RENewsletter August 14, 2011

RENewsletter | August 14, 2011

The Free environmental newsletter from RochesterEnvironment.com

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

[8/07/11 – 8/14/11]

* Got news? | Go to my blog: Environmental Thoughts - Rochester, NY or Tweet me @ http://twitter.com/#!/FrankRrrr On Twitter, 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.

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

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

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Opening Salvo: “Moving towards a cooler planet in Rochester, NY”

When you consider that New York State’s goal for curbing Climate Change is “reducing GHG emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 (or 80 by 50),” you begin to appreciate the quiet drama in the NYS Climate Action Council’s report:

“Managing the Risks in New York State Associated with a Changing Climate | Climate change has already put in motion certain environmental impacts in New York, and further changes are likely. According to the latest assessment from a team of scientists at the NASA Goddard Institute, Columbia University, Cornell University, and the City University of New York—the average air and water temperatures in New York and the region are projected to increase significantly over the coming decades and heat waves are expected to become more frequent and more intense. Summertime rain is expected to fall more often as heavy downpours, leading to more flooding; at the same time, the periods between these rainstorms are likely to be drier, leading to droughts. By the year 2100, sea levels along our coast and the Hudson River estuary are projected to rise between 12 and 55 inches, increasing storm-related coastal flooding. The projected rate of change in our climate is unprecedented in our human history. And only through aggressive global action will we be able to change this path.” (Page 4) Executive Summary New York State Climate Action Plan Interim Report, New York State Climate Action Council, Interim Report 11-9-10

I say ‘quiet drama’ because regardless of how ambitious our state government decides we the people should march our greenhouse gas (GHS) emissions back to normal ranges, it’s not going to happen without massive compliance by we the people. We the governed, we the proud and free, are not particularly fond of our government telling us what to do. Just note how effective stopping cell phone use while driving is working. Nada. So, how is something so incredibly life-altering as the massive collective action needed by the public to change our energy sources to renewables, increase energy efficiency of our buildings (which, in NYS accounts for 40% of GHS), and change our transportation habits (which account for 27% of GHS) going to happen?

Curbing Climate Change acceleration is not going to happen in our region if we stick to our present behaviors. We want our cake and eat it too: we want a healthy planet to thrive without considering the physics involved. Anytime renewable energy, such as wind power, comes up, the media focuses on how many hate the idea because of aesthetics, noise, bat and bird kills, and more. Climate Change isn’t ever mentioned. But fracking for natural gas is mentioned a lot in our media. Many are trying to stop fracking, but not because of Climate Change issues, even though natural gas is a GHG. And, alternative transportation is nowhere near the levels it needs to be to be an effective alternative to fossil fuel burning vehicles. Great idea ’80 by 2050,’ but it’s not going to happen because the public is not even remotely engaged. All the government regulations in the world won’t matter if most of the public is not on board trying to solve this issue.

There are a zillion reasons why the public doesn’t see the Climate Change crisis (including the great distain of one of our major political parties that finds Climate Change a major inconvenience), but I’m only going mention one. One of the reasons why the public, in my view, doesn’t appreciate the Climate Change crisis is because of Intentional blindness: “also known as perceptual blindness, [it] is the phenomenon of not being able to perceive things that are in plain sight. It is caused by an absence of attention to the unseen object and is clear evidence of the importance of attention for perceiving. Without attention we are as if functionally blind.” Think of the “Invisible gorilla test.” We are so focused on so many other things in our busy lives we don’t see the show-stopper that is moving quickly, but more slowly than our lives move, upon us.

Our planet is warming up. Our region’s environment is going to change dramatically and relatively soon. (See the ‘likely changes’ that are coming to our region.) And we aren’t even going to be able to slow accelerated Climate Change down because we don’t have a way to shift the behavior of the majority on this planet short of starting a world war. All the technicians and politicians can’t stop Climate Change until someone figures out how to get everyone to see the gorilla.

One person doing that is Bill McKibben, and he’s going to be speaking in Rochester at Greentopia this September via Skype. Bill and others have put together two previous attempts to engage the public on Climate Change, via 350.org and now there’s Moving Planet | A day to move beyond fossil fuels. Two events in Rochester are a part of that. Please join at least one of them, and help the media and all of Rochester see the gorilla.

