| Westchester Environment | ||
| Spring 2007 | Download PDF Version | Volume 2007 No. 2 |
| The News Magazine of the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County | ||
Reminder...
FCWC welcomes articles for Westchester Environment from our member organizations. Please submit them to fcwc@fcwc.org, or call co-editors, Carolyn Cunninghman or Warren Ross at the FCWC offices, (914) 422-4053 during regular business hours.
FCWC and
the Pace Law School Center for Environmental Legal Studies Present
a Spring Seminar on“Sustainable Business: |
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In this report I am broadening my focus from our Westchester scene to a more global one. The following opinions expressed as to the need for increased use of nuclear power in efforts to address global warming are my personal opinions, as FCWC has not taken a position on the issue. I just returned from a trip to Daegu, South Korea. New York Institute of Technology cosponsored a conference entitled “Sustainability: Energy for Developing Nations”. Other sponsors included Uiduk University (a local university in Daegu), the United Nations Development Program, the World Bank, Korea Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, and Korea Electric Power Corporation. This was eye-opening for the 500 or so attendees, as we addressed the issues of energy sources for developing nations in juxtaposition to the requirements for the developed world. Clearly the needs of these two sectors of the world economy must address their power needs and their effects on the environment very differently. Based on the discussions and data from the various speakers, it has become evident to me that the developed world will need to focus more on nuclear power and clean coal technology for its base-load requirements, if we are to attack global climate change in a meaningful way. And yes, FCWC friends, there is such a thing as “clean coal technology” and safe and reliable nuclear power. For the developing nations, one data point will offer some perspective. Roughly 1.5 billion people in the world — that’s 1/4 of the world’s population — will grow, live and die without ever turning on an electric switch. With that in mind, national grids make little or no sense, but truly appropriate technologies do. That will be the focus of UN and others work for the next several decades. FCWC adds two new board members During 2006 two new members joined our Board of Directors - Sharon Pickett and Robert Carroll. Ms. Pickett, a resident of Scarborough, works for The Nature Conservancy Eastern New York Chapter as a philanthropy coordinator/ publications and communications manger. Mr. Carroll is a resident of Mt. Kisco, who works as a financial advisor for Ameriprise Financial Services. Both are welcome additions bringing important skills and experience to the board.
Steven J. Levy Receives National Biodiesel Board Award FCWC board member Steven J. Levy received the National Biodiesel Board’s (NBB) IMPACT Award on behalf of himself and Sprague Energy at a recent NBB conference in Texas. Sprague Energy, a Northeastern petroleum distributor, became the first petroleum company in the nation to earn the status of BQ-9000 “certified marketer.” NBB certifies only producers and marketers with approved quality control programs that assure a product that meets specific standards. The fourth annual NBB conference has grown to a real Texas-size event, attracting 3850 attendees and 300 exhibitors. The original agricultural community, as well as representatives of energy, all associated industries and interested citizens from around the world had a golden opportunity to network through the varied workshops and social events planned. Mr. Levy noted that even though the industry is here and dramatically growing, the biodiesel and bioheat industry remains very small. In Westchester, biodiesel and bioheat are currently available for centrally fueled fleets, mobile refueled fleets, commercial and residential heating, power generation and marine use. Although biodiesel and E85 (a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% RBOB, a lower octane gasoline, for flex fuel vehicles) are not readily available at the retail service station pump, as soon as there is demand they will be. Energy dependence and the high prices of petroleum have been the main reasons biofuels are receiving so much discussion. Other reasons are that it just makes sense, as it stimulates investment, increases employment and produces cleaner air, important to the whole global warming issue. Currently most of the biodiesel and bioheat is processed from soy beans. Palm oil and canola are not far behind, and hopefully algae, cellulostic and other sources will come soon as well. “And yes,” Mr. Levy added, “we have many of you who take the time to produce your own biodiesel for personal use from used cooking oil and trap grease and we applaud and congratulate you.” FCWC Board member Maureen Morgan also attended the conference and had some questions about the use of two basic food crops, soy and corn, now seen as fuel crops. With money to be made on biodiesel there will be temptation to raise more soy as a fuel crop and sacrifice the corn crop, she noted. Meat prices are already expected to rise as a result of pressure on the corn crop. Biodiesel does appear to be energy positive, in that it produces more energy than it requires in production. Corn ethanol, on the other hand, Ms. Morgan observed, uses more energy than it produces. These are very new energies and a balance between the need for food and fuel must be struck. There are a tax credits available in the U.S. and New York for biodiesel and bioheat use and infrastructure. For more information and for a more detailed explanation of the award please see www.biodiesel.org.
