RENewsletter | April 4, 2010

 

The Free environmental newsletter from RochesterEnvironment.com

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

[3/28/2010 – 4/04/2010]

 

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* Found an important Rochester environmental story from a credible source that you think needs attention? Or, an Environmental Event, Please, send me the link. If you think this newsletter, continually informing our community on our local environmental news, events, actions, is worthwhile, please encourage others to sign up.

 

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

 

 

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Opening Salvo:  “Is Our Local Environment Collapsing?”

 

One of the great environmental concepts of our time is the realization that environmental collapse can occur so slowly that you would hardly notice it.  Unless, of course, you are looking for it.  We should appreciate that in this fast-paced world, where mankind has mostly developed it to his liking, because we are more likely to forget (or not even notice) important milestones along the way to environmental degradation.  If we allow only our picture of today’s environment to define our definition of a healthy environment, we could be missing important clues about the true direction our environmental is sliding.

 

Saturday, I attended a talk by Dr. Jared Diamond at Monroe Community College about environmental collapse.  Mostly, Diamond talked about the collapse of the Easter Island society after it endured for 800 years. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  Long ago Easter Island had a thriving human culture and a vast forest. Then, the last tree was chopped down in 1880.  Then, the culture collapsed to a population of one hundred people. Now, the Easter Island plight is a metaphor for the delicate fragility of Earth itself and how we might be destroying it piecemeal like the Easter Islanders.

 

Again, this long-ago collapse occurred so slowly, through generations, that no one single generation was able to see the complete picture.  At any one point along the 800 years of human culture on that remote island, things would have looked fine as the inhabitants chopped trees down for rope and rolling logs for their huge statues for which the island is now known. 

 

Take this notion of the Easter Island collapse home.  Maybe it has something to teach us here.  We know that Rochester’s environment was a sustainable environment five hundred years ago. Things were humming along fine, the forest filled with birds, other wondrous creature, and the streams full of fish. (It was probably not an Eden, for the mosquitoes must have been murder.)  But, since that time human population and development has profoundly altered all that.  My question: Are we somewhere along the Easter Island-like collapse continuum where we cannot ‘see’ where we are headed?

 

Granted we still have many trees, though they are fewer of them and many are plagued by invasive diseases.  We’ve got fish in our steams and lakes, but they’re infested with disease, mercury, and pollution—not to mention many fish populations are artificially maintained by yearly stocking.  Our air is breathable, but filled with ozone, sooty particulates, toxins, heavy metals like lead, and warming up by Climate Change.  And, we have a productive soil, though it is filled with material from old Brownfields, heavy metals, pesticides, and trash.  As for our water, make sure it’s been officially treated before you drink it.

 

Even with all our environmental laws and restrictions and a media ready to pounce on any big toxic spill, do we really have a clear picture or our environment’s health?  Or, are we merely running around plugging all the most obvious environmental holes thinking the last several years the only model we need concern ourselves with?

 

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]

 

• 1000 Top Toxic Corporate Air Polluters
• Curbing GHG from Vehicles

• A Great Lakes State's Phosphorus Ban
• DEC: Preventing Invasive Species
• Failure at Petroleum Coke  Facility
• Eco Car Wars
• Wind Power Develop Rochester
• Climate Change - Are We Paralyzed?
• Didn't Get Asian Carp in Great Lakes
• Wind Conference
• Volunteer Stream Cleanup
• Green Business Rochester
• Cap and Trade - an Analysis
• Recycling Down in Ontario Co.
• Causes for Bee Colony Collapse Disorder
• Fuel - Carbon Monoxide Reduction
• What Climate Change Will Mean for Us
• More Wind Farms in our Area
• Diesel Emissions Compliance
• Wind Power Conference Rochester
• Marcellus Drilling Issue
• Albany Public Meeting on Future Grid
• Rochester's Earth Hour
• Lead Paint Issue in Niagara
• Constructed Wetlands
• Local View: Climate Change

 

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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.]

 

