Updates December 03

• 12/31/03  ACTION:  Tell The Bush Administration to Limit the Destruction Caused By Mountaintop Removal Mining! Earthjustice: Take Action There are alternatives that are less damaging to the environment than completely destroying mountains, streams, wildlife and communities. The deadline for submitting comments to the Bush administration is January 6, 2004. Send comments by email using our draft action letter or send your own comments to mountaintop.r3@epa.gov
•  12/28.93 -- What to help rescue dogs in our area? "For more information about becoming a volunteer, contact Wilkins at awilkins23@ yahoo.com or call (585) 503-2529." -- from Democrat & Chronicle: Dogs rescued from Ohio Northeast volunteers target shelters that shoot or gas animals.  — An underground of compassionate dog lovers is giving unwanted canines from Ohio a chance to live and find good homes in Rochester and throughout the Northeast. (December 28, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
•  12/28/03 -- What do you know about New York State invasive plant species?  Invasive Plant Council of New York State  the Invasive Plant Council of New York State was incorporated in 1999. Our goal is to organize an effective partnership among public and private organizations to address the need for invasive species information and control across the state. Working together, public and private agencies and concerned private citizens will find practical solutions to invasive species problems and protect our diverse natural heritage.
•  12/28/03 -- Know your water vocabulary?: Water glossary -from Lenntech water- en luchtbehandeling holding BV, Rotterdamseweg 402 M
  2629 HH Delft the Netherlands, Tel. +31-15-261.09.00, Fax. +31-15-261.62.89 , www.lenntech.com - info@lenntech.com
•  12/27/03 -- ACTION: Adopt a Pet Pet Adoption Network  -  Our Mission will be to rescue homeless pets, obtain veterinary care for them and make them available for permanent placement with responsible guardians. No adoptable pet will be euthanized solely for lack of a permanent home. We will strive for increased public awareness of the need to spay/neuter and vaccinate pets, and educate the public on the proper care of companion animals. This effort is intended to reduce the large population of homeless pets, primarily in the City of Rochester.
•  12/27/03 -- Earthjustice: Legislative Advocacy The Endangered Species Act was signed into law on December 28, 1973, and is therefore reaching the ripe old age of 30 at the end of 2003. Still one of our most popular and effective conservation laws, it was a popular, bipartisan piece of legislation when it sailed through the Congress and was signed by President Richard Nixon three decades ago.
•  12/27/03 -- Christmas recycling: Christmas Tree Disposal The City of Rochester has five drop-off locations. For information, call the city's Office of Customer Satisfaction at (585) 428-5990. (December 27, 2003) WOKR-TV 13 || ROCHESTER
•  12/20/03 -- ACTION: Bigger, Better Bottle Bill  Over the past 20 years, the bottle bill has saved New Yorkers more than $300 million a year and diverted more than 5.2 million tons from the waste stream.  The bigger, better bottle bill would  • require the beverage industry to return all unclaimed deposits to the state to fund municipal recycling and waste prevention programs.  • expand New York's Bottle Bill to include deposits on non-carbonated beverages, such as bottled water, iced tea, juice and sports drinks; and create new jobs in the recycling and retail industries -- from New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG)  Others ways to help this bill: BiggerBetterBottleBill; Bills, Why NY needs a BBBB, Environmentalists, bottlers wonder: Whose nickel is it? - ithacajournal.com
•  12/20/03 -- Want to keep track of Bush's attack on our environment? BushGreenwatch - tracking environmental misdeeds BushGreenwatch provides accurate and timely information on the Bush Administration's assault on our environment and public health. We are dedicated to expanding media coverage and public awareness of the many vital environmental and public health issues affected by the administration's anti-environmental agenda, which consistently places the interests of corporate donors above the public good. BushGreenwatch is a project of Environmental Media Services, a nonprofit communications clearinghouse, with support from MoveOn.org, the online advocacy group.
•  12/20/03 -- ACTION: --This just in: I noticed that you link to the American Lung Association for donating cars. I'm wondering if it would be possible to link to our website as well? Our site is www.kars4kids.org Thank you for your consideration. May you continue in your wonderful work. Nancy Stern, Coordinator, Kars4Kids, (877) 527-7454 x 119.