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County Global Warming Task Force Begins Work The Westchester Global Warming Task Force (GWTF) has been making strides in the first few months since its inception. Co-chaired by North Castle Supervisor Reese Berman and Robert Funicello, FCWC board member and environmental project director of Westchester County, the task force is charged by County Executive Andy Spano with developing a countywide action plan to reduce green house gas emissions and promote sustainable development throughout Westchester. Task force committees are comprised of representatives from government, business, schools and colleges and the environmental community, who are working together to develop sector-specific strategies to combat the causes of climate change at the local level. Task Force members have been identifying experts who can advise the group on barriers and opportunities and ways to put in place strategies that work on the ground. FCWC Program Director Adiel Gavish sits on the Energy Committee, Government Sector and Business Sector Committees, on behalf of Dr. Herbert Fox, FCWC president. “Each meeting is filled with enthusiasm and energy as we work towards these worthy goals,” she reported. The Energy Committee has made substantial progress. Riverkeeper’s president, Alex Matthiessen, who chairs the Energy Committee, addressed the enormity of the issue. “We need to be bold,” he said at the last meeting. “Incrementalism will not work when it comes to dealing with climate change. Moreover, we must overcome cultural and political resistance to change and help the public understand that reducing our carbon footprint has myriad benefits for our environment, our health, and our economy.” Addressing the need for an exchange of information, the Business Sector Committee is currently planning events for the business community, which will provide a forum for discussion. Ms. Gavish noted that the forums will enable people to learn what others have done, and what they would like to know more about. “We also plan on having keynote speakers who are experts in Sustainable Systems Design, and can make the best business case for sustainability.” The County has consistently
emphasized that this is a “doing” task
force, not a “reporting” one. The County Executive
said, “There is an overwhelming consensus among scientists
that climate change is now underway. The only question is how severe
the impact will be. It is smart to act and it is foolish not to.
In Westchester we want to do our share. If every county in the
country was committed to start taking steps we could collectively
make a difference.”
Staff Report WESC students ask you to dust off that unused bike in your garage or basement, and help put it to good use in the developing world at the second annual Pedals for Progress used bike drive on Saturday. April 21, from 9 a.m. to noon. at Memorial United Methodist Church in White Plains. FCWC’s Student Environmental Council (WESC) is pitching in this year in this event sponsored by the Westchester Cycle Club and Memorial United Methodist Church. This year’s bikes will go to bike reconditioning facilities and bike shops in Central America and Jamaica. You are asked to bring your rust-free bike to the church’s parking lot, 250 Bryant Ave., White Plains on Saturday morning. It’s all right if the bike has flats but it needs two wheels and a seat. Kids bikes are acceptable, but no tricycles. A group of volunteers – and we could always use more – then removes the pedals and twists the handlebars to make them easier to ship. Bike donors should bring a $10 donation to cover shipping. Both the donation and the value of the bike is tax-deductible. For those who can’t make it on April 21, Metro Bicycles, 396 Main St., New Rochelle, will be accepting bikes during the weeks of April 7 to 20. Last year, the event harvested 543 bikes, which were sent to Nicaragua. The drive is run by Pedals for Progress, a New Jersey-based nonprofit that has sent more than 100,000 bikes to the developing world since 1991. The Westchester drive in 2006 was its biggest ever. Pedals for Progress has developed a good model for aiding the developing world. We take our unused bicycles, which could end up in a landfill, and get them to people who really need them. It also helps develop an economy. The bikes go to reconditioning facilities that are linked to bike shops. The bikes are sold at reasonable prices, providing income for the bike shop owners to pay the workers in the reconditioning facilities while also providing essential transportation for the new bike owners. For information, call the FCWC office at 422-4053 or email president@westchestercycleclub.org or call Dave Wilson at 914-217-5600.
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| FCWC Supports Cleaning Up Leaf Blowers In line with its commitment to improving the region’s air quality, FCWC strongly supports proposed county legislation requiring cleaner technology for gasoline-powered leaf blowers. FCWC believes that every level of the economy must achieve emissions reductions in cleaning our air, including the lawn care industry. The small engines that power lawn and garden equipment generate significant pollution. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation reports that gas-powered blowers emit over 400 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into Westchester’s air each summer. These emissions cause or worsen ground level ozone levels making breathing difficult for many residents – especially children and seniors with cardiac or lung disease. In addition, the debris blown from the ground is a powerful asthma trigger, while other exhaust chemicals are damaging to plants. Given the high level of hazardous air pollutant emissions from these machines, as documented in EPA studies, FCWC urges the lawn care industry to invest in cleaner technology, including battery powered equipment and alternative technology, as well as eliminate non-essential use of machines. Homeowners should try to deal only with lawn care services that follow these recommendations.
