Updates Oct 2000

• 10/30/00 -- Someone mentioned to me that it would be a very useful thing if our local newspapers each had an environmental section.  Sports enthusiasts have a section of the paper where they can go each time and find out how their teams did.  Why can't those of us--which should be everyone--who are interested in the health of our environment not be able to find environmental news articles quickly? 

• 10/29/00 -- Important program on Rochester's Drinking Water: Environmental Information on Water Issues Monday, October 30th, 7:15 PM, Third Presbyterian Church (Meigs & East Ave.), Sponsored by: Rochester Regional Group of the Sierra Club P.O. Box 39516, Rochester, New York 14604-9516, 716-420-4363.

• 10/28/00 -- Here's another major environmental news stories that you local media has not informed you about: Many Coral Reefs Nearly Dead - More than a quarter of the world's coral reefs have been destroyed by pollution and global warming, experts said Monday, warning that unless urgent measures are taken, most of the remaining reefs could be dead in 20 years. NewsExcite.com   Even though this story and many others about the precarious situation our environment is in our news media does not cover it or explain why an such a story is so important.  This quote from the article explains why we must pay attention: "Wilkinson said the loss of the reefs would not only be a major blow to the environment, but would also threaten the livelihood of a half billion people around the world who rely on them for food and income."

• 10/27/00 -- Got some stuff you've been dying to get rid of but don't know how? Hazardous Waste Collected Tomorrow The Monroe County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, 444 East Henrietta Road, with hold a collection from 8.AM to 11:45 A.M. tomorrow.  An appointment must be made. 760-7600 and selection option 3. (October 27, 2000) paper version of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. 

• 10/26/00 -- Major Environmental news story, how much do you know about it from your other media? Earth overdrawn on natural assets Humankind's ecological footprint is getting heavier and heavier over time, according to a new study by the World Wide Fund for Nature. --Enn.com

• 10/26/00 -- You have until Monday to send your comments to the Seneca Zoo expansion environmental study.  The address is Scott Leathersich, Monroe County Department of Environmental Services, 50 W. Main Street, Rochester, NY, 14614.  Learn about the environmental studies guidelines here Friends and Neighbors of Seneca Park under Why is Scoping Important to Me?

• 10/25/00 --Last chance tonight: Public input into zoo expansion welcomed The Friends and Neighbors of Seneca Park remind interested residents that there are two opportunities for public input into the Seneca Park Zoo expansion plan that are coming up in the next week. Both open meetings are at 7 p.m. The first session is next Tuesday, Oct. 24, at the Pinegrove Community Center, 154 Pinegrove Ave., and the second is next Wednesday, Oct. 25, at the Eisenhart auditorium at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, corner Goodman Street and East Avenue. --From Irondequoit Post. 
  

• Pesticide Law Public Notice: Pesticide Reporting Workshops to Be Held Across State New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner John P. Cahill today announced that ten public workshops will be held between November 13 and November 30 to provide opportunities for interested parties to review the requirements contained in the State Pesticide Reporting Law for 2000. 

• Important public notice:  If you are for or against the expansion of the Seneca Park Zoo: IMPORTANT:
  Scoping Meetings for Seneca Park Zoo Expansion.
  October 24 at the Pinegrove Community Center in Irondequoit at 7:00 P.M.
  October 25 at the Rochester Museum and Science Center at 7:00 P.M.
  See "Why is Scoping Important to Me?" for more information.. --from Friends and Neighbors of Seneca Park. For Preservation of Park Land, Public Heritage and Quality of Life.

• 10/23/00 -- This week is National Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.  Learn more about Lead Poisoning. 

• 10/22/00 -- On a personal note, come and hear Hugh Mitchell's poetry: Hugh Mitchell, co-chairperson of the Rochester Regional Group of the Sierra Club will be reading from his work, Light In The Grove, and book signing.  The event is free and open to the public. Go to the Unitarian/Universalist Church of Canandaigua, 3024 Cooley Road, Canandaigua, NY.  Friday, October 27, 7:30 PM. 

• 10/22/00 -- "I wish we had come to a forum like this before our group got involved in widening University Ave." -representative of a Rochester-area action group said of Plan To Pavement, a program sponsored by the Common Good Planning Center and the Smart Growth Coalition.  Saturday's program was an excellent and informative forum on how the public can get involved in public projects that affect their community and the environment. Attended by about sixty people, this meeting highlighted how too late the pubic gets involved in these kinds of useful forums. Here are some of the things I learned from Plan to Pavement:

  • There is an argument that our official public institutions do make an attempt to involve the public. There are many instances in which public involvement is available in development but relatively few of us actually show up.