· Here in Rochester, one Moving Planet effort is “No to Fracking, Yes to Renewables.” At Farmers’ Markets and Greentopia, info and materials will be provided to enable folks to submit comments to the DEC on the SGEIS. Same goes for postcards to our state legislators, in favor of curbing carbon emissions and investing in renewable energy. THEN, on Monday, 9/26, those items will be walked/marched/biked… delivered to the respective DEC and legislators offices. Details: http://www.moving-planet.org/events/us/rochester-public-market/693. Please check the bottom part of the page for ways you can get involved! If interested, you can contact the organizer via the website, or simply respond to: lci_msw@hotmail.com.

· Moving Planet | A day to move beyond fossil fuels. Bike to Schul | Moving Planet "Members of Temple Sinai in Rochester will be biking (walking or at the very least carpooling) to Temple on Sat. Sept. 24th and Sun. Sept. 25 to show our support of Moving Planet and to demand action on Climate Change. (We will also be celebrating our new bike rack courtesy of the Confirmation class of 2011.) All are welcome to join us. Pictures will be taken during morning and afternoon Sunday school sessions. We call on other synagogues and faith organizations to join in. The time is now to get moving toward a cleaner, greener, more sustainable future. "

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

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

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

8/13/2011 - The August 11th GOP debate over Climate Change According to GOP Debate Watch | Obama for America | 2012 the Climate Change crisis did not come up for debate at the GOP debate last Thursday. Sure, the above site is partisan and I’ll admit I didn’t listen to the debates, but none of the coverage that I listened to mentioned anything thing about Climate Change begin discussed at last Thursday’s GOP presidential debate. If you did listen to the debate and you did hear a question and an answer from any of the candidates on Climate Change, please contact me and I’ll take note. I believe we can take it for fact that the GOP debate did not even mention Climate Change last Thursday and unless someone sucker punches one of the candidates during the insular coverage on the potential nominees for the highest office, Climate Change won’t come up as an issue at all. It will be avoided like the plague. The GOP is disinclined to even speak about Climate Change (How Republicans Learned To Reject Climate Change : NPR ) as it’s not one of their strong points. And, I’m not getting political here, as Obama didn’t dare mention Climate Change in his last State of the Union Address last January. more...
8/13/2011 - I like this piece (see below) about pharmaceuticals getting into our Great Lakes fish. It’s an important issue. Of course, if these pharmaceuticals are in the water, they could be in our drinking water and their effects can be more than making the fish drowsy. But here’s the most important thing to remember about pharmaceuticals getting into the Great Lakes: Stopping unused pills from being flushed down the drain only accounts for about 5% of the problem. The way the majority of pharmaceuticals get into our waters is through our bodies into a waste water treatment system that was never designed to filter out drugs—let alone fracking fluids that some are proposing in various NYS regions. Check this out: Fish don’t need anti-depressants | 520 - An Environmental Blog | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Flushing pills down the toilet or throwing them in the trash is bad news for wildlife in the waters where these pharmaceuticals eventually end up. Scientists have found that trace amounts of antidepressants such as Prozac actually cause fish to mellow out, interfering with their desire to chase food and with their ability to escape predators. Antidepressants also interfer with the way tadpoles develop into frogs. (August 11, 2011) 520 - An Environmental Blog | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
8/12/2011 - Get inspired; “get it” about solving Climate Change. Bill McKibben, creator of 350.org a world-wide movement to get attention to the most important issue of our century, Climate Change, is coming to Greentopia in Rochester this September via Skype. To get ready for Bill, watch this short video and check our local Moving Planet events in our area: 90 Seconds of Inspiration | 350.org "You probably know that people around the world are getting ready for "Moving Planet", the big, bold, beautiful day of climate action that's happening this September 24th. But chances are, there are some people in your network that don't yet know about the big day. This video lays out an inspiring vision that can help spread the movement far and wide: take 90 seconds to watch it, and then share it with everyone you know. " 350.org
8/12/2011 - Quick update on the invasive species the Asian Carp and its potential to invade our Great Lakes. Asian carp FAQ | Minnesota Public Radio News St. Paul, Minn. — Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Asian carp, an invasive species of fish that is traveling north on the Mississippi River and threatening to enter the Great Lakes. (August 11, 2011) Minnesota Public Radio News
8/12/2011 - Special recycling event coming up: Bicycle Day at the Brighton Farmers Market Brighton Farmers Market Sunday August 21, 2011 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Brighton High School parking lot 1150 Winton Road South Rochester, NY 14618. R. Community Bikes will be collecting used bicycles at the Brighton Farmers Market. Bike donations are tax deductible. Please bring your used bicycle to the market to donate to a wonderful community organization. 10:00 a.m. Brighton Police Dept. bicycle safety talk. Free helmets to kids donated by Brighton Police Patrolman’s Association.
8/12/2011 - Who is warming the planet? You can get the picture here: Climate Change Trends: Carbon Emissions Giants : NPR "Right now, 10 countries — including the U.S., China and Russia — are responsible for 80 percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. The United States is the world's second largest emitter (China ranks no. 1), sending around 5.8 million metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere a year. That's the equivalent to a year's worth of greenhouse gas emissions from 1.1 billion average passenger vehicles. Below, a look at today's big CO2 emitters — and projected emissions giants in 2030. "
8/11/2011 - Environmental concerns in Rochester, NY overshadowed by fracking because of GHG fuel addiction Despite the myriad of environmental issues in the Rochester, NY region including ( Climate Rochester |Wetlands | Brownfields |Urban Sprawl |Plants (Rochester's flora) | Air Quality |Great Lakes |Pesticides | Water Quality |Recycling | Transportation |Food & Environment |Genesee River |Wildlife | Geese Problem |Deer Problem |Environmental Health | Lyme Disease |Rabies |West Nile Virus| Lead Poisoning |ViralHemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS)

