information about the film, visit http://takingrootfilm.com/ Suzanne Miller will introduce the film. We will show the 50 min. version of the film. Wed., Sept. 2, 2009 St. Thomas Church 122 Liberty St., Bath, NY 6:30 potluck 7:00 program, Taking Root film All are welcome. For details, call Rita Moretti at 607-569-2114
DEC Invites Public to Meetings on Proposed Water Bottling Plant in Lewis County - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Comments Accepted Until Sept. 11 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced it will host two public meetings on a proposal by Hidden Falls Spring Water to develop a bottled spring water business in the Town of Turin, Lewis County. The focus of the meetings will be on what's known as the scoping documents for the project. The purpose of scoping documents essentially is to outline what environmental factors must be included in a "Draft Environmental Impact Statement" (DEIS), the document that will eventually guide the review of the proposed development. The meetings will be held Sept. 3, 2009, at the Glenfield Fire Hall on Blue Street in the hamlet of Glenfield and will be broken into two sessions, one beginning at 3 p.m. and the other at 7 p.m. (August 27, 09) Press Releases - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Free Localvore Fair Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County invites you to join in a celebration of Localvore. Grow, buy and eat locally-grown fruits and vegetables. Saturday, September 05, 2009 Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County 249 Highland Avenue Rochester, NY 14620
Date: Saturday, September 5, 2009 Time: 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Location: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County 249 Highland Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620
Schedule of Events: 10:00 - 12:00 Soups & Entrées Cooking Class (Fee: $30 / Preregistration required @ mycce.org/monroe or call 461-1000 x 0) Presented by Rosita Caridi-Miller, Chef/Owner, Cibi Deliziosi, Mendon, NY 11:00 - 12:00 Free sweet corn (limited quantity) Noon September Proclaimed as Localvore Month 12:00 - 1:00 Free apples (limited quantity) 1:00 - 2:00 Free milk and yogurt (limited quantity) Ongoing Interactive Events: Vegetable Taste Testing Apple Taste Testing Poison Control Hands-on Kids Activities & Games Veggie Art Display Zucchini Race Cars | Free Information/Display Tables: Master Gardeners: “Putting Your Garden to Bed” Healthy Home Gas Drilling in Marcellus Shale CEI Energy Information Nutrition & Fitness Information & Kids Giveaways | Questions? Call 461-1000 ext 0 or visit mycce.org/Monroe
Perinton Recreation & Parks Registration and Information: 585-223-5050 Program Title: Discover the Season's Natural Wonders - Series 1 Program Dates: September 12 & 26, October 10 & 24, 2009 (4 sessions) Event Times: 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Ages: Adult and teen Location: Perinton Community Center, 1350 Turk Hill Rd, Perinton Instructor: David Semple with four special guest presenters Cost: $51 ($45 for Perinton residents) Registration is required: Code 465816-A (Registration deadline - September 4) Description: Experience four different natural wonders in Perinton as we ease into the spectacular fall season. Each session starts with a slide show in the Perinton Community Center, followed by an expert-guided field trip at a designated nature area or park site. Topics covered in Series 1will be birds of prey, fall songbirds, wetland ecosystems, and mushrooms and fungi. Additional Detail: www.perinton.org (turn to page 26 of the Fall Recreation Brochure).
Consider joining the Abundance/Sierra Club Reading Group. Next meeting: Tuesday, Sept. 15th, 6:30pm at the Abundance Cafe, 62 Marshall St. (phone # 454-2667) Book to be discussed: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: "A Year of Food Life" by Barbara Kingsolver
The University of Rochester Medical Center's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Center for Community Health Present Researching Women's Environmental Health Wednesday, September 16 8:30 am - 12:30 pm Keynote Address and Presentations Free and open to the public—please RSVP. 12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch and Networking Box lunch available for $10 in advance. 1:30 - 4:30 pm Breakout Discussion Groups Limited number of spots available, register now! This workshop, part of Rochester Women’s Health Week, focuses on new findings on the environment and women’s health. Our goal is to learn how researchers can better communicate relevant health information to healthcare providers, researchers and community leaders. In the morning session, speakers will present new results on bone health, cognition and aging, and breast cancer. After lunch, small breakout groups will meet for in depth discussions. Although walk-ins are welcome, registration for the morning session is encouraged and is free for all who would like to attend. Box lunches will be available for $10 (cash or check only) or individuals may purchase lunch from a nearby URMC cafe.
