RENewsletter | September 27, 2009
The Free environmental newsletter from RochesterEnvironment.com
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/>
“Our Environment is changing: Keep up with the Change.”
[09/20/09– 09/27/09]
* Need to vent? | Go to my blog:
<http://rochesterenvironmentny.blogspot.com/> Environmental Thoughts -
Rochester, NY
* Found an important Rochester environmental story from a credible source
that you think needs attention?
<mailto:FrankRe...@RochesterEnvironment.com?subject=Got%20a%20Rochester%20ar
ea%20Environmental%20link%20for%20you> SEND ME THE LINK.
Opening <> Salvo | NewsLinks <> | Daily Updates <> | Events <> |
Environmental Site of the Month <> | Take Action <> |
*** The July 2009 Environmental
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/Environmental%20Site%20Award.htm> Site
of the Month Award goes to Irondequoit’s "The Green Page
<http://www.irondequoit.org/content/view/281/983> " Go to Award <> .
[Hyperlinks work by CTRL + click to follow a link]
__________________________________________
Opening Salvo: “Gassing the News”
A good example of how dysfunctional our present media is on our environment,
specifically on natural gas drilling, can be made by a point-by-point
comparison of National <http://www.npr.org/rss/rss.php?id=1001> Public
Radio’s (NPR) three-part series on natural gas and recent coverage by
ProPublica <http://www.propublica.org/> on the same subject:
Rediscovering
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113043935> Natural
Gas By Hitting Rock Bottom: (September 22, 09) Morning Edition : NPR
Who's <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113080237>
Looking At Natural Gas Now? Big Oil: (September 23, 2009) Morning Edition :
NPR
With <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113138252>
Little Clout, Natural Gas Lobby Strikes Out: (September 24, 09) Morning
Edition : NPR
“Buried
<http://www.propublica.org/series/buried-secrets-gas-drillings-environ...
-threat> Secrets: Gas Drilling’s Environmental Threat from Pro Publica”
In short, while NPR wildly endorses the convenient view that natural gas is
our environmental and energy salvation, ProPublica’s coverage suggests that
this issue is far more complicated and sorted. NPR states that water is used
for fracturing, or breaking up underground rocks for gas, and ProPublica
states that unnamed manmade chemicals are being used. NPR suggests
environmentalists can live with natural in the short run, and ProPublica
reports wide-spread concern by environmental groups and the public.
ProPublica’s coverage on gas drilling by fracturing and NPR’s don’t match in
the places they should be matching—science and the facts.
But, a point-by-point analysis is missing the big point. The big point is
that environmental issues are too often presented by the media with an
agenda. This agenda can be, “we want to save our environment, but we don’t
want to create change because change makes the public nervous. Or,
“everything industry does is bad.” Or, “don’t worry your pretty little
heads, the experts are on it.” Or, “everything environmental groups say is
right because ‘they get it’.” Or, “somewhere between the experts, industry,
and non-profit environmental groups, the truth will get hammered out and
will be the better for it in the great belief that environmental matters are
like a democracy.” Of course, Nature isn’t a democracy at all. Nature (for
all its beauty and cruelty) is a mindless algorithm of cause and effect:
garbage in, garbage out.
Granted, there are political, economic, governmental, and individual aspects
in every environmental issue, but editors in the media should be ‘pushing’
only one agenda on our environment: sustainability. In other words, are we
and our children’s children likely to survive? Sometimes, as one reads
environmental stories on mainstream media, you get that haunting feeling
that they’re all discussing different planets with different laws that will
have different outcomes—all subject to their editor’s opinions.
FrankRe...@RochesterEnvironment.com
<mailto:FrankRe...@RochesterEnvironment.com?subject=I'm%20contacting%20you%2
0from%20the%20RENewsletter> (Click on my email for feedback)
__________________________________________
NewsLinks – Environmental <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
NewsLinks – [Highlights of major environmental stories concerning our area
from the past week]
* Green Home <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* $400 Great Lakes Bill <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* Hazardous Wastes Halt <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* illegal Dumping of Raw
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm> Sewage
* Public Feedback on <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Buffalo Water Quality
* Environmental <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Educations Locally
* Cornell's Climate <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Neutrality Plan
* Protecting Land <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* Wasps in Homes <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* Managing Cormorants <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* Natural Gas - NPR 3rd <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Segment
* Natural Gas Drilling <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* Recycling <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* DEC: Green Hospitality
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm> Certification Program
* Offering Bottling <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Refunds
* Suing Smog Plants <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* Saving on Energy Bills
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* Sewage Spills into <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Lake Ontario
* Fracking Killing Fish <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* HiNi Town Meeting <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* Our Genesee River <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* Vetoing Hunting by Gov
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* Colleges Prepare for <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Flu
________________________________________
Updates – Daily Updates
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/Daily%20Updates.htm> – [Connecting the
dots on Rochester’s environment. Find out what’s going on environmentally in
our area—and why you should care? Clicking on
<http://rochesterenvironmentny.blogspot.com/> -DISCUSSION – will take you to
my blog “Environmental Thoughts, NY, where you can add your comments.]
