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Posted Today - Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Fighting fire blight in New York's apple industry New York is the second biggest apple producing state in the country. But, last year production dropped dramatically due to a warmer winter, early blooms, and harsh spring frosts. The total production from the state plummeted from 1.2 million pounds in 2011, to just 710,000 pounds in 2012. But, weather isn’t the only challenge growers are contending with. (May 21, 2013) Innovation Trail [more on Food in our area]
Emerald Ash Borer Confirmed in Delaware & Otsego Counties The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been confirmed for the first time in Delaware and Otsego counties by the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. The EAB was found just south of the village of Unadilla in Delaware County and just north of the village of Unadilla in Otsego County. A timber harvester working in a private woodlot just south of Unadilla (in Delaware County) reported the suspected EAB infestation to DEC officials. This was the first report of a possible EAB infestation in a woodlot from the forest products industry in New York. Field observations and reports of suspected EAB infestations from the public are very important to the DEC in managing the satellite infestations and providing early-warning and response guidance to at-risk forest owners and communities. DEC and NYSDAM staff responded to the suspected EAB report by visiting the site and NYSDAM inspectors collected specimens which were sent to USDA APHIS for official confirmation. Follow-up surveys by Cornell and NYSDAM staff identified additional suspected-infested trees just north and west of Unadilla, in Otsego County. A NYSDAM inspector also collected samples there and submitted them for confirmation. DEC, APHIS, Cornell University, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets will continue to study the infestation in the area in an attempt to determine its extent. (May 20, 2013) NYS DEC Press Releases [more on Invasive Species in our area]
DEC Announces Third Annual Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week Residents Urged to Become Aware of Emerald Ash Borer and Report Infestations Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Awareness Week started on May 19 and will continue through May 25, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today. In observance of EAB Awareness Week, Governor Cuomo issued a proclamation urging all New Yorkers to exercise environmental stewardship to protect trees from infestation that can be devastating to landscapes, habitats and forest product industries. State residents and visitors are encouraged to learn as much as possible about the emerald ash borer and the destruction it causes to trees. "EAB is a destructive invasive species that threatens the health of our forests and our goal is to educate residents about how they can help protect our trees," said Commissioner Joe Martens. "With Memorial Day marking the beginning of the camping season, it is important to remind those traveling in New York State to only use local firewood. By stopping the human transport of this insect and increasing early detection of new infestations, we can greatly reduce the economic and environmental damages this pest can cause." (May 20, 2013) NYS DEC Press Releases [more on Invasive Species in our area]
Heavy rains carry more phosphorous into Lake Erie Heavy rains this spring have washed an estimated 210 tons of phosphorous from farm fields inside the Maumee River watershed, Jeffrey Reutter, director of the Ohio Sea Grant Program, told an Ohio Senate Finance Subcommittee last week. Depending on future rainstorms, even more phosphorous could be heading toward Lake Erie. The 210 tons are about 75 percent more agricultural chemical than the norm, but considerably less than the estimated 473 tons that washed into the lake during the rainy spring of 2011. The phosphorous that summer led to a hyper-bloom of blue-green algae that discouraged boating and fishing. (May 19, 2013) The Columbus Dispatch [more on Great Lakes and Water Quality in our area]
Geoengineering: Can We Save the Planet by Messing with Nature? As the carbon dioxide in the air hits 400 parts per million for the first time in human history, some are arguing that the best way address climate change is to use the controversial practice of geoengineering — the deliberate altering of the Earth’s ecological and climate systems to counter the effects of global warming. Supporters of geoengineering endorse radical ways to manipulate the planet, including creating artificial volcanoes to pollute the atmosphere with sulfur particles. Many scientists and environmentalists have raised concerns about geoengineering technologies designed to intervene in the functioning of the Earth system as a whole. We’re joined now by Clive Hamilton, professor of public ethics at Charles Sturt University in Canberra, Australia. Hamilton’s new book, "Earthmasters: The Dawn of the Age of Climate Engineering," lays out the arguments for and against climate engineering, and reveals the vested interests behind it linking researchers, venture capitalists and corporations. (May 20, 2013) Democracy Now! [more on Climate Change in our region]
Source of radioactive leak found in US nuclear power plant Authorities in the United States have found the source of radioactive leakage at a nuclear power plant in the US state of Michigan. Investigators detected a crack around a nozzle on one of the tanks of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Michigan, confirming that the rupture has led to radioactive water being drained into Lake Michigan. The plant, owned and operated by New Orleans-based energy corporation Entergy, ceased its nuclear operations on May 5 after the water tank surpassed its site threshold and leaked. Authorities said about 79 gallons of “slightly radioactive water” spilled from the Palisades plant into Lake Michigan as a result of the half-inch-long crack. (May 19, 2013) Press TV [more on Energy in our area]
Courthouse in Buffalo wins energy award The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has awarded the U.S. Courthouse in Buffalo a high performance energy-efficiency plaque for energy-efficiency projects that will cut energy costs by $289,000 annually. NYSERDA awards high performance building plaques to hospitals, colleges and universities, schools, businesses and other organizations that construct or substantially renovate buildings that perform at least 30 percent above the state energy code. (May 20, 2013) The Daily Record [more on Energy in our area]
Unreliable Sources 4: How the Media Help the Kochs & ExxonMobil Spread Climate Disinformation This six-part series, "Unreliable Sources: How the Media Help the Kochs and ExxonMobil Spread Climate Disinformation," documents that the press routinely cites climate contrarian think tanks without reporting their ties to the fossil fuel industry. For part 1, click here; part 2, click here; and part 3, click here. Part 4: The Koch Brothers Overtake ExxonMobil as Top Contrarian Patron For several decades, Charles G. and David H. Koch -- owners of the Wichita-based oil, gas and coal conglomerate, Koch Industries -- surreptitiously financed political and policy organizations favoring "free enterprise" and opposing government regulation. At the same time, the billionaire brothers developed an unsavory reputation with at least one philanthropy watchdog. In 2004, the National Committee on Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) published a comprehensive study on the funding strategies of 79 conservative foundations to support 350 public policy think tanks at the national, state and local level. Three of those foundations were ones controlled by the Kochs -- the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation and the Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation. (May 20, 2013) The Huffington Post [more on Climate Change in our area]
Unreliable Sources 3: How the Media Help the Kochs & ExxonMobil Spread Climate Disinformation This six-part series, "Unreliable Sources: How the Media Help the Kochs and ExxonMobil Spread Climate Disinformation," documents that the press routinely cites climate contrarian think tanks without reporting their ties to the fossil fuel industry. You can find part 1 here and part 2 here. Part 3: Public Interest Groups Exxpose Exxon--Temporarily Until just a few years ago, ExxonMobil was without a doubt the Daddy Warbucks of climate contrarian philanthropy. While most oil and auto companies stopped funding contrarians by the time the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its 2001 "Third Assessment Report" underscoring the severity of the global warming threat, ExxonMobil opened the spigot. (May 17, 2013) The Huffington Post [more on Climate Change in our area]
Waterkeeper Alliance Launches 2013 Swim Guide Website and Mobile App For millions of beachgoers, swimmers and surfers across the U.S. and Canada, finding and enjoying that perfect stretch of sand and water has just become a whole lot easier with the launch of the Swim Guide, a new, free, smartphone app. Provided and managed by member groups within Waterkeeper Alliance, a network of 207 water protection groups worldwide, the Swim Guide helps the user locate the closest, cleanest beach, get directions, view photos and determine if the water is safe for swimming. The Swim Guide also allows the user to share the whole adventure with their friends and family on social networks. Waterkeeper Alliance is proud to partner with Hertz on the Waterkeeper Swim Guide. (May 20, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Water Quality in our area]
Environmentalists decry plan to truck weapons-grade N-waste through N.Y. Accident. Fire. Terrorism. Sometime this summer, high-level, weapons-grade radioactive waste is expected to pass through New York State – maybe through the Buffalo Niagara region – on flatbed trucks traveling from Ontario to a South Carolina facility. Local environmental activists are concerned about the inherent risks in the transport and that the public is unaware that it could be coming. That’s why local members of the Sierra Group and others rallied in downtown Buffalo on Wednesday afternoon, calling on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to block the planned transport of the materials over New York’s roadways from Chalk River Laboratories northwest of Ottawa to the U.S. Department of Energy’s nuclear reprocessing facility at the Savannah River Site in Aiken, S.C. (May 15, 2013) Buffalo News
The Ginna nuclear power plant as you’ve never seen it before A few years ago, a marvelous 1963 video entitled Rochester: A City of Quality made the rounds on line and generated substanial local buzz. Produced for Rochester Gas and Electric Corp., set to lilting music and narrated in a dramatic tone, it extolled the virtues of our fair city, then in its self-satisfied heyday as a “clean” manufacturing center surrounded by verdant fields and historic old homes. My favorite line: “Quite simply, it is considered a place to make a profit, as pleasantly as possible.” The film’s a hoot. Another old RG&E film has now emerged from the archives, one that’s more serious but no less interesting in its own right. (May 15, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle 520 [more on Energy in our area]
New York farmers send plastic to be turned into diesel fuel MADISON COUNTY, N.Y. -- The feed for 1,200 cows on the ABC Farm in Central New York is harvested and stored inside the plastic covering. However, this pretty typical dairy feeding operation had a problem with disposing of the used plastic. “First of all, we’re trying to help the farmers in Madison County to properly dispose of their ag-plastic. In the past, they were burning it or they were burying it and neither one of those solutions are good. So, we wanted to find a better way to dispose of the ag plastic,” said Sharon Driscoll, Madison County recycling coordinator. Burning it puts carcinogens into the air, while burying it only hides it from view. It never biodegrades. (May 20, 2013) Rochester YNN [more on Energy in our area]
Climate change: human disaster looms, claims new research Forecast global temperature rise of 4C a calamity for large swaths of planet even if predicted extremes are not reached Some of the most extreme predictions of global warming are unlikely to materialise, new scientific research has suggested, but the world is still likely to be in for a temperature rise of double that regarded as safe. The researchers said warming was most likely to reach about 4C above pre-industrial levels if the past decade's readings were taken into account. That would still lead to catastrophe across large swaths of the Earth, causing droughts, storms, floods and heatwaves, and drastic effects on agricultural productivity leading to secondary effects such as mass migration. (May 19, 2013) The Guardian [more on Climate Change in our area]
Killing season may push into spring and fall, says study. Residents of Manhattan will not just sweat harder from rising temperatures in the future, says a new study; many may die. Researchers at Columbia University estimate deaths linked to warming climate may rise some 20 percent by the 2020s, and, in some worst-case scenarios, 90 percent or more 70 years hence. Higher winter temperatures may partially offset heat-related deaths by cutting cold-related mortality, but even so, scientists say annual net temperature-related deaths might go up a third. The study, published this week in the journal Nature Climate Change, was done by a team at the school's Earth Institute and the Mailman School of Public Health. (May 20, 2013) The Daily Climate [more on Climate Change and Environmental Health in our area]
Tar sands exploitation would mean game over for climate, warns leading scientist Prof James Hansen rebukes oil firms and Canadian government over stance on exploiting fossil fuel, which he says would make climate problem unsolvable Major international oil companies are buying off governments, according to the world's most prominent climate scientist, Prof James Hansen. During a visit to London, he accused the Canadian government of acting as the industry's tar sands salesman and "holding a club" over the UK and European nations to accept its "dirty" oil. "Oil from tar sands makes sense only for a small number of people who are making a lot of money from that product," he said in an interview with the Guardian. "It doesn't make sense for the rest of the people on the planet. We are getting close to the dangerous level of carbon in the atmosphere and if we add on to that unconventional fossil fuels, which have a tremendous amount of carbon, then the climate problem becomes unsolvable." (May 19, 2013) The Guardian [more on Climate Change and Energy in our area]
Protest of PCB landfills near Akwesasne planned Environmental activists will gather at a park in Massena tomorrow to protest the ongoing presence of toxic PCBs in the area. Organizer Donald Hassig says industrial chemicals from the Alcoa, Reynolds, and General Motors plants continue to pose a threat to the health of people in Massena and on the Akwesasne Mohawk reservation. (May 17, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Brownfields in our area]
For the Birds: New York Watches Migratory Songbirds NEW YORK CITY - From their beautiful songs to their stunning colors, birds are putting on their best displays this time of year in New York. It is the spring migration season, and more than half the birds at backyard feeders and soaring across the sky right now are headed north to the Canadian boreal forest. This is the largest intact forest on Earth and the nesting habitat for many North American birds. While that habitat is under threat from development, natural intrusions and climate change, Mike Burger of Audubon NY said bird lovers are doing what they can in the Empire State. (May 20, 2013) Public News Service [more on Wildlife and Climate Change in our area]
The US disconnect over climate change Amid growing scientific proof that global warming is man-made, we look at why the public gives credence to the sceptics. As scientists become more overwhelmingly convinced that climate change is man-made, why do politicians and the public give credence to global warming sceptics? A review of scientific literature published this week has found that 97 percent of peer-reviewed papers taking a position on global warming say humans are causing it. Yet, a large proportion of the US public still seems unconvinced. (May 18, 2013) Aljazeera [more on Climate Change in our area]
Time to Rethink Roads: Millennials Lead Change in Transportation Trends As the average number of miles driven by Americans heads into its eighth year of decline, anew report from the Ohio PIRG Education Fund finds that the slowdown in driving is likely to continue. Baby boomers are moving out of the phase in their life when they do the most commuting, while driving-averse millennials move into that phase. These demographic changes will likely keep driving down for decades, according to the report, A New Direction: Our Changing Relationship with Driving and the Implications for America’s Future. “The driving boom is over,” said Tabitha Woodruff, advocate for the Ohio PIRG Education Fund. “The constant increases we saw in driving up until 2004 show no sign of returning. As more and more millennials become adults, and their tendency to drive less becomes the norm, the reduction in driving will be even larger.” (May 17, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Transportation in our area]

News Highlight:

Photo: 100_2357 & 100_2356 = Photo credits: Steve Rosenfeld (Board), Hugh Mitchell (Sierra Club), Jim Howe (Director) .Hugh Mitchell Receives The Nature Conservancy “Friend of the Land” Award

For many years Hugh Mitchell worked to preserve the rare and beautiful Hemlock/Canadice Lakes Areas.

His efforts were recognized by the Central & Western NY Nature Conservancy by the award of a plaque which Reads, “In recognition of your role in permanently protecting the Hemlock/Canadice Lakes.”

Although Rochester City had done a good job over 135 years protecting the Upland Watershed of These reservoir lakes, because of budget shortages they were anxious to sell the 7,200 acres to New York State. This transfer was accomplished in June 2010 after more than 30 years of effort to permanently protect the land.

(Above scripts from Dynamic Drive)

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Posted earlier this month

These article are in order they were posted with the most recent at the top.

Rochester, The Next Solar Capital? Lt. Governor Bob Duffy has announced half-a-million dollars in tax credits for solar technology company Natcore. The credits come as an incentive for the company to expand its footprint at the Eastman Business Park in Rochester. “There’s no doubt in today’s day and age that Natcore and companies like Natcore have choices to make, they can go anywhere they want and they chose to come here. They chose to bring a great company, a great technology here, they’re going to be a big part of the team here at Eastman Business Park,” says Duffy. (May 17, 2013) WXXI News [more on Solar Power in our area]
New documentary explains how ice continues to shape Great Lakes region The Great Lakes formed thousands of years ago when a glacier moved across the region and melted. The film "Project:Ice" depicts the important role ice continues to play in the Great Lakes Basin. Bill Kleinert, the documentary’s executive producer and director, discusses the importance of ice to the Great Lakes region. (May 14, 2013) WKAR [more on Great Lakes and Climate Change in our area]
The U.S.: A Nation Divided By Drought What was once a coast-to-coast drought now divides the U.S. into two distinct pieces, pitting those that have water in the Midwest vs. the have-nots in the West. One of those regions is in for a long, hot, dry, and potentially smoky summer. (Hint: It's not the Midwest.) This national drought picture comes from two new reports released on Thursday from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which updated the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor that shows weekly drought conditions across the country, and the Seasonal Drought Outlook, which provides a three-month forecast that is based on current conditions and the expected precipitation and temperatures for June, July and August. (May 16, 2013) Climate Central
Both Sides in Climate War Blamed for Cherry-Picking Attribution Research Experts say scientists' efforts to determine whether weather events are caused by global warming is being mishandled by both sides of the climate divide. As if the public debate about global warming wasn't complex enough, a new field in climate research is coming of age, grabbing media attention and spawning seemingly contradictory headlines. The work, called attribution research, doesn't challenge the scientific consensus that climate change is happening. Instead, it strives to understand the regional effects of global warming by determining whether increased greenhouse gas levels did—or didn't—cause a particular weather event. But the findings can be confusing. For instance, scientists say that climate change made Hurricane Sandy worse, but that it had nothing to do with historic floods in Thailand. Warming probably didn't cause this year's severe winter storm, Nemo, but it may have supercharged it. It caused some droughts, but not others. (May 14, 2013) Inside Climate News [more on Climate Change in our area]
How frack waste will travel DAMASCUS — These maps from a permit application by XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil Corp., were made available by the Damascus Citizens for Sustainability to show transportation plans for fracking wastes across upstate New York and their proximity to New York's reservoirs. The first map shows the path that radioactive drill cuttings will take across New York's southern tier. The cuttings, produced during well drilling in the Marcellus Shale and other deep shale formations, consist of the soil, rock particles, other soil like solids and drilling fluid residues generated from the drilling of wells. (May 15, 2013) The Chronicle [more on Fracking in our area]
Released from Prison, Climate Activist Tim DeChristopher on Civil Disobedience & Building Movements We turn now to climate justice activist Tim DeChristopher, who was released last month after 21 months in federal custody. DeChristopher was convicted of interfering with a public auction in 2008 when he disrupted the Bush administration’s last-minute move to auction off oil and gas exploitation rights in Utah by posing as a bidder. He is the subject of the new documentary, "Bidder 70." "We need to be building power as a social movement. One of the weaknesses for the climate movement," DeChristopher explains, is that "we still have this huge divide between the political side of the movement that focuses on Washington and the grassroots side of the movement that’s been building real power." (May 17, 2013) Democracy Now! [more on Climate Change in our area]
Torpedo-shaped robotic vehicle conducts research in Lake Ontario In the winter, the entire lake is freezing cold. In the summer, the water warms up a bit. (Those might be the two most obvious sentences you’ll read today.) But in the spring, as the sunshine starts making the water temperatures in Lake Ontario more bearable, the water by the shore heats up much more quickly than that in the lake’s deeper center. The temporary temperature disparity impacts a variety of the lake’s systems, such as pollution levels and algae prevalence, as much of what enters the lake during this season gets stuck in the warm water by the shore. On Friday morning, a team of specialists launched a robotic torpedo-shaped device — called a autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) — into Lake Ontario, where it spent hours measuring temperature and ion levels throughout an area near Ontario Beach Park. (May 18, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Water Quality in our area]
Ash borers invading Monroe County For years, experts have warned that emerald ash borers would someday lay waste to the Rochester region’s vast plantation of ash trees. That day may not be far off. Officials say all property owners in the Rochester area should now be identifying susceptible ash trees and deciding whether to protect them with costly insecticides or let them become infested and likely die. The bright-green invasive Asian insects, first spotted in two tiny pockets in the region three years ago, have now colonized ash trees in a large swath of land from Caledonia and Wheatland through parts of Chili, Henrietta and Rush. (May 18, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Invasive Species in our area]
Solar Company Expands at Biz Park, Plans To Add Jobs With the stroke of a pen, Natcore technology signed a two-year lease extension at the Eastman Business Park on Friday. It's an extension that means expansion and new jobs. "It will give us a bigger footprint, allow us to consolidate some of our resources, and do more internally here in Rochester," said Chuck Provini, Natcore CEO. (May 17, 2013) RochesterHomePage.net [more on Solar Power in our area]
Farm Bill Heads to Senate and House Floors This week, both the House and Senate Agriculture committees adopted their versions of the 2013 Farm Bill. This is the latest move in the long-running attempt to pass a “normal” 5-year farm bill to replace one that was last passed in 2008. Several attempts to pass a farm bill in 2012 were unsuccessful and the farm bill that is currently in effect is a short-term extension that expires in September 2013. There are some significant differences between the House and the Senate versions, in both what their bills actually contain and in the process used to get them through the committee. Both sides had an abbreviated process, skipping the normal step of conducting a series of hearings to explore various issues before writing the bill. But the Senate Agriculture Committee took the streamlining even further, managing to discuss, amend and pass its version of the bill in a little under three hours on Tuesday. The House Agriculture Committee finished theirs in a marathon session that took most of the day, wrapping up just before midnight Wednesday night. (May 17, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Food in our area]
The do's and don'ts of outdoor recreational fires This the season when a lot of folks like to relax with a backyard fire pit, but believe it or not, fire officials say some of you could be breaking the law. Burning rubbish or any materials in your backyard is considered illegal through out New York State, unless you have a permit. But outdoor fires are allowed if you follow certain rules. Bonfires, for example, are not permitted, in New York. News10NBC found out some local fire marshals will allow it, as a courtesy, if it is in a fire pit, like the ones you can buy at your local hardware store. (May 16, 2013) WHEC
New York’s energy-related CO2 emissions lowest per capita Whether levels of carbon dioxide did or did not reach the grim milestone of 400 parts per million at a Hawaiian observatory this month doesn’t take away from the fact that we are still very dependent on fossil fuels. Rising above the mark is inevitable. A host of scientific studies show there could be catastrophic results if global temperatures reach what has been called the “danger zone,” a 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) increase above pre-industrial global temperatures. Scientists believe the 400 parts per million level is the limit before global temperatures rise above that danger zone. This is important because global warming at this level could result in more extreme weather such as super storms, and other threats to life as we know it. For example, Reuters reported May 12 that animal and plant habitats will be under significant threat if governments don’t take swift action to curb greenhouse gas emissions. (May 16, 2013) Investigative Post [more on Energy and Climate Change in our area]
Climate research nearly unanimous on human causes, survey finds Of more than 4,000 academic papers published over 20 years, 97.1% agreed that climate change is anthropogenic A survey of thousands of peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals has found 97.1% agreed that climate change is caused by human activity. Authors of the survey, published on Thursday in the journal Environmental Research Letters, said the finding of near unanimity provided a powerful rebuttal to climate contrarians who insist the science of climate change remains unsettled. The survey considered the work of some 29,000 scientists published in 11,994 academic papers. Of the 4,000-plus papers that took a position on the causes of climate change only 0.7% or 83 of those thousands of academic articles, disputed the scientific consensus that climate change is the result of human activity, with the view of the remaining 2.2% unclear. (May 15, 2013) The Guardian [more on Climate Change in our area]
Quebec opposition denounces fracking legislation Quebec government legislation imposing a moratorium on shale gas drilling and fracturing in the Lowlands of the St. Lawrence River was denounced by the opposition, but received mixed reviews from the industry and environmentalists alike. The moratorium could last five years until a law establishing new rules for hydrocarbon and exploration is adopted. (May 15, 2013) The Globe and Mail [more on Fracking in our area]
Heather Boyum among those honored in Ride of Silence PENFIELD — It looked like a bike ride, but it was a call for justice. About 100 cyclists rode in a silent procession to honor those who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways during the Ride of Silence event Wednesday. “Every year we hear of more local cyclists who have lost their lives due to accidents involving cars,” said Andrew Stewart, event organizer. “Often the driver says they didn’t see the rider. It’s more likely the driver wasn’t looking for a cyclist to begin with. “This ignorance can be deadly.” (May 16, 2013) Rochester Democrat And Chronicle [more on Transportation in our area]
Is Your State Home to One of the 20 Worst Water Polluters? The Ohio Valley Electric Corporation, Ferro Corporation, American Electric Power, U.S. Department of Defense and Southern Company top the list of the most hazardous polluters of U.S. surface water, according to a report released today by the national consumer advocacy organization Food & Water Watch and the Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (PERI). A Toxic Flood: The United States Needs Stronger Regulations to Protect Public Health From Industrial Water Pollution ranks the entities responsible for toxic industrial water pollution in the U.S., based on facility reports to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This report comes on the heels of Senator Frank Lautenberg’s (D-NJ) reintroduction of the Safe Chemicals Act, which would protect Americans by helping the EPA screen chemicals for safety and promote the development of safe alternatives for industry. May 16, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Water Quality in our area]
Breaking: Interior Department Bows to Pressure from Oil and Gas Industry, Weakens Fracking Rules The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposed an updated set of rules governing hydraulic fracturing, on public lands today. The controversial oil and gas development technique—in which drillers blast millions of gallons of chemically treated water into the earth to force oil and gas from underground deposits—has been linked to air and water pollution and public health problems. “Comparing today’s rule governing fracking on public lands with the one proposed a year earlier, it is clear what happened: the Bureau of Land Management caved to the wealthy and powerful oil and gas industry and left the public to fend for itself,” said Jessica Ennis, legislative representative at Earthjustice. “Our public lands—and the people who live near them—deserve the highest level of protection. Today’s rule could have set the gold standard. Instead the BLM is settling for shoddy protections peddled by the oil and gas industry.” The updated proposal eliminates protections included in the version proposed last year and fails to include safeguards demanded by environmental and public health advocates. (May 16, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Fracking in our area]
As Oceans Warm, Fish Are Finding New ZIP Codes Fish species are shifting their ranges around the world in response to warming oceans, a trend that could have significant economic ramifications globally, a new study found. The study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, employs a novel index that creates a fish thermometer of sorts, teasing out evidence of population shifts from fishery catch records during the past four decades. The study is the first to detect climate change-related shifts in the range of fish species on a global scale. In doing so, it provides another line of evidence showing the far-reaching impacts of global warming. (May 15, 2013) Climate Central [more on Climate Change in our area]
IJC Releases 16th Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality: Notes Significant Achievement but Sustained Investment and Action Needed The International Joint Commission (IJC) today released a report on how the health of the Great Lakes has changed over the past 25 years. While sustained governmental and public efforts have measurably improved Great Lakes water quality, rapid reduction in ice cover and the resurgence of some pollutants like excess nutrients are among the indicators currently raising concerns. Based on contributions from a wide range of U.S. and Canadian experts, the report reveals a mix of achievements and challenges. "With the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement just revised in 2012, both Canada and the U.S. have renewed and strengthened their commitment to protect and restore the Great Lakes," said Joe Comuzzi, Canadian Chair of the IJC. "Tight budgets on both sides of the border mean that cooperation and coordination of clean-up efforts are even more important, and the recommendations in this report can help." (May 14, 2013) International Joint Commission (IJC) [more on Great Lakes and Water Quality in our area]
Bill McKibben Addresses Climate Crisis at UB Commencement Bill McKibben, world-renowned author, environmentalist and educator, delivered the 2013commencement address of the University at Buffalo's School of Architecture and Planning on May 10. McKibben wrote The End of Nature (1989), the first book on global warming for a general audience, and more recently,Eaarth - Making a Life on a Tough New Planet (20 10). McKibben founded the global climate action campaign, 350.org, and has been steadfast in demanding that political leaders take steps to address the climate crisis. In his address to the graduates, McKibben cited Superstorm Sandy, which he said "drove the Atlantic Ocean into the New York subway system." He added, "If you had any doubts about the vulnerability of our technological civilization to the new and souped-up Nature we are creating, that should have ended." (May 15, 2013) Re-ENERGIZE Buffalo [more on Climate Change in our area]
Unreliable Sources 2: How the Media Help the Kochs & ExxonMobil Spread Climate Disinformation This six-part series, "Unreliable Sources: How the Media Help the Kochs and ExxonMobil Spread Climate Disinformation," documents that the press routinely cites climate contrarian think tanks without reporting their ties to the fossil fuel industry. If you missed part 1, you can find it here. Part 2: Disinformation Laundering at the Competitive Enterprise Institute Social scientists use the term "information laundering" to describe the phenomenon of corporations funding seemingly independent think tanks to convey their message. A more accurate term would be "disinformation laundering." To be sure, it's just one of a number of tactics corporations and trade associations use to protect their interests, including supporting candidates and political parties, lobbying legislators, financing public relations campaigns, and underwriting university-based institutes. But backing anti-regulation think tanks enables corporations to disseminate their message anonymously--and more effectively. After all, a "scholar" with an "independent" think tank has more credibility than a corporation with the general public and, more important, with policymakers and the news media. (May 15, 2013) The Huffington Post [more on Climate Change in our area]
Judge's ruling in Painted Post water sales to be appealed Painted Post, N.Y. — A judge’s ruling that halted the Village of Painted Post’s bulk water sale operation is in the process of being appealed to a higher court, Deputy Mayor Richard Lewis said at Monday night’s meeting. SWEPI LP - a Shell Oil subsidiary that was buying the village’s water for use in Pennsylvania shale gas drilling - made the decision to file the appeal, Lewis said. SWEPI LP paid for a law firm, Harris Beach, to handle the legal aspects of setting up the water sale operation on behalf of the village. Harris Beach also defended both SWEPI LP and the village in the lawsuit that wound up halting the operation. Harris Beach is now appealing to the state Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, Fourth Department, located in Rochester. (May 14, 2013) The-Leader.com [more on Fracking in our area]
Clam fossils divulge secrets of ecologic stability Clam fossils from the middle Devonian era – some 380 million years ago – now yield a better paleontological picture of the capacity of ecosystems to remain stable in the face of environmental change, according to research published today (May 15) in the online journal PLOS ONE. Trained to examine species abundance – the head counts of specimens – paleontologists test the stability of Earth’s past ecosystems. The research shows that factors such as predation and organism body size from epochs-gone-by can now be considered in such detective work. (May 15, 2013) Cornell Chronicle Online
New era for Canandaigua Lake land? When the Finger Lakes Land Trust logged another feather in its cap this spring with the addition of 68 more acres preserved above the east side of Canandaigua Lake, it not only contributed to ongoing efforts to protect the hillsides in the watershed from over-development. The more than 15,000 acres of undeveloped shoreline, gorges and farmland orchestrated so far through land trust deals with property owners and state and local officials symbolizes ramped-up activities to control development on several fronts. In some cases, efforts slog along as local planning boards wrestle with applications. The town of Middlesex in Yates County, which has some of the steepest slopes along the lake where the danger of erosion is greatest, has been bombarded with a slew of development applications, Middlesex Planning Board Chairman Marty DeVinney said. (May 16, 2013) MPNnow.com [more on Urban Sprawl in our area]
Rochester's poisoned past A graffiti-covered building hulks over the end of Flint Street — a dilapidated monument on a blighted landscape in southwest Rochester's Plymouth-Exchange neighborhood. The building is part of the Vacuum Oil site, a 24-acre property along the Genesee River waterfront that once held an oil refinery (it shut down in the 1930's). In the decades that followed, parts of the site were used for various other purposes, including a junkyard. But neighbors and city officials see potential in the site. Instead of decay and debris, they see the possibility of an inviting and publicly accessible waterfront with new mixed-use development nearby. (May 15, 2013) Rochester City Newspaper [more on Brownfields in our area]
How Renewable Energy Can Transform New York State More than 160 business leaders, elected officials, representatives from organizations and concerned citizens packed the Mount Kisco Public Library in Westchester County, NY, last night to hear nationally-recognized experts explain how New York could and should accelerate New York State’s renewable and sustainable energy future. Only one seat—reserved for Gov. Cuomo—remained empty during the forum, Renewable New York: Local Energy Today and Tomorrow. (May 15, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Energy in our area]
Report card: Great Lakes still have big problems TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- A U.S.-Canadian agency says efforts to clean up the Great Lakes have yielded mixed results over the past 25 years - and big problems remain. The International Joint Commission advises both federal governments on issues affecting shared waterways. A report issued Tuesday focuses on progress since the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement was updated in 1987. (May 14, 2013) Record Online [more on Great Lakes in our area]
AUVs take Lake Ontario research to new depths Autonomous underwater vehicles — drones of the sea — are being deployed in Lake Ontario for the first time to gather data for environmental studies. The pair of torpedo-shaped AUVs, 6 1/2 feet long and light enough to be carried by one person, will be launched from Rochester, Sodus Point, Oak Orchard and Oswego this week. They’ll cruise the near-shore waters collecting information on water quality and behavior, fish, nutrient dispersal, the lower food web and algae, according to a news release from two of the sponsoring organizations, New York State Grant and the State University College of Environmental Science and Forestry. (May 14, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle 520 [more on Water Quality in our area]
St. Louis Is Burning An underground landfill fire near tons of nuclear waste raises serious health and safety concerns – so why isn't the government doing more to help? There's a fire burning in Bridgeton, Missouri. It's invisible to area residents, buried deep beneath the ground in a North St. Louis County landfill. But the smoldering waste is an unavoidable presence in town, giving off a putrid odor that clouds the air miles away – an overwhelming stench described by one area woman as "rotten eggs mixed with skunk and fertilizer." Residents report smelling it at K-12 school buses, a TGI Fridays and even the operating room of a local hospital. "It smells like dead bodies," observes another local. On a Saturday morning in March, one mile south of the landfill, several Bridgeton residents have gathered at a small home in a blue-collar subdivision called Spanish Village. Concerned citizens Karen Nickel and Dawn Chapman are here to answer questions posed by four of their neighbors. "How will I ever sell my house?" "Am I going to end up with cancer 20 years down the road?" "Is there even a solution?" (May 10, 2013) Rolling Stone Magazine [more on Recycling in our area]
