FORUM: NY State's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act

This Forum is a solutions focused discussion where the audience will hear from policymakers, businesses, social justice advocates, environmentalists, academics, thought leaders and others as they take a deeper dive into the new legislation and what it means to achieving climate neutrality.

  The event is on October 17th from 6-7:30pm at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in downtown Buffalo. Refreshments and a cash bar will be available at 5:30pm. 

 

Registration is mandatory. Please RSVP here:  

https://tinyurl.com/CLCPA2019 

More information can be found at:  

http://www.buffalo.edu/sustainability/keyinitiatives/CLCPA2019.html 

 

 

Sustainability and Justice: The Need for Water Protectors

Distinguished Lecture by

WINONA LADUKE 

~ Water Protector ~

Winona LaDuke - Water Protector

November 16, 2:30pm - 4:45pm,
Center for the Arts Screening Room, UB North Campus [Map].

Refreshments, lecture and discussion,
RSVP Here by Nov. 15.


During the Standing Rock actions against the Dakota Access Oil Pipeline, a new term was born - ‘Water Protector’.  This became the preferred way to talk about the residents of the Standing Rock resistance camps; rather than protestor. 

Water Protectors are not radicals that want us to return the middle ages, but futurists that want a clean, healthy environment for their children and the next seven generations.  In these times of climate chaos and political inaction, we must all be Water Protectors.

Winona LaDuke is a rural development economist and author working on issues of Indigenous Economics, Food and Energy Policy. A graduate of Harvard and Antioch Universities, she has written extensively on Native American and environmental issues.

LaDuke lives and works on the White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota, and is the Executive Director of Honor the Earth. She works nationally and internationally on the issues of climate change, renewable energy, environmental justice and sustainable food systems alongside Indigenous communities.

A presentation in the UB RENEW Distinguished Lecture Series

EVENT: Rise for Climate, Jobs & Justice - Sept.8, 12:30 PM, CANALSIDE, Buffalo

On Saturday, Sept. 8, People will gather in Buffalo to rally along with others across the USA and around the World to demand that local leaders commit to building a fossil-free world that works for all of us.

Join Us at CANALSIDE in Buffalo 

on Saturday, Sept. 8 !

~ For More Information on the Buffalo Rally, go Here ~

Many U.S. cities will rally for Climate, Jobs & Justice on the same day

Rise for Climate, Jobs & Justice is a Global Event

For more information, and to view locations of Rallys across the USA

as well as in other cities around the world, Click Here

 

Lung Association gave an 'F' to Erie and Chautauqua Counties for Ozone -- Increased Heat due to Climate Change is one Contributing Factor

Erie, Chautauqua counties receive 'F' in Lung Association's annual 'State of the Air'

By Nick Lippa  | Apr 18, 2018 | WBFO

The American Lung Association has released their 2018 “State of the Air” report citing air quality has worsened. It found 9.4 million New Yorkers are breathing unhealthy air.

Credit: American Lung Association

Chautauqua and Erie counties both received an "F" grade for high ozone days from 2014 to 2016. Ozone can have a major impact on children and older adults with asthma and other lung diseases. One of the reasons things look worse is because 2016 was the second hottest year in recorded history for most of America.  Increased heat often means increased ozone.

American Lung Association Vice President for National Policy Janice Nolen said great progress has been made over the past two decades, but rising seasonal temperatures could pose a problem in the future.

“With ozone it does vary a lot because of the relationship with the heat,” said Nolen. “It also means that we have to do more to clean it up because we are battling that heat that is growing as a result of climate change. It’s sort of a continuing struggle. When you look at the trend charts we’re heading in the right direction but we are not where we need to be yet.”

There is also a problem of pollution coming from other parts of the country and settling in certain areas. American Lung Association Vice President of Communications for the Northeast Michael Seilback said New York is part of a region that’s become known as the tailpipe of the nation.
“New York and Connecticut both filed comments with the EPA asking them to take action against a power plant in Pennsylvania, whose air pollution in the ozone is traveling and settling over our region,” said Seilback.

While a hot 2016 year caused serious ozone problems for the region, something New York got “A” grades for was short-term and year-round particle pollution maintenance.

Read more at WBFO 

The American Lung Associations's 'State of the Air 2018' report is here.

~    ~    ~

How is Ozone formed at the Ground Level?