• 4/03/2010 - Good Point: No one should be mowing Trash: www.WHEC.com - Who picks up the trash? The question is, now that the snow is melting, whose job is it to pick up all the garbage along roadways before the tractors come out to mow? (April 2, 2010) www.WHEC.com - Rochester, NY News
• 4/03/2010 - Local Toxic Air Releases: Eastman Kodak Co. is 9th of PERI - Political Economy Research Institute: Toxic 100 Air Polluters "Toxic score: Population health risk from air releases and incineration transfers reported to the US Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) for the 2006 Reporting Year, as computed by the US EPA's Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI ver. 2.2.0) from quantity released, toxicity of chemicals, and population exposure.  Data are adjusted by the Corporate Toxics Information Project for subsequent revisions to TRI data. Source: US EPA and Corporate Toxics Information Project (CTIP). "
• 4/03/2010 - Drilling News: See the environmental story all environmentalists are talking about this week.  Why did President Obama do it?   Obama energy plan would open Atlantic and Gulf drilling - CNN.com President Obama unveiled plans Wednesday to open large swaths of U.S. coastal waters in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico to oil and natural gas drilling -- a move likely to please the energy industry but upset the administration's environmentalist supporters. (April 1, 2010) CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News
• 4/03/2010 - From the EPA: Earth Day is April 22, 2010   April 22 is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, and this is EPA's 40th anniversary year, so we’ve planned a very special month!  Start by checking out our newly redesigned Earth Day web site.  Lots of cool things you can do to participate in and celebrate Earth Day – Earth Day, April 22, 2010 | US EPA.  Go ahead – get involved:  commit, take action, share!
• 4/03/2010 - Useful Environmental Information: What is a State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR)? Why do you need one? Where do you get one? SEQR - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation "Environmental Impact Assessment in New York State In New York State, most projects or activities proposed by a state agency or unit of local government, and all discretionary approvals (permits) from a NYS agency or unit of local government, require an environmental impact assessment as prescribed by 6 NYCRR Part 617 State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR). [Statutory authority: Environmental Conservation Law Sections 3-0301(1)(b), 3-0301(2)(m) and 8-0113]. SEQR requires the sponsoring or approving governmental body to identify and mitigate the significant environmental impacts of the activity it is proposing or permitting. We standardized our environmental assessments by using the Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) and special guidance documents which you may download with instructions using the links on this page. "
• 4/01, 2010 - Will there be a Phosphorus Ban Law here?  We know that the overuse of phosphorus has causes unwanted and unhealthy algae growth, which is affecting the environmental health of the Great Lakes.  And, now one state is restricting fertilizers containing phosphorus. But, that’s only one state.  There are five Great Lakes and several states and two countries surround the Great Lakes. What good will one state restricting fertilizers containing phosphorus do for our environment?  Our environment works as a whole, and the Great Lakes is a system of lakes, eventually flowing to Lake Ontario, through the St. Lawrence River and out to the ocean. If we are going to try and solve environmental problems, how can we solve our environmental issues by continually carving up our environment with manmade boundaries, instead of Nature’s? My point, in order to solve the phosphorus problem in the Great Lakes, won’t all the states and the US and Canada have to pass such laws?  Phosphorus law in effect today | htrnews.com | Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter Use of compound in fertilizer for home lawns to be restricted  | The phosphorus ban, signed into law last year by Gov. Jim Doyle, prohibits the use and sale of fertilizers containing phosphorus, but includes several exceptions on both the selling and application of fertilizers. (April 1, 2010)
• 4/02/2010 - Nearing Earth Day: Most organizations, especially environmental organizations, universities, etc., are having an Earth Day celebration and you should check out one or two to remind yourself of our environmental situation. But, Cornell University goes a step further and makes April Sustainability Month: Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future - Events - Cornell Sustainability Month 2nd Annual Cornell Sustainability Month - April 2010, features 30+ events WHAT:   2nd Annual Cornell Sustainability Month Features 30+ Events WHEN:   April 2010 WHERE:  Cornell Campus and Ithaca Community (view full list at www.ccsf.cornell.edu/april2010/  ) ITHACA, N.Y. - The Cornell Sustainability Office ( www.sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/  ) and Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future ( www.ccsf.cornell.edu  ) are promoting April 2010 as the "2nd Annual Cornell Sustainability Month", with over 30 public campus and community events, related to the breadth of sustainability activities at Cornell.  Building on President Skorton's commitment for Cornell to be climate neutral by 2050 and the recent news that Cornell will 'Go Beyond  Coal' in 2011,  this year's Sustainability Month theme is 'Climate Action and U'.
• 4/01/2010 - Studies on the consequences of Climate Change – It’s about time.  We should be funding and conducting studies of the possible consequences of Climate Change because we are a prudent, intelligent species that wants to endure. Regardless of what we actually do about Climate Change, it’s going to occur in some degree because we have waited so long to do something on a scale that would matter to our climate.  Climate Change is the biggest challenge we have at present because it will determine the outcome of everything else we do.  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 Feds to study animal climate change risks - UPI.com RESTON, Va., March 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. government says it is funding 17 projects to better understand future climate change conditions and their effects on fish and other wildlife. (March 30, 2010) http://www.upi.com/
