Daily Updates - Rochester, NY area

RochesterEnvironment.com

Analysis of the environmental news in our area 

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Connecting the dots on Rochester’s environment. Find out what’s going on environmentally in our area—and why you should care.  For all Daily Updates going back to 1998, go to Update Archives.

* Please read this carefully, it's not the usual Yada Yada

Rochester, NY with its new bridgeLocal Media Doing their Job on Our Environment?

Coming up with a policy or an evaluation on the state of one's environment is impossible without data.  This truism is so obvious that it need not be expressed if it were not a fact that so many engage in both without enough information to support either.   

The government at the local, state, and federal levels does not have enough money (for whatever reasons) to pay for all the independent, objective and thorough studies needed to fully understand all an area’s flora and fauna and their interrelations, their ecology.  Neither do universities; neither do environmental organizations--though all cover various pieces of the puzzle that is our complex environment.   

There's one group left who can and should help the public evaluate the state of our environment - the media.  Besides making a profit, the media's job historically and manifestly is to inform the public on all critical matters, which, I submit, includes the state of our environment.  We need a healthy environment to survive and to do so we need a timely and complete picture of it.  We, the public, need information to be able to form evaluations and policies on our environment, so we can anticipate dangers, decide on solutions, and choose responsible leaders. Without a media with trained environmental reporters, a vital ingredient in the equation of a sustainable environment goes missing. Scientists cannot see all that occurs in the environment despite their expertise. 

The government won't notice danger signals, except those they are predisposed to see.  Environmentalists would have little to evaluate the health of our environment and the roles of those responsible.  And the public, without a media fully tuned to the environment, will think everything is going fine until a disaster indicates a tipping point and the aftermath splashes across the headlines.     

This is all to say that in recent years it is becoming increasingly obvious that because of financial and other extraneous considerations, our local media is experiencing a dearth of trained dedicated environmental reporters.  Only these professionals, who have the time and training to gather all the information from all the participants in our environment, can fill this critical role in our society.  Without them, what we get is a disparate snapshot of events going on in our environment that may or may not spell disaster.  A dedicated environmental reporter in each of our print and visual media would have the necessary, continual contacts to provide us with the depth and perspective that environmental stories need.  If our local media were doing their job, we could be anticipating environmental problems, instead of trying to catch up to long-standing realities .

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Daily Updates: Friday, February 03, 2012

These are the daily recordings of what I believe are important indicators of our Rochester-area environment --since 1998. For all Daily Updates, go to Update Archives.

  • 2/03/2012 - Can Capitalism save our environment? I’m not a free market capitalist, and I’m certainly not a laissez-faire capitalist, as they both tend to rape our environment and not even ask questions after.  But this discussion by Mr. Kennedy (see below) on how the free market can solve our environmental issues is worth your attention.  After listening to this interview with Mr. Kennedy I think there is a lot that can be accomplished with our existing economic system if those who pretend to believe in the free market would stop gumming up the works with their agenda—like protecting their own slice of the pie at the expense of everyone else.  more...
  • 2/03/2012 - Interesting talk about Fracking by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. given his role: “I sit on the New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo's High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing Advisory Panel.” The Fracking Industry's War On The New York Times -- And The Truth | Toxics Targeting "Superb investigative journalism by the New York Times has brought the paper under attack by the natural gas industry. That campaign of intimidation and obfuscation has been orchestrated by top shelf players like Exxon and Chesapeake aligned with the industry's worst bottom feeders. This coalition has launched an impressive propaganda effort carried by slick PR firms, industry funded front groups and a predictable cabal of right wing industry toadies from cable TV and talk radio. In pitting itself against public disclosure and reasonable regulation, the natural gas industry is once again proving that it is its own worst enemy. " by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Huffington Post October 20, 2011
  • 2/02/2012 - Climate Change deniers, even Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) who dismisses climate scientists, will have to bow to insurance rates    Three States Tell Insurers to Disclose Responses to Climate Change - NYTimes.com Insurance commissioners in California, New York and Washington State will require that companies disclose how they intend to respond to the risks their businesses and customers face from increasingly severe storms and wildfires, rising sea levels and other consequences of climate change, California’s commissioner said Wednesday. Up until this point, those states required about a third of larger insurers to turn over the information in a survey; for all others it was voluntary.  (February 1, 2012) The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia [more on Climate Change in our area]
  • 2/02/2012 - Lyme disease is particular interest to us New Yorkers, as “New York State has experienced the emergence of several vector-borne diseases in the past few decades. For instance, the state leads the nation in numbers of Lyme disease cases.” (ClimAID, page 404) Tick Tally Reveals Lyme Disease Risk : Shots - Health Blog : NPR Roll call for bloodsuckers. Vampires, step back. For four years, researchers combed through hundreds of state parks and bushy areas looking for the culprit responsible for Lyme disease. The blacklegged tick, also known as a deer tick, transmits the disease through a bite. About 20 percent of the 5,332 ticks collected in the Eastern half of the country were infected with the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. (February 1, 2012) Environment : NPR
  • 2/01/2012 - Warm winter days in Rochester, NY and the danger of knowledge gaps As I write it’s seven in the morning on February 1, 2012 and fifty degrees outside.  Yesterday, it was well into the fifties and sunshine.  It’s not an anomaly; it’s been warm most of January, warm in the sense that insects were buzzing about at times.  How many other plants and animals have been fooled into thinking spring has come I cannot say.  But we can say we haven’t got much snow: more...
  • 2/01/2012 - New version of Donate Recycle Reuse (DRR) document just updated.  Find out easily where to Recycle just about everything in the Rochester, NY area.   