* 9/14/09 - Get your yard certified: Fall is in the air! And, so are
tens of thousands of migrating birds that are making their way south for the
winter. You can help our feathered friends on their long and difficult
journey by making your
<http://online.nwf.org/site/R?i=88AFX7C20tiSFb0xtH-iHA..> yard a safe
stopover spot where they can eat, drink and rest. Here are some steps you
can take to make your yard wildlife-friendly: Include native plants in your
garden. This provides birds with shelter and food in the form of seeds,
berries, nuts and nectar. Provide bird feeders and water sources like bird
baths, treating you to great bird-viewing opportunities. And if you’re
already offering these bird basics—or want to!—it’s easy to turn your yard
into a Certified <http://online.nwf.org/site/R?i=5TXGDb53zQmAO4Yn6CkCsQ..>
Wildlife Habitat™ site through National Wildlife Federation. To get
<http://online.nwf.org/site/R?i=1EN30ApnqiYOXqusesdHUQ..> certified today,
simply complete our step-by-step application. Besides helping migrating and
local wildlife survive, you’ll also receive other great benefits (see
right). Plus, your $20 application fee helps NWF continue its important
conservation and education work on behalf of wildlife across the country. I
hope to welcome you as the newest member of the Certified Wildlife Habitat™
family today. Get <http://online.nwf.org/site/R?i=tPXJQdgUBTL5rMIGhjafuQ..>
certified now. --from National Wildlife <http://www.nwf.org/> Federation
* 9/24/09 - Green Job Nebula: Here at RochesterEnvironment.com we know
there are green jobs out there’ we know there are educational facilities
teaching about green jobs; we know both job seekers and green job recruiters
are out there trying to come together. But, it’s like those nebula’s
forming out there in the universe: it’s so large and far away and moving so
slowly (and yes, nebulous) that it’s hard to pin down the answer to this
simple question: Where do you go to get a green job in the Rochester area?
If you keep looking, I’ll keep looking: Green
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/Green%20Business.htm> Business
Rochester, NY | Find Green Job | RochesterEnvironment.com
* 9/22/09 - Free Speech (Net
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality> Neutrality) on the
Internet: If you are interested in keeping the lines open on the Internet so
that all get to have their say, so that large corporations do not have the
power to limit or control content on the Internet, find your voice: Welcome
<http://www.openinternet.gov/> to OpenInternet.gov OpenInternet.gov is a
place to join the discussion about the important issues facing the future of
the Internet. Through this site you can stay connected to all Federal
Communication Commission activities on the issue, and share your thoughts
and ideas on open Internet.
___________________________________________________
Events – Rochester <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/calendar.htm>
Environmental Events Calendar – [The most complete listing of all
environmental events around the Rochester, New York area.] If you don’t see
your event, or know of a local environmental event, please send me the info:
FrankRe...@RochesterEnvironment.com with (EV event) in the subject line.
September 2009
* September 26th & 27th, 2009 This cordwood workshop will be held at
the Turkow residence @ 6776 Luddington Rd Elba, NY 14058 (directly between
Rochester and Buffalo & 5 miles from the thruway – (Batavia Exit 48).
* Cordwood Sauna Workshop September 26th & 27th, 2009 WHO - Peter
Turkow, Co-Founder of Rochester Green Living After seeing an article on
cordwood construction in Mother Earth News my father, Dave Turkow attended a
Rob Roy cordwood workshop (http://www.cordwoodmasonary.com)) in 1984. In
1985 we broke ground on a 40ft diameter, round, load-bearing cordwood home
covered with geodesic dome, I was hooked. In 1996 we designed and built 2
story cordwood workshop/garage approx 32x22 with 22x10ft deck. More details
can be seen @: www.daycreek.com/dc/HTML/Turkow.htm
<file:///F:\www.daycreek.com\dc\HTML\Turkow.htm> WHAT – Each day is a
mixture of classroom and hands-on activities & building. Classroom sessions
include general cordwood home AND sauna information, power point
presentations, and discussions on the various styles of cordwood building,
as well as, the different types of wood species (and how long to dry them).
The workshop’s hands-on project will be a 14’ x 12’ mixed use sauna &
enclosed changing/relaxation area with outdoor deck. Attention to detail
assures that the students learn visually pleasing techniques, as well as,
structurally sound and energy-efficient construction methods. WHEN - Friday
the 25th (optional, but starts at 6pm) will be a meet & greet event, as well
as, a free event for the Rochester Green Living group and others from the
area to learn a little more about future workshops. Workshops run from 9am
-5pm. There will also be a social gathering on Saturday evening (students
only & weather permitting). WHERE - This cordwood workshop will be held at
the Turkow residence @ 6776 Luddington Rd Elba, NY 14058 (directly between
Rochester and Buffalo & 5 miles from the thruway – (Batavia Exit 48).
