RENewsletter July 1, 2012

RENewsletter | July 1, 2012

The Free environmental newsletter from RochesterEnvironment.com

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

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[7/01/2012 – 06/24/2012]

Opening Salvo: “Public becoming cooler on Climate Change as weather gets hotter”

At a recent visit to Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, I gazed at a relief map of New York State blanketed by the Wisconsin Glacial Episode. Though it’s almost impossible to imagine our region covered in a mile-high glacier some 20, 000 years ago, it was so. Sometime in the Pleistocene all that ice began to melt and as it did the receding ice sheet gouged out our Finger Lakes as well as those wonderful gorges in Ithaca, NY. Then we entered the Holocene, a relatively stable climate where our ancestors thrived amongst the mastodons and mammoths. Now we are living in what many scientists are calling the Anthropocene—a geological epoch framed by our own grand experiment with Nature.

It took 10,000 years of warming to melt that burden of ice burden on our land, which is significant since “during the Ice Age temperature[s] were only 5 to 10 degrees colder than today. “ (GLOBAL WARMING AND RISING SEA LEVELS - World Topics | Facts and Details)

We’ve become so used to the stability of the Holocene (the level shaft of the hockey stick) that we are blind to the dangers of anthropogenic accelerated (the part of the hockey stick which whacks the puck) Climate Change. For example, a mere one percent rise in greenhouse gas concentrations has increased our growing season by 10 days. But, climate studies project devastating changes to our region if this goes on.

On the other hand, higher temperatures and increased heat waves have the potential to increase fatigue of materials in the water, energy, transportation, and telecommunications sectors; affect drinking water supply; cause a greater frequency of summer heat stress on plants and animals; alter pest populations and habitats; affect the distribution of key crops such as apples, grapes, cabbage, and potatoes; cause reductions in dairy milk production; increase energy demand; and lead to more heat-related deaths and declines in air quality. Projected higher average annual precipitation and frequency of heavy precipitation events could also potentially increase the risks of several problems, including flash floods in urban areas and hilly regions; higher pollutant levels in water supplies; inundation of wastewater treatment plants and other vulnerable development in floodplains; saturated coastal lands and wetland habitats; flooded key rail lines, roadways, and transportation hubs; and travel delays. Sea level rise will increase risk of storm surge-related flooding, enhance vulnerability of energy facilities located in coastal areas, and threaten transportation and telecommunications facilities. Page 3, Report 11-18 Response to Climate Change in New York State (ClimAID)

And it is going on.

Even if you, or your favorite meteorologists, local media, or politicians aren’t connecting the present heat wave with Climate Change, climatologists are.

US wildfires are what global warming really looks like, scientists warn | Environment | guardian.co.uk The Colorado fires are being driven by extreme temperatures, which are consistent with IPCC projections Scorching heat, high winds and bone-dry conditions are fueling catastrophic wildfires in the US west that offer a preview of the kind of disasters that human-caused climate change could bring, a trio of scientists said on Thursday. "What we're seeing is a window into what global warming really looks like," said Princeton University's Michael Oppenheimer, a lead author for the UN's climate science panel. "It looks like heat, it looks like fires, it looks like this kind of environmental disaster … This provides vivid images of what we can expect to see more of in the future." (June 29, 2012) The Guardian

In spite of this present heatwave and other extreme weather events in the past few years, collectively we’ve done nothing to halt the rapid rise of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. Last week’s Rio +20 debacle should raise everyone’s alarm level. Not only is our planet’s temperature rising but we have proven to be unequal to the task of addressing it. Bill McKibben, along with many young people (who will be inheriting this tinderbox of a planet), walked out en masse—probably the only positive event of the conference.

A protest at the Rio Centro led by activists including 350.org founder and CSRwire contributing writer, Bill McKibben, called for an end to fossil fuel subsidies. On the beach at Copacabana, a two-hour traffic jam away, a giant trillion-dollar bill had been unfurled to represent the trillion dollars in fossil fuel subsidies to "polluters" that could otherwise be used for clean energy and sustainable development. In the weeks leading up to Rio+20, it seemed unlikely that fossil fuel subsidies would enter into the negotiations, but massive public outcry including a viral petition to world leaders signed by over a million people, and a star-studded, record-breaking twitterstorm pushed the issue. From The Minus of Rio+20

They walked out because it was obvious that the leaders at the conference (or any world leaders for that matter) would not do anything to stop the trillions (a million million) in subsidies going to the fossil fuel industry.