• 4/01/2010 - Know your Soil: How healthy is our soil? Web Soil Survey Web Soil Survey (WSS) provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. It is operated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and provides access to the largest natural resource information system in the world. NRCS has soil maps and data available online for more than 95 percent of the nation’s counties and anticipates having 100 percent in the near future. The site is updated and maintained online as the single authoritative source of soil survey information.
• 3/31/2010 - Learn about how societies collapse: I highly recommend going to this lecture and learning about the fundamental issue of environmental collapse and how we humans often miss it before it’s too late. I think Dr. Diamond’s ideas should be heard and understood by all in order to appreciate the breath of environmental concerns facing us today.   Pulitzer Prize Winner DR. JARED DIAMOND  | Author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse, Diamond is the epitome of the celebrity scientist. His lectures routinely draw thousands of rapt listeners who walk away with a deeper and more nuanced view of the development of human civilization and the continued gulf between rich and poor in the global community His lectures tackle the giant questions. Why do some societies thrive and prosper, while others shrivel and die? How can humanity maximize the opportunity for human happiness, while saving the planet from ecological ruin and collapse? Are there lessons we can learn from other great civilizations who have grown to world dominance? Currently a professor of geography at UCLA, Diamond is also the author of two other bestselling books, The Third Chimpanzee and Why Is Sex Fun? He has received some of the world's most prestigious awards, including a MacArthur Genius Grant and the National Medal of Science, America's highest civilian award in science. Part of the second annual Scholar's Day! Held in: Monroe A & B in the Warshof Conference Center of the R. Thomas Flynn Campus Center 1000 East Henrietta Road, Building 3 Rochester, NY 14623
• 3/31/2010 - Have we thought it out? Drilling for Gas in the Marcellus Gas Shale: Have we considered all the factors involved with a large-scale natural gas drilling boom in our region, or are we going to just go ahead and do it?  Here’s a thoughtful consideration about the possible consequences of such a massive environmental undertaking in our region.    "Gasland" . NOW on PBS "Will the boom in natural gas drilling contaminate America's water supply? | In the debate over energy resources, natural gas is often considered a "lesser-of-evils". While it does release some greenhouse gases, natural gas burns cleaner than coal and oil, and is in plentiful supply—parts of the U.S. sit above some of the largest natural gas reserves on Earth. But a new boom in natural gas drilling, a process called "fracking", raises concerns about health and environmental risks. "
• 3/31/2010 - Environmental Compromises: This ‘compromise’ to dill oil along the Easter coast of the US is not a compromise.  It is a give-away to the fears that we cannot solve our Climate Change and energy problems except to give into the very forces that are holding our environment hostage.  Producing more oil and burning it for energy is going to warm the planet future and probably inflict an environmental disaster when a spill occurs.  There will be oil spills. President Obama has learned the art of compromise to address environmental problems—except neither the oil companies nor Nature are inclined to compromise.  As a matter of fact, Nature never does.  Spill oil creatures die.  Put greenhouse gases into the atmosphere it warms up.      Obama to Open Offshore Areas to Oil Drilling for First Time - NYTimes.com WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is proposing to open vast expanses of water along the Atlantic coastline, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the north coast of Alaska to oil and natural gas drilling, much of it for the first time, officials said Tuesday. (March 31, 2010) The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia
• 3/31/2010 - Consumerism and our Environment: How do consumer cultures affect and sustain themselves? Learn how to move away from consumerism and toward sustainability.  State of the World 2010: Transforming Cultures | Worldwatch Institute "Worldwatch's flagship annual remains the most authoritative "go-to" resource for those who understand the importance of nurturing a safe, sane, and healthy global environment through both policy and action. " - Worldwatch Institute | Vision for a Sustainable World
• 3/30/2010 - Climate Change How Far should We take it? Circa the American Civil War our atmosphere contained about 250ppb (parts per billion) molecules of carbon dioxide.  Carbon Dioxide is the main contributor of greenhouse gases.  350ppb is considered the safe level by climate scientists.  Now, we are hearing that our count is 390ppb.  Should we do something about this, or just argue how many carbon dioxide molecules can dance on the head of our future? Q&A: Bill McKibben on CO2 and the Future - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com Bill McKibben, an environmentalist and long-time advocate for action on climate change, believes we can still reverse the growing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration now estimates at 390 parts per million. (March 26, 2010) The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia 
• 3/29/2010 - Be a part of the Solution: If Your Grid Is Dirty , your energy is dirty.  Attend this free meeting in Albany and help make sure our electrical grid is green.   New York ISO 2010 Symposium 2010 NYISO  Symposium Planning the Sustainable Grid of the Future – Reliable, Cleaner, Greener, Smarter, April 27, 2010 – Desmond Hotel, Albany, NY | Timely topics in energy The NYISO symposium will bring together thought-leaders from across the country to discuss a range of topics critical to the energy future of New York, the Northeast, and the Nation. The day-long event features speakers and three panel discussions that will focus on: Developing Broader Regional Markets The Carbon Constrained Economy Enhanced Interregional Planning Register now. The event is free, however space is limited. "
• 3/29/2010 - Safe Transportation: Learn about the growing movement to increase the healthy benefits of walking to school and reducing the risk. Safe Routes to School National Partnership  "The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is a network of more than 400 nonprofit organizations, government agencies, schools, and professionals working together to advance the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) movement in the United States. SRTS can provide a variety of important benefits to children and their communities, including increasing physical activity, reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, and enhancing neighborhood safety. "