* 9/29/2009 at 8:00 AM to 9/29/2009 at 5:00 PM
* City of <http://www.cityofrochester.gov/article.aspx?id=8589936526>
Rochester | Lead Safety for Remodeling, Repairs & Painting September 29,
2009The purpose of this course is to provide workers with the information
they need to understand that lead based paint can create hazards and that
such hazards can be controlled by using safe work practices. To register,
please call (866)850-5280. Training provided by Cornell University; to be
held at 249 Highland Avenue.
* 9/29/09 (Tuesday) * 7:00pm Brighton Town Hall Auditorium, 2300
<http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=2300+Elmwood+Ave,+...
ter,+Monroe,+New+York+14618&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=58.858685,107.84179 7
&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=FRMRkgIda0pg-w&split=0&ll=43.126116,-77.575321&spn=0. 0
06726,0.013164&t=h&z=17&iwloc=A> Elmwood Ave, Rochester NY 14618
* Atty. Dana Campbell presentation on "Animal Cruelty Laws in NYS" *
9/29/09 (Tuesday) * 7:00pm (followed by Q&A) * Brighton Town Hall
Auditorium, 2300
<http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=2300+Elmwood+Ave,+...
ter,+Monroe,+New+York+14618&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=58.858685,107.84179 7
&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=FRMRkgIda0pg-w&split=0&ll=43.126116,-77.575321&spn=0. 0
06726,0.013164&t=h&z=17&iwloc=A> Elmwood Ave, Rochester NY 14618 *
Wheelchair accessible rear entrance * FREE * Open to the Public Atty,
Dana Campbell is a nationally recognized expert on animal law. Currently
she is the Senior Attorney for the Criminal Justice Program of the Animal
Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), and is an Adjunct Professor of Animal Law in
Ithaca NY at Cornell University. Read more on her
<http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/faculty/bio.cfm?id=279> Cornell faculty
web page. Sponsored by Animal Rights Advocates of Upstate NY
www.ARAUNY.org <http://www.arauny.org/>
October 2009
* Saturday, October 3, 2009 - Starts at 4:30 pm, and all ages are
invited. Pizza and refreshments will be offered (suggested donation $10/
person) starting at 5:30 and the slide-talk will begin at 7 pm. The program
will be held at the Tay House Lodge just behind the #1 Elementary School on
Hillside Ave. in Rochester.
* A
<http://newyork.sierraclub.org/rochester/Former_Programs/Picture_Tour_...
l> Picture Tour Through Time of Rochester's Park Preservation On Saturday,
October 3rd, the Sierra Club is hosting its annual Fall program which will
focus on the history of land and park preservation in Rochester. The program
will be held at the Tay House Lodge just behind the #1 Elementary School on
Hillside Ave. in Rochester. Our guest speaker, Larry Champoux, has delved
into the history and assembled fascinating information about how our City's
land preservation movement developed and how we came to have so many
beautiful parks. He has assembled wonderful early photos of Rochester to
illustrate the history and the changes over the past 100 years. Of
particular interest will be photos of the Cobb's Hill Park area showing the
old canal and the old bridge over it on Culver Rd, the boat factory where
the Armory now is, and pictures showing the construction of the reservoir.
Supplementing the slide talk, there will be a guided hike offered in the
afternoon to learn about the Sierra Club's work to restore and protect the
forest at the Washington Grove behind Tay House. You can learn about how the
Grove got its name, why the old oaks could disappear and how invasive Norway
maples could take over if nothing is done to change things. The guided hike
starts at 4:30 pm, and all ages are invited. Pizza and refreshments will be
offered (suggested donation $10/ person) starting at 5:30 and the slide-talk
will begin at 7 pm. Call 585-234-1056 for more information.
* Saturday, Oct 3, 2009 Northeast Sustainable Energy
<http://www.nesea.org/greenbuildings> Association GREEN BUILDINGS OPEN
HOUSE
* Green Buildings Open House When Saturday, Oct 3, 2009
Wherehttp://www.nesea.org/greenbuildings/ (map
<http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nesea.org%2Fgree...
ings%2F> ) DescriptionGreen Buildings Open House Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association Green Building Open house is
happening on Saturday, October 3rd, 2009. For the latest list of sites near
you visit: http://www.nesea.org/greenbuildings/
* Saturday, October 3, 2009 10 a.m. – 4 p.m For more information
contact: Elizabeth Nichols, enar...@gmail.com, 773 2478 Tour schedule
information will be available soon!
