Spotted Lanternfly

The Pennsylvania Agriculture Dept. is asking people within the commonwealth to watch for spotted lanternflies and report sightings.  This invasive insect is damaging trees.  Here are two websites for more information and pictures to help with identification.

PA Dept of Agriculture

Penn State Extension 

#FeeltheFern

George Matysik, executive director of the Philadelphia Parks Alliance, is encouraging supporters to contact Mayor Kenney and express their appreciation for Kenney's interest in investing in parks and recreation.  On twitter use the hashtag #FeeltheFern

Philly's Park Chops

NY landscape architecture firm Mathews Neilsen discuss several parks they have designed in the September issue of Fast Company,  including a park near the University of Pennsylvania's Hospital.  Read "Park Chops" by Julie Taraska.

Here is the relevant excerpt:

Humans are creatures of habit, so it's important to design spaces that complement people's daily rhythms. When the firm built a park adjacent to the University of Pennsylvania's hospital, it took into account how foot traffic would actually function. "We created three types of circulation: a fast lane along the street curb, a slow lane that skirts the interior of the park, and a meandering path that's a stopping lane," says Mathews. The different routes allow one person to dash to class, another to stroll while talking on her cell phone, and a third to stop and take in the space during a work break, all without getting in each other's way.

The firm is owned by Kim Mathews and Signe Nielsen

 

Matysik to Head Philadelphia Parks Alliance

from the inbox:

Philadelphia-- On Tuesday, September 8, 2015, the Philadelphia Parks Alliance Board of Directors announced the appointment of George Matysik as its new Executive Director.  A lifelong Philadelphian, George Matysik has dedicated his career to developing and advocating for public policy solutions to the big issues that face our city and region. George most recently served as Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Philabundance, where he led the development of Fare & Square, the nation’s first non-profit grocery store.

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue serving my city in this new role as Executive Director of the Philadelphia Parks Alliance” said Matysik. “From my days growing up at Jardel Rec in the Northeast to my near daily visits today to the Wissahickon, Philadelphia’s parks and recreation system has been an integral part of my life. Today I have the wonderful and unique opportunity to help foster investment into the Parks and Recreation system in this new role.”

“The Philadelphia Parks Alliance is thrilled to welcome George Matysik as our new Executive Director” said Derek Freres, interim Executive Director. “George has been an advocacy and non-profit staple in Philadelphia for years, and we are elated to welcome someone with his level of experience and leadership to build on the Philadelphia Parks Alliance’s success.”

In addition to George’s role at Philabundance, he also recently served as President of country’s preeminent senior hunger relief organization—the National CSFP Association—which oversees advocacy and programming for the $202 million national Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and was founding Executive Director of Feeding Pennsylvania, the collaborative non-profit of the Commonwealth’s food banks.

Born in the Olney neighborhood and raised in the Lower Northeast, George is a lifelong Philadelphia Parks and Recreation user—from his youth spent at Burholme Park and Jardel Recreation Center, to his jogs and hikes today at Fern Hill and the Wissahickon.

George is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, having worked his way through the school as a janitor.  At Penn, George received his bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies, concentrating on economic development and urban planning—the foundation of his career in public policy and advocacy. 

George’s civic engagement extends beyond his career. He is Founder and former Co-Chair of the Friends of Mifflin School, an organization dedicated to providing resources to his neighborhood’s community public school.  He also serves on the board of his high school alma mater, Mercy Vocational, a career and technical training school, and the Pennsylvania Resources Council, the Commonwealth's oldest environmental advocacy organization. George lives in the East Falls neighborhood with his wife, Alix.

------------------------

The mission of the Philadelphia Parks Alliance is to champion the public’s interest in outstanding parks, recreation, and open spaces - key to making Philadelphia a healthy, vibrant and sustainable city for all.

The Parks Alliance’s vision of a great city is one with great parks and interconnected green spaces.  The Parks Alliance leads the diverse and expanding citizens’ movement which shapes public policies required to build the nation’s premier parks and recreation system. 

