Long Island
Climate action, dark skies, energy research competition
In October, 2009, the LI Group organized the 350 Riverhead Street Fair as part of the 350 International Day of Climate Action. Considering a growing share of our national energy use comes from processing, packaging and transporting food, we chose to support a local certified organic farm for this year’s 10/10/10 Global Work Party.
Sierrans were joined by members of Slow Food Huntington (a co-organizer for this event) and other volunteers to help RestorationFarm in Bethpage prepare for the autumn season. After some hard work, we sat down for a potluck picnic.
The often misunderstood subject of light pollution was the topic of our November community meeting. This presentation by Susan Harder, executive director of the International Dark-Sky Association, New York chapter, made it clear that by directing the appropriate amount of light where it is needed saves energy and has numerous benefits for people and the environment. The audience included homeowners and municipal representatives who participated in the lively Q&A that followed. (For more information: www.darksky.org.)
Nassau and Suffolk county students in grades 9–12 are participating in our energy research competition. They will submit proposals for developing an alternative source of energy that can be implemented on Long Island. The goal is to create awareness for the need to develop renewable energy sources. Winners will be announced in January.
- BILL STEGEMANN
Iroquois
Art galleries provide opportunity for outreach about fracking
Our anti-hydrofracking efforts took a new turn recently. A local art gallery solicited local work for an exhibit, “A Sense of Place,” about the impact of humanson our natural landscape. Pictures covered the effects of mining of all kinds, including one of a lovely meadow, titled “Hydrofrackin Site.” The gallery is in a community with many leases and the gallery owner put together a program of local town planners and community leaders and asked our Group to send a speaker. We sent two, Jack Ramsden and Martha Loew. The meeting room filled, and the interest was great. This was the first audience in sometime that was not very aware of the Marcellus gas “play,” so it was really worthwhile.
This is the second art gallery that has been really helpful in the Syracuse area, and it may be a venue others would like to look into. We are planning a big push for the “Save the Water” campaign in support ofa county plan to avoid building any more sewage treatment plants by keeping storm water out of the sewer system. We will be meeting to plan more in February.
The local offshoot of Shaleshock ny, Shaleshock cny, is very active and meeting monthly. So all the work of the past year and a half is now a program of its own.
Albany staffer Roger Downs presented one of our best events with his analysis of the state and federal elections. The program was co-sponsored by the Syracuse League of Women Voters. Despite a windy rainstorm, turnout and response were terrific.
- MARTHA LOEW
Lower Hudson
Political action, showing of “Gasland” yield good returns
In the past few months, we concentrated on the NY Senate and Assembly elections. Our crack political team arranged for endorsement of four Senate candidates and seven Assembly candidates. We worked actively for three of the Senate candidates, calling Sierra Club members in the districts, and, in two cases, mailing postcards as well. In the end, one lost and three won. In the Assembly races, all seven of our endorsees won.
Beyond the elections, we worked on the fracking threat with the Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition and other local groups by holding a screening of the film “Gasland,” followed by a panel and reception, from all of which we garnered a new crop of activists on the fracking issue.
- GEORGE KLEIN