A Democratic proposal to ban the sale of personal care products containing plastic microbeads may not doomed after all. Republicans on the Monroe County Legislature’s Agenda/Charter committee last night referred the measure to the county administration for further study. Members of the GOP caucus have said that the issue should be handled at the federal […]
environment
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Dems want Monroe County to ban the beads
Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature want to ban the sale of personal care products containing microbeads within Monroe County. Legislator Dorothy Styk of Perinton introduced the legislation, which will be considered by the Legislature’s Agenda/Charter Committee on September 30. Erie County has passed similar legislation, and Albany and Chautauqua counties are considering bans of […]
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Finger Lakes solar installations increase
Solar-power capacity increased significantly in the Finger Lakes region between 2011 and 2014, according to newly released data from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority The data shows the growth of solar power across the state. At the end of 2011, the Finger Lakes had 2.1 megawatts of installed solar capacity spread across 249 […]
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New York makes its fracking ban official
It is done: New York has officially banned high-volume hydraulic fracturing in the state’s shale formations. State officials announced their intention to ban high-volume fracking back in December, but they also said that they needed to complete a few steps to finish out the environmental review. That’s done, and today, the Department of Environmental issued […]
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UPDATED: Unitarians back off fossil fuels
First Unitarian Church wants to start divesting from fossil fuel stocks.
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Faith and environmentalism: common goals
A devout Catholic, Gerry Gacioch says that humans are supposed to be stewards of the Earth. Climate change, he says, is a sign that humanity is abusing what God has given it. The remainder of 2015 is crucial for acting on climate change, he says. For one, world leaders will gather in Paris at the […]
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Brownfields program nears expiration
The state’s brownfield tax credit program will expire at the end of the year unless lawmakers can agree to a fix. And if the recent past serves as any indication, that agreement may be hard to come by. Under the state’s Brownfield Cleanup Program, developers can receive tax credits for cleaning up and reusing contaminated […]
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Brighton eyes solar law
More solar power systems in Brighton would mean that residents and businesses could get clean, low-cost power while lessening the town’s environmental footprint, officials say. That’s why town leaders have developed a draft solar ordinance. Solar panels are allowed in Brighton, says town planner Ramsey Boehner, but that’s not specifically stated in the town code. […]
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Rochester People’s Climate Coalition moves ahead
Climate activism and action appear to be ramping up in the Rochester area, which is a very good thing. The City of Rochester is putting together a comprehensive plan to reduce its impact on climate change, governments and local businesses are leading by example on renewable energy, and new advocacy and activism groups are forming. […]
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Moms mobilize against climate change
Andrea Wolff of Chili says that she loves nature and being in the woods. And as a mother of two boys, she says that she feels a sense of urgency about the environment. Wolff says that she knows something needs to be done about climate change, but that she’s struggled to figure out what she […]
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Rochester City Council backs opponents of Seneca Lake LPG facility
Rochester City Council members have thrown their support behind the local governments and businesses opposed to a proposed liquefied petroleum gas storage facility along Seneca Lake. A subsidiary of Texas-based Crestwood Holdings, a fuel storage and transportation company, wants to store butane and propane in salt caverns owned by another of the company’s subsidiaries, US […]
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The legacy of New York’s fracking decision
New York’s long struggle with fracking is over, except that it isn’t. Next month, the State Department of Environmental Conservation will officially wrap up its review of high-volume hydraulic fracturing, the natural gas extraction technique under review since late 2008. The big news: it intends to prohibit high-volume fracking in New York, DEC Commissioner Joseph […]