Ground-level Ozone ('bad' ozone) is created by chemical reactions between Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the presence of Heat and Sunlight.

Emissions from industrial facilities, electric utilities, motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents are some of the major sources of NOx and VOCs.

How can Ozone affect my Health?

If you have asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema, ozone can make your symptoms worse. Carefully follow your asthma management plan on days when ozone levels are high.

Ozone has also been linked to:

    - Coughing and pain when taking a deep breath
    - Lung and throat irritation
    - Wheezing and trouble breathing during exercise or outdoor activities


Who is most at risk?

Ozone can affect anyone, but it bothers some people more than others. People most likely to experience health effects caused by ozone include:

• People with asthma or other lung diseases
• Older adults
• People of all ages who exercise or work hard outside
• Babies and children

Protect Yourself and Your Family

The good news is there's a lot you can do to protect yourself and your family from the health effects caused by ground-level ozone. Start by learning about the Air Quality Index from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

See information at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention 

See also the New York State DEC Air Monitoring Website

Free Film Showing: Story of the decline of the coal industry, the cost to people’s lives, and the need for a 'just transition' to a new energy future.

Special Showing of the New 

National Geographic Documentary Film 

FROM THE ASHES.

Thursday, June 22, 2017 at 7:00 PM,
North Presbyterian Church,
300 North Forest Rd., Williamsville, NY.

From The Ashes is a groundbreaking new documentary that goes beyond the rhetoric of the “War on Coal” to explore the energy transition emerging from the response to climate change. It is a compelling look at the lives and issues to include a heartbreaking look at stake for our economy, health and climate. 

Learn more about an industry on the edge and what it means for our future. WNY is a part of the coal story as witnessed locally in the closing of the NRG Huntley Plant and its impact on Tonawanda.

Please Join Us!

Free and Open to the Public ~ [Map]

The film will be followed by a discussion led by David Alicea, President of the Board of New York Interfaith Power and Light and organizer for the Sierra Club.

View the Film Trailer:

Sponsors: New York Interfaith Power and Light + North Presbyterian Church + Shir Shalom + Sierra Club + Western New York Environmental Alliance + Interfaith Climate Justice Community + WNY Land Conservancy + Climate Justice Coalition of WNY
 

Air Pollution Risks Near Fracking Sites - New Study and Report

Fracking is Fine (Just Hold Your Breath)

By Charles Margulis
Center for Environmental Health (CEH)

You may have been shocked by this recent headline: “Dead babies near oil drilling sites raise questions for researchers.” But if you have been following the national debate about fracking, you are likely to be all too familiar with the concerns that community members have about pollution from this new drilling technology.

In fact, the CEH report on health risks to women and children living near fracking operations found serious reasons for concern. Chemicals used in fracking and/or created by fracking operations have been linked to low birth weight, birth defects, respiratory problems, infertility, and cancer, among other serious problems.

Now there’s a new fracking problem.

There has been much attention to water pollution risks from fracking, but there has been less research into air quality around fracking sites.  A new study, co-authored by CEH’s Research Director Caroline Cox and published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health, shines light on fracking air pollution risks. 

Along with the study, a report, Warning Signs: Toxic Air Pollution Identified at Oil and Gas Development Sites details the results from the sampling.

The results from the air testing were not reassuring. One sample had air pollution levels that could pose an immediate danger to life or health, according to Centers for Disease Control guidelines. Benzene, a chemical known to cause cancer, was detected at sample locations in Pennsylvania and Wyoming, in levels exceeding health-based standards by several orders of magnitude. Another carcinogen, formaldehyde, was detected in locations in three states at levels exceeding the health-based standards of the U.S. EPA.

We can rein in the fracking industry

The oil and gas industry intends to spread fracking across the country, regardless of the health, climate, or safety concerns. What’s worse, fracking is exempt from most federal environmental rules, so states often have no way to adopt protective regulations.

We need government action to rein in the fracking industry. Regulators should require more comprehensive air monitoring and pollution prevention standards. Communities should have the right to know about all chemicals used in fracking. Residents of affected communities should be directly involved in decision making before fracking can go forward.

The EPA can take stronger steps to protect Americans from fracking health risks. 

Take Action: Urge EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to protect our health and the environment from fracking risks!