Healthy Buildings 2009 (http://www.hb2009.org), an international conference and exhibition showcasing innovations in indoor environmental quality and healthy and sustainable environmental technology, will be held in US for the first time in 12 years, September 13-17, 2009. Hosted by the Syracuse Center of Excellence and Syracuse University, ISIAQ's signature conference will draw more than 1,000 researchers and professionals from the disciplines of architecture, building products and services, engineering, indoor environmental quality, public health, urban planning, and workplace performance from more than 42 different countries. HB2009 includes remarkable plenary speakers such as Rick Fedrizzi, Founder of USGBC, as well as Dr. Eduardo de Oliveira Fernandes of the University of Porto in Portugal, Dr. Yuguo Li of the University of Hong Kong, and Dr. Shin-ichi Tanabe of Waseda University in Japan; who have each made immense contributions to the body of research in indoor air quality and related fields. The exhibition (http://hb2009.org/exhibition), featuring the latest advancements in green and clean technologies and innovation, will also showcase "OppEx," an Opportunity Exchange (http://hb2009.org/opportunity_exchange) that will include industry-leader keynote speakers; healthy buildings and clean and green technology product and service demonstrations; technology transfer ideas from world-class research universities; and many more opportunities for intellectual collisions among attendees. In today's uncertain economic climate, the benefit of international exchange and engagement is critical. HB2009 offers researchers, professionals, and community planners a unique opportunity to think strategically about the direction of industry and technology through academic and industry collaboration in a world going green. For more information about the conference and exhibition please visit our website at www.hb2009.org, or contact clmatthe@syr.edu. Also, in addition to the rates currently listed on the web site, there is also a $25 one-day exhibition pass for those wishing to be a part of HB2009 on a limited budget.
Help Clean Up the World and put your activity on the global environmental map! Held in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Clean Up the World is one of the world’s largest community-based environmental campaigns with an estimated 35 million volunteers from 120 countries participating annually in environmental activities. Join the campaign and put your group and its activity on the global environmental map by visiting activities.cleanuptheworld.org . Activities can be conducted year round, however the campaign’s flagship event, Clean Up the World Weekend (18-20 September 2009) is a global celebration of the environmental actions and achievements of participants. Joining Clean Up the World is simple: ■ Register online: http//:activities.cleanuptheworld.org ■ Email: info@cleanuptheworld.org ■ Visit: www.cleanuptheworld.org ■ Call: +61 2 9692 0700 ■ Post: 18 Bridge Road, Glebe NSW 2037, Australia. Clean Up Clean Up the World partners with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to inspire and assist communities to "clean up, fix up and conserve their local environment" through carrying out initiatives ranging from waste removal and tree planting to water and energy conservation projects. Clean Up the World and its participating organisations mobilise an estimated 35 million volunteers from more than 120 countries annually.
Sunday, Sept. 20th, 1009 “Most Noble Diet” Author to visit Rochester, NY On Sunday, Sept. 20th the Bio/Veg Outreach Committee, in conjunction with the Rochester Area Vegetarian Society (RAVS) will host noted author, educator, environmentalist and registered dietician, George Eisman. Mr. Eisman, author of The Most Noble Diet, will speak on “The Impact of Diet on Climate Change.” If you would like a better understanding of the powerful impact your food choices have on the planet, you won’t want to miss this presentation. Come hear this enlightening and light-hearted speaker! You can literally make a world of difference – for the environment, for the animals and for yourself. Date: Sunday, Sept. 20th Time: 7:00pm Location: Brighton Town Park Lodge, 777 Westfall Rd. (between South Clinton and East Henrietta Rd.)
