SYMPOSIUM: Sandy to Snowvember - Climate Change and Resilient Building Design

From Sandy to Snowvember: Climate Change and Buildings in New York State Symposium

November 4, 2016 | 12 pm-5 pm

When Hurricane Sandy made landfall in October of 2012, more than 186 people were killed, over 600,000 homes were damaged, and infrastructure was devastated across New York State. During the “Snowvember” storm in November 2014, 70+ inches of snow fell in Western New York, causing 14 fatalities, and numerous roofs to collapse. These two events suggest that building design in New York needs to shift to address varying weather patterns caused by climate change.

Register 

There is no cost to attend the event, however registration is required because we will provide lunch, coffee, and snacks.

Visit the Resilient Buildings Lab for full details 

This symposium draws together academics and practitioners from the Northeast and Great Lakes regions to address critical questions in climate resilience applicable to New York State, including how built environment professionals respond to a changing climate; how building stock can adapt to climate change in New York State; and how resilience is currently being addressed by built environment professionals. Participants will also hear results from recent research conducted by UB, L&S Energy Services, and Weather Analytics and supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

Up to 3.5 CEU/PDH will be available for attending this symposium.

·                  Rosetta Elkin, Harvard Graduate School of Design

·                  Brendan Kelly, CEM, L&S Energy Services, Inc.

·                  Terry Schwarz, FAICP, Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative

·                  Amanda Stevens, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

·                  Michael Tillou, PE, Atelier Ten

·                  Rachel Minnery, FAIA, American Institute of Architects

November 4, 2016 | 12 pm - 5 pm
University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning (map)
Hayes Hall, 4th Floor Lecture Hall
3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214

Attendees are encouraged to take the NFTA to the University Station (link). Visitor parking passes will also be available for both the Diefendorf or Townsend lots (map), which are a short walk from the building. Accessible parking spaces are available adjacent to Hayes Hall.

National Sierra Club President to Speak at Awards Dinner

Sierra Club Niagara Group 

2016 ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER

Open to the Public

GUEST SPEAKER: Aaron Mair, President of the National Sierra Club

WHEN: Saturday, October 15, 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

WHERE: Temple Beth Zion (auditorium), 805 Delaware Ave., Buffalo - See Map for location and Metro Rail Stations


AARON MAIR, President of the National Sierra Club, is from Schenectady, NY. He is an epidemiological-spatial analyst with the New York State Department of Health. Mair has spent over 30 years fighting for environmental and social justice and is a passionate and energetic speaker.

There will be a multi-course buffet dinner with donations for beer and wine servings. Ticket prices: $45 for those who can afford to support our fundraising efforts, and $25 for those who are students or on a fixed income. 

To purchase tickets, CLICK HERE

Awards to Local Leaders:

This year's recipients of the Bruce Kershner Award for Conservation are:

• PAUL DYSTER, Mayor, City of Niagara Falls
• THOMAS DESANTIS, Senior Planner, City of Niagara Falls
• BOB BAXTER, Niagara Heritage Partnership for their work on the restoration of the magnificent Niagara Gorge and the removal of the Robert Moses Parkway.

The Blake Reeves Award for Environmental Leadership is being awarded to individuals or organizations that have exhibited strong leadership in addressing a critical environmental issues. This year, the following union leaders will receive the award:

• TODD HOBLER, Vice President of 1199 SEIU Healthcare Workers United East for his leadership to protect Seneca Lake and in forging an alliance between 1199 SEIU and the Sierra Club in our campaign for climate justice
• DEBORA HAYES, Area Director of the Communication Workers of America WNY District office for her leadership within CWA in building a partnership between her International Union and the Sierra Club in our fight for climate justice.

 

Drinking Water Contamination: "Hero of Flint" Lead Crisis to Deliver Distinguished Lecture at UB

Abstract: The 2001-2004 Washington D.C. lead in drinking water crisis (and its aftermath to the present day) is a unique case study in the history of engineering and scientific misconduct. The multi-year exposure of an unsuspecting population to very high levels of the best-known neurotoxin, was perpetrated by multiple government agencies whose sole mission was to protect the public health. These same agencies later published falsified research reports, covering up evidence of harm and justifying ill-conceived interventions wasting hundreds of millions of dollars and which created even more harm. 

Aspiring to uphold the duty of scientists and engineers to hold paramount the public good and welfare, Marc Edwards worked alongside collaborators in the public, press and in Congress for over a decade. Their efforts exposed some of the wrong-doing by the agencies and their “hired gun” consultants, who brazenly twisted science to obfuscate the truth of what occurred. 

