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GREEN TEAM |
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SHARE THE PRODUCE TABLE, continues... Thanks to those who have brought in produce to share ... be sure to check the table in the lobby for available vegetables and flowers. Please feel free to take what you can use ... any money donated goes to CHOW.
Crazy Crayon Recycling Crayons are a petroleum based product and should be kept out of the landfill if possible. We recently sent 11 pounds of unwanted crayons to be recycled. There are containers in each Sunday School room, and one under the balcony. All unwanted crayons gladly accepted. This is an ongoing project. Thanks for your participation. The Green Team
What is Storm Water Runoff? One of the most significant, yet unrecognized groups of water contaminants is storm water pollutants. When it rains, storm water runs over yards, road, highways, parking lots, parks and playgrounds, carrying with it everything in its path, including debris and pollutants. Eventually, the water will travel to a stream, either over land or via a storm drain. Storm drains are frequently located alongside streets and parking lots. Unlike sanitary sewers that divert water to a treatment plant directly from your home, storm drains lead directly to surrounding lakes and rivers without any type of treatment. All debris and pollutants that were picked up by storm water runoff, end up in your lakes and streams! Where Does the Pollution Come From? Most contaminants are made up of common items used by residents, businesses and visitors—such as fertilizers, car oils and greases, yard clippings, soil, and pet wastes. Below are some tips you can follow to help keep pollution from entering lakes and streams via storm water runoff. Tips to Keep Your Rivers, Lakes and Streams Clean à Never dump anything down a storm drain! à Use an oil pan when changing oil to keep fluids off the pavement. Check local body shops and quick lubes to find a place to appropriately dispose of used oil. à Dispose of pet wastes in a trash can. à Leave grass clippings on your lawn as an alternate nutrient to fertilizer. If a fertilizer is necessary, choose a slow-release product and test your soil to find our how much fertilizer your lawn actually needs. à Wash your car on your lawn so excess water, chemicals and dirt is filtered through the lawn. à Keep household hazardous wastes, such as harsh cleaners, paint, car fluids and batteries from entering lakes and streams by disposing at a household hazardous waste center. Try using environmentally-safe alternatives or recipes with non-hazardous ingredients. à Use a broom rather than a hose to clean up grass clippings and dirt. à Keep a trash bag in your car—and use it! article from: www.plainfieldchartertwp/org/pdf/misc/runoff
From Broome County Division of Solid Waste Management:
Natural gas drilling is coming – Are you ready? As you are probably aware, we are living on top of an extensive natural gas deposit called the Marcellus Shale. The natural gas drilling industry is very interested in drilling in this region because of the potential to reach large amounts of natural gas made possible by a new drilling technique called horizontal fracking. This new technique involves building a well pad (3 to 5 acres), then vertically drilling a well from the well pad and extending the drilled well through horizontal drilling up to a mile in multiple directions from the well pad. There can actually be multiple wells (up to 8) drilled from the same well pad. Once the wells are drilled, a process called hydraulic fracking is used to break up the shale and reach the natural gas. This process involves the pumping of millions of gallons of water along with “fracking fluid” into the well under high pressure. The fracking fluid is a combination of a number of chemicals to aid in the gas removal process. As you may also have heard, there are a number of legitimate concerns with this new process. These are: - risk of chemical contamination of our air and water - excessive withdrawal of water from our rivers, lakes, and aquifer - loss of forests and farmland to network of well pads, pipelines, and access roads - heavy truck traffic to support drilling activities - lost (reduced) property values - noise, lights, and dust from drilling rigs, compressors, and 24/7 truck traffic - underground chemical dispersal and above ground spills - inadequate gas industry regulation at the federal and state levels - unbelievable exemption of the gas industry from the Safe Drinking Water Act - real long term costs to the area after the promised economic boom
The VUMC Green Team urges you to get involved and become aware of the pending gas drilling activity. Make your voice heard. Write to your elected officials sharing your questions and concerns. The addresses of your elected officials are:
Peter Andreasen; Supervisor 605 Vestal Parkway West Vestal, NY 13850
Charles E. Schumer 15 Henry Street Room M103 Binghamton, NY 13901
Kirsten E. Gillibrand PO Box 7378 Syracuse, NY 13261
Maurice D. Hinchey 100 A Federal Bldg 15 Henry Street Binghamton, NY 13901
Governor David Paterson State Capital Albany, NY 12224
Commissioner Pete Grannis 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12223-0001
Thomas W. Libous 413 Capital Bldg Albany, NY 12247