•  12/20/03 -- ACTION: SIGN PETITION TO URGE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO START TALKING ENVIRONMENT!
  http://www.care2.com/go/z/9759/1028 Global warming, acid rain, polluted waters, and air pollution affect  Democrats, Independents and Republicans alike. Over 80% of  Americans agree that the environment should be a national priority... but the Bush Administration has failed on the environment, by rolling  back our landmark protections and favoring corporate polluters over  the public interest. Environmental issues must be a major part of the 2004  presidential campaign! http://www.care2.com/go/z/9759/1028
•  12/20/03 -- ACTION: PESTICIDES AND WILDLIFE DON'T MIX! -http://www.care2.com/go/z/9763/100 Since taking office, the Bush administration has steadily chipped away at the Endangered Species Act. Now, the administration wants to allow companies to use dangerous chemicals without ensuring endangered wildlife will be protected. It is widely known that pesticides can kill or  harm wildlife, including species on the brink of extinction. You can help stop this dangerous new policy and protect our country's endangered wildlife. Sign this petition and send a message to the agency's leaders and tell them that we must not weaken wildlife protections! http://www.care2.com/go/z/9763/1008
•  Why is the media underplaying this major story on this major defeat for Bush's anti-environmental stance on our national parks?: MSNBC - Most snowmobiles on hold at Yellowstone WASHINGTON - The National Park Service must revive a scrapped plan to ban snowmobiles from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, a federal judge ordered Tuesday, one day before the service had planned to open a winter season under rules that allowed snowmobiling to continue. MSNBC - ENVIRONMENT Front Page
•  12/17/03 -- Two important documents on Urban Sprawl -- Sprawl Without Growth: The Upstate Paradox
  http://www.brook.edu/es/urban/publications/200310_pendall.htm Vacating the City: An Analysis of New Homes vs. Household Growth - http://www.brook.edu/es/urban/publications/20031205_bier.htm  --sent us from out friends at Common Good Planning Center: We strive to engage citizens and organizations in a common quest to establish the Genesee/Finger Lakes Region as one of the "top ten" in the nation for economic vibrancy, ecological integrity, and quality of life for all. Be part of the process!
•  12/11/03 -- Be a part of the solution: Call in illegal dumping: Democrat & Chronicle: Sneaky trash haulers dump on city To report suspected dumping in Rochester, call the Department of Environmental Services at (585) 428-5990 or go to its Web site, www.cityofrochester.gov Complaints also can be filed with the NET offices: A (Sectors 1 & 2) 1494 Dewey Ave. (585) 428-7610
  B (Sector 3) 492 Lyell Ave. (585) 428-7620 - C (Sectors 4 & 5) 998 Genesee St. (585) 428-7630 - D (Sectors 6 & 7) 846 S. Clinton Ave. (585) 428-7640 - E (Sector 8) 212 Webster Ave. (585) 428-7650 - F (Sectors 9 & 10) 500 Norton St. (585) 428-7660
•  12/11/03 --Love Canal--the tragedy.  What do you know about it?  Do you know there is an on-going study on it?  Find out about one of the most spectacular corporate pollutions in the country--and just next door to Rochester: Love Canal @ 25 Exhibit -- Arts and Sciences Libraries, UB Libraries -- Love Canal is probably the country's most notorious and infamous hazardous waste site. It wasn't the first. It wasn't the worst. But it did grab headlines, draw attention, and stimulate scientists, industrial leaders, politicians, government officials, and grassroots activists. August 2, 2003, marks the 25th anniversary of the evacuation of residents from the Love Canal neighborhood of Niagara Falls, New York
•  12/11/03 -- The Neighborhood Notification Law got squashed by the Monroe County Republican Legislature last spring because the chemical companies in and around Rochester thought informing people about their continual spraying of chemicals would be too costly was a sad affair in Rochester-area's environment.  However, just next door, they 'got it'. Pesticides: Neighbor Notification ERIE COUNTY LEGISLATURE ADOPTS PESTICIDE NEIGHBOR NOTIFICATION LAW PUBLIC HEALTH GROUPS APPLAUD
  LEGISLATURE’S DECISION  Environmental, public health and children’s organizations applauded the decision by the Erie County Legislature to adopt the Pesticide Neighbor Notification Law during today’s meeting of the legislature. The bill, originally sponsored by Legislator Crystal Peoples, was adopted after nearly three years of debate in Erie County. Local Law 14 is a bi-partisan compromise that was co-sponsored by 13 members of the legislature. The bill was widely expected to pass after a one year sunset clause was agreed to by legislative leaders.  
•  12/11/03 --It may be as simple as George W. Bush deciding that its not in the best interest of the United States to not participate in the Kyoto Protocol-- or it may not.  Read on: BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Demand for 'Kyoto tax' on the US Countries refusing to cut their emissions of greenhouse gases should face trade sanctions, according to a British independent think-tank. The United States has not signed the Kyoto agreement on climate change and Russia has indicated it may follow.
