| News That Matters "Middle age is when you've met so many people that every new person you meet reminds you of someone else." - Ogden Nash Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us. Good Tuesday Morning, The purpose of the meeting is to hold a Public Scoping Session and to receive Public Comment on the Draft Scoping Document, which has been prepared to outline the contents of issues the developer must address in the required Draft Environmental Impact Statement.New Stormwater Guidance Documents from the Center for Watershed Protection Under grants from EPA, the Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) has developed two new documents that will be of interest to stormwater managers and staff around the country. First, CWP has developed a new manual called "Municipal Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping Practices (Manual 9)." This manual presents practical, "how to" guidance for developing and implementing pollution prevention practices at municipal facilities and operations such as public works yards, parks, road maintenance and repair, and many others. Second, CWP has developed a new document called "Monitoring to Demonstrate Environmental Results: Guidance to Develop Local Stormwater Monitoring Studies Using Six Example Study Designs." This document, a joint production with the University of Alabama, presents the broad concepts and methods behind setting up special monitoring studies in support of the NPDES stormwater permitting program. The monitoring study presents a range of options for municipalities to consider depending their goals, objectives, and budgets. Both of these documents are available for free download at www.cwp.org Another NYJN pop-up ad alert: When you click over the words "community" and "environment" in this article you get a popup ad for.... ExxonMobil. And now, the News:
Putnam food pantry grows green and healthyMarcela RojasThe Journal News BREWSTER -A local food pantry has taken on the challenge to "go green" and to offer its clients more healthy food choices. Rosemarie Bahr, executive director of the Putnam Community Action Program, said their food pantry has recently started to make the transition with help from the community. It is proving to be a success, she said. "Through more outreach efforts, we're trying to help families live healthier lifestyles as well as take care of the environment," Bahr said this week. Putnam CAP recently received a donation of 500 reusable bags from Trader Joe's in Danbury, Conn. The organization was using 12,000 plastic bags a year, Bahr said. They would like to have an additional 1,500 more reusable shopping bags to serve its client base, she said. CAP's food pantry sees approximately 300 Putnam County families, or about 1,000 people, per month. Read More A Congress That Can Say "No!"posted by John Nichols on 09/29/2008 @ 7:33pmTexas Congressman Lloyd Doggett, one of the few members of the US House with a steady track record of keeping his head at chaotic moments, was not impressed by the fact that the Bush White House and Democratic and Republican congressional leaders had come together to support a $700 billion bailout plan for Wall Street's worst players. "Like the Iraq War and the Patriot Act, this bill is fueled by fear and haste," declared Doggett, a former jurist who has a habit of keeping his head when others in the House fail to do so. What was different this time was that the populist Democrat with a record of casting votes that do not come to embarrass him, was on the winning side of the House division. Unlike 2001, when the White House and congressional leaders forged a bipartisan combination to pass the Patriot Act; unlike 2002, when the powerful players in the executive and legislative branches crossed party lines to form a united front to give President Bush unprecedented war-making powers, the fight over the bailout plan that was backed by President Bush, Vice President Cheney and the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate finished differently. In one of the last monumental votes of an era of legislative dysfunction, courage and prudence prevailed over fear and haste. The coalition that rejected the bailout bill by a 228-205 vote Monday was truly bipartisan. Read More The Catskills Gas RushBy David FranceIt was a weekend house—until I got a letter from the landman, telling me I was living on a huge, untapped source of natural gas. Riches beckoned. How much were my environmental principles really worth? I first learned of the natural-gas land rush that is gripping some of the most scenic areas of New York and Pennsylvania when a thick envelope arrived in my upstate mailbox. The letter, signed by someone named Daniel F. Glassmire VI, was written in an ostentatiously baroque language that, as even he seemed to acknowledge in a dense preamble, could be mistaken for gibberish. I didn’t understand it at all until I corrected his punctuation and read it out loud. “Hello,” it began. “My name is Danny, a young man in the way of prospecting, for about 14 months wet behind the ears but now and again really sharpening this experience of newness. Through