Senator Joe Lieberman: News Release

Senator Joe Lieberman: News Release: "Senator Lieberman re-introduced the Cigarette Litter Prevention Act of 2007 to discourage the littering of cigarette butts by requiring cigarette companies to print an environmental warning label on their packages. The Senator worked with David, Amy, and Allie Steinmetz of Woodbridge, who co-founded the 'No Butts About It' campaign to draft the legislation."

The Advocate - Going mobile: Getting around the state has environmental costs

The Advocate - Going mobile: Getting around the state has environmental costs: "To find what may be the biggest cause of the country's dependence on foreign oil and the state's poor air quality, look no further than the tailpipe.

Sitting in traffic on Interstate 95 is no longer just a hassle for the motorist running late for work.

Idling engines produce emissions linked to global climate change and increasing numbers of childhood asthma cases. And people can practically feel the firing of every piston as the cost of fuel continues to rise while supplies shrink.

'It's the transportation sector that provides that lion's share of the greenhouse gases,' said Charles Rothenberger, a staff attorney for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment in New Haven. 'And it's increasing at an incredible rate.'..."

New Haven Register - Blumenthal files formal objection to gas plant

New Haven Register - Blumenthal files formal objection to gas plant: "Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal filed a formal objection Friday with a New York agency responsible for issuing a key permit for a proposed liquefied natural gas facility in Long Island Sound.

In documents filed with the New York Office of General Services, Blumenthal argued the $700 million proposal to anchor an LNG facility near the middle of the Sound poses unacceptable risks for both New York and Connecticut.

'The project as proposed poses a direct and substantial threat to human health and safety and critical ecosystem resources of national importance in Long Island Sound,' Blumenthal said in filing the objection."

courant.com | The `Canaries' Under The Sound

courant.com | The `Canaries' Under The Sound: "Scientists are cautious about pinning specific events - a severe hurricane or a disappearing species - to global warming. Weather is fickle, and the climate variable over the decades; we know there have been ice ages and warming periods in the past.

But we do know the Earth is warming, and the oceans with it, and that will have an impact in Long Island Sound.
"

News Times | Students try to boost recycling at WestConn

News Times Live Students try to boost recycling at WestConn: "...In the past year, Roots & Shoots has tried to steer the university onto the path of recycling, only to find out state institutions can be as nimble as a 1955 Studebaker station wagon with a blown head gasket.

Zachary Storey, a WestConn junior who is the Roots & Shoots president, admits the work calls for some diplomacy. The group doesn't want to preach or alienate the university's leaders, its faculty or its students.

Instead, it has held events like a recycling dinner, where students learn what can be recycled. It started a petition to present to WestConn's Food Services Department, asking it to be more attentive to recycling...."

The Day | Conn Energy-Saving Projects Not Novelties, But Necessities

Read Page: "Last year Connecticut College researched the feasibility of erecting a wind turbine on its campus to generate electricity via wind power. We were surprised when a consulting firm told us our campus, on a hill near the shores of the Thames River and Long Island Sound, is simply not windy enough.

End of story? Not by a long shot. The college is back to the drawing board with plans to research other renewable energy-producing projects and reduce the college's dependence on fossil fuels. These include more solar panels on campus rooftops, fuel cells and steam pressure reducing devices that generate electricity. ..."

Reduce, Reuse, Rebuild Country School goes green

Reduce, Reuse, Rebuild Country School goes green: "Being green may not be easy, as a prominent amphibian once observed, but New Canaan Country School has discovered it isn’t that hard either.

Currently undergoing a renovation and expansion project that will use solar power among other “environmentally friendly” resources, the school has made sustainability a primary focus both inside and outside the classroom.

“The school believes it is essential to help our students understand the tension between development and conservation and become aware of how their actions may influence the world in which they live,” according to the Winter 2007 NCCS Bulletin...."

Westport Minuteman - State downgrades shellfish beds off Westport shores

Westport Minuteman - State downgrades shellfish beds off Westport shores: "Bacterial pollution has caused shellfish beds off Westport's shores to be downgraded by the state's Department of Agriculture Bureau of Aquaculture...
The Department of Environmental Protection, monitors large sewage treatment plants and Alicia Mozian, Westport's Director of Conservation, said the worsened water quality could come from those plants or, in times of heavy rain, from septic systems along the waters that empty into the Sound. Mozian said there was some speculation that the Bridgeport plant could be a source of pollution...."

The Middletown Press - Attorney general takes on issue of global warming

The Middletown Press - Attorney general takes on issue of global warming: "MIDDLETOWN - Attorney General Richard Blumenthal stopped by Wesleyan University for an Earth Day celebration to discuss two pressing topics: the environment and global warming...
Blumenthal was on hand to discuss a United States Supreme Court ruling on carbon dioxide emissions. In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had violated the Clean Air Act.
'This is the most important decision of my 15 years as attorney general,' Blumenthal said. 'You must regulate carbon dioxide emissions.'
The ruling also said that by not regulating new-vehicle emissions standards to control pollutants like carbon dioxide, the EPA had failed and helped to contribute to the problem of global warming. ..."

Enviromental injustice: Two words, too little time - News

Enviromental injustice: Two words, too little time - News: "Never heard of "environmental injustice?" Well, it is happening right here, right now.

Earth Day Awareness Week kicked off Monday with a lecture given by Doctor Mark Mitchell, the founder and president of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice (CCEJ), who addressed issues of environmental justice.

Mitchell's speech hit close to home, literally, as he explained how low income cities, including Bridgeport, are suffering from the pollution being created. This pollution, according to Mitchell, could be causing serious health problems for residents in the area.

Mitchell explained that a large amount of the garbage in Connecticut is burned. When the garbage is burned it releases toxins into the air that, according to Mitchell, seem to have a direct correlation with an abundance of health problems.

Some health problems that have been linked with the excess of pollution in concentrated areas include: Asthma, allergies, cancer, diabetes, and low birth weight.

Since the university campus is located in such close proximity to the affected, low-income areas, students like Christine Iwerks, sophomore, Meriden, are reconsidering the importance of environmental justice. ..."

Report raises red flags - Newsday.com

Report raises red flags - Newsday.com: "A Suffolk legislator yesterday described as 'something out of a science-fiction movie' several possible scenarios from a terrorist attack on a liquefied-natural-gas platform proposed for Long Island Sound.

Staff of the congressional Government Accountability Office presented findings from a report on potential threats to LNG facilities at a special hearing of the Suffolk County Legislature yesterday in Riverhead. One legislator concluded after the meeting that nightmare scenarios are a possibility for the proposed Broadwater Energy LNG facility and that additional study is required.

'They gave us a litany of concerns,' Legis. Wayne Horsley (D-Lindenhurst) said. Among them, he said, was the possibility that ignition of gas could create a fireball that would 'burn anything in its path' for 1 1/4 miles...."

courant.com | Warmer Waters Threaten Trout

courant.com | Warmer Waters Threaten Trout: "Picture the serenity.

A plump wild brook trout, its vivid colors shimmering in the ripples, waits patiently for its next meal to be delivered as the clear, cool current slides downstream.

If global warming continues as scientists and environmentalists predict, that placid picture might be only a memory. The only trout to be caught in Connecticut would be hatchery-bred trout, not the wild trout that thrive in state waters today. ..."

courant.com | The Greening Of Beantown

courant.com | The Greening Of Beantown: "Boston recently joined the growing ranks of major cities in the United States that are taking ambitious and practical steps to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino's executive order on Thursday puts his 15-point plan into immediate effect. His goal is to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases from Boston's 400 municipal buildings and 2,000 vehicles to 7 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2012. By 2050, Mr. Menino hopes Boston will have reduced greenhouse-gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels...

...Urban areas generate more than three-quarters of the world's greenhouse gases. Mr. Menino's initiative puts Boston alongside Chicago, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco - as well as a dozen states (including Connecticut) - that have committed to broad emissions-reduction targets...."

Clean water bill a must for state — a Connecticut Post Editorial

The Connecticut Post Online - Clean water bill a must for state
Heavy rains take a toll on the public interest, and not just by washing out youth soccer games. When too much water gets into storm drains, many of which are connected to sewer lines, untreated overflow makes its way into lakes and rivers and eventually into Long Island Sound.

A bill before the Legislature could go a long way toward changing that. At $100 million, it won't be cheap, but it's a good opportunity to make a statement on the importance of the environment. It's not about feel-good measures or far-in-the-future worries; these are concerns that affect people every day. Policies make a difference in our health, and water quality is a top priority.

Separating storm and sewer lines will be just one result of the spending bill, approved unanimously by the Legislature's Environment Committee. But it's a key factor, especially close to the Sound in Bridgeport. And with Fairfield and Trumbull connected to the city's wastewater system, surrounding towns have an interest, as well.

State Rep. Richard Roy, who represents Milford — another community that stands to benefit from improved water quality in the Sound — says he is optimistic about getting the money in the budget this year. In addition to work on the storm drains, the bill would also bring the state's Clean Water Fund back up to speed after losing its top-priority status over the past five years.

It's hard to find a higher priority that clean water, and it's up to the state to make sure our system is first-rate. Summer's coming; keep those beaches open.

