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RENewsletter | January29, 2012

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Rochester Environmental News Examiner

RENewsletter | January29, 2012

The Free environmental newsletter from RochesterEnvironment.com

“Our Environment is changing: Keep up with the Change.”

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[01/22/2012 – 01/29/2012]

* Got news? | Go to my blog: Environmental Thoughts - Rochester, NY or Tweet me @ http://twitter.com/#!/FrankRrrr   On Twitter and Facebook and Examiner/RochesterEnvironment, I post local environmental events, news, and commentary as soon as it happens.  If you think this newsletter, which continually informs our community on our local environmental news, events, actions, is worthwhile, please encourage others to sign up.  We need to Occupy the Rochester media to change how the public views environmental news.

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The great conundrum of our times is that in a time of rapidly occurring Climate Change and a rapid disintegration of the environment that we need to thrive and survive, mainstream media still marginalizes environmental concerns. [Check often for this continually updated list on the possible consequences of Climate Change in our region--supported by facts.] If there isn’t a quick and substantial change in how environmental concerns are reported, edited, and chosen in mainstream media, the public will continue to believe that environmental concerns are merely special interest matters, issues they can avoid if they choose.  How can we inform the public and monitor our environment without abridging our Freedoms--in enough time to safe ourselves?

Anything else you're interested in is not going to happen if you can't breathe the air and drink the water. Don't sit this one out. Do something. You are by accident of fate alive at an absolutely critical moment in the history of our planet. -- Carl Sagan

Opening Salvo | NewsLinks | Daily Updates | Events | Environmental Site of the Month | Take Action |

[Hyperlinks work by CTRL + click to follow a link]

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Opening Salvo:  “In your face Climate Change for the Rochester, NY region: Gardening changes.”

There a many, many Likely Changes coming to the Rochester, NY region because of Climate Change.  But because of the relatively slow nature of Climate Change it’s often easy to deceive yourself that it is not really happening.  (I say ‘relatively slow nature of Climate Change’ because only from our human daily awareness outlook is Climate Change proceeding slowly; from a geological standpoint Climate Change is hurling itself upon us with frightening rapidity.) You look around Rochester, NY now and you feel a very warm, wet winter that certainly haunts the skiing, skating, ice fishing, and snowmobile businesses—and those who grew up with colder winters with more snow.  Is all this the new normal for January?

Yet, even with the insects buzzing around in January there is no proof that this warm winter is a direct effect of Climate Change.  It’s complicated, but only for those who haven’t been paying attention to the most important issue of this century. 

There are far too many folks who don’t ‘get it’ on Climate Change because their political party doesn’t want them to ‘get it’ or a zillion other loony reasons.  There may be some who actually like this warm weather where they don’t have to shovel and where for decades they’ve been holing themselves up in their homes until spring arrives.  Secretly, they must be thinking to themselves that this warming might be a good thing—for them. 

However, there is one phenomenon that cannot be ignored by even the staunchest Climate Change deniers, some who have helped the fossil fuel industry confuse what the world knows about the laws of physics and heat and sun light and greenhouse gases. 

That phenomenon is the change in growing seasons.  If you depend on growing stuff in our area and continue to believe that your region’s climate is not warming up, you’re going to have problems.  You’re going to be planting the wrong stuff at the wrong time:

Gardening Map Of Warming U.S. Has Plant Zones Moving North : The Salt : NPR It's official: Gardeners and farmers can count on warmer weather. If that's you, it might be a good time to rethink those flower and vegetable beds for this year's growing season. That's the word from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which released a new version of its "Plant Hardiness Zone Map" this week, the first update since 1990. The color-coded zones on this map of the United States are widely used as a guide for what perennial flowers will survive in a particular area, or when to plant your vegetables.  (January 26, 2012) Environment : NPR

When you see stories like this, where a major US department is changing the growing season maps, it’s got to put shivers down your spine.  Not because you now have to take the trouble to actually check the maps before you plant seeds, but because of the larger implications that Climate Change is happening.  This is what the Climate Change deniers really fear:  Climate Change is package deal—like evolution.  It’s a re-framing of the way you understand reality.  When you ‘get it’ on Climate Change, you have to understand the whole deal, because everything will be changing, not just planting schedules.  It’s like when you sign up to join the military, you didn’t just get a really neat uniform—you’ve made a major commitment that you cannot walk away from.