Amid Rapid Arctic Warming, U.S. Releases New Strategy With ministers from the eight Arctic states meeting Wednesday in Kiruna, Sweden, for the 2013 ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council, the Obama administration has laid out a broad new U.S. Arctic policy that sets strategic goals for how the U.S. will cope with the rapidly changing region. The “National Strategy for the Arctic Region” features the conflicting goals of accessing some of the Arctic’s potentially abundant natural resources — such as oil, gas, and minerals — and the need to protect the once pristine environment of a region that is only becoming more accessible because of global warming. (May 14, 2013) Climate Central [more on Climate Change in our area]
Great Lakes Now Connect: Beaches This special broadcast will focus on topics important to many Great Lakes residents such a; is it safe to go to a beach on the Great Lakes? Is it healthy? What about the threat of E. Coli and sewage? What about algae and other kinds of muck? And what is going on with lake water levels and can anything be done to raise (or lower) them? The town hall event will bring together leading experts from across the Great Lakes on Mary 14th, 2013 from 10am till 12noon Eastern Time. The morning will be broadcast live on DPTV’s Channel 56.2 and will be streamed live online at GreatLakesNow.org. The broadcast will also be available “on demand” online within 24 hours of the broadcast. (May 14, 2013) Great Lakes Now [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Unreliable Sources: How the Media Help the Kochs and ExxonMobil Spread Climate Disinformation Part 1: A Glaring Lapse in Climate and Energy Coverage One of my morning rituals is half-listening to NPR's "Morning Edition" while I'm getting ready for work. But on January 3, when a story came on about the fate of the wind industry's production tax credit, I snapped to attention. It was good news. Congress's eleventh hour "fiscal cliff" agreement had left the tax credit in place for at least one more year. The NPR story featured a spokesman for a small Iowa wind project who explained how the tax credit benefits rural communities. For balance, it also included a naysayer: Thomas Pyle from the American Energy Alliance, who wanted Congress to kill the subsidy. "It's not that the subsidies for the wind industry in and of themselves are bad, but it is part-and-parcel of a larger problem, and that is, is that the federal government is notoriously bad at energy policy," Pyle said. "They have been for decades, and we think it's time for them to step aside." (May 13, 2013) Huffington Post [more on Climate Change in our area]
Bloomberg Administration Charting Bold, New Direction on Recycling in New York City In a significant turnabout during his final year in office, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is orchestrating a shift in solid waste policies that should improve the environment, reduce costs to taxpayers and strengthen the Mayor’s legacy on sustainability issues. Overall, the Mayor has established an impressive track record on environmental matters over his three terms in office -- taking steps to reduce global warming emissions, expand green spaces and create new bike lanes and pedestrian plazas, among other accomplishments. But recycling and waste prevention have, until recently, been a weak link in the city’s sustainability chain. Indeed, over the past twelve years, NYC residential recycling actually declined from a peak of 20% to just about 15%. (April 22, 2013) NRDC Switchboard [more on Recycling in our area]
With Rising Seas, America's Birthplace Could Disappear Climate scientists say that by 2100, oceans could rise worldwide by at least 2 or 3 feet, on average. Coastal flooding will increase, and eventually, without human intervention, Jamestown could go under. So here's what archaeologists are wondering: Can they save the island as a real place where people can step back through time and see where it all started? (May 14, 2013) NPR [more on Climate Change in our area]
Buffalo finally hires recycling coordinator Buffalo has its first recycling coordinator in four years. Commissioner of Public Works Steven Stepniak has selected Susan Attridge for the job that has been vacant since 2009. Attridge was hired May 2 at an annual salary of $54,500. She lives in Hamburg and will have to move to the city as a requirement for all Civil Service positions. The city hasn’t officially announced her hiring. The job had been funded but vacant, with many of the duties handled by Raymour Nosworthy, the son-in-law of University Common Council Member Bonnie Russell, an ally of Mayor Byron Brown. The city advertised the position last October after Investigative Post questioned officials about the vacancy in light of the city’s anemic recycling program. (May 14, 2013) Investigative Post [more on Recycling in our area]
Field Notes: The Bog Turtle, Not So Different From Polar Bears Often, when state and federal wildlife biologists are trying to secure funding to research a threatened or endangered species, it seems easier when the species is large, charismatic, furry, or cute. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are a great example of a North American “mega fauna” species that get a lot of attention. Ask almost anyone, and they can tell you that something bad is happening with the ice breaking up, and polar bears are suffering from habitat loss. Polar bears, according to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), are federally listed as “threatened”. For a bit of perspective though, let us discuss the bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii). The bog turtle, a Western New York native, ranks on the USFWS scale as “threatened,” as well! On the state level, it is listed as “endangered”! Yet, how often are we seeing this humble little turtle on national, state, or local news? Hardly ever. (May 1, 2013) Happenings | the monthly newsletter of the Finger Lakes Institute [more on Wildlife in our area]
Poll Shows Support for a Drilling Moratorium in Pennsylvania A new poll out Tuesday shows strong support for a moratorium on natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania, despite showing general support for gas extraction. The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at the University of Michigan, in conjunction with the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, surveyed both Pennsylvania and Michigan residents on fracking. The survey shows general support for gas extraction in Pennsylvania. Forty-nine percent of respondents approve, and 40 percent oppose. But almost two-thirds support a drilling moratorium in order to study the risks. Pollster and University of Michigan professor Barry Rabe says that’s not such a contradiction. (May 14, 2013) State Impact/NPR [more on Fracking in our area]
Seven years of spinning turbines have brought windfall to Lewis County communities Wind farms are a touchy subject in the north country. As the town of Cape Vincent wrestles with a potential project, in neighboring Lewis County another wind farm has been operating for seven years. The Maple Ridge Wind Farm has brought some big changes to its community. (May 15, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Wind Power in our area]
Ride of Silence On Wednesday night, cyclists in Rochester will be pedaling in silence during a global effort to honor other cyclists. It's called the Ride of Silence. (May 14, 2013) RochesterHomePage.net
Taxpayers Billed Nearly $100 Billion for Extreme Weather in 2012 With all the debate on the federal budget in Congress, climate change rarely gets mentioned as a deficit driver. Yet dealing with climate disruption was one of the largest non-defense discretionary budget items in 2012. Indeed, as the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) shows in Who Pays for Climate Change?, when all federal spending on last year’s droughts, storms, floods, and forest fires are added up, the U.S. Climate Disruption Budget was nearly $100 billion, equivalent to 16 percent of total non-defense discretionary spending in the federal budget—larger than any official spending category. (May 14, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Climate Change in our area]
Interior Appoints New Climate Change Advisory Committee WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced the members of a newly created federal advisory committee who will provide guidance about the Interior Department’s climate change adaptation science initiatives. The Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Science will advise the Secretary of the Interior about the USGS National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Centerand the Department of the Interior Climate Science Centers, which are managed by the U.S. Geological Survey. “Responding to climate change and its effects on our natural and cultural resources is an important priority for the nation,” said Secretary Sally Jewell. “This committee embodies our commitment to working closely with our partners to strengthen our efforts to develop sound science that will help inform policymakers, land managers and the public in making important resource management decisions.” (May 8, 2013) US Dept. of the Interior [more on Climate Change in our area]
DEC, Partners Announce First Green Your Commute Day - May 17 Collaboration Highlights Environmentally Friendly Ways to Commute to Work Activities Include Lunchtime Bicycle Ride, Electric Car Display, Free Raffles and Giveaways The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced a partnership with the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks), the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and alternative transportation service providers for the first Green Your Commute Day in Albany, Friday, May 17. The event, held in Albany's Tri-centennial Park on Broadway and Columbia Street from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., will highlight environmentally friendly ways commuters can get to and from work such as carpooling, bicycling, walking and public transportation. Green Your Commute Day brings together for the first time a collaboration of state agencies with the Albany Parking Authority; Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID); vRide; Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA); Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC) and Broadway Bicycle Co. & Plaine and Son. The event coincides with nationally recognized Annual Bike to Work Day, which encourages bicycle commuting as an environmentally friendly transportation alternative. (May 13, 2013) NYS DEC Press Releases [more on Transportation in our area]
2012 was deadliest year for West Nile in US, CDC says West Nile virus killed 286 people in the United States last year, making it the deadliest year yet for the virus, the federal government reported on Monday. Texas was especially hard hit by the virus, which is carried by mosquitoes and which only arrived in the United States in 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. “A total of 5,674 cases of West Nile virus disease in people, including 286 deaths, were reported to CDC from 48 states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii),” the CDC said in a statement. West Nile virus is widespread in Africa, Asia and parts of Europe. It causes fever and aches and usually isn’t serious. But in some people it can spread to the brain or spinal cord, killing them or causing paralysis. (May 13, 2013) MSNBC [more on West Nile Virus in our area]
True Nature: Revising Ideas On What is Pristine and Wild New research shows that humans have been transforming the earth and its ecosystems for millenniums — far longer than previously believed. These findings call into question our notions about what is unspoiled nature and what should be preserved. Are there any pristine ecosystems out there? The evidence is growing that our ideas about virgin nature are often faulty. In fact, the lush rainforest or wind-blown moorland we think is natural may be a human creation, with alien creatures from distant lands living beside native species. Realizing this will change our ideas about how ecosystems work and how we should do conservation. We like to think that most nature was pristine and largely untouched until recent times. But two major studies in recent weeks say we are deluded. In one, Erle Ellis, a geographer at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and colleagues have calculated that at least a fifth of the land across most of the world had been transformed by humans as early as 5,000 years ago — a proportion that past studies of historical land use had assumed was only reached in the past 100 years or so. (May 13, 2013) Environment 360
WSP Spotlight Species: Asian Carp-In the Great Lakes? It was only a few weeks ago when temperatures fluctuated, and a light layer of snow had covered the ground one Saturday morning outside my home in Canandaigua, NY. With the month of May beginning, it is finally starting to feel like spring, reminding me of the approaching spawning season for fish in Canandaigua Lake. Unfortunately, one of most well-known threatening, invasive fish will be spawning this summer as well; the infamous Asian Carp. They inhabit major river systems to the west and threaten the Great Lakes basin, thereby the Finger Lakes. (May 1, 2013) Happenings | the monthly newsletter of the Finger Lakes Institute [more on Invasive Species and Great Lakes in our area]
Residential "Green Day" in Perinton The Town of Perinton is holding Residential "Green Day" on Saturday, May 18 at the Town of Perinton Department of Public Works,on Cobb's Lane from 7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. These services are for residential properties only and there is no charge for any of these services. An appointment is necessary for the hazardous waste collection, but not for the computer and electronic recycling, or the shredding. This annual event is sponsored by the Towns of Perinton and Pittsford, and the Villages of Fairport, Pittsford and East Rochester in conjunction with Monroe County. (May 13, 2013) Brighton-Pittsford WHEC
Adirondack Park Agency will hear from public on how to use new lands The Adirondack Park Agency has drafted seven options for classifying 47,000 acres of state land in the central Adirondacks, including the first phase of former Finch, Pruyn and Co. timberlands acquired by the state. The options range from mostly wilderness, the most restrictive state land classification where motorized vehicles are prohibited, to wild forest, where more opportunities for public access and recreation are allowed. The APA board voted Friday to host a series of public hearings on the proposals (May 13, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Parks in our area]
U.S. News Media Help Koch Brothers and ExxonMobil Spread Climate Disinformation, UCS Investigation Finds Top News Outlets Failed to Cite Think Tank Funding in Two-Thirds of Climate and Energy Stories in 2011 and 2012 WASHINGTON (May 13, 2013)—The U.S. news media routinely fail to inform the public about the fossil fuel industry funders behind climate change contrarian think tanks, according to an investigation by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). The first installment of a six-part series on the investigation is available today in the Huffington Post. “There are a lot of reasons why Congress has yet to take significant steps to curb U.S. carbon emissions, and the news media are at least partly to blame,” said Elliott Negin, UCS’s director of news and commentary and the author of the series. “Too often they’ve provided a platform for fossil fuel industry-funded groups to make misleading claims about global warming and renewables and allowed them to pass themselves off as independent, disinterested parties.” Negin surveyed climate and energy stories published or aired in 2011 and 2012 by eight top news organizations to see if they reported funding sources for eight prominent policy groups that dispute climate science. The climate contrarians, which he dubbed the “Oil Eight,” are the American Enterprise Institute, Americans for Prosperity, Cato Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Heartland Institute, Heritage Foundation, Institute for Energy Research (and its political arm, American Energy Alliance), and Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. (May 13, 2013) Union of Concerned Scientists [more on Climate Change in our area]
Climate Tipping Point? Concentration of Carbon Dioxide Tops 400 ppm for First Time in Human History Scientists are warning the planet has now reached a grim climate milestone not seen for two or three million years. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has topped 400 parts per million. The 400 ppm threshold has been an important marker in U.N. climate change negotiations, widely recognized as a dangerous level that could drastically worsen human-caused global warming. We speak to leading climate scientist Michael Mann, distinguished professor of meteorology at Penn State University and author of the recent book, "The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars: Dispatches from the Front Lines." Mann warns, "We have to go several million years back in time to find a point in Earth’s history where CO2 was as high as it is now. ... If we continue to burn fossil fuels at accelerating rates, if we continue with business as usual, we will cross the 450 parts per million limit in a matter of maybe a couple of decades. With that amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, we commit to what could truly be described as dangerous and irreversible changes in our climate." (May 13, 2013) Democracy Now! [more on Climate Change in our area]
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Levels Reach Record High of 400ppm Scientists at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii have confirmed that the heat-trapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere have reached unprecedented levels, unseen for more than 3 million years. New data released by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) have passed the ominous milestone of 400 parts per million (ppm). Professor Ralph Keeling from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii said: “It is symbolic, a point to pause and think about where we have been and where we are going. It’s like turning 50. It’s a wake up to what has been building up in front of us all along.” (May 13, 2013 )EcoWatch [more on Climate Change in our area]
In the dark about the future, West Africa struggles to fill a climate gap Africa's Sahel has seen drought and downpours intensify, but scientists don't know whether the long-term trend is drier or wetter. And that has huge policy and humanitarian implications. DAKAR, Senegal – Just two seasons exist here: the rainy and the dry. At the best of times, the temperamental rains come for three or four months and turn dusty plains into green pastures, forests and fields. (May 13, 2013) The Daily Climate [more on Climate Change in our area]
Kids Get Safety Tips At Bike Rodeo Rochester, N.Y. – It is Roc the Bike Week in Rochester, and bicycle safety for kids was the focus Sunday. MVP Health Care and the Boys & Girls Club of Rochester teamed up with Cyclopedia – a group that takes kids on bike tours to learn the history of Rochester – for a bike safety rodeo on Genesee Street. (May 12, 2013) WHAM [more on Transportation in our area]
US approves new pesticides linked to mass bee deaths as EU enacts ban In the wake of a massive US Department of Agriculture report highlighting the continuing large-scale death of honeybees, environmental groups are left wondering why the Environmental Protection Agency has decided to approve a "highly toxic" new pesticide. The continuing mass death of honeybees, known scientifically as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and a “pollinator crisis,” could well strain production of over 100 crops in the US including apples, zucchinis, avocados and plums. The agriculture value of these products is estimated at over $200 billion globally per year. As RT recently reported, a new USDA report has taken a broad look at the decline of bee colonies in the country, highlighting a dire situation as the number of colonies has plummeted from 3 million in 1990 to 2.5 million this year. Demonstrating that the decline is a long-term issue, that same report points to the existence of 6 million honey bee colonies in 1947. (May 12, 2013) RT [more on Pesticides and Wildlife in our area]
Carbon Dioxide Passes 400 PPM Milestone, NOAA Finds On May 9, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air exceeded 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in the observational record since 1958, and very likely for the first time in at least 800,000 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on Friday. This marks the first time the daily average CO2 concentration has risen past 400 ppm in the iconic record kept by the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, where daily observations go back to 1958, Climate scientists recognize this 400 ppm mark as a symbolic milestone, illustrating the rapid increase of human-caused CO2 emissions over the past century. Numerous other climate data, gleaned from ice cores, ocean sediment, and other sources show that this is the highest CO2 concentration in the air in all of modern human history, possibly as far back as 15 million years ago. (May 10, 2013) Climate Central [more on Climate Change in our area]
'Dangerous Territory': Carbon Dioxide Levels Reach Milestone Earth's atmosphere is entering a new era. A mountaintop research station that has been tracking carbon dioxide for more than 50 years says the level of that gas in our air has reached a milestone: 400 parts per million. That number is one of the clearest measures of how human beings are changing the planet. It shows how much carbon we have put into the air from burning fossil fuels — and that carbon dioxide drives global warming. This measurement comes from Mauna Loa, Hawaii, a remote volcano where the air is largely free of local influences. (May 10, 2013 NPR [more on Climate Change in our area]
Atop A Hawaiian Mountain, A Constant Sniff For Carbon Dioxide Climate scientists have a good reason to want to get away from it all. To get an accurate picture of the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere, you have to find places where the numbers won't be distorted by cities or factories or even lots of vegetation that can have a major local impact on CO2 concentrations. Starting in 1958, scientists from the Scripps Institution for Oceanography have been using an instrument on the top of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii to measure CO2 in the atmosphere. Aiden Colton, an atmospheric scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, says NOAA now maintains the Scripps Institution's CO2 analyzer, as well as one of its own. (May 10, 2013 NPR [more on Climate Change in our area]
Global carbon dioxide in atmosphere passes milestone level Climate warming greenhouse gas reaches 400 parts per million for the first time in human history For the first time in human history, the concentration of climate-warming carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has passed the milestone level of 400 parts per million (ppm). The last time so much greenhouse gas was in the air was several million years ago, when the Arctic was ice-free, savannah spread across the Sahara desert and sea level was up to 40 metres higher than today. These conditions are expected to return in time, with devastating consequences for civilisation, unless emissions of CO2 from the burning of coal, gas and oil are rapidly curtailed. But despite increasingly severe warnings from scientists and a major economic recession, global emissions have continued to soar unchecked. (May 10, 2013) The Guardian [more on Climate Change in our area]
Senate panel backs Lake Michigan wind study SPRINGFIELD — In what was described as a first step toward developing wind energy in Lake Michigan, an Illinois Senate committee approved legislation authorizing a study to determine the best locations for wind projects in the lake. The bill calls for an in-house study by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, possibly including universities and other agencies, to determine the best sites for lakebed wind turbines. The study is expected to take at least two years. Officials offered no cost estimate. The Senate Energy Committee approved HB 2753 by 12-0, with three Republicans, including Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, voting present. Sen. Mike Frerichs, D-Champaign, voted for the bill. (May 9, 2013) The News-Gazette [more on Wind Power in our area]
400 PPM: Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere Reaches Prehistoric Levels On May 2, after nightfall shut down photosynthesis for the day in Hawaii, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere touched 400 parts-per-million there for the first time in at least 800,000 years. Near the summit of volcanic Mauna Loa—where a member of the Keeling family has kept watch since 1958—sensors measured this record through sunrise the following day. Levels have continued to dance near that benchmark in recent days, registering above 400 ppm for the first time in eons after midnight on May 7. When the measurements started the daily average could be as low as 315 ppm, already up from a pre-industrial average of around 280 ppm. (May 9, 2013) Scientific American [more on Climate Change in our area]
Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere Hits 400 PPM for First Time in Human History Before the industrial revolution, the proportion of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere hovered around 280 parts per million. In 1958, when scientists began measuring average carbon dioxide levels at an observatory on Mauna Loa in Hawaii, that figure was around 320 ppm. This week, for the first time, the sensors at Mauna Loa have measured a daily average of more than 400 ppm. The last time carbon dioxide levels were this high, Australopithecus was sharing the earth with mammoths and saber-tooth tigers. (May 10, 2013) Slate [more on Climate Change in our area]
Climate Sensitivity Stunner: Last Time CO2 Levels Hit 400 Parts Per Million The Arctic Was 14°F Warmer! We have pushed atmospheric CO2 levels to 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in human existence. At the same time, a truly remarkably set of paleoclimate data shows the climate is much more sensitive to CO2 than we thought. And that means returning as quickly as possible back to 350 ppm is a vastly more rational course of action for a non-suicidal civilization, than, say continuing our unrestrained march toward 600 ppm, then 800, and then 1000. NOAA reported Friday that the daily mean concentration of CO2 in the air around Mauna Loa, Hawaii, surpassed 400 parts per million this week: (May 12, 2013) Think Progress: Climate Progress [more on Climate Change in our area]
On the Brink: Climate Change Endangers Common Species A wide variety of plants and animals are likely to become much less common if something isn't done to avert the worst effects of a warming climate, new research suggests. Under a "business as usual" scenario, where greenhouse gas emissions aren't significantly reduced, about 50 percent of plants and one-third of animals are likely to vanish from half of the places they are now found by 2080, said Rachel Warren, a researcher at the University of East Anglia in England. These losses could lead to local extinctions of species. (May 12, 2013) Live Science [more on Climate Change in our area]
Experts: CO2 record illustrates 'scary' trend The old saying that "what goes up must come down" doesn't apply to carbon dioxide pollution in the air, which just hit an unnerving milestone. The chief greenhouse gas was measured Thursday at 400 parts per million in Hawaii, a monitoring site that sets the world's benchmark. It's a symbolic mark that scientists and environmentalists have been anticipating for years. While this week's number has garnered all sorts of attention, it is just a daily reading in the month when the chief greenhouse gas peaks in the Northern Hemisphere. It will be lower the rest of the year. This year will probably average around 396 ppm. But not for long - the trend is going up and at faster and faster rates. Within a decade the world will never see days - even in the cleanest of places on days in the fall when greenhouse gases are at their lowest - when the carbon measurement falls below 400 ppm, said James Butler, director of global monitoring at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth Science Research Lab in Boulder, Colo. (May 11, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle and USA Today [more on Climate Change in our area]
May is Clean Air Month May is Clean Air Month, a reminder that poor air quality can harm the environment and affect us all. We have better air to breathe, said Jerry Medinger, manager of the American Lung Association in Wisconsin, because decades of effort have been paying off. "The trend is clearly showing that our air is cleaner than it was in the '90s," he said. "I think that's kind of how you have to look at air quality - not from year to year, because a lot of annual emissions and the levels of pollution are driven by weather." (May 13, 2013) Public News Service [more on Air Quality in our area]
Better batteries could revolutionize solar, wind power On an arid mountain in Eureka County, Nev., a mining company believes it's struck the 21st century equivalent of gold. The precious commodity is vanadium, a metal that can be extracted from shale rock and used to make powerful, long-lasting batteries for cars, homes and utilities. If Vancouver-based American Vanadium gets federal approval for its proposed Gibellini Hill Project — a 30-day public comment period ends May 29 — it will operate the only vanadium mine in the United States. (May 12, 2013) USA Today [more on Energy in our area]
Volunteers sought to see if hydrofracking affects streams, lakes, rivers Nonprofit seeks volunteers to see if hydrofracking affects natural resources A nonprofit organization is seeking to recruit and train several groups of volunteers for a program to find out how hydrofracking will impact streams, lakes and rivers. The Community Science Institute of Ithaca will hold information sessions on red flag stream monitoring at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Steele Memorial Library, 101 E. Church St. in Elmira, and 6 p.m. May 30 at the Montour Falls Public Library, 406 Main St. Training will be held in July and August for the program that seeks to determine the potential impact of the hydraulic fracturing process used in natural gas exploration. (May 12, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Fracking in our area]
Improve Your World: No Fracking, Yes Renewable Energy [Editor's note: Students from the State University of New York (SUNY) School of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY held their 2013 graduation ceremony yesterday. SUNY ESF's motto is "Improve Your World." Dr. Sandra Steingraber was given an honorary doctoral degree for her life's work on environmental health and science, including her work to fight fracking in New York. She was given a standing ovation for her inspirational speech (see below) and called on our future environmental scientists to take action.] What an amazing moment. Thank you. And what makes this a special honor for me is not just that SUNY-ESF is the nation’s oldest and most venerable college of environmental science, which is my field of study, too, but also that its official motto consists of the three words that I happen to live by. Those words—for the guests here who may not know them—are not a Latin phrase about the nature of truth and wisdom. They are a set of simple directions in English. Improve your world. Isn’t that great? (May 12, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Fracking in our area]
Climate hits 400ppm of CO2 for first time in 3 million years It is a sign of our rapidly changing world that we can get daily updates on the rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere via Twitter. @Keeling_Curveis the Twitter account of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and tweets daily readings from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which has been measuring how much carbon dioxide is in the air since 1958. In what is a symbolically significant milestone, on May 9th NOAA reported CO2 levels of 400.03 parts per million (ppm), which is a level unseen for three million years. This milestone is, undoubtably, bad news. However, the newsworthiness of this moment also serves as an opportunity to educate the public about what this number means for the climate and our future. (May 10, 2013) TreeHugger [more on Climate Change in our area]
Scotts drops phosphorus from lawn fertilizer Marysville company acts to reduce risk of runoff feeding toxic-algae blooms in lakes; competitors likely to follow its lead Scotts Miracle-Gro has removed phosphorus from its popular Turf Builder line of lawn fertilizer to help reduce the type of harmful algae blooms that have plagued waterways such as Grand Lake St. Marys and Lake Erie. The Marysville maker of lawn-and-garden products sees the move as a milestone for its industry, which it says is partly responsible for the phosphorus runoff that feeds one of the nation’s most costly and challenging environmental problems — nutrient pollution. “As consumers feed their lawns this spring, they should know they can get great results from our products while also protecting and preserving our water resources,” said Jim Lyski, Scotts’ chief marketing officer, in a written statement. (May 10, 2013) The Columbus Dispatch [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Fracking Activists Could Face Felony Charges as "Ag-Gag" Laws Spread New Pennsylvania law would criminalize animal rights and anti-fracking activists The same "Ag-Gag" laws that make it a crime to film or document egregious abuses on industrial farms may soon be used to criminalize anti-fracking activists who seek to expose environmental harms brought on by the gas drilling industry—if a bill recently proposed in Pennsylvannia passes. House Bill 683, sponsored by Rep. Gary Haluska, D-Cambria, would make it a felony to take photos, video or audio on private land used for "agricultural purposes," downloading or distributing any such recordings; and entering agricultural property if one plans on recording. However, as Pittsburg's TribLive reports, the bill would go even further, in that gas frackers now commonly drilling on land that would otherwise be used for "agricultural purposes" would also be protected—meaning anyone looking to document what goes on in the ordinary day of a gas fracker, could be slapped with felony charges. (May 9, 2013) Common Dreams [more on Fracking in our area]
Adding veggies to your diet helps cut global warming If the carnivorous U.S. population – as a whole – ate a more-vegetarian diet that included egg and milk products, the environment would be greatly relieved, says a preliminary Cornell study. Far fewer acres of land would be needed to support the diet, and much less nitrogen would pour into the environment, says life-cycle engineer Christine Costello, a postdoctoral researcher in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology. She will soon be a faculty member at the University of Missouri. “Before, we knew that our diets were connected to the environment and our land use. Now, we have explicit links, as we can calculate and corroborate inputs like fertilizers, nitrous oxide and we can obtain more accurate numbers. It is important to demonstrate how consumption choices drive environmental impacts, and this project is explicitly defining those connections,” says Costello. (May 9, 2013) Cornell Chronicle Online [more on Food and Climate Change in our area]
Rochester Ride of Silence May 15 to honor fallen cyclists On Wednesday, May 15 Rochester's Ride of Silence will honor cyclists who have died while riding. It is a processional paced, 9 mile route along Penfield's quiet roads. The riders do not talk, to better remember their friends or family members who are no longer able to ride with them. (May 10, 2013) Gates-Chili Post [more on Transportation in our area]
Heat-Trapping Gas Passes Milestone, Raising Fears The level of the most important heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere, carbon dioxide, has passed a long-feared milestone, scientists reported Friday, reaching a concentration not seen on the earth for millions of years. Scientific instruments showed that the gas had reached an average daily level above 400 parts per million — just an odometer moment in one sense, but also a sobering reminder that decades of efforts to bring human-produced emissions under control are faltering. The best available evidence suggests the amount of the gas in the air has not been this high for at least three million years, before humans evolved, and scientists believe the rise portends large changes in the climate and the level of the sea. (May 10, 2013) New York Times [more on Climate Change in our area]
Wind turbines bring windfalls As more are built upstate, devices generate cash as well as electricity Every March, Ron Konka of Wyoming County gets two financial boosts. First he gets a check for $36,000 from Noble Environmental Power Co. for the five wind turbines that spin on his 300 acres in Wethersfield. Then he gets a bunch of orders at his building supply company from people who are spending their wind turbine checks. “Having the money every year is great,” Konka said. “We get a lot of business.” Wind turbines that generate electrical power are also generating lots of dollars in western New York. From major collections of windmills, such as the Noble Wethersfield Wind Park, that supply more than 100 megawatts of power, to single units that fill a portion of one company’s power needs, the nine-county Finger Lakes-Genesee region now has more than 250 of these structures. (May 10, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Wind Power in our area]
How Big Oil Uses the Republican Party to Subvert American Democracy In a surprise move, the eight Republican members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee yesterday blocked a floor vote on President Obama’s nominee, Gina McCarthy, as U.S. EPA Administrator. In doing so the Republican senators broke their earlier promise to move McCarthy’s nomination if she answered an unprecedented 1,079 written questions, a quest she completed. Political observers assume the Republican roadblock is meant to derail or delay the implementation of a new EPA rule, promised by President Obama to finally regulate carbon pollution. The Republican ranking member, Senator David Vitter of Louisiana, orchestrated the double cross. Vitter is an unabashed mouthpiece for the petroleum industry and record breaking receptacle for petrodollars having received $1.2 million in oil company largesse during his public service career. With cash gushers of oily money cascading down their open gullets, the Republican leadership’s mercenary devotion to Big Oil shouldn’t shock us. However, the boldness of the party’s most recent assault on the public interest might cause us to ponder how GOP’s honchos’ knee jerk slavishness to petroleum interest has infected its rank and file. (May 10, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Climate Change in our area]
NY: Move over and slow down for radioactive waste? Anti-nuclear activists, who seems to very active in New York these says, may be girding for battle over the proposed shipment of high-level radioactive waste from Canada to South Carolina. No route has been selected, apparently. But the most direct path would seem to be right through central New York. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is reviewing the proposed shipment, which would involve 23,000 litres of an acid solution that contains highly enriched uranium. That’s about enough to fill 110 of those well-known 55-gallon drums. It would come from Chalk River Laboratories, a large facility in the Canadian province of Ontario near its border with Quebec that conducts nuclear research and produces radioactive isotopes for medical use. The laboratories are operated by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., a government-owned crown corporation. (May 9, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle 520 [more on Energy in our area]
Rotary gears up for spring bike drive Greece, N.Y. — Old bicycles will soon find new use. The Greece Rotary Club and the Ridgemont Country Club, in conjunction with R Community Bikes, are teaming up to host a spring bike drive. R Community Bikes will repair the bikes that can be fixed and use the parts from the bikes that cannot be repaired. The bikes will then be donated to City of Rochester residents who need transportation. R Community Bikes has given out more than 2,700 bikes over the past year to adults and children throughout the city, according to the organization. (May 9, 2013) Greece Post [more on Transportation in our area]
Scottish climate change could wipe out rare birds Some of Scotland’s rarest birds could be wiped out by the end of the century as a new UK report highlights “profound” climate change in the Highlands, experts have warned. Ptarmigan, dotterel and snow bunting have already been forced to the tops of the highest Scottish peaks as global warming has shrunk the cooler high- altitude habitat which they need to survive. Experts yesterday published a new report highlighting numerous accepted predictions that climatic conditions in the birds’ territory will have altered so much that within 100 years they will be squeezed out completely because there will be nowhere left for them to go. The latest warning was made in the Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Impacts Report Card, the first assessment of its kind in the UK bringing together research by 40 scientists to produce an overview of the affects of climate change on biodiversity now – and predictions for the future. (May 10, 2013) The Scotsman [more on Climate Change in our area]
$9.9M grant to reduce dairy's environmental hoofprint A team of scientists from seven universities – including three from Cornell – has joined forces with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on a five-year, $9.9 million project to study the environmental impact of dairy production systems in the Great Lakes region and develop best management practices for producers to implement on farms. Emissions of greenhouse gases and ammonia, soil carbon sequestration, and soil and forage quality will be measured during ongoing dairy forage production field experiments in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and New York, with the goal of understanding how various management practices and regional climate differences affect carbon, nitrogen, water and energy fluxes across the dairy production system. (May 9, 2013) Cornell Chronicle Online [more on Climate Change in our area]
Asian carp fish found in Grand River sparks alarm for conservation officials WATERLOO REGION — They have no natural predators, eat nearly everything in sight and can take over lakes and rivers like an invading army. Conservationists are sounding the alarm after a 40-pound Asian grass carp, an invasive species of monster fish that has wreaked havoc in U.S. waterways, was caught by an angler last week in the mouth of the Grand River nearDunnville. “They have the power to remake an aquatic ecosystem to meet their needs and they just push out the native species,” said Dave Schultz, spokesperson for the Grand River Conservation Authority. (May 9, 2013) The Record [more on Invasive Species in our area]