EDITORIAL: More Weight to Gas Terminal Concerns - Science - RedOrbit

EDITORIAL: More Weight to Gas Terminal Concerns - Science - RedOrbit: "By The Stamford Advocate, Conn.

Apr. 14--How could two federal agencies come to seemingly contradictory positions on a critical issue of public safety? That is a question that cries for an answer regarding plans that are moving forward for a huge liquid natural gas terminal in the busy confines of Long Island Sound.

That terminal has been proposed by Broadwater Energy -- a consortium of Shell Oil and TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. -- for a site in the Sound about nine miles off Wading River, N.Y., and 10 miles south of New Haven...."

United Press International - Energy - Analysis

United Press International - Energy - Analysis: "WASHINGTON, April 16, 2007 (UPI) -- Broadwater Energy's plan to build a floating storage and regasification unit in the Long Island (N.Y.) Sound and the opposition to it highlights the lack of consensus on how best to balance protection of national estuaries with the need for more environmentally friendly sources of energy.

Broadwater, a joint venture between TransCanada Gas and Shell US Gas & Power, is trying to build an FSRU in the sound, which is designated as an estuary of national significance.

The FSRU is a ship about 1,200 feet long and 200 feet wide that would store offloaded liquid gas, convert it back into a gas and feed the converted gas into a new pipeline extension in the sound floor that would connect to the gas system already in the Northeast United States. ..."

The Connecticut Post Online - Natural gas sites losing steam?

The Connecticut Post Online - Natural gas sites losing steam?: "California's rejection last week of a major offshore gas terminal is giving opponents of the proposed Broadwater gas terminal in Long Island Sound hope that the tide is turning in their favor.

“California is raising the flag and saying we need to think about what we are doing,” said Leah Schmalz, a spokeswoman for Save the Sound, a nonprofit group that opposes Broadwater. “The handwriting is on the wall for Broadwater,” added Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. ..."

courant.com | Lieberman Sets Timeline For Climate Bill

courant.com | Lieberman Sets Timeline For Climate Bill:
April 16, 2007
By JOEL LANG, Courant Staff Writer

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman laid out a timetable on Sunday for a congressional vote on legislation that would set the first national limits on the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.

'My hope is we can bring a bill out of [committee] before the summer recess so that it will be ready for floor action sometime in September,' Lieberman, an independent, said at a press conference in Hartford intended as a progress report on government efforts to combat global warming.

A congressional vote would be a watershed moment in the federal response to global warming. ..."

New Haven Register - Rising seas put salt marshes at risk

New Haven Register - Rising seas put salt marshes at risk
Connecticut did nothing as the state became increasingly vulnerable to slowly rising oceans.

Residents apparently failed to notice a rise of about 1 foot since 1900, or did not care as salt marshes disappeared beneath Long Island Sound.

Highways and buildings sprouted up to the shore, preventing the marshes from moving inland as the water level increased.

Now about 30 percent of Connecticut’s salt marshes are gone, the remainder are endangered, and there is no practical way to bring them back, geologists, environmental scientists and geophysicists said.

courant.com | Global Ambitions, Local Rally

courant.com | Global Ambitions, Local Rally: "The environmental revolution starts first thing in the morning, and then it lasts all day.

First, take shorter showers. Then, turn down your thermostats a couple of degrees in the winter and use less air conditioning in the summer. Use recycled paper and fluorescent light bulbs. Keep your tires inflated.

Those were a few suggestions Charles Nobilski offered Saturday at a rally for the environment in Bushnell Park in Hartford. The event was part of the first National Day of Climate Action, as called by the organization Step It Up. The Vermont-based group was founded by author and environmentalist Bill McKibben."

New Haven Register - Groups rally today for 80% cut in emissions

New Haven Register - Groups rally today for 80% cut in emissions: "Residents from New Haven County will join thousands nationwide today when they rally in more than 1,367 places across the country to call on Congress to cut carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

'Step It Up' is the name of the national effort, being spearheaded by environmental writer and activist Bill McKibben. The effort is being touted as the largest day of citizen action focused on global warming in the nation’s history.

Thirty events are taking place in Connecticut today, with four in New Haven, one in Hamden and one in Westbrook."

Norwich Bulletin - www.norwichbulletin.com - Norwich, Conn.

Norwich Bulletin - www.norwichbulletin.com - Norwich, Conn.: "The Norwich Area Global Warming Action Group brought its Step It Up campaign to Howard T. Brown Memorial Park Saturday.

'If everyone does a little bit, we can make a difference,' chairman David Anderson said. The group wants to educate people and promote concerns about the effects of global warming.

Anderson said Norwich's event was among approximately 1,300 being held Saturday across the country. ...."

Steppin' up Locals join battle to end global warming - Greenwich Time

Steppin' up Locals join battle to end global warming - Greenwich Time: "Josie Merck, 59, shuffled through a crowd of more than 200 residents packed onto the green in front of Town Hall yesterday morning, a sea of faces beaming beneath hand-held signs that read 'Sacrifice For Your Children,' 'Stop Global Warming,' 'Congress, Work With Us' and 'Turn Off The Lights.'

'I think they agree that our government needs to do something, and do it now,' Merck, a Cos Cob resident and activist, said during Step It Up, a campaign designed to support a clean and sustainable national energy policy. 'I think we're seeing a lot of innovation now and our (state) attorney general had a lot to do with the citizen awareness we're seeing today.' ...."

Easton Courier

Easton Courier: "Easton has jumped on the environmental bandwagon by joining the 20 percent by 2010 Clean Energy Campaign.

The town's goal is to purchase 20 percent of its electricity from clean, renewable, resources by 2010, according to Robert Wall, Director of Energy Market initiatives for Connecticut Clean Energy Fund.

Wall met with the Easton Clean Energy Task Force Monday at the Easton Community Center (ECC) to discuss program initiatives.

So far, the task force is still reviewing the options available by the two independent companies offering clean energy in the state: Sterling Planet and Community Energy. ... "

The Post - CT Outdoors: Celebration of Earth Day starts Saturday

The Post - CT Outdoors: Celebration of Earth Day starts Saturday: "It's hard to believe that it has been 37 years since we celebrated the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970.
Indeed, a lot has happened since its founder, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson came up with the idea by first convincing President John F. Kennedy to put it on the map by going on an environmental tour in September, 1963. the five-day tour set the seed for The first Earth Day to be held several years later.
It was a grassroots effort, Nelson recalled. The amazing thing is it was an event that organized itself.
Now, 37 years later, the grassroots effort continues and, amazingly, the celebration still organzes itself in towns and cities across Connecticut and the rest of the U.S. Events have also expanded to more than Earth Day, this Saturday. This year, you can find events that stretch into early May.
Many events are scheduled, including the following: .... visit the above link for the events listing ... "

Litchfield County Times - Murphy Gets Post on Caucus

Litchfield County Times - Murphy Gets Post on Caucus: "U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Cheshire) said that he wants to use his new leadership position as a springboard to preserve the dwindling farmland in Litchfield County and other parts of his sprawling Northwest Connecticut district.

'The federal government has the resources to buy some of these expensive parcels of land,' Mr. Murphy said during a news conference in the Tariffville section of Simsbury last week, during which he announced his appointment as chairman of the Congressional Open Space Caucus.

Three years ago, State Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-Goshen) proposed that the state spend $1 billion-$100 million a year over 10 years-to preserve the state's farmland in response to pressures to develop those properties into commercial ventures and housing. ..."

The Orange Bulletin - Earth Day celebrations take on urgent call

The Orange Bulletin - Earth Day celebrations take on urgent call: "BETHANY - The town will host an Earth Day extravaganza next week that includes an Academy Award-winning movie, eco-friendly homes and automobiles and a whole lot more. While Earth Day has become an annual event since 1970, recent announcements by the United Nations regarding global warming has reawakened the call for extreme measures. Mike Okrent, co-chairman of the town's Clean Energy Task Force explained.

"Just recently the United Nations scientists said global warming will have a significant impact or catastrophic events could occur such as areas of the country experiencing drought, hurricane/tornadoes with 10 times the devastation ability. ..."

courant.com | Rallies To Confront Global Warming Dangers

courant.com | Rallies To Confront Global Warming Dangers: "Bushnell Park in Hartford has seen many rallies over the years, but the one planned for Saturday afternoon must be the first to have 'Cut Carbon 80 percent by 2050' as its rallying cry.

It's a call for Congress to order reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the rally is part of what organizers say is the nation's premiere global warming awareness day.

'In another time everybody marched on Washington. This is a national march happening in a thousand places all over the country. That's pretty amazing,' said the Rev. Tom Carr of First Baptist Church in West Hartford."

LIA offers Broadwater iffy support - Newsday.com

LIA offers Broadwater iffy support - Newsday.com: "Long Island's largest business group announced yesterday its conditional support for the bitterly controversial floating liquid natural gas terminal proposed for midway between the Suffolk County and Connecticut coastlines.