~  ~  ~ 

ConcernedHealthNY.org Compendium

CONFERENCE: Focus is Justice in Huntley Plant Transition

Clean Air  -- Organizing for Health and Justice

Presents a Conference 

Just Transition: Good Jobs and Healthy Communities

Conference seeks Justice in Huntley Power Plant Transition

The conference will feature some of the nation’s leading experts in movement building, coal finance, just transition, renewable energy, and sustainable and democratic community development.

The conference kicks off at 10:00am on June 7th and will conclude with a happy hour at 5:30pm. It will be hosted at the NYS United Teachers offices at 270 Essjay Road in Williamsville.

Participation is free, but registration is required and space is limited. Register today at www.JustTransition.com.

Presenters include:

Les Leopold, the director of the Labor Institute, strategic consultant to the Blue-Green Alliance, and author of author of How to Make a Million Dollars an Hour: Why Financial Elites get away with siphoning off America’s Wealth.

Jean Pogge is the CEO of Delta Institute that is leading the Fisk and Crawford Reuse Task Force, a committee that will work to solicit community input and economic development and job creation alternatives for the land on which the Fisk and Crawford power plant used to be.

Sean Sweeney is the Director and founder of the Global Labor Institute, a program of the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations and works with Trade Unions for Energy Democracy.

After the release of the recent report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis that painted a dim future for the Huntley coal plant, Clean Air held a series of community assemblies in the city and town of Tonawanda, Grand Island, and Riverside to vision a “just transition” in case of the plant’s closure. Nearly 100 impacted residents, workers, and climate change activists came together to vision a resilient future for our region if the NRG Huntley coal plant were to retire. The conference will build on the ideas and relationships that were generated at the assemblies.

Together, we can ensure that if the plant retires workers are protected, new revenue is secured for our schools and local governments, and the property is redeveloped to meet our community’s needs. Questions? Call Clean Air at 716-852-3813.

To view a news report on the upcoming conference, click here. 

Assemblies Seek Justice in Huntley Plant Transition

Huntley, located in the Town of Tonawanda, is Erie County's largest coal-burning power plant. A recent report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis stated Huntley "does not appear to be financially viable."  The report estimates that the plant was making $110 million a year as recently as 2005. However, the plant lost $1 million per year between 2009 and 2012.

The report goes on to call on community and corporate leadership.  We must make sure that if the plant retires, that workers at the plant and residents who live near the plant are protected. We must make sure that new revenue is secured for our schools and local governments, and for a clean-up of the waterfront property.

Join us for a "Just Transition" Assembly where we will: Share the financial report about Huntley; Brainstorm what residents, workers, and local governments will need in the future;  Identify community priorities.

• SATURDAY, March 1, 3pm: Boys and Girls Club, 54 Riverdale Rd., Town of Tonawanda

• MONDAY, March 3, 6pm: Grand Island Memorial Library, 1715 Bedell Rd., Grand Island

• THURSDAY, March 6, 6pm: Northwest Community Center, 155 Lawn Ave., Buffalo [Map]

• THURSDAY, March 13, 6pm: Tonawanda City Hall, 200 Niagara St., City of Tonawanda [Map]

TRANSITION with JUSTICE - a note from the Editor:
A "Just Transition" means ensuring sustainable economic opportunity for workers and the local community without sacrificing anyone’s health or the global climate. The transition would likely need to include worker retraining and financial assistance from the state to account for lost tax revenues. The specifics of any transition plan need to be determined by the plant’s workers and the community including labor, residents and officials.

Move Beyond Coal to Clean, Renewable Energy

WNY Sierra Club Beyond Coal
 Campaign Kick-Off Meeting
Wednesday January 29th, 7:00-8:00pm
RSVP HERE! 

Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo Alliance Room
695 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo

Dirty fuels like coal and gas put WNY families at risk. Not only do they pollute our air, but it also contributes to asthma and climate change. The great news is that WNY can be a leader in clean energy.  We're starting to use our historic manufacturing base as an example of what is possible in a clean energy future, but we can do a lot more.  All we need is for Gov. Cuomo to step up and be a hero for renewable energy.  You can help make that happen!

So please join us at our Kick-Off Meeting on Wednesday, January 29th at 7:00pm to learn more about the campaign and how you can help. With enough people involved, we can introduce new clean energy programs for the state of New York, making our transition from coal to clean energy possible!
RSVP here, and bring a friend!