Norway, Canada, the United States, and the Tar Sands 9 May 2013 James Hansen Today 36 Norwegian organizations sent an open letter to Prime Minister Stoltenberg expressing opposition to development of Canadian tar sands by Statoil (the Norwegian state is majority shareholder of Statoil). Signatories include not only environmental organizations, but a broad public spectrum, including, appropriately, many youth organizations. It is encouraging that Norwegian youth press their government to stop supporting tar sands development, given the fact that Norway saves much of its oil earnings for future generations and given the fact that Norway is not likely among the nations that will suffer most from climate change. I wonder if the Norway government response will be better than their response in 2010. (May 9, 2013) Dr. James E. Hansen [more on Climate Change in our area]
Maryland's Backyard Birds at Risk ANNAPOLIS, Md. – From their beautiful songs to their stunning colors, birds are putting on their best displays this time of year in Maryland. It's the spring migration season, and more than half the birds you see at your feeders and soaring across the sky right now are headed north to Canada's Boreal Forest, the largest intact forest on earth, and the nesting grounds for America's birds. Dr. Jeff Wells, senior scientist with the Boreal Songbird Initiative, says many of the birds are at risk as the forest faces new threats. "It is an area that is under threat from mining, forestry, oil and gas, hydro,” he says. “Lots of different factors. And it is being impacted by climate change." (May 10, 2013) Public News Service [more on Wildlife and Climate Change in our area]
US budget cuts block methane curbs Methane emissions from coal mines escaped being curbed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, which said mandatory budget cuts didn’t leave it with the resources to determine if the pollution is a significant risk. The EPA rejected a petition from environmental groups, which three years ago asked the agency to limit the greenhouse gases released from the mines. “The agency must prioritise its regulatory actions. This is especially the case in light of limited resources and ongoing budget uncertainties,” acting EPA Administrator Bob Perciasepe wrote in a letter to Edward Zukoski, a lawyer for the environmental group Earthjustice. “In the future, the EPA may initiate the process for such a determination, but the agency has decided that it will not do so now.” (May 8, 2013) WATodday.com [more on Climate Change in our area]
Bike Week begins Saturday Rochester’s deputy mayor announced Thursday that Bike Week will begin Saturday in Rochester. “Biking is the way for urban living,” Deputy Mayor Leonard Redon said. He said biker-friendly communities have less traffic congestion and help local businesses thrive. Bike Week — which takes place during National Bike Month — lasts until May 19 and aims to bring together Rochester’s biking community and raise awareness of the city’s ongoing investments in bicycle infrastructure. (May 9, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Transportation in our area]
Rochester School Wins Award for Recycling A Rochester school is being rewarded for it's go green efforts. The Kodak Park School Number 41 won first place in the state in the "Recycle-Bowl. Students at Rochester's Kodak Park School know that there is more than one use for a milk carton. But this work of art is just a fraction of the cartons that were saved during the schools recycling project. (May 9, 2013) Go Green: RochesterHomePage.net [more on Recycling in our area]
Toxic Algal Blooms Pose Health Risks to Wildlife, Pets and People As we all learned in school, the Great Lakes are an immense source of freshwater. In fact, they are the largest system of freshwater lakes in the entire world and contain nearly one-fifth of the fresh surfacewater found on Earth. They provide drinking water to more than 40 million people, cover an area nearly the size of Oregon and contain a wide variety of habitats, including wetlands, dunes and forests, which are home to thousands of plant and animal species. Despite the vast and perceived pristine nature of the Great Lakes, they face many threats. The waters of the lakes are not unlimited—on average, less than one percent is renewed annually from rainfall, runoff and groundwater. Invasive species and water pollution also are persistent threats. Failing infrastructure causes the release of raw and partially treated sewage, which contain bacteria and other pathogens that make people sick, into waterways that flow into the Great Lakes. In addition, sediment and fertilizers from urban and agricultural areas are carried by stormwater and irrigation runoff, adding to the heavy load of nutrients and other pollutants in the lakes. (May 9, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Water Quality in our area]
Rapid response funding proposed to tackle invasive species threat Invasive species can cause environmental and economic damage, and present a threat to the shipping, fishing and recreation industries across upstate New York, according to Sen. Chuck Schumer. Schumer, a Democrat, is proposing a rapid response grant program to help tackle the issue. The proposed legislation would allow states and local authorities to request federal grants for early detection and rapid response when the presence, or threat, of a new aquatic invasive species is identified. “Early detection would allow locals to hire and train individuals that have a specific job responsibility to find invasive species. Rapid response efforts contain and where possible eradicate invasive species before they get their stranglehold on the waterway,” Schumer says. (May 9, 2013) Innovation Trail [more on Invasive Species in our area]
Rochester Shares $1.4M To Clean Up Contamination Rochester, N.Y. — Rochester is one of five communities to share $1.4 million to clean up abandoned and contaminated sites. The Federal Environmental Protection Agency says the five upstate communities sharing the brownfields clean up money are Rochester, Fort Edward, Glens Falls, Ithaca, and Rensselaer. (May 9, 2013) WHAM [more on Brownfields in our area]
EPA Provides $1.4 Million to Communities in Upstate New York to Support Assessments, Cleanups and Revitalization of Contaminated Properties The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing nearly $1.4 million to Fort Edward, Glens Falls, Ithaca, Rensselaer, and Rochester, New York to help those communities clean up abandoned and contaminated sites. The funding was awarded through EPA’s Brownfields Program, which helps communities assess, clean up, redevelop, and reuse contaminated properties. Brownfields are properties where moderate contamination threatens environmental quality and public health and can interfere with productive re-use of the sites. “Cleaning up brownfields sites protects people’s health and the environment, revitalizes neighborhoods and create jobs,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. “Brownfields cleanups and the reuse of formerly contaminated properties improve the lives of those who live and work in these communities.” (May 8, 2013) EPA News Releases from Region 2 [more on Brownfields in our area]
Filling In The Gap On Climate Education In Classrooms The auditorium at James Blake High School in Silver Spring, Md., is packed when Cy Maramangalam strolls onstage, sporting jeans and a shaved head. "All right, how's everyone doing today?" he says to rousing cheers. It feels as if he's about to introduce a hot new band, but Maramangalam is with the Alliance for Climate Education, or ACE, and he's here to talk climate change. In the past few years, the nonprofit has put on multimedia presentations for more than 1 million students across the country. Think of it as Al Gore for Gen Y. (May 7, 2013) NPR [more on Environmental Education and Climate Change in our area]
This Town Took On Fracking and Won Tiny Dryden, New York, just won the right to send frackers packing. There was a time not so long ago when the most contentious issue in Dryden, New York, was hiring a new dog catcher. Situated in New York’s Finger Lakes region, Dryden is a rural town with a population of just 14,500 spread over 94 square miles. It’s “a little more progressive than your average upstate town,” explains town supervisor Mary Ann Sumner, because it gets some spillover residents from nearby Ithaca, a college town. “But we’re still just an upstate town,” best known for dairy farms and cornfields. But everything changed in August 2011, when Dryden became one of the first towns in New York to ban fracking. Natural gas interests swiftly sued, putting the once sleepy spot in the middle of a nationwide debate over gas drilling. Last week, after a spending a year and a half in court fighting to protect its ban, Dryden became the first town in the state to prevail over the gas industry—in a case that could set a precedent for other towns that are trying to keep frackers out. (May 8, 2013) Climate Desk [more on Fracking in our area]
Two Regions, Two Weeks – Environmental Studies Summer Youth Institute The Environmental Studies Summer Youth Institute (ESSYI) is a two-week, college-level interdisciplinary program for talented high-school students entering their junior and senior years. Students make intellectual and emotional connections as they explore challenging environmental topics through scientific, social, economic, ethical, and political perspectives. Since its’ creation in 1993, ESSYI has been exposing students from all over the world to the complex environmental issues that face our world. The primary goal of the program is to provide students with the theoretical and practical tools necessary for them to return home and make changes in the ways they live and their communities. ESSYI is a unique program, in that students spend half of their time in classrooms learning about a variety of concepts and topics through lecture, discussion and activities, and then spend the other half of their time outdoors applying what they’ve learned to real-world situations. Classroom sessions range from “Environmental Ethics” and “the Geography of Garbage” to “the Nature of Art.” Field trips include excursions to Zurich Bog, the Seneca Meadows Landfill in Waterloo, and across Seneca Lake aboard The William Scandling research vessel. (May 1, 2013) Happenings - the monthly newsletter of the Finger Lakes Institute [more on Environmental Education in our area]
DEC Investigates Fish Kills In Irondequoit Bay Scientists for the DEC are trying to determine what is causing hundreds of fish to die in Irondequoit Bay. State officials say they have received several complaints about fish kills on Irondequoit Bay since late April. A fish biologist inspected the north end of the bay last month, and collected samples which were sent to Cornell University for further study. The DEC says most of the dead and dying fish were gizzard shad. Officials say those fish are sensitive to environmental changes and may be reacting to the change in temperature caused by cold water circulating in the bay. They also say the fish may be stressed because of a long winter and they are preparing to spawn. (May 8, 2013) WXXI News [more on Wildlife in our area]
Harbec Inc. and NYSERDA Investment in New Ontario Wind Turbine Brings Clean Energy Power to Three Companies 850-kilowatt, 300-Foot-Tall Turbine is Largest Turbine in NYSERDA On-Site Wind Program A major wind turbine project funded by Harbec Inc. and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has started operation at the Wayne Industrial Sustainability Park, bringing wind power to three local businesses that employ a total of nearly 200 people. The 850-kilowatt (kW) turbine, with blades 300 feet above the ground, cost $2.4 million and was funded in part by a $400,000 incentive from NYSERDA’s On-Site Wind Turbine Incentive Program. This is the largest wind turbine funded through this program and will generate more than 2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. The program offers incentives for rural homes, farms and municipalities seeking wind power. (May 2, 2013) NYSERDA [more on Wind Power in our area]
Ontario County Board of Supervisors to consider resolution on landfill Canandaigua, N.Y. — The Ontario County Board of Supervisors will consider at its meeting Thursday a resolution to approve an environmental statement for the Ontario County landfill that would take a step forward on a controversial expansion. The resolution was laid over by Geneva City Supervisor Dominick Vedora at the board’s April 18 meeting. (May 8, 2013) MPNnow.com [more on Recycling in our area]
The Hemlock-Canadice balancing act Anti-fracking groups in the Rochester area want the state Department of Environmental Conservation to state strongly and unequivocally that it won't allow drilling on the Hemlock-Canadice forest lands. And they're pushing for the state to make the property either a unique area or a state nature and historic preserve — defined designations that limit use of the land. The restrictions include prohibitions on gas and oil drilling, the activists say. But City of Rochester officials say that such high levels of protections and restrictions could interfere with routine maintenance of the property, such as erosion control measures and efforts to diversify tree populations and vegetation. (May 09, 2013) Rochester City Newspaper [more on Fracking and Canadice and Hemlock Lakes]
Team proposed to hit invasive species in NY lakes U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer wants the federal government to create a rapid response team to quickly strike at invasive species nationwide, including those found in the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes and in the Adirondacks. Schumer says the teams could address hydrilla, Eurasian Milfoil, Asian clams and other plants and sea creatures that do great damage to lakes once they enter from sea-faring ships. (May 8, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Invasive Species in our area]
Sequestration Spells Problems For National Parks Forced federal spending cuts took a $183 million bite out of the budget of the National Parks Service, leaving 900 fewer full-time staffers in parks this year. (May 8, 2013) RochesterHomepage.net [more on Parks in our area]
New Yorkers Call on Gov. Cuomo to Protect Thriving Tourism Industry from Fracking On the day of Governor Cuomo’s tourism summit, New York bed-and-breakfasts, wineries and other tourism-related businesses highlighted fracking’s incompatibility with upstate tourism and called on the governor to protect the state’s tourism industry by banning fracking. New Yorkers Against Fracking also announced a radio ad running in Albany, emphasizing the risks that fracking poses to the state’s rural tourism industry. Dozens of citizens wore iconic “I (Heart) New York” t-shirts and handed out literature to participants as they entered the summit. “If Governor Cuomo is serious about creating a thriving tourist industry that continues to grow our economy and upstate jobs then he will realize that fracking is incompatible with that future,” said Julia Walsh of New Yorkers Against Fracking. “Fracking will drive away tourists from New York who will fear their health will be compromised from a visit to the Empire State.” (May 8, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Fracking in our area]
NY nuke: No money, no license? Just down the Lake Ontario shoreline a ways stands the FitzPatrick nuclear power plant, one of three reactors to grace Oswego County. Construction of FitzPatrick began in September 1968, which, amazingly, makes it only the 39th oldest U.S. plant. It was operated by the New York Power Authority, though the state-controlled authority sold it to Entergy Corp. in 2000. (May 7, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle 520 [more on Energy in our area]
Ginna to test public notification system Wednesday Ginna Nuclear Power Plant in Ontario will perform a test of its public notification system. The test will be between 9:45 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday and will involve sounding all 96 sirens. Residents who live within a 10-mile radius may hear it. (May 7, 2013) Rochester NY NBC News [more on Energy in our area]
Interior Announces $475 Million in Hurricane Sandy Relief Funds to Rebuild Region, Make Communities Stronger and More Resilient WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced that the Department is releasing $475.25 million in emergency Hurricane Sandy disaster relief appropriations to 234 projects that will repair and rebuild parks, refuges and other Interior assets damaged by the storm. The funding will also provide investments in scientific data and studies to support recovery in the region, as well as historic preservation efforts. The strategic plan and a list of the approved projects are available here. “The funding we are making available today will help repair and rebuild facilities, reopen roads, and restore services in order to get our parks, refuges, beaches, and public lands fully operational and open to the public this summer,” said Jewell. “We will continue to focus our efforts on rebuilding to welcome visitors, help jumpstart local economies, and make communities stronger and more resilient to help withstand potential damage from future storms.” (May 7, 2013) US Dept. of the Interior [more on Climate Change in our area]
OUR SINGULARITY FUTURE: HUMANITY’S TRASH PILING UP IN GREAT LAKES Mass-producing, mass-consuming humanity continues to leave its lasting mark on planet Earth. You’ve probably heard about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an “island” of floating debris in the north Pacific twice the size of Texas. While it isn’t always as large, and its debris is diffuse enough as to be nothing resembling an actual island, the Great Patch is still a great problem. And if one has formed in the middle of the ocean, might we expect other like patches to form closer to the coastlines from which the waste is dumped in the first place? They found one. Call it the Great Great Lakes Garbage Patch. (May 7, 2013) SingularityHUb [more on Great Lakes and Brownfields in our area]
Bee Deaths May Have Reached A Crisis Point For Crops According to a new survey of America's beekeepers, almost a third of the country's honeybee colonies did not make it through the winter. That's been the case, in fact, almost every year since the U.S. Department of Agriculture began this annual survey, six years ago. Over the past six years, on average, 30 percent of all the honeybee colonies in the U.S. died off over the winter. The worst year was five years ago. Last year was the best: Just 22 percent of the colonies died. "Last year gave us some hope," says Jeffrey Pettis, research leader of the Agriculture Department's Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Md. (May 7, 2013) NPR [more on Wildlife and Food in our area]
Bill McKibben to Deliver Commencement Address Bill McKibben, Author, Educator, Environmentalist, to Deliver Commencement Address, Receive Dean's Medal The School of Architecture and Planning Commencement will be held on Friday, May 10, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. in the Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre, North Campus of the University at Buffalo. The event is open to the public. (May 7, 2013) Re-ENERGIZE Buffalo
U.S. Urban Trees Store Carbon, Provide Billions in Economic Value, Finds State-By-State Analysis From New York City's Central Park to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, America's urban forests store an estimated 708 million tons of carbon, an environmental service with an estimated value of $50 billion, according to a recent U.S. Forest Service study. Annual net carbon uptake by these trees is estimated at 21 million tons and $1.5 billion in economic benefit. In the study published recently in the journal Environmental Pollution, Dave Nowak, a research forester with the U.S. Forest Service's Northern Research Station, and his colleagues used urban tree field data from 28 cities and six states and national tree cover data to estimate total carbon storage in the nation's urban areas. (May 7, 2013) Science Daily [more on Plants and Climate Change in our area]
N.Y.'s climate change clearinghouse to offer info to all No longer an abstract concept, climate change is affecting the air, sea and land. To comprehend the effects on New York and the Northeast region, scientists begin collaborating this summer on the New York Climate-Change Science Clearinghouse, a Web-based, map-enabled reference library and climate database to be headquartered at Cornell. A team of academic, nongovernmental, state and federal scientists will develop the project. At Cornell, Art DeGaetano, professor of climatology and director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast Regional Climate Center, will lead the effort. Climate change affects all sectors of the New York economy. “This project will provide the information necessary for policy- and decision-makers to reach scientifically sound decisions regarding climate change,” said DeGaetano. The public also will have access to the data. (May 7, 2013) Cornell Chronicle Online [more on Climate Change in our area]
Wither Global Warming? Has it Slowed Down? The so-called warming ‘hiatus’ over the past decade and a half is no reason for complacency on future warming. Mathematics teaches us that 15 years is simply too short a period from which to draw statistically valid conclusions. Is global warming slowing down? Is the past 10 to 15 years — which have seen little net change in the average surface temperature of the Earth despite ever-larger carbon dioxide emissions — an indication that climate change will not be as bad as previously projected? That the atmosphere is less sensitive to carbon dioxide than many scientists have concluded based on their understanding of the scientific evidence? That the warnings from those in-the-know are overblown and the world can keep burning fossil fuels? May 7, 2013) the YALE forum on CLIMATE CHANGE & THE MEDIA [more on Climate Change in our area]
The Future of U.S. Fisheries: An Ecosystem-Based Approach Hundreds of fishermen, conservationists, managers and ocean experts from around the country are gathered in Washington, DC May 7-9 for a summit hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and theregional fishery councils. The conference, Managing Our Nation’s Fisheries 3, will provide a rare opportunity for stakeholders to discuss an array of fishery issues facing our nation. My hope is that this discussion will build on past achievements and identify new ways to better meet remaining and future challenges. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the bedrock law governing U.S. fisheries, is up for debate and amendment in Congress. This conference will formally launch the reauthorization discussion. (May 7, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Wildlife in our area]
NOAA understands the drivers, but not the destination, of lake levels Will deepening climate change raise or lower lake levels over the next, say, 20-50 years? “There is considerable uncertainty about how climate change will affect lake levels, due to the interplay between changes in precipitation and changes in evaporation,” said Gronewold. “Increased temperatures, which most climate models indicate are likely to happen, are likely to increase water temperatures. What we’ve found is increasing water temperatures, relative to the cool air that tends to come over the Great Lakes in the fall, leads to increased evaporation.” (May 2, 2013) The Voice [more on Great Lakes and Climate Change in our area]
Jerry Brown blames climate change for state's early fire season SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Jerry Brown put the state’s early wildfire season in global terms Monday, saying the state would have to grow accustomed to more forest fires as a consequence of climate change. Brown’s remarks at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s aviation management unit in Sacramento came as firefighters in Ventura County said they expected to have the 28,000-acre Springs fire fully contained by Tuesday. State firefighters have responded to about twice the average number of wildfires so far this year – more than 1,100 in all. (May 6, 2013) Los Angeles Times [more on Climate Change in our area]
Getting a jump on Aquatic Invasive Species: Great Lakes Risk Assessment Tools The Great Lakes may span eight states and two provinces, but the threat of new aquatic invasive species is a constant reminder that the region is connected in more than name alone. In the past, invasive species like zebra mussels, Asian carp, and hydrilla have hitched rides in ballast water and on boats or have been transported across the region to be sold in new markets. These invaders can disrupt aquatic food webs, block out sunlight needed by other species, and hinder commercial and recreational fishing. And each jurisdiction can do little to curb the spread alone. “These invasive organisms don’t stop at the border,” said Reuben Keller, an environmental scientist at Loyola University Chicago. “If they are introduced into one part of the region, they will reach every state. Everyone’s risk level is the same as the least regulated state.” (April 23, 2013) NOAA Research [more on Invasive Species in our area]
Finger Lakes gas storage plans draw outcry Company wants to use depleted salt mines to store natural gas The Finger Lakes region, frequented by tourists for its vistas, recreation and vineyards, is dotted with caverns left behind a century ago when the area was a major salt-producing region. Now, an energy company is eyeing those caves as ideal spaces for storing natural gas, upsetting opponents who are trying to prevent a resurgence of industry to what they call an environmental gem. The plans call for six new rail spurs to handle 24 propane tanker cars every 12 hours. A round-the-clock cycle of trains and tanker trucks seven days a week would bring propane in and out of the facility. Four 700-horsepower compressors would be built, and two open brine ponds would be placed on a hillside above Seneca Lake. ay 5, 2013) Albany Times Union [more on Water Quality in our area]
Critters on Ice and Other Experiences with the Finger Lakes Institute It was about 10 degrees Fahrenheit at the stream, my students were breaking ice to get at some little critters in the frozen stream, but the good news was the wind was light and no parents had called me in the last ten minutes asking if my class was really going out to collect today. Do you know that when you do stream analysis for water quality you have to take the ice cubes out of the net? Where was that in the protocol anyway? The result? At the end of a 3 hour afternoon field trip one the students said, “This is the best midterm exam I have ever had.” So how did I end up in this situation? (May 1, 2013 ) Happenings: the monthly newsletter of the Finger Lakes Institute [more on Water Quality in our area]
National Wildlife Federation expands challenge to new invasives rules A national environmental group is expanding its legal challenge to new state and Federal rules designed to keep invasive species out the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes. Neil Kagan, senior counsel with the National Wildlife Federation, says new standards aren't strict enough to keep dangerous organisms from reaching the US in the ballast water of ships, "Neither the EPA permit, nor the state's certification of that are sufficient to prevent new invasive species from coming into New York waters." The National Wildlife Federation is already suing New York, pushing the state to adopt tougher standards. (May 6, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Invasive Species in our area]
It's a Bug Bonanza at Chili library The Chili Public Library will host a Bug Bonanza from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 18. Children of all ages are invited with an adult to learn about bugs on Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Day. Learning stations will include a craft table, ash tree identification, bug books, insect collections and a special section to learn all about the emerald ash borer. (May 4, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Gas Rush Stories: Life Above the Marcellus Shale An independent filmmaker and journalist, Kirsi Jansa has been witnessing the many impacts of the shale gas drilling boom in Pennsylvania since early 2011. This 16-minute documentary, Life above Marcellus Shale 2011-2012, provides multiple perspectives of shale gas drilling. It is based on the first ten episodes of her short documentary series, Gas Rush Stories. (May 6, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Fracking in our area]
Curbside Composting Makes Use of Food Waste A pilot program is making it easier for Rochester residents to get rid of their food scraps in a more useful way than throwing them in the garbage. For those who don't like wasting your food, Community Composting might be for you. With the help of the organic waste up-cycling company Ephiphergy, Steven Kraft will give Rochester residents the opportunity to turn their food waste into something useful. "We are filling up our landfill with material that can otherwise be replenishing all of our soil," said Kraft, the co-founder of Community Composting. Kraft and a business partner are starting the food scrap pick up service. (May 5, 2013) (Rochester YNN [more on Recycling in our area]
Neighbors Resist a Plan to Clean a Toxic Canal Almost everybody wants the Gowanus Canal cleansed of its toxic gunk. But a $500 million plan by theEnvironmental Protection Agency to do just that has run into protests from otherwise environmentally conscious residents in several Brooklyn neighborhoods. They want the canal purged of pollutants like PCBs, lead, mercury and raw sewage, but are fighting the methods the agency has chosen. One neighborhood fears that the sludge taken out from the canal would poison the air over their ball fields, and others worry that the location of a sewage-processing site needed for the cleanup would destroy a beloved swimming pool. The disputes illustrate a predicament that often crops up in environmental remediation: those affected see the cure as worse than the disease. (May 5, 2013) New York Times [more on Brownfields in our area]
EHN Special Report: 'Chemicals of high concern' found in thousands of children's products Cobalt in plastic building blocks and baby bibs. Ethylene glycol in dolls. Methyl ethyl ketone in clothing. Antimony in high chairs and booster seats. Parabens in baby wipes. D4 in baby creams. An Environmental Health News analysis of thousands of reports from America’s largest companies shows that toys and other children’s products contain low levels of dozens of industrial chemicals, including some unexpected ingredients that will surprise a public concerned about exposure. The reports were filed by 59 large companies, including Gap, Mattel, Gymboree, Nike, H&M and Wal-Mart, to comply with an unprecedented state law. Stronger than any other chemical disclosure law in the United States, Washington state’s Children's Safe Product Act has changed the right-to-know game around the country. For the first time, consumers have access to a searchable, online database revealing which companies report “chemicals of high concern” in products made or marketed for children. The 66 chemicals were chosen because studies have linked them to cancer or to reproductive, developmental or neurological effects in animals or people. But in most cases, no one knows what, if anything, exposure to small doses of these chemicals may do to people, especially babies and toddlers who chew on items or rub them on their skin. (May 6, 2013) Environmental Health News [more on Environmental Health in our area]
Watch This Climate Change Sermon To Understand Why We Aren’t Acting In A Crisis That Threatens Our Survival You’ve probably wondered why we as a nation cannot act on climate change given that at least 98 percent of the world’s non-big-oil-financed scientists agree that it is manmade and we may be only two summers from an ice-free Arctic. Why can’t we follow the lead of Germany, which is quickly moving away from carbon polluting while growing their economy? A certain amount of this is basic Republican intransigence. If Al Gore is for it, I must be against it. There’s also greed. I don’t want to pay more for gas; it’s too expensive already. But the truth is, the decision to act on climate change is being blocked by a tiny group of people. (May 3, 2013) The National Memo [more on Climate Change in our area]
Sierra Club blasts new plan to improve fracking The Sierra Club and some other environmental groups are harshly criticizing a new partnership that aims to create tough new standards for fracking. The criticism Thursday came a day after two of the nation's biggest oil and gas companies made peace with some national and regional environmental groups, agreeing to go through an independent review of their shale oil and gas drilling operations in the Northeast. If Shell Oil, Chevron Appalachia and other companies are found to be abiding by a list of stringent measures to protect the air and water from pollution, they will receive the blessing of the new Pittsburgh-based Center for Sustainable Shale Development, created by environmentalists and the energy industry. (March 2013) US News [more on Fracking in our area]
Approaching 'peak oil'? We look at how much longer oil has to run, and ask if new alternative energy finds have delayed the inevitable. And in a world-first, resource-challenged Japan says it has extracted gas from offshore deposits of a substance known as "burnable ice". The environmental impact of this process is not yet fully understood, but production could be the answer to Japan's growing energy needs. Gerald Tan reports for Counting the Cost. (May 4, 2013) Aljazeera [more on Energy in our area]
Fracking battle likely to hit local levels ALBANY — The ultimate decision on whether to allow hydraulic fracturing and shale-gas drilling in New York rests with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his Cabinet. A pair of court rulings Thursday, however, all but ensure the battle will play out on the local level, too. With the state Appellate Division ruling unanimously that New York’s municipalities can use zoning laws to ban fracking, critics of the much-debated industrial technique say they’re energized and ready to take their argument to even more town boards. Fracking boosters, meanwhile, are preparing their next legal steps while warning about the decision’s potential consequences for an industry hoping to develop in New York. (May 4, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Fracking in our area]
Fracking Ourselves to Death in Pennsylvania More than 70 years ago, a chemical attack was launched against Washington State and Nevada. It poisoned people, animals, everything that grew, breathed air and drank water. The Marshall Islands were also struck. This formerly pristine Pacific atoll was branded “the most contaminated place in the world.” As their cancers developed, the victims of atomic testing and nuclear weapons development got a name: downwinders. What marked their tragedy was the darkness in which they were kept about what was being done to them. Proof of harm fell to them, not to the U.S. government agencies responsible. Now, a new generation of downwinders is getting sick as an emerging industry pushes the next wonder technology—in this case, high-volume hydraulic fracturing. Whether they live in Texas, Colorado or Pennsylvania, their symptoms are the same: rashes, nosebleeds, severe headaches, difficulty breathing, joint pain, intestinal illnesses, memory loss and more. “In my opinion,” says Yuri Gorby of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, “what we see unfolding is a serious health crisis, one that is just beginning.” (May 2, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Fracking in our area]
New Bikes Lanes In City Of Rochester There are new bike lanes in the city of Rochester. Crews painted the lines on Probert Street Friday near the new East Avenue Wegmans. The street runs between University Avenue and East Avenue just west of Winton Road. (May 3, 2013) WHAM [more on Transportation in our area]
RIT to host hydraulic fracking forum The Rochester Institute of Technology, 1 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, will host a public forum on hydraulic fracking from 6 to 8 p.m. May 9 in the Panara Theater on the RIT campus. The forum will feature a number of panelists including Dr. David O. Carpenter and David Kowalski, Ph.D, and will include discussions on the impacts to human health through environmental contamination due to fracking. (May 3, 2013) Henrietta Post
In Recognition of Drinking Water Week, State's Top Health Official Encourages New Yorkers to "Get to Know Your H2O" ALBANY, NY (May 2, 2013) – To help celebrate the 35th year of National Drinking Water Week, May 5 – 11, 2013, New York State Health Commissioner Nirav R. Shah, M.D., M.P.H., highlighted the essential role drinking water plays in our daily lives and encouraged New Yorkers to get to know their H2O. "Drinking Water Week provides an opportunity for New Yorkers to learn about their water and how they can become better advocates of this precious resource," Commissioner Shah said. "The State Health Department and our state and local partners are committed to maintaining a safe and sustainable supply of drinking water and we hope consumers will help to keep our water sources and water systems healthy and vibrant." Nearly 95 percent of New Yorkers receive their drinking water from public water systems. Approximately 17.8 million people are served by community public water systems, including about 12 million receiving drinking water from surface water sources (reservoir, lake or river) and more than 4.7 million obtaining their water from groundwater sources. (May 2, 2013) NYS Department of Health [more on Water Quality in our area)
Honey Bee Decline Due to ‘Complex’ Multiple Factors Multiple factors are responsible for the steep decline in honey bees across the United States, including parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure, federal government officials reported today, releasing a new scientific consensus on honey bee health. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials said the report summarizes the conclusions of the National Stakeholders Conference on Honey Bee Health last October. (May 2, 2013) Environmental News Service [more on Wildlife in our area]
Thirsty States Take Water Battle To Supreme Court On Tuesday, Oklahoma and Texas will face off in the U.S. Supreme Court. The winner gets water. And this is not a game. The court will hear oral arguments in the case of Tarrant Regional Water District v. Herrmann, et al. The case pits Oklahoma against Texas over rights to water from the river that forms part of the border between them. Depending on how the court decides, it could impact interstate water-sharing agreements across the country. (April 21, 2013) NPR [more on Water Quality in our area]
General Motors First Automaker to Sign Climate Declaration General Motors is the first automaker among 40 U.S. corporations to sign a new climate declaration, asserting that responding to climate change is good business. The campaign is organized by the sustainable business advocacy group Ceres and its Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy, or BICEP, coalition. Originally launched in April 2013 with the endorsement of 33 corporations, the Climate Declaration has now been signed by 40 businesses that in total provide some 550,000 U.S. jobs and generate a combined annual revenue of roughly US$611 billion. GM’s participation was announced Wednesday in San Francisco at the Ceres annual conference. GM has worked with Ceres for more than 20 years to refine its sustainability strategies and performance. (May 2, 2013) Environmental News Service [more on Climate Change and Green Business in our area]
Adapt faster to changing climate, Europe warned Cities around Europe may have to erect flood defences similar to the Thames Barrier as tidal surges become more likely Cities around Europe may have to erect flood barriers similar to the Thames Barrier that protects London from sea surges, as climate change takes hold and leads to the danger of much more destructive storms, floods, heavy rainfall and higher sea levels, Europe's environmental watchdog has warned. The effects of climate change will be so far-reaching across the continent that vineyards may have to plant new grape varieties, farmers may have to cultivate new crops and water suppliers look to technology such as desalination in order to cope with the probable effects of more extreme weather. Buildings and infrastructure such as transport, energy and communication networks will also have to be changed. (April 29, 2013) The Guardian [more on Climate Change in our area]
A Key Experiment to Probe the Future of Our Acidifying Oceans In a Swedish fjord, European researchers are conducting an ambitious experiment aimed at better understanding how ocean acidification will affect marine life. Ultimately, these scientists hope to determine which species might win and which might lose in a more acidic ocean. (May 2, 2013) Environment 360 [more on Climate Change in our area]
Earth's greenhouse gas levels approach 400-ppm milestone The ratio of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere is flirting with 400 parts per million, a level last seen about 2.5 million to 5 million years ago, according to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. The Institution this week launched a daily Keeling curveupdate, showing the saw-toothed upward diagonal of rising carbon dioxide levels since the late 1950s. Isolated measurements have peaked at above 400 parts per million in the Arctic, but scientists are more alarmed at steady readings from Mauna Loa, Hawaii, far from major pollution sources. Those measurements, considered to be the most reliable indicators of Earth's atmospheric content, could breach the 400 level this month, according to Scripps. (May 1, 2013) LA Times [more on Climate Change in our area]
A NASA-led modeling study provides new evidence that global warming may increase the risk for extreme rainfall and drought. The study shows for the first time how rising carbon dioxide concentrations could affect the entire range of rainfall types on Earth. Analysis of computer simulations from 14 climate models indicates wet regions of the world, such as the equatorial Pacific Ocean and Asian monsoon regions, will see increases in heavy precipitation because of warming resulting from projected increases in carbon dioxide levels. Arid land areas outside the tropics and many regions with moderate rainfall could become drier. The analysis provides a new assessment of global warming's impacts on precipitation patterns around the world. The study was accepted for publication in the American Geophysical Union journal Geophysical Research Letters. (May 3, 2013) NASA [more on Climate Change in our area]