The Long Island Association, in a statement, listed these conditions for its support of the Broadwater Energy project in Long Island Sound: 'All environmental, safety and security issues must be resolved to federal and state satisfaction; Long Island must get lower priced gas; environmental, commercial fishing, community benefit, safety and security funds must be set up; payments in lieu of taxes to Riverhead.' "

San Francisco Sentinel � Blog Archives � Schwarzenegger in Washington to speed California regulation of auto emissions

San Francisco Sentinel � Blog Archives � Schwarzenegger in Washington to speed California regulation of auto emissions
WASHINGTON, DC — Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today met with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson in to push California ’s request for a federal waiver to restrict auto emissions.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling saying that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate greenhouse gases, which led the agency to take steps toward reviving California ’s petition for a waiver.

“Last week’s Supreme Court ruling opened the door for California to move forward in setting our own strict vehicle emission standards to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Governor Schwarzenegger.

“Today, I am calling on the federal government to expedite our request for a waiver which will allow us to carry on the fight against global warming. Californians want to be free to protect the environment and we deserve nothing less.

“With technology that exists today, California ’s vehicle emissions standards are eminently achievable — It is not a matter a technological ability, it’s a matter of political will. ....”

New England's First Fuel Cell-powered Hybrid Bus Begins Service In Hartford

New England's First Fuel Cell-powered Hybrid Bus Begins Service In Hartford
"New England's first zero-emission fuel cell-powered hybrid bus made its debut today in Hartford, the capital of Connecticut. The fuel cell power system was produced by Connecticut-based UTC Power. The only emission from a fuel cell-powered bus is water vapor. (PRNewsFoto/UTC Power) ... "

Norwich Bulletin - www.norwichbulletin.com - Norwich, Conn.

Norwich Bulletin - www.norwichbulletin.com - Norwich, Conn.: "I've never been much of a tree hugger. And I've never been a big fan of Al Gore.

But, I have to admit he has captured my attention with his warnings about global warming. The more I read about and see the effects of global warming, the more convinced I'm becoming we have a serious problem on our hands. And, we need to do something and do it quickly."

News Times Live Climate change hitting home

News Times Live Climate change hitting home: "
The climate change now engulfing the globe could change the face of New England -- different forests and animals, a battered coastline, summers that feel like South Carolina's and winters where skiing is just a memory.

It also could mean disrupted food supplies from less citrus from Florida and California, to droughts in the wheat belt, and the gradual invasion of southern species, insects and diseases.

'It's across the boards,' Dan Sosland, executive director of Environment Northeast, said of the changes to come."

The Connecticut Post Online - Business leaders backing emission rules

The Connecticut Post Online - Business leaders backing emission rules: "A Supreme Court ruling last week that clears the way for government regulation of carbon dioxide emissions has the blessing of business leaders in Fairfield County.

The 5-4 ruling ordered the federal Environmental Protection Agency to acknowledge global warming and said it can regulate carbon-dioxide emissions from automobiles.

The decision, however, will likely propel Congress into action. Business leaders expect Congress will approve national standards that regulate carbon dioxide emissions for all industries, not just cars."

New Haven Register - Sediment from Milford won't sully Housatonic

New Haven Register - Sediment from Milford won't sully Housatonic
SHELTON — The outcry over dumping dredged sediment from Milford’s Caswell Cove Marina in the Housatonic River has prompted an agreement to stop the dumping here.

Instead, the sediment will be dumped at an authorized site in Long Island Sound off New Haven.

"This agreement satisfies concerns raised about the disposal of dredged materials in the Housatonic River and allows Caswell Cove to conduct the dredging needed to keep that marina safe for recreational boaters," Mayor Mark Lauretti said at a press conference Thursday afternoon.

"The good news here is that the river has gotten its due respect," he said.

State Sen. Dan Debicella, R-Shelton, called it a "win" for the people of Shelton and the Housatonic River.

According to Debicella, the sediment placed in Long Island Sound will be capped to prevent any threat to the environment.

"The Housatonic River will be protected under this solution, which is an example of true problem solving in government," Debicella said. "I thank everyone involved for taking the time to hear the concerns of the community and for being willing to rethink this project."

Dennis Schain, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said he thanks the parties for working with the DEP to find an acceptable alternative.

"We realize the plan we proposed was creating friction, and it was appropriate to seek an alternative," Schain said. "We certainly heard everyone’s concerns and are pleased with this outcome. ..."

courant.com | Economist Sizes Up A Global Risk

courant.com | Economist Sizes Up A Global Risk
Gary Yohe, a professor at Wesleyan University, has been in Brussels this week, helping to draft the final wording of the latest global warming report from the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Due today, the report will confirm with greater certainty than ever before that some of the most dire consequences of global warming - mass extinctions, wildfires, deadly heat waves and water shortages - are already occurring and will accelerate.

Yohe is not a biologist or climatologist, or someone easily labeled an alarmist. He is an economist, who began working on climate change long before it was recognized as a danger. His expertise in calculating risk puts him at the center of the serious, evolving discussion over global warming. Now that science has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that greenhouse gases are causing the planet to heat up, the question is what can or should be done to stop it.

Global Warming Revisited | The Day

Read Page
The Supreme Court's ruling Monday on greenhouse gases is a significant victory for Connecticut and other states that have adopted tough automobile emissions programs aimed at reducing the dangers of global warming. But the 5-4 ruling has ramifications that will have an impact on all 50 states, potentially making global warming, as it should be, a regulatory concern of the federal government.

Connecticut and the other states that have adopted higher California standards in their auto emissions-testing programs will be in a safer position to implement them in 2009 under the court's decision. The ruling states that the federal Clean Air Act provides the Environmental Protection Agency both the authority and the responsibility to regulate carbon-based greenhouse gases as well as other air pollutants.

Unless EPA can provide scientific evidence that greenhouse gases trapped in the atmosphere are not causing climate change, the agency will be in a difficult position to continue its policy of ignoring the global-warming issue and Connecticut and the other states that have led in developing global-warming-related policies will be in a strong position to defend them in court cases already under way.

High Court Tells EPA to Consider Global Warming Steps | Bloomberg.com:

Bloomberg.com: Worldwide: "High Court Tells EPA to Consider Global Warming Steps"

Read more about it here ....

The U.S. Supreme Court ordered Bush administration environmental officials to reconsider their refusal to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions, giving a boost to advocates of stronger action against global warming.

The justices, voting 5-4, today said the Environmental Protection Agency considered improper factors in 2003 when it decided not to order cuts in carbon emissions from new cars and trucks.

``EPA has offered no reasoned explanation for its refusal to decide whether greenhouse gases cause or contribute to climate change,'' Justice John Paul Stevens wrote for the majority.

The ruling doesn't necessarily mean the EPA will have to impose new regulations. Still, it adds to growing pressure on the administration, which has resisted mandatory limits on carbon emissions. The decision is a setback for General Motors Corp. and other automakers and for utilities with coal-fired plants, including American Electric Power Co. and Southern Co.

Environmentalists and 12 states, including California and Massachusetts, are seeking to force the federal agency to limit emissions from new cars and trucks. New York is leading a separate state effort to curb power-plant emissions.

The Connecticut Post Online - Clean water needs

The Connecticut Post Online - Clean water needs: "Clean water needs

Connecticut needs to rededicate itself to cleaning up our rivers and our precious natural resource of Long Island Sound.

State lawmakers can mightily aid this cause — and a goodly number of the communities they represent — by boosting bonding for the state's Clean Water Fund that aids municipalities with grants and low-cost loans.

Clean Water Fund grants and loans aid municipal and regional projects such as wastewater treatment plant upgrades, combined sewer separation work and nitrogen reduction programs. Those projects assure cleaner drinking water, less sewage in our rivers and harbors and a healthier Long Island Sound, both for aquaculture and recreation.

The irony is that while such projects benefit the vast majority of residents and provide for a cleaner environment for us all, the state during the past decade has been miserly in approving increased bonding for the fund."

courant.com | Pulling Power From Wood

courant.com | Pulling Power From Wood: "Fuel cells, windmills and solar panels are usually considered the way of the future for meeting the ever-growing demand for electricity.

Burning wood, on the other hand, seems downright old-fashioned.

But that ancient source of energy is getting renewed attention in Connecticut and other New England states as they try to look for renewable sources of power to replace fossil fuels - coal, oil and natural gas."

courant.com | Back To Environmental Basics: Reinvesting In Clean Water

courant.com | Back To Environmental Basics: Reinvesting In Clean WaterBack To Environmental Basics: Reinvesting In Clean Water
March 25, 2007
By CURTIS P. JOHNSON, and FAITH GAVIN KUHN

Environmentalists and members of the construction industry are often at odds. In the case of clean water, however, the industry and environmentalists are like-minded.

A coalition of statewide and regional organizations, including environmental organizations, construction companies, business organizations, labor groups and municipalities, supports a re-investment in environmental basics: sewage-free rivers and harbors and a healthy, restored Long Island Sound.

The state must get back on track to enjoying healthy and clean waters in our lifetime while creating jobs and boosting economic development. This will require an investment of about $150 million in the Clean Water Fund for 2008.

Many years ago, state leaders committed to some simple and essential clean water goals. The state and municipalities agreed on a plan to stop raw sewage from overflowing into streams, rivers and harbors by 2020.