 

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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.

 

April 2010

 

• Tuesday, April  6 at 7 p.m. | The screenings, held at WXXI's Studios (280 State Street, Rochester, NY),
  • ANNOUNCING: DIRT! The Movie   Please join WXXI for Community Cinema, a free monthly screening series that features films from the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens. The screenings, held at WXXI's Studios (280 State Street, Rochester, NY), will be followed by lively panel discussions that bring together citizens and organizations to encourage dialogue and action around important and timely social issues.   On Tuesday, April  6 at 7 p.m. WXXI will present its second of four Community Cinema screenings, Dirt! The Movie a film by Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow. Inspired by William Bryant Logan’s acclaimed book Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, find out how industrial farming, mining and urban development have led us toward cataclysmic droughts, starvation, floods and climate change. Dirt is a part of everything we eat, drink and breathe. Which is why we should stop treating it like, well…dirt.   Trailer: Dirt! The Movie
• Wed, 4/7/2010 | Fairport Village Hall at 31 S. Main Street.
  • Fairport Police Dept. will be collecting unused prescription medications. The labels need to be intact and all meds put into a plastic bag. Location: the Fairport Village Hall at 31 S. Main Street. (585)697-1817, or you can go to www.fairport.org /parents. Also drop off EMPTY medicine containers, to be donated to InterVol. http://intervol.org/ 
• April 10th, 2010 10AM - 2:00PM | Email or call today to register your family, group of friends, club, organization, scout troop, or class! Contact Ryan Loysen at rloysen@monroecounty.gov or 585-753-7281.
  • We're passing on this request from Monroe County Parks : Pick Up the Parks A new initiative from the Monroe County Department of Parks April 10th, 2010  Join us and several local recreation and environmental groups in kicking off this new local stewardship event. In this first year, we will be targeting 4 parks: Ellison, Genesee Valley, Greece Canal, and Ontario Beach Parks for clean up and other park improvements. Why just four? As you know there are 21 parks within the Monroe County Parks system. As it’s a first year event, we wanted to identify popular parks that could also accommodate our widespread community. We welcome your ideas for future projects and will certainly add more parks to the event as community support grows.   Email or call today to register your family, group of friends, club, organization, scout troop, or class! Contact Ryan Loysen at rloysen@monroecounty.gov or 585-753-7281.   Be sure to tell us your group size, preferred park, e-mail address, and phone number, or just come on out to one of the project sites on April 10th and register on-site. Orientation begins at 10 a.m. at each project site with refreshments and additional information. Group projects and field work will begin at 10:30 a.m.   The Monroe County Parks belong to all of us, so let’s join together to keep them clean and green. Check back for additional event details, meet-up locations and park information at www.monroecounty.gov/parks 
• Saturday 4/10 10 am – 4 pm. | Town of Pittsford at the Community Library (Main St).
  • Earth Day Celebration sponsored by Town of Pittsford at the Community Library (Main St). Environmental experts & learn to be more “green”. Seminars on 4/8. See http://townofpittsford.org.
• Saturday, April 10, 9:30 am – 4 pm | Canoga Marsh and Kuneytown Sportsmens Club, Fayette NY.
  • Our Wetlands Protect Us - Help to Protect Them Members of the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network and the general public are encouraged to attend our annual spring conference! WHAT: A restored wetland tour and conference for the public, with expert speakers and panelists, free of charge. WHEN: Saturday, April 10, 9:30 am – 4 pm. WHERE: Canoga Marsh and Kuneytown Sportsmens Club, Fayette NY. 9:30 am: Guided Tour of the Canoga Creek Conservancy’s Canoga Marsh Restoration project. Meet Keith Tidball between 9:15-9:30 at 3208 State Route 89, two miles south of Cayuga Lake State Park. 12:00 noon: Lunch (optional, cash) at Kuneytown Sportsmens Club (3735 Hoster Rd, Fayette). 1:00 pm: Presentations at Kuneytown Sportmens Club begin at 1 pm, with a break for coffee and snacks, followed by a panel discussion. 4:00 pm: Cash bar open for mixing and mingling.  PRESENTATIONS: • 1:00 pm - Tom Jasikoff, Montezuma Refuge: Keynote Address • 1:35 pm - Keith Tidball, Canoga Creek Conservancy & Cornell University, Civic Ecology Lab: Citizen Wetlands Restoration • 2:00 pm - Andy Buss, Applied Ecological Services, Inc.: Corporate Wetlands Restoration • 2:25 pm - BREAK: Cookies, fruit, beverage courtesy of the CLW Intermunicipal Organization • 2:35 pm - Jon Negley: Farm Wetlands Management • 3:00 pm - Panel discussion including above speakers and Kris West, Finger Lakes Land Trust; Darby Kiley, Tompkins County Water Resources Council and IO; Peter Kleinman, Agricultural Research Service; Dan Delawyer, Ducks Unlimited. • 4:00 pm - Cash bar and informal discussions following the conference WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Farmers, landowners, sportsmen and women, municipal officials and community leaders, interested public, and agency personnel. Information and expertise will be available for landowners seeking information. Check the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network’s Website for details and directions www.cayugalake.org Contact: steward@cayugalake.org Co-sponsored by the Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization www.cayugawatershed.org  ====
• Monday, April 12, 2010 from 8:30 AM till 4:00 PM | Golisano Institute for Sustainability at RIT