To get a true sense of the horror at our species’ inability to address Climate Change you have to watch David Suzuki’s (scientist and educator) despair, as he talks truth to power: . David Suzuki on Rio+20, "Green Economy" & Why Planet’s Survival Requires Undoing Its Economic Model (June 25, 2012) Democracy Now! For someone who has worked his whole life on educating the public on science matters, with Climate Change being the most critical, David seems aghast at our inaction.

We should all be at Suzuki ‘s level of disbelief at our own Climate Change denial; Colorado is burning and there’s a major heatwave heading our way. It’s a hot one: Heat wave suspected in two deaths Kansas City’s current heat wave is suspected as the cause of two deaths, one of them a 1-year-old boy. (June 28, 2012) KansasCity.com. And it is pervasive:

Heat melts records from Plains to South – USATODAY.com A record heat wave will continue to roast much of the USA through the weekend, fanning wildfires in the Colorado Rockies, threatening outdoor workers and causing some municipalities to cancel fireworks in time for July Fourth. The heat has broken all-time records from the northern Great Plains to the Southeast already this week. The rest of the month will bring even more scorching heat from Boston to Atlanta, with temperatures reaching into the low 100s, said Meteorologist Michael Palmer of The Weather Channel. (June 28, 2012) [more on Climate Change in our area]

Rochester is preparing-- City's Cool Sweep in Effect Friday | WXXI News—but is Cool Sweep enough? Does it compare with Toronto’s approach: Heat Alerts and Extreme Heat Alerts - Toronto Public Health? Are we preparing for more heatwaves in our region with pro-active programs to make sure those without adequate health plans will get the help they need? Are we going around our neighborhoods knocking on doors to see if the elderly are staying cool, or walking our sidewalks to see if the homeless get shelter?

Whoops, this essay is getting long, so I’d better wrap it up.

Like the map of the Wisconsin glacier at the museum, we need a visual that will give us a perspective on what a six degree change in Climate—from the end of the Civil War to the end of this century—will look like. The warming that melted a mile-high ice sheet over our heads took over 10,000 years to occur and we are going to accomplish that kind of warming in about two centuries. On the scale of time that describes the heating in the Pleistocene to the Holocene we wouldn’t see a hockey stick on a graph; we’d see a vertical blur.

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

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* Got news? | Go to my blog: Environmental Thoughts - Rochester, NY or Tweet me @ http://twitter.com/#!/FrankRrrr On Twitter and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RochesterEnvironment and Examiner/RochesterEnvironment, I post local environmental events, news, and commentary as soon as it happens. If you think this newsletter, which continually informs our community on our local environmental news, events, actions, is worthwhile, please encourage others to sign up. We who care about our environment and future need to ‘Occupy’ the Rochester media to change how the public views environmental news.

The great conundrum of our times is that in a time of rapidly occurring Climate Change and a rapid disintegration of the environment that we need to thrive and survive, mainstream media still marginalizes environmental concerns. [Check often for this continually updated list on the possible consequences of Climate Change in our region--supported by facts.] If there isn’t a quick and substantial change in how environmental concerns are reported, edited, and chosen in mainstream media, the public will continue to believe that environmental concerns are merely special interest matters, issues they can avoid if they choose. How can we inform the public and monitor our environment without abridging our Freedoms--in enough time to safe ourselves?

Anything else you're interested in is not going to happen if you can't breathe the air and drink the water. Don't sit this one out. Do something. You are by accident of fate alive at an absolutely critical moment in the history of our planet. -- Carl Sagan

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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.]