DEC: High Fire Risk in New York State Public Reminded of Ban on Brush Burning through May 14 With dry weather conditions prevailing, New York State is now at a high danger of wildfires, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) cautioned today. New Yorkers who reside in smaller communities should be aware that all residential brush burning is prohibited during the state's historically high-fire-risk period which is March 16 through May 14. "Since the open burning regulation passed in 2009, there are a fewer number of fires reported in New York State this time of year," DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said. "I urge everyone to be cautious since the risk of wildfires is greater this time of year and remind all New Yorkers that the statewide ban is in effect through mid-May." (May 3, 2013) NYS DEC Press Releases
Climate Change Milestone Demands Shift to Renewable Energy The need to shift to sustainable and clean energysources will be reinforced when the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere reached 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in human history in the next few days. Scientists from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii are set to announce that levels of atmospheric CO2 are reaching 400ppm now, marking a critical point on the pathway to dangerous levels of global warming. The imperative to drive down these emissions has never been stronger, says Samantha Smith, World Wildlife Fund leader of the Global Climate & Energy Initiative. (May 3, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Climate Change in our area]
Home Rule case could still go to Court of Appeals, say attorneys The state’s second highest court, the Appellate Division for the 3rd Department, has ruled in favor of New York towns with bans on gas drilling. In two decisions released Thursday, a four-judge panel ruled unanimously in favor of the Towns of Dryden and Middlefield. Earthjustice attorney Deborah Goldberg argued for the Town of Dryden. She says the unanimous decisions put to rest the question of whether New York towns can ban drilling. “I think that it’s quite clear that there is no dispute among them and there should be no dispute generally on this issue,” says Goldberg. The defendants relied on a case called Frew Run which said towns in New York can ban gravel mines within their borders. (May 2, 2013) Innovation Trail [more on Fracking in our area]
EPA to Award Over a Half Billion in Funding to Areas Impacted by Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey and New York (New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that it will provide grants of $340 million to the state of New York and $229 million to the state of New Jersey for improvements to wastewater and drinking water treatment facilities impacted by Hurricane Sandy. The funding announced today will help storm-damaged communities in both states as they continue to recover from the damage caused by the storm on Oct. 29, 2012. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, wastewater and drinking water treatment systems in New York and New Jersey were so severely damaged that some could not provide safe drinking water or treat raw sewage. The funding announced today will give states the capacity to further reduce risks of flood damage and increase the resiliency of wastewater and drinking water facilities to withstand the effects of severe storms similar to Sandy. (May 2, 2013) EPA News Releases from Region 2 [more on Climate Change in our area]
Hydrofracking foes win in Dryden and Middlefield: New York appellate court rules towns can ban drilling A New York state appeals court ruled today that towns can ban gas drilling, including hydrofracking, within their borders. In two related decisions, the Third Appellate Division in Albany ruled that the Tompkins County town of Dryden and the Otsego County town of Middlefield had the right to ban drilling when they enacted their ordinances in 2011. The rulings upheld decisions by lower courts, and rejected arguments by drillers and landowners that only the state could say where gas drilling can take place. The two cases have been important to both sides in the hydrofracking debate. Drillers say allowing towns to ban drilling will make it harder to reach New York's important gas resources, while towns say they should be able to control land use within their borders. (May 2, 2013) Syracuse.com [more on Fracking in our area]
Thousands of King Salmon to be Released into Lake Ontario More signs of spring in Orleans County as Lake Breeze Marina prepared more than 100,000 king salmon to be released into Lake Ontario. In an effort to improve end of the season fishing, charter boat captains met on Wednesday to put 106,000 king salmon into pens to later be released into Lake Ontario. (May 1, 2013) Rochester YNN [more on Great Lakes and Wildlife in our area]
Report: Feds Not Doing Enough about Pesticides and Endangered Species The Environmental Protect Agency is being urged to do a better job of considering the effects that pesticides have on endangered fish and wildlife. A National Academy of Sciences expert panel released a report this week that says the EPA hasn't been working closely enough with fish and wildlife agencies before making its decisions. The EPA is responsible for approving pesticides for use. (May 3, 2013) Public News Service [more on Pesticides in our area]
Cleaner air Each year, the American Lung Association ranks the air quality of the country's largest metro areas. And this year's State of the Air Report has good news for Monroe County. | The county received an A grade for ground-level ozone, and a B for short-term particle pollution. The report, which is based on averages from 2009 to 2011, says the county had no days with high ozone levels and less than one day when short-term particle pollution was a problem. | Four years ago, Monroe County received an F on ozone pollution and a C on short-term particle pollution (May 1, 2013) Rochester City Newspaper [more on Air Quality in our area]
Directory dilemma In San Francisco, if you want a copy of the yellow pages, you have to ask for it. City law prohibits delivery of the phone books to anyone who hasn't specifically requested them. A similar opt-in system could cut down on the number of unwanted or unused phone books that sit in piles at Rochester-area apartment buildings and office complexes, says Frank Regan, chair of the local Sierra Club's Zero Waste Committee. And Regan says he and other like-minded club members are planning to start a campaign for a local opt-in law. (May 1, 2013) Rochester City Newspaper [more on Recycling in our area]
Brooks says broad support makes bike-ped projects attractive Elected officials are finding it easier and easier to get behind active transportation initiatives. As she spoke to the audience at yesterday's Genesee-Finger Lakes Active Transportation Summit, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks ticked off the reasons why, including economic and community health benefits. But she also pointed out that active transportation initiatives, from creating bike lanes to making sure sidewalks have curb cuts at crosswalks, are politically popular. Many different constituencies have made active transportation — biking, walking, and other human-powered ways of getting around — a priority, Brooks said. And that's true. Parents of school-age children, some government agency staff, competitive and recreational cyclists, environmentalists, and the AARP are just some of the groups embracing active transportation initiatives and infrastructure. (May 1, 2013) Rochester City Newspaper [more on Transportation in our area]
Appeals court upholds local fracking bans ALBANY — A mid-level appeals court says New York municipalities can use local zoning laws to ban the use of hydraulic fracturing to drill for natural gas. The four-judge appellate division panel ruled unanimously Thursday that state mining and drilling law doesn’t trump the authority of local governments to control land use. (May 2, 2013) The Daily Record [more on Fracking in our area]
5,000 Children’s Products Contain Toxic Chemicals Linked to Cancer More than 5,000 children’s products contain toxic chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption and reproductive problems according to reports filed with theWashington State Department of Ecology. An analysis of the reports by the Washington Toxics Coalition and Safer States found that makers of kids’ products reported using a total of 41 chemicals identified by Washington State Department of Ecology as a concern for children’s health, including toxic metals such as cadmium, mercury and antimony and organic compounds such as phthalates. Major manufacturers who reported using the chemicals in their products include Walmart, Gap, Gymboree, Hallmark and H&M. (May 5, 2013) EcoWatch
Pondering the value of landfills in the Finger Lakes The Finger Lakes is home to New York’s two biggest landfills. A proposed expansion - and odor problems - at one of them has made this a particularly touchy subject of late. Ontario County administrator John Garvey was one of three speakers invited to participate in a summit, hosted by Hobart and William Smith Colleges. His home turf includes the Ontario County landfill and he says waste issues are inherently complicated, "but I think we have agreement on general directions in New York state, and I think we’re headed that way, to reduce the waste stream," he says. (May 1, 2013) Innovation Trail [more on Recycling in our area]
Recycling fundraiser to benefit Webster Health and Education Network is May 4 An Electronics Recycling Fundraiser is being held from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday, May 4, in the parking lot at the Webster Aquatic Center at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Road, Webster. A $5 donation will be requested to benefit the Webster Health and Education Network (WHEN). (May 1, 2013) Webster Post
Imagine RIT returns to May 4 Mark your calendars, the Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival will take place May 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The annual event showcases RIT’s diverse, innovative culture, where visitors can enjoy hundreds of exhibits, food, live entertainment and a fun, friendly atmosphere. (May 2, 2013) WHEC
DEC: Operators Must Report Discharges to DEC as First Phase of Sewage Pollution Right to Know Act That Goes into Effect Today DEC to Work With Operators to Ensure Compliance The first phase of the Sewage Pollution Right to Know Act, a system for collecting discharge reports of untreated and partially treated sewage from public wastewater systems, goes into effect today, announced the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The law, signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on August 9, 2012, changes the requirements for reporting untreated or partially treated sewage discharges, also known as bypasses, from publicly owned treatment works and imposes new reporting requirements for publicly owned sewer systems and combined sewer overflows. "The Sewage Pollution Right to Know Act protects New Yorkers by making them aware when discharges to waterways affecting public health occur," said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. "This notice allows the general public to make informed decisions about fishing, swimming and recreating in affected waterways. Governor Cuomo's support of this law further reinforces the Administration's efforts to provide transparency while protecting residents from potentially coming into contact with polluted waters." (May 1, 2013) NYS DEC Press Releases [more on Water Quality in our area]
Housing authority ignores recycling mandate Executive director says pilot program started at one development but reporters found no evidence of program The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, the city’s biggest landlord, is ignoring a City Charter requirement that mandates recycling at apartment buildings and other multi-family housing units. As a result, roughly 500 tons of recyclable materials end up in a landfill each year, costing the city both money and an opportunity to improve its anemic recycling rate. There also may be a related out-of-pocket expense to the authority. The authority appears to have engaged a public relations firm to coach officials on how to deal with reporters inquiring about the recycling program. Managers are unwilling to discuss the arrangment, however. (May 1, 2013) Investigative Post [more on Recycling in our area]
Inquiry-based Learning as a Means to Exploring the Finger Lakes The Finger Lakes Institute’s (FLI’s) education program has developed a range of educational opportunities that engage teachers and students alike in scientific inquiry. Inquiry-based learning is defined as education where, “students develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, as well as an understanding of how scientists study the natural world” (NRC, 1996). Furthermore, inquiry-based learning is understood to be one of the most effective ways to teach students both scientific concepts and the process by which scientific discovery occurs (Leonard and Penick, 2009). However, as William H. Leonard and John E. Penick discuss in their article, Is the Inquiry Real?, “in the most ideal classroom, rather than learning about inquiry, students learn through inquiry.” Through its programs such as Science on Seneca and the Finger Lakes Regional Stream Monitoring Program, the FLI has worked to highlight and foster hands-on science for students and teachers alike. (May 1, 2013) Happenings -the monthly newsletter of the Finger Lakes Institute [more on Finger Lakes in our area]
Cornell research helps meet world's crop challenges Two Cornell researchers are world experts in studies of little-known plant transport proteins that may be key to easing ever-growing global food needs. Leon Kochian and Maria Harrison are two of the 12 plant biologists who have authored a perspectives piece in the May 2 issue of Nature. The article explores how newly discovered plant transport proteins have the potential to help expand global agriculture to better address the challenges of feeding billions of underfed people. (May 1, 2013) Cornell Chronicle Online [more on Food in our area]
Livingston County goes green with Year of Energy initiatives LIVINGSTON COUNTY— Beginning in May, the Livingston County Environmental Management Council will be sponsoring a series of initiatives focusing on energy efficiency. The series of events, titled the Year of Energy, will feature municipal officials and regional experts who will work together to provide information about greening towns, villages, businesses, and homes. (April 29, 2013) Genesee Sun [more on Energy in our area]
A.G. Schneiderman Launches New Animal Protection Initiative Statewide Effort Will Promote Enforcement Of Consumer Protection Laws, Target Animal Fighting & Animal Cruelty Schneiderman: I Am Committed To Protecting New York Consumers And The Right Of Every New Yorker To Live In Safe Communities NEW YORK – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the formation of a new Animal Protection Initiative aimed at shutting down criminal animal fighting rings, ensuring compliance with New York State's Pet Lemon Law, charging those who abuse or neglect animals, and cracking down on the abuses of so-called “puppy mills” in order to protect the welfare of the animals being sold and the consumers. Drawing on resources from the Office of the Attorney General’s regional offices as well as many of the Office’s bureaus, this new initiative will use civil and criminal remedies to target allegations of animal cruelty and unscrupulous sales of pets and other animals. In announcing the new Animal Protection Initiative, Attorney General Schneiderman also highlighted a string of recent successes in combating animal cruelty and related issues. Today, he announced a civil settlement with a Yonkers pet store that was keeping animals in unsafe and inhumane conditions. The settlement includes a $20,000 fine and an agreement that the store cease its illegal activities. (May 1, 2013) NYS Attorney General [more on Wildlife in our area]
Cuomo: ‘No timetable’ on fracking decision ALBANY — Months after the Cuomo administration promised a decision “within weeks” on whether to allow hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, it now says there’s “no timetable for a decision.” State officials say recent meetings with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have provided new information that’s factoring into the state health review. (May 1, 2013) The Daily Record [more on Fracking in our area]
Dirty Banks Exposed for $20 Billion Investment in Dying Coal Industry This week, Rainforest Action Network (RAN), Sierra Club and BankTrack released the fourth annual coal finance report card, Extreme Investments: U.S Banks and the Coal Industry. The report finds that in 2012, the banking sector financed $20.8 billion for the dirtiest coal companies, even as U.S. coal consumption for power generation fell 11 percent and as mounting scientific evidence confirmed coal’s extreme impact on health and climate change. It ranks Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase as the top three financiers of the “worst of the worst” coal companies, including operators of coal-fired power plants and mountaintop removal (MTR) coal mines. The report also found that the top three U.S. financiers of the coal industry—Bank of America, Citigroup and Chase—collectively financed an estimated $9 billion for mountaintop removal mining companies and the most coal-intensive power utilities last year. The report details how financial practices failed to address risks and impacts of an industry in decline and underscores the need for banks to take steps to reduce exposure to coal. (May 1, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Energy in our area]
Task Force announces update on progress of N.Y. Energy Highway NEW YORK—The New York Energy Highway Task Force today announced the availability of a progress report—the New York Energy Highway Blueprint Update—affirming that all of the actions called for in the comprehensive Blueprint plan to upgrade and modernize the state’s energy infrastructure are under way and moving forward on or ahead of the aggressive schedules set for them. The New York Energy Highway Blueprint, submitted to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in October 2012 by the Task Force, includes a wide range of measures to provide up to 3,200 megawatts (MW) of additional electric generation and transmission capacity and clean power generation—enough to serve about 3 million homes—through up to $5.7 billion in private- and public-sector investments. The Blueprint Update reflects the progress to date on each of the Blueprint’s 13 recommended measures. (May 1, 2013) EmpireStateNews.net [ more on Energy in our area]
Farm run-off is polluting Lake Erie, says new report A new report called ‘Taken By Storm’ released by the National Wildlife Foundation is highlighting the issue of excessive fertilizer runoff into Lake Erie. The resulting algal blooms can seriously impact the health of those who rely on its water. The report focuses on Ohio’s Maumee River, ground zero for the algal blooms, and describes an increase of the toxic blooms in watersheds connected to Lake Erie, largely due to global warming. The report notes that since 1995 the amount of dissolved reactive phosphorus entering Lake Erie from the Maumee River has increased 218 percent. Melinda Koslow, Regional Manager for the NWF says the algal blooms are created when heavy rainfall washes excess fertilizer and manure off fields, and into waterways. (April 30, 2013) Innovation Trail [more on Water Quality and Great Lakes in our area]
Fourth Season of Dredging Begins in Upper Hudson; Project Expected to Reach Halfway Point during Fourth Season (Fort Edward, NY) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck was joined by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Deputy Commissioner Eugene Leff today to kick off the start of the fourth season of dredging in the Upper Hudson River. Portions of the Upper Hudson are being dredged to remove sediment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are potentially cancer-causing chemicals that build up in the food chain and can cause neurological damage, especially in children. In 2013, dredging will begin south of the village of Fort Edward, New York around Griffin Island and will continue south in the main stem of the river to the Thompson Island Dam. Additional dredging is planned between Champlain Canal Lock 5 and 6 near the towns of Northumberland and Schuylerville. (April 29, 2013) EPA News Releases from Region 2 [more on Broownfields in our area]
Hurricane Sandy’s Untold Filthy Legacy: Sewage Hurricane Sandy was one of the largest storm to hit the northeast U.S. in recorded history, killing 159, knocking out power to millions, and causing $70 billion in damage in eight states. Sandy also put the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in stark relief by paralyzing subways, trains, road and air traffic, flooding hospitals, crippling electrical substations, and shutting down power and water to tens of millions of people. But one of the larger infrastructure failures is less appreciated: sewage overflow. (April 30, 2013) Climate Central [more on Water Quality and Climate Change in our area]
Lake harbors worry about water levels The water levels in Lake Ontario have a significant impact on the economic and environmental viability of harbors in upstate New York and Canada. As a result, a proposed plan to change the management of those water levels has raised some concerns in waterfront communities. The International Joint Commission (IJC) regulates the water levels on the lake, and for years they've argued that the priorities have swung in one direction. "The current regulation plan tries to manage those available water supplies for interests on the lake and on the St. Lawrence river in a way that maximizes the benefits for human interests," says IJC spokesperson Frank Bevacqua. (May 1, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Great Lakes in our area]
GE sues utility as dredging restarts on Hudson General Electric Co. has filed a lawsuit against National Grid seeking money from the utility for a share of costs for the $1 billion-plus Superfund cleanup of contaminated sediment from the upper Hudson River. (April 30, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Brownfields in our area]
Fracking fuels grassroots activisim In the five years since New Yorkers first began to hear about horizontal hydrofracking, the state has become a battleground over the gas drilling technique. While opponents have some high profile support, their movement remains mostly a loose collection of small groups that have been remarkably effective. (April 30, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Fracking in our area]
China leads in climate change's 'critical decade' China is fast becoming a world leader in the fight against climate change. In the past year, it has halved the growth in electricity demand, continued to increase its wind and solar energy production, and is in the process of developing emissions trading schemes to cover a quarter of a billion people. The US is also doing well, although much of its improvement comes from a shift away from oil in favour of cheaper gas and a slower economy, rather than as a result of direct action on climate change. That's the conclusion of the latest in a series of reports entitled "The Critical Decade" published by Australia's Climate Commission, and examining global action on climate change. The report focuses on the US and China, which together produce 37 per cent of the world's emissions. Earlier this month, the two nations issued a strongly worded statement pledging to work together to curb climate change and "set the kind of powerful example that can inspire the world". (April 30, 2013) New Scientist [more on Climate Change in our area]
Taken By Storm | How Heavy Rain is Worsening Algal Blooms in Lake Erie | Lake Erie is a vital resource for the Great Lakes region and the nation at large, providing a home to thousands of wildlife species, drinking water for millions of people, and a billion-dollar fishing industry. At the same time, Lake Erie is extremely vulnerable. Since the late 1990s, harmful algal blooms (HABs) have returned to the lake in force. Microcystis algae, which produce the toxin microcystin, have captured the attention of scientists, public health officials, and environmental advocates alike. There is widespread agreement that HABs are one of the most significant problems facing the people and wildlife of Lake Erie today. Record-breaking rains—and droughts—are affecting the size of these toxic blooms. Why? Rain causes runoff of nonpoint source pollutants such as excess fertilizer and livestock waste, which cause an upsurge in lake nutrient levels and promote the growth of harmful algal blooms. Unfortunately, the changing global climate is bringing both extreme rainfall and significant drought to the Great Lakes region. These pendulum swings, which cause many industries to suffer, are contributing to record-breaking harmful algal blooms. (April 30, 2013) National Wildlife Federation [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Lake Ontario water levels cause concern The water levels in Lake Ontario have a significant impact on the economic and environmental viability of harbors in upstate New York and Canada. As a result, a proposed plan to change the management of those water levels has raised some concerns in waterfront communities. The International Joint Commission (IJC) regulates the water levels on the lake, and for years they’ve argued that the priorities have swung in one direction. “The current regulation plan tries to manage those available water supplies for interests on the lake and on the St. Lawrence river in a way that maximizes the benefits for human interests,” says IJC spokesperson Frank Bevacqua. (April 29, 2013) Innovation Trail [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Summit looks at ways to expand biking, walking A transportation summit planned for Tuesday could draw 250 or more people to the downtown Radisson on East Main Street. That the summit is about active modes of getting around, like bicycling and walking, is appropriate. Road closures could make the hotel tough to get to by car, as filming for the new Spiderman movie will shut down Main Street at times. Buses are being detoured as well. One sign of the need for such a summit: Before the road closures, the city will truck in bike racks — because there aren’t any at the Radisson or, for that matter, anywhere nearby. (April 29, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Transportation in our area]
Bee-harming pesticides banned in Europe EU member states vote ushers in continent-wide suspension of neonicotinoid pesticides Europe will enforce the world's first continent-wide ban on widely used insecticides alleged to cause serious harm to bees, after a European commission vote on Monday. The suspension is a landmark victory for millions of environmental campaigners, backed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), concerned about a dramatic decline in the bee population. The vote also represents a serious setback for the chemical producers who make billions each year from the products and also UK ministers, who voted against the ban. Both had argued the ban would harm food production. Although the vote by the 27 EU member states on whether to suspend the insect nerve agents was supported by 15 nations, but did not reach the required majority under voting rules. The hung vote hands the final decision to the European commission, which will implement the ban. (April 29, 2013) The Guardian [more on Pesticides in our area]
It's Time To Worry About the New Chinese Bird Flu: Op-Ed eff Nesbit was the director of public affairs for two prominent federal science agencies and is a regular contributor to U.S. News & World Report, where this article first ran before appearing in LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. It's time for the world's public health officials to pay very close attention to the new bird flu outbreak in China first detected in March. To put it bluntly, there are now some seriously dangerous developments occurring around the new disease outbreak in China that infectious disease specialists and international public health specialists need to track closely. (April 26, 2013) Live Science [more on Environmental Health in our area]
You Are a Guinea Pig in the Greatest Uncontrolled Experiment Ever Launched A hidden epidemic is poisoning America. The toxins are in the air we breathe and the water we drink, in the walls of our homes and the furniture within them. We can’t escape it in our cars. It’s in cities and suburbs. It afflicts rich and poor, young and old. And there’s a reason why you’ve never read about it in the newspaper or seen a report on the nightly news: it has no name—and no antidote. The culprit behind this silent killer is lead. And vinyl. And formaldehyde. And asbestos. And Bisphenol A. And polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). And thousands more innovations brought to us by the industries that once promised “better living through chemistry,” but instead produced a toxic stew that has made every American a guinea pig and has turned the U.S. into one grand unnatural experiment. (April 29, 2013) Ecowatch
EPA methane report further divides fracking camps PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Environmental Protection Agency has dramatically lowered its estimate of how much of a potent heat-trapping gas leaks during natural gas production, in a shift with major implications for a debate that has divided environmentalists: Does the recent boom in fracking help or hurt the fight against climate change? Oil and gas drilling companies had pushed for the change, but there have been differing scientific estimates of the amount of methane that leaks from wells, pipelines and other facilities during production and delivery. Methane is the main component of natural gas. (April 28, 2013) RecordOnline [more on Fracking in our area]
Bikes Donated by Pittsford Residents More than 100 bikes were donated Saturday at an event hosted by Pittsford Rotary and R Community Bikes. People from all over the Pittsford area stopped by the event and donated bicycles and parts. The bikes donated Saturday bring the total to just over 1,000 bikes donated in the past four years. (April 27, 2013) Rochester YNN [more on Transportation in our area]
"Transit Talk" presentation to be held at Gleason Works Auditorium Monday night, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter will talk about the future of Rochester's transportation systems and the future of a high-speed rail system in western New York. Joining Congresswoman Slaughter will be Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer. Monday night's "Transit Talk" is part of the Reshaping Rochester Series. (April 29, 2013) Rochester NBC News
First Clean Sweep Of The Year A Success Rochester, N.Y. - 650 volunteers came out in force Saturday to clean up the northwest quadrant of Rochester. They collected 30 tons of litter and debris, 85 yards of brush and 70 yards of logs. (April 27, 2013) WHAM
Going Green: Urban deers Wildlife biologist Brian Underwood said in a way people have invited them in by constructing a landscape they like. “The habitat inside the city limits has actually gotten better (for deer) and has improved to such a point that deer are able to easily enter the city, a pretty important feature; and, they’re able to survive once they have made their way into the city,” said Dr. Brian Underwood. One habitat improvement for deer has been the growth of urban forests, something that’s been encouraged by city planners to help mitigate hot weather and clean up air pollutants. Deer are also very happy with gardens, shrubs and flowers and Underwood isn’t optimistic about plants advertised as deer-proof. “In defense of the gardener, I don’t know if there’s anything that you could plant that a deer wouldn’t eat, at least once,” said Dr. Underwood. (April 29, 2013) Rochester YNN [more on Deer Problem in our area]
Who’s covering local climates? A new, interactive map from the Earth Journalism Network has details Want to know more about how the climate is changing in your area, and who’s writing about it? On Earth Day, Earth Journalism Network, an arm of Internews, a nonprofit global media development organization, launched an interactive map, Climate Commons. It combines up-to-date information on climate change indicators like temperature, rainfall, and carbon-dioxide emissions across the US with geotagged stories about climate-related events and trends in different places. A legend on the left side of the screen allows visitors to toggle between various types of climate data, which are color-coded on the map, while a sidebar on the right displays a list of stories for the area on display. As visitors zoom in, the climate data become more fine-grained and the story feed excludes articles outside the visible portion of the map. Visitors can also winnow the list with search terms or by using five built-in filters: general, humans, weather, oceans, and environment. (April 26, 2013) Columbia Journalism Review [more on Climate Change in our area]
Global Bike-Sharing Fleet Tops 500,000 Bicycles WASHINGTON, DC, April 25, 2013 (ENS) – More than 500 cities in 49 countries host advanced bike-sharing programs, with a combined fleet exceeding 500,000 bicycles, finds new research from the nonprofit Earth Policy Institute, released today. Paris’ landmark Vélib’ program, which was launched in 2007, now has company as cities around the world turn to bike sharing. Distributed networks of public bicycles are used for short trips to enhance mobility, alleviate automotive congestion, reduce air pollution, boost health, support local businesses, and attract more young people. In the United States, more than two dozen cities have active public bike-sharing programs, including Washington, DC, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Boston, Miami Beach, Denver, Madison, and Ft. Worth. (April 25, 2013) Environmental News Service [more on Transportation in our area]
Carbon dioxide now at highest level in 5 million years The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere could top 400 parts per million next month. For the first time in roughly 5 million years, the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere could top 400 parts per million in the Northern Hemisphere next month. Human ancestors were just learning how to walk on two feet about that time, in a world that was much warmer than the one we walk on today. Carbon dioxide is the greenhouse gas that is responsible for 63% of the warming attributable to all greenhouse gases, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Lab. (April 24, 2013) USA Today [more on Climate Change in our area]
More evidence for human fingerprint on climate change Three new published studies, each looking at a different aspect of humankind’s impact on climate, all carry the same sobering message. The first study concludes that recent warming is unprecedented in 2000 years. A second reports climate zones are shifting faster due to warming temperatures. The third argues impacts from greenhouse gas emissions are not caused solely by warming temperatures. (April 29, 2013) ECOS [more on Climate Change in our area]
Along N.J. bay, rising sea draws ever closer On the Atlantic coast, beach replenishment masks the effects of sea-level rise. But along the low-lying bay shore, veined with creeks, the problems are striking. With each nor'easter, more of the beachfronts erode. More of the streets and driveways flood. Septic systems, inundated with salt water, are failing. "We're seeing beyond the normal damage," said Steve Eisenhauer, a regional director with the Natural Lands Trust, which has a 7,000-acre preserve in the area. "We see the problems getting worse." (April 28, 2013) Philly.com [more on Climate Change in our area]
Empty nets in Louisiana three years after the spill About two-thirds of U.S. oysters come from the Gulf Coast, the source of about 40% of America's seafood catch. But in the three years since the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon blew up and sank about 80 miles south of here, fishermen say many of the oyster reefs are still barren, and some other commercial species are harder to find. "My fellow fishermen who fish crab and who fish fish, they're feeling the same thing," Barisich said. "You get a spike in production every now and then, but overall, it's off. Everybody's down. Everywhere there was dispersed oil and heavily oiled, the production is down." The April 20, 2010, explosion sent 11 men to a watery grave off Louisiana and uncorked an undersea gusher nearly a mile beneath the surface that took three months to cap. (April 27, 2013) CNN
Fight To Stop Proposed Gas Storage Facility Continues As Activists' Are Release From Jail Three opponents of a proposed gas storage facility near Seneca Lake were released from jail early Thursday. The activists were sentenced to fifteen days after trespassing on property owned by Inergy Corporation, but were released after about a week. Inergy is seeking approval to store millions of barrels of butane and propane in an old salt cavern near Watkins Glen. (April 26, 2013) WXXI News
Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day If you have prescription drugs you're not using anymore, you have a chance to get them out of your medicine cabinets Saturday. It's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. You can bring your old medications to several drop-off locations around the area. The sites will be open from 10:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. To find out the locations, click here. (April 26, 2013) WHEC
Arbor Day Celebrated in New York State New Yorkers Encouraged to Recognize Numerous Contributions Provided by Trees throughout the State Student and State Arbor Day Poster Contest Winners Announced The State Arbor Day Committee, made up of several state agencies and industry associations, joined state and local officials to celebrate Arbor Day at the north end of the Empire State Plaza, state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens announced today as part of DEC's week-long celebration of Earth Day. This annual celebration encourages New Yorkers of all ages to recognize the importance of trees and the impact they make in our everyday lives. "Arbor Day is celebrated nationally as a time to remind us of the valuable role trees play in our daily lives and in our environment, said Commissioner Martens. "Trees help improve air quality, reduce energy consumption and beautify the landscape in New York's urban areas. As the warmer weather approaches and we're outside appreciating the benefits of trees, I encourage everyone to take a moment and consider how each of us can help preserve and protect our precious natural resources." (April 26, 2013) NYS DEC Press Releases [more on Plants in our area]
Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva gets $4.7M The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva has received $4.7 million through Cornell University to reconstruct 21,000 square feet of greenhouse and research facilities, state officials said. Research and innovation at the Ontario County site will enhance the agricultural needs of the area’s farmers and growers, officials said. (April 26, 2013) Rochester Business Journal [more on Food in our area]
Our Great Lakes – How are they doing? From Lake Erie and Michigan, to the smaller bodies of freshwater near you, show us the environmental health of our lakes today. DOCUMERICA is full of stories of pollution back then. In one case, there is a desperate attempt to pour chlorine off of a beach to try and make the water swimmable. What has 40 years of greater environmental awareness done? What are the issues that remain to be tackled today? Over the weekend, use your camera as a tool to show us the issues or stories of success near you. We’ve provided a few “Then” examples below. It is up to you to document “Now”. (April 26, 2013) EPA: State of the Environment Photo Project
Grand Teton National Park Showcased in Fracking Report MOOSE, Wyo. – Tread carefully when it comes to Grand Teton National Park. That's the gist of a new report from the National Parks Conservation Association that looks at how the hydraulic fracturing boom is creeping closer to park boundaries. Sharon Mader is the Grand Teton program manager for NPCA. She says Wyoming is seen as a leader in requiring companies to divulge ingredients used in fracking. Air quality is still a concern. Some development is taking place about 60 miles from the park – a distance that's expected to shrink in the years to come. (April 26, 2013) Public News Service [more on Fracking in our area]
Lenape to appeal Judge Wiggins fracking ruling AVON — According to a press release, Lenape Resources Inc., the Livingston County, New York based independent oil and gas company has filed a Notice of Appeal in the case of Lenape Resources vs. the Town of Avon, setting the stage for the appellate courts of New York to ultimately resolve the power of the State of New York to regulate the oil and natural gas industries. This past March, New York State Supreme Court Judge Robert Wiggins dismissed Lenape’s lawsuit in a seven-page decision, in which Judge Wiggins criticized existing legal precedent as “flawed.” However, the Court still upheld the legality of the town ordinance on the basis of several recent trial court decisions and a case in which the New York State Court of Appeals interpreted municipal zoning authority in the context of the Mined Land Reclamation Act. (April 25, 2013) Genesee Sun [more on Fracking in our area]
Area ranks high in deer harvest Ontario County, N.Y. — Once again this year Ontario and Yates counties were among the top five counties in western New York and the Finger Lakes Region for total deer-harvest densities and deer take, according to an annual report released Friday by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The top counties in 2012 for total deer taken per square mile were Yates (16), Wyoming (14.6), Genesee (11.9), Cayuga (11.3) and Ontario (11.2). (April 26, 2013) MPNnow.com [more on Deer Problem in our area]
Draft rule ends protections for gray wolves BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Federal wildlife officials have drafted plans to lift protections for gray wolves across the Lower 48 states, a move that could end a decades-long recovery effort that has restored the animals but only in parts of their historic range. The draft U.S. Department of Interior rule obtained by the Associated Press contends the roughly 6,000 wolves now living in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes are enough to prevent the species' extinction. The agency says having gray wolves elsewhere — such as the West Coast, parts of New England and elsewhere in the Rockies — is unnecessary for their long-term survival. A small population of Mexican wolves in the Southwest would continue to receive federal protections, as a distinct subspecies of the gray wolf. (April 26, 2013) USA Today [more on Wildlife in our area]
