Ramapo Lookout

Letter to the Editor: Fix America First

2012-03-01T09:37:00.002-08:00

To the Editor:

I recently read James Gerken’s article on Global Climate Change in the Huffington Post. After reading the article, I have to completely agree with what Samantha Smith, head of the WWF Climate and Energy Initiative, said about focusing on our country first. Our country is known for going to the aid of other countries, and that is totally fine, but we forget to help our people first. I think that in our fight against global warming, though developing countries are more prone to climate change, we need to make results happen here in the United States first. Once we figure out how we can fight global warming we can then pass this information onto other countries. American citizens should be the top priority of America, not the people of other countries.

Cutting back on black carbon emissions, methane gasses, as well as other fossil fuels would be a great start. But we don’t know how fast it will work. Things like this don’t just happen overnight, it takes time. These emissions need to be cut.

Gerken’s article also said that the Department of State claims it will decrease deaths by 2030 and avoid the annual loss of crops by 30 million tons. I think that at this point they cannot guarantee any of this. Most of us have been exposed to these fossil fuels for many years, and like DDT, it may not kill us immediately but it may one day in the future. Maybe for a younger generation this change can happen, but as of right now, I don’t see this as something that is probable.

I think that this is all a good start to the fight against global warming, but I think that the changes that are going to be made aren’t going to have that great of an impact on our environment. More needs to be done.

Sincerely,
Amanda Daley

In response to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/16/global-climate-change-deal-co2_n_1282235.html

Letter to the Editor: Global Climate Change

2012-02-29T12:42:00.003-08:00

In response to article: www.naturalnews.com/034056_global_warming_study

To the editor,

This letter is regarding Ethan Huff’s article, “Is global warming ‘over’?” that you published in NaturalNews.com. I disagree with the premise of the article, which appears to defend a global warming theory claiming that it is actually no longer occurring.

Global warming is an environmental issue that has been discussed by scientists for many years. The unusual rapid increase in Earth’s average surface temperature is what causes global warming. I am not a scientist; however, I feel that global warming is still an occurring issue. According to earthobservatory.nasa.gov, scientists believe that current global warming isn’t natural. Therefore, I don’t agree with your reporting on how Professor Judith Curry concluded that global warming is over.

Currently, the winter season for the East Coast has been a “warm winter.” Temperatures have reached highs up to 65 degrees and about an average of 45 degrees. The East Coast usually experiences cooler temperatures during this time of the winter season and it seems likely that global warming is the blame for the unusual temperatures.

You stated in your article, “the debate whether or not so-called “global warming” is real, and whether or not human activity plays any role, will likely continue on for years to come.” I believe global warming not only exists, but will also most likely continue. Additionally, I don’t believe that human activity plays a role with global warming. This environmental issue has to do with the Earth and its unusual rising temperatures on the surface. Last summer, the East Coast experienced hotter weather that scientists and weather reporters may have considered to be related to global warming. Temperatures rose to a high of 118 degrees, with the humidity temperatures above average. This “heat wave” had to be linked to global warming.

To conclude, I respect that many scientists are taking the time to analyze and study the role of global warming and its occurrence today. Thank you for taking the time to read my response to your article.

Sincerely,
Molly Rothberg

Saving a Swamp

2012-02-25T22:16:00.001-08:00

By Richard Fetzer

This story starts with a bistate government organization, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, planning to build another international airport, in addition to the three that were already in the New York metropolitan area.

Their choice of location sat 30 miles west of New York City and less then 20 miles from Newark Airport. The site, located in Morris County, N.J., is called the Great Swamp. It consists of 7,768 acres of varying habitats and is home to more than 244 species of birds. Fox, deer, muskrat, turtles, fish, frogs and a wide variety of wildflowers and plants also live in this beautiful natural expanse.

When it was at risk, the swamp did not have many allies. The local and state government were not going to step in. So, how is it that there is not a fourth international airport, but rather a national wildlife refuge, at the Great Swamp? Grass root campaigns. It took people with a passion of the marsh and it’s wildlife residents to protect it from the almost certain destruction.

Helen Fenske was one of the leaders in the campaign. Because, she was a stay at home mom, she held meetings in her kitchen. The view of the swamp from her farm house was captivating and became a physical embodiment of the their goal to save the entire swamp.

It took a lot of legwork by a lot of different people. As explained in “Saving a Swamp and Other Landmark Campaigns,” they gave talks to various conservation groups, and seeking a wider audience, they set up a display at the Short Hills Mall that included pictures, maps, films, slides and even a recreated pond scene. They gathered public attention and support, that trickled up to government and eventually saved the swamp.

This is a great example of how to accomplish conservation today. With all the concerns on the political arena about human rights (gay rights in particular), the economy, health care, etc., environmental issues are often overlooked. This is not saying that any other issues are more or less important, they just grab more attention and therefore, consideration from politicians.

So, in order to make changes and protect the environment, we all need to find a local environmental issue to become passionate about (God knows there are plenty), and rally the troops. It can start out small, handing out flyers, talking to people on the street. Then you get the attention of more people, they get involved. Then, large environmental organizations catch wind of it and they get involved. Politicians are next in line; they will help make change and then take all the credit, as if the whole thing was their idea. We let them, because, after all, we have saved an important part of the earth and that is far more important then credit.

Good luck and happy conservation.

Continued Legacy

2012-02-25T22:09:00.000-08:00

By Richard Fetzer

Picture this. You are at a backyard BBQ with friends and family. People are milling around, chatting and soaking in the vibrant sunshine. Kids are playing tag in the grass, giggling as they avoid being “it.” Suddenly, you notice the family dog is digging at something, but you can’t quite make out what it is. As you take a closer look, you realize that it is paint sludge oozing out of the ground, like a newly discovered oil well. Everyone you love is now at risk of being exposed. Now, imagine that there is nothing you can do; no one that will help or even seems to care. This doesn’t leave you with a good feeling, does it? It probably would fill you with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, rage and despair.

The situation and the feelings that it evokes are all too real for the Ramapough Indians in Upper Ringwood, a former iron mining community in a remote corner of Ringwood, NJ. They have an environmental issue literally in their own backyards that is linked to cancer, skin afflictions, mental disorders, which they feel has caused numerous illnesses and deaths throughout their community. Many of them would like to leave, but financially can’t or are not quite able to leave the land of their forefathers. It would be a tough decision for anyone, but as this issue persists, staying has become less and less of an option.

The Record’s “Toxic Legacy” series is an in depth coverage of this environmental and humane injustice. The website they created, http://toxiclegacy.northjersey.com/, to showcase their findings is full of multimedia and interactive material that brings this important story to life. It includes original documents, pictures, videos, maps and much, much more that adds so much to this compelling story.

So, here is a quick over-view. Ford Motor Co. used to have an assembly plant in plant in Mahwah, one of the largest in the country. Before it closed in 1980, Ford was left with the task of disposing of the paint sludge and other toxins. Rather then doing the responsible thing, they decided, like too many other mega corporations, to save money, time and manpower by simply dumping it where it was least likely to be discovered. Why not the remote area inhabited by the Ramapoughs. That is the obvious decision, right?

Wrong! It is a serious human and environmental issue and needs to be fixed. There have been attempts to right this terrible wrong, but cleanup efforts were less then what was to be expected. The problem still exists and therefore is affecting countless individuals. Families have lost loved ones to cancer, are afflicted with disturbing skin disorders and have become overwhelmed by thousands of other ramifications they feel are linked to this poor decision by Ford.

Please read about this issue on the “Toxic Legacy” website. Immerse yourself in all it has to offer. Hopefully, you will be inspired to help your fellow man or spread awareness. If not, I guess you shouldn’t feel too bad. You surely won't be the last and definitely not the first to turn your back on this damaged community.

“Toxic Legacy”: The Voice of Upper Ringwood

2012-02-25T22:02:00.001-08:00

By Diana Stanczak

“Toxic Legacy,” the 2005 in-depth investigation of contaminated areas in northern New Jersey, specifically in Upper Ringwood, painted a picture of the devastation carelessly caused to the area’s residents by the Ford Motor Company in the 1960s. The report, published in The Record, opened readers’ eyes to the land’s contamination, and more importantly, the innocent lives that were destroyed by illnesses that the community feels were caused by the contamination.

One of the strongest parts of the “Toxic Legacy” report were the interviews with the locals who live in the Ringwood area – specifically, the Ramapoughs. These first-hand accounts allowed the reader to understand the severity of the situation. The Ramapoughs, which according to the article are recognized as a Native American tribe by the State of New Jersey, celebrate their culture with frequent traditional community gatherings. However, due to the apparent side effects of their land’s contamination many have developed serious illnesses like cancer.

The interviews gave the report a human element, and allowed it to be something that readers could relate to. The interview with Paul Van Dunk was touching – the report explained that Van Dunk, who lost part of his leg to diabetes, and his wife, who suffered a heart attack, do their best to live their lives. The Van Dunks recall when the stream water ran clear – but they also remember when the paint sludge first became a problem. A quote from Van Dunk sums up their living situation: “This used to be a beautiful mountain. I wish the kids could see it the way we did.”

While Toxic Legacy covers every angle of the story, the interviews are the threads that tie the story together, making the report a thorough and descriptive account of the residents’ lifestyles and their living conditions.

"Mann v. Ford": Another View

2012-02-25T21:53:00.001-08:00

By Diana Stanczak

Last week, I watched the documentary “Mann vs. Ford” in my World Cultures class. The documentary focused on the lawsuit between Upper Ringwood’s Ramapough community and Ford Motor Company. A key theme repeated in the documentary was the fact that these natives health has been compromised due to the thoughtless actions of Ford, which dumped paint in the area inhabited by thousands of people. “Mann vs. Ford” followed the work of Wayne Mann, the lead plaintiff in the case, who fought to receive some sort of compensation for all the damage done by Ford. Damage included health issues and destruction of land.

The health issues were particularly disturbing to learn about. So many people suffered and died from cancer and other diseases. The documentary tied in with “Toxic Legacy,” and served as a good counterpart, because seeing a visual reinforces the situation in the viewer’s mind. The footage of all the areas affected was effective as well, because the documentary really captured the Ramapough’s emotional connection to the land.

The following class, Dwaine Perry, Chief of the Ramapough-Lenape, spoke to our class about the living conditions in Upper Ringwood. Chief Perry did not hold back – his words flowed freely, and some of the things he had to say were harsh. The most surprising thing for me to learn was that Ramapoughs are severely outcasted by the rest of Ringwood’s residents – something that was not depicted in the documentary. He also spoke bitterly about the lawyers, suggesting that there was more they could have done. After hearing Chief Perry speak, I began to question the credibility of the documentary.

I came to the conclusion that as with anything in life, there are always two or more sides and it is important to hear all of them. I still think the documentary is a good vehicle for raising awareness of the destruction in Upper Ringwood, but I feel that it may have almost idolized the Ramapoughs and depicted them in an unnatural, completely positive light.

Carla Koppell: Making a Difference in the World

2012-02-25T21:33:00.001-08:00

By Amanda Daley

Carla Koppell’s lecture in Friends Hall gave me a new understanding of global sustainability and women’s empowerment. I found her talk to be extremely interesting and it really opened my eyes.

Carla Koppell is Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and also Senior Advisor to the Administrator at the United States Agency for International Development. Her main objective is to focus US development assistance on fostering gender equality and women’s empowerment throughout the world.

The most important thing that she said was, “Be bold and be shameless.” I think that those 5 words alone made her entire speech. I am not the type of person that would stand up in front of a group of people and do something that I am not comfortable doing. By being bold and shameless you can accomplish so much even if it’s out of your comfort zone.

Another thing that I found interesting was when she said that what she is doing now isn’t what she wanted to do when she was younger. She said that she took on new challenges and tried different things to get to where she is now. I can relate to that because when going into college and getting to where I am now, I changed my major five times before I finally decided that journalism is what I wanted to do. I went from wanting to be an elementary school teacher, to being a radio broadcaster, to wanting to save the environment, to wanting to own a business, to wanting to write to make a difference. I also went to a different school before deciding that Ramapo was the right college for me. I think that it is important to try different things before you pick just one thing that you want to do for the rest of your life.

I also found it to be amazing that many countries, including our own, have little involvement from women. And when women did get involved in the government they found many flaws and made the laws better.

I think that talks like these are important to have at colleges, especially at a school that is centered on being more sustainable. Ramapo students can learn a lot from this lecture because everyone wants to make a difference and Carla Koppell is making a difference on making the world a more sustainable and women-empowered place.

How Could Regulators Fail?

2012-02-25T21:14:00.000-08:00

By Amanda Daley

Reading the section of “Toxic Legacy” on how regulators failed to clean up the land simply blows my mind. How could the US Environmental Protection Agency and clean-up crews miss all that was left behind after the first clean up? It doesn’t make any sense.

I think that the first time Ford went to clean up the land they should have been accompanied by a member of the EPA to see that all of it was actually being cleaned. Also the fact that the EPA approved the least costly testing of the area for Ford should have been a red flag that they were going to do a half way job. And since there were already so many problems with Ford cleaning up their mess they should have denied it.

f this mess was cleaned up right the first time then Ford wouldn’t have had to spend as much money as they did on a subsequent clean-up because they tried to skimp on it the first time around. The harsher laws for dumping should have gone into effect before Ford started dumping in the middle of the woods. I think that the EPA and Ford should be held more responsible for what has been happening to these people rather then just brushing it off their shoulders like it’s nothing.

It should be illegal to dump in wooded areas anyway. Not only is this sludge dangerous to people but it’s dangerous to animals as well. I think that Ford’s dumping should have been thoroughly investigated way before the “Toxic Legacy” series came out. All the information that is being uncovered that was either missed or brushed off should not be coming up. Ford should not have been able to get away with as much as they did. Also Ford shouldn’t hide and say they have no statement about what they did because they know what they did is wrong, and they need to own up to it.

I don’t blame these people for suing Ford Motor Companies as well as the EPA because this is all stuff that should have been taken care of in the first place rather than putting it off for years until someone decided to investigate more. Ford should take responsibility for the damage that they have caused.

An Industrial Waste Story

2012-02-25T21:05:00.002-08:00

By Molly Rothberg

"Toxic Legacy” is a newspaper series that examines an industrial waste story where lead, arsenic and solvents that were linked to cancer appeared in lawns and adjacent lands after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared a Ford Motor Company dump site as “clean.” The site, located in Ringwood, N.J. was taken off the national Superfund list and federal officials accepted Ford’s guarantee that they had fully investigated the site and removed the cancer-linking waste. The five-part special series produced by the Bergen Record in Hackensack, N.J. told a different tale after uncovering the real story. The series exposed hazard dumping in a poor community near streams and reservoirs, as well as in other unauthorized sites in New Jersey and New York.

Additionally, the Record took the series to another level in exposing the failure of the government to address the problem. Once The Record published “Toxic Legacy,” the EPA promised to fully clean the area and re-listed it as a Superfund site. The New Jersey governor took action while New York promised to take action on several years of complaints regarding sludge dumps near a water supple river that flows into New Jersey.
This investigative series raises an important question for the residents of Ringwood: How does this toxic tragedy affect them? Additionally, this story is an example on how it shapes the Ringwood community into a different viewpoint for New Jersey and New York residents. The impact of "Toxic Legacy" changes the residents’ perception on how they feel about their community. It’s a serious community environmental issue that is a major hazard to the residents.

Separate from the Ringwood residents, how does it affect the town’s image to people outside of Ringwood? This issue portrays a negative view of Ringwood, as well as the New Jersey and New York state governments, and especially the federal EPA, which declared the 500-acre site as a “clean" site. Many of the Ringwood residents, who pay a lot of money in property taxes each year, must be furious with the government and their extensive process to finally take action. Residents have been at high risk for cancer for years and haven’t known. It’s a huge environmental issue that needs to be widely addressed.

Ways to Switch to the ‘Green Lifestyle’

2012-02-25T20:59:00.000-08:00

By Molly Rothberg

Today, the message is out all over: Nourish our Environment. The promotion of being eco-friendly is hard to avoid nowadays, considering that many people are becoming more conscious about their environment. Though for some, living eco- friendly requires changing your lifestyle, which can be difficult since we tend to embrace the conveniences that we’re used to.