6/30/2012 - At what point will the local Rochester, NY media begin to connect the dots with present heat wave and Climate Change? Ans. About the time the electric grid crashes because everyone is running their AC’s day and night.
6/30/2012 - As heatwave enters New York State, the New York State Health Department is mum on heat and health and connecting the dots to Climate Change. New York State Department of Health
6/30/2012 - Rochester, NY as Climate Change gets worse could become a boom town because the Ogallala Aquifer is drying up and those people who need water will come where water is—provided we don’t Frack our fresh water. Texas Climate News | Aquifer’s decline spells big changes in Panhandle farming, UT study finds If you pull up a satellite picture of Plainview on Google Maps, the first thing you’re likely to notice is that the Texas Panhandle city of 22,000 is surrounded by hundreds of perfect green circles – telltale evidence of farmers irrigating their crops with high-efficiency center-pivot sprinklers. Someday soon – within a few decades at most – many of those sprinklers will likely be gone, rendered useless by rapidly dropping water levels in the Ogallala Aquifer, according to a new study from the University of Texas at Austin. (June 29, 2012) Texas Climate News
6/30/2012 - What could be finer? Bike and raise awareness about the dangers of Fracking. Tour de FRACK:Welcome to Tour de FRACK (Freedom Ride for Awareness and Community Knowledge), an action oriented way to explore rural communities and the effects unconventional gas drilling from the saddle of your bike. Traveling by bike connects you to a place in a way that no other mode of transportation does. It allows you to see people, land, and even time from a new perspective.
6/30/2012 - Watch some videos of those who have to live near Fracking operations. Marcellus Shale Stories | Environment New York "PennEnvironment, our sister group, produced a series of short films documenting how Marcellus Shale drilling has upended the lives of Pennsylvanians. Click below to watch the videos, and learn more about what could be in store for New York if the state moves ahead with drilling. " -from Environment New York
6/30/2012 - Here’s the story we are not hearing about the rise in flood insurance for the poor. It’s about Climate Change where many regional Climate Studies predict growing areas of concern and how to provide insurance for folks needing insurance because extreme weather predicted by Climate Change will put an undue burden on the poor. So, what do we do? We discover that the well-off don’t have to pay, but the poor have to pay more. One of the reasons we do not want to tackle Climate Change is because we’ll also have to address the Climate gap. FEMA spares another 136 properties from new Syracuse flood hazard maps Washington -- At least 136 properties along Onondaga Creek in Syracuse will be removed from new federal flood zone maps for the city, the Federal Emergency Management Agency told Syracuse officials Friday. FEMA said it was lowering its estimate for flood levels along the creek by an average of 1.8 feet, sparing the 136 property owners from having to buy expensive new flood insurance. But 892 other property owners in some of Syracuse’s poorest neighborhoods will be required for the first time to buy the flood hazard insurance that costs from $250 to $1,240 per year. (June 29, 2012) Syracuse NY Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - syracuse.com
6/30/2012 - Climate Change: this is the problem: While Colorado burns, Washington fiddles Drought, wildfires, storms, floods – climate change is happening, but the real disaster is our Big Energy-owned politicians' inaction In the political world, this was the week of the healthcare ruling: reporters hovered around the supreme court, pundits pundited, politicians "braced" for the ruling, "reeled" in its aftermath. It provoked a "firestorm" of interest, according to one magazine; it was, said another, a "category 10 hurricane". But in the world world, there was news at least as big, but without the cliched metaphors. News that can be boiled down to a sentence or two: You ever wonder what global warming is going to look like? In its early stages, exactly like this. (June 29, 2012) Latest US news, world news, sport and comment from the Guardian | guardiannews.com | The Guardian
6/29/2012 - Climate Change is coming to the Great Lakes and we should consider that as we talk about off-shore wind farms and water levels because renewable energy will fight off Climate Change and water levels in the Great Lakes are and will go down because of less ice cover and more evaporation—not to mention the increase in extreme rainfall events which will compromise our combine sewers overflows and put more harmful waste into our drinking and bathing water. The longer we languish in denial the worst things are going to get: Great Lakes in danger Dr. Aaron Fisk is a professor and researcher with the GLIER Centre at the University of Windsor. He makes regular trips to the arctic to research marine migration patterns and diet. He says the things he learns from seeing marine animals in extreme conditions like the arctic help him better understand their behaviours in the Great Lakes (June 24, 2012) Amherstburg Echo [more on Climate Change in our area]
6/29/2012 - Even if you, or your favorite meteorologists, local reporter, or politician doesn’t connect present heat wave with Climate Change, climatologists do. US wildfires are what global warming really looks like, scientists warn | Environment | guardian.co.uk The Colorado fires are being driven by extreme temperatures, which are consistent with IPCC projections Scorching heat, high winds and bone-dry conditions are fueling catastrophic wildfires in the US west that offer a preview of the kind of disasters that human-caused climate change could bring, a trio of scientists said on Thursday. "What we're seeing is a window into what global warming really looks like," said Princeton University's Michael Oppenheimer, a lead author for the UN's climate science panel. "It looks like heat, it looks like fires, it looks like this kind of environmental disaster … This provides vivid images of what we can expect to see more of in the future." (June 29, 2012) The Guardian [more on Climate Change in our area]