Pennsylvania and the Clean Power Plan

Some energy and environmental news that might have slipped by you:  The EPA’s Clean Power Plan requires states that have fossil fuel power plants to develop a plan to reduce carbon emissions by 2030 or the government will develop its own plan for that state.  The Pennsylvania state legislature passed a law, signed by Gov. Corbett last October, saying the legislature has a role in the process.  This law is being used as a model by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to slow down the EPA’s process in other states as well.  You can read more about the entire matter in a wonderfully concise article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by Michael Sanserino (“With GOP in Command, States Look to Tweak Clean Power Plan,” 12/30/2014)  There are several quotes by one of my favorite PA state representatives, Greg Vitali,who has made environmental concern a hallmark of his career in public service, on the plan and how it might or might not be affected by the state law.

The Natural Resource Defense Council has produced a colorful six page pamphlet titled “Pennsylvania’s Clean Energy Future” which spells out how reducing the state’s carbon emissions will impact our economy and health, and providing some policy options.  To meet federal requirements the state will have to reduce its carbon emissions by 32% below 2012 levels and prepare a plan to do so by June 2016.    A report by the Union of Concerned Scientists says that many states have already made significant progress towards this goal.  Pennsylvania is one of them. The White House prepared a special (short)report on what the goals mean for Pennsylvania and the Northeast (including a shoutout for Mayor Nutter   

Several environmental groups have formed Clean Power PA to present information on how the state can prepare a Clean Power Plan.  Their website, www.cleanpowerpa.org, has a number of resources for further study, and some very cool infographics.  The site's home page describes the organization and it's purpose:

The Clean Power PA Coalition is a group of clean energy, business, faith, and community leaders committed to protecting Pennsylvania’s environment and powering its economy through clean energy. The coalition is led by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC),PennFuture, Clean Air Council, Moms’ Clean Air Force, Penn Environment, NextGen Climate America, Conservation Voters of PA, Clean Water Action, Voces Verdes, the Sierra Club, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Audubon Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania has a long history as a leading energy producer in the United States. It’s one of the industries that fuels our economy and sustains our quality of life. But pollution and climate change threaten our health, our children’s health, and the natural beauty of our most treasured places. Now is the time to invest in a clean energy future for the Keystone State. 

Pennsylvania is poised to become a leader in renewable energy, creating thousands of sustainable jobs, reducing carbon pollution, and keeping our air and water clean in the process. PA Clean Energy Initiative, through its campaign Clean Power PA, advocates for the policies and investments that can bring our clean energy future to fruition.

This is something we will all be hearing about in the next year so we should start reading up now.

Ferko Playground Project

Please share! On Tuesday, September 9, join Tookany - Tacony Frankford Partnership, Philadelphia Water Department & Philadelphia Parks & Recreation for a Public Meeting on Ferko Playground's storm water management project! Community input will make this project a success.

Ferko Playground and East Cayuga Steet and Juniata Park has been selected for a Clean City, Green Waters stormwater management project.  The meeting is in Ferko Playground at 7:00 p.m.

For more info see www.phillywatersheds.org

Bucks Candidates Oppose Fracking in Parks

Tomorrow, June 21st, several Bucks County Democratic candidates (Steve Cickayk Kevin Strouse, Karen Chellew and a representative from Jack Hanson's campaign will hold a press conference in Nockamixon State Park to talk about keeping fracking and oil rigs out of state parks.

New Wasting Our Waterways Report

Our friends at PennEnvironment would like to call our attention to a new report:  Wasting Our Waterways:  Toxic Industrial Pollution and Restoring the Promise of the Clean Water Act.  It is a 71 page pdf, listing the top polluters per state (note some names on the list with political overtones).  There are also tables showing the most polluted watersheds, and a list of chemicals frequently found in the water.  It's a little over my head from a technical standpoint, but good to know it's out there.

Call for Common Extraction Tax

from the inbox:

Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia should take a common approach to taxing gas and oil drilling in the Marcellus and Utica Shale, leaders of research and policy organizations from each state said today.