Erica Bryant: New hope for lead-damaged brains If a child flies head-first through the windshield of a car, he or she will likely receive a series of neuropsychological evaluations to determine the exact nature of damage to his or her brain. He or she will get a series of exercises and treatments intended to help him or her succeed in school and life. Lead poisoned children, who can suffer similar brain damage, could benefit from similar aid. They rarely, if ever, receive it. Instead they are sent to school, where they struggle to learn from teachers who don’t know the extent or exact nature of their cognitive injuries. More than 7,500 cases of lead poisoning were reported in children under 6 in Monroe County between 2000 and 2008. Given the link between poverty and lead poisoning, we can assume that most of the victims are in city classrooms. (April 27, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Lead Poisoning in our area]
National Parks in Peril from Fracking As the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) updates rules for oil and gas drilling on federal land, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) released yesterday National Parks and Hydraulic Fracturing: Balancing Energy Needs, Nature and America’s National Heritage. This new report examines the impact of existing, proposed and potential oil and gas development on America’s national parks and offers recommendations to ensure future drilling safeguards public health and the environment. “Our national parks are America’s most treasured places, and we need to treat them carefully as we develop the nation’s natural gas and oil,” said NPCA Vice President for the Center for Park Research Jim Nations. “Our research revealed that some national parks are already in peril. Unless we take quick action, air, water, and wildlife will experience permanent harm in other national parks as well.” (April 26, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Fracking in our area]
Home rule fracking decision challenged in Avon Gas and Oil producer Lenape Resources has filed a note of appeal as part of an attempt to overturn a court decision made in March that allowed the town of Avon to maintain its moratorium on fracking. This is the third case of this kind in upstate New York. President of Lenape Resources John Holko says his company can’t survive in Avon if the fracking moratorium is upheld. “The moratorium itself is a cancellation of a business. It’s not a prohibition of an opportunity, it’s the elimination of our existing business.” The company lost a law suit against the town of Avon last month, in which it argued that the local ban was illegal as the Department of Conservation has sole power to regulate the state’s gas and oil industries. (April 25, 2013) Innovation Trail [more on Fracking in our area]
As CO2 concentrations near ominous benchmark, daily updates begin Most people can mark their time on Earth by significant world events: the landing of a man on the moon, say; the dismantling of the Berlin Wall; or, more negatively, the 9/11 attacks. Another significant event is impending. Scientist Ralph Keeling wants this generation to remember when atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide reached 400 parts per million, because of humans. "I hope that many people out there in the decades to come will say, 'Gosh, I will remember when it crossed 400,'" he said. That's why Keeling and his employer, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, have launched a websitethat will provide daily updates on atmospheric CO2 concentrations, measured at Hawaii's Mauna Loa Observatory. (April 24, 2013) E&E Publishing LLC [more on Climate Change in our area]
‘Peak Fossil Fuels’ Is Closer Than You Think: BNEF Every time an iPhone is charged or an episode of "Mad Men" plays on a television, puffs of vaporized carbon join the atmosphere, products of power-plant combustion. And every year the world demands more. That era may be nearing an end, as the world approaches “peak fossil fuels,” a phrased used by Bloomberg New Energy Finance founder Michael Liebreich at the group’s annual conference. The concept of “peak oil” -- that world oil production will plateau and decline -- was popularized by a Shell Oil geologist named M. King Hubbert, who predicted in 1956 that U.S. oil production would max out in the early 1970s and gradually decline. Globally, the peak oil hypothesis has been consistently undermined by new extraction techniques: deep-water drilling, tar-sands extraction and most recently the fracking boom. The world now has enough of these fuels to last hundreds of years. (April 24, 2013) Bloomberg [more on Energy and Fracking in our area]
Expert Talks About Wind Energy in the Area An expert with the Great Lakes Commission was in Erie today talking about the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative. The collaborative is working to facilitate the sustainable development of wind power in the Great Lakes region. The project coordinator says the group tries to make sure wind farm projects happen in the most sustainable way possible. (April 24, 2013) Your Erie [more on Wind Power in our area]
DiNapoli: State's Brownfield Cleanup Program Needs To Reach More Sites; Be More Cost-Effective Report Provides Options for Strengthening Cleanup Efforts; Calls for Separating Clean Up and Development Tax Credits The New York State Legislature should examine options to restructure the state’s primary program to revitalize contaminated properties — the Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) — in order to fully achieve the important economic, public health and environmental goals set when the program was created, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. “While two decades of efforts to clean up brownfields have delivered some successes, much more can and should be done,” DiNapoli said. “Thousands of contaminated sites in communities across the state continue to pose environmental and health threats and prevent economic development. The state has an opportunity now to improve the cleanup program to encourage more remediation and redevelopment of contaminated properties, and do so in a more cost-effective manner through better targeting of program dollars.” (April 22, 2013) Office of New York State Comptroller [more on Brownfields in our area]
NY comptroller urges brownfields cleanup overhaul Report cites $1 billion spent to restore 408 contaminated NY industrial sites over 2 decades ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- New York's comptroller has called for an overhaul of state programs for restoring thousands of abandoned and contaminated industrial and commercial sites after the state spent nearly $1 billion to clean up 408 brownfields. However, half the cleanups over two decades were done at no state cost from tax credits, which were added in later versions of the cleanup program. In a 33-page report Monday, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says the state may incur another $3.3 billion in costs from tax credits over the next few years, while uncertainty of program extensions will probably start to deter new projects. He called for limiting or ending tax incentives while extending liability protections and streamlining regulations for developers. (April 22, 2013) Yahoo News [more on Brownfields in our area]
Draft Senate Nuclear Waste Bill Fails to Address Current Storage Safety Issues at Nuclear Power Plants Congress Must Require Plant Owners to Transfer Waste from Cooling Pools to Dry Casks to Protect Public WASHINGTON (April 25, 2013)—A draft nuclear waste management bill released today by four U.S. senators focuses on establishing interim and permanent waste repositories but fails to address current unsafe waste management practices at nuclear power plants across the country, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. The senators—Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)—based their draft on President Obama’s Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future. “Despite their good intentions, the senators ignored the fact that we have a problem right now with how nuclear plant owners store this highly radioactive waste,” said Dave Lochbaum, the director of the Nuclear Safety Project at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). “Even under the rosiest scenario, it will take years to site and build an interim storage facility. That means large quantities of nuclear waste will remain at nuclear plants for a long, long time—and three quarters of it is currently crammed in cooling pools rather than stored in dry casks, which are safer.” (April 25, 2013) Union of Concerned Scientists [more on Energy in our area]
Q&A: 'Gasland Part II' Director Josh Fox on the Fight Against Fracking 'The battle in New York has inspired people all over the world to keep fighting' Three years after the Oscar-nominated documentary Gasland secured fracking a place in the global lexicon, director Josh Fox returns with Gasland Part II, which premiered this weekend at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival. The sequel opens with quick cuts of Republicans and Democrats extolling the virtues of natural gas drilling, setting viewers up for a rollercoaster ride through government and corporate accountability. Like his first film, Fox spotlights the various health problems and water contamination issues facing individuals that live near gas wells. Part II, which will premiere on HBO this summer, also charts the EPA's progress and interviews members of the the scientific community. Rolling Stone spoke with Fox about gas infrastructure and what it's like to get kicked off Capitol Hill. PHOTOS: Yoko Ono and S (April 23, 2013) RollingStone [more on Fracking in our area]
City of Canandaigua to celebrate Arbor Day with tree planting Canandaigua, N.Y. — The city of Canandaigua parks and recreation will celebrate Arbor Day by planting a tree at Atwater Park, across from City Hall on North Main Street. MPNnow.com
VOA Recycles 2 Million Pounds of Trash a Year At the Volunteers of America retail store on Lake Avenue, everything old is new again. "We take clothing, hardgoods, tv's stereos, whatever you want, just bring them on in," says Larry Lyautey the VOA Retail Store Manager. The money raised at the retail store stays here in the community, funding programs that help people get back on their feet. "The profits go right back into serving our clients which are so in need of our services," says JoAnne Ryan the VOA President and CEO. Not everything that comes in can be re-sold and that's where the recycling effort comes in. "Nothing finds it's way back into the landfill. If we can't sell it because of the quality or condition we can work with a third world country, give them the textiles and send millions and millions of pounds over so we are very excited about that relationship as well," says Ryan. "We have almost zero waste," says Jeff Romano, the VOA Director of Distribution and Logistics (April 25, 2013) RochesterHomePage.net [more on Recycling in our area]
Tim DeChristopher Released: Climate Activist Leaves Federal Prison After Serving 21 Months Environmental activist Tim DeChristopherhas been released from custody after serving 21 months in federal prison. DeChristopher was arrested after an attempt to buy more than 22,000 acres of land in a 2008 oil and gas lease auction. His act of civil disobedience (done while he was still enrolled at the University of Utah) led to charges of making false statements and violating the Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act. He was sentenced to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. (April 22, 2013) The Huffington Post [more on Climate Change in our area]
Harvard Study: FracFocus Fails to Provide Adequate Disclosure for Fracking Chemicals Thanks to two great stories by E&E’s Mike Soraghan, we know that the Harvard Law School has evaluated FracFocus.org and found government (and the public) shouldn’t rely upon it. In short, Harvard says FracFocus is inadequate for at least three reasons: It is hard to determine when and if companies make disclosures. The data contained within FracFocus isn’t vetted—it consists of whatever the company reports. Secrecy claims made by companies aren’t vetted—FracFocus allows for unchallenged and extremely broad disclosure exemptions made at the company’s discretion. (April 25, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Fracking in our area]
Rochester Air Quality Improving The air we breathe is getting cleaner. Monroe County's air quality grades from the American Lung Association improved drastically over the last four years. The report gave the county an "A" for ground level ozone pollution and a "B" for short-term particle pollution. (April 24, 2013) WHAM [more on Air Quality in our area]
DRAFT 2014-2017 Transportation Improvement Program Update Project List The Genesee Transportation Council (GTC) is making the DRAFT 2014-2017 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Update Project List available for a 30-day public review from Monday, April 15, 2013 through Wednesday, May 15, 2013. GTC is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region. USDOT requires every metropolitan area with a population over 50,000 to have a designated MPO to qualify for receipt of federal highway and transit funds. The DRAFT 2014-2017 TIP Update Project List for the GTC TIP Area, including the Rochester Transportation Management Area (TMA), presents the projects recommended to receive federal transportation funding from October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2017 (Federal Fiscal Years 2015 through 2017) and is attached for your information and review. This list represents projects to be added to the current 2011-2014 TIP to establish the 2014-2017 TIP. The GTC TIP Area is comprised of the following seven counties: Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne, and Wyoming. The Rochester TMA includes all of Monroe County, plus the adjacent developed areas of Ontario, Livingston, and Wayne Counties. Genesee Transportation Council [more on Transportation in our area]
On Earth Day, lecturer urges 'rethink, restore, reconnect' On the inaugural Earth Day 43 years ago, 12,000 events were held around the country. Two-thirds of Congress spoke at an Earth Day ceremony, and several environmental acts were born. Today, politicians are directing dollars away from conservation efforts, environmentalists are seen as “preachy,” and the environment and economic development are frequently in conflict. So said The Nature Conservancy’s chief scientist, Peter Kareiva, Ph.D. ’81, in delivering the Jill and Ken Iscol Distinguished Environmental Lecture April 22. He stressed that supporting large-scale restoration projects, collaborating with corporations and enlisting the energies of the younger generation could change the fate of our planet. Conservationists must “put people” back in nature by pointing out what’s good for the environment is good for humans, and that economic growth and environmental health are linked, he added. (April 24, 2013) Cornell Chronicle Online
Governor Cuomo Releases Earth Day Statement and New Environmental Initiatives Proposes Expanded NY-Sun Program to Help Combat Climate Change and Create Green Jobs across the State Announces Partnership to Create Web-Based Repository of New York Climate Change Data “Today is Earth Day – a day we stop to appreciate the great natural wonders around us and consider the world we will leave behind for future generations. At this time of year, we are often reminded of nature’s beauty in this great state, but this week we are also reminded of the fury and devastation Mother Nature can bring at a moment’s notice. Six months ago Hurricane Sandy made landfall, killing 60 New Yorkers, destroying over ten thousand homes and causing tens of billions of dollars in damage. While rebuilding efforts are well underway, we must not lose sight that extreme weather is now the new normal with two ‘once in a century’ storms occurring in the last two years alone. Climate change is very real and has had destructive and deadly consequences in New York. My administration has worked to implement policies that protect our environment and preserve the natural beauty of our state. That work continues today, and I encourage all New Yorkers, at this moment in our history, to join us in pursuing new ways each of us can help reverse the impacts of climate change and add to the narrative of Earth Day. Celebrating Earth Day and working to combat climate change should go hand in hand – it is the only way we can ensure that New York's natural resources and beauty will be protected and enjoyed for generations to come.” (April 22, 2013) NYSERDA [more on Solar Power in our area]
Emergency tower plan for Adirondacks worries bird experts A plan to build and upgrade emergency communications towers on four summits in the Adirondack Park is sparking new controversy because of the possible impact on a rare songbird called the Bicknell's thrush. (April 25, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Wildlife in our area]
Consulting firm caught in fracking bind Opponents of hydro fracking are charging there's a potential conflict of interest with a consultant to Governor Cuomo's environmental agency. The controversy caused the consultant in question to sever all ties with a gas industry lobby group. But opponents are asking that the years-long review of fracking in New York start all over again. (April 25, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Fracking in our area]
Canandaigua winning water goes to national contest Canandaigua, N.Y. — At a Canandaigua city Ordinance Committee meeting last August, Councilman David Whitcomb suggested selling Canandaigua water because it tastes so good. His pitch came about the time Kershaw Beach closed due to contamination, making his suggestion the source of “a lot of good-natured ribbing,” Whitcomb recalled on Tuesday. “He who laughs last, laughs best," as the saying goes. On Tuesday, the state's largest organization dedicated to plentiful, high-quality drinking water named Canandaigua water “New York’s Best Tasting Water.” (The Kershaw Beach cleanup is done; authorities said its contamination never affected overall lake quality). (April 24, 2013) MPNnow.com [more on Water Quality in our area]
Genesee Transportation Council seeks input on project plan Rochester, N.Y. — The Genesee Transportation Council is seeking feedback from the public on its plan for how to invest $215 million of federal transportation funds in upcoming projects. The council’s Draft 2014-2017 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Update Project List is available for public review through Wednesday, May 15. Public meetings have been scheduled, and written comments are being accepted. The list includes projects to be undertaken in the seven-county Greater Rochester area — which includes Ontario County — between Oct. 1, 2014 and Sept. 30, 2017. (April 24, 2013) MPNnow.com [more on Transportation in our area]
Hemlock-Canadice plan not clear enough on drilling The State Department of Environmental Conservation received more than 400 comments on its draft plan to manage the Hemlock-Canadice State Forest. The next step is for officials to respond to those comments. The part of the response that will undoubtedly get the bulk of the public's attention is what officials say about natural gas and oil drilling on the forest land. The predominant criticism of the draft plan is that it doesn't clearly prohibit gas and oil drilling within the forest; it suggests that it won't. Most of the comments received by the DEC address the plan's language on oil and gas drilling, says Linda Vera, the department's regional spokesperson. (April 24, 2013) Rochester City Newspaper [more on Fracking in our area]
Andrew Cuomo asked to scrap fracking review over potential conflict of interest ALBANY — A top good-government group and Senate Democrats on Wednesday asked Gov. Andrew Cuomo to rescind the state’s ongoing review of hydraulic fracturing, citing a “clear conflict of interest” for a consultant that has assisted with the report. Gannett’s Albany Bureau reported Monday that Ecology and Environment, a private consultant that contracts with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, is a member of the Independent Oil & Gas Association, one of New York’s most-active lobbyists in favor of hydrofracking. On Wednesday, the New York Public Interest Research Group wrote to Cuomo, asking him to throw out a draft version of the DEC’s review of hydrofracking, which the outside consultant’s report was used to support. (April 24, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Fracking in our area]
Groups claim industry bias in fracking study ALBANY — Opponents of gas drilling and several state lawmakers on Wednesday called for the Department of Environmental Conservation to scrap work done by a consultant as part of an environmental impact review of fracking, saying the firm is part of an industry group lobbying to lift the state’s 5-year-old shale drilling ban. Ecology and Environment Inc. was hired in 2011 to do an economic analysis of how shale gas development would affect the state. It gave a positive picture of jobs and economic benefits. Critics immediately panned the study, saying it didn’t analyze negative economic effects, including the toll of truck traffic on roads and increased health care costs. DEC Commissioner Joe Martens responded by saying the consultant would take a harder look at the costs communities would have to deal with if fracking is allowed, but no new report has been made public. (April 24, 2013) The Daily Record [more on Fracking in our area]
Resource Scarcity, Climate Change and the Encroaching Global Catastrophe Brace yourself. You may not be able to tell yet, but according to global experts and the U.S. intelligence community, the Earth is already shifting under you. Whether you know it or not, you’re on a new planet, a resource-shock world of a sort humanity has never before experienced. Two nightmare scenarios—a global scarcity of vital resources and the onset of extreme climate change—are already beginning to converge and in the coming decades are likely to produce a tidal wave of unrest, rebellion, competition and conflict. Just what this tsunami of disaster will look like may, as yet, be hard to discern, but experts warn of “water wars” over contested river systems, global food riots sparked by soaring prices for life’s basics, mass migrations of climate refugees (with resulting anti-migrant violence), and the breakdown of social order or the collapse of states. At first, such mayhem is likely to arise largely in Africa, Central Asia and other areas of the underdeveloped South, but in time all regions of the planet will be affected. (April 22, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Climate Change in our area]
Elmira thinks twice about its fracking boom The City of Elmira is just seven miles from the Pennsylvania border. And for four years, the natural gas boom in Pennsylvania's Northern Tier crossed over the border and boosted Elmira's economy. But that natural gas rush has slowed down, and there's disagreement in Elmira about whether a temporary boom is worth the costs. During the peak of activity, between 2008 and 2011, Chemung County had a median income growth of 27 percent, according to county executive Tom Santulli. (April 23, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Fracking in our area]
Congresswoman Slaughter Congratulates Sunnking On Winning 2013 EPA Environmental Quality Award On Earth Day, Slaughter Congratulates Local E-Recycling Business On Winning EPA Award BROCKPORT, NY – Today, Congresswoman Slaughter congratulated Sunnking, a local e-recycling business, on winning the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Quality Award for their work in dismantling, refurbishing and recycling electronic waste. In February, Congresswoman Slaughter recommended Sunnking for the Environmental Quality Award, which honors individuals and organizations who have contributed significantly to improving the environment. Sunnking was the only business in upstate New York to receive the award. "What Sunnking has achieved here is remarkable," said Congresswoman Slaughter. "Not only is Sunnking's work benefiting our environment and the public health of our communities, but they are creating green jobs in an industry that is set to transform our economy. I was proud to nominate them for this award, and I am thrilled that their hard work and innovative solutions have earned them the recognition that this award brings." (April 22, 2013) Sunnking [more on Recycling in our area]
State confirms big expansion of Adk forest preserve State officials are moving forward with two land purchases in the Adirondacks totaling nearly 10,000 acres. State Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens will be on Prospect Mountain near Lake George later this morning unveiling one of the deals. Both of these conservation efforts have been in the works for years. The biggest, involving roughly 9300 acres of the former Finch Pruyn timber lands in the Adirondacks, includes parcels of land in Essex, Hamilton, Warren and Washington counties — including the famous ice meadowalong the upper Hudson River and OK Slip falls (April 24, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Parks in our area]
Fracking overshadows other issues on Earth Day Whether or not to allow hydro fracking in New York continued to be the dominant issue as environmental groups held their annual On Earth Day lobby day at the Capitol. In the legislature, the Senate and Assembly Environmental Committee chairs both take a dim view of the controversial gas drilling process, but they differ over what's the next step. Assembly Environmental Chair Bob Sweeney believes in a clearly legislated moratorium. In fact, the Assembly has already passed one. (April 24, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Fracking in our area]
Court Cases Confirm EPA’s Right to Limit MTR Pollution CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Citizen groups say two big legal victories confirm what they've asserted for years - that mountaintop removal causes dangerous pollution levels, and the Environmental Protection Agency can and should protect the public. One federal court ruled that the Corps of Engineers has been too lax in issuing mountaintop removal permits, while another ruled that the EPA has the right to veto a Corps permit after it's been issued. (April 24, 2013) Public News Service [more on Air Quality in our area]
RCR&R network offers 500 drop-off locations Victor, N.Y. — For members of the eWASTE Alliance Network (EWAN), managed and facilitated by Victor-based Regional Computer Recycling & Recovery, Earth Day is 365 days of the year. The RCR&R EWAN system connects residents statewide with more than 500 registered electronics retailers, municipalities and other eWASTE collection sites. In compliance with the New York State Electronics Recycling & Reuse Act, it’s the largest residential electronics recycling drop-off network in the nation. (April 23, 2013) MPNnow.com [more on Recycling in our area]
More Than One Million Comments Urge Obama Administration to Reject Keystone XL Opponents of Keystone XL have submitted more than one million comments urging President Obama, Secretary Kerry and the State Department to reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, following the publication of the latest deficient environmental review. There is a common message among the opponents of the pipeline: Keystone XL is all risk and no reward. The one million comments were collected from more than 20 organizations, including: 350.org, Alliance for Climate Education, Avaaz, Bold Nebraska, CCAN, Center for Effective Government, Credo, Environmental Action, Friends of the Earth, FWW, Greenpeace, League of Conservation Voters, League of Women Voters, MoveOn, NWF, Oil Change International, Natural Resources Defense Council, Rainforest Action Network, Sierra Club and SumofUs.org. “It’s going to take some time for State Department and the White House to go through a million comments, but when they do they’ll see a common thread: people from every part of the country in every walk of life think that this pipeline is bad for our land, water and climate,” said Daniel Kessler, spokesperson for 350.org. (April 23, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Energy and Climate Change in our area]
New legislation aims for upgrades to wastewater treatment plants, and cleaner Great Lakes Today is Earth Day and on Buffalo's waterfront, Rep. Brian Higgins introduced legislation to help clean up the Great Lakes. While progress has been made in cleaning up the Great Lakes since the first Earth Day 43 years ago, Higgins says a "pressing challenge" now is nutrient pollution. He says excessive phosphorus and nitrogen from wastewater treatment plants are producing toxic algal blooms that cause dead zones in the Great Lakes and other waterways. "It happens when there's a buildup of algae. When algae dies, it falls to the bottom and sucks out all the oxygen. Much like human life, aquatic life depends on oxygen to survive, as well. The consequence of that is the creation of these dead zones," Higgins explained. (April 22, 2013) Innovation Trail [more on Water Quality in our area]
A.G. Schneiderman Leads Coalition Urging Supreme Court To Reinstate Rules Cutting Interstate Air Pollution States Ask Court To Affirm EPA Rule Requiring Major Reductions In Soot And Smog 3.2 Million New Yorkers Live In Counties With Dangerous Soot & Smog Pollution Levels; Rule Would Prevent 2,000 Premature Deaths Annually In New York By 2014 Schneiderman: EPA Needs To Prevent Out-of-State Power Plants From Polluting New Yorkers' Air NEW YORK -- Leading a coalition of 10 states and 5 cities, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the filing of a court brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the Environmental Protection Agency to take prompt action to reduce the amount of air pollution that is currently allowed to cross state lines. The filing is in support of a request by the federal EPA and a group of public health and environmental organizations for the Court to review and reverse a lower court decision that invalidated an agency rule requiring substantial cuts in the interstate transport of pollution. (April 23, 2013) NYS Attorney General Schneiderman [more on Air Quality in our area]
Earth Day in the USA: 2013 WASHINGTON, DC, April 22, 2013 (ENS) – “We cannot afford to ignore what the overwhelming judgment of science tells us: that climate change is real and that it poses an urgent threat to our people and our planet,” President Barack Obama said Saturday as he proclaimed April 22 to be Earth Day 2013. “That is why my Administration set historic fuel efficiency standards that will nearly double how far our cars go on a gallon of gas while reducing harmful carbon pollution. It is why we made unprecedented investments in clean energy, allowing us to double renewable energy production in only four years. And it is why I am challenging Americans to double it again by 2020,” the President said. (April 22, 2013) Environmental News Service [more on Climate Change in our area]
DIY Windmill Project Kicks Off Earth Week Earth Week 2013 started off at Greenovation on East Main St with the meeting of a new Group called DIY Renewables. The initial group consisted of 15 people working in conjunction with another project known as In the City Off the Grid. "The Grid" refers to the private, centrally controlled electrical distribution system; in Rochester's case that's RG&E. "We re at the end of an empire that has built itself on consumption and commodification of human lives. Poverty is not an accident and control of energy has a lot to do with it." (Apriel 19, 2013) IndyMedia Rochester, NY [more on Wind Power in our area]
Solar Industry Reaches Milestone For the first time ever, all of the new electricity generation added to the nation's power grid in the month of March came from solar installations. That's according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's monthly report on new power sources. (April 22, 2013) NPR [more on Solar Power in our area]
EPA criticizes environmental review of Keystone XL pipeline The agency responds to the State Department's draft report, which concluded the project would have a minimal impact. WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday criticized the State Department's environmental impact review of the Keystone XL pipeline, saying there was not enough evidence to back up key conclusions on gas emissions, safety and alternative routes. In a letter to top State Department officials, the agency said it had "environmental objections" to their review, which concluded the pipeline would have minimal impact on the environment. The analysis could complicate efforts to win approval for the controversial $7-billion project. (April 22, 2013) Los Angeles Times [more on Energy and Climate Change in our area]
Bringing Earth Day back home It's the 43rd Earth Day. The idea of a day to stop and think about and celebrate the Earth came from U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin after he toured the devastation of a massive oil spill off California. (April 22, 2013) North Country Public Radio
NY comptroller urges brownfields cleanup overhaul ALBANY — New York’s comptroller has called for an overhaul of state programs for restoring thousands of abandoned and contaminated industrial and commercial sites after the state spent nearly $1 billion to clean up 408 brownfields. However, half the cleanups over two decades were done at no state cost from tax credits, which were added in later versions of the cleanup program. In a 33-page report Monday, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says the state may incur another $3.3 billion in costs from tax credits over the next few years, while uncertainty of program extensions will probably start to deter new projects. He called for limiting or ending tax incentives while extending liability protections and streamlining regulations for developers. “Thousands of contaminated sites in communities across the state continue to pose environmental and health threats and prevent economic development,” DiNapoli said. (April 22, 2013) MPNnow.com [more on Brownfields in our area]
The Good, The Bags, and Earth Day You see them just about everywhere, and on this Earth Day, the plastic shopping bag is getting some attention. And not in a good way. "I don't think we think that eventually this stuff has to go someplace," said Frank Regan, Sierra Club. "And it does go someplace." They dangle from trees, like ugly ornaments. Shuffle down streets, like plastic tumbleweeds. "I think most people think they're a way of life." (April 22, 2013) Rochester YNN [more on Recycling in our area]
Landfills subject of summit in Geneva Finger Lakes, N.Y. — With Ontario and Seneca counties home to landfill operations that import mountains of trash from miles beyond county borders, concerned citizens encourage people to hear what experts have to say about the past, present and future of these facilities. This first Finger Lakes Landfill Summit will be held at Hobart and William Smith Colleges this Wednesday, April 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Albright Auditorium at the colleges. (April 22, 2013) MPNnow.com [more on Recycling in our area]
DEC Launches New York Watchable Wildlife Program with Wildlife-Related Events Across the State Release of Guide Detailing Watchable Wildlife Opportunities in New York State Set for May More than 110 New York State sites are featured in the New York Wildlife Viewing Guide, a book that maps out and details many of the locations across the state for viewing wildlife, state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens announced today as part of DEC's weeklong celebration of Earth Day. The Guide, available now for pre-order, highlights the best areas for bird watching, nature walks, where varieties of fish can be found and places visitors can see wildlife rescued by DEC-licensed wildlife rehabilitators. To highlight the Guide, DEC will host a series of Watchable Wildlife events and Earth Day celebrations at outdoor recreation sites across the state. Commissioner Martens today marked the first event in the series at Peebles Island State Park in Waterford, Saratoga County with state Office of Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) Commissioner Rose Harvey. (April 22, 2013) NYS DEC Press Releases [more on Environmental Education in our area]
DEC, nature groups to release New York wildlife guide ALBANY — Looking for the best parts of New York to see bald eagles, snapping turtles, coyotes and other species that roam the state? A new book produced by the state Department of Environmental Conservation and top advocacy groups is meant to point you in the right direction. The 216-page New York Wildlife Viewing Guide was made available for pre-order Monday, as the state kicked off a weeklong series of events to commemorate Earth Day. (April 22, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Environmental Education in our area]
New York's fracking consultant belongs to gas-industry trade group Ecology and Environment listed as an IOGA member ALBANY — A consultant hired by the state to assess the impacts of shale-gas drilling is a member of one of New York’s largest gas-industry groups, according to a letter posted by the trade organization Monday. Ecology and Environment Inc., an Erie County-based environmental consulting firm, was one of about 200 groups listed as a member on a message sent by the Independent Oil and Gas Association to Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday morning. The letter calls on Cuomo to allow large-scale hydraulic fracturing in New York as other states have, citing various studies and government officials who have vouched for its safety. It was written “on behalf of IOGA of NY’s members” — a list that includes Ecology and Environment, according to the letter. (April 22, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Fracking in our area]
Rochester Celebrates Earth Day For 43 years now, the naation has been consciously marking the "green movement." Earth day was first celebrated in April 1970 with about 20 million people. Today, more than han one-billion people are taking part in some sort of activity that celebrates the preservation of our environment. Rochester General Hospital is just one of many locations around our community today with a focus and appreciation for the earth. RGH showed its employees and visitors it is committed to recycling, re-use and reducing waste. The hospital handed out more than one-thousand freshly planted seedlings and flowers for folks to add to their backyards. RGH also collected used computers and computer parts for proper recycling. (April 22, 2013) RochesterHomePage.net
Natural gas prices rise from historic lows PITTSBURGH — Wholesale natural gas prices have doubled over the last year, and that’s bringing sighs of relief from an unusual variety of interests. According to federal energy statistics natural gas topped $4 per thousand cubic feet in early April, after falling below $2 a year ago. (April 17, 2013) The Daily Record [more on Fracking in our area]
Groundbreaking Study Reaffirms Human Impact on Climate A groundbreaking new study, published in Nature Geoscience, has found that global temperatures were warmer between 1970 and 2000 than any other 30-year period in the last 1,400 years. The research, compiled by 73 scientists from 28 institutions worldwide, is the most comprehensive reconstruction of global temperatures to date. It used corals, ice cores, tree rings, lake and marine sediments, historical records, cave deposits and climate archives to help establish temperature trends over the last 2,000 years. (April 22, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Climate Change in our area]
Toxic legacy’s time bomb Nearly 800 hazardous waste sites are located in Erie, Niagara and Cattaraugus counties, and the majority of them are a threat to the largest source of fresh water in the world – the Great Lakes First of a three-part series Thirty-five years after underground toxics turned the Niagara Falls neighborhood of Love Canal into a ghost town, researchers are warning that Western New York is still home to nearly 800 hazardous waste sites that could someday lead to big trouble, not only for local residents, but for the entire Great Lakes region. A recently completed study, believed to be the most comprehensive look ever at hazardous waste sites in Western New York, finds potential chemical hazards lurking across Erie, Niagara and Cattaraugus counties. (April 20, 2013) The Buffalo News [more on Brownfields in our area]
Agency On Trout Restocking Mission In Great Lakes The agency said 200,000 trout yearlings will be released into the lakes through late May. The restocking began last week in Lake Erie off Sandusky and Fairport Harbor in Ohio, then headed to stops off Erie, Pa., and Dunkirk, N.Y. (April 20, 2013) WHAM [more on Wildlife and Great Lakes in our area]
Going Green: Climate change in New York State For this Earth Day 2013 edition of Going Green, Terry Ettinger takes a look at some of the recent effects of climate change in New York State. STATEWIDE -- As we celebrate Earth Day 2013 let’s look at the changes we’re seeing in New York because of climate change, such as more frequent, large and energetic storms. For example, storms like hurricanes Lee, Irene and Sandy. “In 2012, we had a very unusual year because the high (water) flows from the previous year’s hurricanes had actually torn out the rooted aquatic vegetation. We care about that because this is very important habitat for fish, shellfish and the entire community of organisms that ordinarily would live there,” said Dr. Karin Limburg, SUNY ESF, Fisheries Ecology. (April 22, 2013) Rochester YNN [more on Climate Change in our area]
'Wildlife Viewing Guide' coming from NY agencies Parks and conservation officials are set to release a new guide to New York wildlife. They’ll be presenting the “New York Wildlife Viewing Guide” on Monday with the launch of a “Watchable Wildlife Program” at an event near Albany. (April 22, 2013 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (More on Wildlife in our area]
A tale of two Earth Day heroes: Tim DeChristopher and Sandra Steingraber Earth Day, oddly, has never been a huge deal for me. I’m just a little too young to really remember its remarkable debut in 1970, when one American in 10 went out in the streets to demand action on clean air and water. That unprecedented activism laid the groundwork for the swift passage of legislation, and the almost-as-swift rehabilitation of lakes and rivers. But in the years after, many Earth Day celebrations drifted in a slightly more corporate direction; there wasn’t anything wrong with them, but they didn’t seem to be helping arrest environmentalism’s slide into relative impotence. This year, however, the holiday really resonates, because there are two heroes reminding us of the sacrifices they’ve made to move the fight forward, and the way the rest of us need to step up our game. (April 21, 2013) Grist [more on Climate Change in our area]
