Updates May 2009

• 5/30/09 - Going Green: We all have to go, but there are a lot of us: People out thinking out of the traditional coffin and ways that won’t harm our environment.  This might seem preposterous and heretical to a fundamental right of us all to be buried with dignity, but with 6.5 billion of us wanting our own space—forever—is going to get crowded and its unsustainable.  Better that we think ahead and get some new ideas on traditional burying methods:  Here’s one: Dirt: Dying Green in NY on Vimeo  "Natural Burial is a rising trend within the green movement. Already quite popular abroad and in California, Natural Burial is fast making its way to the east coast. "Dying Green" isn't just for hippies anymore. Motivated not only by ecological concerns, but also economic and emotional ones, "Dirt" explores the ideas behind green burial itself, its availability in NYS, and a host of the quirky movers-and-shakers behind the cause."    
• 5/29/09 Energy a moral issue: As we turn on our lights, run our air conditioners, and charge our gadgets we do so mostly by burning coal. Coal pollutes and adds dramatically to manmade global warming.  So, when we decide not to conserve electricity or not to allow a renewable energy source near our home, we condemn many to the hazards of mountain top removal. That wind turbine won’t be in our backyard, but that blasted mountain top which tailing will pollute that wants and disfigure the lands will be in somebody else’s backyard. Morally, though, we all live in the coal fields because we use the power of coal and won’t allow a better power source to run our lives.  - "We All Live in the Coal Fields": West Virginians Step Up Protests as EPA OKs New Mountaintop Removal At least thirty people were arrested in West Virginia Saturday as protesters marked a new phase of Operation Appalachian Spring, a campaign to end mountaintop removal mining. The protests came just a week after the Obama administration gave the green light for forty-two more mountaintop removal permits in a major victory for the coal industry. We speak to journalist Jeff Biggers, author of the book United States of Appalachia: How Southern Mountaineers Brought Independence, Culture and Enlightenment to America. Biggers says mountaintop removal is a national issue, not a local one, as many perceive." (May 29, 09) Democracy Now! | Radio and TV News
• 5/29/09 - This kind of analysis, checking to see what new chemicals we produce are having what effect on our health provided by the federal government, is what our government should be doing. We cannot rely, as we usually do, on industries to self-monitor their pollution and certainly we cannot depend on them to proactively seek out the possible repercussions of their new chemicals on our health and environment. In this country, as opposed to other countries, the burden of proof of the toxicity of industrial chemicals is on those whose complain, not on those who produce them.  So, having our government ramping up their studies on the relationship between manmade chemicals and their health ramifications is right on. ToxCast™ Program | National Center for Computational Toxicology | US EPA In 2007, EPA launched ToxCast™ in order to develop a cost-effective approach for prioritizing the toxicity testing of large numbers of chemicals in a short period of time. Using data from state-of-the-art high throughput screening (HTS) bioassays developed in the pharmaceutical industry, ToxCast™ is building computational models to forecast the potential human toxicity of chemicals. These hazard predictions will provide EPA regulatory programs with science-based information helpful in prioritizing chemicals for more detailed toxicological evaluations, and lead to more efficient use of animal testing. --from National Center for Computational Toxicology | US EPA
• 5/29/09 - Might want to think twice or three times about drilling for natural gas in our state.  Some communities have not fared so well Check out this regional environmental issue from investigative reporters who have done their homework Officials in Three States Pin Water Woes on Gas Drilling - ProPublica "But a string of documented cases of gas escaping into drinking water -- not just in Pennsylvania but across North America -- is raising new concerns about the hidden costs of this economic tide and strengthening arguments across the country that drilling can put drinking water at risk. " (April 26, 09) ProPublica - Journalism in the Public Interest
• 5/28/09 - Now we’re talking Green Jobs: What we have been waiting for, since the stimulus package, was a way for the common folk to find out about and get green jobs. Now, our government is making that happen.  We may or may not like the options, but we do have the right to know what kinds of jobs are becoming available as a result of our bailout monies. And, now that we have the facts, we can pressure our government to see that we get these jobs and make better jobs available.     New York State Department of Labor - |  GOV SITE - GOVERNOR PATERSON REQUIRES NEW STIMULUS JOBS TO BE POSTED ON PUBLIC WEBSITE Site Will Make New Jobs More Accessible to New Yorkers Governor’s Request Furthers Transparency in Stimulus Spending Governor David A. Paterson today announced that every firm that the State hires with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds is required to post any jobs created by these funds to the New York State Job Bank, which can be accessed at www.labor.ny.gov.