Leaders of Policy Matters Ohio, the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, and the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy sent a letter to the governors of their three states, urging them to enact a severance tax with a rate no lower than that of West Virginia. Such an approach would “provide important long-term predictability for the industry,” and “take taxes out of the competitive equation,” they wrote.

“A comparable tax rate will allow our states to invest in a stronger economic future,” said Sharon Ward, Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center. “It will create consistency for the industry, ensure that our communities are benefiting, and allow our states to address the impacts of drilling.”

The three organizations recommend that West Virginia’s severance tax rate be considered a floor, not a ceiling, for the three states. Doing so will bring the region more in line with gas-producing states in the West and the South, which mostly have higher severance tax rates than West Virginia.

West Virginia’s severance tax rate is in the middle range of gas-producing states and has not deterred shale drillers, but Ohio and Pennsylvania have lagged far behind. Ohio has a very low production-based severance tax, while Pennsylvania had no extraction tax until 2012 when it adopted a small statewide drilling impact fee. Legislation has been introduced in both Ohio and Pennsylvania to put more adequate severance taxes in place.

"A severance tax would help us to repair the damage from years of budget cuts and help us better meet the needs of people with disabilities, public schools, and our environment," said Pennsylvania State Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, R-Bucks, who spoke on a press call hosted by the policy groups today.

All three states have experienced a rapid increase in shale drilling over the past five years – bringing some new jobs and economic opportunities but also growing costs to address environmental risks, increased demand for emergency services and public safety, a rapid jump in housing costs, and greater road maintenance needs.

The three organizations sent the letter to Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, and West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. You can view a copy of the letter at http://pennbpc.org/3StateSeveranceTax.

Two Marcellus Shale Notes

Two notes in the inbox this week regarding Marcellus Shale.

A new report was released today [Nov 22nd] by the Multi-State Shale Research Collaborative — a group of research organizations, including the Keystone Research Center and Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, tracking the impacts of shale drilling.


And, from the Nov. 26th inbox:

The Pennsylvania Growing Greener Coalition, the largest coalition of conservation, recreation and preservation organizations in the Commonwealth, today celebrated the approval of more than $28 million in Marcellus Legacy Fund grants to support recreation and critical land and water protection efforts throughout the state. 

“The Pennsylvania Growing Greener Coalition is pleased that funds from the Marcellus Legacy Fund will be used to support vital recreation and land and water protection efforts,” said Andrew Heath, executive director of the Pennsylvania Growing Greener Coalition.  “These grants will have a lasting impact on the Commonwealth by supporting projects that provide numerous benefits including protecting watersheds, mitigating risk of flooding, building and maintaining recreational trails and treating former mining sites.”  

A result of Act 13, which was signed into law in 2012, the ‘impact fee’ collects fees on natural gas drilling.  To date, the state’s impact fee has collected more than $400 million.  Forty percent of the fees collected are allocated to the Marcellus Shale Legacy Fund.  A portion of the Fund is administered by the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) to support statewide conservation and recreation efforts.  This initial round of grants distributed more than $28 million in grants.

The Pennsylvania Growing Greener Coalition was instrumental in ensuring that funds collected through the Marcellus Legacy Fund be made available for statewide conservation and recreation projects. 

A breakdown of the grants distributed by the Commonwealth Financing Authority is as follows: 

 ·     $5.6 million to restore streams impaired by polluted runoff in 18 counties. 

·     $16 million to support 116 greenway, trail and recreation projects throughout the state. 

·     $5.2 million to support 12 abandoned mine drainage abatement and treatment projects statewide. 

·     $700,000 to support flood mitigation projects in Blair, Bucks, Lackawanna and Northumberland counties. 

·     $225,000 to plug orphaned and abandoned wells in Allegheny and Washington counties. 

Gettysburg National Military Park Loses Money and Visitors in Shutdown

from the inbox:

 As the 10th day of the government shutdown looms, more than seven million Americans have been kept out of national parks and $750 million in visitor spending has been lost, with huge repercussions for the economies of gateway communities and entire states that depend on national park tourism, according to the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees (CNPSR).


