Action - Rochester, NY area Environment 

RochesterEnvironment.com

Take Action for your area's environment.  These actions come for non-profit and governmental (many in the form of public input forums) on issues that will affect our particular environment.

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Page Contents: Actions with Specific Due Dates | On-going actions | Contact your Representatives in Government |

 

Take Action for our Rochester area environmentOften, 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. 

This page is designed to bring all these requests under one roof so the Internet can facilitate these requests by various groups for aid. Look for the due date for each of the action items.  I try as much as possible (because there are so many environmental online actions) to limit my listings to items that will influence the Rochester, NY area

 

 

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SEARCH: Use search engine below to find anything posted since 1998.

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RochesterEnvironment.com supports Occupy Rochester

Occupy Rochester, NYRochesterEnvironment.com supports the mission of the Occupy Rochester movement.  We as a nation are moving rapidly towards a more and more unsustainable future that cannot be resolved under the present Plutocracy that has become America—where money dominates our politics, our environment, and even our morality.  Climate Change is upon us and will have many Likely Changes in the Rochester, NY region.  Some actions are being address in our area to comeback Climate Change but not enough and not quickly enough.  The prevailing notion of our present business/government set up is that we can adapt and mitigate Climate Change by accomplishing ad hoc measures—like changing light bulbs.  But to reduce our concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG), in particular carbon dioxide, from its present level of 385 parts per million (ppm) to the optimum of 350 ppm, and change something as incredibly large as our atmosphere, we have to move faster and with everyone’s participation.  Occupy Rochester describes the kind of upheaval in conventional thinking and practices that will be needed to put our environment on a sustainable path. 

 

Top Ten Things You Can Do for Rochester’s Environment

Sure there are lots of top ten lists around.  So why not one on the things you can do for your local environment—that system that keeps us alive and thriving?  But, this list is different from the usual stuff.  It’s not one of those really easy, warm and fuzzy lists of fun activities you can do in your spare time.  It’ll be transformative.

This list assumes you are ready to take responsibility (as a member of the only species capable of doing so) for your presence at this critical time in our planet’s history.  And, it isn’t about just your personal fulfillment thing—our environment isn’t politics, religion, a fad, or a cause; it’s science all the way down. Pollute the planet, stuff happens.  Finally, in order for the effects of this list to be effective a lot (I mean billions) of humans need to do them too.  In the deepest practical sense, everything you do (where you live, what you eat, what you buy, what you throw away) matters to our environment. Ready folks, here we go:     

 

  1. Be engaged with the issues surrounding our local environment by monitoring the media, books, reports, and the Internet using the laws of Nature as your guide to monitor how our lifestyle is affecting our environment.
  2. When you consume anything--food, water, cars, gadgets, whatever—do so as though you were demonstrating how to consume for the rest of the world—considering the lifecycle of the products you buy, how they are made, how they are used, and how you get rid of them.
  3. When you have someplace to go, consider all your options in order of their affect on our environment: walking, biking, car-pooling, mass transit, and lastly a personal vehicle. 
  4. Conserve energy until we find a non-polluting, renewable energy source.
  5. Vote. If you’re doing good for our environment and your representative in government doesn’t get it, you’re just making yourself feel good without much effect.
  6. Recycle, reuse and encourage your local government to create a place where recycling just about everything is the norm.
  7. Think twice before using toxic chemicals that make your yard look like a golf course and your house like a hospital.
  8. Consider other species (plants and animals) and their role in sustaining our environment.  Some are annoying and critical.  Some are cute and a burden.
  9. Adopt green business practices: your business will save our environment and be able to compete with the rest of the world.
  10. Communicate your concerns about the state of our environment to everyone. Sustainability isn’t going to work unless everyone gets on board quickly. 
  11. Encourage all your news sources to have an environmental section daily and help move environmental investigations and news to mainstream media.

R-Cause

Rochesterians Concerned About Unsafe Shale-gas Extraction R-CAUSE was created by Rochester citizens who treasure New York State and want its waters, land and air to remain clean and its communities to remain viable. R-CAUSE's goal is to inform as many people in the Rochester area as possible about the risks associated with high-volume, slick-water, horizontal hydraulic fracturing.