6/29/2012 - Today’s ground-level ozone level is “moderate’ for the Rochester, NY area. As we experience more heat waves, there will be more days of high ground-level ozone. You should know what ground –level ozone is and how, even if you are health and strong, it can be a danger to you if you are out exercising in it. See: OzoneAware – What is ground level ozone? "At ground level, ozone is a health hazard for all of us, especially the young and elderly. Those who are active and exercising outdoors may experience breathing difficulties and eye irritation. Prolonged exposure may result in reduced resistance to lung infections and colds. Ozone can also trigger attacks and symptoms in individuals with pre-existing conditions, like asthma or other respiratory infections like chronic bronchitis and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). "
6/29/2012 - Heat wave coming to the Rochester, NY region. How dangerous will it be to public health and how many more heat waves will come to our area because of Climate Change? Heat wave suspected in two deaths Kansas City’s current heat wave is suspected as the cause of two deaths, one of them a 1-year-old boy. The Kansas City Health Department announced Thursday that the county medical examiner was investigating the deaths of the child and a 60-year-old man as the first suspected heat-related deaths of the year. (June 28, 2012) Kansas City's Best Source for News, Weather, Sports & More | KansasCity.com
6/28/2012 - Climate Change is too toxic for politics, even as we elect a US president this year, but the seas still rise. Are we a serious people or a silly people? Rising seas mean shrinking South Florida future, experts say - Environment - MiamiHerald.com Under current projections, the Atlantic would swallow much of the Florida Keys and Miami-Dade in a century, according to experts at a sea-level rise summit The subject of global warming has become so politically unpalatable over the last few years that neither party mentions it much anymore. A conference on climate change sponsored by Florida Atlantic University made it clear that ignoring the threat has done nothing to slow it down — particularly in South Florida, which has more people and property at risk by rising sea levels than any place in the country. (June 23, 2012) MiamiHerald.com - Miami & Ft. Lauderdale News, Weather, Miami Dolphins & More [more on Climate Change in our area]
6/27/2012 - I wonder how close we in Monroe County can get to Zero Waste. I know a lot is going on with reuse, recycle, and reduce and a lot more needs to be done to Stop Trashing the Climate: Cities Get So Close to Recycling Ideal, They Can Smell It PORTLAND, Ore. — Stephanie and Matt Murphy plan on using cloth diapers instead of disposable ones once their first baby arrives next month. They want to be good environmental citizens and reduce what they send to landfills, but there is another incentive, too. (June 27, 2012) [more on Reycling in our area]
6/28/2012 - Since the City of Rochester has signed on to the US government’s energy reduction plan, we thought you’d like to know what that plan was: Better Buildings "Last year, the buildings in which we work and live used roughly 40% of the energy in the U.S. economy at a cost of over $400 billion. Through a variety of efficiency improvements (e.g. new lighting, greater insulation, more efficient heating and cooling) and proven approaches (clear information, access to financing, energy efficiency investment criteria), we can make these buildings more energy efficient and better places to live and work while creating jobs and building a stronger economy. In February 2011, President Obama, building upon the investments of the Recovery Act, announced the Better Buildings Initiative to make commercial and industrial buildings 20% more energy efficient by 2020 and accelerate private sector investment in energy efficiency. " Energy.gov
6/28/2012 - Some last desperate thoughts and actions on Fracking before the governor of NYS and the President of the USA go hogwild on Fracking: "The oil and gas industry will stop at nothing to burn all of America's supply of oil and gas. In the past few years they've drilled thousands of new wells using the dangerous extraction process called hydraulic fracturing ('fracking') which uses millions of gallons of water and toxic chemicals to release natural gas. Communities coast-to-coast have seen toxic fracking wells drilled beneath schools, in public parks, and in dense residential neighborhoods. That kind of recklessness is a dangerous sign of addiction - and it's time for it to stop. Until now, the fight against fracking has mainly taken place in city councils, school boards and statehouses, where it will (and must) continue for a long time to come. But on July 28th, anti-fracking activists are uniting as a national movement for the first time in Washington DC. We're expecting thousands of people to take a stand together - can you be there to join them? "Stop the Frack Attack » Sign Up
6/28/2012 - For those still unclear about what horizontal hydrofracking is, check this interactive feature from the New York Times. Fracking is not your grandmother’s single, straight down drilling for oil. Extracting Natural Gas From Rock - Interactive Feature - NYTimes.com "A look at the process and hazards of hydraulic fracturing. "