CNPSR-gathered figures show that the shutdown is resulting in:


* 715,000 visitors lost daily (based on October 2012 national park attendance numbers).
* $76 million in lost visitor spending per day.
* $450,000 in lost revenue each day that would go directly to the National Park Service ($300,000 in entrance fees and $150,000 in other in-park expenditures, such as campground fees, boat rentals, etc.)


CNPSR Chair Maureen Finnerty, former superintendent of Everglades and Olympic National Parks, said: “These figures are mind boggling and they only begin to capture the full economic shock of locking up the crown jewels of America – our national parks. Towns, cities, and even whole states that depend on park tourism are feeling an increasingly strong pinch. And if Congress continues to hold our national parks hostage, these communities will soon be reeling from what is in many cases the main driver of their economies.”


Finnerty added: “The only thing that would be crazier than shutting down America’s national parks would be for Congress to allow wide open access to the parks without NPS’s dedicated and hardworking employees in place to protect the sites. By essentially enabling looting, poaching, and vandalism, Congress would be taking what is already a dark episode in the history of our national parks and making it worse, including the theft or destruction of national treasures of incalculable value.”


The following is CNPSR-gathered data for the lost visitors, visitor spending, and jobs at risk for 12 leading national parks across the U.S.:


* Acadia National Park (Maine) – 68,493 lost visitors in first 10 days, $5,263,013 lost visitor dollars in first 10 days, and 3331 total jobs at stake, including 3147 local/non-NPS jobs.
* Badlands National Park (South Dakota) – 26,767 lost visitors in first 10 days, $656,986 lost visitor dollars in first 10 days, and 475 total jobs at stake, including 375 local/non-NPS jobs.
* Boston National Historic Park (Massachusetts) – 54,794 lost visitors in first 10 days, $2,032,876 lost visitor dollars in first 10 days, and 1019 total jobs at stake, including 904 non-NPS jobs.
* Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio) – 68,219 lost visitors in first 10 days, $1,545,205 lost visitor dollars in first 10 days, and 819 total jobs at stake, including 599 local/non-NPS jobs.
* Everglades National Park (Florida) – 25,083 lost visitors in first 10 days, $3,857,534 lost visitor dollars in first 10 days, and 2364 total jobs at stake, including 1951 local/non-NPS jobs.
* Gettysburg National Military Park (Pennsylvania) – 27,397 lost visitors in first 10 days, $1,796,712 lost visitor dollars in first 10 days, and 1141 total jobs at stake, including 1051 local/non-NPS jobs.
* Glacier National Park (Montana) – 60,273 lost visitors in first 10 days, $3,076,712 lost visitor dollars in first 10 days, and 1994 total jobs at stake, including 1632 local/non-NPS jobs.
* Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona) – 120,000 lost visitors in first 10 days, $11,750,684 lost visitor dollars in first 10 days, and 6825 total jobs at stake, including 6167 local/non-NPS jobs.
* Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina and Tennessee) – 257,534 lost visitors in first 10 days, $23,123,287 lost visitor dollars in first 10 days, and 11,766 total jobs at stake, including 11,367 local/non-NPS jobs.
* Olympic National Park (Washington) – 77,808 lost visitors in first 10 days, $2,912,328 lost visitor dollars in first 10 days, and 1673 total jobs at stake, including 1395 local/non-NPS jobs.
* Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado) – 80,821 lost visitors in first 10 days, $4,821,917 lost visitor dollars in first 10 days, and 3033 total jobs at stake, including 2641 local/non-NPS jobs.
* Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho) – 98,630 lost visitors in first 10 days, $9,452,054 lost visitor dollars in first 10 days, and 5572 total jobs at stake, including 4481 local/non-NPS jobs.
* Yosemite National Park (California) – 106,849 lost visitors in first 10 days, $10,021,917 lost visitor dollars in first 10 days, and 5607 total jobs at stake, including 4602 local/non-NPS jobs.
* Zion National Park (Utah) – 72,876 lost visitors in first 10 days, $3,495,890 lost visitor dollars in first 10 days, and 2401 total jobs at stake, including 2136 local/non-NPS jobs.