    Donate Recycle Reuse (DRR) Version 30 (Updated June 02, 2011) Check out this special resource for recycling opportunities for the Rochester area. This "Donate Recycle Reuse" list by one of your neighbors makes it easy to recycle in our area.  It's a work in progress so, send Jeanette your additions or corrects make sure that next discarded item doesn't go in the landfill. For questions and ideas about this page contact Jeanette jdztechw@rochester.rr.com

  • 1/31/2012 - ‘Tinkering in the margins’ certainly won’t fix a world in environmental crisis.  Wholesale changes in our economy and how we treat the environment are required to solve these major issues but we aren’t even close.  Most Climate Change studies, for example, suggest that the public and governments must get engaged to make the kind of changes that are required on these planetary issues and give little information on how to do that.  That’s because figuring out how to get the majority of folks on this planet to understand and help solve Climate Change, problems on a scale never experienced before by mankind, are beyond most studies.  World lacks enough food, fuel as population soars: U.N. | Reuters (Reuters) - The world is running out of time to make sure there is enough food, water and energy to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population and to avoid sending up to 3 billion people into poverty, a U.N. report warned on Monday. As the world's population looks set to grow to nearly 9 billion by 2040 from 7 billion now, and the number of middle-class consumers increases by 3 billion over the next 20 years, the demand for resources will rise exponentially.  (January 30, 2012) Business & Financial News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com
  • 1/30/2012 - Time is running out to comment on this important Climate Change report, maybe the GOP candidates will do so too:   NFWP Climate Adaptation Strategy "The Public Review Draft of the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is now available for public review and comment. To ensure that we are able to consider your comments, we must receive them by March 5, 2012. You can submit your comments through the web, by mail, or in person. Learn how to submit your comments here. Public workshops will be conducted at several locations around the country to provide additional opportunities for public comment and discussion of the draft. Please visit our Public Workshops page for more information. In addition, a free, public online web conference or webinar will also be held. Learn more and sign up here. " from NFWP Climate Adaptation Strategy
  • 1/30/2012 - Sure we’re finding more and more planets out there that might support life, but Earth still does and it’s worth saving: Rio+20 - United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development "The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) is being organized in pursuance of General Assembly Resolution 64/236 (A/RES/64/236). The Conference will take place in Brazil on 20-22 June 2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. It is envisaged as a Conference at the highest possible level, including Heads of State and Government or other representatives. The Conference will result in a focused political document. "
  • 1/28/2012 - One of the aspects of Climate Change that we don’t talk about enough is that the oceans are absorbing most of the carbon dioxide that we are releasing into the atmosphere.  Among other unstable effects, like causing hurricanes because of warmer waters, is acidification.  Rapidly changing the Ph in our oceans is probably not a good thing: Yale Environment 360: Ocean Acidity Rise Unprecedented in Past 21,000 Years, Researchers Say in Past 21,000 Years, Researchers Say Carbon dioxide emissions caused by human activities over the last century have increased the acidity of the world’s oceans far beyond the range of natural variations, which may significantly impair the ability of marine organisms such as corals and mollusks to form their skeletons or shells, a new study says. (January 23, 2012) Yale Environment 360: Opinion, Analysis, Reporting & Debate [more on Climate Change in our area]
  • 1/27/2012 - In your face Climate Change for the Rochester, NY region: Gardening changes. There a many, many Likely Changes coming to the Rochester, NY region because of Climate Change.  But because of the relatively slow nature of Climate Change it’s often easy to deceive yourself that it is not really happening.  (I say ‘relatively slow nature of Climate Change’ because only from our human daily awareness outlook is Climate Change proceeding slowly; from a geological standpoint Climate Change is hurling itself upon us with frightening rapidity.) You look around Rochester, NY now and you feel a very warm, wet winter that certainly haunts the skiing, skating, ice fishing, and snowmobile businesses—and those who grew up with colder winters with more snow.  Is all this the new normal for January? more...
  • 1/27/2012 - Something wicked this way comes with fossil fuels: Breaking News | InsideClimate News Critics are attacking Canada's energy strategy after internal documents shed new light on the extent of federal efforts to advocate for the oil sands industry.
  • 1/27/2012 - Learn about sewage pollution in our region from Citizens Campaign for the Environment - New York and Connecticut Environmental Protection Preservation and Advocacy.  This is scary when you know “The top nine beaches in NYS that had the most days that exceeded standards for contamination in 2010 were ALL Great Lakes beaches;’’ and that “There is currently no law requiring public notification if a sewage overflow has contaminated a local beach, waterway, or entered a community in either New York State or Connecticut.” Learn more and then act: 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. "