•  12/11/03 -- As we continually construct more roads for personal vehicles and fail to develop mass transit (which would reduce air pollution and the need for more roads) we should consider the consequences: Transportation Issues :: How Transportation Affects Conservation "In the United States, our quality of life depends on our highway and road system. But road construction—and the development that typically follows—takes an expensive toll on America's wildlife and natural landscapes." --from the The Nature Conservancy
•  12/09/03 -- Good company practices: Canon USA: Environment The Canon Cartridge Return Program - As part of its Clean Earth Campaign in the United States, the Canon Cartridge Return Program has collected tens of millions of cartridges that otherwise would have been discarded into landfills and has significantly reduced the volume of waste. Under the program, returned cartridges are put through a recycling and energy recovery process. This program produces plastics, metals and reconditioned parts that can be used in the manufacture of cartridges and other products. --from Canon U.S.A
•  12/07/03 -- Good Company recycling: This just in: "Hello, We’d like to let you know about our new website www.reusablebags.com suggest that you link to it. ReusableBags.com provides plenty of news, facts and smart products aimed at helping consumers personally take action to help reduce plastic bag consumption that has gotten out of control. We think your visitors would appreciate knowing about our site, the resources we offer and the issue itself. In addition the link will help bring more traffic to both of our sites since search engines rank sites higher that have a good number of incoming and outbound links. Our site went live only two months ago and is already starting to generate buzz including being featured in a National Geographic article- click here to read http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/09/0902_030902_plasticbags.html To find out more about our site please visit www.reusablebags.com. If you have any questions contact me at sarah@reusablebags.com Thank you for your consideration,  Sarah sarah@reusablebags.com ReusableBags.com- High-quality, innovative reusable shopping bags and related accessories, plus facts & news on the global push to reduce plastic bag consumption, and simple actions you can take to help the cause! ACME Bags ™- Reusable Shopping Bags / Compact Tough Durable."
•  12/07/03 -- EVENT: From: "People for a Better Bus Station" pfabbs@frontiernet.net  The next meeting to help coordinate community response to the plan to build a bus station at Main and Clinton will be held at: First Universalist Church (near Geva),150 South Clinton Ave, 7 pm Wed Dec 10th, This will be a working meeting to help develop and implement legal, political and public relations responses to the looming disaster. Please reply to pfabbs@frontiernet.net with agenda items suggestions.
•  12/07/03 --Stop air pollution nearby: Take Action: Stop the St. Lawrence Cement Plant Cancer-causing dust. Toxic waste. Towering smoke stacks spewing pollution over hundreds of miles. This is what St. Lawrence Cement wants to bring into the heart of the historic Hudson Valley, unless Governor Pataki stops them. The foreign-owned company is proposing to build an 1,800-acre industrial cement and mining complex that would emit 20 million pounds of hazardous pollutants into our air every year. Doctors agree it would make children's asthma worse and increase cancer rates and heart attacks. Smokestacks, a pit mine, a fleet of diesel trucks, and a pollution plume stretching for miles would also ruin the scenic beauty essential to our region's economic future. And for all this, the plant proposed for Columbia County would produce only ONE new permanent job. ACT NOW: Tell Governor Pataki that you're counting on him to stop the plant.
•  12/05/03 -- Listen to one of the most important environmentalists of the day, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., speak about the environment and Bush: Fresh Air: Friday - December 5, 2003  He is senior counsel for the National Resources Defense Fund in Washington, D.C. Kennedy thinks Bush will be considered the worst environmental president in history and is concerned that Bush will dismantle 30 years of pro-environmental legislation.
•  12/03/03 -- EVENT:  Sierra Club Wetlands Committee Meeting - http://newyork.sierraclub.org/rochester/wetlands.htm December 17 at 7:30 PM - 150 Sunset Drive, Brighton. Important Report: Natural Environment on Irondequoit Bay Threatened by Development - Hearing Upcoming on Willowpoint Project & Boat Docks in Webster - What We Do. Committee meets once a month in the evening in the home of a member or on the site of a potential development development project. - Our purpose is to advocate for the preservation of local wetlands threatened by human development while educating committee members with respect to wetlands--how to identify them, how they function, what are their values to plant and animals, including humans. - How to Contact Us. E-mail George Parker, Chair at georparker@hotmail.com or call him at 244-1040 with a concern about a development project or to discuss coming to a meeting.
•  12/03/03 -- Recycling news: from Grist Magazine: Environmental news and humor.- CollectiveGood and Staples are making it easier to find a final resting place for old cell phones. Drop them off at a Staples store for recycling and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Sierra Club. The Boys and Girls Club of America's Torch Clubs will also help collect phones through January 2004. In the U.S., there are around 250-300 million used mobile devices that are disposed of in landfills. Recycling these prevents hazardous elements from contaminating the earth through incineration and landfill disposal. Find out more about the program here: http://www.collectivegood.com/donate_phone_Staples.htm