First and foremost, being eco-friendly requires recycling by separating cans, glass, paper and plastics from your trash. Recycling is so easy a task and it makes such a difference in the amount of trash that gets to a landfill. Recycling is an essential task for any eco-friendly individual.

Another step towards being green would be to limit the use of electricity. It’s so easy to forget to turn off a light which wastes energy while increasing your electric bill. Who wants that? Think of it as this: Saving energy will save you money. Need I say more?

When it comes to drinking water, too many of us prefer bottled over tap. It costs the United States a lot of money to produce bottled water. Additionally, in terms of the processing, plastic, and waste, it’s better for the environment to drink tap water. A way to improve your tap water to become pleasant drinking water would be to invest in a good water filter. These can be found anywhere. A filter can be attached to your faucet or buy a container filter that can be refrigerated.

Think hybrid! More car companies are designing hybrid car models because many people are making the switch. Hybrid cars use two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle, achieving more fuel economy and lower emissions. In stop and go traffic, hybrid vehicles are ideal while they run off battery storage, and uses gasoline once they’ve reached a certain speed.

Avoid those paper towels. Do you know how many trees get cut down to make paper? The answer is too many. In fact, when paper towels are available, people always tend to grab more than what they need, wasting them. If possible, avoid using them in your household by using hand towels instead and turn to air dryers when at a public place.

There are various ways to go green to help improve our environment. The overall issue here is that many people have clung to the conveniences that we are spoiled with. Such as, setting our heat to as high as we wish, to grabbing a bottled water over filling water in a glass. Just like anything else, in time, the ‘green lifestyle’ can be achieved by constant reminding and practice until it becomes naturally adapted.

How “Saving a Swamp” Hit Home

2012-02-25T20:25:00.002-08:00

By Victoria Ahlers

Reading “Saving a Swamp and Other Landmark Campaigns” in A Citizens Guide to Grassroots Campaigns sparked an interest to research topics of this nature in regards to my home town of Freehold, NJ. I could not find any information about groups such as the one that was started to save the Great Swamp, but I did find interesting information about a lake that is located just a mile from my house.

Lake Topanemus is a Freehold landmark. If you are from the town, chances are you have been to the park it is located at. Whether it be for Old Freehold Day, to fish, to run, or to just enjoy a nice summer day, the park is a local hot spot for warm weather outdoor activities. Located in the center of the park is the lake. The lake isn’t as big as some of the lakes found in northern New Jersey; however it’s still large enough for paddle and row boats. There is a small neighborhood located on the lake as well. The lake has been a local landmark for decades, and back in the 1960’s and 1970’s, was a popular place for children to go swimming. However, the lake is now contaminated and deemed unsafe for swimming because of the development around the lake, and garbage dumping in the lake.

While reading “Saving a Swamp” I wondered whether my town had a group of activists similar to the ones that campaigned to save the swamps in their towns, would the lake still be safe to swim in today. I’m not sure if there was a group formed and they just weren’t successful, or if no one even knew that the lake was becoming progressively more and more contaminated with each passing year. I do know, however, that there have been a few things done to try and clean up the lake. For instance, Freehold High School, which is located just down the street from the lake, had a number of biology classes test the PH in water samples from the lake, examine what types of echo-systems developed in and around the lake post-contamination, and also have done a little bit of garbage clean-up along the banks of the lake.

I feel as though it is very possible for these measures to take on a larger scale and really promote the clean-up of the lake. Unfortunately most people in the town are unaware of its contamination, or it doesn’t bother them. Although the lake wasn’t completely destroyed by the building of the surrounding developments, and the increasingly growing amount of litter along its banks and in its water, surely it is not used as much as it once was, and it is losing its value as a landmark of the town. Younger generations are not fully appreciating the potential beauty the lake and the park have. “Saving a Swamp and Other Landmark Campaigns” really opened my eyes to the fact that I don’t really need to have unattainable goals and resources to campaign for the landmark lake in my town, considering how Helen Fenske did much of the work for the Great Swamp Campaign from her own kitchen.

The “To-Go” Cup of Coffee: How Can We Make it More Sustainable?

2012-02-25T19:57:00.003-08:00

By Bliss Sando

Unfortunately, not many people actively participate in sustainable everyday practices. A good example of this is our obsession as Americans with the "to-go" cup of coffee. How many of those thermal cardboard and Styrofoam cups do we really need to use? Bring your own travel mug, for Earth's sake! Here are some of the environmental problems caused by our excessive use of disposable coffee cups.

First off, most paper coffee cups are NOT made from recycled paper. Many are made entirely from 100% bleached virgin paperboard (essentially new paper), and those who advertise their use of recycled paper (like coffee giant Starbucks) often use only a small percentage of recycled paper, the rest being new paper. Secondly, the manufacturing process of paper cups uses a large amount of resources (namely water, energy, and a whole lot of trees). The third, and potentially the most troublesome, problem with these hot cups is that during the manufacturing process they are covered with a plastic resin called polyethylene. This substance that coats the cardboard helps to prevent leaks and keep your beverage warm, but also prevents the cups from being recycled. It is unfortunately not common knowledge that any cup laminated with this polyethylene substance is not recyclable, and therefore will end up in a landfill. Once in the landfill, these cups begin their decomposition process, which releases methane, a greenhouse gas that is a contributor to climate change.

The website entitled “Sustainability is Sexy” has compiled the chart below to give consumers an idea of exactly how many disposable cups we use, as well as the resources involved in their production:

To some, the answer may seem easy. Why don’t cup manufacturers find a way to produce recyclable cups? Well, the fact is that the process of recycling is energy intensive in itself, so we as consumers must simply use less. One way to do so is by using our own reusable mugs. These mugs are available in ceramic, glass, stainless steel, and even plastic. And get this: most of these mugs are made to be used up to 3,000 times! Although the process of producing reusable cups uses more resources, their durability causes their use to be much more environmentally friendly in the long run. So, let's weigh the ups and downs. Paper and Styrofoam cups can only be used once, and are TERRIBLE for the environment because of the resources that they use up in production and the steady stream of waste that they cause. Reusable cups can be used thousands of times, have a positive environmental impact, and can save both consumers and coffee retailers money!

I, like many Americans, love my coffee. I almost always have a cup in my hand, wherever I am. About two years ago, I realized that I was using up to five paper or Styrofoam cups per day. I purchased a few different travel mugs, which are sold at most coffee retailers and grocery stores. Now, I brew my own coffee in the morning, and fill up my reusable mug. When I need a refill during the day, I bring my mug to a coffee shop, and they are always happy to rinse and refill it for me with a drink of my choice. Most coffee retailers even give a discount to those who bring their own reusable mugs! This simple practice of bringing your own cup results in less garbage in your car, and a lower cost for your beloved cup of coffee. If you are a coffee-drinking consumer, you can’t beat it. If you don’t have your own reusable mug, you can order one at the “Sustainability is Sexy” website.

For more information:
http://www.sustainabilityissexy.com.

Environmental Writing 2011

2011-05-26T22:44:00.001-07:00

From Agent Orange’s insidious grasp out of the past of the war in Vietnam to current health concerns of many residents of Ramapo River communities, to the potential future effects of global climate change, 11 student-reporters at Ramapo College of New Jersey dug into a wide array of ecological issues in the Spring 2011 Environmental Writing class.

Here are some of many insightful passages that summarize topics students chose to research and report in magazine-style final writing projects, all of which are posted on our class website, ramapolookout.blogspot.com, along with their other writing assignments throughout the semester.

“The Earth is as a storm. Violently it crashes and trumpets along its trillion year journey. Like a wildfire burning on a California horizon, the Earth surrounds itself in tapestry of both beauty and terror. In essence our planet is a hospitable destroyer. It will deny life as easily as it fosters it. Often times life will simply die off, a casualty of the constant unseen equation of nature. Still, despite the changes our planet has seen, the existence of life has always remained firmly rooted. However, our modern age has threatened life with a new villain: pollutants.”

--From Destroying our Oceans: Impact of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by John Clancey

“Beekeepers throughout the Garden State know there is something wrong. Some blame mites and pesticides but others are still puzzled as to what exactly is causing colony collapse disorder.

“’I had beehives that were full of bees and produced a great honey crop, and two weeks later were empty,’ says Joe Triemel, Corresponding Secretary at the Essex Co. Beekeepers.

“Why all the buzz? Bees are very critical to agricultural practices.”

--From New Jersey's Buzz on Colony Collapse Disorder by Courtney Leiva

“When being advised to follow a healthy diet, the one food that is indisputably on the top of the list is fish. Its Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals keep our heart pumping and our blood pressure low. It is an easy food to cook, requiring little preparation and, in most cases, done in less than 30 minutes. It is almost impossible to make a bad dish with fish unless, of course, the fish itself has been contaminated.

“With the recent environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, which was formally known to produce quality fish, particularly shellfish, fish lovers now question the safety of the fish coming from the Gulf. Do we believe the government agencies that maintain the fish from the Gulf is safe or do we stop buying, adding to the sorry economic state of the Gulf fishermen’s woes, who are just recovering from Hurricane Katrina?”

--From Is Eating Fish as Healthy as It Used to Be? by Virginia DiBianca

“Climate change, or global warming as it is often referred to, has been a hot button issue in recent years. It has dominated the environmental arena, and has even played a role in the political spectrum, as Democrats and Republicans hold very different ideas about the phenomenon. There is a lot of conflicting information about this so-called global warming and the process of weeding through all of it to separate fact from fiction can seem overwhelming. The truth of the matter is, depending upon who you ask, you will likely get a very different interpretation of climate change, its causes, its effects, and what it ultimately means for you and me. …

“Climate change, or global warming, is certainly a very complex issue with a myriad of facts, data, and evidence from a host of different organizations to take into account. But these are the bare-bone facts of the situation. There is evidence to support hundreds of thousands of years of constantly changing climate situations on our planet. But there is also hard proof that humans have, if nothing else, sped the process up a significant amount. It is really up to each citizen of the planet Earth to make their own decision about climate change and make their day-to-day choices accordingly.”

--From Climate Change: A Complex Issue with Clashing Points of View by Lindsey de Stefan

“Jeff Genser, a Suffern native, pleaded to the council about flood issues. He stated, ‘You're proposing to eliminate 100 acres of flood plain, and turn it from a pervious area to an impervious. And that is unacceptable, in my opinion.’ He went on to propose his own idea for what could be built on the flood plain next to the Ramapo River, a Vertical Farm. ‘A building could be constructed that could supply food to half of Bergen County...use all the water it comes into [from the river], over and over again, and have no pollution and environmental impact.’ The idea seemed to stir no interest by the council.

“Many individuals mentioned how the mall would impact the surrounding community. Some were frustrated over the idea of Stag Hill residents being stranded in an emergency situation, being that the only access road to their community would become a constant point of traffic and congestion. Retired resident Ron Whalberg asked the council, ‘At what point do we stop endangering future generations?’”

--From A Changed Mahwah by Graig Mihok

“It is a race against time for a fading era of American heroes who served their country and feel they were poisoned by their government. It is a race against time for the Vietnamese people suffering from health conditions and birth defects. The U.S. government is left with a choice. It can accept responsibility and dedicate itself to all who suffered from the Agent Orange spraying campaigns, or it can wait for the end of an era. It can hope for the best that history will forget. The natural environment and the lives it gracefully sustains are in serious danger.

“For Agent Orange investigator Fred Wilcox, justice is yet to be done. ‘The government can start by saying sorry,’ he said.”

--From War After the War: The Environmental Assault of Agent Orange by Dan Savino

“Consumers seem to be paying attention to what they eat more and more. It is too soon to prove whether GM seeds, crops and foods will hurt or help us, but staying informed and questioning claims for will help to insure our safety. Big corporations own the rights to a very crucial part of the food chain. Urging others to ask questions, voice opinions and challenge tests is incredibly important. Food and its nutrients are what help us survive. As consumers and as humans we have the right to take control over the products we use daily.”

--From Genetically Modified Food: What Does it Mean for You and Your Kitchen? by Lorraine Metz

“Some say it’s just a coincidence; that it would take years, if not decades, for us to see any change in prices if we started drilling. Experts say that the process of actually obtaining the oil, refining it, dispersing it, and using it takes an extreme amount of time and money, so that we wouldn’t see any relief in the near future. The Energy Information Association found that increased drilling would have a very small, if any, impact before 2030. They also found that even once the oil starts flowing, it would only bring in about 0.2 million barrels per day.

“Others argue that just by lifting a ban on drilling, it would influence the market to lower prices. This is what seemingly happened between 2008 and 2010 with President Bush’s decision. However, other economists argue that the oil industry is part of a global market and since the United States would only be contributing less than one million barrels per day, it wouldn’t do much for the prices. How would one explain what happened after Bush’s decision? The theory of supply and demand seems pretty fitting, which would directly benefit us in this situation.”

--From To Drill or Not to Drill? Offshore Oil Drilling and How it Can Affect You by Brittany Shann

“’Many residents have told me they don't trust DuPont or the NJ DEP. They think DuPont is covering up pollution and DEP is rubber stamping inadequate DuPont cleanup plans,’ says Bill Wolfe, former planner and policy analyst for the state Department of Environmental Protection and former policy director of Sierra Club's New Jersey Chapter.

“’They are frustrated by the slow pace of cleanup, angry for not being told about vapor intrusion, and disgusted by repeated failures by local and state officials to provide full information and allow them to have a meaningful role in cleanup decisions that affect their lives, their family’s health, and their property value,’ he says.”

--From DuPont: Pompton Lakes Site Still a Source of Conflict After 25-Year Clean Up by Deanna Dunsmuir

“Some fluctuations in the Earth's temperature are inevitable regardless of human activity, but centuries of rising temperatures and seas lie ahead if the release of emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation continues unabated, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The panel shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore for alerting the world to warming's risks.

“Over the next decade, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to regulate sources of greenhouse gases, imposing efficiency and emissions requirements. Until the UNFCCC starts taking action on a global scale, it seems that countering global warming and climate change is up to the people’s smaller actions and lifestyle changes. Maybe then those with the greater power will see that we are prepared for much bigger, even drastic changes.”

--From Global Warming: Small Steps Towards Conquering a Big Threat by Jessica Vasquez

“A tract of twenty-two acres of forest named after the former Governor of New Jersey, George Brinton McClellan, was purchased a few years ago by Seton Hall Prep School of West Orange, New Jersey. The school’s plan’s to clear the old growth forest rippled through the community and neighboring towns and has caused many concerns. For two years, town residents and students attended zoning board hearings to voice their opinion on the proposed clear cutting. …

“The Mallangas, both active members of the Sierra Club, also brought in Bruce Kershner. Kershner is a field ecologist who is also a national authority on old growth forests and took a survey of the 22 acres of trees. He identified the trees and expressed the historical and biological value of the forest. Board members attacked his testimony claiming that the use of the term ‘old growth forest’ can not be used if he cannot tell the exact age of the trees. They repeatedly interrupted him during his testimony to ask him for credentials and if he had a background in studying and observing old growth forests. Kershner has studied old growth forests for over 30 years all over the country, but that did not seem like a sufficient enough background for the zoning board members.”

--From Seton Hall Prep Clear Cuts Our Future by Amanda Nesheiwat

Is Eating Fish as Healthy as It Used to Be?

2011-05-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

Photo/2.bp.blogspot.com

By Virginia DiBianca

When being advised to follow a healthy diet, the one food that is indisputably on the top of the list is fish. Its Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals keep our heart pumping and our blood pressure low. It is an easy food to cook, requiring little preparation and, in most cases, done in less than 30 minutes. It is almost impossible to make a bad dish with fish unless, of course, the fish itself has been contaminated.

With the recent environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, which was formally known to produce quality fish, particularly shellfish, fish lovers now question the safety of the fish coming from the Gulf. Do we believe the government agencies that maintain the fish from the Gulf is safe or do we stop buying, adding to the sorry economic state of the Gulf fishermen’s woes, who are just recovering from Hurricane Katrina?

