Archive for September 26, 2016

Coast Guard favored anti-wind lobbyists and denied it, says report 

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My first question when this USCG report was released in March 2016, and highlighted in the article Coast Guard Study Blockades Offshore Wind Energy, which demanded extra setbacks beyond the miles-wide existing shipping lanes, was- “says who?” There was no info on who produced this study and no reason why US Shipping interests were unable to work in a multitudinally wider area than Europe already has no problem with.

Now a report released this week from the public interest group Checks and Balances, about the otherwise inexplicable extra 2 mile setbacks recently forced on the Long Beach / Rockaway wind farm (and ostensibly everything from here on out) says outside lobbyists did have a say and that information on who is behind this study is being both denied and withheld.

This study was news from March 2016 (during NY Off Shore Wind Area BOEM lease announcement time). Then, it was inexplicably “dredged up” months later again by Newsday’s Mark Harrington in July. We were wondering why this old news was just hitting the radar of the preeminent energy journalist’s expertise.  While all the talk was off shore wind and LIPA’s upcoming planned announcement to buy it, this instead was his article: “Study: LI Wind Farm Sites Risky”(print version title).

We must demand an explanation, release of the documents, identities of the players, and a true impartial reexamination based on the actual science and data, the article cites they never did.

We seem to be just taking regulators at their word right now, and though no need to antagonize, its good to recognize so early on in this process, that acceptance is not in our best interest.
I ask myself: Why was this coast guard setback just accepted by us, the developers, and the entire advocacy community?
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It seems to me that that’s not our job. Our job is to get massive offshore wind built right and as soon as possible. BOEM’s timeline announcement in June 2016, which already stretches this process to 5-7 years, 2-3 times what an off shore fossil fuel drilling process takes, and with no guarantee lawsuits could not extend this, is not soon at all.

The climate just cannot wait. We won’t either.

Event: Winds Of Change

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WINDS OF CHANGE: AN EVENING WITH ABIGAIL HOPPER, BOEM DIRECTOR

Tuesday September 27, 2016 7pm
With Sane Energy Project and Win Wind Coalition
Long Island Association
300 Broad Hollow Rd, Melville, NY 11747

RSVP Here

Right now, we are on the verge of a sea change in our energy system – for the first time, the United States is moving toward utility-scale offshore wind power. New York State is poised to be at the forefront of that change, with offshore wind lease areas in motion along both the east end and the south shore of Long Island. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is the agency that is spurring and facilitating this movement, and we are honored to have BOEM Director Abigail Hopper come and participate in a presentation and a lively discussion about what the transition to offshore wind power means for our energy future. Director Hopper will be joined by representatives of business, labor, environmental advocacy and resiliency groups, and we will discuss how offshore wind power will impact each of these areas. We hope you will join us, get your questions answered, and be a part of energy history in the making!
 

 

Event: MOVIE- MERCHANTS OF DOUBT    

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Thursday September 22, 2016 7pm
With Citizens’ Climate Lobby Of Queens and Nassau
Long Beach Public Library
111 West Park Ave, Long Beach, NY 11561
RSVP Here

Come for a free screening of MERCHANTS OF DOUBT: a comedic, yet illuminating ride into the heart of conjuring American spin. Filmmaker Robert Kenner exposes a secretive group of highly charismatic, silver- tongued pundits-for-hire who present themselves in the media as scientific authorities – yet have the contrary aim of spreading maximum confusion about well-studied public threats ranging from toxic chemicals to pharmaceuticals to climate change.

Event: Coastal Clean Up 2016


img_5107Saturday September 17, 2016 10am

 

Long Beach Beach Park,

1 Lincoln Blvd, Long Beach, New York 11561

RSVP here

Join All Our Energy, Surfrider Foundation- Central Long Island Chapter, City of Long Beach, Long Beach Chamber Of Commerce, Ocean Conservancy, SunPower by EmPower Solar, and unsOund surf. Please come help us pick up and log all the marine debris we can starting at 10am then after the pick-up, please stick around to watch some amazing surfing.

Any questions about volunteering, please email volunteercoordinator@centralli.surfrider.orgD