all that—or anything else of importance (or trivia)—I would really like you to get an involved look-see into the dimensions of this Leasing proposal … I would clearly within this matter really look forward to meeting, if it would be possible, you at your residence for as long as you like, and for remaining in communication as many times as would follow for you in the best assurances of clarity. You are the decision-maker. The only possible goal would be to keep to your decision. What I have to show you is a mere compliment to where you go in decisions, and what is said through any presentation only has influence through your clear and finalizing decisions. It should hopefully be fun enough, as it ought to remain, regardless of turnout, as the stuff of interest.” Read More Highlands Coalition Executive Director to Step DownTO: Highlands Coalition Members Visit the Highlands Coalition's Website DEC GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR ERADICATION OF INVASIVE SPECIESFor Release: IMMEDIATE Contact: Lori O’ConnellThursday, September 23, 2008 (518) 402-8000 Deadline for Applications is October 31, 2008 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today announced that grant applications are now being accepted for projects proposing to eradicate terrestrial invasive species. Terrestrial invasive species is defined as a plant or animal that lives or grows predominately on land. Applications will be accepted until October 31, 2008 “New York State’s natural environment is threatened by an increasing number of invasive, exotic species,” said Commissioner Grannis. “DEC recognizes the need for control and management of non-native species and is committed to helping our communities protect natural resources by funding eradication projects that control and prevent the spread of these threats.” DEC is making up to $1 million in state grants available to municipalities and not-for-profit organizations for projects to eradicate and/or permanently remove infestations of terrestrial invasive species throughout the state. The funding for these grants was secured in the 2008-09 enacted state budget, through the Environmental Protection Fund. State funds can be used to pay for up to one-half of the cost of selected projects. Individual grants for terrestrial eradication proposals will be awarded for projects that range from $2,500, up to $100,000. Invasive species are non-native species that can cause harm to the environment and may result in ecological or economic problems. Some terrestrial invasive plants, such as garlic mustard flower and Giant hogweed, were introduced in New York State by individuals who purposely brought them back from foreign habitats. Various species of terrestrial invasive insects, such as the Sirex wood wasp and the Asian Longhorn Beetle, also “hitchhiked” to New York in wooden shipping crates from foreign points of origin. One common way many of these insect pests are moved around the country - beyond their natural rate of spread based on biology and flight potential - is on firewood carried by campers, hunters and other users of state forests. People may not be aware they are moving the eggs or larvae of these pests, which may be hidden on or under the bark or buried deep within the logs. Once transported to new locations, eggs may hatch, or larvae may mature and emerge to attack host trees in and around the area. DEC advises people not to transport firewood to campgrounds or parks in an effort to limit the spread of invasive insect species and improve forest health. Control and management of invasive species are critical and challenging environmental concerns. Invasive species harm ecosystems, food supplies, landscaping, industry and infrastructure and have the potential to cause millions of dollars of damage to our public and private forests. They can rapidly and dramatically reshape the landscape of New York State while causing a threat to the state’s biodiversity. More information about how the State is addressing this problem can be found at http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/28722.html on the DEC website or by calling 1-866-640-0652 The 2008-09 enacted state budget includes $5 million in the Environmental Protection Fund to implement New York State’s Invasive Species Task Force recommendations. For more information on the task force, visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6989.html . Application materials for Invasive Species Eradication Grants have been mailed to municipalities throughout the state. Copies are also available on the DEC website or by calling DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests at (518) 402-9425. All project applications must be postmarked by October 31, 2008. Plans for Vertical Mall UnderwayMID-WILSHIRE DISTRICT (KABC) -- Get ready for a new Los Angeles mall that promises not to contribute to urban sprawl. Plans are going ahead for L.A.'s first "Vertical Mall." Developers hope to complete the seven-story mall on Wilshire Blvd. at Vermont Ave. by 2011. But not everyone is pleased.Never mind the traffic on the ground -- a Los Angeles developer is looking toward the