RENewsletter October 25, 2009

RENewsletter | October 25, 2009

The Free environmental newsletter from RochesterEnvironment.com

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

[10/18/09– 10/25/09]

* 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? Please, SEND ME THE LINK.

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

*** The October 2009 Environmental Site of the Month Award goes to 350.org | Go to Award.

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Opening Salvo: “Rochester’s 350.org Coverage”

Judging from the media response around the world, the 350.org event has been a hit: October 24 Press Release | 350.org “350.org To Stage Largest Day of Environmental Action in History | 5,242 Simultaneous Events on Climate in 181 Countries.”

“Citizens, scientists and world leaders in 181 countries will take to nearby streets, mountains, parks, and reefs today to demand strong action on climate change, in what will be the most widespread day of political action in the planet’s history. 5,242 rallies and creative demonstrations will take place, all of them centered on the number 350, to draw attention to 350 parts per million (ppm), which an overwhelming number of scientists now insist is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.”

However, judging from our local media response to the several 350.org events, not much happened: a Rousing Dud. (Disclaimer: Because I did not rush out and buy up all the paper versions of our local media, or frantically tune into all the TV and radio stations either, ((because they are insufferably myopic and merely pander to their corporate sponsors)), I am basing this observation on what our local media has posted on the Internet today—October 25, 2009.)

Maybe I posted this article too soon and the media just hasn’t gotten up to snuff yet on how this world-wide event played out in Rochester. Maybe, they’re all scurrying around in their backrooms, honing 350.org coverage so it will be a real sizzler when it comes out. Maybe.

But, I’m not on any of the local media’s editorial staff. So, what do I know? Maybe, getting world-wide attention focused on the planet warming up just is too far out of the comfort and profit zones of our local media. That must be the case because there are lots of sports, criminal activity, political carping, and lots of sports coverage on our local media. Really, a lot of sports. Sports are in, imminent environmental collapse is out.

Only as an observer (another disclaimer: I was a participant) did I see over sixty bicyclists ride from downtown Rochester to the RIT campus. Then, I witnessed for myself a great rally with the RIT president and his college in full support of the sea change needed on the matter of Climate Change and a full day’s programming to show that our community gets it on 350ppm. I witnessed lots of people taking photos and videos and uploading them to 350.org. To be fair, our local media wasn’t completely hopeless. I see one media with one article on one 350.org event for our area: RIT Marks International Day of Climate Action “It may not always be the right weather for a bike ride around here, but as they say wait 5 minutes and it'll change. The rain Saturday morning didn't stop a group of environmentally conscious riders from hitting the trail. The purpose: to mark the International Day of Climate Action.” (October 25, 09) http://rochester.ynn.com/

Yet, all in all it’s very troubling. One of 350.org’s purposes (the other was to get our politicians’ attention focused on the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference Copenhagen 2009) was to make enough noise to make everyone take notice of the danger point we have passed for a sustainable environment. That is, to both circumvent the dysfunctional media and get in the face of a corporate-manipulated press that is disinclined to speak about the fact that the planet’s atmosphere is warming up due to humanity’s activities.

Our planet is warming up due to our way of life. This is as clear as those annoying pop-ups on every mainstream media’s web page, as clear as the ubiquitous sports scores that flash across those flat screen TV’s, and as eye-catching as the endless violence that inundates local media stories: Those charged with informing us with the information we need to live sustainable are not doing their job.

If you did attend one of the area’s 350.org events, and you still welcome a challenge, why not contact your local media and ask them why they didn’t cover Rochester’s participation in this world-wide event?

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]

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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.]

