RENewsletter | March 7, 2010

 

The Free environmental newsletter from RochesterEnvironment.com

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

[2/28/2010– 3/072010]

 

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* Found an important Rochester environmental story from a credible source that you think needs attention? Or, an Environmental Event, Please, SEND ME THE LINK. If you think this newsletter, continually informing our community on our local environmental news, events, actions, is worthwhile, please encourage others to sign up.

 

Opening Salvo | NewsLinks | Daily Updates | Events | Environmental Site of the Month | Take Action |

 

 

 

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

 

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Opening Salvo:  “Green Warning Signs”

 

Recently, we’ve noticed several signs that our environment is undergoing dramatic changes. Some of the most salient signs are the mercury-ridden fish in all of our streams, the collapse of the Copenhagen Climate talks, the release of methane gases from the Arctic Ocean, and a great resistance to greener transportation and energy.  In that vein, the auto show I attended recently revealed little interest or efforts in adapting our vehicles to the reality that the automobile and its infrastructure greatly affect the health of our environment.  I thought after all that talk about electric cars and fuel efficiency I’d see a new day at the shows. But there were the same old sexy cars and trucks—except now they cost more, still had lousy gas efficiency ratings, and have far more driver-distracting gadgets than ever before. 

 

Not all the signs are bad.  Bald Eagles have been increasing in New York State since 1970 and many Brownfields are getting cleaned up.  We got a few bucks (compared to other regions) for high speed rail, and some federal funds to clean up the Great Lakes.  However without an accurate model of what a sustainable environment is, it is difficult to know how good these signs actually are.  For example, are the animal and plant populations recovering quickly enough to establish themselves, or are they being sustained artificially?  And we may be spending a lot of money and creating jobs for Brownfield cleanups, but have we located all the Brownfields, and do we know what poisons they are leaching and what environmental and health problems they are responsible for?  I doubt it. A story gets out that something is being done and the public becomes complacent, mollified that things are going well. But Signs indicate that that they aren’t. 

 

For some reason, we (Homo sapiens) tend to have an unreasonable reaction to many warning signs. Perhaps we see signs like those little numbers on a roulette wheel. Sometimes the wheel stops at your number, sometime it doesn’t. Maybe, just maybe, that great big wheel of chance won’t nail us. Maybe this is a sign that Climate Change is true or maybe it’s a sign that it’s just another case of these climate scientists fudging the data: “Climate scientists have long warned that global warming could unlock vast stores of the greenhouse gas methane that are frozen into the Arctic permafrost, setting off potentially significant increases in global warming.” (3/4/10 NYT).

 

Maybe this story about fish contaminated with mercury doesn’t really mean much because they didn’t really test all the streams: “100 Percent of Fish in U.S. Streams Found Contaminated with Mercury” (3/4/10 – Natural News.com.)  Maybe we just won’t eat fish from streams or any fish at all. 

 

What’s certain about environmental signs is that even when catastrophe occurs, like Hurricane Katrina, even when every fish still alive is contaminated, even when many of the predictions of Climate Change are not only coming to pass—but far more quickly than predicted—we ignore them.  However, as many a hapless driver who has strayed into a construction zone will tell you, you can only ignore the warning signs up to a point. 

 

 

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]

 

• 100% Mercury Contamination Streams' Fish
• Great Lakes Protection Bill
• Galloo Island Wind Farm Update
• Telethon for Humane Society
• Arctic Shelf Methane Destabilizing
• Local Water Treatment Plant
• New Buses for our Area

• Auto Show Goes Green
• NYS Deer Harvest High
• NYS Eagles Numbers Growing
• EPA Superfund Progress
• Off-Shore Wind Farms
• Rebate for Homeowners Energy
• DEC Education Camps Signup
• High-Speed Rail Begins
• Local Nuclear Energy
• Hudson River Cleanup Update
• Parks Rally in Albany
• New Rules for Gas Shale Drilling Coming
• EPA: Black River Cleanup
• Biodiesel Fuel
• NYS DEC Bear Harvest Figures
• NYS Parks Cancelling Some Reservations
• NYS Gas Drilling Comments
• Grants for Lead Poisoning Prevention
• State Energy Projects
• Net Metering for NYS
• Environmental Video Contest - EPA
• Buffalo's Drinking Water
• Green Jobs 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.]