That’s the way it is with Climate Change and the media.  You cannot keep something as big as Climate Change quiet and expect that the deniers will be able to spin every story their way.  At some point, because of the myriad effects of Climate Change, there will be at least one description of the changes going on due to our atmosphere warming up where you find a news item and go: “Holly Mackerel!,  it’s true!”

 I think this growing season map by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is going to be that moment for some people. Gardening is the most popular outdoor activity in the United States.   Who wants to look like an idiot planting things at the wrong time?  How do you explain to yourself that when it comes to planning seeds in your garden Climate Change is true, but when you shop, plan for your children’s future, vote for the next president, and buy a house that may soon be a flood plain that it’s all hogwash? 

Climate Change is happening and it is the lens from which we must view all human activity in the future—how we plan our cities, plan our transportation and telecommunications infrastructures, protect our fresh water, and much, much more. 

FrankRegan@RochesterEnvironment.com  (Click on my email for feedback)

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NewsLinks– Environmental NewsLinks – [Highlights of major environmental stories concerning our area from the past week]

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Updates– Daily Updates – [Connecting the dots on Rochester’s environment. Find out what’s going on environmentally in our area—and why you should care? Clicking on -DISCUSSION – will take you to my blog “Environmental Thoughts, NY, where you can add your comments.]

  • 1/28/2012 - One of the aspects of Climate Change that we don’t talk about enough is that the oceans are absorbing most of the carbon dioxide that we are releasing into the atmosphere. Among other unstable effects, like causing hurricanes because of warmer waters, is acidification. Rapidly changing the Ph in our oceans is probably not a good thing:Yale Environment 360: Ocean Acidity Rise Unprecedented in Past 21,000 Years, Researchers Say in Past 21,000 Years, Researchers Say Carbon dioxide emissions caused by human activities over the last century have increased the acidity of the world’s oceans far beyond the range of natural variations, which may significantly impair the ability of marine organisms such as corals and mollusks to form their skeletons or shells, a new study says. (January 23, 2012) Yale Environment 360: Opinion, Analysis, Reporting & Debate [more on Climate Change in our area]
  • 1/27/2012 - Something wicked this way comes with fossil fuels:Breaking News | InsideClimate News Critics are attacking Canada's energy strategy after internal documents shed new light on the extent of federal efforts to advocate for the oil sands industry.
  • 1/27/2012 - Learn about sewage pollution in our region from Citizens Campaign for the Environment - New York and Connecticut Environmental Protection Preservation and Advocacy. This is scary when you know “The top nine beaches in NYS that had the most days that exceeded standards for contamination in 2010 were ALL Great Lakes beaches;’’ and that “There is currently no law requiring public notification if a sewage overflow has contaminated a local beach, waterway, or entered a community in either New York State or Connecticut.” Learn more and then act: Sewage Pollution - Citizens Campaign for the Environment "Many communities in New York State, Connecticut, and throughout the nation are served by aging and dilapidated sewage infrastructure. When our sewage infrastructure is not properly operated or maintained, billions of gallons of untreated raw sewage can be released in to the environment before reaching a treatment plant. Sewage is primarily discharged into the environment through Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO) and Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO). Separate sewer systems carry only wastewater such as domestic sanitary waste and commercial and industrial waste to a sewage treatment plant. Separate sewers are not designed or intended to carry water such as storm water. SSOs occur in separate systems. Combined sewer systems are built larger than separate sewers so that they can carry two components: wastewater, carried continuously, and runoff, carried after storms. "