  • 1/26/2012 - President Obama mentions ‘Climate Change’ in his State Union Address Last year President Obama avoided using ‘Climate Change’ in his State of the Union Address and focused on clean energy.  This year the President did mention Climate Change, but not in a good way: “The differences in this chamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight climate change.”  2012 State Of The Union Address Enhanced Version | The White House#transcript The President’s bowing to the power of the ‘chamber’ when he should be leading the country on Climate Change is disproportional to the concerns coming from our country’s own climate assessments.  For example, this report that just came out this month from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with support by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies minces no words on the scale and immediacy of the Climate Change problem.  more...
  • 1/25/2012 - I saw Urbanized at the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) and it was very entertaining and informative.  Find out how many communities around the globe and dealing with a world that is becoming predominately urbanized.     Ubanized, February 2, 2012, 7PM film, 8PM discussion @ The Little Theatre, 240 East Ave Rochester, NY 14607 Greentopia Film: Urbanized "Urbanized is a feature-length documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world’s foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers. Over half the world’s population now lives in an urban area, and 75% will call a city home by 2050. But while some cities are experiencing explosive growth, others are shrinking. The challenges of balancing housing, mobility, public space, civic engagement, economic development, and environmental policy are fast becoming universal concerns. Yet much of the dialogue on these issues is disconnected from the public domain. Who is allowed to shape our cities, and how do they do it? Unlike many other fields of design, cities aren’t created by any one specialist or expert. There are many contributors to urban change, including ordinary citizens who can have a great impact improving the cities in which they live. By exploring a diverse range of urban design projects around the world, Urbanizedframes a global discussion on the future of cities. Urbanized is the third part of Gary Hustwit’s design film trilogy, joining Helvetica and Objectified. "
  • 1/25/2012 - How will Fracking affect our communities?  Check it out:    SHALE GAS EXTRACTION IN WESTERN NY:  Exploring Community Impacts & Implications for Our Towns   7PM, Tuesday, January 31, 2012 West Bloomfield Congregational Church 9035 Route 5 & 20, West Bloomfield, NY 14585 (corner of Route 5 & 20 and County Road 37) This presentation is free and open to the public   Presenter: Arthur J. Buckley,  County Planner for the County of Wyoming   Hosts: The Community Information Committee of West Bloomfield   Press Release attached For more information contact: communityinfocommittee@gmail.com
  • 1/24/2012 - The scientist: Jim Hansen risks handcuffs to make his research clear — The Daily Climate NASA's chief climate scientist built his career studying Earth's atmosphere and modeling humans' potential impacts on climate. Then he realized that laboratory work wasn't enough. (January 24, 2012) The Daily Climate
  • 1/24/2012 - Biggest construction project in the Rochester, NY region since the untangling of the Can of Worms could be an opportunity for Active Transportation (bicycles and walking) for our area.  Check this out: Let NYSDOT know what YOU Think about the Access 390 project that could connect UR, RIT, and MCC with the City! | Rochester Cycling Alliance "An Active Transportation Network for the Rochester Multiversity. Jon Schull, co-founder Rochester Cycling Alliance With small modifications, a proposed “Access 390″ highway project could bind Rochester’s three major universities with several multi-use trails and bikeways, and move us toward a future that is more ecological, economical, healthful, and energy-independent. It could really happen…but we have to ask for it! The New York State Department of Transportation’s (NYSDOT) is accepting written comments from the public until January 31 (see below), and NYSDOT officials at the meeting seemed genuinely receptive to constructive suggestions backed up by citizen support. This is a big opportunity! " Rochester Cycling Alliance
  • 1/23/2012 - There’s no environmental freight to throw overboard; it’s a Fracking delusion Environmental issues are riddled with examples of why our environmental infrastructure must remain intact for us humans to have a sustainable future.  I mean intact in the way that 4 billion years of biology and evolution on this planet has fit every little piece of our environmental puzzle together resulting in our specie’s appearance and survival.  Deep ecology recognizes that our environment is not just about us. Take biodiversity for example.  If we carve up our environment for our particular immediate needs, we threaten our environment’s ability to rebound after a disaster—say extreme weather. A disease could rip through our monocultures, like the potato blight, and leave our agriculture crippled.  Allowing other plants and animals to survive gives our environment a cushion against a complete collapsed when things go awry. more... 
  • 1/23/2012 - ACTION: Got ideas on how we should solve Climate Change?  How important are nature’s services (one of them being LIFE) are to you?  The Public Review Draft of the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is now available for public review and comment.  You have until March 5th, 2012 to submit comment via mail, web, or in person.  NFWP Climate Adaptation Strategy "The Public Review Draft of the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is now available for public review and comment. To ensure that we are able to consider your comments, we must receive them by March 5, 2012. You can submit your comments through the web, by mail, or in person. Learn how to submit your comments here. Public workshops will be conducted at several locations around the country to provide additional opportunities for public comment and discussion of the draft. Please visit our Public Workshops page for more information. In addition, a free, public online web conference or webinar will also be held. Learn more and sign up here. "