sky with plans to build a vertical mall seven stories tall, with as many as 100 stores, rooftop restaurants and theaters. The site is near the bustling intersection of Wilshire Blvd. and Vermont Ave. The Metro Red Line station is a short walk away. "We have enough stores," said passerby Judy Iott. "We have The Grove, we have downtown, Beverly Center, so I don't about the necessity of having another mall, and half the stores empty because of the economy, it's kind of foolish." Read More Solar Cell Sets World Efficiency Record At 40.8 PercentScienceDaily (Sep. 30, 2008) — Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have set a world record in solar cell efficiency with a photovoltaic device that converts 40.8 percent of the light that hits it into electricity. This is the highest confirmed efficiency of any photovoltaic device to date.The inverted metamorphic triple-junction solar cell was designed, fabricated and independently measured at NREL. The 40.8 percent efficiency was measured under concentrated light of 326 suns. One sun is about the amount of light that typically hits Earth on a sunny day. The new cell is a natural candidate for the space satellite market and for terrestrial concentrated photovoltaic arrays, which use lenses or mirrors to focus sunlight onto the solar cells. The new solar cell differs significantly from the previous record holder – also based on a NREL design. Instead of using a germanium wafer as the bottom junction of the device, the new design uses compositions of gallium indium phosphide and gallium indium arsenide to split the solar spectrum into three equal parts that are absorbed by each of the cell's three junctions for higher potential efficiencies. This is accomplished by growing the solar cell on a gallium arsenide wafer, flipping it over, then removing the wafer. The resulting device is extremely thin and light and represents a new class of solar cells with advantages in performance, design, operation and cost. Read More Alter Eco House is a Marvel of Green BuildingCalifornia's First LEED Platinum Custom HomeWhen hot green superstar Adrian Grenier created his exciting show Alter Eco with Planet Green and supermodel Angela Lindvall, he knew he wanted to set the first part of the show against a backdrop featuring his passion for green building. Grenier enlisted the help of Los Angeles-based contractor Richard Byrd of Byrd Development, who had recently plunged into the fast-paced world of sustainable design. "This was our first green project, and we knocked it out in 14 weeks to stay in line with Alter Eco's shooting schedule," Byrd told TDG via phone. "It is the first custom-built LEED-certified platinum home in California." Byrd explains that the goal for the house was a gorgeous 1920s-style Spanish manse that would blend in seamlessly with the LA aesthetic. Although the dwelling would boast many cutting-edge, deep green features, the look and feel would be contemporary, and anything but crunchy. Read More Arizona county officials may meet again; public is blocked the first timeCounty officials in Arizona may have to repeat a meeting they held last week in which several protesters and journalists were blocked from entering the room as a vote was held, according to The Associated Press.The Maricopa County Supervisors in Mesa last week voted to cancel a police contract with the nearby town of Guadalupe, drawing the scrutiny of protesters who were angered over local illegal immigration enforcement tactics. According to The AP, some protesters at the meeting spoke out of turn. One protester, Randy Parraz, was escorted out of the building by sheriff’s deputies and others in his group followed him out. Police then blocked the front and side entrances to the meeting for 90 minutes to anyone who wanted in. That's when the county supervisors took their vote. Read More Pennsylvania high court upholds absolute reporter's privilegeA reporter who used a confidential source to report about a grand jury proceeding can keep her source’s identity a secret, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday.The high court ruled that the state shield law grants an absolute privilege to journalists, and protects their source’s identities from compelled disclosure in all cases – civil, criminal and grand jury proceedings. “The Shield Law was enacted to protect the free flow of information to the news media in their role as information providers to the general public,” Chief Justice Ronald Castille wrote. The suit arose when former Scranton Times reporter Jennifer Henn wrote a handful of stories about an investigation into wrongdoing at the Lackawanna County Prison. In her reporting, Henn quoted a confidential source who described secret grand jury testimony from former county commissioners. Read More Army Alters Photographs, Issues Them To APBy Megan McGinleyThe Associated Press retracted two government-issued photographs last night after a photographer in Texas alerted the agency that the photos in question appeared to be doctored.
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Tuesday, September 30, 2008
News That Matters - September 30, 2008
