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A quick note to mention the Bergen Record published a nice piece about my last Climate Project presentation in today’s paper’s (Local sec). The pro/con comments are in full swing below the article. Please weigh in with a quick comment, I’d be most grateful. The more interest in stories like these, the more likely we are to see reporters out covering environmental news. Thanks, Happy New Year!
http://tinyurl.com/47uktjj
Podcast: Download (Duration: 25:55 — 29.7MB)
Happy New Year and welcome to another episode of NewlyGreens! Today we’re talking about yet another interesting topic… Ever heard about Hydraulic Fracturing or Fracking?? Probably not, but chances are it’s taking place not far from your home, and chances are also, that the more you learn, the more uncomfortable it will make you feel.
To find out more, we spoke with Ms. Carol Hoernlein, a licensed Civil Engineer specializing in the safety of water resources. Carol has an extraordinary list of accomplishments in the area of environmental safety, and she is here to talk with us today about her latest environmental concern, which is the practice of “Hydraulic Fracturing”. Enjoy the interview and check out the notes below for more information and links to additional resources.
Hydraulic Fracturing 101
Podcast: Download (70.4MB)
After about 5 years of picking the low-hanging fruit, (the easy weekend projects, the CFL replacements, the digital thermostats, the window caulking and so on) we’ve come to the realization that in order for us to make further efficiency improvements we are going to need to graduate to some big time projects that require professional assistance.
The good news for us is that NJ has a program to help homeowners, like us, make improvements in insulation and heating equipment called Home Performance with Energy Star. The next few episodes of Newlygreens are going to detail our experience with the program and the showcase the results we achieve (or fail to achieve)
The process starts with a Home Energy/ Safety Audit and that’s what we will be sharing in part 1 starting at our friend Zorina’s.
Guests in the episode:
Ed Schwartz – Green Living Solutions
Gray Russell – Green Living Solutions
Tom Testa – Home Energy Diagnostics
Zorina – A long-time family friend
Podcast: Download (Duration: 2:29 — 2.8MB)
Our guest today is volunteer for The Climate Project and lifelong resident of NJ. She is working to arrange a vigil this Friday Dec 11 to draw attention to the climate negotiations in Copenhagen that began this past Monday.
Also, candlelight vigils are being planned on Dec. 11 and 12 with the help of 350.org for solidarity re: Copenhagen. You can get more information at 350.org I encourage you all to plan a vigil or if you can, attend the one I’m organizing in Asbury Park on Friday, December 11th from 6-7 PM on the Boardwalk at 5th and Ocean Avenues. Below is the message I’m sending out if you want to share it with anyone or use part of it for your own action.
Another Vigil is planned in our area at Bloomfield Post Office December 12th
The Essex Greens will be holding a vigil from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 12th, in front of the main Bloomfield Post Office at the corner of Bloomfield Avenue and Montgomery St.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 18:13 — 20.9MB)
Interview – Brad Campbell :: Purgen One_Part 1
***UPDATE*** On Tuesday Oct 20th, the town council of Linden voted 4-7 against granting the land use request to SCS Energy. Round 1 goes to the environmentalists.
This morning we have part 3 in our series on Coal energy and the battle over Purgen One, the prototype Carbon Capture and Sequestration plant proposed for the township of Linden, in Union County NJ. In past episodes we heard from the environmental opposition, this week we hear from the Lead Council to the developer SCS Energy.
Pre Interview Set Up
To give the listeners some insight, Union County, besides being among the most densely populated areas in the nation, is home to much Industry, Pharmaceutical manufacturing, and Petroleum refineries. The headquarters of companies like Merck, Lucent, Schering Plough, and Wakefern Food are there, as is the largest petroleum storage facility on the East Coast. Liberty International Airport, and Elizabeth Seaport the largest container cargo port on the East Coast are located in Union County as well.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 23:22 — 26.7MB)
In the second installment of our interview with Peter Montague of the Environmental Research Foundation, we discuss the particulars of the first proposed Carbon Capture and Sequestration plant for the East Coast, Purgen One. There is lots of information on our site about this project but Peter breaks it down so it makes sense. Be sure to check out the site mentioned in the interview for breaking news and calls for public action.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 6:58 — 8.0MB)
This week, a local town planning board meeting on coal and gearing up for 350.org Oct 24th day of action.
The State Energy Council will hold a public meeting on Thursday, Oct.
1 at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, 33
Livingston Avenue, in New Brunswick. The meeting will run from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. and will provide an overview of New Jersey’s progress on a
wide range of energy issues including greenhouse gas reduction, green
jobs and economic development, energy efficiency and renewable energy.
The council is comprised of the State departments that are engaged in
energy-related matters and was formed in accordance with the New
Jersey Energy Master Plan, which was released by Governor Jon S.
Corzine on Oct. 22, 2008.
At this meeting, the public will hear about the progress New Jersey
has made in reaching its goals for greater energy efficiency, to
increase reliance on renewable energy and to achieve steep reductions
in its greenhouse gas emissions. The public will be invited to ask
questions and offer comments after the morning and afternoon
presentations.
For directions: http://policy.rutgers.edu/school/visitors.php. There
are two garages on New Street and they are the closest. The New Street
Deck is located at the corner of New Street and Joyce Kilmer Ave, and
the Morris Street Deck is at the corner of New Street and George
Street with both having entrance on New Street.