  • 1/21/2012 ACTION: Chime in on helping to identify ways to reduce packaging waste, increase recycling, and reduce the overall impact of packaging materials on the environment—by February 9th, 2012. Dialogue on Sustainable Financing of Recycling: Dialogue Report on Consumer Packaging | Resource Conservation | US EPA "Stakeholder Dialogue Report The participants in the dialogue were tasked with producing a report that discusses multiple strategies for financing municipal recycling systems focusing on consumer packaging. While the report is a result of an EPA-convened dialogue, the report is a work product of the dialogue participants, and not of EPA. Reference to any specific company or commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favoring by the United States Government. EPA invites you to review and comment on the report. Final Report of the Dialogue on Sustainable Financing of Recycling of Packaging at the Municipal Level (PDF) (128 pp, 872K) How to Submit Comments EPA will accept comments on this report for until February 9, 2012 . The docket for this rulemaking is EPA-HQ-RCRA-2011-0912 and can be accessed at Regulations.gov. Comments on the report will be collected into a companion document, and made available here. EPA will review all comments received and consider them in any future actions, but does not plan to formally respond to comments on the final report. Related Materials Issue Assessment: Sustainable Financing for Recycling of Packaging Materials (PDF) (20 pp, 119 K) Dialogue Meeting Summaries and Presentations "
  • 1/21/2012 - Finally, a Rochester, NY area forum on a useful and good source of energy for our area that won’t put our water in jeopardy and won’t warm the planet.  Be there if you care:    "You are invited to a Greater Rochester Apollo Alliance Forum A Solar Jobs Act for New York Transitioning to a New Solar Economy Come and hear the experts and join in on the discussion When: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Where: Workers United Union Hall, 750 East Avenue, Rochester 14607 In his State-of-the State message, Governor Cuomo announced his New York Sun initiative to increase the deployment of solar energy in New York State. He reiterated this commitment in his Executive Budget with sales tax breaks targeted to commercial solar installations and for solar equipment leases. Meanwhile, the NY State Legislature has been working on its own versions of a solar jobs act. Come and hear more about these initiatives and offer your own views about how to increase solar energy deployment and component manufacturing in New York. For more information contact Bill Bastuk at 585-503-6826 or wbastuk@rochester.rr.com  For directions to the Forum, click here. There is no charge for this event "
  • 1/21/2012 - As Fracking is becoming the most immediately critical environmental issue of our NYS region, a little lesson on Fracking might be just the thing.  Check this series out:   Teaching About Marcellus Shale: Part One - GrowWNY "by Don Duggan-Haas, The Paleontological Research Institution & its Museum of the Earthon January 12, 2012 Terms:Arts & Culture, Don Duggan-Haas, Eco-Tourism, Energy & Climate, Hydraulic Fracturing, Jobs & Economy, Nature & Habitat, Schools & Education, Technology, The Museum of the Earth This post is intended to serve as a gateway to a range of readings and other resources to support teaching about the Marcellus Shale and the larger energy system, but before simply posting a list of linked resources, some background is needed as to the types of knowledge needed to effectively teach this content. Part 1, this post, is the introduction to the kinds of knowledge needed to teach the Marcellus Shale. Part 2 will include a list of readings and other resources for building that knowledge. "  -from GrowWNY
  • 1/20/2012 - If you care about our environment you need to hear this:    Bill McKibben on Occupy The Courts - YouTube "350.org Founder Bill McKibben discusses the need for environmentalists to support the fight to overturn Citizens United. "
  • 1/20/2012 - Wanna do something about Climate Change in Rochester, NY?  (Hint: bike.) If you care about increasing Active Transportation in the Rochester, NY region you can still make comment on this major road construction project by the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) until January 30th, 2012.  Check this out: Access 390: Interchange 16   more...   More: The draft including more information,  links to the NYSDOT website,  a map and a short video is at http://goo.gl/pWzRS.   This is the largest public works project in the area since the Inner Loop!.  This is our chance to get things right (or wrong)!     Please email  hressel@dot.state.ny.us  to urge that NYSDOT modify project PIN-439017 to better enhance active transportation connections between MCC, UR, and RIT! 
  • 1/20/2012 - Science educators need help in defending your right to teach the science of Climate Change in your school?  Check this out: NCSE | National Center for Science Education - Defending the Teaching of Evolution & Climate Science The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is a not-for-profit, membership organization providing information and resources for schools, parents and concerned citizens working to keep evolution and climate science in public school science education. We educate the press and public about the scientific and educational aspects of controversies surrounding the teaching of evolution and climate change, and supply needed information and advice to defend good science education at local, state, and national levels. Our 4500 members are scientists, teachers, clergy, and citizens with diverse religious and political affiliations.