  • 1/26/2012 - President Obama mentions ‘Climate Change’ in his State Union Address Last year President Obama avoided using ‘Climate Change’ in his State of the Union Address and focused on clean energy. This year the President did mention Climate Change, but not in a good way: “The differences in this chamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight climate change.” 2012 State Of The Union Address Enhanced Version | The White House#transcript The President’s bowing to the power of the ‘chamber’ when he should be leading the country on Climate Change is disproportional to the concerns coming from our country’s own climate assessments. For example, this report that just came out this month from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with support by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies minces no words on the scale and immediacy of the Climate Change problem. more...
  • 1/25/2012 - I saw Urbanized at the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) and it was very entertaining and informative. Find out how many communities around the globe and dealing with a world that is becoming predominately urbanized. Ubanized, February 2, 2012, 7PM film, 8PM discussion @ The Little Theatre, 240 East Ave Rochester, NY 14607 Greentopia Film: Urbanized "Urbanized is a feature-length documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world’s foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers. Over half the world’s population now lives in an urban area, and 75% will call a city home by 2050. But while some cities are experiencing explosive growth, others are shrinking. The challenges of balancing housing, mobility, public space, civic engagement, economic development, and environmental policy are fast becoming universal concerns. Yet much of the dialogue on these issues is disconnected from the public domain. Who is allowed to shape our cities, and how do they do it? Unlike many other fields of design, cities aren’t created by any one specialist or expert. There are many contributors to urban change, including ordinary citizens who can have a great impact improving the cities in which they live. By exploring a diverse range of urban design projects around the world, Urbanized frames a global discussion on the future of cities. Urbanized is the third part of Gary Hustwit’s design film trilogy, joining Helvetica and Objectified. "
  • 1/25/2012 - How will Fracking affect our communities? Check it out: SHALE GAS EXTRACTION IN WESTERN NY: Exploring Community Impacts & Implications for Our Towns 7PM, Tuesday, January 31, 2012 West Bloomfield Congregational Church 9035 Route 5 & 20, West Bloomfield, NY 14585 (corner of Route 5 & 20 and County Road 37) This presentation is free and open to the public Presenter: Arthur J. Buckley, County Planner for the County of Wyoming Hosts: The Community Information Committee of West Bloomfield Press Release attached For more information contact: communityinfocommittee@gmail.com
  • 1/24/2012 - The scientist: Jim Hansen risks handcuffs to make his research clear — The Daily Climate NASA's chief climate scientist built his career studying Earth's atmosphere and modeling humans' potential impacts on climate. Then he realized that laboratory work wasn't enough. (January 24, 2012) The Daily Climate