|Parks| and Invasive Species) hydrofracking looms over all other issues lately. If you are one of the vanishing few in our region who has never heard of hydrofracking, go here: Hydraulic fracturing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. There are many reasons why our region is seized by this issue: There are water quality concerns; heavy truck traffic and road wear concerns. There are concerns about the disclosure of the fracking fluids, which the fracking folks are disinclined to reveal. There are possible public health concerns because of air quality and many more. more...

8/11/2011 - Thinking of a future that helps our environment? Consider an Environmental Education with this new site that will help you decide where to go. Type in you zip code, area of interest, level of degree, and online or offline (the real world) and get results: Masters in Environmental Science Online Degree Programs "Complete Guide to Environmental Science Careers A degree program in environmental science covers topic areas such as environmental chemistry, biology, geology, climate change, pollution, conservation, ecology, and more. When you graduate with this type of degree, you have a number of career options, all working to understand the environment and work to solve environmental problems. This is a huge career area with workers needed to fill many different roles, and as more and more companies are compelled to take an active interest in the environment, demand for workers will only increase. We cover a wide range of topics all relating to environmental science. These topics include, but are not limited to, salary and job advancement opportunities, types of degree programs available, and online institutions offering accredited degrees in the field. "
8/10/2011 - Notes from a friend on fracking: "GASLAND, the movie Sunday, August 21, 6:30pm. First Baptist Church of Rochester, 175 Allens Creek Road Monday, September 19, 6:30pm. Brighton Memorial Library, 2300 Elmwood Avenue Part mystery, part travelogue, and part banjo show, GASLAND documents Josh's cross-country odyssey to find out if the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing-or fracking- is actually safe. Traveling across 24 states to interview families, EPA whisleblowers, congressmen and scientists in vast drilling areas, Josh learns of things gone horribly wrong, from illness to hair loss to flammable water. His inquiries lead him ever deeper into a web of secrets, lies, conspiracy and contamination-a web that potentially stretches to threaten the New York watershed. Unearthing a shocking story about a practice that is understudied and inadequately regulated, GASLAND races to find answers about fracking before it's far too late. "
8/09/2011 - Monroe County Environmental Services has stepped recycling up to a new level – EcoPark Check out this new concept in recycling for our Monroe County region and get quick feedback on where to recycle hard to recycle items. Our county is doing their job, now we need to get folks to ramp up their recycling efforts. EcoPark "EcoPark 10 Avion Drive Rochester, New York, 14624 Door to Door Directions Monroe County’s progressive environmental movement has another success story by adding the EcoPark.” Ecopark is an innovative partnership between Waste Management of NY and Monroe County’s Department of Environmental Services that provides a “one-stop drop-off” to dispose of/recycle certain items. After entering your item(s) in the EcoPark "Prospector" (see right), you will be given disposal/recycling options. Whether you chose to use the EcoPark itself or any of the listed convenient vendors, you will be helping the environment by keeping these materials from the sewers and the landfills of our community. " --from MyMonroe. Opening Up Government. | Monroe County, NY
8/08/2011 - Quietly, and without fanfare, the City of Rochester is ramping up bicycling as transportation For some time now, the City of Rochester has been engaged in an effort to increase bicycles as a realistic mode of transportation. Of course, bicycles already have the same rights on our streets as vehicular traffic, but in order to be a safe viable way to get around our community there needs to be a concerted effort to accommodate bicycles and pedestrians in a system mostly designed for cars and trucks. Here are some improvements to our area’s bicycling commuters; you may have seen them: City of Rochester has portable Event Racks for loan | Rochester Cycling Alliance; Shared Lane Pavement Markings – now appearing in Rochester | Rochester Cycling Alliance; and City of Rochester’s first installed Bicycle Shelter | Rochester Cycling Alliance. (Articles courtesy of Rochester Cycling Alliance, where you can find more information and activism for bicycles as transportation in our region.) more...
8/08/2011 - Until trash magically disappears in Rochester, NY Let’s face it: A lot of folks won’t recycle unless it’s almost effortless. Sure, there are the dedicated folks who read all the instructions by the county and their communities and make sure all the right stuff gets to the right places. But you only have to look at the size of our landfills and the trash along our streets to see that far too many still march their old TV’s, computers, and you-name-it to the curb whenever the idea occurs to them. We are a long way from Zero Waste—which is the Holly Grail of sustainability. Zero waste is a philosophy that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. Any trash sent to landfills is minimal. Landfills, for all their salient convenience (throw all your stuff in a great big hole and forget about it), are not good for our environment. Meaning, landfills do not a sustainable environment make. What little methane gas we burn for energy from rotting biomass (about 20% if we are lucky and the rest goes into our atmosphere as a very potent greenhouse gas) is nothing compared to the mountains of stuff that cannot be reused as resources, but must be dug anew from our land. A landfill is simply a black hole for those who think that stuff disappears when we are done with it. Trust me, it doesn’t. In fact what we need is not a delusional disappearing act, we need a waste stream that is green all the way down—meaning some kind of universal waste stewardship standard to make sure waste gets treated properly and never contaminates. more...