10/24/09 - We're awake and it's 6:20 AM and we're getting ready to ride in one of the Rochester, NY's 350.org events. Hopefully, we'll have a photograph of some aspect of the event which will be heard around the world - 350.org "On 24 October, people in 181 countries are coming together for the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history. At over 5200 events around the world, people are gathering to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis."
10/24/09 - You can hold that we need energy and that our area has lots of natural gas we can dig up for that. You cannot hold that there won't be a price to pay, as the planet warms up with more use of fossil fuels and possible contamination issues arise: Don't just cop a tude: Get informed about gas drilling in our area: Buried Secrets: Gas Drilling’s Environmental Threat - ProPublica "21 of 31 drilling states have no regulations specific to hydraulic fracturing of 31 drilling states have detailed regulations guiding hydraulic fracturing drilling states require that fracturing chemicals be disclosed states require that the volume of fluid left underground after fracturing be recorded
10/24/09 - The Green Party of Monroe County has some thoughts on Drilling on the Marcellus Gas Shale: Green Party of Monroe County: What impact will Hydraulic Fracturing in the Marcellus Shale have on our Water, Environment and Economy?
10/23.09 - ACTION - Think long and hard about gas drilling in our area: Citizens Campaign for the Environment CITIZENS CAMPAIGN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT ACTION ALERT! TELL ALBANY TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE AND PROTECT WATER The public needs 120 days to review massive new draft oil and gas drilling regulations On September 30, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) finally released the long-awaited Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DSGEIS) for Oil & Gas Drilling in New York. The document is over 800 pages long, and Albany is only giving the people 60 days to review it. Tell Albany it cannot ignore the people! New Yorkers must be able to understand and weigh in on this issue. Meaningful input from the public is essential for a healthy democracy. --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
10/23/09 - If you haven’t been reading the series of article on the state of our clean drinking waters from the New York Times Toxic Waters - Series - The New York Times, here’s a chance to hear all about it. Toxic Waters: Regulatory Absence Allows Chemical, Coal and Farm Industries to Pollute US Water Supplies "Toxic Waters: Regulatory Absence Allows Chemical, Coal and Farm Industries to Pollute US Water Supplies We speak to New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg about the latest in his investigative series “Toxic Waters,” which examines the worsening pollution in the nation’s water systems." --from democracynow.com
1022/09 - Good cause to curb our toxic intake: Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families is a groundbreaking coalition of diverse groups united by their common concern about toxic chemicals in our homes, places of work, and products we use every day.
10/21/09 - Reminding you of the first is a series of important lectures about the future design of our city--starting Tonight: “Reshaping Rochester” lecture series RRCDC: Rochester Regional Community Design Center The Rochester Regional Community Design Center (RRCDC) invites you to attend an exciting medley of lectures, exhibitions and discussions centering on how Rochester can revitalize itself through excellence in urban design. Click here for the flyer: 5th ReShaping Rochester
10/21/09 - Why should we care about bats? We are living through a massive die-off of our bat populations due to White Nose Syndrome and it does matter. This story has been brought up at various times by mainstream media, but if our media were focused more (a lot more) on our environment, which begat us and keeps us alive, the decimation of a critical species in our area would be more well know and more monies allocated to remedy this situation. Check out: Battle for Bats Video "The Story of White Nose Syndrome"
10/21/09 - We attended an interesting program last evening on how Climate Change is and will further affect the Arctic rim of Alaska. Tuning into mainstream media on the repercussions of oil drilling in the Alaskan arctic, whose attempts are to ‘balance’ the coverage between the interests of the oil companies and the state of the environment, doesn’t give you the insight into the extent of the threat of what drilling and spilling oil in a most fragile environment means to the rest of us. Check out Chill the Drills - Sierra Club "To the north of the Arctic Circle and beyond Alaska's Brooks Range mountains lies America's Arctic — the final frontier in American conservation. From Point Hope on Alaska's far western edge, to the pristine coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the east, this land — and the seas that surround it — are our single most endangered national treasure."