A note on data: Visitation, economic impacts, and job numbers for the 12 parks are drawn from Headwaters Economics, “Land and Communities, National Parks Service Units, Economic Impacts of Visitation and Expenditures” at http://headwaterseconomics.org/apps-public/nps/impacts/. Topline numbers for NPS daily visitation provided by Coalition of National Park Service Retirees using National Park Service data. 

Fracking Poll

A pollster called this evening.  He was a little cagey about who was paying for the poll but did say it was being done under the auspices of Public Opinion Research.  The pollster had a noticeable accent and pronounced Gov. Corbett's name so that the last syllable sounded like bay (as in sorbet) not bet.  I corrected him; I'm sure he was pleased about this.

I took notes while on the phone and caught the gist but not the exact wording of the questions.

Are you registered at this address?
Would you pay $20 or $30 more a year in property taxes to improve water quality and environmental preservation?
Have you heard of [the official name of fracking]?
What is your view on it:
1) moratorium
2) continue but tighten regulations
3) continue as is
4) loosen regulations

Do you agree or disagree with these statements?

1) tighter regulations would improve drinking water
2) tighter regulations would improve water quality and health
3) tighter regulatiosn would have a negative impact on the economy and destroy jobs
4) fracking created jobs for people I know

How do you react to these statements

1) We have twice as much natural gas as Saudi Arabia and we should do more to be energy independent
2) Allegheny Institute for Public Policy showed that fracking created new full time  jobs in the state and will create more [this was longer with more statistics]
3) Fracking used in 1 million wells for more than 60 years with no problems
4) the natural gas boom has increased the energy supply

React to these statements on tighter regulations:

1) Fracking in PA is a risking new process endangering the water supply
2) Oil and gas lobbyists have cut funds, taking environmental cops off the beat, only 9,000 wells inspected and many have problems
3) Politicians allow fracking in rivers, forests and parks
4) Oil and gas companies promised a bonanza but jobs are going to out of state workers

How do you feel about fracking

1) loosen regulations
2) continue as is
3) continue but tighten regulations
4) moratorium

Do you agree or disagree with:

1) Tighter regulations would impact the environment
2) Tighter regulations would improve health
3) Fracking created jobs for people I personally know
4) Tight regulations would improve water quality

With what you now know what is the best reason to tighten regulations [open ended question]

Do you favor or oppose?

1) increase fees to frack to clean up water
2) Prohibit fracking within 500 ft of schools, etc.
3) Require natural gas companies to disclose the chemicals they use
4) moratorium until the risks are better understood

Demographics:

year of birth
how much education
Democrat or Republican
strong attachment to party

In the past 2 or 3 years have you engaged in these activities?  If yes, frequently or occasionally?

fishing
visited parks with lakes
canoeing or kayaking
hunting
hiking in parks or on trails
birdwatching

married or single

primarily use house phone or cell phone

HB 1576: Endangering PA's Endangered Species

Today's inbox brought a press release from State Rep. Steve McCarter highlighting concerns he has about HB 1576, called the Endangered Species Coordination Act.  McCarter is a good guy so I took a look.  State Rep. Metcalfe is one of the sponsors; I often disagree with his views.  Sadly, State Rep. Tom Murt is also a co-sponsor.  This is not the first time I've looked at legislation, been alarmed at what I saw, and noted that Murt was a co-sponsor.  I have met Murt a time or two at public events; initially I was favorably impressed, these days not so much.

The Act has 10 sections.  The first is a short title; the second defines terms used in the bill.

Section three reads:

No Commonwealth agency may take action to designate or consider fish, wildlife or plants as threatened or endangered unless the fish, wildlife or plants are designated under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-205, 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) or pursuant to this act.  