  • 1/24/2012 - Biggest construction project in the Rochester, NY region since the untangling of the Can of Worms could be an opportunity for Active Transportation (bicycles and walking) for our area. Check this out:Let NYSDOT know what YOU Think about the Access 390 project that could connect UR, RIT, and MCC with the City! | Rochester Cycling Alliance "An Active Transportation Network for the Rochester Multiversity. Jon Schull, co-founder Rochester Cycling Alliance With small modifications, a proposed “Access 390″ highway project could bind Rochester’s three major universities with several multi-use trails and bikeways, and move us toward a future that is more ecological, economical, healthful, and energy-independent. It could really happen…but we have to ask for it! The New York State Department of Transportation’s (NYSDOT) is accepting written comments from the public until January 31 (see below), and NYSDOT officials at the meeting seemed genuinely receptive to constructive suggestions backed up by citizen support. This is a big opportunity! " Rochester Cycling Alliance
  • 1/23/2012 - There’s no environmental freight to throw overboard; it’s a Fracking delusion Environmental issues are riddled with examples of why our environmental infrastructure must remain intact for us humans to have a sustainable future. I mean intact in the way that 4 billion years of biology and evolution on this planet has fit every little piece of our environmental puzzle together resulting in our specie’s appearance and survival. Deep ecology recognizes that our environment is not just about us. Take biodiversity for example. If we carve up our environment for our particular immediate needs, we threaten our environment’s ability to rebound after a disaster—say extreme weather. A disease could rip through our monocultures, like the potato blight, and leave our agriculture crippled. Allowing other plants and animals to survive gives our environment a cushion against a complete collapsed when things go awry. more...
  • 1/23/2012 - ACTION: Got ideas on how we should solve Climate Change? How important are nature’s services (one of them being LIFE) are to you? The Public Review Draft of the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is now available for public review and comment. You have until March 5th, 2012 to submit comment via mail, web, or in person. NFWP Climate Adaptation Strategy "The Public Review Draft of the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is now available for public review and comment. To ensure that we are able to consider your comments, we must receive them by March 5, 2012. You can submit your comments through the web, by mail, or in person. Learn how to submit your comments here. Public workshops will be conducted at several locations around the country to provide additional opportunities for public comment and discussion of the draft. Please visit our Public Workshops page for more information. In addition, a free, public online web conference or webinar will also be held. Learn more and sign up here. "
  • 1/21/2012 ACTION: Chime in on helping to identify ways to reduce packaging waste, increase recycling, and reduce the overall impact of packaging materials on the environment—by February 9th, 2012. Dialogue on Sustainable Financing of Recycling: Dialogue Report on Consumer Packaging | Resource Conservation | US EPA "Stakeholder Dialogue Report The participants in the dialogue were tasked with producing a report that discusses multiple strategies for financing municipal recycling systems focusing on consumer packaging. While the report is a result of an EPA-convened dialogue, the report is a work product of the dialogue participants, and not of EPA. Reference to any specific company or commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favoring by the United States Government. EPA invites you to review and comment on the report. Final Report of the Dialogue on Sustainable Financing of Recycling of Packaging at the Municipal Level (PDF) (128 pp, 872K) How to Submit Comments EPA will accept comments on this report for until February 9, 2012 . The docket for this rulemaking is EPA-HQ-RCRA-2011-0912 and can be accessed at Regulations.gov. Comments on the report will be collected into a companion document, and made available here. EPA will review all comments received and consider them in any future actions, but does not plan to formally respond to comments on the final report. Related Materials Issue Assessment: Sustainable Financing for Recycling of Packaging Materials (PDF) (20 pp, 119 K)Dialogue Meeting Summaries and Presentations "