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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.

August 2011

Sunday August 21, 2011 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Brighton High School parking lot 1150 Winton Road South Rochester, NY 14618.

Bicycle Day at the Brighton Farmers Market Brighton Farmers Market Sunday August 21, 2011 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Brighton High School parking lot 1150 Winton Road South Rochester, NY 14618. R. Community Bikes will be collecting used bicycles at the Brighton Farmers Market. Bike donations are tax deductible. Please bring your used bicycle to the market to donate to a wonderful community organization. 10:00 a.m. Brighton Police Dept. bicycle safety talk. Free helmets to kids donated by Brighton Police Patrolman’s Association.

September 2011

September 17-18, 2011 - High Falls, Downtown, Rochester, NY

Greentopia Festival The Greentopia Festival is Rochester’s and the Finger Lakes celebration of the green movement sweeping around the globe. The two-day, interactive fest in historic High Falls will reveal what the region is doing to help the environment – and envision a greener Rochester of the future. Think of Greentopia as a walk-through of a totally sustainable Rochester. We’ve already begun this walk by exploring healthier ways of living, as individuals and as a community. In social, economic and environmental ways, we’ve made the decision to go green.

October 2011

October 16, 2011, 2-4PM Temple B’rith Kodesh 2131 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618

How Hydrofracking Will Impact Rochester October 16, 2011, 2-4PM Temple B’rith Kodesh 2131 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618 Presented by Social Action Committee and Women of Reform Judaism of Temple B'rith Kodesh Sponsored by Interfaith IMPACT of NYS, Interfaith Alliance of Rochester, Social Justice Council of First Unitarian Church, Sierra Club - Rochester Regional Group Organized by R-CAUSE (Rochesterians Concerned About Unsafe Shale-gas Extraction) FORUM KEYNOTE SPEAKER: ANTHONY INGRAFFEA, Ph.D., P.E. Dr. Ingraffea is the Dwight C. Baum Professor of Engineering and a Weiss Presidential Teaching Fellow at Cornell University. He did R&D for the oil and gas industry for 25 years, specializing in hydraulic fracture simulation and pipeline safety, and twice won the National Research Council/U.S. National Committee for Rock Mechanics Award for Research in Rock Mechanics. Some of his many professional accolades: · Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1991, · Co-Editor-in-Chief of Engineering Fracture Mechanics in 2005, · ASTM’s George Irwin Award for outstanding research in fracture mechanics in 2006, · Fellow of the International Congress on Fracture in 2009. Recently, he has been deeply engaged in informal education regarding hydrofracking with over 50 public presentations over the last year. Other speakers TBA