 

• 3/06/2010 - Climate Change: What is being done about it?  There’s that old joke that everyone talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.  But, around the world there are being things done about Climate Change—more than people sitting at their computers ranting about the newest factoid or arguing point to back up one’s Weltanschauung.    Global Ideas | Deutsche Welle Melting ice caps, catastrophic hurricanes, floods and drought plunging entire regions into a water crisis. These are the drastic images often associated with climate change. But what's actually being done on the ground to halt global warming? What kind of projects are helping to reduce emissions, inform people and spur them to change their lifestyles?  (March 5, 2010)  [More on Climate Change in our area]
• 3/06/2010 - Living Green: Reduce your carbon footprint: In order to combat Climate Change a lot of people are going to have to make quick changes. But, that doesn’t mean individually we can help drive those necessary changes by changing some of the things we do in our own lives.   Ten Things You Can Do to Shrink Your Carbon Footprint | Use Celsias.com - reduce global °Celsius Most environmentalists agree that government, with its power to regulate, is critical in finding and enforcing solutions to global warming. But consumers represent 70 percent of US economic activity--indeed, the average American's carbon footprint is twenty metric tons, five times the global average. --from Use Celsias.com - reduce global °Celsius
• 3/06/201 - Bird Care: If you do care about birds, consider the number of bird deaths due to glass. Some changes in the windows and the placement of bird feeders could save birds’ lives. Birds and windows "Clear and reflective sheet glass as window panes in homes or entire walls of multistory commercial buildings is a passive invisible killer of wild birds worldwide. Among the dead are the abundant as well as the rare, threatened, and endangered species. Investigators have gathered extensive evidence documenting sheet glass as a growing source of avian mortality, and a suspected contributor to overall bird population declines. Preventing these unintended fatalities will require education addressing preventive techniques, regulation addressing the installation of glass in buildings, and enforcement of existing legislation to protect wild birds as an aesthetic and environmentally valuable natural resource. Read more on the Fact Sheet. "
• 3/05/2010 - Oceans Count: We keep hearing that our oceans are in trouble because of acidification (a consequence of Climate Change) pollution and other factors.  But, how is marine life doing in our oceans.  Check this out:    Census of Marine Life | Making Ocean Life Count "The Census of Marine Life is a global network of researchers in more than 80 nations engaged in a 10-year scientific initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans. The world's first comprehensive Census of Marine Life - past, present, and future - will be released in 2010. "
• 3/05/2010 - One of those Climate Change predictions: One of the things that a good theory about what is going on in the world is that it will predict future events.  This is opposed to a lot of ideas about the way many people think the world works—more often than not those which present a hypothesis that is incapable of predicting anything solid. For example, those ideas that the world was going to end in say, 2000, met with complete failure because it didn’t happen. That crazy theory was not based on science.  This is instructive as we move towards serious environmental problems.  If we don’t have a view of reality that is correct and predictable, we’re going to cook the next generation. More and more the predictions of Climate Change are occurring and doing so swiftly. Arctic ice melting and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increasing are happening and they are predicted in the Climate Change model.  Another prediction is methane gas being release from the ocean floor, which if it happens rapidly could release a global warming gas far more potent than carbon dioxide.  And, now there are indications that this is occurring: Study Says Undersea Release of Methane Is Under Way - NYTimes.com Climate scientists have long warned that global warming could unlock vast stores of the greenhouse gas methane that are frozen into the Arctic permafrost, setting off potentially significant increases in global warming. (March 4, 2010) The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia
• 3/04/2010 - Gas Drilling Presentation: View a gas drilling presentation from: Environmental Advocates of New York - Issues - Water & Natural Resources - Natural Gas Drilling/Marcellus Shale Formation "ABOUT NATURAL GAS DRILLING IN NEW YORK STATE New York’s Southern Tier and Catskills are home to small towns, family farms, scenic rivers and irreplaceable open spaces, as well as the drinking water supplies of millions of New Yorkers. But beneath this natural beauty lie trillions of cubic feet of natural gas, trapped within the rock of the Marcellus Shale formation." --from Environmental Advocates New York
• 3/04/2010 - Increase your Environmental Education on fresh clean water. Check out this instructive lesson on where we get our drinking water. Multimedia - where does your water come from? It’s not surprising that so many Americans don’t know where our drinking water comes from. We have long benefitted from sophisticated water infrastructure – networks of pipes and pumps and filtration plants – that bring water from rivers, lakes and natural underground supplies right into our homes. The Nature Conservancy - Protecting Nature, Preserving Life
• 3/04/2010 - Get money to save energy: From the White House, find out about the Homestar Energy Efficiency Retrofit Program that will create jobs and save homeowners energy costs.  Fact Sheet: Homestar Energy Efficiency Retrofit Program | The White House "Fact Sheet: Homestar Energy Efficiency Retrofit Program WASHINGTON--In his State of the Union address, the President called on Congress to pass a program of incentives for homeowners who make energy efficiency investments in their homes. Today, while touring a training facility at Savannah Technical College, the President outlined more details of a new “HOMESTAR” program that would help create jobs by encouraging American families to invest in energy saving home improvements. Consistent with the President’s call for a HOMESTAR program, the Senate Democratic leadership included a proposal of this kind as part of their Jobs Agenda released on February 4, 2010. The President looks forward to continuing to work with Members of Congress, business, environmental and labor leaders to enact a HOMESTAR program into law. "
• 3/03/2010 - Earth Day coming Soon! Don't forget to find an activity for Earth Day. International Programs & Events | Earth Day Network Earth Day Network was founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. Our mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable environment. We pursue our mission through a combination of education, public policy, and consumer activism campaigns. Our campaign and programs are predicated on the belief that an educated, energized population will take action to secure a healthy future for itself and its children. Earth Day Network has a global reach with a network of more than 17,000 partners and organizations in 174 countries. More than 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities, making it the largest secular civic event in the world.
• 3/03/2010 - Bird deaths and wind turbines: For all the talk and clamor about wind turbines causing thousands of bird deaths, it should be remembered that bird deaths due to other human factors kill a lot more birds.  Cars, cats allowed to roam neighborhoods, and glass windows probably cause far more bird deaths that wind turbines ever will.  Check this out: “Estimates are that between 100 million and 1 billion individual birds are killed annually by collisions with windows in the United States alone.” –from    Window Glass: Silent Bird Killer? | Cool Green Science: The Conservation Blog of The Nature Conservancy "Birds just do not get the concept of “glass.” We’ve all surely had the experience of having a bird fly into a window at our home, office or school, usually with unfortunate consequences for the bird. But have you ever stopped to think about how widespread this phenomenon is and how many birds it might be killing annually? " The Nature Conservancy - Protecting Nature, Preserving Life