• 5/27/09 - Get that Green Job: Often, I get request for webmasters and business like recycling business to list their green business on my site, but I am usually reluctant to because I cannot vet them.  Meaning, I cannot determine whether or not this or that company is environmentally friendly from "cradle to cradle" recycling systems to what the effects are of their product on our environment.  With that said, I do help promote sites that do vet green businesses and databases for environmentally friendly information, practices, etc.  Here’s a new site that is an excellent example of a business that help people find green jobs and does the heavy lifting for bringing people and green jobs together.  I suspect we are going to see lots of these kinds of websites emerge and it will be a good thing: Green Collar Jobs Board - SustainLane "What is SustainLane.com? SustainLane.com is the web's largest people-powered guide to sustainable living. The hub of SustainLane Media's offerings, SustainLane.com is filled with personal accounts of how-tos, news, and local business and product reviews for sustainable living. The site connects interested consumers with the tools and information on everything related to green, including: The largest directory of local, green-friendly businesses in the United States with over 20,000 small business listings; Consumer-generated how-tos, news and product reviews of new green offerings in the marketplace; and A community of likeminded individuals willing to share information and personal experiences with each other. "
• 5/27/09 - See Climate Change: If you’re from Missouri, you probably want us to ‘show you’ the effects of climate change, instead of listing article after article. Because of the nature of large-scale, long-term changes inherit in climate change this proved a challenge for the public who didn’t own their own intergalactic satellite. Well, now you can borrow NASA’s satellites and watch them watch our planet’s ice move, water levels rise, and storms move. So, before leveling an opinion about whether we can witness climate change happening, check this amazingly assessable data from NASA and see for yourself—even if you just from New York.  Climate Change: NASA's Eyes on the Earth "Eyes on the Earth – Earth-orbiting spacecraft and instruments developed my NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory currently study all aspects of our planet – oceans, land, atmosphere, biosphere and cyrosphere.  They provide critical data about the rate and extent of global climate change."
• 5/22/09 - If high-speed rail runs through the Rochester area, our transportation modes would change dramatically.  Find out more about this issue and make comment to the government:    FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION : PASSENGER RAIL"President Obama proposes to help address the nation's transportation challenges by launching a new and efficient high-speed passenger rail network in 100-600 mile corridors that connect communities across America.  The Strategic Plan outlines the President’s vision that would transform the nation’s transportation system by rebuilding existing rail infrastructure while developing a comprehensive high-speed intercity passenger rail network through a long-term commitment at both the federal and state levels.  This plan draws from the successful highway and aviation development models with a 21st century solution that focuses on clean, energy-efficient rail transportation. "
• 5/22/09 - In many ways colleges are leading the way in environmental practices. RochesterEnvironment.com acknowledges the great contributions in environmental education that can be put into real models of sustainability via our colleges and universities.  Our local educational institutions host many programs and are conduits for teaching our community about how to treat our environment:    RIT Green "The Institute recognizes that the sustainable choices made by faculty, staff, and students will resonate for generations throughout the Upstate New York area and beyond. Those that work and study at RIT also live and raise families in the area. By making the campus more environmentally friendly and by engaging in and learning more about sustainable practices, the RIT community is improving the cleanliness of the greater environment in real and measurable ways. By doing so, we can take steps now to ensure that the Rochester area and the greater world in which we live continue to be safe and healthy well into the future."
