Earth Day 2011 - RETRO Anti-Pollution Ad with Native American - 1970s

Many of us have seen this commercial a million times as children, and learned not to litter.

Gennaro Bill Slated to Clean Queens Air by Anna Gustafson - YourNabe.com > Queens

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Councilman James Gennaro (l.) speaks at a biodiesel plant in Brooklyn about his bill that is expected to reduce air pollution and create green jobs. Photo courtesy of William Alatriste

A bill sponsored by City Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) and slated to pass the Council Thursday is expected to reduce air pollution, promote the use of alternative fuels and create green jobs in the city, Gennaro and Mayor Michael Bloomberg said this week.

The legislation, Intro 194-A, will require that buildings burn less No. 4 heating oil — one of the dirtiest types of fuel. Additionally, it mandates that the No. 4 oil will be phased out when buildings need to replace their heating system equipment, which city officials said will help to create environmentally friendly jobs.

“New York City consumes 1 billion gallons of heating oil annually — more than any other city in the United States,” said Gennaro, chairman of the Council Environmental Protection Committee. “Our legislation will annually replace 20 million gallons of petroleum with an equal volume of renewable, sustainable and domestically produced biodiesel. We are already home to what will be the largest biodiesel processing facility in the country, as well as a growing grease collection industry, and we expect to see more and more green-collar jobs and green economic growth as a result of our legislation.”

Intro 194-A will require the amount of sulfur in some heating oil to be capped at 1,500 parts per million, reducing the current cap by half. About 9,500 city buildings burn the dirtiest grades of heating oil, Nos. 4 and 6, according to a report by the Environmental Defense Fund, a nonprofit. The report found that buildings burning Nos. 4 and 6 heating oils release more soot pollution than all cars and trucks on the city’s streets combined.

The pollution created by this heating oil contains heavy metals and other pollutants that damage lungs and hearts, contribute to asthma and decrease life expectancy, city officials noted.

“We all know the most cost-effective way to remove pollutants from any fuel is to never burn them in the first place,” Bloomberg said. “But the reality is that New Yorkers burn more than 1 billion gallons of heating oil each year. By changing the type of oil we use, we will reduce pollutants and spend less money on maintaining and operating our heating systems while simultaneously reducing our dependence on overseas sources of energy.”

Environmental advocates also cheered the bill.

“It’s a great day for the health of all New Yorkers, but especially for children, senior citizens and people with respiratory illnesses who are particularly vulnerable to soot pollution,” said Andy Darrell, New York regional director and deputy director of the Environmental Defense Fund’s national energy program.

40 Years - A Plea from Fellow Americans to President Obama: We Need You to Lead America to a Clean Climate & Energy Future

American presidents from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush have talked about our need to reform our energy policies and end our addiction to fossil fuels.

The last 7 presidents couldn't make it happen.

President Obama can, but only if he adds his direct and immediate leadership to the Senate's efforts to pass a strong climate and energy bill.

We need your help:

Please add your name to our letter to President Obama today. Let him know we stand with him for real energy reform now.

Help us reach 50,000 signatures!

Burning Tap Water and More: GASLAND Exposes the Natural Gas Industry by Michael Graham Richard - TreeHugger

Must see movie on HBO - GASLAND by Josh Fox...This must be not be allowed to happen in NY State...Watch the video below and check your local listings to see this important documentary...

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What the frack?

In 2008, Josh Fox received a letter from a natural gas company. They were interested in leasing land owned by his family to do natural gas drilling. The offer was for $100,000, but instead of taking the money, Josh decided to do some research on the natural gas industry and ended up making a documentary called GASLAND. It focuses on the impact that modern natural gas extraction, which primarly uses hydraulic fracturing (aka "fracking"), has on communities and the environment. Check out the trailer below, it's pretty good.

Fox then set out to see how communities are being affected in the west where a natural gas drilling boom has been underway for the last decade. He spent time with citizens in their homes and on their land as they relayed their stories of natural gas drilling in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Texas, among others. He spoke with residents who have experienced a variety of chronic health problems as well as contamination of their air, water wells or surface water. In some instances, gas companies are replacing the affected water supplies with bottled water. (source)


For more information about what fracking is, check out the film's website FAQ page.

Senator Gillibrand Wants BP Held Criminally Responsible for Oil Spill by Mark Scott - WBFO

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Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York is one of a number of US Senators who want BP Oil to be held criminally responsible for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Senator Gillibrand was among a handful of senators who signed a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, expressing concerns "about the truthfulness and accuracy of statements submitted by BP." Late Tuesday, Attorney General Eric Holder says federal authorities have opened criminal and civil investigations. He's not saying which companies or individuals might be the targets of the probe. Holder says federal clean air and pollution laws give him the power to open the investigations.

But during an appearance in Buffalo late last week, Gillibrand said BP needs to be held accountable.

"BP needs to pay for the entire clean-up," Gillibrand said. "There is no reason why the taxpayer should be soaked by this bill."

Going forward, Gillibrand says better protections are needed to hold oil companies doing such drilling far more accountable. She fears the damage will last generations.

Gillibrand said President Obama is doing the best he can in response to the disaster.

Stop Offshore Oil Drilling

This terrible oil spill tragedy in the Gulf Coast is a sad reminder that oil is dirty, dangerous, and deadly. We need to address the needs of local residents and the environment, and then we need a commitment to end offshore oil drilling.

Contact President Obama to say you've had enough—it's time to halt all proposals to allow more oil drilling off our coasts—permanently.

The Hudson Riverkeepers - Watch the Video...

Watch this video...(Running Time : 48 minutes, 32 seconds)

THE HUDSON RIVERKEEPERS tells the stirring and dramatic story of how two generations of Hudson River fishermen and environmental activists fought a decades-long battle to protect one of the nation’s great rivers, the Hudson.

“Beautifully photographed, dramatic ... uses the history of environmental activism on the Hudson to show how individuals can have a real impact on their communities.” NEW YORK DAILY NEWS.

Featuring Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.; as well as excerpts from Walter Cronkite’s classic 1965 documentary, “The Majestic Polluted Hudson,” this important film brings to life one of the great environmental achievements in American history. It is also the story of the one of the landmarks in the U.S. environmental movement—because the fight to clean up the Hudson River went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, and its favorable ruling helped paved the way for many of the great environmental laws passed in the 1970s, such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.