• 3/02/2010 - Energy Pursuit: In our pursuit of the perfect energy source, where it doesn’t pollute, doesn’t cost much, frees us from foreign energy, will we get to the Holy Grail.  There’s a lot on ingenuity out there, maybe this gadget is the one—The Bloom Box. ‘Bloom box’ fuel cell system wins big companies’ favor "(CBS)  In the world of energy, the Holy Grail is a power source that's inexpensive and clean, with no emissions. Well over 100 start-ups in Silicon Valley are working on it, and one of them, Bloom Energy, is about to make public its invention: a little power plant-in-a-box they want to put literally in your backyard. " (February 18, 2010) 60 Minutes - Interviews, Profiles & Reports - CBS News Also, check out this article: ‘Bloom box’ fuel cell system wins big companies’ favor "A growing number of Fortune 500 companies have installed the new fuel cell system offering from a company that traces its roots to a NASA program. Bloom Energy Corporation’s fuel cell system, the Bloom Energy Server, is reportedly emerging as a potential alternative to both traditional and renewable energy sources by generating a steady supply of clean, cheap and efficient energy. " February 25, 2010) GREEN NEWS - ECOSEED's Global Green News Portal
• 3/02/2010 - Climate Change Changing: How is the fallout from all that international focus on the Climate Change controversy going:  Here's some stories: Signs of Life, and Change, in Climate Inquiry - Dot Earth Blog - NYTimes.com (February 24, 2010) Natural Resources and the Environment - Dot Earth Blog - NYTimes.com Also, get the perspecitive of a climate scientist: Michael Mann - Unprecedented Attacks on Climate Research | Point of Inquiry For the scientists who study global warming, now is the winter of their despair. In the news, it has been climate scandal after alleged climate scandal.  First came “ClimateGate,” then “GlacierGate,” “Amazon Gate,” and so on.  In public opinion polls, meanwhile, Americans’ acceptance of the science of global warming appears to be declining.  Even a freak snowstorm now seems to sow added doubt about this rigorous body of research. " (February 24, 2010) Point of Inquiry
• 3/01/2010 - Pesticide Drift: We have a law in Monroe County called the 48 Hour Neighborhood Notification Law that was implemented to avoid pesticide and herbicide drift, but is it being complied with? Last time we checked, it wasn’t much:  Lawn care law largely ignored — "Many Monroe County homeowners are not complying with the county's new pesticide neighbor notification law, officials say. Under the law, homeowners who apply weed-killers and insecticides to lawn and garden areas larger than 100 square feet must post small signs informing neighbors that chemicals have been applied. In addition, the law requires retailers to post signs next to pesticides explaining the law to their customers." (April 15, 2006) Daily Messenger On a large scale, how is pesticide drift being addressed nation wide?   'Pesticide Drift' Eluding Efforts To Combat It : NPR The Environmental Protection Agency is considering a petition from farm worker and public health advocates to ban pesticide spraying near schools, hospitals and child care centers. Part of the evidence they cite comes from California, the nation's largest agricultural producer, and a state where pesticides carried from the fields by winds sicken hundreds of people each year. (February 25, 2010) NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR
• 3/01/2010 - Rochester’s Water Quality:  How good is Rochester, NY area’s water and what’s in it?  Check it out:   EWG's Drinking Water Quality Analysis and Tap Water Database | Environmental Working Group "Since 2004, testing by water utilities has found 315 pollutants in the tap water Americans drink, according to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) drinking water quality analysis of almost 20 million records obtained from state water officials. More than half of the chemicals detected are not subject to health or safety regulations and can legally be present in any amount. The federal government does have health guidelines for others, but 49 of these contaminants have been found in one place or another at levels above those guidelines, polluting the tap water for 53.6 million Americans. The government has not set a single new drinking water standard since 2001. "--from EWG Home | Environmental Working Group
• 3/01/2010 - Good article by Al Gore on why the public shouldn’t be distracted by the climate denier noise in the face of a real threat to our environment. Op-Ed Contributor - We Can’t Wish Away Climate Change - NYTimes.com It would be an enormous relief if the recent attacks on the science of global warming actually indicated that we do not face an unimaginable calamity requiring large-scale, preventive measures to protect human civilization as we know it. (February 27, 2010) The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia

 

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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.

 

March

 

• Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 7 - 10 p.m | Imaging Sciences Auditorium, in Chester F. Carlson Building (76) on the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) campus, Rochester, 14623 (Monroe County).
  • DEC Slates Three "State of Lake Ontario" Meetings in March - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Biologists to Update Status of Lake's Fisheries The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced three public meetings to discuss Lake Ontario fisheries. The annual "State of Lake Ontario" public meetings will be held in Niagara, Monroe and Oswego counties during March. Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 7 - 10 p.m. at the Imaging Sciences Auditorium, in Chester F. Carlson Building (76) on the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) campus, Rochester, 14623 (Monroe County). The meeting is co-hosted by RIT and the Monroe County Fishery Advisory Board. For information, contact Web Pearsall in the DEC Avon office at 585-226-5339. (February 23, 2010) New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
• Saturday, March 13,  BEGINNER BIRDER TRIP -- CHARLOTTE, BRADDOCK BAY, LAKESHORE FIELDS S
  • Sharpen your skills on migratory waterfowl.  Meet at the northeast corner of the Charlotte Beach parking lot beside the Genesee River outlet at 8:30 a.m. Extra spotting scopes would be very helpful. For more information, 227-5837 and 482-7778 or visit www.rochesterbirding.com .
• Saturday, March 20,
  • LAKE SHORE MARSHES EAST WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA A tour of the marshes to look for migrating waterfowl and other migratory birds. Meet in Webster Plaza -- at junction of Route 404 and Hard Road -- near Starbucks at 7:30 a.m. Extra spotting scopes and FRS radios would be very helpful. For more information, 872-7334 and (315) 331-0316 or visit www.rochesterbirding.com.
• Sunday, March 21, HAMLIN BEACH STATE PARK
  • Looking for diving ducks, Red-necked Grebes (note: grebes are best seen early in the day) and other spring migrants.  Meet in parking lot No. 1 at 7:30 a.m.  Extra spotting scopes would be very helpful. For more information, 288-2611 or visit www.rochesterbirding.com .
• Tuesday, March 23rd, at  4:30 PM – 6 PM  | at the AAUW house, 494 East Ave, Rochester, NY
  • Zero Waste Committee:  How can the Rochester, NY area recycle more and waste less?  Come on over and find out what we’re doing, thinking, and who we’re networking with on this issue. Join up and get our notices at  Rochester Zero Waste Committee. We are working on several projects, including how to let the public know where and how to recycle. –from the Rochester Regional Group Sierra Club | Sierra Club
• Friday, March 26, 2010 | RMSC at 657 East Avenue
  • Great Lakes Water Conservation Workshop Friday, March 26, 2010 at the RMSC at 657 East Avenue This one-day workshop is to help craft brewers and cheesemakers save water and save money. With many water utilities in the Great Lakes region increasing fees by 25% or more in the next year, this workshop will pay for itself through practical systems for water savings.
• Sunday, March 28, DURAND EASTMAN PARK and LAKESHORE
  • We’ll search for migrants. Meet at the Lake Shore Boulevard parking area between Log Cabin Road and Zoo Road (Parking Lot D) at 8:00 a.m. For more information, 227-5837 and 482-7778 or visit www.rochesterbirding.com .

 

April 2010

 