• 5/22/09- Know your power and where it's going: Official Google Blog: Power to the people "Imagine how hard it would be to stick to a budget in a store with no prices. Well, that's pretty much how we buy electricity today. Your utility company sends you a bill at the end of the month with very few details. Most people don't know how much electricity their appliances use, where in the house they are wasting electricity, or how much the bill might go up during different seasons. But in a world where everyone had a detailed understanding of their home energy use, we could find all sorts of ways to save energy and lower electricity bills. In fact, studies show that access to home energy information results in savings between 5-15% on monthly electricity bills. It may not sound like much, but if half of America's households cut their energy demand by 10 percent, it would be the equivalent of taking eight million cars off the road. "
• 5/21/09 - I’m passing on this interesting proposal: Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Bond Act. For those of us [the public] who helped the banks who almost failed save our bailout monies, now it’s time for us to consider a bill that would protect our environment and help create green jobs.  So, on the face of it, this bill seems especially timely: the proposed Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Bond Act - A writer suggests: "The $5 Billion Clean Water, Clean Air & Green Jobs Bond Act of 2009 as it is proposed would vastly expand opportunities for conservation beyond state and federally funded programs and initiatives.  Voter-approved bond proceeds would be utilized for state environmental projects that protect our water, land and air and create jobs.  Funding created through this initiative would make long-term improvements to our environmental infrastructure and natural resources, energy efficiency, transit, building weatherization, public health protection and economic development.  The Bond Act would build upon the federal stimulus and provide a significant investment to further New York’s economic recovery through environmentally friendly capital investments.    It was our intent in the development of this proposal to have the largest economic benefit as possible and in areas where their were natural fits - seek to elevate some of the burdens put on local municipalities - such as wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, energy efficiency program, brownfields cleanup and environmental remediation program funding,  as well as traditional conservation efforts like the protection of open space, habitat restoration and parks.     As you will see from the attached draft case statement, there are areas that could have a significant benefit regions across the state - including the Rochester area." Here's more  Working Daft NYS 2009 Environmental Bond Case Statement | ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
• 5/21/09 - Sure our sun warms our planet, keeps it from flinging itself out to the wide universe with its gravitation disparity with Earth, and keeps life alive—but is that it?  Not quite. Seems like you can do a lot more with the sun:  The Solar Cooking Archive
• 5/20/09 - I'm a little late in announcing this but here it is: MAY is National Bike Month:  The League of American Bicyclists (www.bikeleague.org) is promoting Bike-to-Work Week May 11 - 15 and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 15.  Check the events section of this site often to see what bike month and bike to work week events are going on in your community.  To relieve stress, start your own event and submit your information to be posted on the site to: communication@bikeleague.org.  Please make sure you write, "Bike Month Event" in the subject line of the email.
• 5/20/09 -As the talk continues on the creation of green jobs using federal stimulus monies (our tax bucks), we continue to monitor and drill through these articles to find that Rochester-area green job with will get you and me employed and our environment sustainable.  HUD Information Related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 The Recovery Act includes $13.61 billion for projects and programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, nearly 75 percent of which was allocated to state and local recipients on February 25, 2009 – only eight days after President Obama signed the Act into law. Recovery Act investments in HUD programs will be not just swift, but also effective: they will generate tens of thousands of jobs, modernize homes to make them energy efficient, and help the families and communities hardest hit by the economic crisis. The remaining 25 percent of funds will be awarded via competition in the coming months. Additional guidance on the implementation of all funds will be routinely provided on this website.
• 5/18/09 - Advanced environmentalism: Understanding that everything you do, as a member of a species that dominates this planet with 6.5 billion souls who must eat and craves stuff, and realizing that everything you purchase has repercussions on our environment, means your one step closer to the mindset that may keep our species sustainable.  The next step perhaps is beginning to chose wisely based on a wide breath of information you would need to know to achieve truly green living.  To that end, we come across this interesting site that measures a products impact: GoodGuide | Ratings of Natural, Green and Healthy Products "GoodGuide provides the world's largest and most reliable source of information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of the products in your home.  