Any state agency wishing to declare a species endangered must (section 4):

The Commonwealth agency shall provide detailed reasons and a summary of the acceptable data and methodology upon which theproposed designation is base d, as well as the activities that may be affected by such designation, to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission and to the standing committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives with jurisdiction over the Commonwealth agency for purposes of this act.

 For those unfamiliar with the IRRC, it's website provides this description:

The General Assembly passed the Regulatory Review Act in 1982 which established the Independent Regulatory Review Commission. IRRC was created to review Commonwealth agency regulations, excluding the Game Commission and the Fish and Boat Commission, to ensure that they are in the public interest.

Note that at present it excludes the Game Commission and Fish and Boat Commission.  According to IRRC's website it does currently include the Dept of Environmental Protection but there are not regulations listed for that agency.

Section four also includes this note:

Any species designated as threatened or endangered pursuant to 30 Pa.C.S. (relating to fish) or 3 Pa.C.S. (relating to game) prior to the effective date of this section shall be removed from the centralized database after a period of two years unless the Commonwealth agency redesignates the species as threatened or endangered in accordance with the provisions of this act.

Two years seems a rather short time period for a species to be removed from the database.  If every species has to be re-designated every two years that's a lot of work for the IRRC.

Section five states that species must be in danger of extinction" throughout all or a significant portion of its range" and another section states it can only be considered threatened if it is likely to become endangered "in the foreseeable future."

Section eight includes a rather chilling, at least to me, statement.  The section says that information in the centralized database shall be available to the public but:

Persons receiving the information may only disclose the information to other persons with prior written authorization from the department.

Really?  You can't disclose that information to anyone else without written permission?  It should be noted that in the definitions section the definition of person included corporations.  It lists only three acceptable uses of the information and states the penalty for violating the law will be between $250.00 and $5,000.00.

I can't see how this benefits the Commonwealth, its citizens or the wildlife that resides here.

Prez O on Climate Change in Pennsylvania

an email from the White House Press Office:

On Tuesday, the President delivered remarks at Georgetown University, laying out his vision for a comprehensive plan to reduce carbon pollution, prepare our country for the impacts of climate change, and lead global efforts to fight it.  You can read the President’s plan HERE and view today’s state reports on the impact of climate change HERE.

We have a moral obligation to leave our children a planet that’s not polluted or damaged, and by taking an all-of-the-above approach to develop homegrown energy and steady, responsible steps to cut carbon pollution, we can protect our kids’ health and begin to slow the effects of climate change so we leave a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations.  Climate change impacts including severe weather, asthma attacks, prolonged allergy seasons, and sea-level rise are affecting our security, our economy, and our communities.  In 2012 alone, the cost of weather disasters exceeded $110 billion in the United States, and climate change will only increase the frequency and intensity of these events.  Today, we already set limits for arsenic, mercury and lead, but we impose no limits on how much carbon pollution our power plants release.  Carbon pollution is contributing to a higher risk of asthma attacks and more frequent and severe storms, floods, heat waves, and wildfires, driving up food prices and threatening our communities.  The President’s plan is a comprehensive approach to cutting the pollution that causes climate change and threatens public health, setting us on a path to make our communities healthier, safer, and more resilient.

THE IMPACT OF POLLUTION AND EXTREME WEATHER IN PENNSYLVANIA

In 2011, power plants and major industrial facilities in Pennsylvania emitted more than 150 million metric tons of carbon pollution—that’s equal to the yearly pollution from more than 32 million cars.

Recent incidents provide a reminder of the impacts to our public health and costs due to extreme weather in Pennsylvania.  Although we cannot say that climate change is responsible for any individual event, climate change is already increasing our risks from these events.

Ø  Pennsylvania has had 13 major disaster declarations in just 10 years from severe storms, including Hurricanes Irene and Sandy and Tropical Storm Lee. These disasters have resulted in the need for hundreds of millions of dollars in public assistance to support recovery and rebuilding efforts. Superstorm Sandy slammed the East Coast in 2012, costing 130 lives, tens of billions of dollars in damage and requiring over $9.9 million in federal assistance for recovery and cleanup efforts in Pennsylvania alone.