  • Green Infrastructure Workshop - Stormwater Management Challenges in Upstate New York Monday, April 12, 2010 from 8:30 AM till 4:00 PM Golisano Institute for Sustainability at RIT Green Infrastructure is highlights the importance of the natural environment in decisions about land use planning. In particular there is an emphasis on the "life support" functions provided by a network of natural ecosystems, with an emphasis on interconnectivity to support long term sustainability. -more at CEI: Center for Environmental Information
• Wednesday, April 14, 2010 (the week before Earth Day) from 6:00-8:00 PM | Where: Victor Primary School, front and cafeteria entrances 953 High Street, Victor 14564
  • The Victor PTSA Environment Committee is pleased to announce its Third Annual Earth Day Celebration, to be held on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 (the week before Earth Day) from 6:00-8:00 PM at Victor Primary School. This is a new location for us this year.  This community event is open to the public free of charge and is a great way to promote area businesses and organizations to Victor/Farmington families and those visiting from surrounding areas. In the past, the event has been advertised in the media and has been a great success, drawing hundreds of people. We will be inviting over 100 vendors to participate, including Seneca Park Zoo, who will bring live animals. We also plan to expand our celebration with the participation of more students and classes, who are invited to bring environment-related projects for display. Again, we will hold a raffle and have craft activities for the kids and snacks for purchase.  We promise it will be an exciting night of learning about the earth and the things we can all do to live in more sustainable ways.   Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2010   Time: 6:00-8:00 PM.  Location: Victor Primary School, front and cafeteria entrances 953 High Street, Victor 14564   We hope you can attend!
• Wednesday, April 14, 2010, 7:30 p.m.  |Buffalo  Canisius College Koessler Athletic Center (Main and Delavan),
  • Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE Founder – the Jane Goodall Institute UN Messenger of Peace  Doors open at 6:30pm.  Seating is limited. Canisius College Koessler Athletic Center (Main and Delavan) Free and open to the public.  All members of the community are welcome.
• Friday, April 16, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. |Hoyt Auditorium , River Campus Reception to follow immediately in Havens Lounge, Wilson Commons, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 
  • Toxic Torts and Retorts The Trials and Tribulations of a Historian in the Courtroom Keynote Speaker David Rosner, Ph.D. Ronald H. Lauterstein Professor of Sociomedical Science & Professor of History at Columbia University Co-Director of the Center for the History of Public Health at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health Friday, April 16, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. Hoyt Auditorium , River Campus Reception to follow immediately in Havens Lounge, Wilson Commons
• APRIL 16, 2010 | The Links at Erie Village, E. Syracuse, N.Y
  • "THE ENERGY HIGHWAY " Efficient, Secure, Reliable & Environmentally Sensitive Transmission & Distribution of Electricity This may be the most important Energy Symposium of the Year! Don't miss it!   Join leaders in government, business, environment and academia for the Sixth Annual Symposium on Energy in the 21st Century.Speakers will include: *Thomas King, President & CEO National Grid,  *Richard Kessel,  President & CEO, NYPA   *Frank Murray, President & CEO, NYSERDA  *Garry Brown, Chairman, PSC  *Samir Succar, Senior Energy Analyst, NRDC  *Carol Murphy, Executive Director,             Alliance for Clean Energy New York * Congressman Paul Tonko * Kit Kennedy, Deputy Attorney General for Environment   This is the Sixth Year we are bringing you a Symposium on Energy and each one is even more spectacular than the previous.  Town Supervisors, Mayors, City and Town Planners, College Presidents, faculty and students from two  dozen colleges, representatives from 50 municipalities, business owners, architects, engineers, governmental staff and just interested citizens have made up the 350 attendees.  We have kept the registration fee at $40, including breakfast and lunch. The new venue provides adequate parking but we still may have to cap attendance so reserve your space now.   Check out the entire program and Register online today at "THE ENERGY HIGHWAY "  There are also excellent optional tours:      *ESF - Wood Chips to Ethanol Process *Fenner Wind Farm *Morrisville Biodigester *Fitzpatrick Nuclear Plant              ***NEW TOUR***  *National Grid Distribution & Training Center    Don't miss this event and register now. Looking forward to hearing from you. Rhea   Dr. Rhea Jezer Chair, Symposium on Energy in the 21st Century Senior Lecturer, Cazenovia College Adjunct Associate Professor, SUNY ESF 315-727-0123 rjezer@gmail.com   
• Monday April 19, 4:30-5:30 p.m. | Kennedy Hall, Call Auditorium, Cornell University, Cornell, NY
  • Monday April 19, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Kennedy Hall, Call Auditorium Dr. James E. Hansen (NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University's Earth Institute) Global Climate Change, What Must We Do Next   Climate change scientist, and author of Storms of My Grandchildren, will deliver the  Jill and Kenneth Iscol Distinguished Environmental Lecture.   The Iscol Lecture brings prominent scholars, newsmakers, scientists, and leaders to Cornell to address environmental issues of paramount importance to humankind. Recognizing scholarship on the frontiers of scientific inquiry, the Iscol Lecture provides opportunities for Cornell students, faculty, staff, and the public to gain new knowledge about pressing environmental issues. A faculty award committee, representing a cross-section of academic disciplines, annually selects the Jill and Ken Iscol Distinguished Environmental Lecturer. 2010 Iscol Lecturer James E. Hansen April 19, 2010 Dr. Hansen is director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, and Adjunct Professor at Columbia Universitys Earth Institute.   An active researcher in planetary atmospheres and climate science for nearly 40 years, Hansen is best known for his Congressional testimonies on climate change that widely elevated the awareness of global warming, and is noted as one of the world's most famous climatologists.   Hansen's work has evolved from space science to climate science. His early research on Venus clouds led to their identification as sulfuric acid. Since the late 1970s, he has worked on computer simulations of Earth's atmosphere to gauge the human impact on global climate.