10/19/09 - Media Misses Major Environmental Story: Because it is such a major change in burning trash, I have been amazed at the lack of public response to the DEC’s Ban on Open Burning. [New Regulation on Open Burning Takes Effect Oct. 14 - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation (October 5, 09) ] So, here’s an interesting article that gets the revolutionary change this enhanced regulation will bring: Burned up over burn barrel ban -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY:2903: "My retort to that is, policing a barrel ban is not going to be much easier, not in the back country. And there's an awful lot of New York that's back country. Getting the cooperation of burn barrelers, and working with them, would have been a smarter approach."
10/10/09 - From -- Safe Drilling Now! you can vote on Drilling for Natural Gas in our area, but the questions are very limited and don't even address the issue of getting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which this burning this type of Natural Resource will produce: Online Poll by Senator Libous
10/19/09 - Tracking Climate Change reveals new websites on this issue almost everyday. I try to focus Climate Rochester on how Global Warming with affect Rochester, NY’s climate, but, of course, we’re all connect weather-wise. Here are my latest finds on Climate Change: The Pew Center on Global Climate Change has launched Climate Compass a blog featuring timely viewpoints and expert insights on issues critical to the climate conversation. Key topics to be covered include Senate legislation, the Copenhagen climate talks, Obama administration actions, climate science, low-carbon technology, and corporate and individual strategies to address climate change. Also, ClimateEthics.org “ClimateEthics.org is a commentary site on climate change science and policymaking by those working on climate change ethics. The site is intended for policymakers, interested public, and journalists. We aim to provide a quick response in the form of ethical comments on issues in contention in climate change policy formation around the world and provide insights on aspects of climate change science that raise ethical issues and thus are in need of attention by policymakers.” | RealClimate “RealClimate is a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. We aim to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary. The discussion here is restricted to scientific topics and will not get involved in any political or economic implications of the science.” | Sacramento Bee -- Sierra Summit | Climate Feedback “Climate Feedback is a blog hosted by Nature Reports: Climate Change to facilitate lively and informative discussion on the science and wider implications of global warming. The blog aims to be an informal forum for debate and commentary on climate science in our journals and others, in the news, and in the world at large.”
10/18/09 - RIT Climate Change Action Awareness Week – Monday Oct. 19th – Saturday Oct. 24th: Are you ready for an ambitious, fair and binding global climate deal? Join us as we call on world leaders to pass climate policies grounded in the latest science and strong enough to get us back to 350ppm. http://www.rit.edu/academicaffairs/gwteachin/350/
10/18/09 - Environmental Thoughts - Rochester, NY: 350 Why It Matters 350 Why It Matters “350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide—measured in ‘Parts Per Million’ in our atmosphere. 350 PPM—it's the number humanity needs to get back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change.” –from Understanding 350 | 350.org Several events are going on in Rochester this coming Saturday for the 350.org and we hope you will attend one. If enough people demonstrate in a positive way that they acknowledge the problem of Climate Change and are willing to make their voice heard, it might make a difference. It’s all on 350.org. more...
10/18/09 - Special Calendar notice: Thank you for your overwhelming response to the forum on natural gas production in New York State on October 19th! Pre-registration is closed (as of 10/17 afternoon) because we have exceeded the room capacity. We are adding a follow-up meeting later in October. To be invited to the follow-up meeting, email info@fmce.org with Subject="NYS Natural Gas - Follow Up Meeting". More action items and information on our Announcements page. Doors open to the public at 6:30pm. If you are already pre-registered, please arrive promptly. At 7pm, "No Show" seats will be released to "walk-ins" on a first-come, first-serve basis. http://fmce.org/

