NY Renews Town Hall Meeting
Yes We Can Community Center
141 Garden St, Westbury, NY 11590 Facebook event here.
On Thursday 10/13/16, coalition members New York Communities for Change, Long Island Progressive Coalition, and All Our Energy are holding a Town Hall event on Long Island, part of a series we’re doing across the state to engage communities and hold our elected officials accountable.
Want to learn more about the coalition and our policy platform? Want to come together with diverse constituencies from across LI dedicated to climate justice?
At this first town hall meeting, find out about the climate policy platform NY Renews is trying to pass in Albany, and who’s in the coalition. We’re bringing together climate activists, economic justice advocates, and labor voices from across LI to talk about a statewide ‘just transition’. State officials will be in the room and our goal is to keep them accountable by demonstrating our people power and having them hear from community members. Find out about upcoming NYR activities on LI and how people can take action locally to support the statewide campaign.
The volunteer team removed over 70 lbs of trash, debris and recyclables and sent them to their proper disposal.
Thanks to our partners at Surfrider Foundation Central LI for the help and the reusable collection bags that avoid further unnecessary plastic pollution.
Join your neighbors and friends to make a difference for our beach, our residents, and our wildlife; and contribute the results to science.
The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation will join All Our Energy, Surfrider Foundation- Central Long Island Chapter, the City of Long Beach, New York (OFFICIAL) and the BYO Bag LB team to collect and document the trash we remove, and leave nothing but footprints.
Thanks to Gentle Brew Coffee refreshments will be served for volunteers.
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?
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.
Thank you to Steve Abbondandolo from The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation for braving the storm to come and give an intriguing presentation on marine debris and our undersea environment!
We learned about the biggest problems our marine life face, from pollution to entanglement to damaging human interaction.
Stay tuned as we partner with The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation and others for beach clean ups and documenting what is found.
LONG BEACH, NY – July 19, 2016 – The BYO Bag LB campaign and over 125 supporters rallied at City Hall before the City Council’s meeting, requesting that the city take action on single-use plastic bag pollution.
They debuted over 2,512 signatures from residents, visitors, and business owners in support of city action. A mural of reminder easily wrapped around the plaza: 500 plastic bags tied end to end -the average person’s annual usage.
“Of the thousands of shoppers, merchants, and visitors we have talked to, the overwhelming majority support this community-building positive change,” said George Povall, Director of All Our Energy. “Pricing ‘free’ checkout bags, which become either waste or pollution after just 12 minutes of use, encourages you to bring your own bag.”
Large artful signs, many handmade by students, included a sea turtle from plastic bags and giant reusable bag. Four members of the Stewards of the Sea Youth Team jumped in it and sang “All we are saying…is bring your own bag!”
“The voices of our Long Beach children are in their artwork (calling) for a non-plastic ridden tomorrow,” Said Laura O’Shaughnessy-Swan, Coordinator for Stewards of the Sea. “This must begin at home with the support of our Long Beach City Council’s elimination of single use plastic bag pollution.”
The first speaker was Finn Ashmead, a high school senior who started a student petition and acquired hundreds of signatures, which inspired another dozen students to do the same. “This ordinance is a very simple step we can take to reduce our local pollution, and make Long Beach a much cleaner place”.
Leah Tozer of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce introduced their letter of support for action. “Plastic pollution is a pervasive problem that hurts our city’s assets and natural resources. We want to solve that problem together, for the benefit of our city, our residents and Chamber of Commerce members.”
“I am here as a City Council Member in support of a reusable bag ordinance,” City Councilwoman Eileen Goggin said. “I am committed to making this happen”. Council Member Anissa Moore also pledged support for bringing the community together to solve this problem. City Council President Len Torres also spoke in favor and then brought the sentiment in to the city council meeting where he spoke of taking action on the issue.
Local environmentalist Scott Bochner underscored this same sentiment, saying, “This is a legacy issue for the City of Long Beach and for our children. Long Beach will lead and be the first community in Nassau County to pass legislation to eliminate single use plastic bags.”
Marine debris is adversely affecting marine animals at an alarming rate. The BYO Bag LB campaign and The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation present “Our Undersea World: An Unnatural Danger”
The effects of plastic and other pollution on marine life will be discussed, as well as stories about specific animals that stranded due to pollution. A question and answer session will follow with experts from The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation.
Learn how to take a stand against this human-induced occurrence, and give these animals the best chance of survival. Help reduce the amount of marine debris entering the environment, before it can harm a marine animal, and create a safer environment for future generations of humans and marine animals alike.
The BYO Bag LB team cleaned up some unbelievably trash and plastic polluted bay marsh land this past Saturday. Led by Scott Bochner, with the help of Operation Splash, Surfrider Foundation- Central Long Island Chapter, Sludge Stoppers Task Force, All Our Energy, SunPower by EmPower Solar, and thanks to City of Long Beach, New York for support, we made a big difference in the cleanliness of one section of marsh.
Some of the brave volunteers from our Marsh/Bay clean up. In a short time, we pulled about 20 full size garbage bags of mostly plastic and styrofoam debris off of about 500 feet of marsh.
In a short time, we pulled about 20 full size garbage bags of mostly plastic and styrofoam debris off of about 500 feet of marsh.
Scott Bochner, up to his hip boots in debris cleaned off the Marsh.
Hoses, foam seats, lots of #plastic and #styrofoamcup pieces, #plasticbottles, cigarette butts, and the dreaded shredded #plasticbag debris.
The dreaded, shredded, plastic bag debris. Yuck!
Good work and also sad how much it needs to be done! Thanks to all who helped.