• ACTION : Due Date: Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM New York State Capitol Albany, NY
  • Earth Day Lobby Day 2010 "Join hundreds of environmentalists from across the state in advocating for measures to protect our air, water, land and health.   No lobbying experience needed! Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM New York State Capitol Albany, NY New York’s environmental resources are being threatened now as they never have been before.   Please join us for the 20th annual Earth Day Lobby Day in Albany, New York! Hear from government and environmental leaders, learn about current legislation, and lobby your state law-makers on environmental issues that are important to you. This event is free and open to the public, but you must preregister to attend. Sign up now for Earth Day Lobby Day by clicking here! " -The event is being sponsored by Audubon New York, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Environmental Advocates of New York, the New York Public Interest Research Group, Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, and other organizations.
• Thursday, April 22, 2010 - 5PM - 8:30 PM| at the First Unitarian Church, 220 Winton Rd South, Rochester NY. 
  • The Rochester Regional Group of the Sierra Club is pleased to announce its 12th Annual Forum, which will be an interactive event, Transitioning to Sustainable Communities. This is Rochester’s premier environmental event promoting individual and organizational networking.   Our speaker, Tina Clarke, has been a consultant with the Sustainability Institute (www.sustainer.org) and Bill McKibben’s 350.org (www.350.org) and is a certified Transition Towns Trainer (www.transitiontowns.org).  She will describe the latest thinking on the “Triple Challenge” of Peak Oil, Climate Change and Economic Instability.  She will share inspiring stories, models and methods that communities are using to “transition” to a more resilient future.   Following Tina’s presentation, we will form Facilitated Discussion Groups to encourage discussion by all participants, stimulate new ideas, raise questions and explore answers.  We hope to spark interest and creative thinking and offer people an opportunity to identify and join an organization working on these issues.   The Forum will be on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at the First Unitarian Church, 220 Winton Rd South, Rochester NY.  As always the Forum is free and open to the public.
• Thu 4/23/2010 5:30p-8p -Imagine It - 565 Blossom Road, Suite D
  • Green Drinks (3rd Thursday) at Imagine It - 565 Blossom Road, Suite D. Everything is free, your only admission is material to be recycled to benefit CEI (Center for Environmental Information). For info, contact Kimie Romeo kimie@imaginerecycling.com  or 585-545-9022.
• Saturday, April 24 9am - 12 pm  | Penfield, NY
  • Penfield Environmental Day Saturday, April 24 9am - 12 pm Penfield Community Center Community volunteers will be assigned areas throughout town to pick up litter & winter refuse. Groups or individuals can sign up by calling (585) 340-8651
• Saturday, April 24th from 10 – 2 | at   Hamlin Beach State Park Area #4
  • Earth Day at Hamlin Beach State Park Mark your calendars, the 3rd annual Earth Day event at Hamlin   Beach State Park will be held Saturday, April 24th from 10 – 2 at   Hamlin Beach State Park Area #4.  This collaborative effort   between the Hamlin Conservation Board, Hamlin Beach State Park   and the Environmental Sciences Department at SUNY Brockport   will feature many activities including environmental information   booths and presentations, walking tours, an organized beach clean-   up and our popular tree seedling give-away. With free   refreshments and free admission into the park, this is a fun and   educational family event you won’t want to miss.
• Sunday April , 25 1-4pm. | Jewish Comm. Fed. (441 East Ave).
  • Recycle and Reuse Earth Day sponsored by Rochester’s Interfaith Community. Bring pharmaceuticals, electronics, # 5 plastics to Jewish Comm. Fed. (441 East Ave). Bring sneakers, shoes, boots and clothing to Third Presbyterian Church (4 Meigs St at East Ave). Call Isobel 461-0490 x235 or igoldman@jewishrochester.org.
• Tuesday, April 27nd, at  4:30 PM – 6 PM  | at the AAUW house, 494 East Ave, Rochester, NY
  • Zero Waste Committee:  How can the Rochester, NY area recycle more and waste less?  Come on over and find out what we’re doing, thinking, and who we’re networking with on this issue. Join up and get our notices at  Rochester Zero Waste Committee. We are working on several projects, including how to let the public know where and how to recycle. –from the Rochester Regional Group Sierra Club | Sierra Club
• April 27, 2010  | Desmond Hotel, Albany, NY
  • If Your Grid Is Dirty , your energy is dirty.  Attend this free meeting in Albany and help make sure our electrical grid is green.   New York ISO 2010 Symposium 2010 NYISO  Symposium Planning the Sustainable Grid of the Future – Reliable, Cleaner, Greener, Smarter, April 27, 2010 – Desmond Hotel, Albany, NY | Timely topics in energy The NYISO symposium will bring together thought-leaders from across the country to discuss a range of topics critical to the energy future of New York, the Northeast, and the Nation. The day-long event features speakers and three panel discussions that will focus on: Developing Broader Regional Markets The Carbon Constrained Economy Enhanced Interregional Planning Register now. The event is free, however space is limited. "