• 5/18/09 - Best not to pollute in the first place.  The cleanup efforts, so long in the courts and the goop so long at the bottom of the Hudson River, are a close-by example of the externalities associated with getting pollution removed from our environment.  There’s the question of whether it is safer for the public and the environment to leave the stuff alone rather than trying to remove it. And, a zillion other issues once we pollute. GE Begins Hudson River Cleanup : NPR One of the biggest environmental cleanups in U.S. history got under way Friday. (May 15, 09) NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts | Hudson River PCBs | Region 2 | US EPA "From approximately 1947 to 1977, the General Electric Company (GE) discharged as much as 1.3 million pounds of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from its capacitor manufacturing plants at the Hudson Falls and Fort Edward facilities into the Hudson River."
• 5/12/09 - Will it ever get cleaned up? Sadly, it is not hard to believe that the clean-up of the Hudson River due to PCB pollution is still choked by delays. Here’s how these big pollution events seem to go.  A corporation for one reason or another pollutes a body of water. Maybe it was an accident, maybe it was OK to pollute years ago, whatever, there’s always an excuse.  Then, there has to be a sufficient cry of outrage to get our waters cleaned up, or it just doesn’t get to the court’s radar. Then, it goes to court and really smart people in law (but not very bright on our environment) wrangle over the merits of the case.  And, maybe once in a great while the people win and the waters have to be cleaned up.  But, sometimes the company has gone bankrupt.  Then, there are delays. There are delays because no one is ever satisfied that the courts have made them clean up their mess. Then, once is a very great while the case will go through all the appeals, all the nigglings at the law, everything—but there still will be delays. The poison’s sit because removing the poisons is complicated, expensive, and disruptive to people's lives. In a way this all sounds sensible as this is the way corporations and our laws work—you just have to wait for the wheel of the law to turn wherever they are going to turn. Trouble is Nature and the laws of physics are not so democratic. If you put a lot of poisons in the water, stuff happens. Check this out: Barrier drops to PCB dredge -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY ALBANY — Saratoga County officials have dropped part of a lawsuit seeking to halt the Hudson River PCB dredging project in a dispute with the federal government over a safe supply of outside drinking water from Troy. (May 9, 09) Albany NY News - Times Union - Serving Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, Troy 
• 5/09/09 - One of the most notorious Brownfields, Environmental history was made nearby at Love Canal. Now you can view an expertly constructed web site that documents the tragedy with photos and records. Love Canal Collections - University at Buffalo Libraries "A new online resource on the Love Canal Collections in the University Archives is now available online. This resource includes links to the Love Canal collections finding aids, an image gallery, a clipping database, and an introduction to the history and background of the events that occurred at Love Canal. The basic portion of the Collection provides: Background information about the country's most notorious and infamous hazardous waste site. A chronological history of the Love Canal A glossary of definitions for the Love Canal Love Canal Collections includes special records and collections: ETF Records Ecumenical Task Force Records -- MS 65 -- includes scanned documents from the ETF collection Revitalization Agency Records Love Canal Area Revitalization Agency Records -- MS 74 Repository Grant Records Love Canal Repository Grant Records -- MS 89 Adeline Levine Research Materials Adeline Levine Love Canal Research Materials (part I) -- 22/3F/634 Adeline Levine Love Canal Research Materials (part II) -- 22/3F/1113 Additional Collections" - Frederick W. Stoss, M.S. (zool/ecol), M.L.S. Associate Librarian (Biological and Environmental Sciences and Mathematics) 228-B Capen Hall Science and Engineering Library Arts & Sciences Libraries University Libraries University at Buffalo--SUNY Buffalo, NY 14260-1672 
• 5/08/09 - Greening our way into the future: If you think you have seen it all in green technology, you probably haven’t.  See what the guys and gals have been up to a M.I.T.  Watch this seven-minute video on what a bike a computer and a wireless connection can do in a city to go green:   Green Wheel - Smart Mobility and Ubiquitous Computing "The MIT Mobile Experience Lab and Smart Cities Group worked together to envision future scenarios describing design opportunities related to topics that deal with social navigation, distributed data sensing, healthcare, bike sharing racks optimization, peer-to-peer freight, urban races and civic engagement. Smart Cities has developed the Green Wheel electric bicycle motor, an innovative in-wheel regenerative electric motor that can be adapted to any sort of bicycle." 