Connecticut, New York and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency agreed to work together to restore the low-oxygen "dead zone" in Long Island Sound by 2014."

The Advocate - Improved bus service could be arriving soon

The Advocate - Improved bus service could be arriving soon: "Bus operators are promising more routes, commuter shuttles at train stations and other improvements if the Connecticut legislature adopts the findings of a statewide bus study.

Most of the changes would focus on extending the hours and frequency of existing intercity bus routes such as the I-Bus between Stamford and White Plains, N.Y., and the Coastal Link between Norwalk and Milford, operators said after the study was released last week.

Conducted by a coalition called Transit for Connecticut, the study is credible because it has the support of business and environmental groups such as the Business Council of Fairfield County and Connecticut Fund for the Environment, said Louis Schulman, district administrator for Norwalk Transit."

A Push For Public Transportation _ The Newtown Bee

The Newtown Bee: "A Push For Public Transportation

It has united the Business Council of Fairfield County and the Connecticut Fund for the Environment. It has been a favorite topic for years for politicians interested in getting the attention of apathetic voters. And it is an issue that, if not addressed, has the potential to undermine the state's economy and erode Connecticut's vaunted quality of life. So it does not surprise us that yet another study has been released that calls for increased state support of public transportation - in this case, bus transportation.

A coalition of groups, from business leaders to environmental groups, calling itself the Transit for Connecticut Coalition, this week unveiled its study that showed increased bus transit in the state will enhance responsible growth of the state's communities and increase transit options for commuters by upgrading the bus-rail system. It will also reduce automobile emissions and help clear the air of toxic, global-warming emissions, and it will better link the state's workforce with employment opportunities while reducing traffic congestion. These are all great points, but by now advocates of public transportation are preaching to the choir. Most people are already convinced -especially people living in Fairfield County who back in 2003 spent about 50 hours sitting in traffic, according to a study released two years ago. It is a safe bet that today we are wasting even more time and burning even more gas going nowhere.

The state's $1.3 billion initiative approved by the legislature and signed by the governor in 2005 was supposed to be a bold first step in addressing Connecticut's chronic transportation woes, but as has been our tradition and history, highway repair, expansion, and construction seems to consume most of the money spent on transportation in this state.

Connecticut's own Transportation Strategy Board has spelled out a detailed plan for revitalizing the state's underfunded and overburdened public transportation network, including a bus-rail commuter system and freight rail lines. This plan, together with smart growth policies that provide incentives for more high-density commercial and residential development around public transit stations, may yet loosen the stranglehold traffic congestion has on the economy and the quality of life in southwestern Connecticut. But if that is to happen, the legislature and the governor have to follow through with the money and the political commitment to create and sustain a viable public transportation system in Connecticut."

A collection of briefs from the state Capitol - Boston.com

A collection of briefs from the state Capitol - Boston.comHARTFORD, Conn. --Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Thursday she opposes the idea of making Connecticut's legislature full-time.

"Where on earth are the legislature's priorities," the Republican governor asked. "They have been in session for two and a half months -- 79 days now -- and they have produced exactly one bill for my signature."

Democrats currently control the legislature. The Government Administration and Elections Committee is planning an informational hearing on the issue of a full-time legislature. Proponents said the idea makes sense considering the conflicts of interest many lawmakers have with their private employment and legislation they handle."

The East Hampton Star - Schools

The East Hampton Star - Schools: "According to Dr. Kenny, Stony Brook Southampton’s interim dean, Martin Schoonen, and a host of other officials at Monday’s lunch, starting from the ground up will allow the school to form a “sustainability” program surpassing that at Arizona State University, which Dr. Kenny described as the only other college in the country that has embraced the concept."

courant.com | Climate Battle Reaches Vermont

courant.com | Climate Battle Reaches Vermont: "BURLINGTON, Vt. -- This would seem an improbable venue for a fight over auto emissions and global warming. Average temperatures have been colder than normal for the past month, and Vermont has fewer registered motor vehicles than any other state.

But in a fifth-floor federal courtroom here, the first trial in what could be a long legal battle over the issue is scheduled to begin next month.

It pits the auto industry against Vermont and several environmental groups over a plan to reduce greenhouse gases that cause global warming by setting limits on emissions from cars, vans, pickups and SUVs."

News Times Live State urged to put buses on the roads

News Times Live State urged to put buses on the roadsToo many people are driving on the state's roads.

"I-95 is a traffic nightmare," Karen Burnaska, coordinator of Transit for Connecticut, said Tuesday. "I-84 is becoming almost as congested."

In a report issued Monday, Transit for Connecticut asked the state to take some of those cars off the road by increasing state spending on bus transportation by nearly $280 million over the next five years.

The report said this would help the state's economy, its residents and the environment by creating a more mobile workforce without adding cars to the highways.

courant.com | A Plan For Mass Transit

courant.com | A Plan For Mass TransitMass transit advocates on Monday unveiled a $309 million plan aimed at comprehensively enhancing commuter bus service statewide over five years.

Transit for Connecticut, a coalition of 20-plus business, social service, environmental and transportation organizations, said at a state Capitol news conference that a fairly modest state investment could boost bus ridership by 80 percent.

In 2006, more than 35 million riders used state-subsidized bus service, up 5 percent from the previous year.

State Sen. Donald J. DeFronzo, D-New Britain, co-chairman of the General Assembly's transportation committee, said the proposal would reduce highway congestion and pollution and improve state economic development.

Transit for Connecticut recommends expanding express bus services to major employment centers, and increasing operating hours and frequency of service on heavily used and overcrowded routes. ...

"If we do nothing, we will be losing ground," DeFronzo said. "We really ought to be moving forward."

courant.com | Advocates Push Bus Plan

courant.com | Advocates Push Bus PlanMass transit advocates on Monday unveiled a five-year, $309 million plan for enhancing commuter bus service statewide that they say would boost the number of riders significantly.

Transit for Connecticut -- a New Haven-based coalition of 20-plus business, social service, environmental and transportation organizations across Connecticut -- recommends the state expand express bus services to major employment centers, and increase operating hours and frequency of service on heavily traveled routes. It's also urging increased weekend and evening bus service, expanded Dial-A-Ride options, more commuter connections with rail stations, and increased interregional service to improve access to jobs. ...

Curt Johnson, of Connecticut Fund for the Environment, said investing in clean diesel bus systems could reduce dangerous emissions 80 to 90 percent by 2010.

Pair seeks Cheshire bio-fuel facility

New Haven Register - Pair seeks Cheshire bio-fuel facilityTwo partners in a pair of home heating oil companies are hoping to open a facility on Sandbank Road that makes bio-fuel.

If they get all the necessary approvals from town officials, Christopher Carr and Edward Bowman hope to have their manufacturing facility running by June. The facility would be on the grounds of Village Oil, which the two men own jointly along with F and S Oil in Waterbury.

Companies Turn 'Green' Strategies into Gold -- Business New Haven

03/19/2007 Companies Turn 'Green' Strategies into Gold Business New Haven: "Area entrepreneurs leverage consumers' growing appetite for environmentally friendly products"

We must save the planet _ Bridgeport News

Hometown Publications: "Several Connecticut municipalities have committed to clean energy, according to the state's Climate Change website. Others have pledged to sign up customers for the Clean Energy Options program that demands electricity suppliers pull clean energy from the regional electricity grid.

I hope municipalities such as Bridgeport will pledge to move in the direction of clean energy that would put a stumbling block in the path of global warming.

It may cost a lot at first to convert to cleaner energy and break the dependence on oil, natural gas or coal. But it is an expense that will pay off in years to come; an expense we can't afford not to fund.

Using renewable energy sources will lighten our atmosphere and ensure a safer future for our children and grandchildren.

This column reflects the opinion of Hometown Editor Susan Hunter and does not necessarily represent the views of Hometown Publications.
"

Bridgeport News _ Shelton, Conn.

Hometown Publications: "Scientists from 113 countries said they are 90 percent certain that burning fossil fuel is causing the Earth's warming.

The effects of global warming can be reduced, according to the panel's report about how and why the planet is warming. The panel will release another report later this year on what to do about global warming.

When cars, power plants and factories burn fossil fuels, they release carbon dioxide that heats the Earth's atmosphere."

Norwalk Citizen - Capturing Contaminants

Norwalk Citizen - Capturing Contaminants: "To remove contaminants from storm water before it reaches Long Island Sound, Transpo Industries, Inc., of New Rochelle, N.Y., recently installed its EnviroSafe Modular Storm Water Catch Basin Filtration System in and around Veterans Memorial Park.

The work of retrofitting 45 storm drains with the new filtering technology was done under a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

According to Department of Public Works senior civil engineer Michael Yeosock, because the EnviroSafe technology is so new, the city decided to install a limited number of the devices in a 'demonstration process.' This will allow the technology's effectiveness to be evaluated for Norwalk and other municipalities in Connecticut, Yeosock said during a press conference at the park at which the installation was demonstrated. If the system appears to be effective, the city most likely will retrofit more of the catch basins, he said."