6/28/2012 - Don’t forget, a conversation on Climate Change in Rochester coming up: "On July 19th at 7pm, Greentopia | FILM and The Little Theatre will be co-presenting the Rochester premiere of The Island President. Featured on the right is President Mohamed "Anni" Nasheed of the Maldives. The Island President captures his first year in office and his struggle to solve one of the most difficult challenges a world leader has had to face: the literal survival of his country and everyone in it. As one of the lowest-lying countries in the world, should the sea level rise a mere three feet, the 1,200 Maldive Islands will become submerged and uninhabitable. Following President Nasheed's efforts, the film takes viewers to the Copenhagen Climate Summit of 2009. When hope fades for a written accord to be signed, Nasheed makes a stirring speech which salvages an agreement. Despite the modest size of his country, Mohamed Nasheed has become one of the leading international voices for urgent action on climate change. A panelist discussion and a question and answer session will follow the feature presentation. Also, arrive early because there will a pre-show surprise! Tickets for the film are available at http://greentopiafest.com/film/#2. Additionally, passes for Greentopia | FILM will be on sale at the showing! "
6/28/2012 - Rochester’s Cool Sweep program is a beginning of recognition that some folks need extra protection against the heat in urban areas. But Cool Sweep needs to be more robust. It’s needs to be something like what our neighbors to the north have: “From May 15 to September 30 of each year, Toronto Public Health staff monitors the Heat Health Alert System to determine when the Medical Officer of Health should declare a Heat or Extreme Heat Alert. Using spatial synoptic classification, the Heat Health Alert System compares forecast data to historical meteorological conditions which have in the past, lead to increased mortality in Toronto.”Heat Alerts and Extreme Heat Alerts - Toronto Public Health Cool Sweep in effect on Thursday | Democrat and Chronicle | democratandchronicle.com Fire hydrants will become instant spray parks in parts of the city on Thursday as Mayor Thomas Richards declared the first Cool Sweep of the season. Temperatures could top 85 degrees. June 28, 2012) Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York | democratandchronicle.com
6/27/2012 - Find out more about Fracking as the decision to Frack or nor Frack looms over New York State: Gas Planet: A special radio show on the impact of fracking | Innovation Trail Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has unlocked vast reserves of natural gas once thought unreachable. This natural gas is touted as a cleaner fuel that can reduce carbon emissions. But new research is bringing that into question. Gas Planet, a special hour of radio, explores whether unconventional natural gas drilling can help or hinder efforts to solve climate change. (June 26, 2012) Innovation Trail
6/27/2012 - Beach water quality: What is the state of NYS’s beach water quality? Doesn’t look so good: Testing The Waters, Prevent Beach Pollution - New York | NRDC“Ranked 24th in Beachwater Quality (out of 30 states) 10% of samples exceeded national standards for designated beach areas in 2011” –from Testing The Waters, Prevent Beach Pollution | NRDC NRDC's annual analysis of water quality and public notification data at coastal U.S. beaches found that the number of beach closing and advisory days in 2011 reached the third-highest level in the 22-year history of our report, totaling 23,481 days (a 3% decrease from 2010). More than two-thirds of closings and advisories were issued because bacteria levels in beachwater exceeded public health standards, indicating the presence of human or animal waste in the water. The portion of all monitoring samples that exceeded national recommended health standards for designated beach areas remained stable at 8% in 2011, compared with 8% in 2010 and 7% for the four previous years. In addition, the number of beaches monitored in 2011 increased slightly (2%) from a five-year low in 2010. The largest known source of pollution was stormwater runoff (47%, compared with 36% last year). The 2011 results confirm that our nation's beaches continue to experience significant water pollution that puts swimmers and local economies at risk. (June 27, 2012) Natural Resources Defense Council – The Earth’s Best Defense | NRDC
6/27/2012 - Get the latest Blue Green Algae report from Save our Sodus: "Weekly Blue Green Algal Report All samples collected on June 15th and June 20th were analyzed for blue-green algal toxins using the protein phosphatase inhibition assay. Traces of blue-green algae were present throughout the bay on both days. " Weekly Blue Green Algal Data -Updated
6/27/2012 - Here is an example of a Citizen Science program that can help our collective ability to monitor changes in our environment by trained citizens, and in this case using the latest technology. Sound like a match. Citizen scientists monitor stream quality with iPhone app | Great Lakes Echo But Creekwatch, an iPhone app designed by IBM to help average citizens monitor waterways, could help Cronk and other Great Lakes researchers short on staff and resources. It’s a simple tool to use. You don’t need to buy water-testing kits or sit through a training program. Users take a picture of a stream or creek. Then they assess its water level, flow rate and the degree of trash it contains. (June 26, 2012) Great Lakes Echo - Environmental news across the basin
6/26/2012 - ‘Getting it on Climate Change’. Listen to this great interview with Amy Goodman and David Suzuki on the results of the Rio +20 Conference. This is a no holds barred look at the state of our political and environmental affairs—and it isn’t pretty. David Suzuki tells it like it is. David Suzuki on Rio+20, "Green Economy" & Why Planet’s Survival Requires Undoing Its Economic Model "As the Rio+20 Earth Summit — the largest U.N. conference ever — ends in disappointment, we’re joined by the leading Canadian scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster David Suzuki. As host of the long-running CBC program, "The Nature of Things," seen in more than 40 countries, Suzuki has helped educate millions about the rich biodiversity of the planet and the threats it faces from human-driven global warming. " (June 25, 2012) Democracy Now!