• 5/07/09 - From our friends down state, Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology world experts on bird and bird watching (how better to monitor our environment than to monitor birds, here’s a great chance for Environmental Education:   Inside Birding, Learn how to better identify birds, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology "As Chris Wood and Jessie Barry, members of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Team Sapsucker, get ready for the World Series of Birding in New Jersey this Saturday—you can share in their birding tips, techniques, and tools on the new "Inside Birding" video series. Join Jessie and Chris in the field as they as they explain how to use the "four keys" to identification--size and shape, color pattern, behavior, and habitat--to reveal critical clues to a bird's identity. The videos include breathtaking footage of birds from the Cornell Lab's Macaulay Library and advice that's fun and easy to adopt. Watch now."
• 5/07/09 - As I come across these online events, I’m going to post opportunities for Environmental Education.  Here’s one from National Wildlife Federation "As a scientist, I know that global warming is one of the most serious problems facing our planet. As a mother, I worry about what that means for my sons' futures. My name is Amanda Staudt and I’m the National Wildlife Federation's Chief Climate Scientist. I hope you’ll join me on May 12 at 2 pm EST to learn about the latest findings on climate change and what we can to do to make sure our children and grandchildren inherit a healthy and thriving natural world:. --National Wildlife Federation:
• 5/07/09 - Volunteer work this summer that helps our environment (will look good on your resume also): The Nature Conservancy in New York - Volunteer in New York "The Nature Conservancy was built on the dedication of volunteers. Today we still rely on their support. Our trustees volunteer their time and more. And across the region, volunteers help us build bridges, create trails, monitor properties, count turtles, remove invasive species, stuff envelopes, organize files, lead hikes and much more." The Nature Conservancy - Protecting Nature, Preserving Life
• 5/07/09 - Green Jobs for the common folks? Lots of the federal stimulus money coming to our state. How much is going to green jobs to make our environment more sustainable?  The figures are coming in and it’s clear, our government seems inordinately fond of highways. “The stimulus legislation delivers substantial support for infrastructure projects. At the national level, this includes $48 billion in funding for transportation capital projects ($8.4 billion for mass transit, $27.5 billion for highways and bridges, $9.3 billion for rail, $1.3 billion for airport improvement projects; $1.5 billion for discretionary surface transportation projects). Of this total, New York is expected to receive at least $1.25 billion for the mass transit and $1.1 billion for highways and bridges. The Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Cabinet will be working with State agencies and local governments to aggressively seek funding from other sources of transportation funding.   The legislation also includes $16.8 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and technologies, including research and development. New York will receive $126 million through the State Energy Program and $31 million in alternative energy block grants. It provides $4.5 billion for energy research and development projects nationwide, including $2.0 billion for energy storage technologies, which could provide funding for the Governor’s proposed battery storage consortium.   New York State is also projected to receive $435 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund; $85 million from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund; and $404 million to help weatherize the homes of low-income individual.” --Recovery and Reinvestment Act
• 5/06/09 - Communities are Greening up: I’m coming across more and more project to help communities go green-become environmentally friendly, that is, from the public, to business, to government.  Here’s another great project:    How Green is My Town? - a project of Grassroots Environmental Education Our two-year quest for the answer to this question led us on a journey around the virtual world, and along the way we discovered inspiring people and outstanding organizations all holding pieces of the puzzle - creative and practical solutions to some of our most pressing and vexing problems. Their ideas and programs fill the pages of our web site, and we are deeply grateful for their efforts. "How Green Is My Town?" is a project of Grassroots Environmental Education, a non-profit organization based in Port Washington, New York. The project was made possible in part by the generous support of the Rauch Foundation.