The Connecticut Post Online - Broadwater terminal poses inferno risk

The Connecticut Post Online - Broadwater terminal poses inferno risk: "A major explosion on a tanker carrying liquefied natural gas to the proposed Broadwater terminal in Long Island Sound would burn skin as far as a mile away, according to a congressional study.

The Government Accountability Office, which determined that a terrorist attack on a tanker, a natural disaster or an accident would severely burn people up to a mile away, concluded further research is needed to understand the consequences of such an inferno."

Federal report highlights danger of gas tankers - Newsday.com

Federal report highlights danger of gas tankers - Newsday.com: "People up to a mile away could get burned by a fire on a liquid natural gas tanker such as those that would supply the proposed Broadwater terminal in Long Island Sound, a federal report said yesterday.

In preparing the report, the Government Accountability Office examined six unclassified studies about the effects of a major spill and fire aboard a double-hulled tanker carrying liquefied natural gas. Most experts interviewed by investigators agreed such a fire could burn people's skin roughly one mile away, depending on variables that include the amount of gas released, size of the tanker breach, and winds, the GAO report said."

Study: LNG tanker blast could burn victims one mile away - Newsday.com

Study: LNG tanker blast could burn victims one mile away - Newsday.com
WASHINGTON -- Fire from a terrorism attack against a tanker ship carrying liquefied natural gas could ignite so fiercely it would burn people one mile away, according to a congressional study.

It examined terror risks on the nation's waterways and concluded that further research is needed to understand the consequences of such a remarkable inferno.

The study by the Government Accountability Office was expected to be released Wednesday. It urged the Energy Department to perform new research on the risks from a major fire or gas release in terror attacks or natural disasters on such tanker ships.

Lawmakers said the latest GAO study coincides with projected increases of 400 percent in liquified (sic) natural gas imports over the next 10 years, as energy companies await federal approval on 32 applications to build new terminals in 10 states and five offshore areas. New tanker ships being launched are nearly twice as large as many current tankers, lawmakers said.

Westport News - Broadwater Fights Back on Liquid Natural Gas Plan

Westport News - Broadwater Fights Back on Liquid Natural Gas Plan: "With the General Assembly approaching the midpoint of this session, Broadwater Energy is starting to intensify its counterattack against advocates in Connecticut who are opposed to the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Long Island Sound.

Broadwater officials are meeting with media and other groups to win support for the LNG terminal and defeat proposals in the legislature. The cost of the terminal is estimated at $700 million and some observers of the battle between environmentalists and the utility giant think the price tag could go higher if it is approved."

Suffolk attorneys request more hearings on LNG plan - Newsday.com

Suffolk attorneys request more hearings on LNG plan - Newsday.com: "Suffolk County and Broadwater Energy continue battling behind the scenes over the latter's proposal for a liquid natural gas terminal in Long Island Sound, which the county opposes.

The latest shot, fired by the county, is a letter sent Tuesday to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission objecting to a request by Broadwater to file more information to counter its proposal's critics and support its case that the project can be undertaken safely."

And The Lord Said, 'Let There Be Wise Community Development'

New Haven Independent: And The Lord Said, "Let There Be Wise Community Development": "Speaking Tuesday morning on 'The Moral Implications of Community Development,' Rabbi Pete Stein addressed a group of New Haven's financial and spiritual movers and shakers; he sees scant distinction in the capacity for moral action between the two. Stein said that the way he reads the Bible, God is calling on all of us to work, through moments of high spiritual uplift or by resolving to recycle those plastic bags to reduce garbage, to make a world sustainable ecologically, economically, socially, and spiritually."

News Times Live Hospital looks at clean energy

News Times Live Hospital looks at clean energy

Solar panels slated to be replaced atop Danbury building

By Robert Miller
THE NEWS-TIMES

DANBURY -- The water-heating solar panels that sit on top of Danbury Hospital -- put there about 30 years ago, and out of commission for at least half that time -- will be replaced with new ones that will generate electricity.

The new photovoltaic panels -- as well as a planned gas-fired turbine generator on the hospital grounds -- will reduce the hospital's dependence on electricity and will use less-polluting technologies.

Mark Mininberg, president of Hospital Energy Services, which works with hospitals to expand their use of clean energy, said Danbury Hospital is the only one in the state that is planning such a solar array.

Photovoltaic cells can convert sunlight directly to electricity. The new panels could be in place in 2008 or 2009 and will save the hospital money.

"When you buy electricity, you pay for the cost of generating the electricity,'' said Morris Gross, vice president of Danbury Health Systems, the for-profit corporation that owns the nonprofit hospital, said last week.

"But you also pay the cost of transmitting the electricity across wires. And you pay for the cost of distributing the electricity to a particular place. So if you can generate at least some of that electricity yourself, you save on the transmission and distribution costs."

Click on the link above to read the rest of the story

Recruiting For Conservation

Threatened and endangered plants, fish and wildlife face myriad threats - congressional assaults on the federal Endangered Species Act, development pressures, budget cuts to recovery programs and global warming, to name a few. A proposal now before the Senate holds genuine promise for recruiting private landowners to the cause of protecting these species.

Called the Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2007, the measure introduced by Sen. Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho, would make up to $400 million available annually in tax credits, deductions and exclusions to people who own or manage private lands. The proposal has more than a dozen bipartisan co-sponsors, including Connecticut's Sen. Joseph Lieberman.

Neighbors fight against truck school

The Valley Gazette: "The residents stuck with their overwhelming concern that diesel smoke is a health hazard. Beyond this issue, each side found little common ground as the parties used each other's arguments as a basis for further attack.

Both sides debated the application from Allstate Commercial Driving Training School of Shelton for a 10.8-acre parcel of land at Pearl and Day streets."

New bill to protect 'Preserve'

Pictorial Gazette - New bill to protect 'Preserve': "State Rep. James Spallone, D-Essex, has proposed a bill calling for $10 million in state funding to help purchase the mostly forested and undisturbed 1,000-acre parcel nicknamed 'The Preserve' in northwest Old Saybrook, a portion of south central Essex, and a small section of northeast Westbrook.
While previous bills called for $8 million, the increase came after River Sound Development, the property's owners, rejected an offer from the state Department of Environmental Protection, DEP, to purchase the property for $7.5 million, Spallone said.
River Sound Development is a subsidiary of the Wall-Street investment firm Lehman Brothers.
While this undeveloped land is home to a variety of animals, it also contains the watersheds of the Oyster River, Trout Brook, and Mud River, three important waterways that drain into the Long Island Sound.
The Connecticut Fund for the Environment, CFE, describes the parcel as 'one of the last vast pieces of coastal forestland of its kind between Boston and New York City.'
'This property is a top priority for the DEP,' Spallone said, adding that he feels it would be a great addition to the 16,000-acre Cockaponset State Forest."

Commentary — Rep. Toni Boucher — Super 7, not again!

Wilton Villager Online: "I oppose this plan in the strongest possible terms on behalf of my constituents, the community and the environment that it would destroy."

Alliance targets diesel pollution

The Connecticut Post Online - Alliance targets diesel pollution: "A coalition of environmental groups Wednesday urged state officials to do more to curb diesel pollution, citing new findings that the daily commute is a significant source of exposure to harmful diesel fumes.

A report released Wednesday by the Clean Air Task Force found that although 6 percent of a typical day is spent getting to and from work, the commute typically accounts for 60 percent of a commuter's exposure to diesel pollution."

'Super 7' debated in Hartford

Wilton Villager Online: "HARTFORD — The sponsor of a bill to move forward the construction of a long-considered highway between Norwalk and Danbury sparred with the project's chief opponent as he testified before the state legislature's Transportation Committee Wednesday.

State Sen. Bob Duff, D-25, said the proposed highway, known as 'Super 7' to supporters and detractors alike, is crucial for Connecticut's economic vitality. Transportation Committee member and Wilton state Rep. Toni Boucher, R-143, replied that there is no federal or state money allocated for the project, which she said would harm the environment and public health in her town."

Eastern Connecticut locals join climate fight

Norwich Bulletin - www.norwichbulletin.com - Norwich, Conn.: "The Mohegan tribe bought 100 acres of forestland in Costa Rica in 2002 through the Mystic-based nonprofit group, Reforest the Tropics, as a way of offsetting the 1,600 tons of carbon dioxide the tribe's two 200-kilowatt fuel cells emit for a period of 25 years."

Connecticut College President pledges the College will make plans to achieve carbon neutrality

Connecticut College - CC News Stories: "President Leo I. Higdon, Jr. has pledged that the College will make plans to achieve carbon neutrality and will reduce emissions of greenhouse gases generated by the campus.

Higdon recently signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), which seeks to address global warming by solidifying institutional commitments to reduce and ultimately

Higdon´s commitment places him as a charter signatory of the initiative, which hopes to have 200 college and university signers by June 2007. To date, more than 50 college and university presidents and chancellors have either signed the commitment or letters of intent to sign the commitment by June."

The Advocate - Doctor tackles inconvenient subject, says global warming calls for 'day-to-day commitment'

The Advocate - Doctor tackles inconvenient subject, says global warming calls for 'day-to-day commitment': "Peter Libre pays nothing in gas or electric bills to heat his six-person home, and he does not want you to pay anything, either.