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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. Also, be sure to check other calendars and environmental series for multi-day events.

July 2012

Thursday, July 19 at 7PM, The Little Theatre 240 East Avenue Rochester, NY 14604 webmaster@thelittle.org

A chance to learn more about Climate Change from Greentopia Festival | Rochester, NY ‘s Greentopia | FILM. On Thursday, July 19 at 7PM, The Little Theatre will be showing “The Island President”. A panel (yet to be determined) discussion will follow the film with Q&A. We will update you as soon as we know more, but in the meantime here’s the Synopsis “Jon Shenk’s The Island President is the story of President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, a man confronting a problem greater than any other world leader has ever faced—the literal survival of his country and everyone in it. After bringing democracy to the Maldives after thirty years of despotic rule, Nasheed is now faced with an even greater challenge: as one of the most low-lying countries in the world, a rise of three feet in sea level would submerge the 1200 islands of the Maldives enough to make them uninhabitable.”

July 23 at 11AM @ East Bank - Baush and Lomb Park (U of R Campus) At the foot of the Bridge

Due to several logistical issues, the City of Rochester has changed the date of the Ribbon Cutting for the Erie Lackawanna Bridge Rails to Trails project to the following: Erie Lackawanna Bridge “Rails to Trails” Conversion Ribbon Cutting Event July 23rd, 2012 Monday at 11:00am East Bank - Baush and Lomb Park (U of R Campus) At the foot of the Bridge (Note: new date: Monday - July 23rd)