Donna A. Lupardo (126th District) 557 Legislative Office Bldg Albany, NY 12248
Doug Gausman / GT
₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ The Green Team is concerned about the “preservation and sustainability of local and global resources.” Out of that concern we have sent the following letter to the Vestal Town Council. Green Team Vestal United Methodist Church 328 Main Street Vestal, NY, 13850 March 2010 Vestal Town Council Peter Andreasen, Town Supervisor Vestal Town Hall, 605 Vestal Parkway East Vestal, New York 13850 Dear Members of Vestal Town Council: This letter is from The Green Team of the Vestal United Methodist Church. Part of our mission statement states that our issues of concern include:…”preservation and sustainability of local and global resources.” One of our concerns is the impact that drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale formation might have on our community. We feel strongly that water is one of our valuable resources that needs to be protected and are aware of the large amounts of water involved in drilling for natural gas. We encourage the Town of Vestal to make decisions that safeguard the water for the town wells, for wells on private property, for the storage of the water that is produced by the drilling process, and for water that may run-off into our rivers. We also feel it is important to have a base-line study of water and air quality before any drilling for natural gas begins. As our state works on regulations related to horizontal drilling for natural gas,we join you in hoping for policies that reflect concern for the common good and respect for all of our natural resources. Sincerely Yours, Members of the Green Team
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http://tinyurl.com/greenchurches
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Letter
From Calvin Tillman: Although I was invited, and a few worked extremely hard coordinating my packed schedule, this really was a vacation for me. My new friends just gave me a reason to see this new land, like I had not seen it before. It had been burning inside of me to see how other gas shale plays were being accepted, and if the companies acted better there than they did here in DISH, TX. Although, I spoke at a dozen events during this tour, meeting new people and sharing their experiences was the real joy. It was purely amazing at how many people traveled across snow-packed roads, and got up early on Saturday morning to let me share our story. Also, there were dozens of public officials who opened their minds to listen to me speak. During five days of speaking, almost 2,000 people came to hear the story of DISH, TX. What further amazed me was that no matter where the event, the seats were full. Whether, the church in Oneonta, school in Downsville, or the movie theater in Elmira, the seats were pretty much full, all the way until my last talk in Callicoon, that was standing room only. It amazes me, that this many people came to share our stories. The crowds continued to grow, and I reached almost 1,000 people on Saturday alone. What was even more amazing was that even those who did not share my views were respectful and courteous. Some of my friends in the industry had went to great lengths to create a hostile environment for me in the Marcellus, and that simple did not happen. Even those who asked the hard questions, which I welcomed, were respectful. I was further impressed by the convictions of my new friends to their cause. Many had turned down the opportunity for vast fortunes, and chose not to climb into to bed with the energy company landman. When approached with these prospects, they simply said "no". I am not sure that I have ever met such a large group of unselfish people in my life. Willing to forgo money to hang on to their way of life. I am not sure how to describe the respect I now have for my new friends. My main purpose for this trip was to let people know that there was more to natural gas exploration than a signing bonus, and a monthly royalty check. It had been my hope to allow folks to make a decision with their eyes wide open, not their eyes wide shut. I think there were many that began to think about this for the first time after listening to the story of the town that was sacrificed for the good of the shale. There are some that will never listen, and only look for the one thing that can give them a reason to say "it won't happen here". For those, it would not have mattered what I would have said, their minds would not be clouded with the facts, it was already made up. Another reason for wanting to take this tour, was to see for my own eyes how others were being affected by the shale boom. I have been trying to get stricter regulations here in TX and urged my new friends in the Marcellus to pursue the same. If this extraction of natural gas is going to take place, it must be tightly regulated. However, some of my new friends don't believe that it is possible to perform this safely, even with the tightest regulations. After visiting Dimock, PA, it was hard to argue with their logic. I got to meet the lady whose water well exploded, and tears filled my eyes when I heard the story told by another lady whose children would get sick after drinking the water from their once clean water well. I saw the tainted water from another poisoned well, and frankly, was not