These experiences raise concerns about the veracity of “research” conducted and funded by government agencies, especially in crisis situations when public harm has occurred, as well as the need for checks and balances on agency power.

To register for this free event, click here

About the RENEW Distinguished Lectures: The RENEW Distinguished Lecture Series seeks to promote dialogue and interaction with UB’s faculty & staff, students and the local community with renowned leaders in science, technology and policy in academia, industry and government.

About UB RENEW Institute: RENEW promotes interdisciplinary research activities to position UB as a global leader in select areas of energy, environment and water (www.buffalo.edu/renew). Through collaborative education and research, more than 100 faculty members from seven schools are focusing on the following areas: Next-Generation Materials for Energy, Environment & Water; Sustainable Urban Environments; Freshwater Coastal Ecosystems, Stormwater and Blue Economy; Environmental Exposures, Genomes and Health; and Climate Change & Socio-Economic Impacts.

PUBLIC MEETING: New Multimodal Transit Station Downtown

Panel Discussion of Book: HALF EARTH - Our Planet's Fight for Life

Town Hall: Effect of Big Media, Big Money on Political Campaigns

World on Your Plate: 13th Annual Conference on Food & Sustainable Living

13^TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON FOOD

AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING

DAEMEN COLLEGE WICK CENTER

OCT. 7 (EVENING) & OCT. 8 (ALL DAY), 2016

Friday, October 7th 2016

5:00 - Registration (outside social room) 
5:30 - Light Dinner 
6:00 - Panel: "Farm-to-Market: Issues and Challenges" 

(15 min break) 

7:15 Round table - NY Organic Action Plan with NOFA-NY

Saturday, October 8th 2016

8:30 - registration (Coffee & breakfast items) 
8:30 - Vendors (set-up at 8 am) 
9:00 - Welcome and Introductions 
9:15 - Matthew Goldfarb (Fruition Seeds) "Resilient Seeds in a Changing Climate" 
10:45 to 11:45 - Workshop Session I (9 workshops offered—see website)
12:00 to 1:00 Workshop Session II (10 workshops offered—see website)
1:15 to 2:15 - Organic Vegetarian Lunch 
2:30 - Frances Moore Lappe (Small Planet Institute), "The Solution is on Your Plate" 

3:30 – Book-signing, raffle/auctions
4:00 to 5:00 - Celebration (music, cider/wine & cheese)

$35 at the door or $30 for preregistration, $10 Friday only. 

Students with ID & preregistration are free.  Scholarships are available.

For information &/or to register:  www.worldonyourplate.org.

To register directly through EventBrite: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-on-your-plate-tickets-25650040963

Questions/comments/suggestions:  Eveline Hartz, aehartz@roadrunner.com or June Licence (jlicence@buffalo.edu). 

Rally & Press Conference: Stop the Fracked Gas Pipeline

Climate Justice Coalition of WNY 

Northern Access 2016 Pipeline 
Press Conference and Rally 

Friday 4:00 pm in Wheatfield, NY  

PLEASE JOIN US! 

RALLY & PRESS CONFERENCE IN WHEATFIELD 

2251 Liberty Drive, Wheatfield, NY 

Friday, September 30, 2016 at 4:00 PM 

We will gather at the proposed site of the dehydration station to show Western NY stands together to say NO to National Fuel’s proposed Northern Access Pipeline

We have worked for months to connect the pieces of National Fuel’s proposed Northern Access 2016 Pipeline scattered throughout Western NY. We have found residents in Pendleton and Wheatfield spending endless hours and energy to protect their neighborhoods and families from the dangers of compressor and dehydration stations. We have found residents in Elma unaware of the significant expansion of a compressor just feet away from their homes.

All along the the 97 miles of pipeline are stories of farmers and landowners being threatened by National Fuel with eminent domain proceedings. We see grave threats to our precious waterways all through the beautiful landscape of WNY as this project would cross 180 streams and 270 wetlands before the fracked gas makes its way under the Niagara River and into Canada.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE AS DECISIONS COULD BE MADE THIS FALL WE NEED YOU!

IT IS TIME TO STAND TOGETHER, SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND SAY: 

We will come together to call on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Governor Cuomo, and the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation to say NO to this project. This project is solely for the profit of National Fuel. There is no need and necessity for this project that warrants endangering our communities, our precious water, air and natural environment.

Concerned Western NY residents
Wheatfield Action Team
Pendleton Action Team
WECAP
Sierra Club Niagara Group Contact: niagarasierra@gmail.com

TALK: Tribes Take Action Against Pipeline Project to Protect Their Water and Sacred Land

Agnes Williams, Coordinator at Indigenous Women's Initiative, will speak about the 200 tribes that have united to resist the Dakota Access Pipeline