City of Rochester | Erie Lackawanna Rails-to-Trails Pedestrian Bridge "The City's efforts to improve and develop new shared use walking and biking trails, especially along the Genesee River, include converting the abandoned historic Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Bridge over the Genesee River into a Rails-to-Trails pedestrian bridge. "

August 2012

Saturday, August 25, noon to 6pm | Monroe Avenue between Rutgers and Oxford

Spokes and Ink – A Bike and Poster Party Spokes and Ink at the Genesee Center for the Arts & Education Saturday, August 25, 2012 Noon to 6pm Monroe Avenue at Oxford/Rutgers Spokes and Ink is a new festival in Rochester that brings bicyclists and artists together. This event on Monroe Avenue showcases the diversity of both groups – avid cyclists, recreational riders, the environmentally aware, letterpress printers, graphic designers and talented artists of all sorts! There will be poster art, food and merchandise for sale, live music and activities to attract a crowd. In the inaugural year of 2011, Spokes & Ink drew 600+ guests. 2012 is expected to be bigger and better! If you are interested in reaching this wide-ranging demographic who are into bicycles and art or just want to support this activity for others, please consider a sponsorship. Your business or organization could benefit from the exposure that is possible at Spokes and Ink. What: Spokes and Ink – A Bike and Poster Party Where: Monroe Avenue between Rutgers and Oxford When: Saturday, August 25, noon to 6pm Proceeds from the event will benefit the Genesee Center for the Arts & Education and R Community Bikes. The Genesee Center for the Arts & Education is a community-based 501(c)3 organization that educates, encourages and inspires all people to create and enjoy the visual arts. We have 40+ years of experience in serving the Rochester community with great arts programming including classes, exhibits, studio access and special events. R Community Bikes is a grassroots, 501(c)3 organization that collects and repairs used bicycles for distribution, free of charge, to Rochester, NY's most needy children and adults. Their mission is meeting the basic transportation needs of those in the community who depend on bikes for recreation as well as for transport to work, school, rehabilitation programs, and training sessions. If you have any questions about the Genesee Center for the Arts & Education or about Spokes and Ink, please call the office at 585-244-1730. We look forward to hearing from you!

September 2012

September 10th - 16th - High Falls region, Rochester, NY

Greentopia 2012 Greentopia 2012 is a week-long celebration of inspiration through art, music, organic and locally grown food and beverages, ideas and activism. The expanded event will contain four programmatic aspects, which include Greentopia Innovation, Greentopia Film, Greentopia Music and Greentopia EcoFest. In its first year the event drew between 18-20,000 people to the historic High Falls district. Through how-to workshops and cutting-edge films, visitors learned about big green ideas and how to apply them creatively in everyday life. There are special family activities, a community recycled art installation, mouthwatering organic and local food and beverages, and all kinds of live music. Businesses and organizations showcased products and programs that help to restore the planet, promote green living – even save consumers some money.

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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

Environment Petition: Prohibit All Fracking Related Activities on Monroe County Properties, NY | Change.org "The magnitude of New York State’s upcoming decision to permit and regulate high-volume, slick-water, horizontal hydraulic fracturing (fracking) demands immediate attention and action by our County Legislature to ensure self-determination and the health and safety of our community. "

ACTIONDue Date Now:

This is important. As tax credits dwindle for wind power, the fossil fuels, which have made more money since money was invented, are getting big public bailouts. Let’s end that: Petition - Support the End Polluter Welfare Act: Bernie Sanders - U.S. Senator for Vermont "At a time when we have a record debt, Congress should not continue to give away taxpayer money to the established, highly profitable fossil fuel industry. Fossil fuels are subsidized at nearly 6 times the rate of renewable energy. From 2002 to 2008, the US Government gave the mature fossil fuel industry over $72 billion in subsidies, while investments in the emerging renewable industry totaled $12.2 billion. " from Bernie Sanders - U.S. Senator for Vermont

ACTION: Due Date: Now

Tired of meteorologists failing to connect the dots between Climate Change and our daily weather? Do something about it. Take action: Forecast the Facts WE NEED OUR TV METEOROLOGISTS TO REPORT THE FACTS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE. According to a recent national survey, more than half of TV weather reporters don’t believe in human-induced climate change. Meanwhile, their viewers are facing unprecedented climate-change induced heat waves, droughts, and flooding.

ACTION: Due Date now:

Ask our mayor of Rochester, NY what he is doing to prepare Rochester, NY for Climate Change: WWF - Earth Hour City Challenge - Earth Hour City Challenge "Earth Hour City Challenge This year WWF is challenging cities to do more than turn out their lights for Earth Hour. The Earth Hour City Challenge is a year-long competition among cities to prepare for increasingly extreme weather and promote renewable energy. Participating U.S. cities receive resources and gain recognition for their efforts to curb carbon pollution and prepare their communities for the harmful consequences of climate change. Learn more about the City Challenge See how your city is at risk from extreme weather – tell your mayor to prepare! " WWF - Earth Hour City Challenge - Earth Hour City Challenge

ACTION: Due Date: Now

Tell the NRC: Expand emergency evacuation zones Today, NIRS and 37 other organizations submitted a formal Petition for Rulemaking to the NRC to expand emergency evacuation zones around U.S. nuclear reactors and make other improvements in emergency preparedness. We're calling this the Nuclear 911 campaign. You can join us as a co-petitioner below! The widespread radioactive contamination caused by the Fukushima nuclear disaster (and Chernobyl before it) makes clear that the current 10 mile Emergency Planning Zones in the U.S. are woefully inadequate to protect the American people. "Nuclear Information and Resource Service - NIRS

ACTION: Due Date: Now

What to do something concrete about solving Climate Change? Go here: "Are you passionate about changing the conversation about the climate crisis? Are you interested in leading the climate movement? What if I said you have the chance to be personally trained by Al Gore to educate others about climate change? This summer, you could have that chance. I'd like to invite you to apply to be one of our esteemed Climate Reality Presenters -- impassioned volunteer leaders who bring the reality of climate change to people around the world. We call our grassroots network of Presenters the heart of our Climate Leadership Corps. Learn more: "Climate Reality "To reveal the complete truth about the climate crisis in a way that ignites the moral courage in each of us. " Climate Reality | Climate Reality Training Application

ACTION:Due Date Now

Request from the DEC for some help on keeping our Great Lakes healthy: "Your Observations Can Help the Health of the Great Lakes! If you spend time around the Great Lakes shoreline, please consider sharing your observations of injured or dead animals, or algal blooms by using the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative - Wildlife Health Event Reporter (http://glri.wher.org/) (GLRI-WHER). Scientists working in state, federal and non-profit agencies are looking for your help to identify events that are important in research of avian botulism and algal bloom outbreaks, in the interest of protecting wildlife from this disease as well as algal neurotoxins. For a healthy Great Lakes ecosystem, do your part and share what you see by setting up a reporter account (http://glri.wher.org/users/add) on the GLRI-WHER website. E-mail any questions regarding reporting to botnet@wdin.org.

ACTION: Due Date: Now

Sewage Pollution - Citizens Campaign for the Environment "Many communities in New York State, Connecticut, and throughout the nation are served by aging and dilapidated sewage infrastructure. When our sewage infrastructure is not properly operated or maintained, billions of gallons of untreated raw sewage can be released in to the environment before reaching a treatment plant. Sewage is primarily discharged into the environment through Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO) and Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO). Separate sewer systems carry only wastewater such as domestic sanitary waste and commercial and industrial waste to a sewage treatment plant. Separate sewers are not designed or intended to carry water such as storm water. SSOs occur in separate systems. Combined sewer systems are built larger than separate sewers so that they can carry two components: wastewater, carried continuously, and runoff, carried after storms. How you can help: Email your state representatives. Urge them to support a Sewage Pollution Right-to-Know law. Sewage overflows put our environment, economy, and health at risk; and we deserve the right to know when they occur. "

ACTION: Due date: Now

Take action for our Great Lakes "Speak Out Now to Set the U.S.-Canada Strategy for Protecting our Great Lakes The health of our Great Lakes is threatened by new challenges — including invasive species, climate change, habitat loss and emerging contaminants. The United States and Canada are now completing negotiations on an updated version of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, a binational agreemet to address Great Lakes threats. " from Alliance for the Great Lakes

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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.]