RENewsletter | October 5, 2009
The Free environmental newsletter from RochesterEnvironment.com <http://www.
rochesterenvironment.com/>
“Our Environment is changing: Keep up with the Change.”
[09/27/09- 10/05/09]
* 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 <> |
[Hyperlinks work by CTRL + click to follow a link]
__________________________________________
Opening Salvo: “The Great Conceit”
In this wonderful and expert article on bird migration [City Newspaper “A
<http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/news/articles/2009/09/OUTDOORS-A-
bird-in-the-hand> bird in the hand” 9/30/09], something hauntingly
familiar struck me from the section: “Why protect birds?” Birds have a
right to live; birding helps our economy because birders buy binoculars;
birds are an early-warning system, etc. I’ve come across this apparent
need for reporters and scientists to justify the need for other species in
many articles on our environment: why we need biodiversity (lots of
different species), why we need wolves, why bears, whales, or those darn
mosquitoes, whatever. Basically, I guess, the assumption is why the rest
of us who are driving around in our hot new clunkers, making a living, or
watching the latest ‘reality’ on TV, and doing just fine should care
about birds, which may not be our ‘thing.’
Here’s what strikes me: To pose such a question in the media at all
reveals a great human conceit that humankind should relieve itself of.
Feeling compelled to prove the existence of birds is like having to explain
the existence of the third floor in a high-rise. Answer: You don’t get to
live on any of the above floors if there is no third floor. Birds and other
species don’t simply exist at our pleasure; they and our environment are
One. Birds are so woven into the fabric of our present environment as to
cause serious structural damage if they were somehow removed.
This great conceit that we humans can casually sit back and calculate and
consider the worth of the other biological components on this planet is
sheer irresponsible lunacy. We forget ourselves, what we learned in
biology, and who we are. The media and the public should take
responsibility for informing themselves on how this planet operates
(because we are at the helm as never before) so we don’t have to keep
explaining why other creatures are valuable. That birds are important is
an absolute no-brainer. Our culture should have advanced to the point where
implicit in every article on other species is that they are not at the
mercy of our false belief in the preeminence of our economy.
I’ll unpack that last point. Our economy doesn’t rule, Nature does.
Denying the critical role of birds would be like the crew on a space ship
suddenly seized with the fancy that it didn’t need air and began jack
hammering the oxygen tanks. Birds are not only really neat, our environment
will be different when they are gone-and you probably won’t like the
results.
FrankRe...@RochesterEnvironment.com <mailto:FrankRegan@RochesterEnvironment.
com?subject=I'm%20contacting%20you%20from%20the%20RENewsletter> (Click on
my email for feedback)
__________________________________________
NewsLinks - Environmental NewsLinks
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm> - [Highlights of major
environmental stories concerning our area from the past week]
* National Parks <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Threatened by Climate Change
* Great Lakes Water <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Levels Threatened by Climate Change
* Wind Turbines in <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Naples
* Gas Shale Drilling - <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
NYS DEC
* Land Conservation <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Monies
* Hazardous Waste <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Sitting Plan NYS DEC
* Clean Energy Jobs <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm> &
American Power Act
* Teaching Solar Power <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
RSMC
* Gov: Monies for Clean
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm> Water in Western NYS
* Study on How Nature <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Makes You Feel
* Rochester Get Green <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Funding
* Methane Gas Leak <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* Monitoring Environment
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm> with Birds
* Group Fights Waste To
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm> Fuel Project
* Washington Grove Park
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm> Issue
* Gas Drilling g Review
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm> Released
* Great Lakes Sewer <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Overflows
* Learning about <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Conservation
* Curb Your Car Week <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Coming UP
* Coyotes Concern <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* Funds for Making your
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm> Home Heating Efficient
* Bus Service in Ontario
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm> County
* Dog Flu A Concern? <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
* Seneca Meadows Educational
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm> Center
* Solar and Wind Energy
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm> for Landfill"
* Great Lakes Fish <http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/news.htm>
Concerns
________________________________________
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.]