At the Public Market on Sept. 24th

Here in Rochester, one Moving Planet effort is “No to Fracking, Yes to Renewables.” At Farmers’ Markets and Greentopia, info and materials will be provided to enable folks to submit comments to the DEC on the SGEIS. Same goes for postcards to our state legislators, in favor of curbing carbon emissions and investing in renewable energy. THEN, on Monday, 9/26, those items will be walked/marched/biked… delivered to the respective DEC and legislators offices. Details: http://www.moving-planet.org/events/us/rochester-public-market/693. Please check the bottom part of the page for ways you can get involved! If interested, you can contact the organizer via the website, or simply respond to me: lci_msw@hotmail.com.

Sat. Sept. 24th and Sun. Sept. 25

Important event for understanding Climate Change in our area, part of Moving Planet | A day to move beyond fossil fuels. Bike to Schul | Moving Planet "Members of Temple Sinai in Rochester will be biking (walking or at the very least carpooling) to Temple on Sat. Sept. 24th and Sun. Sept. 25 to show our support of Moving Planet and to demand action on Climate Change. (We will also be celebrating our new bike rack courtesy of the Confirmation class of 2011.) All are welcome to join us. Pictures will be taken during morning and afternoon Sunday school sessions. We call on other synagogues and faith organizations to join in. The time is now to get moving toward a cleaner, greener, more sustainable future. "

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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

Take action against hydrofracking. Not enthralled with the possibility of hydrofracking in New York State possibly contaminating our drinking water? Take ACTION: Take Action to Help Food & Water Watch Protect the Commons | Food & Water Watch "With mounting evidence that fracking for natural gas is poisoning our air and water, and a national movement against fracking that continues to grow, why is Congress poised to commit us to an energy policy that will encourage even more fracking? Please fill out the form below to take action. Your message will be sent directly to your legislators. To edit the letter, take action here. "--from Food & Water Watch

ACTION: Due Date: now

Major action on Climate Change by Bill McKibben and 350.org. You can take part and act locally. Recruiting Local Businesses | The U.S. Chamber Doesn't Speak For Me "Here’s the plan: If we can get thousands of small businesses across the country to declare that “The US Chamber Doesn’t Speak for me,” we can get local and state chambers of commerce to do the same. By compiling thousands of declarations, we’ll build a critical mass representing the true voice of business, and fight back against the millions of dollars of money pollution that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is pumping into Washington DC. " - from 350.org

Action: Due Date - Now

Join a new local Hydrofracturing Action Alert email list by contacting Anna Sears asears@rochester.rr.com. Also the local Sierra Club's Global Warming & Energy Committee has been addressing the topic of Hydrofracturing. They meet the 2nd Monday evening of the month. Contact bteheger@juno.com for more info. Also - you may wish to review this coalition letter Coalition Letter to Governor Cuomo Regarding Executive Order No. 41: Requiring Further Environmental Review of High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing Combined With Horizontal Drilling | Toxics Targeting and Governor Cuomo issued a "continuation" of Executive Order No. 41 on his first day in office, as he earlier signaled he would. See: No. 2 REVIEW, CONTINUATION AND EXPIRATION OF PRIOR EXECUTIVE ORDERS | Governor

ACTION: on or before December 31, 2012.

Review information from webinars and make public comment on “EPA is requesting public input on proposed new safeguards for hazardous secondary materials recycling to protect public health and the environment.” DSW Rulemakings for RCRA Hazardous Waste Regulations | Definition of Solid Waste | Wastes | US EPA This page provides information on current and past rulemakings and links to Federal Register Notices specific to the definition of solid waste. | 2011 Proposed Rule EPA is requesting public input on proposed new safeguards for hazardous secondary materials recycling to protect public health and the environment. The proposal modifies EPA’s 2008 Definition of Solid Waste (DSW) rule, which revised hazardous waste regulations to encourage recycling of hazardous secondary materials. EPA is asking for comment on potential revisions to address concerns raised by the Sierra Club, as well as other environmental organizations. Under a settlement agreement with the Sierra Club that has been filed with the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, EPA has committed to take final action on this proposed rulemaking on or before December 31, 2012. Federal Register - July 22, 2011 US Environmental Protection Agency [more on Recycling in our area]

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