• 5/06/09- Sign of the Times: Certainly, it’s a sign of the times when a major news service decides to devote an entire section of its news service to Green Business news: Green Business News | Reuters.com. Business, industry, corporations, etc. should have always included our environment in their business practices.  In the future they will be so merged as to be one—this is because they always have been.  It’s just that for a zillion reasons, business have not treated our environment as anything but an infinite and free resource or a drain to pour their chemicals down. (Rather than argue this point, go to RTKNet: The Right-to-Know Network | rtknet.org: The Right-to-Know Network type in your city and find out how much toxic waste was released into your environment by industry since 1982.)  So, now business will not only be cleaning up their act, they will be providing jobs so we the people can make a living cleaning up the planet and keeping it clean. While this great change in business and media thinking is to be applauded, so much devastation to our environment has occurred before we have gotten to this point.  
• 5/06/09 - How environmentally clean is Rochester, NY?  If you find yourself with absolutely nothing else to do with your life, you might look over this data on toxic releases for Rochester, NY over the past several years: ERNS Incidents in New York (1982 - 2007) You do have the right to know:  This information comes from the RTKNet: The Right-to-Know Network | rtknet.org: The Right-to-Know Network, which is a branch of the OMB Watch | Promoting open government, accountability, and citizen participation since 1983
• 5/05/09 - This request just in: "KidWind is looking for 2 judges for our KidWind Challenge in Buffalo on May 16th, 2009.Judges would need to be at the Buffalo Museum of Science from 9-3:30on Saturday May 16th. KidWind is looking for individual with experience with wind energy at a variety of technical levels.  Judges should also be interested in working with student design projects. Judges will be evaluating student built turbines based on a variety of factors.  Judges who sign up will receive more information on judging procedures. Michael Arquin  Director, KidWind Anyone who wishes to participate as a judge should please contact Andy Lueth at: maxdroid@verizon.net"
• 5/04/09 - Your government or business trying to go Green? Check out SEC - State Electronics Challenge "Collectively, state and local government purchase more than $35 billion worth of technology equipment annually*, and has the opportunity to provide leadership in the environmentally sound and cost effective management of electronic assets. Quick Links/News Newly Posted: State Electronics Challenge First Year (2008) Accomplishments 2008 Partner Recognition SEC welcomes its 30th Partner: the City of Middletown, Connecticut. For the full list of Partners click here. The State Electronics Challenge (SEC) is a voluntary program that encourages state, regional, and local governments, including schools and other public entities, to: Purchase greener electronic products. Reduce the impacts of electronic products during use. Manage obsolete electronics in an environmentally safe way."
• 5/04/09 - **EVENT** - Embracing Solar Power Seminar: ‘Essential Information about buying a photovoltaic system and having it installed’.  When: May 19, 2009 from 3:00 to 5:00 PM Where: Downtown Rochester at 55 St. Paul Street. Fee: $10 for UGBN members, $25 for non-members.  --from CEI: Center for Environmental Information
• 5/02/09 -**ACTION** -This from the Union of Concerned Scientist: Rushing to Expand Corn Ethanol is Not Smart Bioenergy The use of gasoline alternatives, such as ethanol, could play a key role in reducing pollution from fuels, but scientific findings show that biofuels can also increase pollution when done wrong. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing a comprehensive plan to move toward biofuels with reduced global warming emissions while protecting air quality and public health. The ethanol industry, however, does not want science to interfere with their expansion plans. Producers want immediate permission to increase the amount of ethanol they can blend into regular gasoline before government tests are complete to determine if this could be a public health risk. The EPA opened a public comment period on this issue through May 16. Please tell EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to deny the producers’ premature request and focus on a comprehensive plan that protects public health while ensuring biofuels contribute to fueling our clean energy future. -Homepage | Union of Concerned Scientists

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