Testing by Federal Agencies
One month after the spill occurred, consumers began expressing reasonable concern as to whether the fish coming from the Gulf was contaminate free. To address public concern, in July 2010, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began testing the fish to determine its safety to consumers as well as to the fishermen. As a precautionary measure, NOAA closed fishing and shellfish harvesting in areas in the Gulf that were exposed to the spilled oil. The fish outside the closed areas was tested for petroleum compounds. While oil is composed of many chemicals, it is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are carcinogenic if consumed in sufficient amounts over long periods of time. Another indicator of tainted seafood is the smell. If a petroleum odor is detected, the fish would be considered unacceptable for consumption.

NOAA has the authority to close and open the waters in the Gulf and actively uses that power to meet their obligation to the public. A sampling conducted between August and September 19 indicated the sample fish (shrimp, finfish and composites) showed no sign of oil or dispersant odors or flavors. As results continued to prove the fish were safe, fishing areas were re-opened. At its peak, 37% (88,522 square miles) of the Gulf fisheries were closed. As of October 1, 2010, 89% of those closed fishing areas were once again operational.

While all tests produced results indicating no signs of contamination, consumer confidence continued to mistrust the fish coming from the Gulf. In November 2010, NOAA and the FDA announced it would conduct a second chemical test on the Gulf seafood for dispersant. Taking 1,735 tissue samples, the FDA reported that trace amounts of dispersant residue (in 13 of the 1,735 samples) were found below the safety threshold for shrimp, crabs and oysters and that there was no scientific evidence that dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DSS), a major part of the dispersant, had accumulated in the fish tissues.

“The rigorous testing we have done from the very beginning gives us confidence in the safety of seafood being brought to market from the Gulf,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary for commerce and NOAA administrator. “This test adds another layer of information, reinforcing our findings to date that seafood from the Gulf remains safe.” As of February 2011, 1,041 square miles of an area immediately surrounding the wellhead is the only section still closed by NOAA.

Photo/4.bp.blogspot.com

The Unfortunate Oysters
Of all the seafood in the Gulf, the oyster population has been the one specie that has been the one most deeply effected from the spill. Oysters are creatures highly sensitive to the quality of their environment. They feed by filtering nutrients out of seawater. Because they are immobile, they accumulate the chemicals and pollutants making them vulnerable to the spills effects. The spilled oil penetrated the water column and formed a thick oil slick that reached the shores of the Gulf Coast contaminating everything in its way including the world’s last, largely intact network of oyster reefs.

An attempt to reverse the damage actually caused more destruction to the oyster beds. In a coordinated effort by the Coast Guard, BP and the Army Corp of Engineers, water diversion gates were opened to flood fresh water from the Mississippi River hoping to push the oil out of the Louisiana coastal marshes. This action might have saved other species, however the oyster population that thrives on coastal living has been severely damaged.

The timing of the spill was also against the oysters. The BP spill occurred during the peak spawning period for oysters. Oysters reproduce by releasing egg and sperm into the water that attach to the hard-surface bottom that becomes their home. With toxins in the water, oysters protect themselves by keeping their shells closed, which eventually suffocates them.

In January 2011, a weekend was dedicated to the first of a program to rebuild 100 miles of new oyster reefs along the shorelines of Alabama. The effort was partially funded by NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As a spokesman for The Natural Conservancy stated, 85% of the world’s natural oyster reefs have already been lost due to development, pollution and now, the BP oil spill. Oyster reefs are important not only for consumption but in marine life. They promote new growth, help protect delicate salt marshes and sea grasses, and act like coral in the tropics to provide habitat for numerous marine species across Mobile Bay.

In addition to the public perception of tainted seafood, a supply shortage has further complicated the issue. With oyster beds damaged, only 1% of the men who usually harvest oysters are actually doing so. One main reason is that they have been hired as part of the cleanup crew, work that for now, is more profitable with some crews paying as much as $2,000 a day. As a result, restaurants in New Orleans that have featured local seafood began last summer to re-evaluate their menus and consider less expensive ways of serving the popular local fare.

Defined by their Cuisine
Fish, particularly shellfish, is deeply ingrained in the states along the Gulf Coast as a way of life. New Orleans’s cuisine made popular by celebrity chefs such as Emeril Lagasse and his predecessor, Paul Prudhomme of the famous Commander’s Palace Restaurant, boast some of the best seafood recipes anywhere, using local catches. Traditional meals include Jambalaya and Gumbo using shrimp, po’boy sandwiches made with oysters and crawfish dinners called etouffee. These chefs emphasize how it is in their best interest to serve the fish from the Gulf with confidence. No restaurateur would take the chance of being known as the establishment that served their patrons tainted fish.

Seafood is how many along the Gulf make their living. Recently, at a symposium on the aftermath of the BP oil spill held at Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mr. Thomas Costanza of Catholic Charities of New Orleans addressed how the loss of work has affected the Gulf fishermen. While Hurricane Katrina destroyed the property of those in the Gulf, it did not come close to the devastation of what it means to lose one’s livelihood as when the spilled oil contaminated their fisheries. Oyster beds, which take three years before they are re-established, have been ruined. Last summer’s harvest of brown shrimp from the gulf was one of the smallest seen in years. Juvenile crabs are in very small numbers.

Michael Voisin, president of Motivatit Seafoods, an oyster processing company in Houma, La., reports his business is down 60% after the spill, with recovery at a slow pace. The state’s fisheries are projected to lose $74 million this year from the lingering impact of the oil spill.

Fishermen are suffering from depression that is leading to an increase in alcoholism. Claims from the fishing industry to BP go unpaid. The fishermen are asking for help to be re-trained in their profession, and to reconstruct their oyster beds and fisheries. BP has denied the claims from oystermen asserting that the pumping of freshwater into the beds was a maneuver unapproved by the Unified Command who oversee the oil spill response. It was the water, not the oil, BP claims, that caused the ruination of the oyster beds. In the meantime, claims go unsatisfied, under a pile of papers.

So Is the Fish Safe?
The decision to eat the fish from the Gulf of Mexico comes down to each person’s individual belief. Government sponsored tests have all indicated there are no traces of contamination in the Gulf seafood. After extensive examination of how fish react to polluted waters after the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, a report issued by the National Marine Fisheries Services determined that fish metabolize and excrete foreign materials such as oil. It can be said that the fish from the Gulf has undergone the most comprehensive testing ever to ensure the public’s health and safety. There are restaurants and fish markets that are carrying the seafood from the Gulf without reported problems.

On the other side, it is unclear how consumers can know whether tainted shrimp or oysters, for example, might still be harvested from closed or unexamined areas and sold, despite these precautions. The national perception is of caution as the long-term effects are yet to be known. Even though the oil has dissipated, there is uncertainty as to how much remains below the surface. Scientific evidence states that bacteria, plankton and other tiny creatures have consumed the oil. These creatures, eaten by small fish, crabs and shrimp that can be eaten by bigger fish jeopardize the safety of sea life for human consumption. As most all studies on the Gulf contamination admit, the future effects are yet to be determined.

Consequently, many seafood lovers have become more inquisitive about the food they are buying. When recently dining at a local well-established restaurant, a nearby diner asked the waiter where the fish was from before placing their dinner order. Markets selling fresh seafood are also questioned as to the origin of the fish, particularly the shrimp. At a respected fish market, when asked, the fishmonger informed his customer that the shrimp came from Louisiana. The customer then turned and bought the Chilean Sea Bass. It is their choice, after all.

For more information:

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/25/gulf-oil-spill-restoratio_n_812945.html

http://www.eli.org/pdf/NA_40-11/40.11097.pdf

About the Author

Virginia DiBianca is a third year student at Ramapo College majoring in Communication Arts. Taking a strong interest in how the environment has affected her, she is turning down fish from the Gulf Coast at seafood markets and restaurants for now.

National Youth Environmental Summit Coming Up in North Carolina

2011-05-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

What: National Youth Environmental Summit: Redesigning Our Future
Who: The Center for the Environment at Catawba College
When: July 20-24, 2011
Where: Salisbury, North Carolina

Contact: Dan Savino
dsavino@ramapo.edu

National Youth Environmental Summit Open to High School Students

Now is your chance to become an environmental leader for the future! All high school seniors and juniors are welcome and encouraged to attend an exciting Environmental Summit for America’s youth to be held this summer for four days starting on July 20. The Center for the Environment at Catawba College and the Rocky Mountain Institute will team up to put on a summit especially designed to engage students interested and talented in disciplines beyond the scope of the traditional environmental field. Students will be encouraged to use their talents to become effective leaders to advance environmental thinking and progress.

While exploring interests with other students in small groups, attendees will share passions and be taught specific skills that environmental leaders require to create a sustainable world. Leadership sessions will concentrate on whole systems thinking, collaboration, and effective communication. These elements are essential in order to work successfully in a connected, global community. There are four “R’s” to keep in mind. They are to reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink.

Apply today to be part of this valuable summit. Registration is only $200 thanks to our sponsors and donors. Scholarships will be available for those in need. This cost will cover materials needed for the sessions, as well as food and local transportation services.

College faculty and staff from the Rocky Mountain Institute and the Center for the Environment will run groups. Students will even receive real life field experience in the Catawba College Ecological Preserve. Act now and enroll today!

For further information:

http://www.centerfortheenvironment.org/redesigning-our-future.html

Experiential Journal: Learning from “Carbon Nation”

2011-05-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

By John Clancey

In order to complete the experiential requirement of my class I attend a screening of the documentary “Carbon Nation.” The film, released in 2010, revolved around the increasingly prominent issue of climate change in today’s world; specifically to community-based energy solutions for lowering the carbon footprint.

Unlike other popular films on this topic, “Carbon Nation” did not revolve around negative information. Instead it makes a point to explain the situation as it stands, as well as offer inspiration to those who wish to make a difference. “Carbon Nation” is not a warning flag, it is a rally point.

Peter Byck, the film’s director, follows the stories of a few inspired individuals who have seen the need for renewable energy and fulfilled it though innovative means. Through a series of optimistic interviews with experts of various fields, it describes how we may meet the sixteen terawatts of energy the world consumes while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.

The individuals interviewed possessed not only a unique perspective on the current situation, but original ideas regarding its rectification. Wind power, solar power, even natural hot springs all proved effective as alternative energy sources.

Whether it was jobs brought on by new industry, help for a struggling small town economy, or even free energy for a town in Alaska, “Carbon Nation” demonstrates that every investment made into alternative energy has positive effects on communities.

Over all, the film was made very well and remained engaging throughout its two-hour run time. It pointed out ways that everyone can help reduce the pressures we exert on our environment. Through showing new means of alternate energy and simplistic methods of energy cost reduction, “Carbon Nation” sets an example for responsible eco stewardship.

Seton Hall Prep Clear Cuts Our Future

2011-05-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

By Amanda Nesheiwat

A tract of twenty-two acres of forest named after the former Governor of New Jersey, George Brinton McClellan, was purchased a few years ago by Seton Hall Prep School of West Orange, New Jersey. The school’s plan’s to clear the old growth forest rippled through the community and neighboring towns and has caused many concerns. For two years, town residents and students attended zoning board hearings to voice their opinion on the proposed clear cutting.

Seton Hall Prep plans on clear-cutting the historical forest to make way for additional recreational fields. The private school for boys currently has 20 acres of recreational areas including football fields, a lacrosse field, a parking lot, a ¼ - mile track, a storage facility, property fencing, asphalt, and a shot put ring. They plan on expanding their fields into the forest area with:

- A larger additional storage facility
- 2 baseball diamonds
-1 field house
- 6 tennis courts
- Additional parking for up to 700 cars
- 1 cross country running trail
- Batting cages
- A hot dog concession stand
- 40 foot high bleachers
- 50 foot netting supported by poles in the fly zones of eagles
- 2 detention ditches which are currently home to 50 foot mature trees that have been successfully holding storm water

George B. McClellan, the man whom the forest is named after, was NJ’s 24th Governor and ran for president against Abraham Lincoln in 1864. The McClellan old growth forest is located along Prospect Ave between Mt. Pleasant Ave and Northfield Ave in West Orange. It is a site that many community members visit for walks, jogs, and to walk their dogs. The forest is named “old growth” because it has reached climax succession and some trees on the site that are well over 300 years old. Old growth forests are very rare and are becoming obsolete in New Jersey. The site has impressive diversity with a total of 33 different species of trees which provide habitat for many different species such as the Great Horned Owl, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, and Red Fox as well as endangered species such as the Indiana Brown Bat. The forest not only provides habitat for animals and a place of spirituality for townspeople, but also is useful in retaining water since the forest is a wetland area.

Zoning board members would not allow anyone to express their opinion at the hearings unless they were residents of West Orange. As the news swirled about the school cutting habitat that an endangered species lived in, students from Bergen Community College’s Environmental Club began attending every board hearing for over a year. They held up signs, made posters and screened shirts, and one student, Nirva Singh, eventually received permission by the board members to give a speech on behalf of the students even though he wasn't a resident of West Orange.

Bergen Community College Students with Sally Mallanga

The residents living alongside the forest have been to the town zoning board hearings and have given proof and testimonies of the flooding that has been happening in and around their homes causing property damage. A woman named Mary testified that she fears her property value will “decrease because of the flooding that has been happening.” Clear cutting these trees will cause fast and damaging floods, said several residents who live on Prospect Ave. Seton Hall Prep understands that this will cause major flooding so it has proposed to replace the trees with large detention ditches. Neighbors have been experiencing water damage since 1999, when Seton Hall Prep promised to improve their water control, said a resident.

Residents of West Orange

One of the most memorable testimonies was from a resident who lived nearby the field that the students from Seton Hall prep currently use, a site that is only a 5-minute drive away from the old growth forest. The resident came into the room with a large zip-lock bag full of baseballs that have been flying onto his property from the practices and games. On one occasion, the baseball broke a window of theirs, and he is now afraid to let his 8-year-old daughter play in their yard.

Lawyer Kevin Mallanga and wife, Sally Mallanga, who took Seton Hall Prep to court for planning on taking away a vital ecosystem and brought Environmental Expert, Amy Greene, to show up to a couple of meetings. I attended most of these board hearings and heard Amy Greene’s testimony. She revealed that SHP failed in 13 ways in their application and excluded the identification of wetlands and the possibility of endangered species. When Amy Greene told this to the zoning board, they rudely questioned her about the time and day she entered the site and accused her of trespassing instead of addressing the legal issues she was there to inform them about.

Amy Green during her Testimony

Seton Hall Prep has been illegally clear cutting and developing without permits or plans such as cutting down a 300-year old White Oak tree in 2006 and in that same year dumping contaminated dump fill onto the forest ground, said several residents who have been observing SHP’s actions. In both cases the judge refused to fine SHP.

The Mallangas, both active members of the Sierra Club, also brought in Bruce Kershner. Kershner is a field ecologist who is also a national authority on old growth forests and took a survey of the 22 acres of trees. He identified the trees and expressed the historical and biological value of the forest. Board members attacked his testimony claiming that the use of the term “old growth forest” can not be used if he cannot tell the exact age of the trees. They repeatedly interrupted him during his testimony to ask him for credentials and if he had a background in studying and observing old growth forests. Kershner has studied old growth forests for over 30 years all over the country, but that did not seem like a sufficient enough background for the zoning board members.

Meetings went by and after hearing dozens and dozens of testimonies from townspeople, most of which seemed to be against the proposal, the zoning board members finally decided on a day to make a decision on whether to accept or deny Seton Hall Prep’s proposal. On decision day, the room was filled and people sat on the floor and in the aisles and there was a crowd of people outside in the hallways and in the stairwell anxiously awaiting their decision. All seven board members voted to approve the proposal. They claimed that they will not be responsible for depriving the students of their baseball and football fields and that athletic facilities aid with the students’ education. After the meeting, townspeople of West Orange gathered outside the town hall and some protested that a forest would be more suitable to educate students than a flat field of grass. The townspeople are not satisfied with this decision and neither are the Mallangas. Kevin Mallanga plans on appealing the case. One resident of the town, who did not want to reveal his identity said, “As long as Seton Hall Prep is tied up in court, they can’t cut down the trees.”