* Saturday, October 3, 2009 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. WNY
<http://www4.bfn.org/wnysea> Tour of Solar Homes and Green Buildings Join
us on a self-guided tour of local homes and businesses that are doing their
part to save the environment and improve our quality of life. Features
include: passive solar, wind systems, solar hot water, super-insulation,
LEED-rated buildings, and nontoxic building materials. See the WNY
Sustainable Energy Association website, www4.bfn.org/wnysea
<http://www4.bfn.org/wnysea/> , after September 15, 2009, for tour
information: solar and green buildings, locations, directions and times. The
WNY Tour of Solar Homes and Green Buildings is sponsored by the WNY
Sustainable Energy Association in collaboration with the American Solar
Energy Society's National Solar Tour and the Northeast Sustainable Energy
Association's Green Building Open House and in cooperation with other local
environmental groups including the WNY Climate Action Coalition. Further
questions, contact Elizabeth Nichols at enar...@gmail.com or WNYSEA
881-1639 Celebrating Energy Conservation, Renewable Energy, and Our
Commitment to the Environment This event is free and open to the public.
* Sat, Oct. 3: 9a-1p Webster Wastewater Treatment Plant, 226 Phillips
Road, Webster, 14580
* Sat, Oct. 3: 9a-1p - Unwanted Pharmaceuticals Collection (LAST ONE
IN 2009!) - Webster Wastewater Treatment Plant, 226 Phillips Road, Webster,
14580 See instructions on: http://www.monroecounty.gov/hhw
* Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 7:00 – 9:00 PM First Unitarian Church, 220
S. Winton Rd, Rochester, NY
* BLUE GOLD: World Water Wars Presented by Dr. Linda MacCammon
Director of the Peace and Social Justice Studies Program at SJFC Tuesday,
October 6, 2009, 7:00 – 9:00 PM First Unitarian Church, 220 S. Winton Rd,
Rochester FREE and open to the public. Blue Gold documents the
privatization of city water supplies and mishaps from resulting
mismanagement. The film also tells of bribery and corruption of public
officials leading to the privatization of municipal water supplies, and
grassroots fights to block the sale of local water to companies that bottle
and sell it for huge profits across the globe. Some success stories are
also told, most notably the water riots in Bolivia, leading to Bechtel being
banished from that country. Blue Gold also dispels the myth that water is
never lost in the hydrological cycle. Water is not technically “lost,” but
clean, usable water is. We’re also pumping groundwater about 15 times as
fast as it can be naturally replenished, which, if not reversed, will lead
to a major collapse of the world’s water resources. Dr. Linda MacCammon is
an associate professor at St. John Fisher College and the director of their
Peace and Social Justice Studies Program
* October 7, 2009 PROCTORS Theatre, 432 State St Schenectady, NY 12305
(518) 346-6204
* Summit on <http://www.dos.state.ny.us/pdfs/pdfs/savedate09.pdf>
sustainable development on October 7, 2009 in Schenectady . PROCTORS
Theatre, 432 State St Schenectady, NY 12305 (518) 346-6204 This Summit is
being organized and sponsored jointly by Empire State Future
(www.empirestatefuture.org <http://www.empirestatefuture.org/> ) and the New
York Department of State (http://www.dos.state.ny.us/). This Summit will
discuss revitalization of New York State through sustainable economic and
community development. It is designed for government officials,
practitioners of economic and community development, planners, educators,
health professionals, students, persons concerned about the environment, and
any other New Yorkers interested in building a stronger and more sustainable
Empire State . We plan to discuss the many innovations and ideas that are
taking root, and also those that have yet to be actualized. We also strive
for a Summit that not only informs and inspires, but that also strengthens
the connections among those working on common quests. Click here
<http://www.empirestatefuture.org/revitalizing-ny.html> for more Summit
information and to register. Register now for a low fee of $40! After
September 10th, the fee will be $60. And attached is an updated Summit
program, which includes speakers/ panelists, and a morning Downtown
Schenectady walking tour! Note also that the starting time for the Summit
has been moved later into the morning to better accommodate train travel. As
you’ll see on the site, we’re encouraging attendees to travel green to the
Summit by rail—we’ve arranged discounted fares, and have sited the Summit
just two-tenths of a mile from the Schenectady Amtrak Station! We look
forward to seeing you soon in Schenectady . If you have any questions,
please contact me at Ka...@rpa.org or 917-546-4312.
* Thursday, October 08, 2009 CCE Monroe 249 Highland Ave Rochester, NY
14620
* Emerald
<http://mycce.org/monroe/course.taf?_pageid=11&_menuid=81&_function=in...
urseid=19> Ash Borer Seminar Emerald Ash Borer Seminar for Arboriculture
&Landscape Thursday, October 08, 2009 CCE Monroe 249 Highland Ave
Rochester, NY 14620 General Cost: $ 35.00 Register by Thursday, October
01, 2009
* Sat, Oct. 10 FLCC
* Sat, Oct. 10 "FLCC Go Green Tour" including state of the art waste
recovery center, worm farm, large scale wind farm and a home off the grid
including battery-powered car! Gourmet, local lunch included in $45 ticket.