For more information, please email
energymasterplan@bpu.state.nj
Hi Everyone,
Connie and I have been wanting to share some additional content for a while and we’re finally getting around to getting something posted. We plan to post things like excerpts from Connie’s Climate Project presentations, radio appearances, and speaking engagements. These will be a little more stripped-down in terms of the production polish, but we hope they will give you some more useful information and a little more insight into where we’re coming from. Let us know what you think. Thanks.
Greg
Podcast: Download (36.3MB)
Extreme Green Segment:
Organic Farming and CSA
Host Transformation:
Connie & Greg join a CSA!
“O” Goods:
Composting 101
Special Guest: Elisa Margarita
Show #4 Air Date: October 2007
Show Summary:
the Newly Greens hits the farm! The average meal travels 1,500 miles to your plate and they are usually laced with pesticides when they get there. Join Connie and Greg as they investigate “greener” options in the form of organically and locally grown food. They also dig into composting with Certified Master Composter, Elisa Margarita.
Extreme Green – Organic Food and CSA’s
Greg and Connie join Leanord Pollara of Upper Meadows Farm in Montague NJ to explore the workings of an organic farm. The organic market has consistently grown 20% a year since the 1990’s. There are five main drawbacks to today’s traditional food culture:
1) Pesticides – Approximately 400 different pesticides used, designed to kill anything that might harm the crops.
2) Additives – Things like MSG are neuro-stimulants associated with neurological disorders like migraines, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
3) GMO – Genetically Modified Organisms (foods) are everywhere and they do not need to be labeled. Almost all corn and soy in the US are GMO. Although the USDA has given the ok for GMO’s, many people feel that this genetic tinkering could have unknown long term effects. There is some speculation that the sharp rise in peanut allergies in children could be the result of genetically modified crops.
4) Hormones – Hormones are used to accelerate growth in meat and poultry. There are suspected links to developmental problems in young humans, early puberty, obesity and diabetes
5) Antibiotics – Antibiotics are used widely in industrialized farming. These antibiotics remain in the meat we eat and give rise to more resistant bacteria and potentially more serious illnesses.
The Dirty Dozen
Check out the list of foods dubbed The “Dirty Dozen”. This is a list of fruits and vegetables that you should always buy organic, whenever possible, because their conventionally grown counterparts tend to be laden with pesticides. “They cost about 50 percent more — but are well worth the money”. This site also gives you tips for better conventional choices if you can’t afford or find the organic versions. You can also check out The Organic Trade Association for more information on organics and GMO’s.
Organics and Kids
Connie also recently attended a seminar with Dr. Alan Greene, author of Raising Baby Green. He has a top 10 list of foods that should be eaten in the organic form, especially for children who tend to eat a lot of these foods.
They are as follows:
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
Participating in a CSA is a good choice for many reasons. One of them is the idea of eating foods that are grown locally. According to the World Watch Institute, a typical meal in a mid-western U.S. state travels an average of 2577 kilometers. Researchers estimate that this food requires up to 17 times the petroleum and generates up to 17 times the transport-related carbon emissions than the same meal made from locally-grown ingredients. Food transportation is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The growth in the distance food travels has also corresponded with an increase in food packaging, as food products are designed for longer journeys and shelf lives. In addition, there is a large amount of food waste, which unfortunately is not always composted. Source: ZeroWaste.
Where can I find a CSA or Farmers Market in my area?
localharvest.org
Where can I find organic non-GMO seeds for my garden?
According to Len of Upper Meadows Farms, these are some useful sites for seeds and farm/garden supplies.
highmowingseeds.com
halcyon.com
attra.ncat.org
Where can I find more information on Upper Meadows Farm?
Visit the Upper Meadows Farm Site! uppermeadowsfarm.com
“O” Goods – Composting
The “O” Goods segment strives to illustrate that for every choice we make, or product we buy, there is usually an alternative available that is healthier for people and the environment. Whether it is organic, less toxic, or provides fair trade for people around the world, these healthier alternatives are the choices we seek.
Connie and Elisa Margarita deliver this week’s “O” Goods composting tips.
Elisa completed the Master Composter certificate course offered by The New York City Compost Project.
Want more information on the certification program?
The New York City Compost Project.
Composting
According to the NYC CP, “The average New York City household discards two pounds of organic waste each day—adding up to more than one million tons of organic material a year. When we discard this “waste,” we lose a potential resource that can help beautify our parks, gardens, and blocks…even our windowboxes and houseplants.”
A Guide to Composting:
These sites all offer great information for composting. But remember to add the same amount of “greens” and “browns” by volume. (i.e.: one bucket of greens should also get one bucket of browns added to the pile).
compostguide.com
hgtv.com (type “compost” into their search box)
nyccompost.org
Greg and Connie – Host Transformation Update:
As mentioned previously, a big part of our “NewlyGreen” transformation is making some honest determinations about what we really need to do to live our ideal, sustainable lives. So, for this phase we’re joining a CSA! We’ve been talking about it for a long time and it’s finally time to put our money where it counts. We chose an individual share from a local CSA. It’s costing us 335/yr for the veggie and egg plan. They offer fruit also but we decided to start with just the veggies and eggs. We’ll keep you posted!
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