* 10/04/09 - We’re passing this note on: We just received this
announcement - we hope you can tune in to 60 Minutes tonight. Over the
summer, the Appalachian Voices Watauga Riverkeeper crew has been working
with 60 Minutes to do an investigative story about coal ash waste. We are
happy to report that the show will air this Sunday, October 4, 2009. The 60
Minutes crew will provide the public with an overview or a “coal ash 101″
report. It comes in the wake of the 1 billion gallon TVA coal ash spill
that occurred in December of 2008 in Harriman, Tennessee. Note: Highly
recommended "latest news" reading appears at:
http://www.ilovemountains.org/
* 10/01/09 - Where's that
<http://rochesterenvironmentny.blogspot.com/2009/10/wheres-that-
pollution.html> pollution? A report (37 pages) that should be on your
reading list this week is the new report by the International Joint
Commission because it's about "programs to abate, control and prevent
pollution from municipal sources entering the Great Lakes System.” The
report’s object: The objective was to survey existing programs aimed at
controlling surface-water pollution and to provide an overview of the
current situation." And, he current situation is not pretty. Not only is
one of the largest fresh water systems in the world, which is in and is our
backyard, being compromised, the municipal sewage overflow, which is
integral to our environmental health (a point that doesn’t usually get
high prominence in mainstream media because they don’t know how to
quantify it) is also affecting the fishing and tourist industries-which do
get a high profile in our mainstream media. Anyway, if you don’t have time
to read this report, you should see that your congress person does.
International Joint <http://www.ijc.org/rel/news/2009/090928_e.htm>
Commission - News room IJC Releases 14th Biennial Report WINDSOR, Ontario -
The International Joint Commission today released its Fourteenth
<http://www.ijc.org/php/publications/pdf/ID1631.pdf> Biennial Report on
Great Lakes Water Quality. Under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
(Article VII), the International Joint Commission reports to the federal,
state and provincial governments biennially concerning its findings on
their progress toward achieving the Agreement’s general and specific
objectives. The Commission’s report, which is released to the public, is
also to assess the effectiveness of programs and other measures undertaken
pursuant to the Agreement
* 9/30/09 - Arctic snow and ice is melting fast and portents change
from global warming. Get the facts from the experts as they monitor this
concern National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) <http://nsidc.org/> "We
support research into our world's frozen realms: the snow, ice, glacier,
frozen ground, and climate interactions that make up Earth's cryosphere.
Scientific data, whether taken in the field or relayed from satellites
orbiting Earth, form the foundation for the scientific research that
informs the world about our planet and our climate systems. "
* 9/30/09 - Finally our Genesee
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/genesee_river.htm> River is getting
some specialized attention with this group: Genesee River Wilds <http://www.
geneseeriverwilds.org/wp/?page_id=3> Project "The Genesee River Wilds
Project is a coalition of groups and individuals who invest time, energy,
funding, and other resources in the development of an environmentally
sustainable system of natural parks concentrated along the Genesee River in
the “Genesee River Wilds.” This phrase refers to the Genesee River and
its watershed from the river’s sources in Potter County, Pennsylvania, to
the southern boundary of Letchworth State Park in New York State. The
Genesee River Wilds Project represents and partners with federal, state,
county, municipal, and non-profit organizations; business corporations;
educational institutions; landowners; farmers; anglers; hunters; hikers;
mountain bikers; kayak and canoe enthusiasts; and many others who
participate in various official and unofficial ways. The coalition works
to improve the health of the upper Genesee River and its watershed; protect
them from future environmental threats; and enhance their recreational
potential. "
* 9/29/09 - Turn off your TV and turn on your podcasting. One of the
sources for global environmental news that I check often is this weekly
podcast fromhttp://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,,266,00.html called: Living
<http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,2571682,00.html> Planet: Environment
Matters Around the World | Living Planet | Deutsche Welle | 21.05.2009
"Explore the environmental issues facing the world today. This prize-
winning weekly program brings you environmental news, background reports,
interviews and features from our international network of correspondents."
* 9/29/09 - Malaria could be here too: It's interesting to see this
in the news Roberts <http://www.mpnnow.com/homepage/x576526036/Roberts-
Wesleyan-students-to-raise-awareness-of-malaria> Wesleyan students to
raise awareness of malaria - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow (September 26, 09) as
one of the predictions of Global Warming for the Northeast is the possible
emergence of malaria. Warmer temperatures in our area will allow the
vectors for malaria, mosquitoes carrying the virus, to move into areas
previously too cold. Those thinking that Global Warming might be a respite
from our nasty winter have to think of other things that come with a warmer
climate. For more about the consequences of thing warming up in NY, read:
Confronting
<http://www.climatechoices.org/assets/documents/climatechoices/new-
york_necia.pdf> Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast --from
<http://www.ucsusa.org/> Union of Concerned Scientists
* Night of Nets - <http://www.nightofnets.org/whatisnightofnets.php>
What is Night of Nets? Through the Night of Nets, you'll be part of a
movement to end malaria by organizing an event to raise awareness and, when
possible, inviting participants to sleep the entire night under a bed net.