  • 1/17/2012 - Trying to communicate Climate Change over the din of Super denials The collective human reaction to Climate Change in the US can be characterized as dysfunctional.   I use ‘dysfunctional’ in the sense that our collective reaction to the Climate Change threat is not normal for a functional species—a species intent on survival.  Whether most folks in the United States understand Climate Change, or ‘think’ they understand Climate Change, we aren’t really addressing it in any meaningful way.  To ‘get’ Climate Change in a meaningful way would be to see a massive turnaround in how our media, politics, and our culture itself reacts to the most troubling issue of this century.  Only a top-down, that is, leadership from government s around the world will bring down our greenhouse gas concentrations in our atmosphere to a level that won’t threaten our ability to survive.  That is not even close to happening.  We need to find a way to communicate this issue that is like no other challenge the human species has ever faced.  Never had we had to change human behavior instantly on a planetary scale to survive. more...
  • 1/17/2012 - Looks like a great way to bone up on your Climate Change education.  This is something the public needs to take a little time and understand the science behind the gravest problem of our generation.     Open Climate Science 101 "Three thousand non-science major undergraduates at the University of Chicago have taken this class since 1995, and learned the science behind the forecast for a human influence on Earth's climate. The story combines physics, chemistry, biology, and Earth and atmospheric science. The content of this class is now being served to the internet world at large. You can watch video lectures followed by quizzes to stimulate your understanding, and work your way through tutorial exercises letting you get hands-on with interactive models and simple mathematical ideas. You can work at your own pace, on your own time. You don't get University of Chicago credit, but it's free, and if you complete the exercises you can download a certificate of accomplishment signed by me. "
  • 1/13/2012 - The EPA could have been a contender on Fracking Here’s something interesting to think about as we read the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) response to the Revised Draft SGEIS on the Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Regulatory Program (September 2011) - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation.  So, today’s news abounds with the EPA’s letter to the SGEIS report on the safety of Fracking in New York State.  The EPA, which is usually responsible for enforcing measures to protect our fresh water for the entire country, had a lot to say: more...
  • 1/12/2012 - Find out about getting rid of unwanted medicines and what it does to our environment if done incorrectly.   Safe Disposal of Unwanted Medicine What happens to prescription or over-the-counter medicines that are brought home, but for one reason or another, end up unused? Medicines that are flushed or tossed in the trash can end up in lakes, rivers, and drinking water. This poses a risk to people, animals, and the environment. Do you have medicine you no longer need? Don’t flush it! Bring it to a local medicine take-back program. If there isn’t a take-back program available: Mix medicine with cat litter or coffee grounds in a sealable container such as a coffee can before throwing it in the trash. Mark out any personal information before recycling your pill bottle. You can see our 15 second message that is running on the CBS large screen in Times Square until March 31, 2012: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant | University of Illinois
  • 1/12/2012 - Learn about how water will factor in our future: Monday, February 6th, 2012, 6:30 to 8:30PM | Henrietta Library, 455 Calkins Road, Rochester, NY 14625. o   Climate Change is an issue of HOW we life.  Water Wars are an issue if we life.  Will Water be “the oil of the 21 century?” Why do people spend up to 4,000 times more for bottled water… when the purity is less than regulated tap water? Who will stop large multi-national corporations from taking over the world’s water supply? Blue Gold : World Water Wars The Great Lakes Committee of the Rochester Sierra Club will be hosting Blue Gold: World Water Wars.  Whether you are new to the topic or a long time advocate for water issues, Please join us for this film and discussion about the issue of water privatization.  These showing are free and open to the public.   For questions: greatlakes@newyork.sierraclub.org
  • 1/12/2012 - Climate Change is caused in large part by human-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  So where is the date for that?  It’s here: Greenhouse Gas Data | Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program | Climate Change | U.S. EPA "EPA develops the national greenhouse gas inventory each year to track the national trend in emissions and removals since 1990. The national greenhouse gas inventory is submitted to the United Nations in accordance with the Framework Convention on Climate Change . The national greenhouse gas inventory is a comprehensive, sectoral level accounting of all human-related sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. The emissions presented in the U.S. greenhouse gas inventory are generally based on national-level statistics." Including Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Large Facilities   Find our more from this story: EPA Creates Website To ID Biggest Emitters Of Greenhouse Gases : The Two-Way : NPR Ever wondered who the big greenhouse-gas emitters are in your neck of the woods? The answer is now just a click away. The US Environmental Protection Agency today unveiled a new website that identifies most of the nation's biggest emitters of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases. It lets you, for example: (January 11, 2012) Environment : NPR [more on Climate Change in our area]