Libre, a Norwalk eye surgeon and disciple of former Vice President Al Gore's Climate Project in Nashville, Tenn., gave a talk on global warming yesterday at United Methodist Church in Rowayton. A change in lifestyle is not only good for the environment, it also is good for your pocketbook, Libre told the few dozen who attended.

State Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, and state Rep. Larry Cafero, R-Norwalk, also spoke about climate change at the meeting.

Libre, who used a slide show that resembled Gore's film 'An Inconvenient Truth,' said climate change is a large, abstract issue, but there are many things individuals can do to help the environment and save money."

Home, Green Home

courant.com | Home, Green Home: "When Peter and Nellie Rabinowitz of Bethany decided several years ago that they wanted an environmentally sensitive home, they had a hard time finding somebody to build one.

Builders said, 'We've heard of that, but nobody does it around here. Everybody wants a big house with as many square feet as possible, and they don't care about sustainable or energy efficient or anything like that,' said Peter Rabinowitz.

Things have changed. Green buildings - energy-sipping and Earth-friendly - are increasingly appealing. And they don't have to be goofy looking."

Green Design on a Roll : Economics and Environment Align for Energy-Efficient Buildings (By Jim Motavalli)

Green Design on a Roll : Economics and Environment Align for Energy-Efficient Buildings (By Jim Motavalli): "Lindsay Suter, a green architect in Connecticut, made a vow. He wasn’t going to design mega mansions or outsized additions. Instead, he was going to devote 100 percent of his practice to environmentally themed designs. It’s a promise he kept.

Suter lives in a 220-year-old former grain mill next to a dammed river in North Branford, with solar panels on the roof. He admits that leaf-shaded Connecticut river valleys are not necessarily the best place for photovoltaics (PV), but he’s been stymied in the green home project he’d most like to see realized: hydroelectric power. “Every time I look outside at the dam I see four or five kilowatts going over the top,” he says."

Bureau lauds plan for Metro Green project

The Advocate - Bureau lauds plan for Metro Green project: "The city Land Use Bureau praised a plan to build 48 units of affordable housing next to the Stamford train station in what would become the state's largest 'green' mixed-use development.

In a written assessment of the Metro Green development plan by W&M Properties and housing developer Jonathan Rose Companies, Land Use Bureau Chief said it is unique because it combines several features the city should want - transit-oriented development, on-site affordable housing at nearly double the amount required, consistency with the city's Master Plan and environmentally sensitive design.
"

Clean Air Study Alarms Officials

Clean Air Study Alarms Officials: "State transportation and environmental protection officials reacted with concern Wednesday to a Clean Air Task Force study that concluded that commuters cannot escape exposure to sickening diesel exhaust whether traveling by car, bus, train, ferry or foot."

courant.com | Rell To Introduce CO² Legislation

courant.com | Rell To Introduce CO² Legislation: "The Northeastern states' Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative got a boost Monday from Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who announced she would introduce legislation supporting the plan to limit carbon dioxide emissions from electric power plants.

At the same time, Rell recommended auctioning up to 100 percent of the carbon permits the state will issue under the plan to underwrite consumer benefit programs. ..."

Humans On Fragile Edge

courant.com | Humans On Fragile Edge: "The scientific debate about whether there is a global warming problem is pretty much over. A leading international group of climate scientists reported last month that the evidence of global warming is 'unequivocal' and that the likelihood it is caused by humans is more than 90 percent. Skeptical researchers will continue to question the data, but this isn't a 'call both sides for comment' issue anymore. For mainstream science, it's settled. ..."

Choking Commuters - A Hartford Courant Editorial

Courant Editorial | Choking Commuters: "Commuting not only stinks (literally), it can make you sick, says an environmental group that studied diesel fumes in four cities.

This is bad news for a commuter state with three cities in the Top 50 exhaust list.

The good news is that 90 percent of the carcinogenic pollutants in diesel emissions can be removed from the air by retrofitting engines with filters. That's a powerful argument for investing in filters for state, local and federal fleets.

The Massachusetts-based nonprofit Clean Air Task Force looked at Boston, New York, Austin and Columbus, and found high levels of unhealthy diesel exhaust inside cars, buses and trains - four to eight times higher than outside the vehicle. But commuters on bikes and foot also inhale sickening amounts of fumes from diesel traffic. You can't escape soot.

Diesel particles can cause cancer, strokes and heart attacks and trigger serious breathing disorders.

To its credit, the state is addressing some of its emissions problems. More than half of the state's 600 CT Transit buses will have emissions filters by 2010. School buses in Bridgeport and New Haven and garbage trucks in Hartford are also getting retrofitted.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency requires new diesel trucks to have filters that reduce particle emissions. But diesel engines can last up to 30 years, so the old soot-belchers won't be off the roads any time soon.

Lawmakers have tried, but so far failed, to require all public transit and construction vehicles on state-financed projects to be outfitted with filters. The expense, at $7,000 or more per vehicle, could be spread over a few years.

It shouldn't be put off."

Norwich Bulletin - www.norwichbulletin.com - Norwich, Conn.

Norwich Bulletin - www.norwichbulletin.com - Norwich, Conn.

Local push is on for clean water funding
By LIZ MUGAVERO
Norwich Bulletin

HARTFORD -- The Clean Water Investment Coalition Tuesday called on the General Assembly to increase funding to clean up Connecticut's rivers and Long Island Sound, asking for $157 million for the 2007-208 fiscal year.

The coalition's report found the Clean Water Fund program is still able to be repaired, but need for these projects is real.

Led by Norwich City Manager Bob Zarnetske, the coalition reiterated that without financial support, ongoing and proposed projects will not be completed.

"One such project is the sewer upgrade in the city," Zarnetske said. "We need the state to contribute funds to make it possible for our water to be clean. These projects are essential to ensuring our rivers and the Sound are clean and safe."

Zarnetske said the problem is increasing costs in construction and engineering.

"The funds are necessary to upgrade plants and improve wastewater management systems as quickly as possible, so we don't pay more later."

Eastern Connecticut cities/towns awaiting funding include: Waterford, Groton, Norwich, Old Saybrook, Plainfield, Killingly, Putnam, East Lyme, Sprague, Thompson and Montville.

Wilton Villager Online

Wilton Villager Online: ... "Gov. Rell last week proposed increasing the funding for the Clean Water Fund to $245 million a year. I commend and agree with the Governor's decision to put more money into the Clean Water Fund. Recent legislative inaction has resulted in inadequate funding, to the point where in 2005 the legislature did not authorize any Clean Water Fund bonding; it has authorized $20 million in each of the 2006 and 2007 fiscal years. The $20 million annual funding level is significantly less than the $144 million and $120 million than the Department of Environmental Protection [DEP] requested for fiscal years 06 and 07, respectively. The DEP bases its requests on the number of treatment plants that had completed the design phase of their projects and were ready for construction." ....

Rell Clean Water Initiative Too Small, Coalition Says

Fox 61 WTIC-TV Connecticut | Rell Clean Water Initiative Too Small, Coalition Says: "One of Gov. M. Jodi Rell's major budget initiatives - to keep Connecticut waters free of pollution - is well-intentioned but too small by half, an alliance of environmental, municipal and economic interests declared Tuesday.

The Clean Water Investment Coalition said the state needs to allocate about $300 million over the next two years to water-related public works projects, the full amount requested by Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Gina McCarthy - compared with the $140 million Rell has proposed.

Besides a host of environmental groups, the 20-member coalition includes the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, the Metropolitan District Commission, the Connecticut Construction Industries Association, the State Building Trades Council and lobstermen associations.

In a sign the coalition has lawmakers' support, the first speakers at a noontime news conference at the Legislative Office Building were the chairmen of the General Assembly's environment committee, who focused on protecting Long Island Sound.

'Every bit of water in Connecticut drains into Long Island Sound, which is our most precious natural resource,' said Rep. Richard Roy, D-Milford. He spoke of endangered coastal marshes 'where life begins' for the Sound ecosystem."

Broad-sided - Long Island Business News

Broad-sided - Long Island Business News
John German is not one to mince words: He doesn’t work well with others.

“I’m out there minding my own business, fishing,” he says. “I don’t get along that well with people, and all of a sudden, I’m in the middle of this thing!” ....

.... “Our biggest problem is going to be the shift in the shipping lanes,” said Mattituck fisherman Mark King. “If these barges get pushed a little bit south, they’re going to run through everything.”

Besides a loss of business, that could also mean a loss of gear. King strings out 1,000-foot lines with buoys at each end, with traps attached to the main line by a snood roughly every 150 feet. Other boats forced out of the main shipping lanes by LNG tankers could destroy King’s lines; the traps cost $70 each, so losing a line with six traps is costly. (The traps have panels held in place by clips that rapidly biodegrade, allowing marine life to escape lost pots.) ....

King – whose boat, the Timtarah, is docked just across Mattituck Creek from Rispoli’s – grew up fishing on his family’s vessel (his brother Jim, a Southold Town trustee, is also a fisherman). He worries about adding to the cumulative effects on the water. ”This poor Sound’s been hammered enough lately,” he said.