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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.

October 27, 2009 - 7:00PM to 9:00PM Unitarian Church of Ithaca, 306 N. Aurora Street, Ithaca, NY
- Introductory Program on Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Exploration October 27, 2009 - 7:00PM to 9:00PM This free public meeting will introduce residents to the issues associated with the development of natural gas production in the Marcellus Shale. The program will provide an overview of the relevant geology, water issues related to drilling and hydrofracking and the potential economic benefits and community impacts. Location: Unitarian Church of Ithaca, 306 N. Aurora Street, Ithaca, NY. This introductory session will be good preparation for the program on legal issues offered Oct. 29. For more information, contact: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County at (607) 272-2292 or email ska2@cornell.edu
Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 7:30 p.m. Brighton Town Hall, Downstairs Meeting Room 2300 Elmwood Avenue, Brighton
- GENESEE VALLEY AUDUBON SOCIETY October Program - FREE TO THE PUBLIC As You Clean Your Garden by Christine Sevilla As you clean out your garden this fall and start to plan for next season you might notice some plants that you haven’t seen before. Some might be vines with long thin seed pods, or they might have had small white flowers this spring and now have long thin seed pods and the whole plant has turned brown. You might be thinking about planting purple loosestrife or Japanese barberry this spring. These plants and others cause damage to wildlife habitat by offering little food or cover. We will explore how to get rid of them and suggest alternatives to plant that offer more value to wildlife. We will also raffle off a butterfly-weed (Asclepias tuberosa) and give away butterfly-weed seeds.
9:00am-12:30pm Sunday, November 1st Temple B-Rith Kodesh 2131 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY
- Electronic Recycling Event _ Computers and electronics may contain hazardous waste elements such as lead solder, cadmium, and beryllium. Monitors, Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs), and Televisions have anywhere from 4 to 8 pounds of lead. These types of equipment need to be recycled properly in an environmentally sound fashion. Find out more HERE.
Monday, November 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Owego Treadway Inn, in Owego, NY
- New York Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Summit New York Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Summit: Challenges and Opportunities Monday, November 30, 2009 http://gasleasing.cce.cornell.edu Cornell Cooperative Extension, in collaboration with a number of local and statewide partners, will host a Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Summit at the Owego Treadway Inn, in Owego, NY, on Monday, November 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Monday, November 16 at 7:00pm Brighton Town Hall Auditorium 2300 Elmwood Ave. Rochester, NY
- Please join the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) for a breathtaking journey through the famous Redrock country of Southern Utah. Presented by SUWA’s National Grassroots Organizer Jackie Feinberg, Wild Utah: America’s Redrock Wilderness is a multi-media slide show featuring stunning images by noted wilderness photographers and narrated by Robert Redford. Attend a unique multimedia slideshow on Utah’s threatened Redrock Country...Educate and activate yourself in 2009! Hosted by RRG Sierra Club For more information, contact Jackie Feinberg at jackie@suwa.org
December 1, 2009 6 p.m NYSDEC Region 8 Office Main Conference Room 6274 East Avon-Lima Road Avon, New York 14414-9519 (585) 226-2466
- DEC Releases Revised Draft Hazardous Waste Facility Siting Plan - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Second Round of Hearings Scheduled; Public Comments Due by Dec. 14, 2009 The New York State Hazardous Waste Facility Siting Plan and Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) have been revised and are now available for public review, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today. Both documents are available on the DEC website. (October 1, 09) Press Releases - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation[more on Brownfields in our area]
Friday, December 4, 6-9:30 PM; Saturday, December 5, 9:30 AM-3 PM First Unitarian Church of Rochester, 220 South Winton Road, Rochester NY 14610
- METRO JUSTICE ALTERNATIVE FAIR Date/Time: Friday, December 4, 6-9:30 PM; Saturday, December 5, 9:30 AM-3 PM Place: First Unitarian Church of Rochester, 220 South Winton Road, Rochester NY 14610 Cost: $3 suggested donation for ages 12+. Children under 12 free. FREE CHILD CARE. Description: Support social justice when buying holiday gifts – at Metro Justice’s 28th annual Alternative Fair, featuring hundreds of fair trade, earth friendly, and/or locally produced goods that support a just and sustainable world. Holiday shopping for the whole family, including clothing, toys, non-competitive games, pottery, and jewelry hand crafted by local artists, fair trade imports, and more. Food, entertainment, and information tables by local progressive organizations will be available. The Alternative Fair is an annual fund-raising event for Metro Justice ( www.metrojustice.org ) , an independent, grass-roots, progressive membership organization that works for human rights, equality and economic and environmental justice by raising community awareness and engaging in non-violent action. Accessibility: The building is accessible

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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.