Actions with Specific Due Dates:

  • ACTION Due Date Now:
  • 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
    • Take ACTION on Fracking: SIGN THE PETITION TO PROHIBIT FRACKING RELATED ACTIVITIES ON MONROE COUNTY PROPERTIES! "Please join us in signing the online petition urging the County Executive and Legislature to prohibit fracking and related activities in Monroe County! (It's best if signatories reside in Monroe County.)   Click here to sign the petition and forward to others: http://www.change.org/petitions/prohibit-fracking-in-monroe-county-ny   If you'd like to obtain signatures in person from members of your groups, houses of worship, neighborhood, etc., the petition is attached.   Environmental Advocates of New York reviewed 100 of the 6628 CURRENTLY ACTIVE gas wells across New York State and found that  “New York is not safely monitoring the transport, treatment, or disposal of gas drilling waste, and based on the proposals under review, the state is not ready to provide responsible oversight of the millions of gallons of wastewater high-volume fracking will dump on our doorstep, if Governor Cuomo decides to permit it,” said Katherine Nadeau, Water & Natural Resources Director, Environmental Advocates of New York. “We’re calling on the Governor to close the hazardous waste loophole for drilling waste, require that new measures to protect New York from high-volume fracking apply to all fracking operations, prohibit sewage plants from accepting drilling waste, and ban road spreading.”   Here's the link to Environmental Advocates' press release: http://www.eany.org/news/press-releases/424-fracking-wastewater-report    Here's the link to their report OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND: http://www.eany.org/images/Reports/outofsight_finalweb.pdf   Thank you all for signing and sharing the Petition!    And for those who've already signed on line or on the hard copy, please forgive the duplication.   Anna Sears and Nedra Harvey R-CAUSE (Rochesterians Concerned About Unsafe Shale-gas Extraction) http://www.r-cause.net/ "
  • ACTION: Curb Your Car Week, May 13-19, 2012
    • *Find one or more trips to leave your car home that week: to school, work, piano lessons, grocery store, or anywhere.   *Bike, Walk, Bus, Carpool, Telecommute, Combine Trips   *Register for free at ColorBrightonGreen.org, and then report your miles saved after May19.  (All by email)   *Open to all, don’t need to live in Brighton.   *We will calculate total miles, gallons of gas, and pounds of CO2 saved, and announce the grand total. (By Email) *Prizes will be awarded to high mileage savers, and randomly to participants.   *Cut Global Warming: Cut Air Pollution: Increase Energy Independence!  Have fun!  Enjoy a community of bikers and walkers all over Rochester for one week.  Then, find out how fun it is, and how much money you save in gas and parking, and keep on doing it!   Media Contact: Cheryl Frank 241-3078 730-1719 cell cherylmfrank@yahoo.com info@colorbrightonGreen.org Prizes may include environmental books for children and adults, energy saving small appliances such as lighting, donated by area businesses.   Last fall, we saw 113 participants save 8000 miles, 303 gallons of gas, and over 5,700 pounds of CO2! All Brighton public schools, and many other schools and employers are participating by reporting their families' miles saved and their school or employer name online, to see how much we can save altogether.  Join with your school, employer, or just on your own to be counted in the savings! Coincides with National Bike to Work Week. For more info contact info@ColorBrightonGreen.org
  • ACTION: Due Date: Friday, May 18, 2012 | Information about the Environmental Excellence Awards program, the application materials and information on past award winners is available on DEC's website; by writing to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Pollution Prevention Unit, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-1750; by phone to DEC's Pollution Prevention Unit at (518) 402-9469 or by email at eeawards@gw.dec.state.ny.us.
    • Got a candidate for an environmental hero for NYS?  Tell the DEC: DEC Accepting Applications for Environmental Excellence Awards - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Applications are now being accepted for the 2012 Environmental Excellence Awards program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced today. The awards program recognizes outstanding, innovative and sustainable projects or programs. Eligible applicants include businesses, educational institutions, not-for-profit organizations, facilities, government agencies and individuals implementing innovative, sustainable actions or working in creative partnership to improve and protect New York's environmental resources and contribute to a viable economy. DEC is especially interested in acknowledging projects that achieve significant environmental benefits through: innovative and cutting-edge pollution prevention technologies, manufacturing process improvements, initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, projects using green infrastructure practices, programs to "green" schools and businesses, energy efficiency and green energy production efforts, waste reduction and recycling efforts, and innovative environmental protection and restoration efforts. (April 12, 2012)  New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
  • ACTION:  Apply by midnight, May 24, 2012.
    • Take action for our Air Quality by helping local communities to screen for toxic air pollutants in order to begin to address some local air quality concerns.  Apply by midnight, May 24, 2012. Community Air Screen Program - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation What is the Community Air Screen program? If you are concerned about what is in the air in your neighborhood, check out the Community Air Screen program. This new community-based program works with volunteers from local communities to screen for toxic air pollutants in order to begin to address some local air quality concerns. The goal of the Community Air Screen program is for community groups and citizens to partner with DEC to collect local-scale air samples. Who Is Eligible? Individuals as well as not-for-profits and neighborhood and community groups in New York State may apply. Priority is given to projects in or near low-income and minority communities and public locations where people are more likely to spend time outdoors. Approximately 12 to 18 applicants will be selected for this program. A total number of sixty (60) air samples will be analyzed statewide. Consider partnering with other concerned citizens or community groups in your neighborhood to strengthen your chance of being selected. How to Apply: Applications must be postmarked or emailed by midnight, May 24, 2012. The application (PDF) (136 KB, 4 pgs) is also available in the right column. The application process is very easy - four simple questions - four page limit. Complete the application using the writable PDF downloaded to your computer or by printing out a paper copy. Return the application to DEC postmarked or emailed by midnight May 24, 2012. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
  • ACTION: Due date: May 30th
    • Public input on transportation center:  On Wednesday, May 30th from 5PM to 7PM (with presentation at 5:30PM) at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center, Riverside Court, 123 East Main Street, Rochester, NY come and give your input about public transportation and active transportation (bikes and walking).  Will this new transportation center meet the needs of walkers and bicyclists too?  Remember 27% of greenhouse gases are from transportation so the more folks walking and bicycling and using public transportation the less we contribute to Climate Change.   Rochester Intermodal Transportation Center Scoping Study "The City of Rochester invites you to share your thoughts, concerns, and vision regarding Rochester’s Intermodal Transportation Center.  On the date and time noted below, the City of Rochester is hosting a Public Meeting for the entire community to participate in.  This meeting will involve an brief open house from 5:00pm to 5:30pm leading into a formal presentation beginning at 5:30pm. Following the presentation, a Q/A period will help solicit further dialog. We encourage each and every one of you to join us as we move forward in reshaping and energizing our regions downtown core. "
  • ACTION: Due Date now:
  • ACTION: Due Date: Now
  • 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