  • 1/11/2012 - One good thing about the NYS DEC Fracking process As we reach the last day for making public comment on whether to lift the moratorium on Fracking in New York State, something  good has come out of the four-month comment period.  That something good is that we New Yorkers have had a conversation about our environment.  Albeit, limited but a conversation nonetheless.  Usually, when environmental concerns come up, we only argue about them as NYMBY issues, as how the environmental effects of a project will affect those immediately surrounding that particular project.  Or, an environmental disaster occurs and folks start pointing fingers and calling up lawyers.  We are a long way from adequately addressing environmental concerns in the media.  (Note the almost criminal denial of media attention on Climate Change in the US presidential campaigns this year.) more...
  • 1/10/2012 - What is the “Occupy” movement all about?  Check this talk out:   January 17   The Occupy Movement   The Occupy movement began in the summer of 2011. The first US Occupy communities began on Wall Street and in San Francisco in September. By the end of November 2011 the Occupy movement is believed to have communities in over 2,609 towns and cities worldwide-over 600 are in the United States-including Rochester.    Claiming to represent 99% of the population the movement has primarily been directed against economic and social inequality. But what does that really mean? Who are the 99% Occupy signs refer to? Who the 1%? What specifically is being protested against and has an alternative vision for social and economic equality come out of the movement?   Speaker: Colin O’Malley, Organizing Director, Metro Justice   Time: 12:12 PM to 12:52 PM   Location: Kate Gleason Auditorium, Central Library, 115 South Ave., Rochester, NY 14604   Admission: Free and open to the public, seating up to 120, wheelchair accessible   Sponsor: Central Library and the Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library     Linda Rock Director of Community Programming The Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library 115 South Avenue Rochester, NY 14604 585-428-8350 linda.rock@libraryweb.org
  • 1/10/2012 - Save energy, help our environment: "Wednesday, January 25, 2012   6:30pm  Brighton Memorial Library, 2300 Elmwood Avenue.  Free. As traditional energy costs rise, many are feeling the heat from higher winter energy bills.  Here's a chance to be on the smart side of the equation in just a few minute's time.   Color Brighton Green has invited Lee Loomis and Haley Rotter of Energy Smart Communities to make a multi-media presentation on immediate, no-cost ways to save 10% on your energy bills this winter.  They will present methods to save as much as 30% for a minimal additional investment this year and in the future.   Learn about tax incentives for businesses to get energy lean, as well as income-based price reductions on energy audits for your home that can save you hundreds of dollars a year.     Take advantage of this informative, easy session on reducing your energy bills this winter, and for every season to come.   For more information, contact Cheryl Frank or Carrie Senefelder at info@ColorBrightonGreen.org."
  • 1/09/2012 - NYS DEC Fracking public comments run 10 to 1 against Fracking.  You’d think that alone would be a great big “No!”  But too often politics and money that often renders public’s wishes null and void.   More than 18,000 comment on fracking | Press & Sun-Bulletin | pressconnects.com A review by Gannett's Albany Bureau of the public comments submitted through Dec. 16, obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request, shows interest from all corners of the state. Submissions from those against hydrofracking appeared to outnumber those from supporters by at least a 10-to-1 margin.  (January 7, 2012) Press & Sun-Bulletin | Binghamton news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Binghamton, New York | pressconnects.com  [more on Fracking in our area]
  • 1/09/2012 - Deadline for making public comment on Fracking coming up:   The deadline for responding to the DEC's revised draft SGEIS is fast upon us: January 11!  If you're sending your letter through USPS, it must be stamped no later than 1/11.   Here's the best site to go to for help (thank you Chip Northrup!):  DSGEIS Responses - SourceWatch
  • 1/09/2012 - Important meeting on Fracking in our area, Tuesday: Tuesday, January 10, 2012, @ 7PM  HYDROFRACKING IN THE TOWN OF RUSH   Presenters:  Jordan Kleiman, PhD., Associate Professor of History at SUNY Geneseo “Fracking: What It Is, Where It Came From, and Why We Should be Concerned About It”   David Slottje, J.D.,  Executive Director and Senior Attorney for the Community Environmental Defense Council (cedclaw.org) “Using Local Laws to Protect Health, Safety, and Community Assets:  Safeguarding Community in the Face of Industrial-Scale Gas Drilling”   Rush Methodist Church, just south of the Hamlet of Rush 6200 Rush-Lima Road (Rte. 15A), Rush, NY 14543 Wheelchair accessible; ample parking. http://www.rushumc.com/
  • 1/09/2012 - Intolerable acts of denial, the 2012 Presidential race and Climate Change Doesn’t it seem odd to you that most of the scientists and most of the countries on this planet understand Climate Change, while the US media and the US presidential elections almost completely ignore it?  In this country, the media makes billions of dollars detailing the horse race, how low the President is in the polls, how much money a candidate has in their coffers, and questioning candidates on the latest slap from their opponents, yet we hear nothing on the most important issue of this century.  We seem hell-bent on electing a President of the United States without even discussing Climate Change at all.  What’s the point of having an election if you can’t talk about important things? That’s not only very odd, but tragic.  A US president is going to have to address this issue because it involves every aspect of being a president:  wars, infrastructure, regulations, public lending, public health, and you-name-it.  And Climate Change isn’t going to go away because a candidate’s handlers are uncomfortable with the issue as it threatens funding from large corporations like the fossil fuel industry. more...