prepared for the emotions felt when we delivered fresh water to a family that had been refused this right by the drilling company. Some were getting water delivered by the company who poisoned the water, but a few were denied one of the simple rights that we should all expect as hard working Americans. Cabot Oil and Gas, has essentially turned this small neighborhood into a third world country, and won't even show those they are poisoning the courtesy of delivering water to them. These families would have surely been better off, if the shale had passed them by. In DISH we have dealt with the air toxins, but unfortunately we have not given the water much thought. There certainly have been issues with water here in the Barnett Shale, but nothing like water wells exploding. However, that does not mean that we do not have water quality issues, it just means we don't know it if we do. No one knew six months ago that we had toxic levels of chemicals in the air surrounding several natural gas wells and production facilities, and therefore, we should think about our water here as well. This trip made me think about issues that I not previously thought about, and that was the greatest gift I received. I have never been to a place where I received such a warm reception, and on some days I was passed through several people. By the end of the week, you would have thought, I had lived there my entire life. I even got to see the local hero Josh Fox, who put me in his now famous documentary GasLand. Some even went as far as to declare that I had been adopted as their own mayor. And though I missed my family something terrible, I was saddened to have to leave such a clean and beautiful place, and return to the dirty ole town. I can now see why my new friends want to maintain their clean air and clean water, and I hope to help them do it. I am glad to announce that I will be returning to the Marcellus Shale in April, to complete my tour, and see my new friends again. Thanks again for accepting that crazy mayor from Texas into you homes and lives. I hope it was a good for you as it was for me. Please post this on your blogs or pass on to your mailing groups.
Calvin Tillman ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ The newsletter of the Sierra Club Susquehanna Group, is now online at http://newyork.sierraclub.org/susquehanna/newsletter.shtml .
Both html and PDF versions are available for viewing.
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Green Team Meetings:
Meetings start at 7 PM and are generally held in the Church
Library.
Thursday (Feb 18)
Thursday (April 15)
Thursday (Mar 18) 7:15 p.m. Thursday (May 20)
Thursday (June 17) Thursday (July 15)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ For Green Team Hints visit: www.KermitsTeam.blogspot.com
Earth Day was April 22...but you can make every day Earth day... Some hints from WWF (World Wildlife Fund)
Recycle.
Recycling saves a lot of energy needed to make new products. Recycle 50
percent of your glass, aluminum, plastic, cardboard and newspapers over
the next year, and save the Earth from an average of 2,400 pounds of CO2!
_________________________________________________________________________________________ "Sometimes Garbage Isn’t Garbage" Check out what you put in your garbage can for weekly collection…are you sure it’s garbage? Can any of it be recycled? Are there any hazardous items mixed with the trash? Batteries should NOT be put into the land fill. Locally, Lowes and Wegmans accept various sized batteries, alkaline and rechargeable, including hearing aid batteries. They are accepted at the Broome County Recycling Center on Knapp Road off upper Airport Road. Car batteries are lead acid and are only accepted at the center. Radio Shack accepts only rechargeable batteries. For a complete list of local sites to recycle rechargeable batteries go to www.rbrc.org/start.php. The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation can help you recycle your old cell phones and used portable rechargeable batteries. RBRC is dedicated to keeping cell phones and rechargeable batteries out of the nation’s solid waste stream and preserving natural resources. The Broome County Recycling Center accepts a variety of materials…household cleaners, floor care products, pesticides and fertilizers, oil paints, solvents, stains, varnishes, driveway sealers, pool and photography chemicals, fluorescent bulbs, gasoline and kerosene, automobile fluids , fire extinguishers, computers, monitors, printers, TVs, VCRs, modems, stereos (working or not working), laptops, keyboards, radios, fax machines, pagers, and mobile phones. You stop at the weigh-in station and they will direct you to the recycling garage. You stay in your car, merely pop the trunk, and the staff will unload your items. Instead of putting any of these items out with the garbage, take them to the Broome County Recycling Center . The center is open from 7:30 to 11:30 on listed days. For a complete list of collection dates go to www.gobroomecounty.com. A map of the landfill is also available there. Or call (607) 778-2250. There are “Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Recycling” flyers in the Green Team stand in the Narthex that list materials not accepted and proper disposal of them. Lois Rose, Green Team
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