THE JOB DEVELOPMENT NETWORK’S 1st “GOING GREEN” CAREER & TRAINING EXPO Baden Street Settlement of Rochester, Inc. 13 VIENNA STREET, Rochester, NY WEDNESDAY, September 23, 2009 CAREER EXPO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: 10:00am – 1:00pm MEET EMPLOYERS WITH CAREER AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN GREEN INDUSTRIES: Energy efficient building/construction trades Renewable energy Bio-fuels industries Deconstruction materials Re-manufacturing & sustainable products manufacturing $$$ MAKE GREEN BY GOING GREEN $$$ FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL CAREER SEEKERS!!! Equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Get the Flyer JOB FAIR EMPLOYER REGISTRATION FORM Get the Registration form: PDF files/jdnemployerregistrationgreen.doc
Cordwood Sauna Workshop September 26th & 27th, 2009 WHO - Peter Turkow, Co-Founder of Rochester Green Living After seeing an article on cordwood construction in Mother Earth News my father, Dave Turkow attended a Rob Roy cordwood workshop (http://www.cordwoodmasonary.com) in 1984. In 1985 we broke ground on a 40ft diameter, round, load-bearing cordwood home covered with geodesic dome, I was hooked. In 1996 we designed and built 2 story cordwood workshop/garage approx 32x22 with 22x10ft deck. More details can be seen @: www.daycreek.com/dc/HTML/Turkow.htm WHAT – Each day is a mixture of classroom and hands-on activities & building. Classroom sessions include general cordwood home AND sauna information, power point presentations, and discussions on the various styles of cordwood building, as well as, the different types of wood species (and how long to dry them). The workshop’s hands-on project will be a 14’ x 12’ mixed use sauna & enclosed changing/relaxation area with outdoor deck. Attention to detail assures that the students learn visually pleasing techniques, as well as, structurally sound and energy-efficient construction methods. WHEN - Friday the 25th (optional, but starts at 6pm) will be a meet & greet event, as well as, a free event for the Rochester Green Living group and others from the area to learn a little more about future workshops. Workshops run from 9am -5pm. There will also be a social gathering on Saturday evening (students only & weather permitting). WHERE - This cordwood workshop will be held at the Turkow residence @ 6776 Luddington Rd Elba, NY 14058 (directly between Rochester and Buffalo & 5 miles from the thruway – (Batavia Exit 48).
Summit on sustainable development on October 7, 2009 in Schenectady . PROCTORS Theatre, 432 State St Schenectady, NY 12305 (518) 346-6204 This Summit is being organized and sponsored jointly by Empire State Future (www.empirestatefuture.org) and the New York Department of State (http://www.dos.state.ny.us/). This Summit will discuss revitalization of New York State through sustainable economic and community development. It is designed for government officials, practitioners of economic and community development, planners, educators, health professionals, students, persons concerned about the environment, and any other New Yorkers interested in building a stronger and more sustainable Empire State . We plan to discuss the many innovations and ideas that are taking root, and also those that have yet to be actualized. We also strive for a Summit that not only informs and inspires, but that also strengthens the connections among those working on common quests. Click here for more Summit information and to register. Register now for a low fee of $40! After September 10th, the fee will be $60. And attached is an updated Summit program, which includes speakers/ panelists, and a morning Downtown Schenectady walking tour! Note also that the starting time for the Summit has been moved later into the morning to better accommodate train travel. As you’ll see on the site, we’re encouraging attendees to travel green to the Summit by rail—we’ve arranged discounted fares, and have sited the Summit just two-tenths of a mile from the Schenectady Amtrak Station! We look forward to seeing you soon in Schenectady. If you have any questions, please contact me at Katie@rpa.org or 917-546-4312.