  • It seems as if development takes over our lives and it may not be so out of our control as it seems. 

  • Communities need to educate themselves about development in their area and there are many resources. 

  • Many groups describing their war stories expressed how valuable it would have been to have a forum like Plan to Pavement to have made their job a lot easier and more effective. 

  • The real value of public information forums is that when you listen, even to those you disagree with, you can learn a lot and often times find common ground. 

  • What became clear to me from this forum is how necessary it is for the public to learn the process of road building and what is required from them when they show up for public meetings.

  • Attitude counts.  Officials will tune in if concerns are expressed respectfully 

  • Learn the process, give details, and be able to back them up.

• 10/22/00 -- Get your environmental concerns to Rochester's media.  At ENN.com's New York Media Guide, click on up to 15 publication--magazines, newspapers, radio, TV,  Columnists and Syndicates, Trade Publications-- compose your message and sent it to all fifteen sources at once. 

• 10/20/00 -- We definitely have a Deer Problem: "Motor vehicles on New York roads killed 10,482 deer in 1999, with most accidents occurring during the October-to-December deer breeding season, according to state Department of Environmental Conservation records released Thursday." Albany Times Union.

• Because of its importance, I have created a new page: Air Pollution in Rochester. 

• Is our local media doing its job? I have been look at all the Rochester-area news sources today and can only find one site which mentions this story.  But, this is important and needs a lot of attention.  "...of the state's 62 counties, Monroe ranks ninth among those suffering the greatest public health impact from such plant pollution, including deaths, asthma attacks and lost work days." ---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE  Read more: Rochester on pollution list Study says coal power plants kill 30,000 in U.S. each year  -- Pollution from U.S. coal-fired power plants causes 30,000 avoidable deaths a year, a Boston research group says. (October 18, 2000) DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE

  • What does this story mean?  It means that even though far, far more people in the Rochester area get sick and die because of air pollution, it doesn't get a fraction of the attention that the West Nile virus gets in our local news media.  And, it won't.  Why?  Is it because it isn't a flashy news item?  Is it because instead of being able to help the pesticide companies, our local government would have to force local industries to conform to clean air standards and inform the public of this clear and present danger to our prolonged health and environment?  Is it because we are so afraid of angering the industries that have added this pollution to our air that they will move out, not clean up their mess, and take away jobs?  Well, you know, you can't compromise with the environment.  You can't say to the laws of physics and  chemistry and biology that we need jobs here in Rochester, so you'll just have to leave us alone.  We are kidding ourselves right into some major environmental disasters, and this story--one which our community is going to ignore both in the media and in government--is an example of how we are doing it. 

• 10/17/00 -- If you are in Fairport, here's a chance to get involved in your community's development: Community invited to help redesign Fairport Village Partnership hopes that a "charette" on Oct. 21 will allow residents to share their vision of Fairport. On Saturday, Oct. 21, the Fairport community is invited to a unique form of gathering: The Fairport Village Partnership will sponsor a "design charette" to come up with an idea of Fairport in the 21st century. (October 17, 2000) Perinton - Fairport Post

• 10/16/00 -- Very important, Please help: Lollypop Farm asks for help More than 230 farm animals are recovering at Lollypop farm and the Humane Society is asking for some much needed donations to help care for them. --from 10NBC/WHEC TV-10  WHEC

• 10/16/00 -- Read this important document about the West Nile Virus and how communities are dealing with this disease.  Is spraying necessary?  Part 1 of very important document abut the West Nile Virus from Rachels.org.

• 10/16/00 -- This just in: POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT  The Center for Environmental Information (CEI), Rochester NY, is seeking an individual located in the Rochester or Ithaca area to work part-time between October 2000 and May 200l (8 months) as Conference Coordinator for a national conference, "Acid Rain: Are the Problems Solved? to be held in Washington, D.C. in April, 2001.

• Sierra Club recognizes Rochester's anti-sprawl attitude: Renaissance 2010 (Rochester) Smart Growth Renaissance Rochester has embarked on an impressive effort to redevelop downtown, create smart growth and rejuvenate the city. Advocates claim that Renaissance 2010, as the plan is known, will turn Rochester into a world-class cultural, economic and social center. --Sierra Club 

• 10.13/00 -- Don't forget to put this on your calendar: Rochester's Drinking Water

• 10/13/00 -- Just came across this new: Squaw Island  The History of Squaw Island ABOUT THE ISLAND, How to Join Us! JOIN THE SOCIETY. Quality products supporting our island OUR STORE, updated monthly OUR NEWSLETTER.