Contact Kim Babcock, Sustainability Coordinator at babco...@flcc.edu . -
from FMCE Member CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING (sign up for email list
http://www.living-sustainably.org/contact.php )
* Monday, October 19, 2009 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Brighton Town Hall
Downstairs Meeting Room 2300 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618
* PUBLIC FORUM: Natural Gas Production - At What Cost to NYS? What
impact will Hydraulic Fracturing in the Marcellus Shale have on our Water,
Environment and Economy? Monday, October 19, 2009 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Free)
Brighton Town Hall Downstairs Meeting Room 2300 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester,
NY 14618 * Orientation to the Issues Wes Gillingham - Program Director of
Catskill Mountain Keeper http://catskillmountainkeeper.org
<http://catskillmountainkeeper.org/> Q&A with Expert Panel Dr. Diane Hope -
William A. Kern Professor in Communication Rochester Institute of Technology
http://www.rit.edu/cla/communication/kern/ Ashur Terwilliger - Chemung
County Farm Bureau President Dr. Ron Bishop - lecturer in chemistry and
biochemistry at SUNY Oneonta * Co-sponsored by Federation of Monroe County
Environmentalists ** League of Women Voters, Rochester Regional Group -
Sierra Club Genesee Valley Chapter - Adirondack Mountain Club Genesee
Valley Audubon Society ** Center for Sustainable Living Information:
www.fmce.org <http://www.fmce.org/> , Email: i...@fmce.org, Call: (585)
392-4918 Pre-register via email to receive Pre-Forum Reference Materials.
* Tuesday, October 20th, 2009, from 10 am -2 pm University at Buffalo
(UB) Center for the Arts on UB’s North Campus
* Greener Shade of Blue and <http://www.pss.buffalo.edu/GSBandU.php>
You - UB Events Calendar On Tuesday, October 20th, 2009, the University at
Buffalo (UB) will host the first Greener Shade of Blue and You Day at the
Center for the Arts on UB’s North Campus from 10 am -2 pm. This event is
designed to raise awareness about environmental stewardship, particularly
how individuals can "green" their homes and reduce their personal
environmental footprint. Vendors will be on hand for University community
members to visit for ideas and solutions to making their communities more
sustainable, including ways to finance “green” projects.
* Wednesday, Oct. 21. 7-9pm Victor Free Library, 16 West Main St.
Victor.
* Wednesday, Oct. 21. 7-9pm, "Starting a CSA from the Ground Up"
Victor Free Library, 16 West Main St. Victor. Erin Bullock will tell of
starting Mud Creek Farm and a new Community Supported Agriculture model
growing organic vegetables for 65 families. Sponsored by CSL. Contact Erin
at erin.dandel...@gmail.com - from FMCE Member CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE
LIVING
* October 21st, 12-2pm Where: Healthy Home, 700 West Main St,
Rochester
* Our nation's laws on dangerous, toxic chemicals have failed to keep
them out of our everyday products. Someday, we'll walk into a store and
every product on the shelf will be safe for our families and the
environment. But until then, Rochester’s Healthy Home and Clean New York, a
non-profit environmental health and justice organization, are working
together to help you stay educated about the products you use at home. Join
us to learn how to protect your health and environment and get involved!
What: "Home Safe Home" House Party: Green Cleaning When: October 21st,
12-2pm Where: Healthy Home, 700 West Main St, Rochester Who: Friends,
family, and community. This issue affects all of us! Household cleaners can
contain ingredients with known links to serious health concerns such as
cancer and birth defects. These chemicals should not be in products we use
every day! Join us to learn about chemicals of concern and what to do!
Please RSVP to Katie Kelly at clean.katieke...@gmail.com or 734-646-2119 by
Monday, October 19th.
* Thurs., October 22 The workshop location is at MCC's Campus Center.
We send detailed location information to registrants. But you can include my
office phone number (753-2034)
* "Moving Toward a Sustainable Built Environment: Green Housing," on
Thurs., October 22 by Bruce Boncke and Peter Vars, engineers at BME
Associates. As described in the brochure, "This workshop will look toward
the future as we apply those green initiatives to create sustainable built
environments and green housing. The history, benefits and challenges of
transitioning to what is now described as conservation and sustainable
living environments include energy, maintenance and future cost
considerations. The new ANSI National Green Building Standard for Housing
will be presented as a helpful tool for builders and communities to work
together on improving and sustaining built environments, starting with
development of the land. Discussion will also include evolving State
incentives for energy reduction and the importance of addressing
sustainability of existing housing, which is aging." --all part of a series
THE
<file:///C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Frank\My%20Documents\Frank%20Web%20S i
tes\RochesterEnvironment.com\PDF%20files\Brochure%20F'09%20v4%2011x17.pdf>
MONROE COUNTY LAND USE DECISION-MAKING TRAINING PROGRAM
* October 10 & 24, 2009 (4 sessions) Perinton Community Center, 1350
Turk Hill Rd, Perinton, NY
* Perinton Recreation & Parks Registration and Information:
585-223-5050 Program Title: Discover the Season's Natural Wonders -
Series 1 Program Dates: September 12 & 26, October 10 & 24, 2009 (4
sessions) Event Times: 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Ages: Adult and teen
Location: Perinton Community Center, 1350 Turk Hill Rd, Perinton
Instructor: David Semple with four special guest presenters Cost: $51
($45 for Perinton residents) Registration is required: Code 465816-A
(Registration deadline - September 4) Description: Experience four
different natural wonders in Perinton as we ease into the spectacular fall
season. Each session starts with a slide show in the Perinton Community
Center, followed by an expert-guided field trip at a designated nature area
or park site. Topics covered in Series 1will be birds of prey, fall
songbirds, wetland ecosystems, and mushrooms and fungi. Additional Detail:
www.perinton.org (turn to page 26 of the Fall Recreation Brochure).