  • 1/06/2012 - Take Action on Fracking in Albany, NY Monday January 23, 2012: "Do you care about New York's waters and communities? Are you worried about the risks industrial gas drilling by means of fracking poses to our shared environment? Then join us for the 2012 Fracking Day of Action!      When: Monday, January 23, 2012  Where: Albany, New York      Register:     Click here to register Join residents and organizations from across the state to rally and talk with legislators about fracking! The day will start with a rally in the New York State Legislature and will be followed with legislative visits. Join us on this exciting day to bring your voice to Albany and express your concerns about fracking. You must register for your legislative visits. Click here to register. Need a ride? Buses will be coming from different parts of the state. Below, bus captains' information is listed – please email them for additional information, including departure points, times, and cost. You must register separately for buses and lobby visits.     Long Island – Tara Bono – tbono@citizenscampaign.org     Syracuse/CNY – Lauren Petrie – lpetrie@citizenscampaign.org ***If you are a bus captain or organizing a bus and would like to have your information listed here, please email Lauren Petrie at lpetrie@citizenscampaign.org. Thank you for your support! We hope to see you there! The New York Water Rangers P.S. Are you on Facebook? Help us spread the word by sharing this Facebook event!   The 2012 Fracking Day of Action is sponsored by: Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, EARTHWORKS, Environmental Advocates of New York, Riverkeeper, Gas Drilling Awareness for Cortland County (GDACC), and Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter.
  • 1/06/2012 - Get your gardens ready for spring from experts.  Free local event and please register: February 8th, 2012 6:30pm Winter Garden Symposium Wide Water Gardens, The City of Rochester and the Monroe Library are teaming up to help you get ready for the 2012 gardening season. Come to swap seeds, pick up free plant materials, rent a community garden plot and get all kinds of great gardening tips. No experience required! Reservations appreciated, so adequate materials can be provided.
  • 1/06/2012 - Good environmental tour and program coming up: " Saturday, Jan.14, 10-11:30 AM | Directions:  Entrance to the Grove by the Reservoir.  Park by the Pine Trees at the top of the hill. BARKING UP THE RIGHT TREES - Learn how to identify 10 different species of trees, just from their bark and branches!  We'll wander among the mighty giants of the Washington Grove forest at Cobb's Hill Park, with oaks and tulip trees, standing like columns in an ancient temple.  Your guide, a brother of these trees, having grown up with them since 1952, will help you pinpoint the clues needed to call their names and understand their life stories such as lighting strikes and ice storms. He has promised to eat his hat if you can't name the trees when you finish. You'll also see how the City is working to protect the Grove and control the invasion of invasive plants such as Norway maples.  Easy walk with little elevation change on well groomed trails.    Warm (insulated) boots and wool socks recommended. Dress really warm. Leader:  Peter Debes "
  • 1/06/2012 - What being done by whom on one of the greatest Invasive Species threat to the Great Lakes, the Asian Carp?  Keep up on this issue here:     AsianCarp.us - Leading the way in Asian carp control and management. "Welcome to Asiancarp.us, where you can find up-to-date information on the efforts to keep Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. Interest and involvement from the public is essential to preventing the spread of this formidable invasive species. We hope this site provides a useful tool for you learn more about Asian carp, as well as the multi-tiered and collaborative actions underway to keep them from establishing in the Great Lakes, and how you can participate in this effort. "
  • 1/06/2012 - Finding that Green Job in our region.  Here’s some good advice and information finding jobs that help our environment and you too.    A First Hand Account of the Hunt | Happenings "A “green job” can mean many things to different people. According to the New York State Department of Labor there are three types of green jobs. First, “green economic activities” include undertakings that produce goods or deliver services that increase energy efficiency or generate renewable energy. Second, a “green employer” is one engaged in targeted green economic activity, such as retrofitting buildings or generating power from wind energy. Lastly, a “green employee” is a worker engaged in producing green products or services. " (January 3, 2012 Happenings | the monthly newsletter of the Finger Lakes Institute
  • 1/06/2012 - Save energy for you and our planet: A Free Home Energy Workshop Tuesday, January 17, 2012 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at Penfield Town Hall 3100 Atlantic Ave. Penfield NY Free Home Energy Workshop Tuesday, January 17 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm Penfield Town Hall 3100 Atlantic Avenue, Penfield, NY