Action Due Date: Now.
- ACTION - Think long and hard about gas drilling in our area: Citizens Campaign for the Environment CITIZENS CAMPAIGN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT ACTION ALERT! TELL ALBANY TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE AND PROTECT WATER The public needs 120 days to review massive new draft oil and gas drilling regulations On September 30, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) finally released the long-awaited Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DSGEIS) for Oil & Gas Drilling in New York. The document is over 800 pages long, and Albany is only giving the people 60 days to review it. Tell Albany it cannot ignore the people! New Yorkers must be able to understand and weigh in on this issue. Meaningful input from the public is essential for a healthy democracy. --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
Action Due Date: November 10, 2009 --from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Think EPP Brownfield sites cleanup are not stringent enough, let them know: EPA Seeks Comment on Greener Site Cleanups WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a new strategy that would make cleanups at hazardous waste sites greener. The Superfund Green Remediation Strategy is an initial effort to outline key actions and related activities that can be undertaken to promote green remediation and to reduce energy use. EPA is taking comment on action items that fall into three major categories: policy and guidance development, resource development and program implementation, and program evaluation. The strategy also contains several recommendations including a call for EPA to implement a series of near-term program initiatives, and to establish a baseline of Superfund energy usage. The public comment period is open for 60 days. Reducing the demands placed on the environment during cleanup of contaminated land is a high priority for EPA. In addition to the new strategy, EPA has developed Principles for Greener Cleanups. The principles call for EPA’s cleanup programs to use greener approaches during any phase of site work and establish the goal of evaluating cleanup actions to ensure protection of human health and the environment while reducing the environmental footprint of cleanup activities, when feasible. Cleanups that do not satisfy threshold requirements for protectiveness or do not meet site specific cleanup objectives, are not considered greener cleanups. More information on the strategy: View all news releases related to hazardous waste
Action Due Date: The deadline for submitting applications is November 20, 2009.
- Ways you can help our Parks: New round of funding available for park and trail groups Grants aim to boost organizational capacity Parks & Trails New York is offering a new round of Capacity Building Grants for park and trail groups in New York State. The grants, of up to $3,000, will strengthen not-for-profit organizations that are working to build and protect parks and trails in communities across the state --- helping to not only provide places for close-to-home, healthy physical activity but also generate additional tourist dollars to strengthen local economies. The goal of the program is to enable not-for-profits to: better fulfill their missions; improve their reach, effectiveness, and impact; leverage more resources; and increase community support for and involvement in park and trail planning, development, and stewardship. Funds can be used to assist with activities associated with organizational start-up and development, training, communications, and volunteer recruitment and management. The deadline for submitting applications is November 20, 2009. For more information, email Parks & Trails New York or call 518-434-1583. --from Parks & Trails New York - expanding, protecting and promoting a network of parks, trails and open spaces
Action Due Date: December 1, 2009 -from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- EPA Seeks Public Input on National Enforcement Priorities Through Online Forum WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched an online discussion forum to receive public input on the future priorities for EPA’s national enforcement program. The public will be able to provide feedback through the EPA Web site until December 1, giving them a forum to submit ideas for EPA to consider for new areas of enforcement focus. All ideas will be evaluated and considered for recommendation to the EPA administrator about the future direction of EPA’s national enforcement and compliance priorities. The current enforcement priorities through 2010 focus on significant environmental problems, including pollution from stormwater runoff, air toxics, concentrated animal feeding operations, and mineral processing. To submit suggestions for potential priorities: Information on the enforcement priorities: (August 31, 2009) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [[more on Action in our area]

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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 October 2009 Environmental Site of the Month award must go to Bill McKibben’s 350.org online and offline efforts to rally the world about the specific dangers of Climate Change. Much went on locally to participate in this world-wide rally, though little mention of this fantastic effort in our local press. Go to 350.org and find out what we did and who joined 350.org in our area.

350.org “TODAY, the 24 October, people in 181 countries came together for the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history. At over 5200 events around the world, people gathered to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis.”