 

May 2010

 

• Saturday, May 1, 2010 from 10am to 5pm, rain or shine | Imagine RIT takes place throughout RIT’s campus in Henrietta, NY.
  • RIT - Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival is a campus-wide event that showcases the innovative and creative spirit of RIT students, faculty and staff. Visitors experience the breadth and depth of RIT through interactive presentations, hands-on demonstrations, exhibitions, and research projects set up throughout campus. Inflatables, games and multiple performance stages with live music and entertainment are also a hit with visitors of all ages. Held annually each spring, Imagine RIT is the annual kickoff to Rochester’s rich festival season. Date & Time: Saturday, May 1, 2010 from 10am to 5pm, rain or shine. Cost: Free and open to the public! Location: Imagine RIT takes place throughout RIT’s campus in Henrietta, NY.
• Saturday May 1, 2010 Time: Challenge begins at 9:00 AM | RIT - Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival
  • Dr. Destler’s Green Vehicle Challenge About the Challenge Date: Saturday May 1, 2010 Time: Challenge begins at 9:00 AM Course: Approximately 3 miles beginning at the Simone Circle, participants will take Andrew’s Memorial Drive to S-Lot and return to the Simone Circle. Click here to view a PDF of the course.
• Saturday 5/1 10 am – 2 pm. | Bring bikes to Pittsford Mendon High School parking lot (Rte 64). 
  • Bike Drive sponsored by Rotary Club of Pittsford. Bring bikes to Pittsford Mendon High School parking lot (Rte 64). Info 329-4319. http://www.rcommunitybikes.net.
• May 1, 2010  9:00 AM to 5:00 PM | Dryden Theatre, George Eastman House 900 East Avenue, Rochester, NY
  • Symposium Main Page | Rochester Zen Center TURNING TOWARD THE EARTH: A Conversation with Leading Environmentalists and Buddhists May 1, 2010  9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Dryden Theatre, George Eastman House 900 East Avenue, Rochester, NY Tickets $60:  $40 students and RZC members
• Saturday 5/15 | http://giveyourstuffaway.com
  • Give Your Stuff Away. Put items you no longer want to the curb (see site for guidelines.) At the same time, people will be coming around picking up free items. http://giveyourstuffaway.com.
• Saturday, May 8, 2010 from 10:AM - 2 PM | The Center for Student Innovation at RIT,  1 Lomb Memorial Dr Rochester, NY 14623-5698 
  • “Sustainability Mobility Fair - Future Transportation Choices for Short Trips" Admission is free and open to the public. When: Saturday, May 8, 2010 from 10:AM - 2 PM  Where: The Center for Student Innovation at RIT,  1 Lomb Memorial Dr Rochester, NY 14623-5698  Attendees will be exposed to what is new and now available on the market and able to experience the latest choices in Electric, Hydrogen, Biodiesel, Natural Gas, Propane, Hybrid, Plug-In, Ethanol, Walking School Buses, and cycling transportation technologies. All alternative fuel options will be on display. As more commuters become aware of travel choices, we expect to see more of them regularly choosing transportation alternatives because of the benefits. Sponsored by Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and the Center for Environmental Information (CEI) for more information, surf over to CEI: Center for Environmental Information.

 

June 2010

 

• Sunday, June 13, 2010, 9am to 1pm  |  Brighton High School Parking Lot. Brighton, NY
  • 2010 Green Energy Fair Sunday, June 13, 2010, 9am to 1pm, at Brighton High School Parking Lot. Like last year, the fair will take place together with the Brighton Farmers Market. The fair will feature the following and more: A wide variety of businesses offering energy saving and green products and services. Tables with information and resources about energy- and resource-saving technologies and lifestyle choices.  Displays of current alternative technologies. Student projects related to alternative energy and energy conservation. A silent auction featuring energy-saving products and services, to benefit future educational programs of ColorBrightonGreen.org . Drawing to be held at 12:45 at the ColorBrightonGreen.org tent. Brighton Farmers Market. - from Home Page - Color Brighton Green

 

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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.  The action due date means you can act on this action item until its due date.