Ø  Changing temperature and precipitation patterns can affect the life cycle and distribution of insects, many of which transmit disease that already pose problems to public health in Pennsylvania.  In 2010, there were 3,298 cases of Lyme disease in the State.

Ø  In 2010, the US Department of Agriculture designated 16 counties in Pennsylvania as natural disaster areas because of severe damage to corn, forage crops, soybeans, oats, and wheat crops due to drought.

ANTICIPATED CLIMATE-RELATED RISKS IN THE NORTHEAST

Northeast states can expect more climate change related heat waves – with significantly more days above 90oF – and flooding from sea level rise and extreme precipitation events.  Even low-end projections anticipate that historical 100-year coastal floods will happen as often as every 22 years by the end of the century.  There is $2.3 trillion of insured coastal property at risk in New York State alone.  Northeasterners are already experiencing increased heavy precipitation.  Extreme heat and declining air quality are expected to increase risk associated with respiratory problems and heat stress, both of which pose increasing problems for human health, especially in urban areas, and can result in increased hospitalizations and even premature death.  Rising temperatures and carbon dioxide concentration increase pollen production and prolong the pollen season, increasing health risks for people with allergies.  Agricultural production, including dairy, fruit, and maple syrup, are likely to be adversely affected as favorable climates shift, while the center of lobster fisheries is projected to continue its northward shift and the cod fishery on Georges Bank is likely to be diminished.

CUTTING CARBON POLLUTION AND INCREASING RESILIENCE IN PENNSYLVANIA

Climate change is a long-term problem, but we can make substantial progress through a series of steady and responsible steps.  The President’s plan builds from progress already underway to work with states, local communities, and the private sector to reduce carbon pollution and to prepare our Nation for the impacts that cannot be avoided.  Since 2009, President Obama has taken a number of common sense measures to combat carbon pollution, including:

Ø  Investing in Clean Energy: During the President’s first term, the United States more than doubled its use of renewable energy from wind, solar, and geothermal sources.  In Pennsylvania, renewable energy generation from these sources increased more than 60 percent.  Since 2009, the Administration has supported tens of thousands of renewable energy projects throughout the country, including more than 1,100 in Pennsylvania, generating enough energy to power more than 170,000 homes and helping Pennsylvania meet its own goal of generating 18 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2021.

Ø  Improving Efficiency: Using less energy to power our homes, businesses and vehicles is critical to building a clean and secure energy future.  President Obama has made essential investments in research and development for energy efficiency advances, and set new standards to make the things we use every day – from cars to microwaves – more efficient. 

·         President Obama established the toughest fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles in U.S. history.  These standards will double the fuel efficiency of our cars and trucks by 2025, saving the average driver more than $8,000 over the lifetime of a 2025 vehicle and cutting carbon pollution.

·         Since October 2009, the Department of Energy and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have jointly completed energy upgrades in more than one million homes across the country, saving many families more than $400 on their heating and cooling bills in the first year alone.

·         As part of the President’s Better Buildings Challenge, Pittsburgh committed to reducing energy intensity 20 percent by 2020 in 1.9 million square feet of its buildings. Allegheny College in Meadville committed to reducing intensity by the same level for its 1.3 million square feet of building space.

Ø  Preparing Communities for the Consequences of Climate Change: The Obama Administration has worked since its earliest days to strengthen the Nation’s resilience to climate change impacts, including investing in critical science and tools, developing the first-ever Federal agency climate adaptation plans, and directly partnering with communities.  For example, the Federal Transit Authority is funding a  detailed analysis of past service disruptions, future climate scenarios, risks, and adaptation options for a SEPTA commuter rail line in Pennsylvania.

Growing Greener Grants

Growing Greener Grant applications are available. 

For more information about the grants, and to download a copy of the application, visit the Department of Environmental Protection's website (www.dep.state.pa.us) and select “Growing Greener.”  The grant application period will run through August 16^th.