• April 10th, 2010 10AM - 2:00PM | Email or call today to register your family, group of friends, club, organization, scout troop, or class! Contact Ryan Loysen at rloysen@monroecounty.gov or 585-753-7281.
  • We're passing on this request from Monroe County Parks : Pick Up the Parks A new initiative from the Monroe County Department of Parks April 10th, 2010  Join us and several local recreation and environmental groups in kicking off this new local stewardship event. In this first year, we will be targeting 4 parks: Ellison, Genesee Valley, Greece Canal, and Ontario Beach Parks for clean up and other park improvements. Why just four? As you know there are 21 parks within the Monroe County Parks system. As it’s a first year event, we wanted to identify popular parks that could also accommodate our widespread community. We welcome your ideas for future projects and will certainly add more parks to the event as community support grows.   Email or call today to register your family, group of friends, club, organization, scout troop, or class! 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 just come on out to one of the project sites on April 10th and register on-site. Orientation begins at 10 a.m. at each project site with refreshments and additional information. Group projects and field work will begin at 10:30 a.m.   The Monroe County Parks belong to all of us, so let’s join together to keep them clean and green. Check back for additional event details, meet-up locations and park information at www.monroecounty.gov/parks 
• Monday, April 12, 2010 from 8:30 AM till 4:00 PM | Golisano Institute for Sustainability at RIT
  • Green Infrastructure Workshop - Stormwater Management Challenges in Upstate New York Monday, April 12, 2010 from 8:30 AM till 4:00 PM Golisano Institute for Sustainability at RIT Green Infrastructure is highlights the importance of the natural environment in decisions about land use planning. In particular there is an emphasis on the "life support" functions provided by a network of natural ecosystems, with an emphasis on interconnectivity to support long term sustainability. -more at CEI: Center for Environmental Information
• Wednesday, April 14, 2010 (the week before Earth Day) from 6:00-8:00 PM | Where: Victor Primary School, front and cafeteria entrances 953 High Street, Victor 14564
  • The Victor PTSA Environment Committee is pleased to announce its Third Annual Earth Day Celebration, to be held on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 (the week before Earth Day) from 6:00-8:00 PM at Victor Primary School. This is a new location for us this year.  This community event is open to the public free of charge and is a great way to promote area businesses and organizations to Victor/Farmington families and those visiting from surrounding areas. In the past, the event has been advertised in the media and has been a great success, drawing hundreds of people. We will be inviting over 100 vendors to participate, including Seneca Park Zoo, who will bring live animals. We also plan to expand our celebration with the participation of more students and classes, who are invited to bring environment-related projects for display. Again, we will hold a raffle and have craft activities for the kids and snacks for purchase.  We promise it will be an exciting night of learning about the earth and the things we can all do to live in more sustainable ways.   Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2010   Time: 6:00-8:00 PM.  Location: Victor Primary School, front and cafeteria entrances 953 High Street, Victor 14564   We hope you can attend!
• APRIL 16, 2010 | The Links at Erie Village, E. Syracuse, N.Y
  • "THE ENERGY HIGHWAY " Efficient, Secure, Reliable & Environmentally Sensitive Transmission & Distribution of Electricity This may be the most important Energy Symposium of the Year! Don't miss it!   Join leaders in government, business, environment and academia for the Sixth Annual Symposium on Energy in the 21st Century.Speakers will include: *Thomas King, President & CEO National Grid,  *Richard Kessel,  President & CEO, NYPA   *Frank Murray, President & CEO, NYSERDA  *Garry Brown, Chairman, PSC  *Samir Succar, Senior Energy Analyst, NRDC  *Carol Murphy, Executive Director,             Alliance for Clean Energy New York * Congressman Paul Tonko * Kit Kennedy, Deputy Attorney General for Environment   This is the Sixth Year we are bringing you a Symposium on Energy and each one is even more spectacular than the previous.  Town Supervisors, Mayors, City and Town Planners, College Presidents, faculty and students from two  dozen colleges, representatives from 50 municipalities, business owners, architects, engineers, governmental staff and just interested citizens have made up the 350 attendees.  We have kept the registration fee at $40, including breakfast and lunch. The new venue provides adequate parking but we still may have to cap attendance so reserve your space now.   Check out the entire program and Register online today at "THE ENERGY HIGHWAY "  There are also excellent optional tours:      *ESF - Wood Chips to Ethanol Process *Fenner Wind Farm *Morrisville Biodigester *Fitzpatrick Nuclear Plant              ***NEW TOUR***  *National Grid Distribution & Training Center    Don't miss this event and register now. Looking forward to hearing from you. Rhea   Dr. Rhea Jezer Chair, Symposium on Energy in the 21st Century Senior Lecturer, Cazenovia College Adjunct Associate Professor, SUNY ESF 315-727-0123 rjezer@gmail.com   
• Thursday, April 22, 2010 - 5PM - 8:30 PM| at the First Unitarian Church, 220 Winton Rd South, Rochester NY. 
  • The Rochester Regional Group of the Sierra Club is pleased to announce its 12th Annual Forum, which will be an interactive event, Transitioning to Sustainable Communities. This is Rochester’s premier environmental event promoting individual and organizational networking.   Our speaker, Tina Clarke, has been a consultant with the Sustainability Institute (www.sustainer.org) and Bill McKibben’s 350.org (www.350.org) and is a certified Transition Towns Trainer (www.transitiontowns.org).  She will describe the latest thinking on the “Triple Challenge” of Peak Oil, Climate Change and Economic Instability.  She will share inspiring stories, models and methods that communities are using to “transition” to a more resilient future.   Following Tina’s presentation, we will form Facilitated Discussion Groups to encourage discussion by all participants, stimulate new ideas, raise questions and explore answers.  We hope to spark interest and creative thinking and offer people an opportunity to identify and join an organization working on these issues.   The Forum will be on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at the First Unitarian Church, 220 Winton Rd South, Rochester NY.  As always the Forum is free and open to the public.
• Thu 4/22/2010 5:30p-8p -Imagine It - 565 Blossom Road, Suite D
  • Green Drinks (3rd Thursday) at Imagine It - 565 Blossom Road, Suite D. Everything is free, your only admission is material to be recycled to benefit CEI (Center for Environmental Information). For info, contact Kimie Romeo kimie@imaginerecycling.com  or 585-545-9022.
• Saturday, April 24 9am - 12 pm  | Penfield, NY
  • Penfield Environmental Day Saturday, April 24 9am - 12 pm Penfield Community Center Community volunteers will be assigned areas throughout town to pick up litter & winter refuse. Groups or individuals can sign up by calling (585) 340-8651