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New Tax Breaks Encourage Easements By Warren Ross Recent tax legislation has made it more attractive to use easements to protect open space. Expanded federal incentives enable property owners to donate conservation easements to a non-profit organization and earn larger tax deductions than in the past. Unless Congress extends the law, however, the provision ends on December 31 of this year, so anyone considering such a move should act promptly, according to the Wall Street Journal, because the process could take several months to complete. The value of the donation for income tax purposes is generally the difference between the value of the land without any restrictions and its value with the easement limiting development rights in place. In addition to raising the maximum value of the donation, the new law also extends the number of years over which the deduction can be spread from 5 to 15 years. FCWC is not in a position to accept such gifts of easements, but a number of our member organizations are. If you have a choice piece of land that you want to preserve for future generations and also reduce your tax obligations, you should check with your tax advisor about the details. Warren Ross is an FCWC board member. |
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| High Rises
Threaten Yonkers Waterfront
By Park Hill Land Conservancy Yonkers city government is undertaking an ambitious urban renewal project with serious implications for the city’s three miles of scenic Hudson River waterfront. The current brouhaha over building plans in Ossining and Sleepy Hollow will pale in comparison to the density of building envisioned by the developers, who have been invited to design condominiums, retail spaces, parking areas and public walkways along the Yonkers riverfront. Struever Fidelco Cappelli LLC (SFC) has presented architectural renderings for the “Phase 1” redevelopment of the Yonkers downtown. Most of Phase 1 involves sites at a distance from the waterfront, but in addition to two 14-story buildings already under construction by another developer along the river just west of the Metro-North train station, SFC currently plans to add two 25-story condominium towers with a total of 436-units right at the water. Renamed Palisades Point, plans for the 3.1 acre site also include the usual mix of parking garages, retail space for shops and restaurants, and a public esplanade along the river in front of the condos. Also directly on the river, Homes for America Holdings, Inc. has an even more ambitious design in mind for Phase 2: Point Street Landing, an elaborate complex of buildings, some as high as 26 stories, which will contain nearly 1200 housing units and 100,000 sq. ft. of retail and office space directly on the river between the train station and the Hudson River Museum to the north. Public access to the waterfront will be made available in a esplanade that will connect to the SFC esplanade to the south. HFA owner, developer Robert MacFarlane, has acquired most of the 16-acre site and is in the midst of an environmental cleanup of the property, which at one time housed light industry. The Beczak Environmental Education Center, whose mission is to educate people about the ecology, history and culture of the Hudson River, will soon find itself surrounded by a host of new buildings. Scenic Hudson and a number of Yonkers civic organizations, including the Park Hill Land Conservancy, are greatly worried about the long-term implications of this massive waterfront development and are attempting to negotiate an alternative waterfront strategy with the developers, the City Council and Mayor Amicone. Low rise building development that conforms to the city’s original Downtown Waterfront Master Plan and preserves the natural beauty of the river and the view of the Palisades is the paramount objective. A decrease in the planned population density, and preservation of open space along the river, are of equal importance. The entire Hudson Valley could be at an important crossroad. Precedent setting high rise construction in Yonkers could easily encourage a building creep northward, eliminating views of the majestic Hudson, and having long range consequences for the river’s fragile ecosystem. The implications of the Yonkers downtown renewal plans should be a cause for concern among regional planners and all Westchester environmentalists. For additional information go to: |
North County Member Groups Discuss Stormwater and Septic Problems
By Carolyn Cunningham The meeting of FCWC’s north-county member organizations on February 12 drew representatives from eleven* of the groups and yielded a number of common issues and concerns, as well as recommendations. One longstanding issue raised by several groups
was the continued lack of regional planning and approach to such
issues as watershed
protection and septic maintenance. John Keane (Trout Unlimited)
and Oreon Sandler (Croton Watershed Coalition and FCWC) both
mentioned their
hope that the inter-municipal agreement (IMA) recently entered
into by Bedford, Mt. Kisco, and New Castle to clean up the Kisco
River would provide a model for
There appeared to be general agreement with Anne Swaim’s (Saw Mill River Audubon) observation that meetings provide valuable networking. The gathering also endorsed creation of an FCWC action alert in conjunction with our monthly e-mail newsletter to members. If you are not on the list, please send your e-mail address to the office at adiel_fcwc@hotmail.com. The next meeting of the north county organizations will be in
July. The south county groups will meet during the spring. Anyone
who would like the minutes of this meeting may call the office,
914-422-4053. Carolyn Cunningham is an FCWC board member and chair of our Federation Committee. |
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| Open Space Advocates Plan for the Future Staff Report At a gathering billed as a “summit,” advocates of preserving open space met in Katonah on March 20 to map strategies for future successes. Jointly sponsored by Westchester Land Trust, Teatown Lake Reservation, the Eastern New York chapter of the Nature Conservancy, together with FCWC, the participants addressed concerns that after the successful acquisition of some 1,700 acres since 2000, some new initiatives might be in order. Topping the agenda was a review of what was left on the priority
lists of the communities represented. The sponsors also challenged
the group to consider whether after the recent successes people
are still motivated to protect open space, and whether there are
new leaders ready to take the initiative in accomplishing these
goals.
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By Herbert Fox
Others discussed issues from sewage disposal,
the need for support of the League of Women Voters county-wide
septic management plan, supported by FCWC and CWCWC, follow-up
action in re-acquainting children with nature, ongoing pesticide
education, to an upcoming
effort to pass a county law reducing the air emissions from leaf
blowers.
Further information on the discussions is available from the
Westchester Land Trust office (914-241-6346) or the FCWC office
(914-422-4053). 
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