New York State Healing Our Waters Coalition Conference Uniting New York’s Great Lakes Communities to Restore our Freshwater Coast Saturday, October 24, 2009 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Buffalo, NY • Achieving Great Lakes Restoration • Implementing the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Compact in New York • Managing our Great Lakes ecosystem holistically For more information and to register, please visit: http://www.citizenscampaign.org/glconference/ or contact greatlakes@citizenscampaign.org There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Cosponsored by: Audubon New York, Center for Environmental Information, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Great Lakes Research Consortium, Great Lakes United, and Environmental Advocates of New York --from CCE - Water Protection Public Health Energy Renewable Policy Toxic Wildlife Chemical Contamination Subscribe Newsletter Jobs Calendar Pollution Air Quality Advocacy Farmingdale White Plains Albany Syracuse Buffalo
October 24, 2009 is INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE ACTION DAY, and is being coordinated by 350.org, the grassroots organizing brainchild of Bill McKibben. The idea is to mobilize grassroots groups all over the world to hold highly visible public / media events on 10/24/09. Each event should highlight the number 350—the maximum global atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (in parts per million- ppm) that is safe for the long term. We are already up to 387, and increasing. For more details: http://www.350.org/ We need to do something in Rochester, and to be worth doing, it should be a coordinated effort between several groups, and something creative, eye-catching…. Media-worthy! That’s the point—to have media worldwide show that there is a groundswell of popular support for a global treaty (successor to Kyoto), and that therefore world leaders must craft a plan to bring levels down to 350 ppm by the time they leave the international climate talks in Copenhagen in December of this year. Are you interested in helping? If this is to be done, we would need people to: • Reach out to other groups/ organizations to see what they are doing, and try to coordinate (for all I know, there is already an effort planned that we could work with) • Be creative- come up with a good location / “shtick” to make it media-worthy • Recruit others • Contact media

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Action – Take Action - Often, I receive request to pass on alerts, petitions, Public Comments on local developments, and environmental items needing action by the Rochester Community and around the world. I’ll keep Actions posted until their due date.

8/29/09 - Action: Help make public comment on: EPA Seeks Comments on New Information about Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it is requesting comments on new information it has received about geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide. During geologic sequestration, carbon dioxide is injected underground for long-term storage. This technology can be used to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), EPA protects underground sources of drinking water from threats related to injection activities. The new information supplements the agency’s 2008 proposed rule that, if finalized, would create a new class of injection well and establish requirements under the authority of the SDWA to ensure that geologic sequestration activities do not endanger drinking water sources. The publication reviews research and data on geologic sequestration and presents an alternative the agency is considering related to the proposed injection depth requirements for carbon dioxide. In addition, the publication announces that EPA is evaluating the need for a more comprehensive regulatory framework to manage the geologic sequestration of CO2. The agency is requesting public comments for 45 days after publication in the Federal Register. More information on geologic sequestration and how to submit comments: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/uic/wells_sequestration.html R232 Note: If a link above doesn't work, please copy and paste the URL into a browser. View all news releases related to water

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Award – Environmental Site of the Month Award – [On the last Sunday of each month, we present an environmental award for the Rochester-area environmental web site or blog that best promotes the need to protect and offers solutions for our area's environmental issues.]

The Environmental site for the month of August 2009 is ACT Rochester: This important free online service provides a community what is an absolute necessity if we are going to make our communities sustainable: a conduit for the all environmental indicators for our area. The facts, just the facts, are critical in determining what a community has done well and what needs improving—or we’re flying blind. Use this site as a baseline for any initiatives that will affect our area’s environment. When you’re digging up your yard around gas lines, the signs say “call before you dig.” When you’re going to do something that’s going to affect the Rochester area environment, check ACT Rochester before you act.

ACT Rochester Community Indicators for the Greater Rochester Area: The mission of ACT Rochester is to stimulate community solutions to our most critical challenges by changing the culture of public discussion and debate. This will be achieved through focused, independent and objective measurement of key community indicators, through diverse and timely dialogue and by promoting results-oriented actions. ACT Rochester is a collaboration of Rochester Area Community Foundation and the United Way of Greater Rochester. We developed the Website together, along with assistance from the Center for Governmental Research, and plan to sustain and update it as a central component of ACT Rochester.