By raising funds to provide nets for children in need and calling on our
elected leaders to take action, we'll help stop this child killer in our
lifetime.
* 9/27/09 As if it weren’t enough: Besides all other reasons why
getting our way of life to be sustainable is going to be problematical (the
dysfunctional media, political agendas, bug-eyed ideology, people too busy,
too many people wanting stuff, over population, other grave issues ((like
war, poverty, Recession, disasters, you name it)), we cannot forget simple
everyday evil. Those dedicated to flaunt and circumvent humanity’s
efforts to make our existence sustainable to make a quick buck will
undermine much of what the rest of us are trying to do. Just making laws to
protect our environment is one thing; getting everyone to comply is
another. For whatever reason some people transgress attempts by the rest of
us to curb our footprints on our planet, it’s quite outside the whole
spectrum of reason, science, education, and the collected efforts of
millions to clean up our environment to deal with outright criminality.
It’s as if it weren’t difficult enough to change the habits of six
billions peoples so that life can thrive, we have to do this while a
relative few purposely work against all mankind’s good efforts. I know,
it’s human nature. But, one way or another Nature will weed out these
quirks in our species. Check out this sad news: Smuggling
<http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/science/earth/27waste.html?_r=2&hp>
Europe’s Waste to Poorer Countries - NYTimes.com Exporting waste illegally
to poor countries has become a vast and growing international business, as
companies try to minimize the costs of new environmental laws, like those
here, that tax waste or require that it be recycled or otherwise disposed
of in an environmentally responsible way. (September 26, 2009) The New York
Times - <http://global.nytimes.com/> Breaking News, World News & Multimedia
___________________________________________________
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.
* 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
* 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 6th 6th Room 202 Schenk Hall Daemen
College 4380 Main Street, Amherst
* The WNY Sustainable Energy Association presents: Building New
York's Solar Economy Where We Are, Where We Need to Go, and How to Get
There A talk by Ron Kamen President, New York Solar Energy Industries
Association, http://www.nyseia.org/ Senior Vice-President, EarthKind Solar
7:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 6th Room 202 Schenk Hall Daemen College 4380
Main Street, Amherst Schenk Hall is across from the Wick Campus Center.
See campus map for location and free parking on campus: The
<http://www.daemen.edu/about/visit/Documents/CampMapHandiCap%2008-09.pdf>
Map. Ron Kamen, President of the New York Solar Energy Industries
Association, NYSEIA, http://www.nyseia.org/, is senior VP of EarthKind
Solar (http://www.earthkindenergy.com/), the leading solar thermal energy
company in New York. Ron began his career as an energy policy expert in
the 1980s when he worked to create Demand Side Management programs that
gave the utility industry a financial incentive to invest in energy
efficiency, spurring New York's current multi-billion dollar efficiency
programs. In the 1990s, Ron developed energy efficiency projects with
Fortune 1000 companies and government entities, and from 2000 - 2006 he
played a key role in creating NY's wind power market, helping propel growth
from 50 MWs to over 1,000 MWs of wind energy today. For more information,
contact Walter Simpson at encon...@buffalo.edu or (716) 839-0062. Event co-
sponsored by the WNY Climate Action Coalition.
* 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
<http://www.rochesterenvironment.com/PDF%20files/Brochure%20F'09%20v4%...
7.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'śuvres 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--
WERoO3qDLJbV9mXrbKY8OOvxX0rqZlf_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-
YsmnfH8E9aVKZTOYRBMOuMXQgkm34XGLHrKVjkN4aiHL23I0g83MqE5khME0Gb-
j0BJyjBK9e2Dz7pab3RZbOiQU-5eMM-KAXK5makJymc2bycqmAdH89miQ9ClAs_VtFCRtxQgW-
5g==> form and return with your check. Attendance fee of $50 per person
include d'śuvres, 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
<http://www.fmce.org> of Monroe County Environmentalists, League
<http://www.lwv-rma.org/> of Women Voters, 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: During the week of October 4 to 10, 2009
* Curb <http://www.colorbrightongreen.org/site/index.php?page=curb-
your-car-week> Your Car Week - Color Brighton Green “Way to Go” is a
nationwide program encouraging the use of cheaper, healthier, and more
earth-friendly transportation alternatives. During the week of October 4 to
10, 2009, if you normally use an automobile for daily transportation,
please consider walking, biking, car pooling, or riding the bus as
alternatives. --from Home <http://www.colorbrightongreen.org/site> Page -
Color Brighton Green
* 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 information on
<http://www.epa.gov/superfund/greenremediation> 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.]
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