Climate inaction likely to deepen EU divisions - paper The European Union must take measures to prevent the destruction of crops and property by extreme weather or face instability and deeper social divisions as a result of potential climate change, a European Commission document said. The discussion paper, seen by Reuters, calls for a pre-emptive, EU-wide strategy, taking account of factors such as disruption to energy and food supplies. While most scientists agree that the planet has been warming, there is a high degree of uncertainty over the pace of temperature rises in the future. The EU paper said uncertainty about the exact nature of climate change was no reason for inaction. (April 19, 2013) Reuters UK [more on Climate Change in our area]
Rochester celebrates Earth Day Are you planning to give the earth a little extra "TLC" on Monday? It is Earth Day and there are several events happening across the community. Part of Gibbs Street, on Rochester's East side, will be turned into a park for the day. The area in front of Java's Café will be blocked off to traffic. Sod and greenery will be put on top of the pavement and Eastman School of Music students will provide live music. (April 22, 2013) WHEC
When New York decides on fracking is anyone's guess ALBANY — When state Health Commissioner Nirav Shah announced in early March that his much-anticipated review of shale-gas drilling would be finished in “the next few weeks,” Stephen Herz was skeptical. He had reason to be. Herz and everyone following the debate on hydraulic fracturing had heard it from Shah before. Twice — once in January and again in February. At various times since 2008, New York regulators have taken their best guess at when the state would make a decision on whether to allow large-scale fracking, the much-debated technique used to unlock gas from the Marcellus Shale. (April 22, 2013 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Fracking in our area]
Watchdog report: Is the old Kodak dump safe? Tons of radioactive waste remain in Weiland Road landfill in Greece with little oversight and no plans for removing it For nearly three decades, Eastman Kodak Co. buried tons of radioactive waste at a company-owned site along Weiland Road in Greece. The low-level waste, most of which will remain radioactive for billions of years, is still there at Eastman Business Park, in a now-closed landfill bordered on two sides by houses and apartments. Route 390 and Latona Road separate the site from more residential neighborhoods to the west. But the landfill receives virtually no government oversight. What’s more, neighbors and business suitors have no idea the radioactive waste is there. The public record contains barely a hint the waste, which will remain radioactive for billions of years, even exists. (April 21, 2013 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Brownfields in our area]
Mother Earth gets a spa day Rochester was feeling green Saturday — but in a good way, as several festivals dotted Monroe County in honor of Earth Day. Hamlin Beach State Park’s celebration featured environmental exhibits, eco-friendly vendors, a beach cleanup and a whole lot of free food. In the spirit of Earth Day, the informational stations centered on sustainable wildlife, energy and resource management. Among the assembled exhibits was one headed by Steve Rutherford of Hamlin, who volunteers with the Sandy Creek Pen Rearing Project. The organization strives to aid in the stocking efforts of salmon into Sandy Creek in Hamlin. (April 20, 2013 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Tim DeChristopher’s Peaceful Uprising At a time when the debate over climate change is finally gaining post-election traction and hot topics such as frackingand the Keystone XL pipeline have captured public attention, the documentary Bidder 70 is poised to showcase a movement that has steadily gathered force, particularly among millenials, who harbor grave concerns for the increasingly perilous future. The feature-length documentary chronicles how renowned activist Tim DeChristopher’s civil disobedience blazed new opportunities for the climate justice movement. (April 21, 2013) EcoWatch
City of Rochester News Release - Mayor Thomas S. Richards Launches Clean Sweep 2013; Community-Powered Beautification Project Now in 8th Year Mayor Thomas S. Richards today announced the dates and schedule for Clean Sweep 2013, the award-winning city beautification program powered by hundreds of citizen volunteers and City Environmental Services crews. “Few programs can bring out the tremendous pride that Rochester’s citizens have shown in their community better than Clean Sweep,” Mayor Richards said. “These volunteers are a true inspiration. It is because of them that Clean Sweep continues to be successful.” Since the program was launched in 2006, more than 25,000 volunteers have collected almost 900 tons of litter and debris and performed hundreds of beautification projects in city neighborhoods. (April 15, 2013) City of Rochester, NY
Kicking Off Earth Week, EPA Honors New York Environmental Leaders (New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that it has honored seventeen individuals and organizations from across New York with Environmental Quality Awards for their achievements in protecting public health and the environment. In addition, the President’s Environmental Youth Award, given each year to 10 students from across the country, was awarded to Christopher Johnston, a high school student from Manhasset, New York. EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck was joined by Linda Cox, Executive Director of the Bronx River Alliance to present the awards to this year’s recipients at a ceremony at EPA’s offices in Manhattan. “EPA is thrilled to honor the work of these environmental trailblazers,” said Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “These New Yorkers have had a major impact on protecting the environment in their communities and inspire us all to work for a cleaner, healthier environment.” (April 19, 2013) EPA News Releases from Region 2
EPA set to 'align' rules on coal plant water, ash disposal CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Obama administration said Friday it plans to "align" a long-awaited rule on the disposal of toxic ash from coal-fired power plants with another overdue proposal that aims to reduce water pollution from electrical generation stations. Under a legal settlement with citizen groups, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials were facing a Friday deadline to issue new water pollution discharge guidelines for power plants. EPA issued a proposed rule on coal-ash disposal nearly three years ago, but has yet to announce a timeline for finalizing it. (April 19, 2013) WVGazette.com [more on Water Quality in our area]
NATIONAL TAKE-BACK INITIATIVE Upcoming Take-Back Day — April 27, 2013 (10:00AM - 2:00PM) The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day which will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity for those who missed the previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications. In the five previous Take-Back events, DEA in conjunction with our state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners have collected more than 2 million pounds (1,018 tons) of prescription medications were removed from circulation. The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of these medications. US Department of Justice | Drug Enforcement Administration |Office of Diversion Control [more on Recycling in area]
Big recycling event is offered at St. Ambrose Church, in Irondequoit, April 20 Irondequoit, N.Y. — The Sunnking company, based in Brockport, has become one of the local leaders in recycling. In fact, Sunnking representatives were expected to be in New York City today, Friday, April 19, to accept the 2013 Environmental Quality Award, the highest recognition given by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They were nominated for the award by Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, D, Fairport. They will still be back in time to accept recyclables at a "green" e-waste recycling event in Irondequoit tomorrow. (April 19,2013) Greece Post
The tyranny of the tar sands In exploiting every last drop of tar sands crude, the government is impoverishing our country, its democratic freedoms and its future prosperity. Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Canada is fast becoming a place that I no longer recognize. In the last year, federal policy has aimed to remove any obstacles to tar sands expansion using repressive tactics that undermine our longstanding democratic traditions. There seems to be no higher federal priority than doing whatever multinational oil companies demand and we – you and I – are being systematically denied any role in Canada’s natural resource future. (April 17, 2013) The Toronto Star [more on Energy and Climate Change in our area]
Experts Warn: Carbon Bubble Could Worsen Global Economic Crisis The world could be heading for another major economic shock as stock markets inflate an investment bubble in fossil fuels to the tune of trillions of dollars, according to new research. In its second seminal report, Unburnable Carbon 2013: Wasted Capital and Stranded Assets, the Carbon Tracker Initiative found that firms invested $674 billion last year alone in projects trying to find and develop new fossil fuels reserves. To stick to current agreed global limits on emissions—and keep warming below 2˚C—the International Energy Agencywarns that two thirds of the known global fossil fuel reserves must stay in the ground. This means 60-80 percent of the fossil fuels listed by companies are effectively ‘unburnable’ and therefore worthless, which could lead to massive market losses. (April 19, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Climate Change in our area]
DEC Commissioner Martens Announces 2013 Earth Day Activities Diverse Environmental Activities Planned Throughout the State The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will commemorate the 43rd Anniversary of Earth Day with DEC-sponsored events around the state from April 19 through May 4, DEC Commissioner Martens announced today. The earth-friendly activities include tree plantings, pharmaceutical collection events, litter clean up, and a variety of exhibits to educate New Yorkers on the importance of sustaining the environment. "Earth Day continues to be a global movement to raise the consciousness of individuals, families, communities, businesses and government about how to co-exist with the environment in a sustainable manner," said Commissioner Martens. "Every New Yorker has a role to play in ensuring future generations are able to enjoy the state's natural resources and benefit from a clean environment. I encourage all New Yorkers to participate in some of the events to learn more about the state's natural resources and practices we can make part of our daily lives to protect the environment." (April 18, 2013) NYS DEC Press Releases
Lake trout struggling to rebound in Erie Anglers chasing transplanted Pacific Ocean salmon on lakes such as Ontario, Huron and Michigan occasionally tie up with a native lake trout and generally are happy about it. Rarely is the linkup made on Lake Erie, although Tom Harbison’s Ohio record, a 201/2-pound, 34-incher caught in April 2000, proves that such a thing is done. Shallow and temperate Lake Erie, being the southernmost outpost for the cold-water lakers in North America, produces neither numerous nor especially large specimens. The biggest lake trout caught on a rod and reel weighed 72 pounds and came out of Great Bear Lake in Canada’s Northwest Territories. A lake trout weighing 102 pounds has been taken with a net. (April 14, 2013) The Columbus Dispatch [more on Wildlife and Great Lakes in our area]
NY’s toxic disposal of mercury thermostats New York has a dismal record when it comes to collecting thermostats that contain mercury and legislation that might help hasn’t passed both chambers for years. The result is that these toxic thermostats end up in landfills and leach into land and water—nearly a ton of mercury annually in New York alone. Keeping mercury out of landfills and the environment is important because it is a toxic pollutant that can make fish inedible and cause brain and liver damage, along with behavioral and developmental problems in children and fetuses. The EPA conducted a study in 2004 that found more than 10 percent of the mercury reservoir in the country is in old thermostats. (April 18, 2013) Investigative Post [more on Recycling in our area]
How Science Can Predict Where You Stand on Keystone XL Want to make sense of the feud between pipeline activists and “hippie-punching” moderates? Talk to the researchers. On February 17, more than 40,000 climate change activists—many of them quite young—rallied in Washington, DC, to oppose the Keystone XL pipeline, which will transport dirty tar sands oil from Canada across the heartland. The scornful response from media centrists was predictable. Joe Nocera of the New York Times, for one, quickly went on the attack. In a column titled “How Not to Fix Climate Change,” he wrote that the strategy of activists “who have made the Keystone pipeline their line in the sand is utterly boneheaded.” (April 17, 2013) Climate Desk [more on Climate Change in our area]
Climate fight needs businesses to sway consumers, says Method pioneer Governments are not doing enough to tackle environmental challenges, says the co-founder of the green brand Stopping climate change and biodiversity loss will not happen without business and marketing professionals, says the co-founder of a pioneering US green cleaning brand that was bought by Ecover last year. Eric Ryan, who launched Method with Adam Lowry 12 years ago before selling it to create a group with combined revenues of $200m (£131m) and around 300 staff, told the Guardian that governments were still not doing enough to tackle environmental challenges because of vested interests. (April 19, 2013) The Guardian [more on Climate Change and Green Business in our area]
NY Public Service Commission approves Champlain Hudson Power Express The Champlain Hudson Power Express is a proposed underground transmission line that would bring hydropower generated in Quebec under Lake Champlain, under the Hudson River, and into New York City. The New York State Public Service Board approved the project on Thursday. Now it's one step closer to becoming a reality. (April 19, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Energy in our area]
Upcoming Event to Raise Awareness About Lake Quality A recent study showed Lake Ontario is the most stressed of all the Great Lakes. The local chapter of the Sierra Club is hoping to help. "We love and cherish this beautiful resource we have but it won't be that way forever unless we as citizens advocate for it," says Peter Debes. He is the Vice-Chair of the Rochester Region Sierra Club. He and Kate Kremer care about Lake Ontario. They want others to understand just how important it is. "There are increasing threats to the Great Lakes. There was a study done last summer about plastics in the Great Lakes. It's something new that we haven't really investigated yet but there's a lot of them out there," says Kremer. (April 18, 2013) GoGreen RochesterHomepage.net
World climate change goal at risk as emissions surge - U.N. A global goal for limiting climate change is slipping out of reach and governments may have to find ways to artificially suck greenhouse gases from the air if they fail to make deep cuts in rising emissions by 2030, a draft U.N. report said. A 25-page draft summary, by the U.N. panel of climate experts and due for publication in 2014, said emissions of heat-trapping gases rose to record levels in the decade to 2010, led by Asian industrial growth. The surge is jeopardising a U.N. goal, set by almost 200 nations in 2010, to limit a rise in temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius above levels before the Industrial Revolution, according to the text seen by Reuters on Friday. (Apreil 13, 2013) Reuters [more on Climate Change in our area]
Powering America: How Solar Energy Creates Green Jobs and Grows the Economy Calling job creation in America a “shared goal,” the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) today joined other trade associations, labor unions, environmental groups and business and community advocates in pushing for new efforts to address climate change, rebuild America’s aging infrastructure and foster innovation. (April 18, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Solar Power in our area]
Simplified application for renewable energy funds expected to help agricultural business The U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing changes to their application process for accessing renewable energy funding. The suggestions are expected to make it easier for agricultural producers and rural small businesses to get renewable energy and energy efficiency funds through the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP has provided funding for more than 6,000 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, energy audits, feasibility audits and renewable energy development assistance projects since 2008. The changes are expected to reduce paperwork, especially for projects under $80,000. It will also authorize funding for refurbished and retrofitted renewable energy systems, implement a uniform system for scoring applications, reduce certain reporting requirements and establish a quarterly application period for applicants seeking guaranteed loans. (April 17, 2013) Innovation Trail [more on Energy in our area]
Sewers spilled 594 million gallons of wastewater Last week's torrential rains overwhelmed regional sewers and the deep tunnel, combined sanitary and storm sewers spilled an estimated 594 million gallons of untreated wastewater to local waterways, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District officials said Tuesday. Overflows to rivers and Lake Michigan began April 10 to reduce the risk of sewage backups into basements. Overflows ended Saturday morning as rains eased. With more rain and thunderstorms in the forecast Wednesday and Thursday, the threat of tunnel-filling storms and overflows will return, said Peter Topczewski, the district's director of water quality protection. (April 16, 2013) JSOnline [more on Climate Change and Water Quality in our area]
Troubled waters: Big, bad algal blooms could become new norm for Lake Erie Lake Erie faces a greener future—and that’s bad. Scientists say harmful algal blooms like the one from 2011 will strike more often. More extreme weather and warming trends could also extend bad blooms’ duration. As a result, Lake Erie’s aquatic life and wildlife in nearshore areas face more frequent exposure to toxins. Food webs face disruption. Fisheries will suffer. Lake Erie’s persistent dead zone will expand. And water chemistry will change. The reason is that all trends that caused Lake Erie’s 2011 algal bloom show signs of continuing. From mid-July through October that year, bright green scum covered the western third of Lake Erie. Climate change, farming practices, land use, and invasive species all combined to produce that record-setting event. (April 17, 2013) Great Lakes Echo [more on Great Lakes and Climate Change in our area]
Announcing America’s Most Endangered Rivers Of 2013 For thirty years, our America’s Most Endangered Rivers report has highlighted urgent threats to rivers and has spurred the public to take action. Through the report, we have helped sound the alarm on hundreds of rivers, saving them from threats like pollution and new dams. The river at the top of the 2013 list, announced today, is the Colorado River – a river that is so dammed, diverted, and drained that it dries to a trickle before reaching the sea. (April 17, 2013) American Rivers [more on Water Quality in our area]
Obama Administration Releases Plan to Promote Ocean Economy and Resilience Obama Administration Releases Plan to Promote Ocean Economy and Resilience WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Obama Administration released its final plan for translating the National Ocean Policy into on-the-ground actions to benefit the American people. With significant public input from a wide spectrum of individuals and interests, the final Implementation Plan focuses on improving coordination to speed Federal permitting decisions; better manage the ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources that drive so much of our economy; develop and disseminate sound scientific information that local communities, industries, and decision-makers can use; and collaborate more effectively with State, Tribal, and local partners, marine industries, and other stakeholders. Without creating any new regulations or authorities, the plan will ensure the many Federal agencies involved in ocean management work together to reduce duplication and red tape and use taxpayer dollars more efficiently. (April 16, 2013) The Whitehouse
U.S. Business Leaders Urge Strong Policy Action on Climate Change Starbucks, Intel, Levi Strauss & Co., others sign ”Climate Declaration,” highlighting the American economic opportunity of responding to climate change As the President unveils his budget for the coming year, 33 major U.S. companies, including eBay Inc., Nike and Limited Brands signed a “Climate Declaration,” urging federal policymakers to take action on climate change, asserting that a bold response to the climate challenge is one of the greatest American economic opportunities of the 21st century. Signatories of the Climate Declaration are among the country’s best-known consumer brands, including EMC Corporation, IKEA, Jones Lang LaSalle, L’Oréal, the North Face, the Portland Trail Blazers, Timberland and Unilever, among others. (A full list of signatories is available at www.climatedeclaration.us.) Over the course of an ongoing campaign organized by Ceres and its BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy) coalition, other leading businesses, as well as individuals, will be encouraged to sign the Declaration and join the call to action. (April 10, 2013) CERES [more on Climate Change and Green Business in our area]
Harvard Researchers Connect Climate Change to Higher Skin Cancer Rates For decades, scientists have known that the effects of global climate change could have a devastating impact across the globe, but Harvard researchers say there is now evidence that it may also have a dramatic impact on public health. In the July 27 issue of Science, a team of researchers led by James G. Anderson, the Philip S. Weld Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry, warns that a recently discovered connection between climate change and depletion of the ozone layer over the U.S. could allow more damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation to reach the Earth’s surface, leading to increased incidence of skin cancer. (April 12, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Climate Change and Environmental Health in our area]
BP to push forward with Cape Vincent wind project, pending possible sale of renewables division Earlier this month, energy company BP announced its entire renewables division was up for sale. At a recent public meeting on the proposed Cape Vincent Wind Farm, a BP official confirmed the company will push ahead with the development anyway, and local leaders vowed to hire experts to help them fight the project. People at the meeting were eager to know what the sale of BP's renewables division might mean for the Cape Vincent project in Jefferson County. Richard Chandler is director of business development for BP Wind Energy North America. He told the small crowd assembled in a firehouse in Three Mile Bay that the company will move ahead with its plans, despite the sale offering. (April 18, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Wind Power in our area]
Curbside compost Rochester residents receive city-provided trash and recycling pickup, but when it comes to composting, it's kind of a DIY thing. That's about to change. Local residents Brent Arnold and Steve Kraft have started a city-based business, Community Composting, which will provide residential pickup of compost fodder. They'll give subscribers a bucket for food scraps and other organic materials and they'll make weekly pickups, Arnold says. They'll charge $5 to $7 per pickup. (Subscribers will be able to direct Community Composting not to make a pickup on any given week by clicking a button in a weekly e-mail reminder they'll receive.) (April 17, 2012) Rochester City Newspaper [more on Recycling and Green Business in our area]
Sounding the alarm on water The Aral Sea in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan was once one of the world's largest saltwater lakes. But in the 1950's and 1960's, the Soviet Union ramped up agricultural programs in the sea's basin, which included diverting the freshwater streams that fed the sea and using the water for farming. By 2010, the Aral Sea was a puddle of its former self. Maude Barlow, a Canadian activist well-known for advancing the concept of water as a human right, uses the Aral Sea as a cautionary tale. It's an example of what can happen when water resources are abused or used unsustainably, she says. (April 17, 2012) Rochester City Newspaper [more on Water Quality and Great Lakes in our area]
Environmentalists urge Gov. Cuomo to support IJC’s Bv7 water management proposal Conservationists urged Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday to join thousands of citizens who have shown their support for a new Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River management plan over the past several months. In a joint letter to Gov. Cuomo, four conservation groups — Save the River, Clayton; the Nature Conservancy; Audubon New York, and Citizens Campaign for the Environment — asked the governor to support Plan Bv7, a water regulation proposal by the International Joint Commission that could replace the existing half-century-old management plan (April 16, 2013) Watertown Daily Times [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Great Lakes Commission and USDA-NRCS launch innovative phosphorus trading program Ann Arbor, Mich. - To help alleviate high nutrient levels and algal blooms, a phosphorus credit trading program for the Lower Fox River watershed in Wisconsin will be developed under a partnership between the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). USDA Deputy Under Secretary Ann Mills, acknowledging the new partnership, said: “This agreement between the Great Lakes Commission and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service adds an innovative tool to the Great Lakes restoration toolkit that can create new revenue opportunities for farmers, while simultaneously achieving cost-effective pollution reductions.” (April 16, 2013) Great Lakes Commission [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Nairobi's new bike lanes aim to cut congestion and pollution NAIROBI (AlertNet) – Cyclists in Nairobi are benefiting from the Kenyan government’s plan to reduce congestion and pollution with new highway construction. The government has created bike lanes on a new superhighway in the capital and lowered taxes on bicycles to encourage urban residents to use them. The aim is to make people less dependent on cars, easing the city’s notorious traffic clogs and reducing carbon emissions from vehicles. Around 100 km (60 miles) of new highway have been built in the Nairobi area alone, equipped along much of their length with dedicated lanes for those who wish to ride their bikes instead of driving. Mwai Kibaki, Kenya’s outgoing president, opened the highways in December 2012. (April 15, 2013) AlterNet [more on Transportation in our area]
Wind power opponents may be blowing hot air Opposition to windmills often centres on health effects, but what is it about wind power that causes people to feel ill? According to recent research, it may not be the infrasound from wind-energy installations but, oddly enough, the warnings from opponents. For a study published in the American Psychological Association’s Health Psychologyjournal, researchers from New Zealand’s University of Auckland showed readily available anti-wind-power film footage to 27 people. Another 27 were shown interviews with experts who said infrasound, such as that created by wind turbines, can’t directly cause negative health effects. Subjects were then told they would be exposed to two 10-minute periods of infrasound, but were actually only exposed to one. After both real and “sham” exposure, people in the first group were far more likely to report negative symptoms than those in the second. In fact, subjects in the second group reported “no symptomatic changes” after either exposure. According to the researchers, “Results suggest psychological expectations could explain the link between wind turbine exposure and health complaints.” (April 16, 2013) rabble.ca [more on Wind Power in our area]
Investors Can Learn from Earth Day's Lessons Next week, we observe Earth Day. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day has grown into an international movement whose goal is to raise awareness of the need to take action to sustain a healthy, sustainable environment. You can do your part through recycling and other measures, but you can also apply some of the lessons of Earth Day to your financial situation — and, in particular, to your approach to investing. (April 15, 2013) Genesee Sun
The Canadian Oil Boom The U.S. imports more oil from Canada than from any other nation, about 19 percent of its total foreign supply, and around half of that now comes from the oil sands. Anything that reduces our dependence on Middle Eastern oil, many Americans would say, is a good thing. But clawing and cooking a barrel of crude from the oil sands emits as much as three times more carbon dioxide than letting one gush from the ground in Saudi Arabia. The oil sands are still a tiny part of the world's carbon problem—they account for less than a tenth of one percent of global CO2 emissions—but to many environmentalists they are the thin end of the wedge, the first step along a path that could lead to other, even dirtier sources of oil: producing it from oil shale or coal. "Oil sands represent a decision point for North America and the world," says Simon Dyer of the Pembina Institute, a moderate and widely respected Canadian environmental group. "Are we going to get serious about alternative energy, or are we going to go down the unconventional-oil track? The fact that we're willing to move four tons of earth for a single barrel really shows that the world is running out of easy oil." (March 2009) National Geographic
Feds invest in Solar Rochester facility A former | Eastman Kodak Co. building in Greece bought by the University at Albany will house a manufacturing and research center for solar energy products, federal officials announced Tuesday. The Solar Rochester Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Manufacturing Development Facility, a 50,000-square-foot building at 115 Canal Landing Blvd., will be run by the university’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) and eventually have about 30 full-time employees, said U.S. Department of Energy spokesman Bill Gibbons. The goal is to have the facility operational by November, with advanced tools to be added next year, according to a news release from U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y. (April 16, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Solar Power in our area]
Clean Sweep 2013 under way The dates and schedule for Clean Sweep 2013, the award-winning Rochester beautification program powered by hundreds of citizen volunteers and city Environmental Services crews, have been announced by Mayor Thomas S. Richards. Since the program was launched in 2006, more than 25,000 volunteers have collected almost 900 tons of litter and debris and performed hundreds of beautification projects in city neighborhoods. The Clean Sweep Saturdays take place rain or shine from 9 a.m. to noon, with check in and registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. (April 15, 2013) The Daily Record
Cooking the Books: State Department Ignores True Climate Impact of Keystone XL Pipeline A new report out today from environmental groups—Oil Change International, Natural Resources Defense Council, 350.org, Environment America, National Wildlife Federation, Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club,Greenpeace—shows that the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline would, if approved, be responsible for at least 181 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) each year, comparable to the tailpipe emissions from more than 37.7 million cars or 51 coal-fired power plants. In documenting the emissions associated with the controversial pipeline project, the report makes real the scale of climate impact and the further hurdles the project would create for the battle against climate change, putting the State Department’s “business as usual” scenarios into doubt. (April 16, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Energy and Climate Change in our area]
Governor Cuomo Announces Completion of $88 Million in Energy Efficiency Projects By N.Y. Power Authority in 2012 Printer-friendly version Millions in annual savings for public buildings and facilities Albany, NY (April 12, 2013) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the New York Power Authority (NYPA) financed and completed 83 energy efficiency projects in 2012 at public facilities throughout New York State. The upgrades, totaling more than $88 million, will provide annual energy savings of $6.4 million to New York taxpayers. The projects will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 34,000 tons a year, equivalent to removing more than 6,400 cars from the road. “Increasing energy efficiency statewide in public facilities is a common-sense investment in New York’s future and a core component of the state’s energy, economic development and environmental policies,” Governor Cuomo said. “Under the ‘Build Smart NY’ initiative, we are prioritizing projects to make buildings ‘greener’ and more sustainable, which will help create jobs, save New York taxpayers millions of dollars for years to come, and combat the growing threat of climate change.” (April 12, 2013) NYS Governor Newsroom [more on Energy in our area]
DEC Reports: Salmonellosis Affects Redpoll Birds Throughout New York State New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has confirmed that Salmonellosis, an infection with the bacteria Salmonella, has been the cause for mortality in Common Redpoll birds throughout the state during the last few months. Salmonellosis is among the most common diseases associated with birdfeeders. The organism can be spread from bird to bird through direct contact, or through ingestion of food or water contaminated with feces from an infected bird. "Numbers of dead redpolls have been observed at birdfeeders throughout New York," said DEC's Assistant Commissioner for Natural Resources Kathleen Moser. "Redpolls are especially susceptible to salmonellosis during late winter months. This winter, we've seen particularly large numbers of redpolls in New York that moved south from Canada during cold winter temperatures. This mortality incident will abate once the remaining redpolls migrate north with the warmer weather." During the last few months, numerous homeowners reported dead or dying redpolls at birdfeeders. DEC wildlife biologists collected specimens in the Western New York area and submitted the specimens to DEC's Wildlife Health Unit for necropsy. Analysis indicated that lesions and culture on the affected specimens were consistent with salmonellosis. Since then, reports of salmonellosis have been documented in numerous locations around the state. (April 15, 2013) NYS DEC Press Releases [more on Wildlife in our area]
City’s Art Walk Extension Project Named State Transportation Project of the Year (Friday, April 12, 2013) – Mayor Thomas S. Richards announced today that the City’s Art Walk Extension Project has been awarded the Transportation Project of the Year by the New York State Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA). “I want to congratulate Commissioner Paul Holahan and his staff in the Department of Environmental Services and all the private-sector partners who contributed to the tremendous success of this project,” said Mayor Richards. “Those of us who have been close to the Art Walk Extension for so many years are extremely pleased with the outcome and have long appreciated the value it adds to the Neighborhood of the Arts. It is gratifying when our perceptions are validated by outside judges who fully understand the complexity of a project of this magnitude.” Mayor Richards also credited City partners in Artwalk Rochester, the Neighborhood of the Arts, the Village Gate and the Memorial Art Gallery and the Rochester Museum and Science Center for the success of the project. (April 12, 2013) City of Rochester, NY [more on Transportation in our area]
Elmira faces ups and downs of gas business The City of Elmira is just seven miles from the Pennsylvania border. And for four years, the natural gas boom in Pennsylvania’s Northern Tier crossed over the border and boosted Elmira’s economy. But that boom has slowed down. During the peak of activity, between 2008 and 2011, Chemung County had a median income growth of 27%, according to county executive Tom Santulli. The slowdown began in 2012, leading to a $3 million decline in sales tax revenue. Santulli says the growth and last year’s decline were mainly driven by the natural gas industry across the border. (April 15, 2013) Innovation Trail [more on Fracking in our area]
SUNY Oswego gets grant to study lake-effect snow An upstate New York college located in one of the snowiest places in the nation is getting a $320,000 federal grant to study lake-effect snow storms. The State University at Oswego is one of four getting a portion of the nearly $4 million grant from the National Science Foundation to gather data with the help of an airplane, Doppler radar-equipped trucks and weather-profiling instruments. The work will be done in conjunction with the Center for Severe Weather Research in Boulder, Colo., University of Wyoming, University of Alabama-Huntsville and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (April 16, 2013) Rochester NBCNews [more on Great Lakes in our area]
To Reinvigorate Production, Alaska Grants a Tax Break to Oil Companies Hoping to reverse two decades of declining oil production in Alaska, the State Legislature in Juneau has granted oil companies an estimated $750 million in annual tax relief to increase investment in the giant North Slope oil field. The tax change, approved on Sunday, was a major victory for Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and BP, which had lobbied for years to repeal a tax system put in place by former Gov. Sarah Palin in 2007 that made state oil taxes among the highest in the nation. The companies have long claimed that high operating costs and taxes in Alaska encouraged them to move their investment dollars to other states with lower tax rates, like Texas and North Dakota, where oil and gas exploration and production have been booming in new shale fields. (April 15, 2012) New York Times [more on Energy and Climate Change in our area]
Climate scientists struggle to explain warming slowdown (Reuters) - Scientists are struggling to explain a slowdown in climate change that has exposed gaps in their understanding and defies a rise in global greenhouse gas emissions. Often focused on century-long trends, most climate models failed to predict that the temperature rise would slow, starting around 2000. Scientists are now intent on figuring out the causes and determining whether the respite will be brief or a more lasting phenomenon. Getting this right is essential for the short and long-term planning of governments and businesses ranging from energy to construction, from agriculture to insurance. Many scientists say they expect a revival of warming in coming years. (Aril 16, 2013) Reuters [more on Climate Change in our area]
Sierra Club Launches Statewide Renewable Energy Campaign Event in Buffalo kicks off Renewable Energy Week Asking Governor Cuomo: “Let’s Turn, Not Burn.” Buffalo, NY: On Tuesday, April 16, the Sierra Club Niagara Group will join with Western New York Council on Occupational Safety & Health, WNY Drilling Defense, WNY Peace Center, Clean Air Coalition of Western New York, PUSH Buffalo, Re-ENERGIZE Buffalo, Riverside-Salem United Church of Christ, Wind Action Group, and Residents for Responsible Government to hold a press conference on the Buffalo waterfront at Dug’s Dive to launch the “Let’s Turn, Not Burn” campaign. It kicks off Sierra Club’s Renewable Energy Week, which includes events across the state and a robust advertising campaign in Buffalo, Rochester, Binghamton, Auburn and Albany calling on Governor Cuomo to take administrative action to create jobs and grow the economy with renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. (April 13, 2013) Re-Energize Buffalo [more on Energy in our area]
Low Lake Levels Reveal More Debris On Great Lakes Beaches CHICAGO (CBS) – Lower water levels in the Great Lakes have been revealing more than just extra beach land. Less water reveals garbage that had been hidden in Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes, according to the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Alliance spokeswoman Jamie Cross said tires and more are being spotted along the Great Lakes beaches. (April 12, 2013) CBS Chicago [more on Recycling in our area]
No Reprieve From the Heat: China High Temps Tied to Greenhouse Gases China, a perfect example of human-caused global warming Greenhouse gases are undeniably making the world's biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, China, a much hotter place to live, according to a new study released Friday— providing a microcosm of the effects of fossil fuels on climate around the world. According to the study, published in late March in the peer-reviewed journal Geophysical Research Letters, China's daily highs have consistently risen, making both days and nights far hotter, with little to no cool-down periods or reprieve. The unnatural warming, the scientists say, is directly related to the country's record breaking output of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. (April 12, 2013) Common Dreams [more on Climate Change in our area]
Obama’s 2014 Budget Sets New Energy Goals WASHINGTON, DC, April 10, 2013 (ENS) – President Barack Obama today introduced his Fiscal Year 2014 budget, which sets two new goals – to cut U.S. net oil imports in half by 2020 and to double American energy productivity by 2030. The budget for the fiscal year that begins October 1 would cancel the automatic spending cuts known as the sequester and raise about $1 trillion in new tax revenue over 10 years. The $1.058 trillion budget would increase spending in FY2014 by $160 billion over the current budget. It would mean a $744 billion budget deficit in spite of new entitlement cuts and tax hikes. Speaking in the Rose Garden at the White House, Obama called the FY2014 budget, “a fiscally responsible blueprint for middle-class jobs and growth.” (April 10, 2013) Environmental News Service [more on Energy in our area]