Challenges aside, most lobstermen can’t imagine any other way of life. “I’m 51 years old,” King said, as a cold Sound wind whipped through a stock of lobster pots. “I don’t really want a career change if I can help it. I don’t know how you compensate for someone’s life.”

“There’s nothing else I’d ever want to do,” said German, who is 60 and has fished for all but two of 43 years, when he was in Vietnam. “It’s not a job, it’s a way you live your life.”

BOF votes to table denitrification facility

The Herald - BOF votes to table denitrification facility

Southington is presently releasing 900 pounds of nitrogen into the Quinnipiac River per day. In 2005, the town paid the state $170,000 into the credit exchange and, with an increase in 2006, the town paid $280,000.
John Pearson, an engineer with Metcalf and Eddy Inc., the company contracted by the Town Council to design and construct the facility, presented the proposal to the board. The proposal consisted of comparison analysis of the cost to build the denitrification plant versus continuing to partake in The Nitrogen Credit Exchange Program.

Alliance targets diesel pollution _ ctpost

The Connecticut Post Online - Alliance targets diesel pollution

A coalition of environmental groups Wednesday urged state officials to do more to curb diesel pollution, citing new findings that the daily commute is a significant source of exposure to harmful diesel fumes.

A report released Wednesday by the Clean Air Task Force found that although 6 percent of a typical day is spent getting to and from work, the commute typically accounts for 60 percent of a commuter's exposure to diesel pollution.

The report based its findings on a study of commutes in Austin, Texas; Boston; New York City and Columbus, Ohio.

It found people who commute by car, bus, ferry, train or foot had significant exposure to fine-particulate pollution from diesel exhaust. But it also noted that exposure fell in areas where transit and other vehicles are fitted with special filters or use alternative fuels.

"I think that this report is really important for Fairfield County residents to take note of," said Katherine Woodhead, community organizer for the Fairfield County Environmental Justice Network, based in Bridgeport.

She said Bridgeport in particular has a high incidence of asthma, which she said has been associated with fine-particulate pollution from diesel engines.

"Fairfield County is among the hardest hit 7 percent for counties nationwide in terms of health impacts from diesel exhaust," Woodhead said.

The Connecticut Alliance Against Diesel Pollution, a coalition of environmental groups, said the study shows a need for action at the state level to curb diesel pollution. ..."

Levy presses Spitzer to oppose Broadwater LNG terminal - Newsday.com

Levy presses Spitzer to oppose Broadwater LNG terminal - Newsday.com: "Levy presses Spitzer to oppose Broadwater LNG terminal"

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy laid out his objections to the Broadwater liquid natural gas terminal in a meeting with Gov. Eliot Spitzer Tuesday and quoted Spitzer as saying he hadn't yet decided on whether to support the facility proposed for Long Island Sound.

"He listened intently and said he was looking to do an overall, comprehensive review of the area's energy needs before he comes to a decision," Levy said after meeting with Spitzer in Albany. The 15-minute session in Spitzer's office was to discuss a variety of topics, and Levy said they just "touched on" Broadwater. ...

Levy has contended that Suffolk County has jurisdiction as well under state law. He has said he would go to court to the stop the project if necessary and said Tuesday he would do so even if Spitzer, a fellow Democrat, supports Broadwater.

"I think the governor understands that we are going to be seeing eye-to-eye on many issues and that where we disagree I will have to vigorously defend Suffolk's interests," Levy said.

Local push is on for clean water funding

Norwich Bulletin - www.norwichbulletin.com - Norwich, Conn.: "Local push is on for clean water funding
By LIZ MUGAVERO
Norwich Bulletin

HARTFORD -- The Clean Water Investment Coalition Tuesday called on the General Assembly to increase funding to clean up Connecticut's rivers and Long Island Sound, asking for $157 million for the 2007-208 fiscal year.

The coalition's report found the Clean Water Fund program is still able to be repaired, but need for these projects is real.

Led by Norwich City Manager Bob Zarnetske, the coalition reiterated that without financial support, ongoing and proposed projects will not be completed.

'One such project is the sewer upgrade in the city,' Zarnetske said. 'We need the state to contribute funds to make it possible for our water to be clean. These projects are essential to ensuring our rivers and the Sound are clean and safe.'

Zarnetske said the problem is increasing costs in construction and engineering.

'The funds are necessary to upgrade plants and improve wastewater management systems as quickly as possible, so we don't pay more later.'

Eastern Connecticut cities/towns awaiting funding include: Waterford, Groton, Norwich, Old Saybrook, Plainfield, Killingly, Putnam, East Lyme, Sprague, Thompson and Montville."

"The Waterbury Connecticut Republican American Newspaper"

"The Waterbury Connecticut Republican American Newspaper"

Wastewater plants left high and dry

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

BY PAUL HUGHES

Copyright © 2007 Republican-American

HARTFORD - Norwich City Manager Robert Zarnetske is urging the state government to literally flush $157 million down the toilet next year.

This is the amount that Zarnetske and other local government officials contend is needed to ease a backlog of wastewater treatment projects in Connecticut.

A coalition of municipal officials, environmentalists, labor groups and business organizations is asking Gov. M. Jodi Rell and the legislature to approve $394 million in bonding for local and regional projects in the next two years. The group held a news conference on Tuesday afternoon.

The Clean Water Investment Coalition contends that lack of state funding has stalled projects in 66 towns, including Waterbury, Torrington, Sharon, Salisbury, New Milford, Naugatuck, Middlebury, Goshen and Cheshire.

The collective price tag for all those projects is more than $2.1 billion.

The requests range from a low of $150,000 to a high of $300 million.

The bond-supported Clean Water Fund was established in 1986 to provide grants and low-interest loans to municipalities for sewage disposal and wastewater treatment.

In that time, the fund has financed 445 projects worth $1.45 billion.

"We are here today because the Clean Water Fund in Connecticut is in trouble ... At present, our funding levels are not sufficient to get the job done," Zarnetske said.

A number of Democratic and Republican legislators attended the Clean Water Investment Coalition's news conference, including New Milford Rep. Clark Chapin, the ranking House Republican on the Environment Committee.

Clark said New Milford is still awaiting $27.5 million to expand its wastewater treatment plant.

The Western Connecticut town is also seeking another $2.2 million for two other projects. The city of Waterbury is looking for $40 million for a rehabilitation project, and the city of Torrington is requesting $27.2 million to upgrade its sewage treatment plant.

Rell included $70 million in general obligation bonds each for the 2008 and 2009 fiscal years in her proposed $35.8 billion, two-year state budget. These bonds pay for grants to local governments.

The Clean Water Investment Coalition contends $157 million in general obligation bonds is needed in 2008 and another $137 million in 2009.

Rell also proposed providing $175 million in revenue bonds in 2008 and 2009 to finance low-interest loans. Revenues from wastewater treatment projects are used to repay the bonds. The Clean Water Investment Coalition didn't address the issue of the revenue bonds.

From 1986 to 2002, governors and legislatures approved an average of $48 million a year in general obligation bonds for the Clean Water Fund.

From 2003 through this year, only $40 million in new general obligation bonds was approved, and cutbacks in prior authorizations totaled $78 million.

This resulted in an annual loss of nearly $8 million over the last five years, according to a study that Rell ordered.

The reduced funding stalled wastewater treatment projects. The legislature's research office estimated a backlog of more than 400 projects.

Rell Clean Water Initiative Too Small, Coalition Says

courant.com | Rell Clean Water Initiative Too Small, Coalition Says

One of Gov. M. Jodi Rell's major budget initiatives - to keep Connecticut waters free of pollution - is well-intentioned but too small by half, an alliance of environmental, municipal and economic interests declared Tuesday.

The Clean Water Investment Coalition said the state needs to allocate about $300 million over the next two years to water-related public works projects, the full amount requested by Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Gina McCarthy - compared with the $140 million Rell has proposed.

Besides a host of environmental groups, the 20-member coalition includes the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, the Metropolitan District Commission, the Connecticut Construction Industries Association, the State Building Trades Council and lobstermen associations.

In a sign the coalition has lawmakers' support, the first speakers at a noontime news conference at the Legislative Office Building were the chairmen of the General Assembly's environment committee, who focused on protecting Long Island Sound.

"Every bit of water in Connecticut drains into Long Island Sound, which is our most precious natural resource," said Rep. Richard Roy, D-Milford. He spoke of endangered coastal marshes "where life begins" for the Sound ecosystem.

Sen. Bill Finch, D-Bridgeport, said the Sound is Connecticut's equivalent of the Grand Canyon. Boosting funding for clean water projects may be "the single most important thing the environment committee can do for years and years," he said.

The Sound, however, is forced to swallow about 2 billion gallons of untreated sewage a year, said Megan Hearne, steward of the Connecticut River Watershed Council. About half of it flows down the Connecticut River from the Hartford area.

The 2-year-old coalition, organized by the Conference of Municipalities, said the state's Clean Water Fund for pollution control projects, financed mostly by bonding, has been neglected in recent years. ......

EJ Magazine - Fall 2006

EJ Magazine - Fall 2006: "Life Without Nature

Research suggests that children who live disconnected from nature suffer poorer mental, physical and psychological health. Some hope school gardens will heal bonds severed between children and the natural environment.

by sarah kozicki

The raised garden beds behind Dawes Elementary School grow vegetables and herbs.