• 10/12/00 -- Here's the big environmental news today: EPL/Environmental Advocates Releases 2000 Voters’ Guide  Legislative Leaders and Lawmakers Scored, Pataki’s Record Reviewed, Awards Announced in Annual Report on State’s Environmental Record --(October 12, 2000)  from Environmental Advocates, 353 Hamilton Street, Albany, NY, 12210 phone: 800-SAVE-NYS or 518-462-5526, fax: 518-427-0381webmistess@envadvocates.org

• 10/10/00 -- Mark your calendars: 

  FORUM TO EXPLORE HOW OUR ROADS GO FROM PLANS TO
  PAVEMENT

  Ever wonder how our roads and highways end up where they are? Ever wonder why and how they end up looking
  the way they do? Whether you've thought about this before or not, an upcoming forum is for you.

  On Saturday, October 21 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, "From Plan to Pavement" will illuminate the process by which our new, expanded, and extended roads and highways go from the idea stage to construction in our region. This process will be highlighted using three area 'case studies': Route 531 extension in western Monroe County; the Route 332 expansion in Ontario County, and the University Avenue improvements in the City of Rochester. Agency officials will join involved
  citizens to illuminate the step-by-step process as well as discuss the nature and extent of public involvement in the decisions and design. The forum will include ample time for discussion.

  This forum is sponsored by Common Good Planning Center, Downtown Community Forum, and The Smart Growth
  Coalition. It will be held at the Dugan Center at St. Mary's Church, 15 St. Mary's Place, Rochester

• 10/09/00 -- Please take note: Great Lakes Fish Advisory from the Rochester Regional Group of the Sierra Club. 

• 10/09/00 -- Instrumental in my own environmental education and awareness has been my local PBS station WXXI.  Over the years, I have learned much about how our environment works and the dangers facing our planet in the future. You can now help one of the best ways of informing yourself on the environment, by pledging funds to WXXI online at this address: http://wxxi.org/members/join/ 

• 10/06/00 -- TV, radio, and our newspapers don't keep us informed on environmental news in a sustained, comprehensive way, so get this important information right to your e-mail. http://greensolitaire.bizland.com/pr02.htm#cat3  If you don't want to get flooded with news, or you have some other hang-up about subscribing to these kind of services, just set up a new e-mail account with any one of the hundreds of free e-mail services on the Internet just for this purpose.  

• 10/05/00 -- If you care about our Olmstead Park, please attend: Seneca Park Olmstead Lecture
  October 11 7:00PM at The Dugan Center, 15 St. Mary's Place Rochester, NY 14607 (716) 232-7168

• 10/05/00 -- Plan on attending this important event: October 21 (Saturday): FROM PLAN TO PAVEMENT: HOW OUR ROADS AND HIGHWAYS GET BUILT. 9:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Downtown Community Forum's Dugan Center, 15 St. Mary's Place, Rochester. (Co-sponsored by Downtown Community Forum and The Smart Growth Coalition)

• 10/04/00 -- Important elections coming up.  Are you registered to vote?  Check out Election 2000. 

• 10/04/00 -- This just in: "Detailed information on vehicle fuel economy, including a downloadable version of the Fuel Economy guide can be found at www.fueleconomy.gov, a website maintained jointly by EPA and the Department of
  Energy. The web site allows users to compare side-by-side fuel economy, greenhouse gas emissions and
  estimated annual fuel costs."

• 10/04/00 -- Just came across an interesting site.  From Global Crossings, Do Good: Take Action for the Environment. Are you glued to the computer? Dying to waste your boss's time? Sick of stock quotes and Instant Messenger? Want to make a difference for the environment? You've come to the right place.

• 10/03/00 -- Please note these events on your calendar.  Public Information Meetings for the Zoo Expansion:
  October 5 10:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M. at the Seneca Park Zoo (note time change was due to FNSP request)
  October 12 2:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M. at the Greece Town Hall
  October 19 2:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M. at the Perinton Town Hall
  

• 10/02/00 -- Lots of new updates to Rochester Resource page.  Go to this page to find specific environmental information and services in the Rochester, New York area. 

• 10/02/00 -- Tonight, Don't forget: NoExit: Meeting scheduled for this Monday, October 2, 7pm, 19 Main St Scottsville. Focus of meeting will be on re-organizing to tackle our long term strategy.