DePasquale to Audit Safety of Drinking Water

from the inbox:

On his first day in office, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale notified the head of the state Department of Environmental Protection that a performance audit of water programs related to the development of the state’s shale gas reserves would begin next week. 
 

In a letter and phone call to DEP Secretary Michael Krancer, DePasquale noted that the audit will be “a constructive one whereby all entities work together to identify any problems, concerns, and solutions, as well as any positive findings related to our audit objectives.”

 

DePasquale noted that the primary objectives of the audit will be to determine the effectiveness of DEP’s monitoring of water quality impacted by shale gas extraction and to measure DEP’s oversight of the handling and treatment of waste associated with the shale gas process.  The audit will cover the period of 2009 through 2012. 

 

“As I noted yesterday in my swearing-in remarks, while natural gas drilling has brought new opportunities to small towns and rural communities throughout the state, that same drilling poses challenges to our environmental regulators, our local communities and our natural resources,” the auditor general said.  “However, we must strive to grow our economy and protect our environment and public health at the same time.” 

 

The auditor general firmly emphasized that the goal of the audit of shale gas drilling and environmental protection is to ensure that Pennsylvania is doing the right thing to protect our waterways and our people while developing a valuable natural resource.

Tyson Organization Call

Earlier this evening I received a call about environmental priorities and activism.

The woman on the phone asked how important I thought industrial waste was (I don't have the exact wording on this). 

Then she asked if I approved or disapproved of the job government was doing regarding regulations.

Next she asked if in the past six months I had donated to a group fighting for clean air (might not have that exactly right).  There was a nearly identical question asking if I had volunteered for such an organization. 

She asked if I thought the government should do a lot, a little or nothing about global warming. 

Towards the end of the call she asked if I considered myself a clear air activist.

The call was from the Tyson organization (www.tyson.org), whose political clients are Democrats and which also represents environmental organizations such as the Sierra Club, the League of Conversation Voters, and the Environmental Defense Fund.

Casey, PennEnvironment Call

The evening Sen. Bob Casey participated in a teletownhall meeting sponsored by PennEnvironment to highlight Sen. Casey's stance and vote on air quality regulations, specifically mercury levels.  Adam Garber, PennEnvironment's field director moderated the call.  Another statewide environmental group, PennFuture, praised the Senator for his efforts in this endeavor as well (see the 6/20/2012 note on BusinessWire "PennFuture Applauds U.S. Sen. Bob Casey for Protecting Babies from Toxic Mercury,").  On the call Casey rattled off some statistics on the impact mercury has on pregnant women and young children, specifically intellectual development.  A fisherman from Northeastern PA was also on the call, talking about the food chain.  The senator also stressed his commitment to positive impact that new energy technologies can have on the economy.  There were mentions of wind energy and safer fracking methods. 

Transportation and Air Quality Summit in Philly

modified press release:

Northern Transportation and Air Quality Summit
August 7 - 8, 2012

A cutting-edge transportation and air quality conference is coming to the Philadelphia region this summer, courtesy of the Federal Highway Administration, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and DVRPC.

Scheduled for August 7 - 8 at the Loews Hotel in Philadelphia, the Northern Transportation and Air Quality Summit (NTAQS) will bring together stakeholders to discuss the current and upcoming regulatory environment, new technologies, and current practices. The content is geared toward practitioners in the northern and Mid-Atlantic states who are involved with public agencies at all levels. A host of speakers from the national and regional levels will present on key topics, best practices, and latest information vital to transportation, planning, and air quality professionals.

Movie Night I: Thanks, Bob Casey

MomsRising, a women's environmental group national advocacy group for women and their families, has produced a video thanking Sen. Bob Casey for his vote on S. J. Res. 37, to uphold air pollution standards.  You can watch the video at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYw1X-EtuP8&feature=relmfu .  It is airing in the Scranton / Wilkes-Barre area but not in the Philly media market.

This is a really well-done video, complete with kids and fireflies.  The visuals are very appealing, even on a laptop; the colors and contrasts are wonderful.