It’s humid inside the greenhouse, and the rich, earthy fragrance of healthy soil permeates the air. Plastic stretched around the metal structure lends an extra four degrees of warmth, allowing fragile, leafy greens to grow during Michigan winters.


The raised garden beds behind Dawes Elementary School grow vegetables and herbs.
Photo courtesy of Lynn Hyndman

Ten elementary school students, two each from grades first through fifth, chatter excitedly as they move between the beds of lettuce and radishes. Their small fingers reach into the wet mass of greens, cutting leaves off one by one with safety scissors to drop into the waiting collection bags.

This is Gunnisonville Elementary School in Lansing, Mich., — a school of children primarily from urban, low-income families, and where 58 percent of students are on the federal free or reduced-cost lunch program. The existence of the greenhouse is due largely to Laurie Thorp, director of the Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment (RISE) program at Michigan State University. The teachers at Gunnisonville use the greenhouse and a gar"

Opponents: 'Time for Super 7 has passed'

The Advocate - Opponents: 'Time for Super 7 has passed': "Opponents of the long-stalled Super 7 highway between Danbury and Norwalk yesterday lashed out against a proposal to revive it.

Plans for the controversial highway are dead, critics said, and it is pointless for lawmakers to discuss it. Super 7 has been in limbo for more than 50 years because of opposition from Wilton, Ridgefield and Redding.

'The time for the Super 7 has passed,' Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi said during a public hearing of the legislature's Transportation Committee at the Capitol. 'May it rest in peace.'
...
"This would be one of the worst environmental things that has ever happened to this state," said Roger Reynolds, a staff attorney for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment. "Superhighways don't decrease congestion. They increase congestion."

Connecticut Coalition Plans Huge Environmental Investment _ The CCSU Recorder

The Recorder: "A coalition of Connecticut environmental groups has asked the state of Connecticut to finance an environmental revitalization program over the next 10 years totaling $1 billion."

An Idea To Save Connecticut

Read PagePartnership to create a fund for land purchases promotes a sensible idea.

A coalition of conservation and preservation groups has a good idea to assure that Connecticut does not become one long, large subdivision: create a consistent revenue stream from the state to set aside key parcels of forest, wetlands and farmland each year. Perusing a map suggests that much of the state still is open space or state forests and parks. The problem is that suburban housing sprawl is advancing at a fast rate, A small state such as Connecticut can't absorb that kind of development without losing much of its character and charm."

NOT QUOTED DIRECTLY — i.e. EDITED — So a group — including pro-conservation organizations — is asking the governor and legislature to provide $62 million each year to buy property that requires protection. They would be fortunate to get a fraction of that amount.

Another federal agency calls Broadwater study flawed - Newsday.com

Another federal agency calls Broadwater study flawed - Newsday.com: "The National Marine Fisheries Services is contending in a detailed, six-page filing that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the agency empowered to approve or reject the project, failed in a 'draft environmental impact statement' released in November to fully assess the potential effects on marine life, commercial and recreational fishing and vessel traffic from both the construction and operation of the Broadwater plant that is proposed for the middle of Long Island between Wading River and Connecticut."

New Haven Register - Large crowd jeers truck school plan

New Haven Register - Large crowd jeers truck school plan: "SEYMOUR — Residents continued to drive home their point Wednesday that a proposed truck driving school in their Pearl Street neighborhood would wreak havoc on their health, cause grave concern for their children’s safety and make them prisoners in their own homes.

Nearly 100 residents turned out for the Planning and Zoning Commission’s public hearing, which was continued from Jan. 11. At press time, the hearing was still going on, and it was not known whether the commission would continue or close the hearing.

Resident Alex Danka opened the hearing by disputing a recent statement made by Vincent Mairano, owner of the All-State Commercial Truck Driving School, who had said in his 25 years of operating the school in Shelton, his facility had been accident-free, and his drivers had never even been ticketed.

Danka played an audiotape of Mairano’s comments made at a previous meeting. Danka then produced accident reports obtained from Shelton police, which showed All-State student drivers had, in fact, had three accidents while training in the big rigs within an 18-month period, from May 2004 to December 2005. ...

A lawyer from the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Charles Rothenberger, speaking on behalf of the residents, cited several reports which stated "diesel fuel emissions are the No. 1 air toxin risk in the U.S.," and exposure can lead to heart attacks, asthma, cancer and even death, especially in the young and elderly."

Conservation hearing focuses on potential danger to river

Westport Minuteman - Conservation hearing focuses on potential danger to river: "The Saugatuck River and its unhealthy state was the focus of much public comment at the Monday night meeting of the Westport Conservation Commission as it again considered the application of the Westport/Weston Family Y to build a 100,000-square-foot building with a 34,000 gallon a day septic system on the banks of the that river.
"

Might California Ban the Old Bulb?

courant.com | Might California Ban the Old Bulb?: "SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- How many people does it take to change a light bulb? In California, the answer could be a majority of the Legislature.

The electricity-wasting incandescent bulb would be banned -- replaced by energy efficient compact fluorescents -- under a bill that Assemblyman Lloyd Levine plans to introduce.

He says the spiral light sources are so efficient that consumers should be forced to use them. The compact bulbs use one-fourth the electricity spent in an equivalent incandescent. "

State lawmakers have bright idea

New Haven Register - State lawmakers have bright idea It might be lights out for Thomas Edison in Connecticut and California.

Actually, the forward-thinking Edison, who perfected but did not invent the incandescent light bulb, might approve of efforts to replace the hot, fragile, energy-burning bulb with compact fluorescent lights, as state legislators are considering.

Proposals in both states would ban the sale of incandescent bulbs — invented by English scientist Humphry Davy in 1800 — in order to push us all toward the curly, low-watt bulbs that save energy and, over time, money.

Broadwater: Floating Folly

courant.com: Broadwater: Floating Folly: "RISING DEMAND FOR ENERGY IS NOT INEVITABLE[emphasis added]. SINCE THE 1920S, IT HAS BEEN A BASIC GOAL OF 'GROWTH MACHINES,' A TERM COINED BY SOCIOLOGIST HARVEY MOLOTCH IN 1976 TO DEFINE POLITICAL MACHINES COMPOSED OF CORPORATIONS WHO PROFIT FROM INCREASED GROWTH (OFTEN THROUGH THE MANIPULATION OF LAND, BUILDINGS AND ENERGY) AND THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO WORK WITH THEM. ...

A 2006 report by Synapse Energy Economics found that existing land-based LNG terminals (including Bear Head in Nova Scotia and Canaport in New Brunswick, now under construction in eastern Canada and expected to begin deliveries in 2008) can meet present and future demand for imported gas in the northeastern United States. The authors argue that gas demand may actually decline through better management of existing resources, including storage facilities to help meet peak winter demand, as well as increased use of renewable energy, such as solar and wind.

As the price of gas rises, renewable energy becomes a more attractive investment. Promoting energy efficiency through buildings with better materials, orientation, insulation and sun control can also lower demand.

Because global energy corporations make no profits from renewable resources or conservation, Broadwater demonstrates just how committed pro-growth energy corporations are to increased consumption of imported LNG. ...

As New York and Connecticut face off against TransCanada and Royal Dutch Shell, the floating gas barge proposed for Long Island Sound provides a perfect example of how global energy concerns pervade everyday life. Energy policies already adopted by the states of New York and Connecticut prioritize renewable energy and conservation, while FERC favors supply for increased consumption.

The conflict is an important test of where the United States' energy future is headed."

Get on the bus: More funds sought for transit

The Advocate - Get on the bus: More funds sought for transit: "Bus operators and advocates lobbied lawmakers yesterday for more funding, saying they could more than double ridership with a larger subsidy.

A lack of funds has led to service cuts the past five years, transit operators said during a hearing of the legislature's Transportation Committee at the Capitol.

"The reason more people don't use transit more is because it's not an option," said Ronald Kilcoyne, chief executive officer of the Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority that jointly operates the Coastal Link service between Norwalk and Milford with the Norwalk Transit District."

East Haven ready to vote on gas plant

New Haven Register - East Haven ready to vote on gas plant: "It looks like the town is about to break its silence on the Broadwater liquefied natural gas plant proposed for 10 miles off-shore.

For months, East Haven was one of the few state coastal communities that had not gone on record against the plant Broadwater Energy proposes to build in Long island Sound.
"

News Times Live Going green: Design movement growing to build environmentally friendly buildings

News Times Live Going green: Design movement growing to build environmentally friendly buildings: "If you could build a new school -- or office building or home -- that was sunlit and healthy, environmentally friendly, and that would save you lots of money for years to come, why wouldn't you?

That's the question people throughout the country are increasingly asking.

'Green' buildings are no longer some Whole Earth Catalog, off-the-grid pipe dream. They are increasingly becoming the standard by which other new buildings are measured.

'If you're building something that's going to last 50 years, why would you invest in something that's out of date?'' Gregory Kats, a leader of Capital E, a Washington, D.C., consulting firm specializing in energy-efficient building, said at a Green Buildings conference at the state Capitol last week."