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Events– Rochester 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: FrankRegan@RochesterEnvironment.com with (EV event) in the subject line.

January 2012

  • 7PM, Tuesday, January 31, 2012 West Bloomfield Congregational Church 9035 Route 5 & 20, West Bloomfield, NY 14585 (corner of Route 5 & 20 and County Road 37)
    • SHALE GAS EXTRACTION IN WESTERN NY: Exploring Community Impacts & Implications for Our Towns 7PM, Tuesday, January 31, 2012 West Bloomfield Congregational Church 9035 Route 5 & 20, West Bloomfield, NY 14585 (corner of Route 5 & 20 and County Road 37) This presentation is free and open to the public Presenter: Arthur J. Buckley, County Planner for the County of Wyoming Hosts: The Community Information Committee of West Bloomfield Press Release attached For more information contact: communityinfocommittee@gmail.com

February 2012

  • February 2, 2012, 7PM film, 8PM discussion @ The Little Theatre, 240 East Ave Rochester, NY 14607
    • Greentopia Film: Urbanized "Urbanized is a feature-length documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world’s foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers. Over half the world’s population now lives in an urban area, and 75% will call a city home by 2050. But while some cities are experiencing explosive growth, others are shrinking. The challenges of balancing housing, mobility, public space, civic engagement, economic development, and environmental policy are fast becoming universal concerns. Yet much of the dialogue on these issues is disconnected from the public domain. Who is allowed to shape our cities, and how do they do it? Unlike many other fields of design, cities aren’t created by any one specialist or expert. There are many contributors to urban change, including ordinary citizens who can have a great impact improving the cities in which they live. By exploring a diverse range of urban design projects around the world, Urbanizedframes a global discussion on the future of cities. Urbanized is the third part of Gary Hustwit’s design film trilogy, joining Helvetica and Objectified. "
  • Learn about how water will factor in our future: Monday, February 6th, 2012, 6:30 to 8:30PM | Henrietta Library, 455 Calkins Road, Rochester, NY 14625.
    • Climate Change is an issue of HOW we life. Water Wars are an issue if we life. Will Water be “the oil of the 21 century?” Why do people spend up to 4,000 times more for bottled water… when the purity is less than regulated tap water? Who will stop large multi-national corporations from taking over the world’s water supply? Blue Gold : World Water Wars The Great Lakes Committee of the Rochester Sierra Club will be hosting Blue Gold: World Water Wars. Whether you are new to the topic or a long time advocate for water issues, Please join us for this film and discussion about the issue of water privatization. These showing are free and open to the public. For questions: greatlakes@newyork.sierraclub.org
  • Tuesday, February 7, 2012 Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Where: Workers United Union Hall, 750 East Avenue, Rochester 14607
    • A Solar Jobs Act for New York Transitioning to a New Solar Economy Come and hear the experts and join in on the discussion When: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Where: Workers United Union Hall, 750 East Avenue, Rochester 14607 In his State-of-the State message, Governor Cuomo announced his New York Sun initiative to increase the deployment of solar energy in New York State. He reiterated this commitment in his Executive Budget with sales tax breaks targeted to commercial solar installations and for solar equipment leases. Meanwhile, the NY State Legislature has been working on its own versions of a solar jobs act. Come and hear more about these initiatives and offer your own views about how to increase solar energy deployment and component manufacturing in New York. For more information contact Bill Bastuk at 585-503-6826 or wbastuk@rochester.rr.com For directions to the Forum, click here. There is no charge for this event "
  • February 8th, 2012 6:30pm | Monroe Branch Library 809 Monroe Avenue Rochester, NY 14607
    • Winter Garden Symposium Wide Water Gardens, The City of Rochester and the Monroe Library are teaming up to help you get ready for the 2012 gardening season. Come to swap seeds, pick up free plant materials, rent a community garden plot and get all kinds of great gardening tips. No experience required! Reservations appreciated, so adequate materials can be provided.

April 2012

  • Friday, April 27, 2012 At "The Links" in East Syracuse, New York
    • Eighth Annual Symposium on Energy in the 21st Century | DescriptionofSymposium A Division of Synapse Sustainability Trust Inc. Looking Ahead to a Future in Renewable Energy A Local & Global Perspective Friday, April 27, 2012 At "The Links" in East Syracuse, New York Symposium on April 27, 2012. Registration opens today. This Symposium is noted as one of the most important energy conferences in the Northeast. This will be a very well attended Symposium and I encourage you to register ASAP. Last year we closed registration early at 360 attendees. This year we are going global, and including successful models of energy sustainability from other countries. Ruggero Schleicher-Tappeser, will be flying in from Berlin exclusively for this Symposium to speak Germany's success in using renewable energy, particularly solar voltaic. Willett Kempton, Ph.D, Visiting Professor at Denmarks Tekniske Universitet, will be speaking on Denmark's model, particularly in wind energy. Other esteemed speakers include Garry Brown, Chairman PSC, Laura Morton, Senior Advisor for Renewable Energy, U.S.D.O.E, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Paul Tonko, Congressman, Nathanael Green, Director of Renewable Energy Policy, NRDC, Michael Gerrard, Director Climate Center, Columbia Law School, and Kit Kennedy, Counsel to Air & Energy Program, NRDC, who will be the moderator. Our keynote will be Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Included in the program is greetings from Frank Murray, President & CEO NYSERDA, and Joe Martens and, Commisioner DEC. We are giving a special award to Joanie Mahoney, County Executive of Onondaga County for her exceptional work. This will be a landmark Symposium!!