Penfield to host Cleanup Day, environmental fair Saturday Penfield, N.Y. — This Saturday, April 20 the town of Penfield will host its annual Cleanup Day from 9 a.m. to noon at the Penfield Community Center, where groups will gather to help kick off spring through pick-up and beautification of roadsides and parks. (April 15, 2013) Penfield Post
County to vote on landfill expansion Thursday Canandaigua, N.Y. — After months of debate over odor and other concerns with the Ontario County landfill, a committee this past week approved an environmental statement that sends a vote on the controversial landfill expansion to the county Board of Supervisors. “We believe there is a better handle on the odor issue and it is time to move forward,” said Canandaigua City Supervisor David Baker, who heads the county’s Environmental Quality Committee that approved the Final Environmental Impact Statement. (April 15, 2013) MPNnow.ocm [more on Recycling in our area]
How Does Your State Rank on Its Commitment to Local Foods? How does your state stack up against all the others when it comes to availability and consumption of locally-produced foods? Strolling of the Heifers has the answer. The Vermont-based local food advocacy group has released its second annual Strolling of the Heifers Locavore Index, ranking the 50 states and the District of Columbia in terms of their commitment to local foods. Using recent indicator data from multiple sources, the index incorporates farmers markets, consumer-supported agriculture operations (CSAs) and food hubs in its per-capita comparison of consumers’ interest in eating locally-sourced foods—also known as locavorism. (April 15, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Food and our Environment in our area]
Farmers and foodies call for fracking ban A coalition of farmers and foodies are urging Governor Cuomo to ban hydraulic fracturing in New York State right away. Groups across the state are expected to meet throughout the week to alert the public to the risks they believe fracking poses to the state’s agricultural viability. Food and Water Watch Organizer Rita Yelda helped organize Buffalo’s“Food not Fracking” event. Yelda argues that the fracking process, involving the underground injection of water, chemicals and sand releases radioactive waste and produces pollution in ground water and soil. (April 15, 2013) Innovation Trail [more on Fracking in our area]
Details to be announced for "Clean Sweep" Details will be announced Monday for the City of Rochester's "Clean Sweep" -; the annual spring cleaning and neighborhood beautification program. Each year, thousands of volunteers show their pride for Rochester by participating in the "Clean Sweep" program. Volunteers remove liter and debris from city streets and beautify the city by planting flowers and pruning trees. (April 15, 2013) WHEC [more on Recycling in our area]
Monroe County Parks Undergo Spring Cleaning Rochester, N.Y. – About 1,000 volunteers spent Saturday morning picking up trash at several parks throughout Monroe County. It was a record turnout for the fourth annual Pick-Up-The-Parks Project, which helped 17 parks get cleaned up in order to shine for springtime visitors. (April 13, 2013) WHAM [more on Recycling in our area]
RIT Opens Institute For Sustainability RIT opened a new building on campus Friday. The school is going green in a big way. "What we're doing here is really opening up a lot of new frontiers," assistant provost Nabil Nasr said. The new sustainable institute hall is part of RIT's Golisano Institute for Sustainability program. It is 84,000 square feet and designed to keep the environment in mind. The entire building is powered using renewable energy. The new hall took about two years to build and will be home to Masters and Ph.D students for education and sustainibility research. (April 12, 2013) RochesterHomePage.net [more on Environmental Education in our area]
China Confirms Their Warming is Human Caused LONDON — Chinese scientists have just confirmed that greenhouse gas emissions have sent the thermometer soaring in one country — China. This is, they say, the first study to directly link warmer daily minimum and maximum temperatures with climate change in one single nation, rather than on a global or hemispheric scale. “Actually seeing a warming trend in a single location is hard”, said Xuebin Zhang from Environment Canada in Toronto. “It’s like trying to see the tide change when you’re in a rowing boat going up and down on the waves. You need a lot of data.” (April 13, 2013) Climate Central [more on Climate Change in our area]
Six global environmental heroes honored A Chicago mother who waged a 15-year battle to shut down two coal power plants that were sickening her community is one of six grass-roots environmental activists honored Monday as winners of the 2013 Goldman Environmental Prize. The international prize recognizes individuals for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal cost and risk. The prize honors grass-roots leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe, islands and island nations, North America, as well as South and Central America. Each winner receives $150,000 (April 15, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Stopping LNG Exports Key to Preventing the Spread of Fracking For people concerned about the harmful effects of fracking in the U.S., they should do whatever they can to prevent natural gas companies from exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG). Deborah Rogers—a shale gas industry expert, former investment banker and founder of Energy Policy Forum—underscores the importance of anti-export campaigns. She contends that stopping LNG exports is the most important step citizens can take to prevent shale gas companies from creating even larger industrial fracking zones in their communities. Here’s the nightmare scenario: LNG exporters, together with their gas-producing partners in the shale gas fields, are forced to take all of the necessary steps to ensure they don’t default on the terms of the contracts they signed with foreign countries and companies. In this scenario, shale gas drillers, already super-busy across the country, will significantly boost their fracking operations to satisfy both domestic and foreign demand, Rogers explained in a recent speech at the Stop the Frack Attack National Summit in Dallas, Texas last month. (April 14, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Fracking in our area]
DEC offers options for landowners with too many geese ALBANY - Canada geese are a valuable natural resource and a source of recreation and enjoyment to bird watchers, hunters and others. Flocks in flight this time of year are a welcome sign of the change in seasons. However, local-nesting or “resident” geese have become year-round inhabitants of parks, ball fields, waterways, farms, residential areas and golf courses, where they can cause problems and the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has information available on its website on how to cope with nuisance geese. Property owners can find tips to prevent or reduce problems with Canada geese on DEC’s website at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7003.html. Several options are available to alleviate damage and nuisance caused by resident Canada geese during the spring and summer months. DEC issued a General Depredation Permit (GDP) that allows the disturbance or removal of adult or juvenile Canada geese or their nests or eggs under certain situations and conditions without having to apply for individual state and federal permits. (April 11, 2013) EmpireStateNews.net [more on Geese Problem in our area]
Schumer: Funds needed to fix 800 hazardous NY dams U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says there are more than 800 hazardous bridges without adequate emergency plans in New York. The Democrat says the bridges are hazardous because they lack emergency plans if the structures break and there's flooding. Schumer says the threat is often greatest during the spring thaw. (April 12, 2013) Rochester, NY on NBCNews.com
London Array becomes world's largest windfarm as last turbine comes online Developers confirms all 175 of London Array's offshore wind turbines are now fully operational The UK's wind power industry has restated its pledge to drive down the cost of energy, as it pushed the button on the last of the 175 turbines at the world's largest offshore wind farm. The London Array project, jointly owned by Dong Energy, Masdar and EON, yesterday annouced that the first 630MW phase of the project in the Thames estuary is now fully operational. "This is the final major milestone of the construction phase and the culmination of more than two years' offshore construction work which began in March 2011 with the installation of the first foundation," said London Array project director Richard Rigg. (April 9, 2013) The Guardian [more on Wind Power in our area]
State Still Awaiting Fracking Decision Governor Cuomo’s health commissioner is expected to release a health report on hydraulic fracturing soon, at least according to a timetable announced in late February. But the Cuomo Administration has already missed several deadlines on fracking. The decision on whether to allow fracking in New York seems to be yet again in limbo. Governor Cuomo’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Nirav Shah, said a month ago that he was still in the midst of a health review, requested by the governor’s environmental department last September, but that he expected to be done in a few weeks. But Dr. Shah, in his only public comments to date, seemed to contradict even that deadline. (April 11, 2013) WXXI News [more on Fracking in our area]
Wind power kills jobs and increases electricity costs: Report TORONTO — Ontario's pursuit of wind power has driven up electricity prices, is killing jobs and might even lead to more smog, a new Fraser Institute report says. Ross McKitrick, author of Environmental and Economic Consequences of Ontario's Green Energy Act (GEA), says the Ontario government's electricity plan is now 10 times more costly than installing pollution-control equipment on existing coal plants — an option he argues would have produced similar improvements in air quality. (April 11, 2013) Toronto Sun [more on Wind Power in our area]
New interactive map showcases “Great Lakes Restoration at Work” The Great Lakes Commission has unveiled a new interactive map showcasing nearly 1,000 restoration projects being implemented under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The site, available at www.glc.org/restore/glrimap, includes map overlays of congressional districts, and state and county boundaries. The webpage showcases GLRI restoration projects funded in fiscal years 2010-2012, with an emphasis on on-the-ground actions. (April 9, 2013) Great Lakes Commission [more on Great Lakes in our area]
The Fossil Fuel Resistance By BILL MCKIBBEN As the world burns, a new movement to reverse climate change is emerging - fiercely, loudly and right next door It got so hot in Australia in January that the weather service had to add two new colors to its charts. A few weeks later, at the other end of the planet, new data from the CryoSat-2 satellite showed 80 percent of Arctic sea ice has disappeared. We're not breaking records anymore; we're breaking the planet. In 50 years, no one will care about the fiscal cliff or the Euro crisis. They'll just ask, "So the Arctic melted, and then what did you do?" Here's the good news: We'll at least be able to say we fought. After decades of scant organized response to climate change, a powerful movement is quickly emerging around the country and around the world, building on the work of scattered front-line organizers who've been fighting the fossil-fuel industry for decades. It has no great charismatic leader and no central organization; it battles on a thousand fronts. But taken together, it's now big enough to matter, and it's growing fast. (April 11, 2013) RollingStone [more on Climate Change in our area]
Recycling event April 13 benefits scholarships in memory of Webster heroes Maven Technologies of Rochester is hosting a computer and electronics recycling event at Monroe Community College, 1000 East Henrietta Road, Brighton, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, April 13, to benefit the Lt. Michael J. Chiapperini and Tomasz M. Kaczowka Memorial Scholarship at MCC. The event is open to the public and designed to increase awareness recycling as well as collect cash donations for the scholarship. April 11, 2013) Fairport-East Rochester Post
New York announces electric vehicle charging stations ALBANY — New York will have more than 360 electric vehicle charging stations installed throughout the state to help reduce fossil fuel use, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday. The electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid charging stations, which will include locations in Westchester County and Rochester, are part of the Charge NY initiative to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuels and to promote the use of electric vehicles, Cuomo said. “Building this network of innovative charging stations will encourage New Yorkers to use fuel-efficient alternatives like electric vehicles as well as grow the green industry and jobs in the state,” Cuomo said in a statement. (Aril 11, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Transportation in our area]
NYC Mayoral Hopeful Calls for Fracking Moratorium At a rally held by New Yorkers Against Fracking today, Public Advocate and NYC mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio said, “The eyes of the nation are on New York.” De Blasio, who is seeking the Democratic Party nomination, called on the State Senate to support legislation passed on March 6 in the State Assembly that would put a two-year moratorium on hydrofracking in New York. (April 11, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Fracking in our area]
SUNY Oswego looks to build 'innovation ecosystem' It won't be a physical structure like some incubators. And it won't be trying to churn out startup businesses. Instead the incubator SUNY Oswego is launching this month will try to create an "innovation ecosystem." The Thrive program will try and develop a new blueprint for Oswego's future, says Jeff Grimshaw, the director of business and community relations at SUNY Oswego. He notes that if new businesses were another outcome of the incubator, that would be a positive. But the bigger goal is community engagement. (April 10, 2013) Innovation Trail
Alarm over vanishing frogs in the Caribbean PATILLAS, Puerto Rico (AP) — A curtain of sound envelops the two researchers as they make their way along the side of a mountain in darkness, occasionally hacking their way with a machete to reach the mouth of a small cave. Peeps, tweets and staccato whistles fill the air, a pulsing undercurrent in the tropical night. To the untrained ear, it's just a mishmash of noise. To experts tracking a decline in amphibians with growing alarm, it's like a symphony in which some of the players haven't been showing up. In parts of Puerto Rico, for example, there are places where researchers used to hear four species at once and they are now hearing one or two, a subtle but important change. "You are not hearing what you were before," said Alberto Lopez, part of a husband-and-wife team of biologists trying to gauge the health of frogs on the island. (April 10, 2013) San Francisco Chronicle [more on Wildlife and Climate Change in our area]
U.S. Moves Toward Teaching Climate Change; Britain Does the Opposite THE HAGUE — New science teaching standards in the United States will include extensive lessons on human-made climate change. Expected to be unveiled this week, the guidelines will bring the subject to classrooms in up to 40 states, in many cases for the first time. Eighth-grade pupils should understand that “human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming),” according to the Next Generation Science Standards. The proposed changes are causing some controversy in a country where the acceptance of man-made climate change is a political issue. (April 8, 2013) IHT Rendezvous [more on Climate Change and Environmental Education in our area]
Seven Dead in China as Bird Flu Virus Infects Humans BEIJING, China, April 8, 2013 (ENS) – A new form of bird flu is alarming Chinese and World Health Organization officials. Since March 29, when human infection with the influenza A(H7N9) virus was first reported, a total of 24 cases have been confirmed; seven people have died. At a news conference Monday in Beijing, WHO representative in China Dr. Michael O’Leary called on the public to remain calm. “These recent reports from China are the first cases of human infection with H7N9 viruses. Although we do not know the source of the infection, at this time there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission,” he said. (April 8, 2013) Environmental News Service [more on Environmental Health in our area]
Using technology to monitor lake menace The Hammond Bay Biological Station (HBBS) in cooperation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service are testing a new fish observation system. The technical term for it is dual-frequency identification sonar (DIDSON). In layman’s terms, scientists are using state-of-the-art equipment to conduct 24-hour surveillance on fish in northern Michigan rivers. Mostly for the observation of the Great Lakes menace known as the sea lamprey. (April 10, 2013) Presque Isle Advance [more on Great Lakes and Invasive Species in our area]
Obama budget seeks $300M for Great Lakes cleanup TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.—President Barack Obama asked Congress on Wednesday to continue a program that has spent more than $1 billion dealing with some of the Great Lakes' longest running environmental problems. Obama's budget for the 2014 fiscal year includes $300 million for the Lakes Restoration Initiative, which supports research and cleanup projects such as removing contaminated sediments, restoring wildlife habitat, battling invasive species and seeking ways to reduce phosphorus-laden runoff that causes toxic algae blooms. (April 10, 2013) TwinCities.com [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Snowmobile trail suit gets green light An Adirondack environmental group has been granted permission to continue its lawsuit against the state over the first "community connector" snowmobile trail in the Park. The Appellate Division of State Supreme Court's Third Department, in Albany, granted a motion from Protect the Adirondacks on March 28 to proceed with the suit against the state Department of Environmental Conservation and Adirondack Park Agency under Article 14 of the state Constitution, the so called "forever wild" clause. Protect Executive Director Peter Bauer said he was pleased that the constitutional challenge can continue. It's one of two snowmobile-related legal actions the group has filed against the state. (April 9, 2013) Adirondack Daily Enterprise
Help clean up parks on Saturday Groups and individuals are invited to help pick up litter and trash in Monroe County parks on Saturday. The fourth annual Pick Up the Parks, sponsored by the county, Keep America Beautiful, Cascades Recovery and others, will remove debris from 18 parks and trails in all parts of Monroe County. (April 10, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Government Report Exposes Lack of Preparedness for Nuclear Emergency The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released a report finding that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) does not adequately understand the “shadow evacuation” phenomenon at nuclear reactors, and that its emergency planning regulations do not adequately account for the strong likelihood that far more people would evacuate, from much further distances than NRC plans, in a real nuclear emergency. “The report did not cover another crucial and little-known flaw in current U.S. nuclear emergency plans,” said Michael Mariotte, executive director of Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS), “which is that they are designed to protect only against very high levels of radiation exposure capable of causing immediate health effects, and would not prevent large-scale exposure to radiation levels that would cause chronic illness, including cancer.” (April 10, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Energy and Environmental Health in our area]
Judge rules administration overlooked fracking risks in California mineral leases A federal judge has ruled the Obama administration broke the law when it issued oil leases in central California without fully weighing the environmental impact of "fracking," a setback for companies seeking to exploit the region's enormous energy resources. The decision, made public on Monday, effectively bars for the time being any drilling on two tracts of land comprising 2,500 acres leased for oil and gas development in 2011 by the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management in Monterey County. (April 9, 2013) Reuters [more on Fracking in our area]
Hudson Valley officials unite with activists against fracking KINGSTON – Several of the region's most noteworthy politicians have offered support in the fight against hydraulic fracturing, a controversial gas mining technique known to pollute water supplies. Hudson Valley United Against Fracking held a kickoff event Tuesday at the Ulster County Office Building in Kingston, to urge a moratorium on fracking. Former Congressman Maurice Hinchey was joined by State Senator Cecilia Tkaczyk, State Assembly Members Frank Skartados and Didi Barrett, New Paltz Town Supervisor Susan Zimet, Ulster County Executive Michael Hein, and a host of environmental organizations. They were accompanied by dozens of local "fractivists," pleading for Governor Cuomo to delay gas drilling until independent scientific environmental studies are completed. (April 10, 2013) EmpireStateNews.net [more on Fracking in our area]
EPA Finalizes Cleanup Plan for the Cayuga County Ground Water Contamination Superfund Site The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a plan to address contaminated ground water at the Cayuga County Ground Water Contamination Superfund site in Cayuga County, New York. Ground water at the site is contaminated with volatile organic compounds, which can cause serious damage to people’s health and the environment. The EPA held a public meeting in Union Springs, New York on August 2, 2012 to explain the ground water cleanup plan. The EPA accepted public comment for 60 days and considered public input before finalizing the plan. The General Electric Company owned and manufactured semiconductors at a facility on Genesee Street in the city of Auburn, which is the major source of the contamination polluting the area ground water. For a time, Powerex, Inc., a joint venture of GE and others, bought the facility and conducted similar operations there. These companies have been identified as parties potentially responsible for the contamination at the Cayuga site, and the EPA expects that they will be responsible for the cost of the cleanup. (April 8, 2013) EPA News Releases from Region 2 [more on Brownfields in our area]
UCLA researchers find potential link between auto pollution, some childhood cancers Scientists from UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health led by Julia Heck, an assistant researcher in the school's epidemiology department and a member of UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, have found a possible link between exposure to traffic-related air pollution and several childhood cancers. The results of their study — the first to examine air pollution from traffic and a number of rarer childhood cancers — were presented on April 9 in an abstract at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C. For the study, the UCLA researchers utilized data on 3,950 children who were enrolled in the California Cancer Registry and who were born in the state between 1998 and 2007. They estimated the amount of local traffic the children had been exposed to using California LINE Source Dispersion Modeling, version 4 (CALINE4). (April 9, 2013) UCLA Newsroom [more on Air Quality in our area]
Toxic chemicals turn up in Great Lakes plastic pollution Toxic chemicals clinging to plastics could cause health problems for fish and other organisms in the Great Lakes. They were discovered in samples from the first-ever Great Lakes plastic survey in Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Superior last summer, Lorena Rios Mendoza, an assistant chemistry professor at the University of Wisconsin – Superior, announced Monday. And instead of just sitting in sediments as some scientists previously thought, those pollutants might be traveling with plastics to other parts of the Great Lakes. (April 9, 2013) Great Lakes Echo [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Climate Change Adaptation: Weighing Strategies for Heat-Related Health Challenges Many public health impacts have been predicted for climate change, but there has been relatively little exploration of ways to minimize the risks and develop long-term adaptation strategies. A new overview outlines the critical elements needed to address one such impact: heat-related illnesses and deaths, which are expected to increase with more frequent and more intense heat waves [EHP 121(4):415–419; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1206025]. Adapting to the anticipated weather extremes arising from climate change has two main thrusts: reducing exposure and managing health risks. Reducing heat exposure often means having access to air conditioning, but widespread use of air conditioning can overburden the electrical grid to the point of large-scale outages. It can also further pollute the atmosphere as power plants increase output to meet electricity demands. (April 1, 2013) Environmental Health Perspectives [more on Environmental Health and Climate Change in our area]
Moving weapon grade nuclear waste through New York It appears highly radioactive nuclear waste, the kind used in nuclear bombs, could be loaded up on trucks and shipped through New York State, down Interstate 81. A plan, still in the early stages of approval, that, as you can guess, has some worried. WATERTOWN, N.Y. -- It's all part of a reported $60 million, four year deal between Atomic Energy in Canada and the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River site for reprocessing. A Georgia-based company, NAC International, has applied to drive highly radioactive nuclear waste from Ottawa to South Carolina. Included in that waste is what's known as HEU, highly enriched uranium. It's classified as weapons grade, used in nuclear bombs. Instead of the normal solid waste form it's usually transported in, it will be moved in a liquid state. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission says it's reviewing the application. (April 4, 2013) YNN Central NY
City of Canandaigua completes tree inventory project Canandaigua, N.Y. — As part of a city-wide urban forest inventory, the city of Canandaigua has marked trees in the city — including in Kershaw Park — with numbered aluminum nails, said Parks Maintenance Supervisor Chris Dorn. The inventory was completed over the winter, Public Works Director Jim Sprague said. The goal was to count the trees owned by the city, he added. While some trees can be identified by street addresses, others — such as the ones in Kershaw Park — aren’t as easily identified. As a result, these ones were marked by special “tree marking tags,” Dorn said. Trees in other city parks were also tagged. (April 9, 2013) MPNnow.com [more on Plants in our area]
Arctic vegetation spread could boost climate change Changes in Arctic vegetation due to climate change have probably been underestimated, according to a new computer analysis which shows that tree and shrub cover in the region will increase more than previously expected, accelerating climate change and possible adverse effects on wildlife. “Such widespread redistribution of Arctic vegetation would have impacts that reverberate through the global ecosystem,” said Richard Pearson, a research scientist at the American Museum of Natural History’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation and lead author of the study. (April 9, 2013) Cornell Chronicle online [ more on Climate Change in our area]
New Study: When You Account For The Oceans, Global Warming Continues Apace There’s a new study out (and unfortunately gated) from European researchers in Nature Climate Change adding to the case that the oceans have absorbed much of the effect of global warming since 2000. One of the more popular recent arguments among climate change deniers is that temperatures have not increased since roughly 2000, even as we’ve continued dumping carbon emissions into the atmosphere. The claim falls apart in several different ways. But one of the main ones is that it simply fails to account for the fact that the oceans are themselves part of the planetary ecological system being affected by global warming. And as Reuters reported, one of the findings of the study is that surface temperatures could begin accelerating again if that heat moves back out of the oceans: (April 8, 2013) ThinkProgress/ClimateProgress [more on Climate Change in our area]
Cleveland City Council Passes Resolution Supporting Ohio’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Laws Last night, Cleveland City Council voted unanimously, 17-0, on an emergency ordinance, Resolution No. 13, supporting energy efficiency and renewable energy, and urging Governor Kasich and the Ohio General Assembly to preserve Ohio’s cost-saving energy efficiency and renewable energy laws. Yesterday, Cleveland Councilman Matt Zone and a coalition of supporters gathered in support of Cleveland City Council’s leadership in promoting sustainability, renewable energy and energy efficiency. The press conference highlighted the city’s clean energy investments and savings, clean energy job creation and a healthier place for children to grow. (April 9, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Energy in our area]
With Onondaga Lake dredging ready to resume, report cites health risks in Camillus Syracuse -- Honeywell International plans to restart the dredging of Onondaga Lake on Wednesday, two days after a consultant released a scathing report on the project's potential health impacts on Camillus residents. The report was released today by Minnich and Scotto Inc., the New Jersey firm retained by the town of Camillus and the residents' group Camillus Clean Air Coalition. The report concludes that residents of Golden Meadows and surrounding neighborhoods face far higher risks of toxic exposure than state and federal environmental officials have acknowledged, and that the project's air monitoring is inadequate. (April 8, 2013) Syracuse.com [more on Brownfields in our area]
Neighbors upset over landfill project What's the price of government? Some people who live in the Newark area of Wayne County say it's too much. A failed plan to open a landfill in the town of Arcadia has cost the town more than $170,000 in taxpayer money. The landfill would have been located near the old town dump north of Newark, just off Route 88. It's an issue that's divided neighbor from neighbor. A businessman with Newark ties withdrew his offer to buy the land for a landfill. This was after an engineering report found that noise issues would have required expensive and time-consuming variances to get all the permits necessary from the state. And he said he's already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars himself just to get this far. (April 8, 2013) WHEC [more on Recycling in our area]
Global Warming Could Mean Bumpier Flights Transatlantic flights will likely be bumpier in the future, and scientists say global warming will be to blame. (April 8, 2013) WHAM [more on Climate Change in our area]
EPA Finalizes Plan to Address PCB Contamination in the Grasse River in Massena, NY (New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized its plan to clean up contaminated river sediment at the Grasse River Superfund site in Massena, New York. Past industrial activities have contaminated the river sediment with polychlorinated biphenyls. PCBs are probable human carcinogens that build up in the fat of fish and mammals, increasing in concentration as they move up the food chain. The primary risk to people is the accumulation of PCBs in the body from eating contaminated fish. The EPA has been engaged in the cleanup of the Grasse River for several decades. In 1989, the EPA issued an administrative order that requires Alcoa to investigate the extent of contamination in a portion of the river, to evaluate cleanup options, and to design and implement a cleanup plan to be selected by the EPA. The EPA expects that Alcoa will perform the $243 million cleanup announced today. (April 5, 2013) EPA News Releases for Region 2 [more on Brownfields in our area]
The 'Iron Lady's' strong stance on climate change Margaret Thatcher, who died Monday, pushed Britain to the right during her 11 years as prime minister. A 1990 speech shows she also saw climate science as credible and global warming as a threat – anathema to today's right. Margaret Thatcher, the "Iron Lady" of British politics who died Monday at the age of 87, is being lionized as the woman who tilted British domestic and economic policy to the right. Less noted is how seriously she viewed the threat of climate change. In a 1990 speech at the second World Climate Conference, in Geneva, Thatcher compared the threat of global warming to the Gulf War, which was then just escalating following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. (April 8, 2013) The Daily Climate [more on Climate Change in our area]
EARTH DAY SCREENING: A Fierce Green Fire - The Battle for a Living Planet WHEN: Monday, April 22 at 7:00 P.M. WHERE: Burchfield Penney Art Center, 1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo PRESENTER: Roger Cook Spanning 50 years of grassroots and global activism, this Sundance documentary brings to light the vital stories of the environmental movement where people fought -- and succeeded -- against enormous odds. From halting dams in the Grand Canyon to fighting toxic waste at Love Canal; from Greenpeace to Chico Mendes; from climate change to the promise of transforming our civilization, A Fierce Green Fire is "nothing less than the history of environmentalism itself." (Los Angeles Times) (April 8, 2013) Re-Energize Buffalo
Pick Up the Parks in Monroe County April 13 This Saturday morning, volunteers will gather at parks across Monroe County on Saturday to pick up trash and beautify them in time for spring. This marks the fourth year the volunteer-run event has been held, and it coincides with the 125th anniversary of the Rochester Parks Commission. Volunteers include Boy Scouts, the Sierra Club, the Rochester Orienteering Club as well as area families who pitch in to help and learn more about the public spaces they enjoy. (April 8, 2013) BrightonPittsfordWHEC (more on Parks in our area]
Is the Keystone XL Pipeline the “Stonewall” of the Climate Movement? And If So, Is That Terrible News? A few weeks ago, Time magazine called the fight over the Keystone XL pipeline that will bring some of the dirtiest energy on the planet from Alberta, Canada, to the U.S. Gulf Coast the “Selma and Stonewall” of the climate movement. Which, if you think about it, may be both good news and bad news. Yes, those of us fighting the pipeline have mobilized record numbers of activists: the largest civil disobedience actionin 30 years and 40,000 people on the mall in February for the biggest climate rally in American history. Right now, we’re aiming to get a million people to send in public commentsabout the “environmental review” the State Department is conducting on the feasibility and advisability of building the pipeline. And there’s good reason to put pressure on. After all, it’s the same State Department that, as on a previous round of reviews, hired “experts” who had once worked as consultants for TransCanada, the pipeline’s builder. (April 8, 2013) Common Dreams [more on Climate Change in our area]
Climate Change to Bring 'Superstorm Sandys' to Europe Hurricanes and extratropical storms will bring 'far reaching consequences' Hurricane Sandy may have been a harbinger of storms to come to Europe, new research shows, as more details about the destructive climate impact greenhouse gases are bringing the planet come to light. Global warming brings a warmer Atlantic Ocean, and will create "more frequent and intense hurricanes following pathways directed towards Europe," according to a new paper in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. (April 8, 2013) Common Dreams [more on Climate Change in our area]
Nuclear plant closure could cost upstate Shuttering a nuclear plant downstate could cost taxpayers upstate. At a rally Friday outside his district office in Fairport, state Sen. Ted O’Brien, D-Irondequoit, said a proposed closure of the Indian Point Power Plant in Westchester County could leave upstate taxpayers on the hook for some $200 million. O’Brien, whose district includes part of Ontario County, said the New York State Public Service Commission voted to accelerate the approval process for a plan proposed by Consolidated Edison and the New York Power Authority that would place much of the cost of closing the Indian Point Energy Center power plant on upstate residents. The commission’s decision to issue a request for proposals for the next phase of the disputed plan came before the end of the public comment period, which was extended to April 5. (April 8, 2013) MPNnow.com [more on Energy in our area]
EPA’s 2011 Toxics Release Inventory Shows Air Pollutants Continue to Decline / Total toxic chemicals increase as result of mining WASHINGTON – Total toxic air releases in 2011 declined 8 percent from 2010, mostly because of decreases in hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions, even while total releases of toxic chemicals increased for the second year in a row, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report published today. The annual TRI provides citizens with vital information about their communities. The TRI program collects information on certain toxic chemical releases to the air, water and land, as well as information on waste management and pollution prevention activities by facilities across the country. TRI data are submitted annually to EPA, states and tribes by facilities in industry sectors such as manufacturing, metal mining, electric utilities, and commercial hazardous waste facilities. (January 16, 2013) EPA 2013 Press Releases [more on Air Quality in our area]
Climate Change Puts the Squeeze on Wine Production True or false? Wine grapes may soon be growing around Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Wines from New Jersey are statistically indistinguishable from French wines. A little over a century ago, Algeria was the world’s largest wine exporter. China is the world’s fastest growing wine-producing country. I recently led a research team of scientists from six universities and conservation groups in a study looking at the impacts of climate change on wine and what they might mean for conservation. Our paper, Climate Change, Wine and Conservation, was just published in the latest issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The results surprised even us, as did a number of things we found out along the way. (April 8, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Food and Climate Change in our area]
Gas topples coal as king of power Dirty, costly coal-fired plants in the state lose to cheaper fuel Among numerous economic casualties since the start of the Great Recession, count the burning of coal to generate the state's electrical power. In New York, as in many other parts of the nation, it is becoming much less likely that energy to turn on lights, boot up computers or run air conditioners came from a coal-fired power plant. As recently as 2007, the year before the national economy tanked, coal produced 15 percent of the electricity generated in New York. Since then, coal plants have closed or gone bankrupt, and that figure has plummeted by a bit more than 3 percent, showing few signs of slowing. The culprit? Cheap natural gas supplied by a boom in the hydraulic fracturing, or hydrofracking, drilling technique. (April 6, 2013) Albany Times Union [more on Fracking in our area]
GE prepares for more dredging on Hudson River SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — Crews are expected to begin a fourth season of dredging on upper Hudson River in early May if conditions are good. General Electric Co. released polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, into the river decades ago, and is dredging the river north of Albany as part of a federal Superfund project. The cleanup is expected to cost more than $1 billion. (April 5, 2013) LoHud [more on Brownfields in our area]
Fracking coalition upsets both greens and drillers PITTSBURGH — Like a marriage the in-laws don’t approve of, a new plan to strengthen standards for fracking is creating unusual divisions among environmentalists and supporters of the oil and gas industry. At first glance, it’s hard to fathom all the angst over the Pittsburgh-based Center for Sustainable Shale Development. Environmental groups, foundations, and major oil and gas companies came together to support stringent measures to protect air and water from pollution in the Appalachian region, and they invited other groups to join in and help limit pollution from fracking. (April 7, 2013) The Reporter [more on Fracking in our area]
Oceans may explain slowdown in climate change: study- Climate change could get worse quickly if huge amounts of extra heat absorbed by the oceans are released back into the air, scientists said after unveiling new research showing that oceans have helped mitigate the effects of warming since 2000. Heat-trapping gases are being emitted into the atmosphere faster than ever, and the 10 hottest years since records began have all taken place since 1998. But the rate at which the earth's surface is heating up has slowed somewhat since 2000, causing scientists to search for an explanation for the pause. Experts in France and Spain said on Sunday that the oceans took up more warmth from the air around 2000. That would help explain the slowdown in surface warming but would also suggest that the pause may be only temporary and brief. (April 7, 2013) Yahoo News [more on Climate Change in our area]
Survey Finds Most Republicans Seek Action on Climate Change It’s time for that national “listening tour” on energy and climate, President Obama. Some evidence comes in a new survey from the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University (seen via Tom Yulsman on Facebook). Here’s an excerpt from the news release: (April 3, 2013] NYT DotEarth [more on Climate Change in our area]