  • 1/06/2012 - Unfortunately, politics as practiced in the United States has gone haywire on the understanding of Climate Change.  President Obama doesn’t want to say “Climate Change” in his State of the Union Address, and the Republican’s dismiss Climate Change as a hoax.  We need our country, as all countries must, to rid ourselves of an attitude of denial, dismissal, and ignorance of Climate Change in our political system.  All branches of government, regardless of who is in charge, are going to have to preserve and protect our country through the lens of Climate Change.  This site helps expose Climate Change denial in our political system.   The Climate Desk | A journalistic collaboration dedicated to exploring the impact—human, environmental, economic, political—of a changing climate. "The Climate Desk is a journalistic collaboration dedicated to exploring the impact—human, environmental, economic, political—of a changing climate. The partners are The Atlantic, Center for Investigative Reporting, Grist, Mother Jones, Slate, Wired, and PBS's new public-affairs show Need To Know. "
  • 1/05/2012 - Find out how our public health is going to change with Climate Change in our region--Climate Change Threatens Health: New York—because of Air Pollution, Extreme Heat, Infections Diseases, Drought, and Flooding by using this mapping tool from Natural Resources Defense Council – The Earth’s Best Defense | NRDC:    Global Warming Effects and Threats on Human Health | NRDC "Climate change is one of the most serious public health threats facing the nation, but few people are aware of how it can affect them. Children, the elderly, and communities living in poverty are among the most vulnerable. Click on a state on the map for more information on climate-health threats, actions being taken to prepare communities, and what you can do. "
  • 1/05/2012 - Check out this environmental course at MCC and get an idea how our environment works: "A unique course offering from Monroe Community College in 2012:  Field Studies in the Geosciences - the Grand Canyon Region   GEO 195 (Field Studies in the Geosciences - the Grand Canyon Region) is a 4-credit hour field-based Geology course that focuses on students learning about the natural environment of the American Southwest through a hands-on, field work approach.   From March 12th through May 14th (except April 9th) there will be class meetings on Monday evenings to cover fundamental material and learn observational techniques, in preparation for the field portion, described below.   From July 9 - 19th, the group will travel to the American Southwest, visiting the following locations:         Hoover Dam/Lake Powell       Barringer Crater impact site       Sunset Crater volcanic field       Grand Canyon National Park, on the Colorado River for six days/nights       Red Rocks State Park in southern Nevada   There are no college level course prerequisites for this course. However, registration is "by permission of instructor only" and interested parties should contact:   Dan Robertson Assistant Professor of Geology Monroe Community College drobertson@monroecc.edu 292-2422   Details on the travel portion of the course can be found at this website:  General Information   Gratefully, Daniel Robertson Chair, Chemistry and Geosciences Monroe Community College "
  • 1/04/2012 - NYS Fracking decision looms; it’s getting intense Three years ago I had never heard of Hydraulic fracturing (Fracking), until it was brought up at a Sierra Club conference I attended.  Someone at the meeting said then that this issue will be big in New York State.  Still, even a year ago it was barely mentioned in the Rochester, NY region—as the local media failed to mention for a long time that Fracking regulations  are being shaped for both the Marcellus Shale and the Utica Shale, which includes Rochester, NY. .  Now, things are getting intense.  Even the governor is going to feel the heat: more...
  • 1/04/2012 - Transportation accounts for 27% of greenhouse gas emissions in the US.  Here in Rochester, NY we encourage you to bike for those short distances.  Here’s a program that will help:   Bicycle Benefits is now here in Rochester | Rochester Cycling Alliance "Bicycle Benefits is now here in Rochester  Happy New Year, cyclists! The fantastic nation-wide program Bicycle Benefits is now here in Rochester. Kick off 2012 by getting your $5 membership helmet sticker at participating locations, and then ride your bike to other participating businesses to receive your discount on products and services. The first local business to join was Park Ave. Bikes (thank you, Andy!); other recent businesses joining include Java’s, Callan-Harris Physical Therapy, and the Owl House. You can read more about the program at http://www.bicyclebenefits.org  Click on “New York” on the left side of the home page, and then on “Rochester,” and you will find new businesses added as they join. You can also see the location of each business as well as the details about the discounts offered. If you know of any businesses that would like to join, please contact us at the RCA, or the business can contact Bicycle Benefits directly. It is virtually a cost-free program for businesses, and is one that encourages cleaner air, personal health, and the use of pedaling energy in order to create a more sustainable community. Please join us to help make Bicycle Benefits a success in the Flower City. And let’s put more people on bikes and continue to bring active transportation to Rochester! The Rochester Cycling Alliance Board of Directors" Rochester Cycling Alliance
  • 1/03/2012 - Get the big picture.  Carl Sagan the great scientist and science communicator used to ask, Who shall speak for Planet Earth?  Of course, we human are the only ones who can: Spaceship Earth: A new view of environmentalism - The Washington Post Spaceship Earth enters 2012 belching smoke, overheating and burning through fuel at a frightening rate. It’s feeling pretty crowded, and the crew is mutinous. No one’s at the helm. Sure, it’s an antiquated metaphor. It’s also an increasingly apt way to discuss a planet with 7 billion people, a global economy, a World Wide Web, climate change, exotic organisms running amok and all sorts of resource shortages and ecological challenges. (January 2, 2012) Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis