RENewsletter | September 9, 2012

The Free environmental newsletter from RochesterEnvironment.com

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

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[09/02/2012 – 09/09/2012]

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

Opening Salvo: “Addressing Climate Change in Rochester, NY by biking to Greentopia”

Of course bicycling is a great way to get around town, a method that’s fun and healthy. Think of bicycling as a way of curbing our national obesity crisis, or releasing those endorphins (that natural feel-good sensation after you’ve worked out). Not to mention (but which I will) all the benefits of not buying, financing, maintaining, insuring, fueling, and parking that gas-guzzling goliath that consumes a big part of your paycheck.

But that’s not all. There’s a loftier way of looking at active transportation (walking and bicycling), a way that makes an existential statement about our present collective consciousness. Ok, that’s a little too lofty. Let me ratchet that down a bit. Let me see… How about I use an anecdote? You’re at a large wedding party having a wonderful time. Meanwhile someone has broken into your car and stolen your purse with all your credit cards, family photos, keys, and money. I see the break-in, but fearing that I will upset your day, I wait until the entire wedding is over, including the clinking of glasses, and those maudlin melodies about love and being married that every wedding band marches out. People weep with joy.

You’re not happy with me right? Sure, you had an uninterrupted good time, but the thieves have run your credit cards through the roof and broken into your house and taken all your stuff. I’m sure you rather I had chased you down, told you about the break-in, and handed you my phone to call the police.

This little story is my way of saying this: We are at a point in our history where our actions are warming the planet. What we buy, what we eat, how we heat our homes, and how we travel about have an enormous effect on warming our planet. All these major activities consume energy, and most of our present energy burns fossil fuels and warms the planet, making Climate Change worse. In case you missed the heatwaves, drought, and wildfires this summer, read this short study Ruined Summer: How Climate Change Scorched the Nation in 2012, by the National Wildlife Federation.

I know, I haven’t completely connected the dots from my little story to the point I’m making, but I will soon.

In order to address something as profoundly complex as the heating of our planet, we need solutions that will work on a large scale and affect change quickly. One of those ways is to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation segment of our lives, which according to the Environmental Protection Agency, constitutes 27% of those emissions. So, if you bike or walk those short distances (less than six miles) you along with everyone else can significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Hold on just a little more, I’m almost to the reason for my little wedding story…

There’s a big bike ride coming up in Rochester where you can help demonstrate to the rest of our community and our government that active transportation should be a major component of our region’s transportation network. This event is part of this year’s Greentopia Festival:

Greentopia Bike the Bridges: Rochester Cycling Alliance’s Bike the Bridges: This event is inspired by the original Bike the Bridges ride in Portland Oregon. It’s a self-guided bike ride, starting at 9am-10:30am, September 15th. The ride will start at Genesee Valley Sports Complex, cross the Genesee River, and end up at High Falls via the Pont de Rennes Bridge. Encouraging alternative transportation to and from the festival is our way of supporting healthy living activities such as walking, running, and biking. Click here to view brochure

I’m almost there, let me squeeze in this little bit…

Rochester, NY—a medium-sized city in the temperate zone (think snow, though not as much as there used to be)—has been slowly increasing bicycling as transportation, with the help of the Rochester Cycling Alliance. Over the years, our little city, challenged by the weather and a stubborn belief by some that our streets are only for their cars, has seen many advances in active transportation:

· An important update to the Genesee Transportation Council’s bicycling Map is available online, in all Monroe County Bicycle Shops, and almost any bicycling event occurring in our area.  Find the best bicycle routes to your destination, including work, with this great map.

· In 2008 Rochester won “Honorable Mention” for the Bicycle Friendly Community Award from the League of American Bicyclists (LAB), a national bicycle advocacy organization that manages the Bicycle Friendly America program.

· Back in April of 2011, many local leaders worked on active transportation issues which produced Walk, Bike, Smile, Thrive: a report on the first Greater Rochester Active Transportation Symposium, by Jon Schull, Ph.D. Interim Director, RIT Center for Student Innovation, and Scott MacRae, M.D. Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester. “Walking and biking is good for your health, good for your state of mind, and good for Rochester. And it’s about to get better. “

· Quietly, without much fanfare, some improvements for our area’s bicycling commuters have been happening: City of Rochester has portable Event Racks for loan; Shared Lane Pavement Markings – now appearing in Rochester; and City of Rochester’s first installed Bicycle Shelter . (from Rochester Cycling Alliance)

· The bicycle boulevards concept, which provides safe accommodation for cycling and encourages its residents to bike for transportation and recreation, is now in the City of Rochester’s Bicycle Master Plan.  Also, on Sunday, May 23, 2010 in Cobbs Hill Park, over forty bicyclists began a bicycle boulevard demonstration ride through the Upper Monroe, Swillburg, and South Wedge neighborhoods in Rochester, New York and demonstrated what this concept feels like. 

· The long-awaited Complete Streets bill has just been passed by the governor. This has the potential to vastly increase the safety of bicycling in our streets.  “NY Enacts Law to Protect All Who Use Local Streets … that should eventually make it safer for pedestrians, bikers and parents with strollers to navigate New York streets. Locals say the new law is especially important on Long Island, where multi-lane highways were built with little thought to pedestrians. Linda Lisi Juergens, executive director of the National Association of Mothers' Centers, says it's a sign of relief for children who walk or bike to school, and moms and dads who like to walk to do their shopping.” (August 17, 2011) Public News Service

Ok, I inserted more than just a little bit. My bad. But, I promise, here comes my point of the stolen purse story…

There are some who’ll say that I shouldn’t try and promote this event by bringing up the specter of Climate Change—even after this crazy-weather summer that is probably the new normal. They say I should just say how healthy biking can be, how much fun you’re going to have bicycling at this demonstration ride, and hope (given the quirky autumn weather) that it’s a nice day.

But I say, all of us need to take responsibility for Climate Change and change how we use energy, change who we vote for, and look for events that will stovepipe our efforts for more clout on addressing the most critical issue of our time. This ride can be part of that effort. Rather than allow us the delusion that everything is fine (the wedding), we should recognize that our planet and our future is in trouble (the stolen purse) and that it’s better to stop the party and deal with this real situation (calling the police), rather than have to explain to our kids why we didn’t do anything.

See, I told you I’d connect the dots. Just one more little story…

FDR knew that the US would eventually have to enter the Second World War, despite a very isolationist American public. World War I wasn’t a picnic and the American public didn’t want anything to do with the conflagration overseas that ignited in 1939. So, FDR quietly ramped up US efforts with the Lend-Lease program to supply our allies with materiel for war. This in turn ramped up our economy for the struggles ahead. While FDR could not know precisely where and when we would be attacked, he knew that change was ahead and that we needed to prepare as best we could.

Today, we know Climate Change is happening and happening more quickly than we could have ever imagined. Let’s use every opportunity, like this demonstration bike ride to the Greentopia Festival, to move out of our comfort zone and into the zone of responsible inhabitants of this planet. Climate Change won’t be a wedding cake, but if we act together it doesn’t have to be a stolen purse.

Ok, that was a little forced. But you get the idea. Come on a bike ride with us and have some fun and help save the planet.

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]

• Canada and U.S. update protection of Great Lakes 
• Eco-festival branches out as Greentopia returns to Rochester 
• Kyoto scheme sees billionth tonne of saved CO2 
• Obama: Climate Change Not A Hoax, Extreme Weather Not A Joke 
• Bangkok 2012 – UN climate talks leaving world on pathway to 3°C says new report 
• What's With Frosty? Why Isn't He Showing Up On Time?
• A Summer of Extremes Signifies the New Normal 
• Rain Barrels, Rain Gardens, Green Roofs, Oh My! 
• Onondaga Lake sees cleaner, brighter future
• Scientists find massive South American ice field melting at alarming rate 
• Recycling centers take cans, bottles to the bank
• UN Officials Seek Cooperation to Prevent World Food Crisis
• Tens of thousands of dead fish stink up Lake Erie shore
• Death Spiral Watch: Experts Warn ‘Near Ice-Free Arctic In Summer’ In A Decade If Volume Trends Continue
• Patagonian ice field is melting 1.5 times faster than in prior 25 years
• Vermont combats Eastern Equine Encephalitis
• Cyclists urge sharing the road 
• Bangkok 2012: UN climate talks close with ‘unofficial’ draft on Kyoto Protocol 2nd period 
• Arctic ice loss equivalent to 20 years of man-made CO2, says polar scientist
• Fracking will bring heavy truck traffic, but towns are ready
• Hydrofracking hearing at Penfield Town Hall 
• Brooks Announces Gates-Chili Regional Household Hazardous Waste Collection 
• Democratic Party platform touts natural gas, tones down climate change talk
• Climate threat to world's poor is underestimated: Oxfam 
• Obama, Romney duel over climate change in online debate
• As Temps Rise, Cities Combat 'Heat Island' Effect
• Organic Produce Reduces Exposure to Pesticides, Research Confirms
• Hitchhikers Not Allowed! 
• Big Public Support for EPA's New "Soot Rule" 
• Hot summer leads to more ozone warnings
• Bangkok 2012 – Oil producers and emerging economies build powerful new alliance at UN climate change talks 
• The Stream Team Reports
• Gas pipeline operators set sights on NY 
• Recreational water quality guidelines updated
• Poor seek to cut CDM access at U.N. climate talks
• Blue green algae may have caused fish kill in Lake Champlain
• UN Climate Talks Continue in Bangkok 
• Bangkok: US courts controversy with support for “flexible” climate deal 
• Report: Summer's Signs of Things to Come
• The Inevitable Slow Path to New York Shale Gas
• Climate Change An Information Statement of the American Meteorological Society 
• Cod, haddock may be hard to find as New England quotas likely cut
• Following The Trail Of Trash Through New York State 
• Bangkok 2012 – Poorest nations issue plea for support in climate battle while richest accused of watering down ambition 

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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.]

• 9/08/2012 - How is Climate Change going to affect our Rochester, NY environment? There are many studies, here’s another by the EPA: Climate Change: Northeast Impacts & Adaptation "The Northeast includes dense cities and sparsely populated towns. The region extends from the coast to inland plateaus and mountains. Its climate varies as much as its geography. Portions of West Virginia, the region's southern-most state, typically experience more than 20 days per year of 90°F temperatures. In contrast, northern areas of Maine typically experience only one day per year above 90°F Over the last several decades, the Northeast has experienced noticeable changes in its climate. Since 1970, the average annual temperature rose by 2°F and the average winter temperature increased by 4°F.  Heavy precipitation events increased in magnitude and frequency. For the region as a whole, the majority of winter precipitation now falls as rain, not snow.  Climate scientists project that these trends will continue. " Environmental Protection Agency
• 9/07/2012 - RochesterEnvironment.com speaks: I’ll do a short talk at the Greentopia Festival’s Speak Series (Saturday, September 15th at 3:30 – 3:45PM in the Atrium in Max at High Falls, 60 Brown's Race, Rochester, NY, 14614) about our Sierra Club’s Zero Waste Committee’s recycling efforts in the Rochester, NY region and how all that connects local efforts to address Climate Change: Frank Regan, Sierra Club | Zero Waste Initiative.  I know, it’s a lot to pack in a 15-minute talk, but it's how I do.    
• 9/07/2012 - Public health is going to be severely challenged by Climate Change and spraying everything in sight with pesticides is not the answer.  We’re going to need to plan.   The Baffling Nexus of Climate Change and Health In 2004, a rare tropical fungus caused a string of respiratory failures and neural disorders along the Pacific Northwest coast, baffling the health community. That same year, Alaskan cruise ship passengers dining on local oysters fell sick with a gastric virus typically found in warm water estuaries. Now Texas, after an unusually wet spring and dry summer, is battling what may become the country’s worst recorded outbreak of West Nile virus. Meteorological and ecological shifts driven by climate change are creating a slow and often unpredictable bloom of novel public health challenges across the United States. The American Public Health Association has declaredclimate change “one of the most serious public health threats facing our nation,” although the precise nature of that threat remains uncertain.  (September 6, 2012)  New York Times
• 9/07/2012 - One of the great features of the Internet is our ability to connect with other communities and find out how they are trying to solve our environmental issues.  Buffalo has a great blog that brings together many groups and any news stories pertaining to their environment—which, environmentally speaking, is pretty much our environment too.  We have much to learn from:   Re-ENERGIZE BUFFALO All things GREEN: Energy, Environment, and Economy *Grow Clean Energy *Cut Pollution *Protect Health *Create Jobs
• 9/07/2012 - One of the easiest and effective ways to help fight Climate Change—besides active transportation & recycling—is eliminating energy waste:  unwasteNY
 "is a public service of the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) in collaboration with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), electric and gas utilities, other state agencies, and community-based organizations. These organizations have joined forces to help New Yorkers see energy in a new light.  unwasteNY is designed to help home and business owners across the state learn effective ways to eliminate energy waste by modifying behaviors, participating in do-it-yourself activities, and taking advantage of an array of New York State energy efficiency programs available to them.   All New Yorkers are invited to join the unwasteNY, a groundbreaking online community where members can connect with others and share simple ways to unwaste."
• 9/06/2012 - Or, think Climate Change: 10,000s dead fish in Lake Erie because ‘lake inversion’ is caused by warming this year Tens of thousands of dead fish stink up Lake Erie shore Tens of thousands of dead fish have washed up on a 25-mile stretch of Lake Erie's northern shore, and Ontario environmental officials say they could be victims of a natural phenomenon called a lake inversion. The inversion brings cold water, which has lower oxygen levels, to the lake's surface and fish suffocate. (September 5, 2012)CNN [more on Wildlife in our area]
• 9/06/2012 - Now that we are getting incredible information that the Arctic is melting far faster than we thought, check out this major film coming up: Chasing Ice: “Chasing Ice is the story of one man’s mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of climate change. Using time-lapse cameras, his videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate.”