* Monday, October 19, 2009 from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. George Eastman House
900 East Avenue Rochester, NY 14607
* The <http://www.nycharities.org/beta/EventLevels.aspx?ETID=385>
Community Salute the the Environment is upstate New York's premier
environmental networking opportunity. The annual event hosts over 200
attendees from government, business, and the general public. This year's
event will be held at historic George Eastman House on Monday, October 19,
2009 from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. RECEPTION The reception and networking event will
be held in Potter Peristyle on the Museum's first floor, with its
architectural windows and view of the galleries. This year's event features
grazing stations serving hot and cold hors d'œuvres and cash bar. Seating
will be available for those who need it. PRESENTATION The evening
presentation will be held in the art deco styled Dryden Theatre. This year's
speaker is Dr. Joseph C. Makarewicz, Distinguished Service Professor, SUNY
Brockport, who will discuss the numerous challenges facing efforts to
improve Lake Ontario water quality. SELF GUIDED TOURS Self guided tours of
the mansion, grounds, and gallery are encouraged during the event. Get
reacquainted with this national historic landmark and a part of Rochester's
cultural history. . To attend the event, please register
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102676984637&s=849&e=001Ku4_WlxXCZ_nHVEuMM9...
VYRv73o77rnEHqzkzDxjtcI0qS-fDsctfmUJsasfXYFdcxt_gYmiV82JL5DYE0V--WERoO3qDLJ b
V9mXrbKY8OOvxX0rqZlf_PNMUfByi62BpDBPypWER8_y7j74Zk-WHQ_rq2ZKTys9CzvVNg=>
online via credit card (MasterCard or Visa) or complete the reply
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102676984637&s=849&e=001Ku4_WlxXCZ-YsmnfH8E...
OYRBMOuMXQgkm34XGLHrKVjkN4aiHL23I0g83MqE5khME0Gb-j0BJyjBK9e2Dz7pab3RZbOiQU- 5
eMM-KAXK5makJymc2bycqmAdH89miQ9ClAs_VtFCRtxQgW-5g==> form and return with
your check. Attendance fee of $50 per person include d'œuvres, presentation
and self guided tour.
* Monday, October 19, 2009 Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Brighton Town Hall
Downstairs Meeting Room, 2300 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618
* PUBLIC FORUM: Natural Gas Production - At What Cost to NYS? How will
Hydraulic Fracturing in the Marcellus Shale impact our Water, Environment
and Economy? Date: Monday, October 19, 2009 Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Group
Sponsoring the Event: Co-sponsored by the Federation of Monroe County
Environmentalists <http://www.fmce.org> , League of Women Voters
<http://www.lwv-rma.org/> , Rochester
<http://newyork.sierraclub.org/rochester/default.html> Regional Group -
Sierra Club, Genesee <http://www.gvc-adk.org/> Valley Chapter - Adirondack
Mountain Club, Genesee Valley Audubon Society <http://www.gvaudubon.org>
Cost: Free Age Group: Teens to adults Location: Brighton Town Hall
Downstairs Meeting Room, 2300 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618 Contact:
www.fmce.org, Email: i...@fmce.org, Call: 392-4918 Pre-register via email to
receive Pre-Forum Reference Materials. Description: The forum will include
an orientation to the issues and a Q&A with an expert panel. Click
<http://www.fmce.org/Marcellus_Shale.html> for more information.
* Oct 20, 2009, Time: 7 - 8:30 pm Location: Brighton Town Park, Carmen
Clark Lodge, 777 Westfall Rd, Rochester NY 14620
* Chill The Drills! Join us for a Special Presentation: The Arctic
ecosystem on the North Slope of Alaska represents a microcosm of the
realities that society at large faces with regard to fossil fuel dependency,
climate change and the importance of protecting our last wild and pristine
places. Come learn what is being done to protect this iconic American
landscape and what you can do to help! Featured Speaker & Host Kit McGurn is
the National Arctic Organizer for the Sierra Club. He is working to educate
and engage citizens across the country in Arctic conservation issues in
order to build demand for protection of the unique ecosystems in America’s
Arctic. Prior to joining the Sierra Club, Kit worked for the Greater
Yellowstone Coalition where he organized around issues such as Northern
Rockies wolf protection and Roadless area preservation. Kit completed
degrees in Economics and Environmental Studies at Pacific Lutheran
University. CONTACT: 585-234-1056 or Sierra Club NW office, Kit McGurn,
206-378-0114 ext. 324 or kit.mcg...@sierraclub.org
* Saturday, October 24, 2009 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m Hyatt Regency Hotel,
Buffalo, NY
* Join us for the 4th Annual New York State Healing Our Waters
Coalition Conference. At the conference, you'll learn about achieving Great
Lakes Restoration, implementing the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Compact in New
York, and managing our Great Lakes ecosystem holistically. WHAT: Healing
Our Waters Coalition Conference: Uniting New York’s Great Lakes Communities
to Restore Our Freshwater Coast WHEN: Saturday, October 24, 2009 8:30 am -
4:00 pm WHERE: Hyatt Regency Hotel, Buffalo, NY There is no cost to attend,
but registration is required. Please visit
http://www.citizenscampaign.org/glconference/ for more information and to
register. Cosponsored by: Audubon New York, Center for Environmental
Information, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Environmental Advocates
of New York, Great Lakes Research Consortium, and Great Lakes United.