Texas Provides Clues of Climate Change Impacts A city administrator looks out at the Gulf of Mexico from this Southeast Texas town, wondering what vicious hurricanes it may spawn. In the Panhandle, a farmer tries new techniques to keep soil from turning to dust. In West Texas, ranchers watch prairie grass die. Others grow algae as water becomes too salty for other crops. And statewide, reservoirs dry up. Want to see what happens when the impacts of climate change are felt? Well, just look at Texas, some scientists say. While Gov. Rick Perry disagrees with scientists who say global warming is at least partly caused by the human release of heat-trapping gases, state agencies are adapting to weather changes that have already brought a historic drought, higher temperatures and sea level rise that contributed to nearly unprecedented sea surge during a hurricane. (April 6, 2013) NBCDFW.com [more on Climate Change in our area]
Why our turbulent weather is getting even harder to predict The cold snap, fingers crossed, is about to end. But extreme weather – snow, floods and drought – is the new norm. Britain's weather excelled itself last week. It produced an Easter Sunday that was the coldest on record in the UK. Temperatures stuck below zero in many regions; freezing conditions continued to disrupt transport; and experts warned of increasing threats to animals and birds already struggling to survive loss of habitat and climate change. The start of British Summer Time last Sunday night was marked in Braemar by temperatures that fell to -11C. For good measure, an unappetising April looks likely to follow this misery. (April 6, 2013) (April 6, 2013) The Guardian [more on Climate Change in our area]
Pesticide ban urged to save Britain's bees As honey bees suffer sharp population declines, parliamentary panel wants dangerous chemicals outlawed. A UK parliamentary panel has told the government to stop using pesticides. The Commons Environmental Audit Committee says that the bee population in the UK is rapidly falling as a result of the dangerous chemicals. Up to two-thirds of honey bees have suffered population declines. (April 5, 2013) Al Jazeera [more on Wildlife and Pesticides in our area]
Map Shows Vast Regions of Ocean Are Warmer Many parts of the Atlantic and Pacific are up by 1 degree Celsius or more Most people equate global warming with the atmosphere, but detailed mapping shows that many regions of the world’s oceans are heating up, too. Data compiled and plotted by Marinexplore in Sunnyvale, Calif., show that sea-surface temperatures across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans are up by about 1 degree Celsius and as much as 2 degrees C in certain spots (see map below). The warming is not uniform, and parts of the Southern Ocean around Antarctica have actually cooled. Temperature changes are more mixed in the Arctic Ocean, up as much as 2 degrees C in some spots and down by 2 degrees C in others. Roberto De Almeida, an ocean data engineer at Marinexplore, also notes that the Atlantic and Pacific oceans are heating up as deep as 700 meters and beyond. For graphics on that trend, see “Deep Heat Threatens Marine Life” in the April issue of Scientific American. (April 7, 2013) Scientific American [more on Climate Change in our area]
Fairport Clean Sweep set for April 20 Fairport, N.Y. — Spring is here and once again the Village of Fairport will be participating in the state-wide Canal Clean Sweep event. This year’s event, to be held locally on Saturday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to noon. It is sponsored by the Fairport Partnership for a Better Community, the Fairport Perinton Merchants Association and the Village of Fairport. (April 5, 2013) Fairport-EastRocheter Post
U.S. public health officials watching bird flu outbreak in China CDC officials say they "have the public's back" on China's bird flu and are working on a vaccine, but oo far only people exposed to live poultry in China have gotten it. U.S. health officials are developing laboratory strains of China's new bird flu so they can make vaccines quickly if necessary. The move is in response to a new bird flu that has emerged in China in the past two months. So far, it is confined to that nation. Bird flu has killed six of the 21 people who've gotten it, a mortality rate that keeps public health officials up at night. The strain, named H7N9, appears to be transmitted from poultry. (April 7, 2013) USA Today [more on Environmental Health in our area]
Tribe: PCB remedy disappointing AKWESASNE — St. Regis Mohawks are not satisfied with the federal government’s choice to dredge and cap nearly 300 acres of PCB contamination in the Grasse River near Alcoa. The cleanup at the Grasse River Superfund site will cost the Massena-based aluminum manufacturer $243 million. It will take four years to complete the in-river work following a two-year design phase. (April 6, 2013) Press Republican [more on Brownfields in our area]
Cancer risk … in the pavement? A new study by Texas researchers has found evidence of an increased risk of cancer among people who live near pavement sealed with material containing coal tar. It is no secret that coal tar, a primary constituent of the sealcoat material that is widely used locally and around the country to give a shiny, black finish to asphalt driveways and parking lots, contains known human carcinogens. The study, by scientists at Baylor University and the U.S. Geological Survey in Texas, reportedly was the first to demonstrate that people living near treated pavement are exposed to dust and soil containing these coal-tar-related carcinogens both inside and outside their homes. Young children are especially vulnerable to the affects of benzo(a)pyrene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PACs) found in coal tar. (April 6, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle 520 [more on Brownfields in our area]
Asian carp invasion of Great Lakes looms While efforts are being made to stop the invasive species, are they enough? Only time will tell. Two boys stood at the end of a dock off the shore of Grand Island on a hot day last July casting fishing lines into the shallow water, time after time pulling up small rock bass from the edges of the Niagara River. The boys are Parker and Connor Cinelli, two of Chris Cinelli’s sons. They are waiting for their dad to finish preparing his 2025 Lund Pro V, which Chris describes as the Cadillac of fishing boats, before they head out onto the largest freshwater system in the world for an afternoon of angling. (April 4, 2013) Investigative Post [more on Invasive Species in our area]
"Water Sentinels" Test Water Before Fracking Begins BATH, N.Y. (WETM-18) - Volunteers in the Southern Tier are worried about our water staying safe if hydraulic fracturing comes to New York State—so now they're testing all of it. The program is organized by the Sierra Club. The volunteers are doing simple testing on area streams and rivers. Their idea is to get everything documented now, so they notice if something changes if fracking starts in New York. At one of the area meetings Wednesday night, these so-called “water sentinels” learned how to test the waterways. 88 volunteers are testing 77 sites in the Southern Tier. They use devices provided by the Sierra Club and enter the information online. (April 6, 2013) WETM [more on Water Quality and Fracking in our area]
Great Lakes wetlands may mitigate climate change Long valued for biological diversity and flood control, Great Lakes coastal wetlands are now seen as a tool to suck up and store excess carbon dioxide. It’s an important function as researchers seek to blunt climate change caused by that greenhouse gas. “Wetlands are at the top of the list of best systems for sequestering carbon on the landscape,” said William Mitsch, professor emeritus at Ohio State University and director of the Everglades Wetland Research Park at Florida Gulf Coast University. There are more than 535,000 acres of coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes basin, according to the Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Consortium. The nutrients, water and light flowing through these systems fuel a tremendous amount of photosynthesis, a process that absorbs carbon dioxide to produce energy for plant growth, said Donald Uzarski, director of the Institute of Great Lakes Research at Central Michigan University. (April 5, 2013) Great Lakes Echo [more on Great Lakes and Climate Change in our area]
Classes use energy dashboard to study conservation Thanks to a new online dashboard, facilities staff in the College of Human Ecology can view real-time data on water and energy consumption in the LEED Platinum-rated Human Ecology Building (HEB). Students and professors in the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis are also plugging in, using the interface as a learning tool to study optimal dashboard design for building occupants and to test how building energy dashboards can steer conservation campaigns. (April 2, 2013) Cornell Chronicle Online [more on Energy in our area]
Green groups call fracking moratorium top goal A broad coalition of environmental and public interest groups lists a fracking moratorium, solar energy and climate change as top priorities for the rest of the legislative session in Albany. Environmental Advocates and other groups on the so-called Green Panel released a list of “Super Bills,” or priority legislation. One measure would require a comprehensive health impact assessment before permits are issued for shale gas drilling using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. (April 5, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Climate Change in our area]
Soils in newly forested areas store substantial carbon that could help offset climate change Forest plantations established on formerly non-forested land, like this experimental poplar stand in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, accumulate soil carbon that helps to offset carbon emissions and climate change. Credit: Ray Miller Surface appearances can be so misleading: In most forests, the amount of carbon held in soils is substantially greater than the amount contained in the trees themselves. If you're a land manager trying to assess the potential of forests to offset carbon emissions and climate change by soaking up atmospheric carbon and storing it, what's going on beneath the surface is critical. (April1, 2013) Physics.org [more on Climate Change in our area]
Peace Bridge road project not a done deal State officials will soon engage Lower West Side residents on the proposal, although experts say it could've been sooner Governor Andrew Cuomo a month ago announced a project to reconfigure traffic routes leading to and from the Peace Bridge as all but a done deal. Not so fast. The $22 million project faces a review that officials want to expedite to finish in a year. Part of the process involves something that project planners have resisted to this point, but which Cuomo advocated for when he was running for governor: consulting with neighborhoods populated with low-income residents and minorities on projects with potential health and environmental consequences. State officials believe the project will improve traffic flow, reduce congestion and improve air quality as a result. But the study to test those claims has yet to be conducted. (April 4, 2013) Investigative Post [more on Air Quality in our area]
Report: Asian Carp May Have Reached Great Lakes At least some Asian carp probably have found their way into the Great Lakes, but there's still time to stop the dreaded invaders from becoming established and unraveling food chains that support a $7 billion fishing industry and sensitive ecosystems, according to a scientific report released Thursday. Written by experts who pioneered use of genetic data to search for the aggressive fish, the paper disagrees with government scientists who say many of the positive Asian carp DNA hits recorded in or near the lakes in recent years could have come from other sources, such as excrement from birds that fed on carp in distant rivers. "The most plausible explanation is still that there are some carp out there," Christopher Jerde of the University of Notre Dame, the lead author, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "We can be cautiously optimistic ... that we're not at the point where they'll start reproducing, spreading further and doing serious damage." (April 4, 2013) ABC News [more on Invasive Species in our area]
Keystone XL: The pipeline to disaster If Obama OKs the Keystone XL, it will exacerbate global warming and put the U.S. on the hook for spills and environmental degradation, all in service to one of the planet's dirtiest fuels. By James Hansen April 4, 2013 In March, the State Department gave the president cover to open a big spigot that will hitch our country to one of the dirtiest fuels on Earth for 40 years or more. The draft environmental review of the Keystone XL pipeline acknowledges tar sands are nasty stuff for the environment, but concludes that the project is OK because this oil will get to market anyway — with or without a pipeline. A public comment period is underway through April 22, after which the department will prepare a final statement to help the administration decide whether the pipeline is in the "national interest." If the conclusion is yes, a Canadian company, TransCanada, gets a permit to build a pipeline to transport toxic tar sands through our heartland, connecting to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico, for likely export to China. (April 4, 2013) LA Times [more on Energy and Climate Change in our area]
Mohawks rip EPA's Grasse River cleanup plan Just ahead of the release of a plan to clean up toxic chemicals from the Grasse River near Massena, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe blasted federal officials for putting the economy ahead of the environment. David Sommerstein reports. In press release sent late yesterday, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe said the Environmental Protection Agency plans to announce today that Alcoa will be responsible for a cheaper, 245 million dollar cleanup plan for the Grasse River. EPA was not available to confirm the news. Alcoa dumped cancer causing PCBs in the river until they were banned in the 1970s. (April 5, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Brownfields in our area]
Worst Allergy Season Ever? This spring could be the most miserable one ever for those of us with allergies, and we can blame it on climate change. People in the Northeast, in particular, will be among the hardest hit in the aftermath ofHurricane Sandy and this winter's record-setting blizzard, both of which dumped massive amounts of precipitation over the region. "[This] promises a robust allergy season,'' said Leonard Bielory, an allergy and immunology specialist with the Rutgers Center for Environmental Prediction in New Jersey, a state which suffered widespread destruction from Sandy. (March 29, 2013) Live Science [more on Environmental Health and Climate Change in our area]
Fukushima nuclear plant's cooling system fails TOKYO (AP) — Power was restored Friday to a cooling system at a tsunami-damaged nuclear plant in Japan that failed for the second time in a month. Power for the cooling system for a storage pool for fuel was restored after a two-hour break at reactor No. 3, and there was no immediate danger from the breakdown, according to Tokyo Electric Power Co., the utility that operates Fukushima Dai-ichi in northeastern Japan. Work to put up nets to keep out rats and other animals at Fukushima Dai-ichi plant in northeastern Japan inadvertently caused the power outage, TEPCO spokesman Akitsuka Kobayashi said. Details were not clear, and the outage was still under investigation. (April 5, 2013) USA Today [more on Energy in our area]
The Price of Sand: New Documentary Exposes Dangers of Frac-Sand Mining Filmmaker Jim Tittle previewed his new documentary film, The Price of Sand, at the historic Sheldon Theatre in Red Wing, Minnesota, to a full house last week. With original interviews, coverage of recent events and local music about frac-sand mining, this visually rich 57-minute film explores the controversy surrounding frac-sand mining. Minnesota and Wisconsin are experiencing a mining boom because both states have plentiful deposits of pure silica sand, a necessary component in hydraulic fracturing or fracking. A Minnesota legislator recently compared the current demand for frac-sand to a new gold rush. This session, the Minnesota Legislature is considering a one-year moratorium on silica sand mining to allow further study of potential impacts including health risks, depressed property values, excessive noise and truck traffic, water pollution and disruption of the tourist industry. Tittle became interested in frac-sand mining two years ago after an oil company secretly acquired land near his mother’s house in Hay Creek Township, near Red Wing, MN. The company announced plans to build a 150-acre open pit industrial silica mine As neighbors organized against the oil company, Tittle learned that mines were already operating in nearby Wisconsin. He produced a series of short YouTube videos on frac sand mining that got more than 10,000 views in the first three months. Current views exceed 55,000. (April 4, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Fracking in our area]
EPA Finalizes $6.5 Million Cleanup Plan for Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation Superfund Site in Saratoga Springs, NY The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized its plan to clean up additional contaminated soil and ground water at the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation Superfund site in Saratoga Springs, NY. The site, which was once used to manufacture gas from coal, contains hazardous substances, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that were produced as byproducts and disposed of on site. Exposure to these pollutants can have serious health effects, and in some cases, increases the risk of cancer. Residents within the area impacted by the contaminated ground water do not use the ground water as a drinking water source and are serviced by a public water supply. To-date, the cleanup of the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation Superfund site has been conducted and paid for by National Grid or its predecessor with oversight by the EPA. The EPA expects National Grid to perform and pay for this $6.5 million final phase of the cleanup. The plan to address contaminated soil and ground water was proposed in February 2013. The details of the plan were discussed at a public meeting held on March 7, 2013. The EPA selected the cleanup plan after reviewing and considering all comments submitted during the 30-day comment period. (April 3, 2013) EPA News Releases Region 2 [more on Brownfields in our area]
Could Wind Turbines Be Toxic To The Ear? The U.S. is embracing wind energy, with wind turbines making up half of the new electricity added to the power grid last year. But a smattering of people who live near the turbines say they're a nuisance — and making them ill. Dr. Nina Pierpont, a Johns Hopkins-trained pediatrician and biologist in upstate New York, has been collecting their anecdotes for years. She coined the term wind turbine syndrome to encompass the symptoms of headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, ear pain, and difficulty sleeping that people in several states and countries have complained of — largely on the Internet. And she says she's convinced the culprit is the low frequency noise, called infrasound, from the turbines and how it's disturbing the delicate vestibular system of the inner ear. (April 2, 2013) NPR Environment [more on Wind Power in our area]
Land use and lawn care putting the Great Lakes at risk: experts TORONTO – It’s that time of year when Canadian homeowners kick the dust off their lawn mower and wait anxiously for their lush green lawns to revive. But current land use and agricultural practices – including the North American obsession with groomed, green lawns – is putting the Great Lakes at risk, according to experts. Despite Canadian and U.S. governments having enacted numerous laws and restrictions since the 1970s to reduce the amount of phosphorus entering the lakes, Lake Erie has seen a resurgence in algae blooms caused by contaminated runoff, according to a paper published Monday. (April 3, 2013) Global News [more on Great Lakes in our area]
Greentopia | FILM Presenting An Earth Day screening of Bidder 70 | Greentopia | FILM and the First Unitarian Church of Rochester will participation in the nationwide Earth Day screening of Bidder 70, a documentary exploring environmental activism, followed by live-streamed, Twitter-fed Q & A with the subject of the film, Tim DeChristopher, one day after his release from prison. Bidder 70 was the recipient of Greentopia | FILM's 2012 "Fork in the Road Award" honoring "a film that helps us understand how our choices determine the world we live in and and the possibilities for those who follow," said Linda Moroney, Greentopia | FILM Director. "We're proud to bring this film back to Rochester and to participate in this one night only, interactive celebration." As a student, Tim DeChristopher monkey-wrenched an oil and gas lease auction in 2008, which was later deemed invalid, saving 150,000 acres of pristine Utah wilderness from exploitation. After three years of legal wrangling, he was jailed for two years. Greentopia | FILM and the First Unitarian Church of Rochester will celebrate his release from federal prison on April 21, 2013 by hosting one of nearly 50 simultaneous nationwide screenings of Bidder 70 on Earth Day, April 22, 2013. Be part of it! Celebrate Earth Day with us on Monday, April 22, 2013 at 9:00PM at The First Unitarian Church of Rochester, 220 Winton Road South, Rochester, N.Y. 14610. Come early at 8:30PM to enjoy our talented busker. Get your tickets NOW: $10 online HERE or $12 at the door.
Monroe County Public Safety Crime Lab Receives High Performance Energy Efficiency Award from NYSERDA Support for Energy Efficiency Project Helps Crime Lab Reduce Annual Costs by $75,000 The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has recognized Monroe County Public Safety Crime Lab with a High Performance Building Plaque for energy efficiency measures that will cut energy costs by $75,000 annually. NYSERDA awards High Performance Building Plaques to hospitals, colleges and universities, schools, businesses and other organizations that construct or substantially renovate buildings that perform at least 30 percent above the New York State energy code. Monroe County Public Safety Crime Lab is rated to perform 34 percent above New York State energy code (April 1, 2013) NYSERDA [more on Energy in our area]
Ginna plant's safety performance to be discusssed The 2012 safety performance of the Ginna nuclear power plant in Wayne County will be the focus of a public meeting with federal regulators Thursday evening. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold its Ginna annual open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Ontario Town Hall, 1850 Ridge Road in Ontario, Wayne County. (April 3, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [more on Energy in our area]
Renowned Experts Address Health and Economic Impacts at Ohio Fracking Conference April 5 – 6 On April 5 and 6, a group of scientists, doctors, attorneys, researchers, environmental advocates and policy experts will assemble in Warren, Ohio, to present and discuss the impacts of fracking. This conference is one of the first in the state to study and discuss facts, concerns and evolving science related to unconventional gas drilling in Ohio. It will be held at the Wean Foundation, 147 West Market St. in Warren, Ohio. The conference keynote speaker is Deborah Rogers of Energy Policy Forum. Rogers will share her expert background in finance and banking, presenting, Shale and Wall Street: Was the Decline in Natural Gas Prices Orchestrated? (April 3, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Fracking in our area]
Gas trade group seeks lobbying probe of Artists Against Fracking ALBANY — A formal complaint filed with New York's lobbying board asks it to investigate whether Artists Against Fracking, a group that includes Yoko Ono and other A-List celebrities, is violating the state's lobbying law, according to the document obtained by The Associated Press. The Independent Oil & Gas Association, an industry group that supports gas drilling, filed the complaint Tuesday with the state's Joint Commission on Public Ethics. The complaint is based on an AP story that found that Artists Against Fracking and its members, including Ono, her son Sean Lennon, actors Mark Ruffalo and Robert De Niro and others, aren't registered as lobbyists and therefore didn't disclose their spending in opposition to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to remove gas from underground deposits. (March 30, 2013) PressConnects [more on Fracking in our area]
Cuomo: Tonawanda health report “very troubling” One of the nation’s biggest environmental trials wrapped up last week in federal court in Buffalo against Tonawanda Coke, almost a month after the state Department of Health released a report that found elevated levels of cancer and birth defects in neighborhoods that surround that industrial corridor. Gov. Andrew Cuomo was at University at Buffalo this morning to talk about the recently passed state budget and afterwards the press was ushered behind a black curtain in a tight corner to shout out questions on a range of topics. (April 2, 2013) Investigative Post [more on Brownfields in our area]
Up-and-down weather fatal to Lake Erie fish COLUMBUS — Large number of fish found along Ashtabula County’s Lake Erie shore most likely succumbed to the area’s fluctuating temperatures, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife. Reports are arriving of numerous fish kills along the coast, Jamey Emmert, Division of Wildlife spokeswoman, said Friday. In each case the fish is gizzard shad, a so-called bait fish that is dying in “very, very large numbers,” she said. Such kills among the species aren’t uncommon, Emmert said. (March 30, 2013) Star Beacon [more on Great Lakes and Wildlife in our area]
Citizens' Challenge to Painted Post Municipal Water Sale Upheld NYS Supreme Court Judge rules that Village skipped necessary reviews Citizens across New York cheered last week when a New York State Supreme Court judge annulled the bulk water sale agreement between the Village of Painted Post in Steuben County and a Shell Oil affiliate, SWEPI, LP. On March 25, Monroe County Justice Kenneth R. Fisher issued his decision voiding the agreement and enjoining any further shipments because the Village had not done the required environmental review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). Five individual petitioners, along with the Sierra Club, whose local members were active in the suit, and two grassroots groups, People for a Healthy Environment, Inc. and the Coalition to Protect New York, brought the Article 78 proceeding, Sierra Club et al. v. Painted Post et al., in June 2012. (April 2, 2013) Atlantic Chapter Sierra Club [more on Fracking in our area]
Dead fish wash up along Lake Erie’s shoreline Thousands of dead fish are washing up on the Lake Erie shoreline in the Buffalo area, but state Department of Environmental Conservation officials say it’s nothing to be alarmed about. Residents living along a stretch of shoreline in the Angola area of the town of Evans said that the fish jump out of the water and die by the thousands along the beaches lining the southern Erie County shoreline. Dead fish are also being found farther north to where the lake empties into the Niagara River at Buffalo. (April 2, 2013) GreecePost [more on Wildlife in our area]
2013 HONEYBEE LOSSES STARTLINGLY HIGH In previous blog posts we wrote about honeybees dying at rates as high as 30% a year. This spring, some commercial beekeepers report death rates as high as 50%. Apparently this is the magic number because the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally sent top administrative personnel and chemical experts to investigate honeybee deaths in California, where spring pollination of almonds and other fruit and vegetable crops is at risk. Honeybee losses are not limited to California. Adee Honey Farms in South Dakota is the largest beekeeper in the United States and reports losses of 42%. (April 2, 2013) GROW WNY [more on Wildlife and Food in our area]
CallCuomo.com Campaign Launches to Protect New Yorkers’ Health and Safety from Fracking A group of more than 30 health, environmental and grassroots organizations including Concerned Health Professionals of NY, National Resources Defense Council, 350.org, Environmental Advocates of New York,Riverkeeper, Democracy for America, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Frack Action, United for Action and New Yorkers Against Fracking launched a new anti-fracking call-in campaign with a website and a robust social media plan. Celebrities, activists and others are expected to send hundreds of thousands of emails and reach hundreds of thousands more through Facebook and Twitter. The group’s stated goal is to get tens of thousands of New Yorkers to call Governor Cuomo during April and urge him to follow the science and protect New Yorkers’ health. The new united social media campaign marks a revitalized push to protect New York from fracking following the passage of New York’s 2013/2014 budget. (April 2, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Fracking in our area]
Toxic and Tax Exempt: American Taxpayers Foot the Bill for Tar Sands Oil Spill Cleanup As the Obama Administration continues to ponder a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, TransCanada has been assuring everyone of it’s safety. “Safety of the public and the environment is a top priority for TransCanada” their slickwebsite reads. Any spill is deemed “unlikely.” Hardly. Last year, there were 364 spills from pipelines that released about 54,000 barrels of oil and refined products. In 2010 in Marshall, Michigan an Enbridge pipeline sent 819,000 gallons of toxic tar sands crude into the town’s creek just 80 river miles from Lake Michigan. Now in Mayflower, Ark., 22 homes have been evacuated this week as Exxon prepares to attempt to clean 10,000 barrels of this same dirty tar sands crude from neighborhoods. (April 2, 2013) EcoWatch [more on Energy in our area]
Expert Gives Tips on Low-Carbon Living The rate of global warming is increasing. According to a number of climate studies, the last two decades were the hottest in 400 years and possibly the warmest for several millennia. An author and senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists was in Albany recently, giving practical tips on how to live a low-carbon lifestyle. Jeff Deyette says driving a fuel efficient vehicle is one of the biggest ways to make a smaller carbon footprint (Apreil 1, 2013) WXXI News [more on Climate Change in our area]
NY will provide air conditioners under program New York state has set aside $3-million to provide air conditioners to people with heat-related health problems. The State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance said Monday that eligible households must meet income guidelines and have at least one person with a medical condition that makes hot weather dangerous. (April 2, 2013) Rochester, NBC News com [more on Climate Change and Environmental Health in our area]
As Fracking Proliferates, So Do Wastewater Wells Wastewater disposal wells like this one are becoming a common landmark in the drilling regions of Texas as the water-intensive practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, continues to spread. In the fracking process, several million gallons of water, combined with sand and chemicals, are sent down a well to break up rock and retrieve oil and gas. Some of the fluid comes back up, along with additional underground water. Most of this wastewater is trucked to disposal wells and injected thousands of feet underground for permanent storage. But those wells have caused concern about truck traffic, accidents and the possibility for spills and groundwater contamination. (March 28, 2013) New York Times [more on Fracking in our area]
Warming May Mean More Toxic Algae Blooms for Lake Erie Toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie could come more often and be more intense in coming decades thanks in part totorrential rains intensified by global warming, according to a study published in Monday’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Heavy runoff from farmland, say the authors, can carry nutrient-rich fertilizer into the western part of the lake, triggering a population explosion of blue-green algae that pump poisons while they live and can rob the water of oxygen when they die and decompose. (April 1, 2013) Climate Central [more on Great Lakes and Climate Change in our area]
Climate Maverick to Quit NASA James E. Hansen, the climate scientist who issued the clearest warning of the 20th century about the dangers of global warming, will retire from NASA this week, giving himself more freedom to pursue political and legal efforts to limit greenhouse gases. His departure, after a 46-year career at the space agency’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in Manhattan, will deprive federally sponsored climate research of its best-known public figure. (April 1, 2013) New York Times [more on Climate Change in our area]
Earth Day events to be held in Scottsville The village of Scottsville and Wheatland-Chili School District will host Earth Day events on Saturday, April 20. (March 31, 2013) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Alcoa commits to 900 jobs in Massena; Grasse cleanup still in flux The company that built Massena will keep its plants open there for at least another 30 years. Alcoa announced Saturday it will invest $42 million to modernize its East plant and build a new smelting the line. The company will also guarantee at least 900 jobs. In return, Alcoa will get low cost electricity from the hydropower dam on the St. Lawrence River. The deal hinges on how the Environmental Protection Agency decides to clean up PCBs Alcoa and Reynolds dumped in the Grasse River decades ago. (April 1, 2013) North Country Public Radio [more on Brownfields in our area]
ExxonMobil Tar Sands Oil Pipeline Ruptures in Arkansas as Obama Ponders Fate of Keystone XL ExxonMobil continues its cleanup efforts after a ruptured pipeline sprayed thousands of barrels of crude oil from Canada across a central Arkansas subdivision, forcing nearly two dozen homes to evacuate. The 20-inch so-called "Pegasus" tar sands pipeline burst late Friday near Mayflower, Arkansas, creating what the Environmental Protection Agency is categorizing as a "major spill." The incident is refueling calls for the Obama administration to reject the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, which would deliver tar sands oil from Canada to refineries in Texas. "It’s almost as if nature was trying to send a message that it might be best to just leave this stuff underground in Canada, where it’s been safely for the last few million years, instead of trucking it, piping it, training it hither and yon across the countryside," says Bill McKibben, co-founder and director of 350.org. He is author of "Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet. (April 1, 2013) Democracy Now! [more on Energy and Climate Change in our area]
Household Hazardous Waste will be collected in Webster April 20 Webster, N.Y. — The Monroe County Department of Environmental Services (DES) and the Town of Webster, Town of Penfield and the Village of Webster have joined forces to hold an appointment-only Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection from 7:45 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 20, at the Webster Highway Garage, 1005 Picture Parkway. (April 1, 2013) The Greece Post [more on Recycling in our area]
Going Green: Great Lakes Environmental Assessment Looking at the results of the Great Lakes Environmental Assessment and Mapping Project might be a little alarming especially for those living around Lake Ontario. Results say that Lake Ontario is under the most environmental stress of all the Great Lakes. Terry Ettinger has more for this edition of Going Green. Looking at the results of the Great Lakes Environmental Assessment and Mapping Project might be a little alarming especially for those living around Lake Ontario since the red indicates it’s the Great Lake under the most environmental stress. “If you really want to drop the cumulative impact score we’re going to have to look at a whole bunch of different stresses, more than just one. Can we do that? Absolutely and we’re hoping that by looking at maps like this that it’ll suggest areas where yes we need a board-based approach,” said Dr. Gregory Boyer, SUNY-ESF. One of the map’s authors, Dr. Gregory Boyer, said the predicament is understandable since the other lakes all empty into Lake Ontario while the eastern end of the lake is the beginning of the St. Lawrence Seaway. (April 1, 2013) Rochester YNN [more on Great Lakes in our area]
EPA's Push For More Ethanol Could Be Too Little, Too Late The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could soon issue a final ruling that aims to force oil companies to replace E-10, gasoline mixed with 10 percent ethanol, with E-15. This move could come just as widespread support for ethanol, which is made from corn, appears to be eroding. Mike Mitchell was once a true believer in ethanol as a homegrown solution to foreign oil imports. He owns gas stations, and he went further than most installing expensive blender pumps that let you choose E-15, E-20 and all the way up to E-85. The result was a variation on the old adage, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." (April 1, 2013) NPR Environment [more eon Energy in our area]
Report: Most insurers not prepared for climate change Are insurers ready for the risks posed by climate change? New study finds most aren't fully prepared, but the industry says it can handle claims. Most insurance companies do not have comprehensive strategies to cope with climate change despite mounting weather-related claims, says a report to be released Thursday. Of 184 companies surveyed, only 23 had such strategies, and 13 of those that did were foreign-owned, according to report by Ceres, a Boston-based non-profit that promotes eco-minded business practices. The report says the most prepared tend to be the largest companies with scientists on staff and those that insure property rather than life or health (March 7, 2013) USA Today [more on Climate Change in our area]
Global warming predictions prove accurate Analysis of climate change modelling for past 15 years reveal accurate forecasts of rising global temperatures Forecasts of global temperature rises over the past 15 years have proved remarkably accurate, new analysis of scientists' modelling ofclimate change shows. The debate around the accuracy of climate modelling and forecasting has been especially intense recently, due to suggestions that forecasts have exaggerated the warming observed so far – and therefore also the level warming that can be expected in the future. But the new research casts serious doubts on these claims, and should give a boost to confidence in scientific predictions of climate change. (March 27, 2013) The Guardian [more on Climate Change in our area]
Greenland reaps benefits of global warming Climate change is allowing agriculture to boom Inside the Arctic Circle, a chef is growing the kind of vegetables and herbs – potatoes, thyme, tomatoes, green peppers – more fitted for a suburban garden in a temperate zone than a land of northern lights, glaciers and musk oxen. Some Inuit hunters are finding reindeer fatter than ever thanks to more grazing on this frozen tundra, and, for some, there is no longer a need to trek hours to find wild herbs. This is climate change in Greenland, where locals say longer and warmer summers mean the country can grow the kind of crops unheard of years ago. "Things are just growing quicker," said Kim Ernst, the Danish chef of Roklubben restaurant, nestled by a frozen lake near a former Cold War-era US military base. "Every year we try new things," added Mr Ernst, who even managed to grow a handful of strawberries that he served to some surprised Scandinavian royals. "I came here in 1999 and no one would have dreamed of doing this. But now the summer days seem warmer, and longer." (March 31, 2013) The Independent [more on Climate Change in our area]
Ticks pose Lyme disease threat for pets in North Country; products, vaccines available to prevent infection Lyme disease is all too familiar to pet owners here in the North Country. Many families, whether they live in a town or in the country, have had the unpleasant task of pulling a tick off of either themselves or their pet. But not everyone realizes that each of those ticks poses the threat of infectious disease. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and is spread by the deer tick Ixodes scapularis. In humans, those infected frequently develop a rash at the site of the tick bite and/or flu-like symptoms and have the potential to develop long term illness from the infection. However, it can take weeks, months or even longer for your pet to develop any signs of the disease. Dogs frequently develop pain in their joints that can be seen as limping or difficulty moving and walking. Those with more severe infections can develop fevers, decreased appetite or even vomiting and diarrhea. North Country Now [more on Lyme Disease in our area]
Environmental Stewardship Scholarship awarded to FLCC student Hopewell, N.Y. — Finger Lakes Community College senior Michelle Voorheis was recently named recipient of the first Arthur Hall Environmental Stewardship Scholarship. A conservation major and Seneca County resident, Voorheis is set to graduate in May. She was selected by the FLCC scholarship committee to receive the $1000 award because of her love of conservation and her dedication to educating the public about the value of wildlife and habitat. (March 31, 2013) MPNnow.com
Invasive pests cost Americans millions Each year invasive pests destroy cropland and forest. Some are new, some we've been fighting for decades. To fight them, a change in how we interact with our environment is starting to take place. A snail as big as your foot, an insect the size of chocolate sprinkles and a mold related to the one that caused the Irish potato famine are on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's list of the top pests that threaten America's crops and forestland. The list comes out Monday. Some of the 15 are new, some we've been fighting for decades. To attack them, "a sea change" in how we interact with our environment is starting to take place, says Scott Pfister, who directs the pest management department at the USDA's plant protection and quarantine division in College Park, Md. (April 1, 2013) USA Today [more on Invasive Species in our area]

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