 

• Action Due Date: Now
  • Learn about and register your comments regarding the Governor's proposed State Park Closings and Environmental Protection Fund reductions. See Parks and Trails NY ( www.ptny.org  ) and ADK (http://adk.org/pdf/Park_Closure_List.pdf ) This includes closure of the Adirondack Park Visitor Interpretive Centers at Paul Smiths and Newcomb (http://adk.org/issues/Park_Closure_Action_Alert.aspx ) Buffalo & Erie County have learned already in spring of 2007 that it can be very expensive to close parks. http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/02/19/962199/state-targets-several-wny-parks .html It is true that NYS is in fiscal crisis and "we all must share the cuts" but the Governor's Budget cuts are disproportionately high for the environment compared to other funds and departments. For example: from Proposed 2010-11 All Funds Spending Reduction for state agency budgets http://publications.budget.state.ny.us/eBudget1011/fy1011littlebook/Briefing Book.pdf   --- Department of Environmental Conservation -34%. Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation -19%. Department of Agriculture and Markets -10%. Department of Education -2%. Department of Health -1%. Environmental Protection Fund proposed $143M which would be -33% (or -35%?) from the 2009-10 budget. $222M being requested is by the State Legislature is already 26% below the level scheduled for 2010 under the EPF Enhancement Act. That doesn't even count the $500M swept from EPF to State General Fund in recent years. Contact Governor Paterson of New York: 518-474-8390.
• Action Due Date: Today
  • Donate to a worthy cause: Christine Sevilla Project (Christine Sevilla Project) "Welcome to A Living Project to Preserve a Place in Christine's Honor  For All to Enjoy in Perpetuity Christine's family and friends envision a natural area, including wetlands, preserved in her memory.  This vision includes an educational component, like an interpretive trail to help others recognize what Christine saw - an interconnected natural community of flora and fauna, soil and water. Perhaps even an  Arts and Music Festival to celebrate what Christine so treasured. "
• Action Due Date: April 10th, 2010  10AM - 2:00 PM| Email or call today to register your family, group of friends, club, organization, scout troop, or class! Contact Ryan Loysen at rloysen@monroecounty.gov or 585-753-7281.
  • We're passing on this request from Monroe County Parks : Pick Up the Parks A new initiative from the Monroe County Department of Parks April 10th, 2010  Join us and several local recreation and environmental groups in kicking off this new local stewardship event. In this first year, we will be targeting 4 parks: Ellison, Genesee Valley, Greece Canal, and Ontario Beach Parks for clean up and other park improvements. Why just four? As you know there are 21 parks within the Monroe County Parks system. As it’s a first year event, we wanted to identify popular parks that could also accommodate our widespread community. We welcome your ideas for future projects and will certainly add more parks to the event as community support grows.   Email or call today to register your family, group of friends, club, organization, scout troop, or class! Contact Ryan Loysen at rloysen@monroecounty.gov or 585-753-7281.   Be sure to tell us your group size, preferred park, e-mail address, and phone number, or just come on out to one of the project sites on April 10th and register on-site. Orientation begins at 10 a.m. at each project site with refreshments and additional information. Group projects and field work will begin at 10:30 a.m.   The Monroe County Parks belong to all of us, so let’s join together to keep them clean and green. Check back for additional event details, meet-up locations and park information at Parks | Monroe County, NY
• ACTION : Due Date: Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM New York State Capitol Albany, NY
  • Earth Day Lobby Day 2010 "Join hundreds of environmentalists from across the state in advocating for measures to protect our air, water, land and health.   No lobbying experience needed! Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM New York State Capitol Albany, NY New York’s environmental resources are being threatened now as they never have been before.   Please join us for the 20th annual Earth Day Lobby Day in Albany, New York! Hear from government and environmental leaders, learn about current legislation, and lobby your state law-makers on environmental issues that are important to you. This event is free and open to the public, but you must preregister to attend. Sign up now for Earth Day Lobby Day by clicking here! " -The event is being sponsored by Audubon New York, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Environmental Advocates of New York, the New York Public Interest Research Group, Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, and other organizations.  
• Action Due Date :through  4/29/2010 3-8pm -
  • Informal PUBLIC HEARING on the Auburn Trail Extension. The town still proposes to widen   the environmentally sensitive section of the trail from 3' wide to a TEN-FOOT-WIDE stone road. Public input is needed before and during the public hearing.   PUBLIC HEARING INFO: http://www.victorny.org/calendar/town/ | (http://www.victorny.org/Calendar/Town/Detail/?eventID=1938) TRAIL INFO: http://www.saveauburntrail.org/proposal-and-compromise     TRAIL INFO: http://victorhikingtrails.org/map/trails/td-auburn.html

 

 

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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.]