• 9/06/2012 - ACTION: Sharing our roads with cyclists isn’t just a good idea it’s the law.  Because transportation contributes to 27% of our manmade greenhouse gases (EPA) using bicycles as transportation for short distances can substantially reduce our effect on Climate Change.  We need to change our attitudes about cyclists on our roads.  To help demonstrate your commitment to bicycles as transportation, why not bike at this event coming up: Rochester Cycling Alliance’s Bike the Bridges “This event is inspired by the original Bike the Bridges ride in Portland Oregon. Self-Guided Bike Ride, start time is 9am-10:30am, September 15th. The ride will start at Genesee Valley Park, cross the Genesee River, and end up at High Falls via the Pont de Rennes Bridge. Encouraging alternative transportation to and from the festival is our way of supporting healthy living activities such as walking, running, and biking. Click here toview brochure. Think about it: Bicycling to those short destinations (6 miles or under) may be the most significant thing you can do to halt Climate Change. Cyclists urge sharing the road As a triathlete, Mary Eggers logs plenty of time on her bicycle. But after her friend, Fairport teacher Heather Boyum, was killed in July while riding in Penfield, Eggers had been hesitant to take to the road. It didn't help that, shortly after the Boyum tragedy, another of Eggers' friends was run off the road by a large truck. For several weeks, Eggers rode indoors on a trainer. September 5, 2012) Rochester City Newspaper [more on Transportation in our area]
• 9/05/2012 - Pretty funny article:  NYS publically owned roads are ready to take Fracking load & Fracking industry can volunteer to pay for repairs.   What’s wrong with this picture? Fracking will bring heavy truck traffic, but towns are ready Transporting the millions of gallons of water, as well as equipment, sand, and other materials needed to hydraulically fracture a natural gas well requires quite a few truck trips, to put it mildly. One well site could require up to 3,399 one-way truck trips [PDF], according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation's 2011 draft environmental impact statement (dSGEIS) on hydrofracking. (September 4, 2012)Innovation Trai [more on Fracking in our area]
• 9/05/2012 - Don’t miss a rare opportunity to watch and discuss important films about Climate Change and other environmental issues at the Greentopia Film Festival coming up soon.  Film documentaries are becoming the way many learn about the critical issues of our day and that is important because our mainstream media and political parties continually downplay or ignore this issues altogether.  Please help promote this unique opportunity for our region to all your social media outlets.  "Greentopia | FILM is the documentary film festival within the greater Greentopia festival, which corrals film, music, art - even cars and fashion - to explore the themes of sustainability and innovation, broadly applied. During September 11-15, we will screen more than a dozen documentaries on topics from glaciers and wind power to community, health and economic sustainability. There are parties, dinners, multimedia installations, and a kids program.  See Greentopia Film Festival for details, but below are the 12 feature docs that will be screening at Nazareth College, The Little Theatre, the Forrest Cinema (a repurposed bank building at 35 State St.), and one screening at Tinseltown of a gorgeous 3D large format-film about reefs - a rare family-friendly environmental film.   Please help us spread the word by sharing this email with your friends and through your organization on calendars, postings and e-newsletters.  Like us at Greentopia Film Festival Facebook. "
• 9/05/2012 - Want to learn more about Living Green, or more sustainably?  Who wouldn’t?  Here’s a list of 100 online sites that will help you do that: Top 100 Sites for Going Green: Increasing erratic climate events, rising gas prices, and conspicuously wasteful consumption of resources have made eco-consciousness a national phenomenon. Everyone is talking about how to reduce humanity’s footprint on the Earth and move towards more sustainable lifestyles. The sites featured below are some of the best on the Web for finding stories and advice about sustainable living and going green. - from EnvironmentalScienceDegree.com
• 9/05/2012 - What if a Climate Change debate between US presidential candidates is unavoidable because it’s unavoidable?   Would that mean that all the fossil fuel industry’s money and all the fossil fuel industry’s media could not put Climate Change denial back together again?  Hmmm…   Obama, Romney duel over climate change in online debate WASHINGTON -- At the Republican National Convention last week and in at least one stump speech over the weekend, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney used climate change as a laugh line ridiculing President Obama’s priorities. But in comments to the Science Debate website Tuesday as part of an online debate organized by a consortium of scientific organizations, the Republican candidate took another position, similar to the more moderate stance he struck last year, when he conceded that the planet was getting warmer. (September 4, 2012) Los Angeles Times[more on Climate Change in our area]
• 9/05/2012 - Our planet is getting warmer with Climate Change and our paved cities are getting hotter faster.  Got AC?  Got renewable energy so our cities won’t get hotter? As Temps Rise, Cities Combat 'Heat Island' Effect More than 20,000 high-temperature records have been broken so far this year in the United States. And the heat is especially bad in cities, which are heating up about twice as fast as the rest of the planet. High temperatures increase the risk of everything from asthma to allergies, and can even be deadly. But a researcher in Atlanta also sees this urban heat wave as an opportunity to do something about our warming planet. (Setemb er 5, 2012)NPR Environment [more on Climate Change in our area]
• 9/04/2012 - Great article about how to deal with Climate Change, but most still have to get out of the denial stage:  The Six Stages of Climate Grief I have discovered a new sixth stage, beyond acceptance of the truly depressing climate science: doing The Work. Now that the hottest summer on record is drawing to a close, are we any closer to admitting that climate change is upon us? If not, why not? It might have something to do with the five stages of grief. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross identified these stages as denial, then anger, followed by bargaining, depression, and acceptance. With record drought killing our cattle and our corn, West Nile virus sweeping the country, and Arctic ice sheets melting away, it's no surprise that millions of people are responding to these frightening signs of environmental decline in stages.  (September 3, 2012)  Other Words
• 9/04/2012 - ACTION: Got bicycle experience, why not help Rochester, NY develop a better bicycling map so traveling for short distances will increase and become safer, and decrease greenhouse gases.  Help Update the Greater Rochester Area Bicycling Map Several years ago, members of the Rochester Bicycling Club (RBC) helped to rate selected roads in the City of Rochester, surrounding Monroe County, and nearby towns in Wayne, Ontario, and Livingston Counties. These road ratings were used by the Genesee Transportation Council (GTC) to develop the 2009 Edition of the Greater Rochester Area Bicycling Map. 20,000 copies of the map were printed by the GTC and distributed throughout the bicycling community by members of the RBC and others. (September 2, 2012)  Rochester Cycling Alliance
• 9/04/2012 - This petition to get the BBC to report on Climate Change more intelligently demonstrates the tremendous gulf between the BBC and US mainstream news on Climate Change.  In Britain they argue about how to characterize Climate Change correctly; in the United States we cannot even say the word Climate Change in mainstream media.  Campaign against Climate Change Supporters "Petition for better climate change reporting on the BBC We are facing a Climate Emergency. Global temperatures are rising and Arctic ice melt is outpacing the IPCC's worst predictions. We might hope that the BBC would lead the way in providing clearsighted coverage of the situation, but unfortunately this is not always the case.  For example, on 13 July, in an interview on the Today programme, John Humphrys asked "You can't absolutely prove, can you, that CO2 in the atmosphere is responsible for global warming?" On 17 September, a new Director General, George Entwistle, will take office at the BBC. We will be writing to him to ask for the BBC to take its responsibilities seriously when it comes to reporting climate change."
• 9/03/2012 - I’m thinking the US mainstream media is too busy exchanging candidate barbs to focus on the Bangkok Climate Change meetings, so here’s that:  Bangkok Climate Change Conference - August 2012 The informal additional sessions of the AWG-LCA, AWG-KP and ADP will be held at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), in Bangkok, Thailand from Thursday, 30 August to Wednesday, 5 September.  United Nations Framework on Cimate Change
• 9/03/2012 - 'Job Express' seems to be the place to find jobs.  Look in Finger Lakes region.  Maybe some jobs in Green Business:   Jobs Express - New York State Department of Labor Job Openings in New York State Below are current job openings in New York's 10 regional economies. New Yorkers can view the region they live in, see which industries are growing and find out what jobs are available in that economic sector. Job opening numbers are updated frequently.
• 9/03/2012 - Seems if US is hell-bent on become a Fracking Nation we should have national standards on that and protect all. Calling for National Fracking Standards and Empowering Local Communities Yesterday I returned from several days in western Pennsylvania seeing and hearing about the impacts of fracking first hand from local activists, homeowners, and scientists. People in the region fear their water is contaminated with toxic substances from fracking operations. They worry the air pollution coming from compressor stations or well pads is harming their families. And they believe their property values are forever compromised. (August 31, 2012) NRDC Swithboard
• 9/03/2012 - From Climate Change to Fracking, our environmental plate seems to be full, but what about soil contamination and past abuses of our environment?  Will they all go away because it’s too much for us to think about, or will we have to solve all the myriad environmental issues—pollution, invasive species, loss of biodiversity—while we try and solve Climate Change too in order to have a sustainable environment?  I’m thinking our centuries of treating our environment as a negative externality is catching up with us.  Tainted soil is everywhere, but where did it all come from? The ominous findings seem to sprout like summer crabgrass. Soil is tested somewhere in North Jersey and the results are as scary as a cancer diagnosis. From Teaneck to Edgewater, Dumont to Lyndhurst and Leonia to North Haledon, recent soil tests have found an array of formidable contaminants, some of them hidden for decades beneath parks where children kick soccer balls and parents push baby strollers.  (September 3, 2012)  NorthJersey.com
• 9/03/2012 - Presidential candidates can stop the media from asking them about Climate Change, but what about the public? Mitt Romney’s plan for climate change? Dial 211 A Louisianan flood victim from Hurricane Isaac met US Presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Friday. She told him the rising waters had destroyed her home. Apparently Romney sympathised, then advised her to call 211, a public service helpline in some US states. Romney’s tip – reported in the Huffington Post on Saturday – did not seem to anger the woman, who’s called Jodie Chiarello. Responding to Climate Change(September 3, 2012)