* October 24, 2009 http://www.350.org/
* October 24, 2009 is INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE ACTION DAY,
<http://www.350.org/> and is being coordinated by 350.org, the grassroots
organizing brainchild of Bill McKibben. The idea is to mobilize grassroots
groups all over the world to hold highly visible public / media events on
10/24/09. Each event should highlight the number 350—the maximum global
atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (in parts per million- ppm) that
is safe for the long term. We are already up to 387, and increasing. For
more details: http://www.350.org/ We need to do something in Rochester, and
to be worth doing, it should be a coordinated effort between several groups,
and something creative, eye-catching…. Media-worthy! That’s the point—to
have media worldwide show that there is a groundswell of popular support for
a global treaty (successor to Kyoto), and that therefore world leaders must
craft a plan to bring levels down to 350 ppm by the time they leave the
international climate talks in Copenhagen in December of this year. Are you
interested in helping? If this is to be done, we would need people to: •
Reach out to other groups/ organizations to see what they are doing, and try
to coordinate (for all I know, there is already an effort planned that we
could work with) • Be creative- come up with a good location / “shtick” to
make it media-worthy • Recruit others • Contact media
_________________________________________________
Action – Take <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/action.htm> Action -
Often, I receive request to pass on alerts, petitions, Public Comments on
local developments, and environmental items needing action by the Rochester
Community and around the world. I’ll keep Actions posted until their due
date.
* Action Due Date: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Sept. 29, Sept. 30 Where Sept.
29, 20 Ontario County Municipal Building, 3rd-floor conference room Sept.
30, Geneva Public Library, community room, 244 Main St., Geneva
* Weigh
<http://www.mpnnow.com/towns/canandaigua/x1358730310/Weigh-in-on-count...
service-routes> in on county bus service, routes - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
Canandaigua, N.Y. — The results of an online survey about improving Ontario
County’s public bus service will be discussed during two open-house events
later this month. Staff from the county Planning Department will be on hand
to review and explain the results of the survey that generated nearly 600
responses. (September 19, 09) Home - <http://www.mpnnow.com/> Canandaigua,
NY - MPNnow [more on Transportation
<file:///C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Frank\My%20Documents\Frank%20Web%20S i
tes\RochesterEnvironment.com\communting.htm> in our area] f you go What
Open house about County Area Transit System improvements When 4 p.m. to 7
p.m.; Sept. 29, Sept. 30 Where Sept. 29, 20 Ontario County Municipal
Building, 3rd-floor conference room Sept. 30, Geneva Public Library,
community room, 244 Main St., Geneva Details Residents may comment and learn
results of a survey about making improvements to the county bus system’s
routes and services Information at
www.co.ontario.ny.us/planning/CATS2009study.htm Or call (585) 396-4455
* Action Due Date: Soon -- from the Sierra Club
<http://www.sierraclub.org/> Home Page: Explore, Enjoy and Protect the
Planet.
* Congress, "Don't Stand in the Way of EPA Action on Climate Change!"
The Senate is currently considering legislation that will fund the EPA for
the next year, and opponents of action on climate change are looking to
prevent the EPA from acting to curb global warming pollution or accurately
measure the potential climate impacts of biofuels. It is vital that both
Congress and EPA work quickly together if we are to make real progress on
global warming. Prohibiting EPA from addressing global warming pollution
ignores science and undermines existing laws. It also takes away some of
our country's most valuable tools for curbing global warming. Tell the
Senate to move us towards a clean energy economy, and not to stand in the
way of EPA action on climate change: http://tinyurl.com/nntmom Warm Regards,
Christina Marie Yagjian National Conservation Organizer Sierra Club, Global
Warming and Energy 202.675.7911
* Action Due Date: November 10, 2009 --from the U.S.