May 2010

 

• Saturday, May 1, 2010 from 10am to 5pm, rain or shine | Imagine RIT takes place throughout RIT’s campus in Henrietta, NY.
  • RIT - Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival is a campus-wide event that showcases the innovative and creative spirit of RIT students, faculty and staff. Visitors experience the breadth and depth of RIT through interactive presentations, hands-on demonstrations, exhibitions, and research projects set up throughout campus. Inflatables, games and multiple performance stages with live music and entertainment are also a hit with visitors of all ages. Held annually each spring, Imagine RIT is the annual kickoff to Rochester’s rich festival season. Date & Time: Saturday, May 1, 2010 from 10am to 5pm, rain or shine. Cost: Free and open to the public! Location: Imagine RIT takes place throughout RIT’s campus in Henrietta, NY.

 

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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: Today
  • Take action to Save NYS Parks: NYLCV Joins Parks Lobby Day In Albany | NYLCV - New York League of Conservation Voters NYLCV, our environmental partners and park lovers from around the state gathered at the Capitol in Albany on Wednesday to make a forceful case for not closing state parks. --from NYLCV - New York League of Conservation Voters | Educating and Electing for the Environment
• Action Due Date: Today
  • Donate to a worthy cause: Christine Sevilla Project (Christine Sevilla Project) "Welcome to A Living Project to Preserve a Place in Christine's Honor  For All to Enjoy in Perpetuity Christine's family and friends envision a natural area, including wetlands, preserved in her memory.  This vision includes an educational component, like an interpretive trail to help others recognize what Christine saw - an interconnected natural community of flora and fauna, soil and water. Perhaps even an  Arts and Music Festival to celebrate what Christine so treasured. "
• Action Due Date: March 22
  • EPA Strengthens Smog Standard/Proposed standards, strictest to date, will protect the health of all Americans, especially children The United States Environmental Protection Agency today proposed the strictest health standards to date for smog. Smog, also known as ground-level ozone, is linked to a number of serious health problems, ranging from aggravation of asthma to increased risk of premature death in people with heart or lung disease. Ozone can even harm healthy people who work and play outdoors. The agency is proposing to replace the standards set by the previous administration, which many believe were not protective enough of human health.  EPA will take public comment until March 22. The agency will hold three public hearings on the proposal: Feb. 2, 2010 in Arlington, Va. and in Houston; and Feb. 4, 2010 in Sacramento. More information: Ground-level Ozone | US EPA  (January 7, 2010)  [more on Air Quality in our area]
• Action Due Date: April 10th, 2010  10AM - 2:00 PM| Email or call today to register your family, group of friends, club, organization, scout troop, or class! Contact Ryan Loysen at rloysen@monroecounty.gov or 585-753-7281.
  • We're passing on this request from Monroe County Parks : Pick Up the Parks A new initiative from the Monroe County Department of Parks April 10th, 2010  Join us and several local recreation and environmental groups in kicking off this new local stewardship event. In this first year, we will be targeting 4 parks: Ellison, Genesee Valley, Greece Canal, and Ontario Beach Parks for clean up and other park improvements. Why just four? As you know there are 21 parks within the Monroe County Parks system. As it’s a first year event, we wanted to identify popular parks that could also accommodate our widespread community. We welcome your ideas for future projects and will certainly add more parks to the event as community support grows.   Email or call today to register your family, group of friends, club, organization, scout troop, or class! 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 just come on out to one of the project sites on April 10th and register on-site. Orientation begins at 10 a.m. at each project site with refreshments and additional information. Group projects and field work will begin at 10:30 a.m.   The Monroe County Parks belong to all of us, so let’s join together to keep them clean and green. Check back for additional event details, meet-up locations and park information at www.monroecounty.gov/parks 

 

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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.]