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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.

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.
• September 14, 2012| 6:45 PM  | Forest Cinema  35 State St.  Rochester, NY 14614  
• BIDDER 70 Directed By: Beth Gage & George Gage | Running Time: 73 mins. One day in December 2008, 27-year-old Tim DeChristopher arrived at a Bureau of Land Management auction as a protestor; a few hours later, he left as nothing less than a hero. His spur-of-the-moment decision to impersonate a bidder (the “Bidder 70” of the film’s title) and fraudulently offer $1.8 million for 22,000 acres of Utah wilderness earmarked for oil exploration immediately propelled him to the front lines of environmental activism – and into the crosshairs of a federal prosecution that ultimately led to a two-year prison sentence. Thoughtful, optimistic and inspirational, Bidder 70 explores the nature of activism, and echoes DeChristopher’s commitment to his cause. George Gage, Director in attendance and recipient of Greentopia | FILM Fork in the Road Award.  Awards Human Rights Watch Film Festival | Official Selection Traverse City Film Festival | 2012 Best American Film
• Friday, September 14, 2012 | Rochester Plaza Hotel, 70 State Street, Rochester, NY 14614
• A business-to-business conference on green practices for our region:   Greentopia | INNOVATION | Rochester, NY "CEI and SWBR Architects would like to invite you to attend the first annual Greentopia: INNOVATION conference on Friday, September 14, 2012. This business-to-business conference is meant to enlighten, inspire, and ignite green ideas, action and innovation. Formerly CEI’s Triple Bottom Line (CEI: Center for Environmental Initiatives - Triple Bottom Line Conferences) conference, this event is geared towards professionals from all walks of life, creating the perfect opportunity to network, obtain new insights, and share business practices. As an innovation conference including presentations, case studies, and panel discussions, our aim is to promote cutting edge concepts in business incubation, innovation, green practices, and showcase brilliance in environmentally conscious technological design and implementation. Engaging and dynamic speakers will be joining us from all over the northeastern United States to present the latest innovations in business practices, sustainability and technology. You may even be able to pick up some CEU credits for selected topics. Complete details about the conference, including registration and exhibiting can be found at:Greentopia | INNOVATION | Rochester, NY "
• Saturday, September 15th at 3:30 – 3:45PM in the Atrium in Max at High Falls, 60 Brown's Race, Rochester, NY, 14614
• RochesterEnvironment.com speaks: I’ll do a short talk at the Greentopia Festival’s Speak Series (Saturday, September 15th at 3:30 – 3:45PM in the Atrium in Max at High Falls, 60 Brown's Race, Rochester, NY, 14614) about ourSierra Club’s Zero Waste Committee’s recycling efforts in the Rochester, NY region and how all that connects local efforts to address Climate Change:Frank Regan, Sierra Club | Zero Waste Initiative.  I know, it’s a lot to pack in a 15-minute talk, but it's how I do.

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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: 9AM - 10:30AM | Saturday, September 15th @ Genesee Valley Sports Complex, 131 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14611
• haring our roads with cyclists isn’t just a good idea it’s the law.  Because transportation contributes to 27% of our manmade greenhouse gases (EPA) using bicycles as transportation for short distances can substantially reduce our effect on Climate Change.  We need to change our attitudes about cyclists on our roads.  To help demonstrate your commitment to bicycles as transportation, why not bike at this event coming up: Rochester Cycling Alliance’s Bike the Bridges “This event is inspired by the original Bike the Bridges ride in Portland Oregon. Self-Guided Bike Ride, start time is 9am-10:30am, September 15th. The ride will start at Genesee Valley Park, cross the Genesee River, and end up at High Falls via the Pont de Rennes Bridge. Encouraging alternative transportation to and from the festival is our way of supporting healthy living activities such as walking, running, and biking. Click here to view brochure. Think about it: Bicycling to those short destinations (6 miles or under) may be the most significant thing you can do to halt Climate Change. Cyclists urge sharing the road
• ACTION: Call Governor Cuomo Today.
• Stopping Fracking in New York State may be the most important thing you do today.  Tell Governor Cuomo that Fracking is not a good idea for New York; don’t give into despair that this cannot be stopped; and, make sure your children can’t blame you for not trying stopping this disaster that will befall them.     "Despite a record-breaking 74,000 public comments, we still need your help to make Governor Cuomo hear that fracking has yet to be proven safe.  It will only take you a couple of minutes.    Please tell Governor Cuomo not to put New Yorkers' health at risk.  Call 1-866-584-6799  and leave a simple message like,  "Protect New York's water, land and air by not permitting fracking in New York.  Instead, support renewable energy that will bring good, long-term jobs to New Yorkers!"  This phone number goes through Food & Water Watch who is keeping track of the number of calls,  and is directed to a recording from the Governor's office asking for your name, address and comments.   This is part of a state-wide initiative to get a record number of calls in to Governor Cuomo this August. PLEASE MAKE THAT CALL THIS WEEK!!! "
• ACTION: Due Date: Now
• Got bicycle experience, why not help Rochester, NY develop a better bicycling map so traveling for short distances will increase and become safer, and decrease greenhouse gases.  Help Update the Greater Rochester Area Bicycling Map Several years ago, members of the Rochester Bicycling Club (RBC) helped to rate selected roads in the City of Rochester, surrounding Monroe County, and nearby towns in Wayne, Ontario, and Livingston Counties. These road ratings were used by the Genesee Transportation Council (GTC) to develop the 2009 Edition of the Greater Rochester Area Bicycling Map. 20,000 copies of the map were printed by the GTC and distributed throughout the bicycling community by members of the RBC and others. (September 2, 2012) Rochester Cycling Alliance
• ACTION: Due Date: The public may submit comments on the plan to the DEC through Oct. 3 by emailing cbtheoba@gw.dec.state.ny.us or calling (585) 226-5354.
• Make public comment on contaminated site in our region:  - Public comment sought on environmental cleanup on Penfield Road The town of Penfield is accepting public comments on an environmental cleanup strategy planned for contaminated property on Penfield Road, the site of a proposed car wash. The property at 1600 Penfield Road was home to Carriage Cleantown, a dry cleaning business, from 1961 until 2005. Testing dating back to 2002 shows elevated concentrations of dry-cleaning chemicals in the soil and groundwater at the site, in some cases tens of thousands of times above acceptable levels, according to a report from the state Department of Environmental Conservation. . (August 27, 2012) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more onBrownfields in our area]
• ACTION: Due Dates: September 11, September 12, and September 13, 2012
• Help the RCA with traffic counts which will help Rochester, NY provide better and safer pedestrian and bicyclist transportation for short distances (which constitutes most of our travel), which will help combat Climate Change, because Transportation accounts for 27% of greenhouse gas emissions.  It may well be the most bang for the buck of your time in combating Climate Change in our region.  Bicycle and Pedestrian Traffic Count  We need your help for the next round of Bicycle and Pedestrian Traffic Count On September 11, September 12, and September 13, 2012, members of the Rochester Cycling Alliance, the Active Transportation Working Group, and other interested parties are invited to participate in the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project counts for the Rochester Area. This will be the second series of counts for the region (the first was completed in May of this year). These counts are part of a national effort intended to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety and to better inform decisions on where improvements to our roads, sidewalks, and trails will help to best serve all users. Typically, the counts are taken in two-hour increments from 7-9 a.m. and/or from 4-6 p.m. (although the time can vary to match the “peak” traffic at any given location).  "  Rochester Cycling Alliance
• ACTION: Due date: Now
• Let’s stop assuming that our Great Lakes is a toilet for industry and our sewer systems.  Help Keep Sewage Out of the Great Lakes Billions of gallons of combined raw sewage and storm runoff are dumped into the Great Lakes each year. Raw sewage, trash and personal hygiene products — along with industrial wastewater, household chemicals, urban runoff, herbicides and pesticides — often flow into the lakes after heavy rains.   Bacteria, viruses and other pathogens in untreated sewage pose a significant health risk and are one of the causes of Great Lakes beach closings and swimming advisories. Trash can float in the water and pollute shorelines for miles. Swimmers at many beaches face multiple closings a year, and boaters can find themselves traversing waters littered with an offensive blend of garbage and sewage. Help Us Reach 5,000 Signatures Sign the Petition and Share It with Your Friends --fromAlliance for the Great Lakes
• ACTION: Due Date: September 12
• Interested in doing something about Recycling in the Rochester, NY region? This year at the Greentopia Festival, the Rochester Regional Group of the Sierra Club’s Zero Waste Committee is going to be the Recycling Rangers.  We will be helping orchestrate recycling for the Greentopia Festival.  We need volunteers, about 120 volunteers, to help us encourage the public to recycle properly.  We’ll train you in a few short minutes and we’ll only ask a few hours of your time.  Also, check out this amazing feature to this year’s festival recycling.  The video “The Great Recycle 2012” is as must see—from The Great Recycle" is Coming to Greeptopia Please contact Dave dhgdeals@aol.com so he can get you signed up and scheduled.
• ACTION: Due Date now
• Learn about Plan Bv7 – a new approach to regulation of water levels and flows on the Great Lakes from Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River | The Nature Conservancy and Restore Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River - Citizens Campaign for the Environment and sign the petition online. Save the River - Water Levels Petition "Support a Healthy Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River! The International Joint Commission (IJC) recently released water levels management plan – called Plan BV7 – for the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. The new plan will make significant progress in protecting the health of the River and Lake, while providing greater economic opportunities for industry and continuing to provide protection for shoreline property owners from erosion and flooding. "--from Save the River - Riverkeeper of the Upper St. Lawrence River
• 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. "
• 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
• 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
• 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.]