 

 

We Can Solve itWe Can Solve It The We Campaign is a project of The Alliance for Climate Protection -- a nonprofit, nonpartisan effort founded by Nobel laureate and former Vice President Al Gore. The goal of the Alliance is to build a movement that creates the political will to solve the climate crisis -- in part through repowering America with 100 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources within 10 years. Our economy, national security, and climate can’t afford to wait.

 

On-going Action sites for our environment

Many local, national, and international organizations take action for our environment and make it easy for you to do so also.

League of Women Voters Rochester Metropolitan Area "The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy."

 

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Report an Environmental Violation Online "Report an Environmental Violation Online The New York State Environmental Conservation Police values the watchful eyes and ears of citizens concerned with our environment. Use this form to report suspected violations of New York State environmental conservation laws. Submitted forms are immediately forwarded 24/7/365 to DEC dispatchers. If an immediate response is needed, file your complaint by phone by calling the DEC Turn in Poachers and Polluters (TIPP) hotline at 1-800-TIPP-DEC (1-800-847-7332). Caution: never put yourself at risk to get any of the information. Gather whatever information you can without trespassing or exposing yourself to harmful materials or situations. " from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

 

Contact Your New York State (Senator) and (Assembly) Representatives--from http://newyork.sierraclub.org/legislative/

You'd be surprised how influential a letter or phone call from a constituent can be to a State Senator or State Assembly Member.

  • To find your State Senator's Contact Information: Go to http://www.senate.state.ny.us, click on "Senators", click on your Senator, click on "contact." To identify your State Senator: Go to http://www.senate.state.ny.us, click on "Senators", click on "search by zip code", enter your zip code.
  • To find your Assembly Member's Contact Information: Go to http://www.assembly.state.ny.us, scroll to your Assembly Member, click "go", click on "contact". To identify your Assembly Member: Go to http://www.assembly.state.ny.us, click to "click here to search by zipcode", enter your zipcode, and click "search".

 

 

Need help choosing an environmentally friendly elected official? NYLCV - New York League of Conservation Voters | Educating and Electing for the Environment - NYLCV is a non-partisan, policy making and political action organization that works to make environmental protection a top priority with elected officials, decision-makers and the voters by evaluating incumbent performance and endorsing and electing environmental leaders to office in New York State.

One Hundred Months left to the point of no return100 Months: Technical note "We calculate that 100 months from 1 August 2008, atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases will begin to exceed a point whereby it is no longer likely we will be able to avert potentially irreversible climate change. 'Likely' in this context refers to the definition of risk used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to mean that, at that particular level of greenhouse gas concentration, there is only a 66 - 90 per cent chance of global average surface temperatures stabilising at 2º Celsius above pre-industrial levels.1 Once this concentration is exceeded, it becomes more and more likely that we will overshoot a 2º C level of warming. This is the maximum acceptable level of temperature rise agreed by the European Union and others as necessary to retain reasonable confidence of preventing uncontrollable and ultimately catastrophic warming. We also believe this calculation to be conservative. "