<http://www.epa.gov/> Environmental Protection Agency
* Think EPP Brownfield sites cleanup are not stringent enough, let
them know: EPA Seeks Comment on Greener Site Cleanups WASHINGTON - The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a new strategy
that would make cleanups at hazardous waste sites greener. The Superfund
Green Remediation Strategy is an initial effort to outline key actions and
related activities that can be undertaken to promote green remediation and
to reduce energy use. EPA is taking comment on action items that fall into
three major categories: policy and guidance development, resource
development and program implementation, and program evaluation. The
strategy also contains several recommendations including a call for EPA to
implement a series of near-term program initiatives, and to establish a
baseline of Superfund energy usage. The public comment period is open for
60 days. Reducing the demands placed on the environment during cleanup of
contaminated land is a high priority for EPA. In addition to the new
strategy, EPA has developed Principles for Greener Cleanups. The principles
call for EPA’s cleanup programs to use greener approaches during any phase
of site work and establish the goal of evaluating cleanup actions to ensure
protection of human health and the environment while reducing the
environmental footprint of cleanup activities, when feasible. Cleanups that
do not satisfy threshold requirements for protectiveness or do not meet site
specific cleanup objectives, are not considered greener cleanups. More
<http://www.epa.gov/superfund/greenremediation> information on the
strategy: View
<http://service.govdelivery.com/service/edition.html?code=USAEPA_20&fo...
eb&email_type=bulletin> all news releases related to hazardous waste
* Action Due Date: October 24, 2009
* On October 24, 2009, millions of people around the globe will take
action in their own communities, and call on world leaders to sign a climate
agreement that leads us down the road to 350. We already have events planned
at some of the world's most iconic places -- Australia's Great Barrier Reef,
in front of the Pyramids in Egypt, in the Himalayas of South Asia and at the
Great Lakes in the USA -- but we need you to host an event in your
community. It doesn't have to be large (though that would be great), but it
does need to display the number 350 in some visual way. Be creative! You can
organize a rally, a hike up the closest peak, an educational forum, a
community art project, or anything else. Just make sure you have fun, and
represent 350 somehow -- on a banner or a sign, on your t-shirt, or by
spelling it out with your bodies. This may not sound like it could really
help, but it does--already we've had churches ringing their bells 350 times,
350 bicyclists circling through cities, even 350 people standing on their
heads. The resulting media coverage has helped spread the word fast, so that
many groups have joined this campaign. To sign up, please go to
http://350.org/oct24 And make sure you snap a photo of your event and upload
it to our website. We'll take those photos and pass them to our global
leaders. Together we can let them know: 350 represents safety, and anything
that doesn't meet the 350 test is gambling with our future. Take
<http://350.org/oct24> Action with 350 on October 24th
* Action Due Date: December 1, 2009 -from U.S. <http://www.epa.gov/>
Environmental Protection Agency
* EPA
<http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/ab2d81eb088f4a7e85257359003f...
7323a817211b6ca852576230052ff23!OpenDocument> Seeks Public Input on
National Enforcement Priorities Through Online Forum WASHINGTON - The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency has launched an online discussion forum to
receive public input on the future priorities for EPA’s national enforcement
program. The public will be able to provide feedback through the EPA Web
site until December 1, giving them a forum to submit ideas for EPA to
consider for new areas of enforcement focus. All ideas will be evaluated and
considered for recommendation to the EPA administrator about the future
direction of EPA’s national enforcement and compliance priorities. The
current enforcement priorities through 2010 focus on significant
environmental problems, including pollution from stormwater runoff, air
toxics, concentrated animal feeding operations, and mineral processing. To
submit suggestions for potential priorities: Information on the
enforcement priorities: (August 31, 2009) U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency <http://www.epa.gov/> [[more on Action
<file:///C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Frank\My%20Documents\Frank%20Web%20S i
tes\RochesterEnvironment.com\action.htm> in our area]
__________________________________________________
Award – Environmental
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/Environmental%20Site%20Award.htm> Site
of the Month Award – [On the last Sunday of each month, we present an
environmental award for the Rochester-area environmental web site or blog
that best promotes the need to protect and offers solutions for our area's
environmental issues.]
This month’s Environmental Site of the Month Award goes to Irondequoit’s The
Green Page because it shows a community’s commitment to sustainability.
Increasingly, more New York state communities are making more than a general
commitment to sustainability and creating web pages like these within their
main sites and clearly describing and specifying their commitment. Also,
this statement shows that this page won’t be a static one: “For the Town of
Irondequoit, the definition of sustainable development continues to evolve.”
* Irondequoit’s "The Green Page
<http://www.irondequoit.org/content/view/281/983> " “For the Town of
Irondequoit, the definition of sustainable development continues to evolve.
The framework for sustainability is Irondequoit’s Comprehensive
Environmental and Energy Policy, adopted by the Town Board in 2007 and
updated in 2009. The Policy presents the Town’s goals for improving the
quality of life in Irondequoit for current and future generations,
including: Connected and healthy communities Modern infrastructure Healthy
natural habitat and clean waterways Energy efficiency" --from
<http://www.irondequoit.org/content/view/281/983> Town of Irondequoit
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