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Action– Take 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: January 30, 2012
  • ACTION Due Date: in Albany, NY Monday January 23, 2012
    • Take Action on Fracking: "Do you care about New York's waters and communities? Are you worried about the risks industrial gas drilling by means of fracking poses to our shared environment? Then join us for the 2012 Fracking Day of Action! When: Monday, January 23, 2012 Where: Albany, New York Register: Click here to register Join residents and organizations from across the state to rally and talk with legislators about fracking! The day will start with a rally in the New York State Legislature and will be followed with legislative visits. Join us on this exciting day to bring your voice to Albany and express your concerns about fracking. You must register for your legislative visits. Click here to register. Need a ride? Buses will be coming from different parts of the state. Below, bus captains' information is listed – please email them for additional information, including departure points, times, and cost. You must register separately for buses and lobby visits. Long Island – Tara Bono – tbono@citizenscampaign.org Syracuse/CNY – Lauren Petrie – lpetrie@citizenscampaign.org ***If you are a bus captain or organizing a bus and would like to have your information listed here, please email Lauren Petrie at lpetrie@citizenscampaign.org. Thank you for your support! We hope to see you there! The New York Water Rangers P.S. Are you on Facebook? Help us spread the word by sharing this Facebook event! The 2012 Fracking Day of Action is sponsored by: Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, EARTHWORKS, Environmental Advocates of New York, Riverkeeper, Gas Drilling Awareness for Cortland County (GDACC), and Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter.
  • ACTION: Due Date February 9th, 2012
  • ACTION:Due Date Now
  • ACTION: Due Date: March 5, 2012
    • NFWP Climate Adaptation Strategy "The Public Review Draft of the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is now available for public review and comment. To ensure that we are able to consider your comments, we must receive them by March 5, 2012. You can submit your comments through the web, by mail, or in person. Learn how to submit your comments here. Public workshops will be conducted at several locations around the country to provide additional opportunities for public comment and discussion of the draft. Please visit our Public Workshops page for more information. In addition, a free, public online web conference or webinar will also be held. Learn more and sign up here. "
  • ACTION: Due Date: Now
    • Sewage Pollution - Citizens Campaign for the Environment "Many communities in New York State, Connecticut, and throughout the nation are served by aging and dilapidated sewage infrastructure. When our sewage infrastructure is not properly operated or maintained, billions of gallons of untreated raw sewage can be released in to the environment before reaching a treatment plant. Sewage is primarily discharged into the environment through Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO) and Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO). Separate sewer systems carry only wastewater such as domestic sanitary waste and commercial and industrial waste to a sewage treatment plant. Separate sewers are not designed or intended to carry water such as storm water. SSOs occur in separate systems. Combined sewer systems are built larger than separate sewers so that they can carry two components: wastewater, carried continuously, and runoff, carried after storms. How you can help: Email your state representatives. Urge them to support a Sewage Pollution Right-to-Know law. Sewage overflows put our environment, economy, and health at risk; and we deserve the right to know when they occur. "
  • ACTION: Due date: Now
  • Action: Due Date - Now

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Award– Environmental 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.]

Get the most important news of the day and monitor your environment--continually. This newsletter provides you with the news you need, not simply the news you want--like most other media services.
Get the most important news of the day and monitor your environment--continually. This newsletter provides you with the news you need, not simply the news you want--like most other media services.
Photo credit: 
Photos by Frank J. Regan

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, Rochester Environmental News Examiner

Frank is the former chairperson of the Rochester Sierra Club, conservation chair and communications chair. He now is the webmaster of that group, and heads two committees: transportation and zero waste. Frank also volunteers for the Center for Environmental Information, writing grants, project...

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