Students with Save Our Trees T-shirts.

Students with Lawyer and Sierra Club Member Kevin Mallanga

About the Author

Amanda Nesheiwat is a third year Environmental Science Major at Ramapo College of New Jersey. She is active in her community as the Chairman of the Environmental Committee in the town of Secaucus. She is passionate about building a community of strong leaders to educate the youth about environmental issues. She hopes to get her Masters in Environmental Engineering and to get involved with the United Nations where she feels she can make a difference.

Destroying our Oceans: Impact of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

2011-05-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

By John Clancey

The Earth is as a storm. Violently it crashes and trumpets along its trillion year journey. Like a wildfire burning on a California horizon, the Earth surrounds itself in tapestry of both beauty and terror. In essence our planet is a hospitable destroyer. It will deny life as easily as it fosters it. Often times life will simply die off, a casualty of the constant unseen equation of nature. Still, despite the changes our planet has seen, the existence of life has always remained firmly rooted. However, our modern age has threatened life with a new villain: pollutants.

Providing habitat for some of our planet’s most diverse life, the Pacific Ocean is invaluable as a natural resource. In recent years, however, the big blue has taken on something more than new marine life. Between the 30th and 35th latitudinal parallels, human pollution has assured the alteration of eco systems on a massive scale. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, or trash vortex, is that alteration.

An artificial reef made of toxic materials, the patch has acuminated an estimated 100million tons of waste. The new small continent of floating plastic has become a major concern for oceanologists the world over.

The exact size of the Great Pacific Garbage patch is not known. It is thought to be roughly anywhere from the size of the continental U.S to at least double the size of Texas. The reason for such huge discrepancies is the difficulty and process involved in obtaining that data. Sample sizes suggest that the patch is now anywhere from .41%to 8.1% of the entire Pacific Ocean, a startling estimate by any account. Additionally, there is no specific standard for determining the boundary between "normal" and "elevated" levels of pollutants assuring difficulty in providing a firm image of the affected area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:North_Pacific_Subtropical_Convergence_Zone.jpg

Map of The North Pacific Gyre

Unlike organic waste, plastic does not decompose. Instead it lingers, suffocating eco systems for hundreds of years. In the water, plastics undergo a process known as Photo graduation; the process where plastics disintegrate into smaller and smaller pieces down to a molecular level. At this point the material doesn’t go anywhere; it instead forms a toxic fog.

“Plastics state of matter is almost like a liquid,” stated Paul Hennery, organic chemistry major form Ramapo College of New Jersey. “Overtime it will just break down to that type of state.”

It is because the Great Pacific Garbage Patch exists in this state that it is impossible to view from satellite imagery. In fact, most pollution is near invisible to the naked eye. However, researchers have derived means in which to measure the level of plastics in an area by testing neaston, or tiny animals that dwell on the surface. Through these organisms it is possible to distinguish the concentration of plastics in the water.

In 1988 a paper was published by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) surrounding the conclusions of several Alaska based researchers. They found, after measuring the neustonic plastic levels between 1985 and 1988, that unusually high concentrations of marine debris had accumulated in regions governed by ocean currents. This thesis would be confirmed almost ten years later by Charles J. Moore as he passed through the patch firsthand.

Discovered in 1997, the trash vortex was created in the gyre of the North Pacific Subtropical Zone. A gyre, or ocean current, is defined as any large system of rotating water. Ocean Gyres move water in great circular patterns governing all oceanic currents. The North Pacific Gyre, located along the equator and considered the world’s largest eco system, has become infamous for its mass accumulation of trash and plastic. Slowly gathered by the drifting tides, the waste has collected into a giant shifting stew, ripe with choking poisons.

http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/July-2008/Getting-Trashed/DiverDiver

off the coast of Hawaii

Examples of toxins located into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch include:

Bispherol A (BPA)- a dangerous chemical considered a toxic substance in Canada. It is known to produce estrogen and can have adverse affects of people’s hormonal levels. It is banned as a material in the production of children’s baby bottles by both Canada and the European Union.

PCB- used for many applications, especially as dielectric fluids in transformers, capacitors, and coolants. These products were banned by the United States Congress in 1979 and by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in 2001.

Polystyrene- an extremely moldable compound used for most plastic products worldwide. It is highly toxic to marine life and cannot be broken down by any known bacteria.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Albatross_chick_plastic.jpg

Laysan Albatross killed after accidentally eating plastic

The effects of these maritime pollutants are wide spread to say the least. Once small enough, plastics can enter the food chain via the smaller organisms, thus contaminating animals higher up the ladder. Jellyfish absorb the plastics, which are then eaten by fish, which are then eaten by humans. This results in the ingestion of toxic chemicals. When eaten, some of these chemicals are mistaken by the endocrine system as estradiol, causing hormone disruption is whatever affected animal. Even after all this, evasive species can attach themselves to floating debris, providing them with free passage to venerable new eco systems.

It’s strange to think of the ocean as anything but the lifeblood of our planet. Unfortunately this is an out dated representation. The oceans of the modern world are no longer the crisp clear waters of yesteryear. Instead we are left with a modern man-made crisis that we may never see rectified in our lifetime.

For further information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch http://www.greatgarbagepatch.org/resources/ http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/oceans/pollution/trash-vortex/?MM_URL=http://oceans.greenpeace.org/en/our-oceans/pollution/trash-vortex

About the Author

John Clancey is a third year Communications Major at Ramapo College of New Jersey. His studies focus in writing and media evaluation. He aspires to become a professional writer of screen plays and short stories. Academically he focuses on Media, film, and short fiction.

New Jersey's Buzz on Colony Collapse Disorder

2011-05-06T07:17:00.000-07:00

Photo/TheCanaryReport.org

By Courtney Leiva

Beekeepers throughout the Garden State know there is something wrong. Some blame mites and pesticides but others are still puzzled as to what exactly is causing colony collapse disorder.

“I had beehives that were full of bees and produced a great honey crop, and two weeks later were empty,” says Joe Triemel, Corresponding Secretary at the Essex Co. Beekeepers.

Why all the buzz? Bees are very critical to agricultural practices.

According to the State of New Jersey Department of Agriculture, without a healthy honey bee population, successful fruit and vegetable production would greatly be at risk. There are over 10,000 bee colonies in the state which are valued at $250 per colony. These colonies are responsible for the production of nearly $200 million worth of fruits and vegetables annually.

What is colony collapse disorder?

Within the past few years, a mysterious virus called colony collapse disorder (CCD) has plagued colonies throughout the country. Researchers like Kevin Hackett and Dr. Nancy Ostiguy at Penn State University have been studying the potential causes of the disorder for quite some time now but have not been able to pinpoint a single cause.

“While scientists still don't have a smoking gun that points to the cause of CCD, we have learned some things. Research to date indicates that CCD is most likely to be a syndrome caused by a series of factors that work individually or in combination. But we really don’t even know if every case of CCD is caused by the same set of factors or, if it is the same set of factors, whether they always occur in the same order,” Kevin Hackett, Co-Chair of the Federal CCD Steering Committee said in an email.

New Jersey’s growing problem

New Jersey bee keepers have felt the effects of bee losses first hand.

From fall 2009 to winter 2010, the New Jersey Bee Keeper’s Association surveyed the losses of bees throughout the Garden State. According to the survey, approximately 35 per cent of bees were lost in this time span. Some of the deaths were linked to CCD.

“I personally lost all 8 colonies this past winter. Our losses in New Jersey are about 35 percent in 2010,” Barbara Hill, Secretary of the Northwest New Jersey Beekeepers Association, said in a email.

Potential causes of colony collapse disorder have ranged from pesticides, mites, climate change, and even international trade.

“There is a growing body of evidence that pesticides that are used in industrial agriculture and in suburban yards and parks will harm honey bees. In the 1970s, we began to eliminate many pesticides that caused honey bee colonies to die. These banned pesticides would immediately kill a colony that was exposed,” Dr. Nancy Ostiguy said in an interview.

“Today's pesticides do not kill bees quickly. Imidacloprid for example, interferes with a bee’s ability to learn. If a bee cannot learn from her sisters where the flowers are or if she is a scout bee and cannot learn to be able to tell her sisters where the flowers are that she found, then the colony will dwindle and die. Researchers have also found that some of these pesticides are made more toxic to honey bees when there are other pesticides present. So a chemical that we thought wasn't a problem for bees could be,” Ostiguy adds.

However, for Janet Katz, mites seem to be the issue plaguing her hives.

“I have been keeping bees in N.J. for about 20 years. I currently keep about 60 colonies in Morris, Somerset and Hunterdon Counties. I have not seen the affects of what has been termed 'CCD' in my hives. I have, however, had to deal with the introduction of tracheal mites, which our bees appear to have acclimated to, and the effects of pesticides and Varroa mites, which our bees have not become acclimated to,” Katz said in a email.

“Losses of colonies due to parasitizing by Varroa mites and/or starvation can run as high as 35 per cent or more” Janet Katz adds.

Mites are among the most suspected culprits causing CCD.

“When there are many mites in a colony and the virus levels are high, the colony will die in 1-2 months. This is the most frequent reason we see colonies die in the summer time and one of the most common reasons why colonies die in the wintertime,” Dr. Ostiguy says.

For beekeeper Joe Treimel, there is no other explanation but the disorder for all the losses.

“There is no explaining it, but for CCD. While it is being researched at the university level where departments of entomology exist, researchers have yet to come up with definitive answers. Researchers are currently narrowing it down to a virus found in nearly all of the collapsed colonies and certain pesticides produced by Beyer, which have been banned by the European Union. These pesticides can actually enter the plants through their roots and then exude their poison in nectar and pollen, which the bees collect and bring back to the hives,” Treimel says.

Winter death loss

But State Apiarist Tim Schuler attributes these startling losses to winter death loss.

“CCD is described as occurring during the brood rearing season. All of the sudden most of the adults have disappeared leaving only a hand full of nurse bees and queen in the hive alive. The brood nest becomes neglected, and pests such as wax moths and small hive beetles do not clean up the comb quickly,” Schuler says.

“I have not seen these symptoms in New Jersey. The biggest problem we have in N.J. is winter death loss. Winter death loss is not CCD. Most winter death loss in N.J. is attributed in my experience to beekeepers either not treating their bees for Varroa mites at the right time of year or not treating at all. Some winter death loss is attributed to starvation, and colonies having queen failures in the previous fall,” Schuler adds in an email.

Winter death loss has been a long standing issue for beekeepers, but now researchers have seen deaths continue into warmer months as well.

“We are losing over one third of our colonies every winter. Some beekeepers lose more and some beekeepers lose less. It doesn't seem to matter if the beekeeper is very experienced or very new at beekeeping. In additional to the winter losses of bees, we are losing a larger number of colonies during the portion of the year that is warmer. Researchers are still trying to figure out why but we have some ideas,” Ostiguy says.

Effects of Global Climate Change

Dr. Ostiguy’s research finds that global climate change has also taken a toll on bee populations.

“We know that spring is coming earlier and earlier but food availability may not be as reliable earlier in the year. If bees 'break cluster' too early they could freeze to death or consume too much of their stored food before they are able to collect more. Bees huddle together in the winter time for warmth. This is called clustering. When bees are clustered they vibrate their muscles shiver generate heat. When the weather warms up, they stop clustering,” Ostiguy finds.

“We have been having more frequent droughts too. The availability of pollen and nectar is reduced during droughts. Bees also need water; they use it to cool the hive and in the same way humans do in metabolism. During a drought it becomes hard to find necessary water,” Ostiguy adds.

Effects of International Trade

Even international trade has been labeled a threat to the bees, as imported honey bees from Australia have spread viruses to bee colonies to the United States.

“Believe it or not, international trade agreements are a problem. International trade agreements state that bees can be imported as long as the source country does not have any diseases or parasites that are not present in the importing country. When Australia began importing bees into the United States there were no known diseases or pests that present in Australian bees that we did not already have in the United States. Unfortunately, there was a disease (Israeli acute paralysis virus) that was present in Australian bee that we did not have in the United States,” Ostiguy says.

“The problem was that no one had discovered this virus before the imports began. Additionally, once we knew about the virus no one looked to see if it was present or absent in Australian or American bees. This is not necessarily anyone's fault because there is only so much money available for research and there were other problems that were more pressing at that time. This brings up an important point that we underfund research. It wasn't until a year ago that any money was provided to survey American honey bees to see what diseases and parasites are present in this country. Even though the survey has begun, it is badly underfunded,” Ostiguy adds.

The good news

However, the good news is that progress is being made to help alleviate this issue. Dr. Ostiguy states that bee losses due to colony collapse disorder have decreased.

“The current incidence rate of CCD is less than 0.5 per cent. While this is good news that CCD did not kill the colonies studied,” Ostiguy adds.

New research is also being conducted to further understand and reduce the problem.

“It is quite likely that we will be able to reduce the severity of diseases if we can reduce the mite levels in a colony. I and several other researchers are looking at this relationship. A number of researchers are looking at the impact of single pesticides and pesticides in combination on bee health. As we learn information researchers are working with the Environmental Protection Agency to revise the rules on pesticides to protect honey bees,” Ostiguy says.

You can help

Although honey bees still are very sick, Dr. Ostiguy feels that the public can still do their part to help out.

“The public can help in a number of ways. It’s important to purchase locally grown food, and support planned growth so we don't encroach on agricultural land near cities. Make sure you support regulations on the use of pesticides in parks, yards, and other pollinator friendly plants in your yard instead of pesticides,” she says.

About the Author

Courtney Leiva is a senior at Ramapo College of New Jersey. She is graduating in the fall of 2011 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts with a concentration in Journalism. Courtney is a freelancer with both Mahwah and Hopatcong Patch.com

After graduation, Courtney hopes to combine her love of fashion and the environment and write for an eco-fashion publication.

Experiential Journal: Mahwah Town-hall Meeting

2011-05-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

By Graig Mihok

Attending the Mahwah Town-Hall meeting on March, 31^st, 2011, was an interesting experience. The issue that had everyone, including myself, crammed into the municipal building's basement, was the proposition for zoning ordinances that would lead to the construction of a mall. This issue is of significance to me, not just because I am a Mahwah resident, but because you can see the proposed site of the mall, near the giant Sheraton building, from my backyard.

I had never been to a town meeting before so I was not sure about what to expect. I arrived to a packed parking lot and waited on a long, winding line, that started outside the building.The line continued down a number of hallways to a stair well, then finally to the basement, where town workers scrambled to set up podiums and microphones. The municipal building did not appear to be equipped for this meeting, but it was going to happen regardless.

It was interesting to see the contrast of how the public, town council members, and developers engaged each other regarding the issue at hand. The public used a more passionate voice, accompanied by occasional outburst. The Council looked, acted, and sounded like robots, which was and is to be expected from any one in their position. Strangely, the developers were a combination of both, trying their hardest to remain technical and professional. When the audience would call out during their presentation in protest, sometimes they would let their emotions seep into their words.

I sat in my uncomfortable chair for nearly four hours holding up my recorder at chest-level, praying the audio of the recorder would be audible enough to be useful. Going back and listening to the recordings, there are moments that still make me shake my head; the loud boos when the council refused the non-binding referendum, and when the vote for the first ordinance passed. You can still feel the energy of the room through the recordings.

One thing I took immediate note of was the difference in the age of the members of the public who decided to wait on line and speak. They ranged from high school students to senior citizens and most were incredibly passionate in their monologues. Even though much of what was said had ended up being repeated over and over again, it became clear what was on the people's minds. It got a bit tedious at times, hearing the same information repeated differently, but when you have so many people on a line stretching the length of large municipal building, it was understandable and expected.

One of the moments that stuck with me the most was the council member's motion to propose the first ordinance. It was heartbreaking listening to people scream about their lives being ruined by the people they voted in to represent them. I remember getting home around 1 am, feeling sick to my stomach about the council's vote that allowed the ordinances to pass with so many people around them in protest.

When I reflect on this meeting, I still have no idea about what any of this really means. In a few years, will there be a mall in view from my backyard? Perhaps something will happen and this whole project with come to a halt, or be delayed for years, then wither and fade away. It was funny, and somewhat horrifying learning from class assignments this semester that the area my brothers, cousins, and friends and I had all called a playground was a toxic dumping site and might eventually become the grounds of a shopping mall. I am usually the type of person that always would rather know something than to be ignorant of it; but I have to admit, some of these findings have me questioning this logic.

Climate Change: A Complex Issue with Clashing Points of View

2011-05-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

By Lindsey de Stefan

Climate change, or global warming as it is often referred to, has been a hot button issue in recent years. It has dominated the environmental arena, and has even played a role in the political spectrum, as Democrats and Republicans hold very different ideas about the phenomenon. There is a lot of conflicting information about this so-called global warming and the process of weeding through all of it to separate fact from fiction can seem overwhelming. The truth of the matter is, depending upon who you ask, you will likely get a very different interpretation of climate change, its causes, its effects, and what it ultimately means for you and me.

But there is a way to find your way through the maze of information and emerge a more knowledgeable and informed person on the other side. There is no need to get bogged in all the conflicting ideas because everything you need to know about global warming is right here.

What is global warming?

Global warming is just what it sounds like: the increase in the Earth’s average temperature in the near-surface air and water. According to the National Wildlife Federation (NFW), the average temperature of the planet has increased 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1900. At first consideration, this seems to be a relatively small number. If the temperature outside went up a mere 1.5 degrees right now, would anyone really notice? Probably not. For that reason, it doesn’t seem so scary. But the truth of the matter is, as the NFW is quick to point out, for the planet we call home, an increase of this magnitude, however small it may seem to us, is actually a very big deal. With polar ice caps melting and sea levels rising as a result, the impact on planet Earth may actually be tremendous.

What causes it?

The causes of the increase in the Earth’s temperature have long been debated. Many believe that humans and their vast carbon footprint on the planet are to blame. Others maintain that Earth goes through cycles constantly and that this is just a new stage in yet another climate change sequence. After all, some 20,000 years ago, the Earth was in the middle of a glacial age, long before the carbon-emitting technology that’s believed to be causing today’s change.

The fact of the matter is, global warming is likely caused by a combination of these two things. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirms that humans are increasing the emission of greenhouse gases, which are gases that trap heat. This makes perfect sense, even to the average Joe. We emit gases into the atmosphere that trap heat. Therefore, the temperature of our planet rises. Since the level of greenhouse gases is at an all time high, a rapid acceleration of the planet’s warming is also logical.

But we cannot forget about the Earth’s history of a drastically changing climate. National Geographic explains that the average global temperature, as well as concentrations of carbon dioxide, have both fluctuated in a cycle of hundreds of thousands of years as the Earth’s position relative to the sun has continued to change. For this reason, though it cannot necessarily be proven, we can assume that, eventually, the climate would change on its own in one direction or another regardless of human impact. But there is a good chance that our impact is speeding up the process.

How does it affect our planet?

We’ve all heard the startling claims: temperatures increasing, glaciers melting, sea levels rising at an astounding rate. And global warming is the clear culprit. Indeed, these are the impacts of an increase of the Earth’s average temperature. And these are scary things that have repercussions for all living things, big and small, that call this third planet from the sun their home.

The list of impacts caused by the changing of the Earth’s climate is interminable. It can be detected in ecological, natural, and social systems throughout the planet as wildlife and animal life, including human beings, struggle to adapt. As an example,] look at polar bears, who reside in the Arctic Ocean. As their habitat is destroyed by the melting of sea ice upon which they depend for hunting, mating, and a host of other things, polar bears will be unable to survive. And they are just one of a countless list of species that will suffer in such a way.

How can we help?

Our planet is considered by many to be in a fragile environmental state and in danger. Those who believe that global warming is entirely caused by human beings believe that we can make a difference in halting its impact. Those who attribute the increase in temperature to the Earth’s regular climate shifts are much more skeptical.

The truth of the matter is, neither party can be proven right. It is for each individual to decide what they believe to be true. And if one decides that humans are the major culprits in the global warming issue, or if one believes that they are speeding up the temperature change, then there are certainly things to be done.

Many strides have been made to create a host of eco-friendly products and services, from all-electric cars that have zero carbon emissions to wind farming. There are “green” alternatives everywhere one looks that are designed to reduce the human species’ carbon footprint on the planet. And whether or not one believes that these things will stop global warming, or even slow down its progression, they do have other benefits. They provide us with cleaner air and water and an overall healthier environment in which to live.

Now what?

Climate change, or global warming, is certainly a very complex issue with a myriad of facts, data, and evidence from a host of different organizations to take into account. But these are the bare-bone facts of the situation. There is evidence to support hundreds of thousands of years of constantly changing climate situations on our planet. But there is also hard proof that humans have, if nothing else, sped the process up a significant amount. It is really up to each citizen of the planet Earth to make their own decision about climate change and make their day-to-day choices accordingly.

For further information:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-overview.html

About the Author

Lindsey de Stefan is a senior at Ramapo College of New Jersey. She is graduating in May with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts with a concentration in Journalism. After graduation, Lindsey hopes to pursue a career as a television reporter or a contributor at a magazine.

A Changed Mahwah

2011-05-06T05:32:00.000-07:00

By Graig Mihok

On the evening of March 31st, 2011, the first steps were taken in the construction of a big shopping mall in Mahwah on the former Ford assembly plant site at the intersection of Routes 17 and 287. This occurred at the Township of Mahwah municipal building, where the Township Council voted on and passed three ordinances in front of an audience of over 400 concerned local residents. The first ordinance was for zoning purposes. The second pertained to the security that would be necessary for the site, while the third involved the formation of a fund that would eventuate from fees paid by the site's businesses.

The crowd concerned about the controversial ordinances filled the basement of the municipal building. When the floor was open to the public, everything from emotional rants to passionate, informative speeches were directed at council members and those who represented the developers. Residents voiced their concerns on issues like the creation of potential traffic for highway and town roads; environmental consequences related to the pollution of drinking water and flooding; the eventual change in the landscape of Mahwah and decrease in real estate value around the mall; and the eventual rise in crime in and around developed areas.

A motion was made for a non-binding referendum by the voters on the mall plan that was quickly denied when the council members split in a 3-3 vote. Council President John Roth turned it down saying the public did not know enough about it to vote. The council then allowed the developers to begin an informative presentation designed to gain credibility and win favor from attending residents.

Although they asked for only five to ten minutes, the developers put together a moderately long presentation covering many issues of concern to the residents in attendance. Attorney James Jaworski began the presentation by talking about the proposed 600,000 square feet of retail space, accompanied by another 150,000 square feet of space designated for a hotel, office, theater, and big box stores. This total of 750,000 square feet of space was reduced from an earlier plan where 900,000 square feet was the proposed total space.

The developers made it clear that they were unhappy with the comparisons their mall was getting, specifically in regards to the Paramus Park Mall. While Paramus is a popular shopping spot and social area, it is often associated with traffic congestion further south on Rt. 17 and therefore, some level of discomfort, and to many Mahwah residents serves as a place people would like to visit but not call home. The developers clearly were trying to distance themselves from any association with Paramus, and despite the fact that Paramus Park Mall is approximately 750,000 square feet of space, the same size as the developer's proposed mall plan, they went out of their way to make their message clear: that this was not going to be a recreation of the Paramus Park Mall in Mahwah.

Jaworski told the audience and council members that the developers would guarantee a little more than $4 million for road improvements for Mahwah Township to be made in the future due to the developer's obligation. He also mentioned that the developers had already spent $4 million to acquire forty acres along the Ramapo River so that they would be able to dedicate twenty acres to the municipality to leave it in its natural state.

Then they turned to one of issues that has received the most attention, traffic. A memorandum written by Mahwah Chief of Police James Batelli was read, indicating that he had approved of all of the developers traffic plans. Jaworski quoted Batelli, “With respect to traffic issues, the traffic pattern with the complex allows for an acceptable flow of traffic in and around the various parking lots.” He continued, “With respect to traffic on Route 17, I believe there is ample roadway to queue cars waiting to park.”

At the podium, Joseph Burgess addressed the developer's desire to preserve the environmentally sensitive features of the site as outlined in the town's master plan. Burgess claimed that this was done in terms of the preservation of the Ramapo River corridor behind the site.

The developer's presentation was being received fairly by most of the audience, when Jaworski hit a sour note by ridiculing a petition that local residents has made in protest of the proposed mall. He questioned the credibility and potency of the petition by claiming that it only made 483 signatures out of its goal of 5000, and that there were over a hundred names not displayed. He also caught the ire of Councilwoman Lisa DiGuilio by trying to discredit the petition by mentioning some of the locales of those who signed the petition, like Ohio, California, The Netherlands, Spain, and Croatia.

Floor opens to the public

Nearly an hour into the meeting the floor was opened up to the public where a line formed that extended almost to the far rear basement wall. The main points of interest that were discussed over the next three and a half hours were traffic and flooding; meanwhile, others chimed in about the likely possibility of the decrease in the value of homes and real estate, the noise that would be generated by big box stores, concern for success of local businesses, and the potential to increase danger on highways and town roads.

Jeff Genser, a Suffern native, pleaded to the council about flood issues. He stated, “You're proposing to eliminate 100 acres of flood plain, and turn it from a pervious area to an impervious. And that is unacceptable, in my opinion.” He went on to propose his own idea for what could be built on the flood plain next to the Ramapo River, a Vertical Farm. “A building could be constructed that could supply food to half of Bergen County...use all the water it comes into [from the river], over and over again, and have no pollution and environmental impact.” The idea seemed to stir no interest by the council.

Many individuals mentioned how the mall would impact the surrounding community. Some were frustrated over the idea of Stag Hill residents being stranded in an emergency situation, being that the only access road to their community would become a constant point of traffic and congestion. Retired resident Ron Whalberg asked the council, “At what point do we stop endangering future generations?”

The council votes pro-mall

Almost four hours into the meeting, the council motioned to vote on the proposed ordinances. The first vote passed 4 to 2, while hundreds of boos and emotional outcries of disgust were directed towards the ekected officials. Members of the crowd screamed lines like “you're ruining our lives” and “we don't count.” The meeting deteriorated into a hive noise that lasted around fifteen minutes despite council members trying to bring about order.

Eventually, motions were called and the vote on the remaining two ordinances passed as the room started to thin out and disgruntled residents made their way home. Many people were already talking about the mall as if it already had been built and there was nothing that could be done. All the implications of potential consequences raised by the concerned residents would fall on deaf ears that night. The future of Mahwah is still uncertain as the ordinances that were passed did not pertain to the construction of any building; the voting on the next phase of development has not been given any time table yet.

Concept art for a Vertical Farm from:
http://www.treehugger.com

About the Author

Graig Mihok is a Communication Arts major with a concentration in writing. He aspires to be a creative writer of short stories, poems, and songs. His academic experience includes journalism, film, fiction, and music.

War After the War: The Environmental Assault of Agent Orange

2011-05-05T23:37:00.000-07:00

Photo/ThanhnienNews.com

by Dan Savino

The war in Vietnam was unlike any other military conflict in U.S. history. The thick, expansive forest and thriving vegetation consumed all lines of sight, making it almost impossible to spot enemies. The Americans resorted to showering the entire war zone with Agent Orange, a plant-killing, toxic blend of chemicals that fell like rain from 1962 to 1971.

During the Cold War, American efforts to thwart the spread of communism led the United States into almost 20 straight years tirelessly fighting a seemingly unwinnable war. It wasn’t until April 30, 1975 that the U.S. finally pulled out of Vietnam, as the North Vietnamese captured Saigon. To this day, Vietnam veterans continue a fight for their lives against serious illnesses and conditions associated with exposure to Agent Orange. Nearly 1.5 million U.S. troops served during the heaviest period of spraying efforts.

“Vietnam veterans continue to suffer and die from the effects of Agent Orange and other toxic chemicals to which they were exposed in Southeast Asia,” explains Fred A. Wilcox in a recent interview.

Wilcox, a professor at Ithaca College, is the author of Waiting for an Army to Die: The Tragedy of Agent Orange, the first book ever written on the subject, including stories from Veterans denied coverage despite their illnesses directly related to dioxin poison. He refers to Agent Orange as a “weapon of mass destruction.”

Beginning in 1962, the U.S. military unleashed a nine-year long, assault known as Operation Ranch Hand, which aimed to “defoliate forested and rural land, depriving guerillas of cover,” while also eliminating food supply and rural shelter, forcing enemy forces into cities dominated by the United States. The Vietcong used guerilla warfare to compensate for their lack of technology and military capacity, using the natural landscape to ambush U.S. forces on the ground.

According to the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA), military aircraft sprayed more than 19 million gallons of chemical herbicides and defoliants in Vietnam, eastern Laos and even parts of Cambodia. The most widely used combination of herbicides was known as Agent Orange, named after the orange-striped barrels that contained it.

“Our environment is inundated with toxic chemicals like dioxin,” states Wilcox with a strong sense of urgency. “The same chemical companies that profited from Agent Orange continue to poison our air, food, and water supplies.”

Health Risks and Birth Defects
Exposure to dioxin, a particularly fatal component in Agent Orange, occurs by simply breathing these chemicals in, ingesting contaminated food or drink or absorbing them through the skin or eyes. Organizations such as the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science and the VA’s Environmental Epidemiology Service have confirmed a positive correlation between Agent Orange exposure and increased risk of many life-threatening diseases and birth defects. The most common conditions for exposed veterans are prostate and respiratory cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. The list also includes forms of Leukemia, Parkinson’s and Hodgkin’s disease, Soft Tissue Sarcoma and many more.

Exposed veterans can pass on birth defects to their children as an added danger associated with Agent Orange. One of the most common defects is Spina Bifida, as well as deformities like cleft lip and palate, congenital heart disease, clubfoot, hip dysplasia and others. In 2000, Dr. Han Kang of VA’s Environmental Epidemiology Service published a study finding that the risk of birth defects was “significantly associated with the mother’s military service in Vietnam.” In 1991, the U.S. Congress put forth the Agent Orange Act, which gave the VA authority to determine the qualifications associated with individual compensation and also to determine which diseases are included under coverage.

photo/mindfully.org

The VA Compensates Exposed Vietnam Veterans
Starting in 1978, the U.S. government offered disability compensation and health care benefits to Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Candidates must file claims and be approved for coverage by the VA. The Environmental Agents Service produces a newsletter called the “Agent Orange Review,” to provide Agent Orange information and related resources to veterans, their families, and anyone with concerns about the herbicides used during the Vietnam War.

According to the National Veteran Organization Inc., a VA study concluded that the average time to process and receive a response on a claim is 139 days. If a veteran is denied compensation it is said to take “an average of 1,160 days to receive a final decision,” before a veteran can even appeal a denial. They pledged in 2010 to start a new initiative to “fast track” claims processing. This coming after members of Veterans for Constitutional Law asserted that, “records from 1970 to 1992 showed that the VA only approved 4 percent of claims.”

Regardless of the small percentage of compensated veterans, it still cost the VA $28.6 billion in 2005 to fulfill compensation obligations. This number increased 71 percent in 2011, costing the VA $48.8 billion. In 2008, the VA extended coverage to those who handled Agent Orange outside of Vietnam, where Agent Orange was stored and shipped out. Two years prior, the VA decided to add heart disease to its list of compensated diseases associated with exposure to herbicides. There are an estimated 349,000 individuals receiving Agent Orange disability benefits and this number is now expected to increase to 500,000.

“Whatever the VA is doing for veterans is too little, too late,” explains Wilcox. “The government must compensate all victims of Agent Orange.”

Wilcox is currently working on a new book on Agent Orange’s devastating effects on the Vietnamese people. The Vietnam Red Cross estimates up to 3 million Vietnamese children and adults as having suffered health problems related to Agent Orange exposure. According to Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 people being killed or maimed, and 500,000 children born with birth defects.

A 2004 lawsuit by a victim’s rights group called the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, charged chemical companies like Dow Chemical and Monsanto with liability in causing personal injury to those exposed to their chemicals. However, the lawsuit was denied in a federal District Court. It was ruled that Agent Orange was not considered a poison under international law.

A recent study by the Canadian environmental firm, Hatfield Consultants, found dioxin levels in the blood of many Vietnamese citizens. They also found dioxin levels present in “soil, sediment and fish,” at levels 300 to 400 times above international standards. They reported an estimated 100,000 people still at risk for exposure to dioxin, resulting in potential health risks. A joint panel of U.S. and Vietnamese policymakers, scientists and citizens recently released a plan to clean up contaminated sites gradually over a 10-year period, urging the U.S. government to dedicate $30 million a year to “restore damaged ecosystems and clean up contaminated sites.” Efforts by the U.S. government however, have been relatively meager and limited only to approved U.S. veterans.

Blue Water Veterans Caught in a Loophole
There were a number of Vietnam veterans who served as part of the Navy or Coast Guard during the war, providing support for ground troops in the field of battle. Although these veterans did not spend time on dry land, they were still subject to Agent Orange exposure. The Institute of Medicine has promised to release the findings of a current study to determine a correlation between those who served offshore and diseases from such chemical exposure.

A January 2009 decision by the Supreme Court extended the policy that a Vietnam veteran must have served on land or inland waterways to receive compensation from exposure. This “boots on the ground” requirement has served to deny veterans of the “Blue Water” Navy and Coast Guard service compensation and benefits to treat life-threatening illnesses.

In a 2008 article on the ABC11 website in Raleigh, NC, called, “Loophole Frustrates Veterans,” Steve Daniels reported that the federal government estimated that more than 400,000 veterans were dying from illnesses related to Agent Orange.

Among the veterans interviewed for that report was Harry Spencer, a member of the “Blue Water” Navy who served on a ship right off the Vietnam coast of shorelines sprayed with Agent Orange. He is currently seriously ill, suffering from a deadly form of cancer called Chronic Empyhsemic Leukemia, which has been linked to Agent Orange and dioxin exposure.

"It's like getting a knife, in your heart. I mean I gave the Navy ten years of my life. And now they just, basically say that I don't exist anymore," said Spencer during the interview.

photo/southernstudies.org

"Waiting for an Army to Die"
Wilcox accuses the government of waiting for an army to die, just as he titled his 1983 book. He believes there is no way to truly compensate for the damage done to every exposed veteran’s life cut short and the lives of their children as well.

“There is very little anyone can do now to prevent veterans from getting ill and dying prematurely from exposure to Agent Orange,” said Wilcox. “Chemicals like dioxin can wait 10, 20, or more years before they begin to undermine the immune system.”

Back in 1980, the state of New Jersey created its own commission to study the effects of Agent Orange exposure on veterans. Paul Sutton is a former director of the commission whose work was cut short by Governor Christie Todd Whitman in the early 1990s. The studies served to compare the dioxin levels in veterans exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam with those who did not serve in Vietnam. The results were published in 1988 in the Journal of the American Medical Association but never truly utilized.

The herbicides that constituted Agent Orange were even used on national forests within the U.S. until 1978 when the Environmental Protection Agency stepped in. Spraying of the forests was suspended after reports of, “a threefold increase in miscarriages in women living near forests that had been sprayed.”

“There is no happy ending to this story,” concludes Wilcox. “It’s far too late to give our veterans the kind of welcome we should have given them thirty-five years ago.”

It is a race against time for a fading era of American heroes who served their country and feel they were poisoned by their government. It is a race against time for the Vietnamese people suffering from health conditions and birth defects. The U.S. government is left with a choice. It can accept responsibility and dedicate itself to all who suffered from the Agent Orange spraying campaigns, or it can wait for the end of an era. It can hope for the best that history will forget. The natural environment and the lives it gracefully sustains are in serious danger.

For Agent Orange investigator Fred Wilcox, justice is yet to be done. “The government can start by saying sorry,” he said.

About the Author

Daniel Savino is a student of Communication Arts, concentrating in print journalism. He is a passionate writer focused on utilizing his diverse skills, experiences and talents within various media outlets in the professional world to inform readers and expose truths through writing.

Genetically Modified Food: What Does it Mean for You and Your Kitchen?

2011-05-05T21:50:00.000-07:00

By Lorraine Metz

Genetically modified foods, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, are “food from crops whose genes have been scientifically changed.” According to CBC.ca, genetically modified foods were first introduced in 1994 with a tomato nicknamed the Flavr Savr. Since then, more GM foods have been produced, most popular include GM soybeans, GM corn and GM canola. According to Truefoodnow.org, it has been estimated that over 70 percent of processed foods at the supermarket contain GM ingredients. Additionally, up to 85 percent of corn and 91 percent of soybeans grown in the U.S. are genetically engineered. The popularity of GM crops and food has become more evident in recent years, but how will it affect you?

Flavr Savr tomatoes were introduced in ’94. PHOTO/California Agriculture

The controversy surrounding this subject is reason enough to find out more about these genetic alterations. Advocates for GM foods contend that this new product can help the starving and conquer malnutrition.

The World Health Organization states that, “the initial objective for developing plants based on GM organisms was to improve crop protection. The GM crops currently on the market are mainly aimed at an increased level of crop protection through the introduction of resistance against plant diseases caused by insects or viruses or through increased tolerance towards herbicides.

Peter Pringle, author of “Food, Inc.” noted, “A decade ago, two European biotech plan researches found a way to insert a daffodil gender into a rice plant…The new rice grains contained beta-carotene. In humans, it becomes the essential nutrient known as vitamin A. And lack of vitamin A causes death and blindness in millions of undernourished people in Asia and Africa where rice is a staple food. In theory,the golden rice with beta-carotene could save millions of lives.

Genetically modified ‘golden rice’ PHOTO/BBC News

Despite our advances in technology and science, a growing population of critics disagrees with this theory. The documentary “Genetically Modified Food: Panacea or Poison?” references a GM product that had disastrous effects in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. A Japanese company created a tryptophan food supplement using genetically engineered bacteria which was toxic and not only permanently disabled, but also killed 37 people. Although it has been years since this incident, it has left many consumers wary.

The documentary also described how traditionally, plants were crossbred by means of splicing and cross pollination. These plants were only able to develop as long as they were of the same species. Now, scientists are using advanced technology to obtain DNA from cells of animals and humans to produce and distribute super foods. Although these new breeds of crops are now stronger and suitable for growth in numerous situations, the genes used in the process of creating the seeds have some people confused.

The short film “Contaminated: The New Science of Food” reveals some of the unusual combinations of plants and animal genes. Strawberries are now infused with genes from the Arctic Char, a fish that is capable of being in freezing waters without getting frost bite. It is for this reason that the strawberries are given this gene. Other combinations include moth genes being fused with potatoes, flounder with tomatoes and firefly with corn. Aside from the seemingly odd pairings of plants and animals, the main point of concern is potential health reactions that may occur.

Some consumers may discover new allergic reactions to foods. For example, a person allergic to fish may have adverse reactions from GM strawberries. “GMF: Panacea or Poison?” voiced their worry that allergenic affects may show up in our food supply indefinitely. This comment was linked to an incident that happened with a GM crop called Starlink corn. This crop was fused with a pesticide known as Bacillus Thuringiensis, BT, and was capable of killing pests. Starlink corn reportedly was able to kill monarch butterflies.

In 2000, there were 340,908 acres of this GM crop that were grown for animal food. It had not yet been approved for human consumption due to allergenic issues. Despite the lack of approval for human consumption, Starlink corn found its way into products made by Kraft, Taco Bell and over 300 other brands that are available in U.S. supermarkets. Although there was a recall, including Kraft who took back 2.5 million boxes of tacos, scientists and activists alike are worried that the Starlink corn contaminated not just those specific food items, but also the trucks and machines that helped to plow and transport, as well as the factories that produced the food.

The controversy over GM foods doesn’t end there. Besides the health risks posed by the consumption of GM food, many critics accuse large corporations of monopolizing seeds and using their patents recklessly. This side of the argument doesn’t believe these GM manufacturers are producing GM products for the right reason. The film, “Contaminated: The New Science of Food” listed five main companies- Monsanto, DuPont, Dow, Sungenta and Aventis- as controlling 85% GM seed patents.

Monsanto, an agricultural company, had the best selling herbicide, Roundup, in the world during the 1990s. The company decided to create herbicide-tolerant crops to accompany their own herbicide. Monsanto presents information on their website to explain reasons for why they patented their seeds, the main point being that it is man-made. The website also discusses the terms for which their product is used, including a contract that farmers sign each year to agree to purchase seeds and pay a technology fee. Each year the contract has to be reestablished and no seeds can be kept or developed by the farmers themselves.

Due to such strict contracts, farmers and citizens alike are aggravated at the control that Monsanto and other large agricultural companies have. Vandana Shiva, a physicist, eco-feminist and author, spoke out in an interview with The Progressive, to convey her strong opinions against Monsanto.

Vandana Shiva protesting for farmer’s rights. PHOTO/Flickr

Shiva said, “Monsanto’s use of GMOs is an attempt to establish a dictatorship over our food system and our seed system—and not just in India. In the United States, most farmers don’t have a choice. They have to buy GMOs. We need to think very deeply about reclaiming our seed sovereignty and reestablishing food democracy. It’s probably the most important political challenge facing any society anywhere in the world today.”

A substantial portion of the population seems to disagree with the production of GM foods. Saynotogmos.org, a group dedicated to spreading awareness of the problems of Genetically Modified Organisms, prides itself on its strong arguments against GMOs. A few of their arguments include that “GM crops do not increase yield potential” and that GM foods have not been shown to be safe to eat. They claim that “genetic modification is a crude and imprecise way of incorporating foreign genetic material into crops, with unpredictable consequences.” They also go on to argue that “Only one study has been published on the direct effects on humans of eating a GM food. It found unexpected effects on gut bacteria, but was never followed up.” With the insertions of bacteria, viruses and genes into completely different organisms, it does seem probable that it is not completely safe.

When asked via e-mail of the pros and cons to GM foods, Say No To GMOs replied, “The biggest pro is to the bottom line of the corporations that are creating these mutant plants and the chemicals used with them. There is also a big pro to politicians who rely on campaign contributions from these corporations. Industrial mono-crop farmers who would rather dominate nature than work with it love this stuff. There is also a pro for corporations that patented seed stock is now concentrated in very few hands giving them great power over the world's food supply. There is absolutely no benefit to consumers or the environment from this stuff.”

With activists strongly objecting to GM foods, we turn to everyday Americans to find out their reactions. According to the documentary “GMF: Panacea or Poison?”, 80 percent of Americans said they want their food to be labeled. Currently the U.S. unlike other countries including the European Union, does not mandate that GM food needs to be labeled. With the increase of awareness about genetic alterations, more consumers are making organic foods popular. Healthy food stores, including the chain Whole Foods, doing a good business. Farmer’s markets are also on the rise, popping up in even the smallest of towns.

Alstede Farms shows off their new line of organic produce. PHOTO/ Lorraine Metz

Last Fall in Haworth, NJ, Alstede Farms’ began offering organic food. “It’s important that we begin to sell organic food,” says Alstede Farms’ employee Linda Kristianova, “People are very interested in organics and have been asking us if we are organic; that’s what they want to buy.”

“Whole Foods takes a lot of pride in providing organic products because of personal belief. We think it’s a great way to be healthy and to help live sustainably. A lot of people are learning to eat healthy, like incorporating more greens into their diet. Most customers come to Whole Foods knowing what they’re looking for,” says Whole Foods Market of Paramus employee Lennin Medina.

Consumers seem to be paying attention to what they eat more and more. It is too soon to prove whether GM seeds, crops and foods will hurt or help us, but staying informed and questioning claims for will help to insure our safety. Big corporations own the rights to a very crucial part of the food chain. Urging others to ask questions, voice opinions and challenge tests is incredibly important. Food and its nutrients are what help us survive. As consumers and as humans we have the right to take control over the products we use daily.

About the Author

Lorraine Metz attends Ramapo College of New Jersey where she studies Communication Arts with a concentration in journalism. She enjoys creative writing, especially poetry, and hopes to have a career that allows her to write.

Experiential Journal: Taking a Closer Look at Our Foods

2011-05-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

By Lorraine Metz

In order to complete the experiential component for this class, I decided to learn more about an environmental issue that I find most appealing. In recent years I’ve become more educated on the food choices I make daily and the results and consequences that it brings. After reading “Food Inc.”, a companion guide to the documentary, I was horrified at the way we raise not only our livestock, but also our crops. I continued researching the possible consequences of food, including crops and products that are genetically altered. After getting a new job, keeping up with studies and other demands, I was researching less and less. This semester, with an opportunity to explore environmental and health issues, I decided to continue my research. While I had read numerous books on the subject, and seen a movie or two, it only seemed logical to view more films that could condense statistics and information on the subject in a simple but effective manner.

One of the films I watched this semester was a documentary called “Genetically Modified Food: Panacea or Poison?” Directed by Josh Shore, this movie was released in 2005. Although I’m watching it a few years late, the information and controversy are still just as pertinent today. Facts and statistics were plenty thanks to an array of speakers that ranged from politicians, FDA representatives, activists, farmers and scientists. While I had basic knowledge on the subject, questions were raised that had me hooked and concerned.

Genetic modification of DNA for food came with the idea that by cross-breeding plants, they could survive in various climates and situations. In the 1970’s, the U.S. agricultural company, Monsanto, developed and sold a herbicide called Roundup. Being the world-wide seller of herbicide since 1980, Monsanto took to bioengineering and created genetically modified crops including soybeans. Monsanto was not the only company experimenting with GM crops, but they are now the most popular and own patents to seeds that will produce crops resistant to Roundup.

Controversial debates on this topic are numerous. People around the world are suspicious of the GM foods on their supermarket shelves and the consequences that it might have on their health. Studies on the subject are scarce and despite any results from tests, there has been confusion about the honesty of the results. While U.S. regulators such as the Food and Drug Administration have stated that there are no known health risks, FDA documents as well as some FDA scientist have revealed their concerns on this issue.

Monsanto, one of the largest and more aggressive owners of seed patents, argues that GM crops will help the world to overcome food issues such as starvation and malnutrition. By adding useful genes into a certain crop, they can not only become resistant to poor weather and pests, but can become more nutritious for those in need. While I had heard this argument before, I was surprised to hear a new response from the GM food opposition. A canola farmer, Percy Schmeiser, explained his story through this documentary. As a farmer in Canada for 53 years, not only has he dealt with Monsanto in court when sued for infringement but he has also countersued for their pollution of his crops. He also explains that other canola farmers are hurting, but for a different reason. GM foods are regulated differently in places like Europe, Russia and South Korea, and Canadian farmers lost 25% due to Europe’s tighter regulation of the product.

As consumers, it’s our responsibility to take a close look at the foods we’re buying. If a product is purchased, it will continue to be produced. With the increased knowledge of this topic I am angered yet excited to start making smart choices that could benefit me, my family and even those around me. Besides watching this documentary and viewing some short videos, I’ve also been expanding my research through books and online media. My final article, which is also on the topic, has been expanded and edited to include the new information and I’m certain that the safety and health of our food will constantly be on my mind. This experience outside the classroom has provided me with an abundance of information as well as the momentum to start making changes and educate those around me.

As a final note, the documentary also mentioned some topics that had been referenced in class. It mentioned that Monsanto produced Agent Orange and was one of the major chemical companies that had contracts with the U.S. government for use during the Vietnam War. DuPont’s toxic legacy was also discussed in class, mentioning the destructive effects of contamination in the Pompton Lakes area. I was unaware until the film that DuPont, like Monsanto, held patents to seeds. After learning about previous mistakes that the company had made, discovering that they hold the patents on genetically altered seeds made me even more concerned about the possible health risks these large corporations may be taking. With a reputation for mistakes that have killed and hurt in the past, it’s necessary to question the intentions and statements presented by these companies.

Dumont Arbor Day Celebration on April 30

2011-05-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 15, 2011

Contact:
Lorraine Metz
lmetz@ramapo.edu

Dumont Arbor Day Celebration on April 30

Dumont, NJ- Residents of this Bergen County community have been taking initiative in making sure that their town is being environmentally smart. Although small, suburban and at a close proximity to New York City, the people of Dumont are making sure that the town is heavily populated by trees.

The first Dumont Arbor Day Celebration took place in April 2006 when a red oak was planted at the Dixon Homestead Memorial Library. This year, the Dumont Arbor Day Celebration will take place on April 30, 2011 at the Dumont Shade Tree Arboretum on West Shore Avenue between 1 and 3 pm.

All Dumont citizens are invited to come out and celebrate. Festivities include an art, poetry and photography contest where applicants can creatively tell the viewers what they love about trees. All contestants receive a Dumont Arbor Day T-shirt, a certificate and a baby evergreen tree. One winner from each category will receive a prize and all applicants will have their art on exhibit at the town library for a month. Residents may purchase a T-shirt in celebration of the day to help benefit the Dumont Shade Tree Commission.

At the Shade Tree Arboretum, attendees will learn about New Jersey’s watersheds from a Watershed Ambassador and the roles that the trees have in keeping their drinking water clean. Also discussed at this event will be the development projects for 2011. According to dumontshadetree.org, after receiving two grants for tree planting, soils, a flagpole and signage, Dumont will prepare for a number of positive additions to the town including a brick walkway from Madison Ave that will be nestled between trees in an effort to spruce up the more commercial area. There are also plans for a gazebo to be built for the arboretum and the education events it holds, as well as gardening around the town near trees and shrubs as well as the arboretum walk and the parking areas.

For further information and contestant entry:

http://www.dumontshadetree.org/PDF/2011FunFlyer_Arboretum.pdf

http://www.dumontshadetree.org/PDF/2011ContestFlyer2p.pdf

To Drill or Not to Drill? Offshore Oil Drilling and How it Can Affect You

2011-05-05T16:51:00.001-07:00

By Brittany Shann

It has been no secret that gas prices are unstoppably on the rise. In fact, they’ve consecutively gone up each week for the past five weeks. In our rough economy, it gets hard to shell out fifty bucks a week (if not more) to fill our gas tanks. What’s worse, there’s seemingly nothing we can do about it. There are no coupons or discounts and you certainly can’t find any clearance racks at gas stations. So what are our options? What direction do we turn?

Offshore oil drilling seems to be the most common answer to those questions. People are calling on President Obama to “drill, baby, drill” and stop depending on the Middle East for our resources. In a time of economic crisis, it seems as though we will make environmental sacrifices in order to keep a few bucks in our pockets. Desperate times call for desperate measures, some will say. But will offshore oil drilling really lower gas prices? And what types of consequences are we looking at?

The creation of jobs is a common defense of drilling. Getting rid of our dependence on foreign oil is another. Some advocate the use of alternative energy sources (like electric cars) in order to stop using oil altogether. These issues will be addressed throughout this article, but the ultimate question only concerns easing the pain of the pump – will drilling save us money?

Job Creation: Will Drilling Give Americans More Jobs?

Those in favor of offshore drilling often say that jobs will be created if we were to go through with this.

The American Energy Alliance, an affiliate of the Institute for Energy Research, conducted a study that was able to estimate the amount of jobs that would be created if a state decided to drill. The projections are based on how many oil barrels they estimated to be off the coast. The more oil they estimated, the more jobs would be created.

Joseph Mason, a finance professor at Louisiana State University who was part of the study, estimated that drilling for oil off every coastal state could produce 870,000 jobs nationwide. Virginia alone would gain about 15,000 jobs.

Though there were no projections for New Jersey, it can be safe to assume that since we are a coastal state, there would be many new jobs available if we decided to drill. The numbers give a good insight as to how we would be benefitting from all of this, but is it worth an environmental tradeoff?

What Does Drilling Mean for Our Foreign Dependence on Oil?

Clearly, if we tap into our own resources, we can slowly start to deviate from dependence on foreign oil, specifically in Middle Eastern countries. Being directly dependent on foreign countries provides us with virtually no benefits, aside from conserving our environment. By using the resources from overseas, we are spending money we don’t have and we are possibly jeopardizing our national security.

According to MaxTechOil.com, there are four risks that come with the dependence on foreign oil. These risks are:

- National deficit is widened (gap between imports and exports)

- About a billion dollars a day are being invested in other countries

- Ties to oil producing countries can negatively impact national security

- US demand drives oil prices up

The main concern here is clearly a financial one. Our national debt is soaring and has reached record levels - $14 trillion. By utilizing other countries for our oil supply, we are seemingly sinking money into foreign markets when we could be investing in our own resources. Additionally, many Middle Eastern countries breed terrorism, which is what the United States is currently battling. If we were to sever our ties with foreign oil companies, we would potentially be able to increase our national security by reducing our relations with prospective terrorists.

In this instance, offshore drilling may be the way to go.

How Will the Environment be Impacted?

It’s now about one year after the much talked about BP oil spill. This catastrophe has not only damaged the environment but tainted the reputation of BP. It’s also been a very common argument against offshore oil drilling.

It’s very clear that with drilling, comes environmental risks. How detrimental can these risks be and what is the likelihood of another oil disaster occurring?

According to LiveScience.com, oil retrieval from the ocean floor also stirs up other harmful chemicals, like arsenic, lead, and mercury. These chemicals can harm the inhabitants of the ocean once they are released. However, experts say that the chemicals are released at such a minimal level that it ultimately wouldn’t be harmful.

Also, they use seismic waves to help locate oil and this can lead to disorientation of whales and sea mammals. About 100 whales beached themselves in Madagascar after the use of seismic waves. Destruction of marshland is also possible due to the actual drilling and canals used for oil transportation, which has led to erosion.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, there has been a 99.999% safety record in offshore drilling since 1975. The amount spilled has decreased from 3.6 million barrels in the 1970s to less than 500,000 in the '90s.

Based on these numbers, the possibility of another oil spill occurring is very low. But, if it does happen, will the effects be just as harmful as the last one?

Finally, Will Our Gas Prices Be Lowered?

On July 14, 2008, President Bush got rid of the ban on offshore drilling in an effort to reduce oil prices. Some say it didn’t do anything but just as prices began to reach $4 a gallon, they started to go down. Prices stayed generally consistent at around $2.50 per gallon for about two or three years until recently. President Obama has replaced the ban of drilling and now we’re starting to see it at the pump.

Some say it’s just a coincidence; that it would take years, if not decades, for us to see any change in prices if we started drilling. Experts say that the process of actually obtaining the oil, refining it, dispersing it, and using it takes an extreme amount of time and money, so that we wouldn’t see any relief in the near future. The Energy Information Association found that increased drilling would have a very small, if any, impact before 2030. They also found that even once the oil starts flowing, it would only bring in about 0.2 million barrels per day.

Others argue that just by lifting a ban on drilling, it would influence the market to lower prices. This is what seemingly happened between 2008 and 2010 with President Bush’s decision. However, other economists argue that the oil industry is part of a global market and since the United States would only be contributing less than one million barrels per day, it wouldn’t do much for the prices. How would one explain what happened after Bush’s decision? The theory of supply and demand seems pretty fitting, which would directly benefit us in this situation.

It’s been all laid out – from employment to gas prices. Drilling would ultimately create jobs, lower our spending on foreign oil, and it has potential to lower prices at the pump. The environmental impact is lower than one would imagine. It’s essentially all about priorities – does financial preservation outweigh environmental preservation? It’s only up to you.

For further information:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/offshore-drilling-controversy1.htm
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/offshore-drilling-controversy2.htm
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/05/big-risk-big-boon-offshore-drilling-could-create-15000-jobs
http://www.maxtechoil.com/us-dependency-on-foreign-oil/

About the Author

Brittany Shann is a graduating Communication Arts major with a concentration in Writing. Her academic focus is mainly on the relationship between media and politics and she’s experienced in the journalistic reporting of politics. She aspires to work in the field of political communication, and her main dream is to be a speechwriter.

Experiential Journal: In-Depth Insight from a Documentary

2011-05-05T16:45:00.001-07:00

By Brittany Shann

For my experiential component, I viewed the PBS Frontline documentary called “The Spill” that told the story of BP’s horrible track record in the events leading up to the infamous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last year. The documentary outlined all of the catastrophes that the oil company helped to cause throughout the past decade. These calamities claimed the lives of twenty-two workers and caused unspeakable environmental destruction.

As consumers of the media, we were delivered the story of the spill in a manner that provided only a small insight into the magnitude of what actually happened. Without doing further research, I was able to gather that BP was responsible for one of the largest oil spills in our country’s history. Though that says a lot for itself, the documentary also provided more information about the carelessness that BP had with most of their facilities. By showing this carelessness, it caused me to place more blame on the company than I had been doing. Initially, I had come to the conclusion that it was pure human error and wasn’t too quick to place blame on BP as a company. In viewing the documentary, I learned that BP has a track record of ignoring serious, dangerous problems until they were essentially forced to deal with them. Unfortunately, in doing this, it cost many lives of BP workers and their management didn’t do much to correct their problem. Money was the most important thing to them, which seems to be the case in most of these types of instances.

Perhaps the event that “sealed the deal” for me was the destruction of the oil rig during Hurricane Dennis in 1999. BP sunk billions of dollars into the development of this oil rig and it was sure to be a durable, dependable structure at the very least. The destruction that occurred appeared to be the result of the storm, in which case it wouldn’t have been as embarrassing. However, further investigation proved that it was the fault of the workers who assembled the rig; they didn’t properly install the valves that were responsible for getting rid of excess water. Instead, the rig took on more water, which brought it to the lopsided, almost entirely-destroyed position that it was in after the hurricane. Anybody can make mistakes, but BP is a huge company that has a history of careless, unsafe errors that have led to catastrophes and death. There is ultimately no excuse for a company that has the financial means to correct their mistakes and to make their facilities safe and secure for its workers. Based on everything they caused in the past, it is no surprise that they were responsible for an oil spill that was one of the worst in United States history.

Additionally, the United States government placed very light consequences on those companies who were responsible for catastrophes like the ones BP caused. Essentially, a company could cause death and destruction, pay a small fine, and carry on like nothing ever happened. There wasn’t even an additional penalty for repeat offenders, so BP was in the clear despite the many problems they caused.

My final writing project assessed offshore oil drilling and the environmental impacts it could have. I didn’t address the inner workings of the BP oil spill or get too in depth with the problems it could cause. This documentary clearly outlines how detrimental drilling could be in regards to oil spills, but BP is an exception. The company was poorly run for years and it didn’t improve even with a change in management. They were careless in the way they ran things. Theoretically, if they paid more attention to their work and the way the facilities were run, there wouldn’t be as many problems. Unfortunately, it did happen and it is possible again in the future.

Ultimately, the documentary provided me with an insight into BP and it showed me that they were very careless in they were doing. The information given throughout the documentary is extremely useful and powerful and I recommend it to anyone.

Pompton Lakes Haunted by the Ghost of DuPont

2011-05-05T15:13:00.001-07:00

by Dan Savino

In the early 1900s, DuPont opened and operated a munitions factory in Pompton Lakes, NJ. The plant closed in 1994, but it left a mark that scars residents to this day. As a result of poor environmental oversight and regulations, DuPont has taken advantage of the land and its people. Somewhere along the way, making a buck became more important than the health and livelihood of the human race. DuPont has had twenty years to cleanup its mess, yet the residents caught in the contaminated area known as “The Plume” are still living under very hazardous conditions.

Back in the 1980s, a DuPont explosives plant in Pompton Lakes N.J., was found to have contaminated the environment around it, polluting a stream, a river and many backyards with lead and mercury, and groundwater with toxic solvents that have spread under a nearby neighborhood. For a while, most residents were unaware that chemicals in the groundwater were seeping into homes. Documents detailing the contamination were locked away and not spoken of until former mayor John Sinsimer stumbled upon them. His findings led to the first public hearing on the issue. More than two decades have passed since DuPont assured residents their health wasn’t in danger and that “the contamination would be cleaned up within five years.” But groundwater in Pompton Lakes is still contaminated to this day.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has pledged to work closely with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to make sure any contamination from the DuPont Pompton Lakes Works site is “properly addressed and that people living in the community are protected, informed and involved in site cleanup decision-making.

The contaminated area otherwise known as “The Plume,” was large enough to affect 439 homes as of July 2010. Members of an action group called “Citizens for a Clean Pompton Lakes,” worked to secure a list of contractors who would install vapor mitigation systems that keep harmful vapors from rising out of the groundwater and seeping into their homes. DuPont, the EPA and the DEP of New Jersey all encouraged residents of “The Plume” to have these systems installed. It was concluded that levels of harmful vapors were unsafe and hazardous to health.

Last month, debate began over whether “The Plume” should be a federal or state regulated cleanup site. The Borough Council voted unanimously that it didn’t want The Plume to be a federally run Superfund site. Superfund is a federal law “designed to clean up sites with hazardous substances.” It was due to this law that reports of industrial pollution from Dupont’s operations were made public in the 1980s. The cleanup effort is currently run by both the DEP and EPA. Members of the council didn’t see any advantages to the Superfund designation.

Silent Spring: Birds Are Just the Beginning

2011-05-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

By Dan Savino

Silent Spring is a piece of speculative literature by Rachel Carson that warns of the dangers associated with chemical poisons used as insecticides to kill insects on American lands. She argues that these chemicals only kill insects in the short term. Meanwhile, insects slowly become immune to the insecticides. Soon, there are more insects than ever and the poisons will instead, start to kill off natural predators meant to balance the insect population. She paints a picture of two worlds. There is one where people and nature work together to respect and enjoy the natural world, listening to the sound of birds chirping in the distance. The other world is completely silent because the harmful chemical insecticides have backfired and destroyed the environment to the extent that there are no more birds chirping or signs of life in sight.

The environment is not the only victim either. Unfortunately, these poisonous chemicals also affect wildlife and even human beings. These poisons “deposit themselves in fatty tissues,” worsening over time. The effects are felt all the way up the food chain. This leads to diseases such as hepatitis, liver disease, cancer, and others.

There are a number of ways that these insecticides damage our environment. First, these chemicals run-off into bodies of water, and even find their way into our own water supply. These chemicals mix with other chemicals and end up in our drinking water. These poisons also find their way into the soil, which is made up of living creatures. Essentially, the soil is a springboard for life. These chemicals end up staying in our soil years after they are used. Another victim of chemicals is plant life. Utility companies often used weed killers to clear land for power lines and other projects. These weed killers end up damaging plants as well. Carson explains that there are other ways to kill weeds that are far more responsible and don’t destroy the environment.

Carson goes on to discuss the affects of “massive spraying campaigns.” The worst part about these needless campaigns is that they are very inefficient and inaccurate. While they are meant to target insects, they end up killing birds, animals and anything in their path. Often times, we choose to ignore evidence that other methods are not only more effective, but also much safer for the environment. For example, Carson talks about reducing Japanese beetle populations by introducing natural enemies in the affected areas. This method was used in eastern states but states in the Midwest chose to ignore what was proven to be successful. Instead, they unleashed a massive spray campaign that killed lots of wildlife, including birds and other animals. One of the reasons this happens is because there tends to be very little funding for natural methods of killing insects. The human cost is overlooked. Birds are particularly threatened by spray campaigns because they eat worms and other insects in the soil. One particular disease among birds is due to DDT sprayed to kill a fungus that causes dutch elm disease which killed massive amounts of birds.

In Chapter 10, Carson talks about the massive spraying campaign against the gypsy moth. The worst part about this case is that airplanes not only sprayed chemicals over forests, but also over cities. In effect, unsuspecting people were sprayed with poisonous chemicals while going about their day. Dairy and vegetable farms were ruined because their produce became unfit for human consumption. Carson suspects that everyone has been contaminated at some point by chemical residue.

The human cost is a silent, but deadly one. These harmful chemicals specifically target cells. Radiation and chemical poisoning turns cells cancerous, leading to life-threatening illnesses. There has been plenty of research, as noted in Chapter 14, which directly links these chemicals to cancer. Scientists have also been able to link these poisons to diseases like Down’s Syndrome.

Perhaps the worst part of all of this is that these insecticides don’t even work! In the short term, it may appear that they are affective but in fact, insects only grow immune and adapt to these chemicals. In the long run, these insects thrive while their natural predators die off. In the end, we are left with a worse problem than when it all began. We pay such a tremendous cost and all the while, these insecticides only worsen insect and weed problems.

We live in a fast-paced, competitive society in which patience and concern for the future takes a backseat to instant gratification and giant profit margins. As Rachel Carson suggests, the consequences of acting without consideration for long-term effects and inherent dangers of our decisions, will be severe. We tend to act only after it is too late. Much of this has to do with the nature of politics in this country. De-regulation has allowed huge corporations to do as they please with little or no oversight. The end result is a situation such as the catastrophic BP oil spill, in which irreparable damage was done to our oceans. The worst part is it could have all been avoided. If the EPA and other government regulatory agencies had been doing their jobs they would have been able to notice the signs and prevented the spill from ever happening. BP knew there were problems but decided to ignore them. Profit is the only concern. The environment means nothing to big oil.

This kind of attitude is not limited to the oil industry. In the same way, the companies that manufacture chemical poisons are trying to make a profit. If restrictions are placed on the amount of insecticides and chemicals that can be used, the chemical company loses money. Their only goal is to sell as much of their product as possible. They could care less what they are used for or any damage they might cause to the environment.

Technology continues to advance with one particular, consistent trend I’d like to highlight. I am referring specifically to the attention paid to making everything we do as people faster, easier and of course, cheaper. If there is a more convenient way out of any chore or commitment, we tend to exploit it. In the end, we are only exploiting ourselves. Without a sustainable environment, no one and nothing will survive. There will be no use for money because there will be no more people. It is sickening how easily we take for granted the most basic, yet crucial gift we have been given. The earth is all we have. It is a miracle that it sustains life. It is a miracle that I can wake up and walk outside on a nice, sunny day and just enjoy the weather. One day, we may no longer have the privilege to enjoy a nice day. I hope we wake up before the day comes when spring is forever silenced.

Experiential Journal: Carbon Nation

2011-05-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

By Lindsey de Stefan

In order to fulfill my experiential requirements, I viewed the documentary “Carbon Nation.” This 2010 film by Peter Byck explains how we can reduce the vast carbon footprint we are leaving on our planet and our environment.
As we all know, carbon and fossil fuels are creating a number of problems environmentally. Yet dwelling on the numerous problems they cause is not what this particular documentary does. Instead, it focuses on solutions. Our planet, with its billions of inhabitants, requires a tremendous amount of energy. “Carbon Nation” points out that there are ways to meet these energy requirements in a way that uses less carbon-based sources or eliminates them completely.
This documentary taught me a lot of things that I didn’t know. First of all, I had no idea that concern for climate change and the state of our environment, which has been such a big issue, is dwindling. That is why this film was created in the first place. Second, I learned that there are many environmentally friendly alternatives that are not only good for the environment, but are potential jackpots for those looking to profit from green technology.
I also had no idea that, through some of the solutions suggested by “Carbon Nation,” we can actually improve our country in a variety of ways that are outside the realm of environmental concern. We can save money, as well as provide cleaner air and water for the citizens of the United States. This is certainly something worth striving for in these difficult economic times. And a clean and pollution-free country is something we all deserve.

DuPont: Pompton Lakes Site Still a Source of Conflict After 25-Year Clean Up

2011-05-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

By Deanna Dunsmuir

A quarter century after DuPont began plans to clean up industrial contamination at its explosives manufacturing plant in Pompton Lakes, residents and company officials are still arguing about what’s been done, should be done, or will be done.

As contamination investigations continue since the mid-1980’s, residents struggle to accept that an “aggressive” cleanup has or will take place.

“Many residents have told me they don't trust DuPont or the NJ DEP. They think DuPont is covering up pollution and DEP is rubber stamping inadequate DuPont cleanup plans,” says Bill Wolfe , former planner and policy analyst for the state Department of Environmental Protection and former policy director of Sierra Club's New Jersey Chapter.

“They are frustrated by the slow pace of cleanup, angry for not being told about vapor intrusion, and disgusted by repeated failures by local and state officials to provide full information and allow them to have a meaningful role in cleanup decisions that affect their lives, their family’s health, and their property value,” he says.

Photo by Bill Wolfe
DuPont Pompton Lakes Site

Non-profit community groups such as Citizens for a Clean Pompton Lakes (CCPL) and Pompton Lakes Residents for Environmental Integrity (PLREI) have been formed to give a voice to residents and add pressure for cleanup.

A big issue is that as a result of DuPont Pompton Lakes Works’ contamination of soil and ground water, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) were found in homes due to vapor intrusion.

Waste management practices during the facility’s operation resulted in contamination of surface water, soil and sediment, and ground water both on and off site, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s website.

According to the Pompton Lakes Works Remediation Project Information Center, “Vapor intrusion is defined as the migration of volatile organic compounds from the subsurface into overlying buildings.”

The EPA’s website claims that much of the soil contamination has been removed and a ground water pump and treatment system has been installed.

DuPont Speaks Out

Amid environmental committees and residents calling for a more aggressive cleanup, PR representative for DuPont, Roberto Nelson, maintains that an extensive amount of remediation has been done and will continue to be done.

“Since 1985, we have completed extensive investigations to identify and develop the appropriate remediation options,” Nelson says.

“To date, remediation activities have focused on removing more than 200,000 tons of contaminated soil and sediment at off-site locations. This included the Acid Brook and Wanaque River projects. These projects included the remediation of more than 150 properties and the replanting of approximately 10 acres of wetlands.”

Photo by hgcinc.com
VOC Ground Water Contamination Remediation System

DuPont has been conducting indoor air sampling and installation of a vapor mitigation system at no cost to homeowners, Nelson added.

Furthermore, Nelson said, DuPont has been addressing the ground water contamination affecting a large part of the town, “In 1998, DuPont installed and today continues to operate a groundwater extraction/treatment system that prevents additional contaminated groundwater from leaving the site. This system treats approximately eight million gallons of water per month and returns the clean water to the ground."

About the Site

“The former DuPont Pompton Lakes Works (PLW) manufacturing site covers 576 acres in the boroughs of Pompton Lakes and Wanaque in Passaic County, New Jersey. A residential area of the town of Pompton Lakes lies to the south and southeast of the former plant site,” according to the Pompton Lakes Works Remediation Project Information Center.

“The former manufacturing facility produced blasting caps and other explosives over a 92-year period, including for the U.S. Government in World Wars I and II. Manufacturing operations at PLW ceased in 1994. During the site’s operations, chemicals were used during the manufacturing processes to degrease and clean machines and metal parts. As a result, some of the chemicals used during the processes were spilled onto the ground.”

Although the site was running from 1902 to 1994, run off of chemicals and other pollution did not come to light until the federal Superfund law required industries to report potential contamination problems. DuPont’s report in 1985 has caused residents much grief over the years. Town meetings, committee formation and worried residents with a wide array of concerns (property values, safety, etc) have stormed the town and EPA with questions that many feel are still unanswered.

Alleged VOC related Illness

The VOCs from DuPont’s long use of chemicals created a storm when residents of the Pompton Lakes residential neighborhood near the former plant began battling illnesses that some claim are due to the contamination.

According to testimony to the EPA by Dana Patterson, Toxics Coordinator for the environmental nonprofit Edison Wetlands Association, the VOCs found in homes is causing cancer related deaths.

Patterson testified in regards to the site’s evaluation by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the New Jersey Department of Human and Health Services (NJDOHSS) for cancer risk.

The results of the 2009 assessment exhibited an elevated number of kidney cancers and non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in residents living in the contaminated plume area near the former DuPont plant.

“I see the real-life impacts of this on a more personal level every time I meet with the families of Pompton Lakes: I see the mothers who are inconsolable because their children are dying all too young. I see the daughters losing a parent in agonizing painful battles with a host of cancers,” Patterson wrote.

“I see people who speak out at public meetings; and wonder why they can get no real help, only a pass-the-buck mentality that deflects all real decisions and accountability, and life-and-death issues are lost in the bureaucratic labyrinth of confusion.”

Public health risks are calculated by the EPA using the Hazard Ranking System (HRS).

A HRS score greater than 28.5 qualifies for Superfund, according to Wolfe.

“EPA has never done an HRS at the DuPont site, so it is not clear what the true risks from the site are and how they compare to other Superfund sites nationally and in New Jersey. We are urging EPA to conduct an HRS before making any final decision at the site,” he says.

In the conclusion of Patterson’s testimony, the idea of declaring the Plume a Superfund site is suggested.

“I am not saying that those state and federal health officials don’t care, or don’t want to do the right thing, but rather their hands are tied until the USEPA includes vapor intrusion within the Superfund ranking system,” wrote Patterson.

Superfund a Solution for Cleanup?

A popular solution toward a more aggressive cleanup among activists and residents is declaring the Plume a Superfund site. This approach offers funding and added pressure on DuPont to a more extensive removal and investigation of toxins.

On March 23 the town council voted against seeking denied status as a Superfund site, “at this time.”

Plume resident and Citizens for a Clean Pompton Lakes (CCPL) founder Lisa Riggiola called the council's decision "a political knife in the residents' back,” as reported by the Suburban Trends.

“Councilman Mike Simone said the council based its decision on a credible document,” stated the Trends, in regards to the the Superfund listing.

"I have seen documents directly from the USEPA that state that the change to Superfund would take time, would likely not speed up the cleanup process, that the outcome would be the same, and that the Superfund "tools" are mostly available, especially since the USEPA has agreed to add another level of oversight not normally seen in RCRA sites," Simone said.

"I chose to follow the factual statements from credible organizations, such as USEPA, NJDEP and the Ada, Oklahoma scientists."

Activists suggest that the denial of a Superfund site request was made in fear of turning away future residents and creating public embarrassment.

"This is a political decision made for all the wrong reasons, to avoid "stigma" and promote redevelopment, and with a misinformed understanding of EPA options,” Wolfe says.

David Kluesner, Public Affairs Specialist for the EPA, was contacted as to why the EPA has not added Pompton Lakes to the Superfund listing, yet failed to answer.

During two public question-and-answer sessions last month inside the Father Michael Carnevale Faith Formation Center, Walter Mugdan, EPA Region 2 director of emergency and remedial response division, went over the history of the Superfund program and the Resource Conservation Recovery Act, two governmental programs used to clean sites, according to The Record.

Mugdan stated that general government policy is to stay with the original cleanup method identified for a site, which is Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) for the local DuPont site.

Mugdan believes that the RCRA is comperable to the Superfund listing.

Even if DuPont was declared a Superfund site, the company would still be involved with the cleanup process, said Barbara Finazzo, an EPA senior policy adviser. She said the EPA and DEP will do unannounced audits of DuPont’s work and hold surprise site visits “to determine if they play by the right rules.”

Not declaring the Plume a Superfund site puts less pressure on DuPont to cleanup the area, Wolfe says.

“EPA has broader and more powerful enforcement powers under Superfund to compel DuPont to cleanup, to pay for cleanup (including punitive penalties 3 times cleanup costs), and to compensate the public for damages to natural resources caused by the pollution. EPA also has unutilized enforcement powers under RCRA,” he said.

Yet a Superfund listing would not, in itself, answer all the residents’ concerns.

“Legally the burden of proof is high,” in terms of linking cancers directly to the chemicals, Wolfe notes.

Click here for an interactive map of Superfund sites in New Jersey.

Deanna Dunsmuir is a junior Communication Arts major at Ramapo College of New Jersey with a concentration in journalism with a minor in Political Science. She aspires to be a reporter. Her academic experience includes journalism, leading an on campus organization and interning.

Experiential Journal: Learning from Reporting on Current Environmental Issues

2011-05-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

By Deanna Dunsmuir

During my investigation of the Pompton Lakes cleanup of the DuPont Pompton Lakes Works Site and adjacent residential neighborhood, I have reached out to fellow reporters, government officials, company representatives and activists.

The first observation is that activists are more inclined to talk to a reporter about in depth issues than a government official. In general, activists are happy to speak about their struggles and concerns and are quick to offer information they have found.

The same for fellow reporters; to my surprise reaching out to reporters covering similar stories was a great way to obtain sources and gather a list of individuals to contact for interview.

While conducting interviews with officials and company representatives, I quickly learned that the way questions are asked has a lot to do with receiving a reply.

The following are some strategies and tips:

• Conducting an interview via email can be the hardest way to ask difficult questions. It is impossible to create a feel with vocal tone that will relax an individual that may feel attacked with questions.

• Keep in mind that governmental officials and company representatives are on pay roll and have a loyalty to a company that leaves their jobs at stake (unlike an activist or resident). Therefore, legality of a response and unwillingness to be the one to comment makes obtaining answers more difficult.

• After asking an EPA representative difficult questions about the remediation of VOC chemicals with a system that is found to work for a shorter period of time in moldy and wet conditions (the normal conditions of the basements they were installed in), I stopped receiving responses from him.

• Although my questions about the remediation are a concern to residents and something that a reporter is responsible to ask, in my future interviews with officials I changed the way I asked the tough questions in order to obtain a response. The opening I added was “I am writing an article on so and so and I would very much like to add the point of view of (so and so company or town) for balance. I would very much like to offer you a chance to have a say and offer your point of view in the matter.”

Tips such as these have helped me immensely in putting together a balanced article. However, with the many officials I contacted I still did not have enough balance for my article. In this case, and in any case, since we are writing on dead line, I had to read other articles to obtain comments from officials.

As a college student I do have an extremely busy schedule with an internship, work and classes. This has also led to struggles in my reporting; for example, not being able to attend town meetings. I would advise anyone writing an environmental article to attend town meetings as this is where town officials are and you can obtain quotes from their speeches and remarks if they fail to respond to a request for a one on one interview with you.

Because I could not make the meetings, again, my solution was to use quotes from other articles, and of course state what publication the quotes were from.

Global Warming: Small Steps Towards Conquering a Big Threat

2011-04-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

By Jessica Vasquez

Since 1950, the world's climate has been warming and has had an increasing negative effect on the planet and its inhabitants. Today, carbon dioxide is abundant in Earth’s atmosphere primarily as a result of burning fossil fuels and deforestation. Such activity adds to the atmosphere's invisible blanket of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping "greenhouse" gases. Recent research has shown that methane, which flows from landfills, livestock, and oil and gas facilities, is a close second to carbon dioxide in impact on the atmosphere.

While this is a scientific problem, no one should be intimidated from researching the issue. In fact, presentations on the matter have used various metaphors to get the point across so people all over the globe can understand what is happening and take a part in solving the problem to maximum human capabilities. The sun’s solar energy reaches Earth in the form of light and is absorbed by the surface. It is converted into heat and released from the surface. Some of this heat passes through the atmosphere and some is absorbed by greenhouse gases. With the increase in greenhouse gases, more and more heat is being trapped; this is known as global warming and climate change.

Now more than ever, scientists are studying the heat collecting in the seas and atmosphere to predict the strength and number of tropical cyclones to come. The latest science suggests that while the number of storms will decrease, they will reach the most dangerous categories of intensity. Such natural disasters are just that, natural, and the occurrence is not to be blamed on human activities. Reductions and reactions, though, are something that humans play a role in. In order to protect ourselves from these occurrences, the nation must come together to lower our impact on the world, such as consumption and waste. Such actions will slow down climate change and could reduce the harm caused by natural disasters. Also, by knowing that the intensity of storms are increasing, regions can take the necessary precautions to evacuate or prepare the people who could be affected.

As described on the official webpage, http://unfccc.int/2860.php, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) treaty began over a decade ago “to consider what can be done to reduce global warming and to cope with whatever temperature increases are inevitable.” Representatives from each nation include government delegates, environmental organizations, and business representatives. In 1997, UNFCCC met in Japan to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol. This treaty put restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions.

While a majority of the world’s industrialized countries accepted this treaty, economic powerhouses, led by China and India, oppose mandatory obligations to curb their emissions. They promised to do what they could, but not at the risk of their economy suffering. Emissions of carbon dioxide per person range from less than 2 tons per year in India, where 400 million people lack access to electricity, to more than 20 tons per year in the United States.

A second part of the Kyoto Protocol required the wealthiest nations to provide assistance to developing countries for a cleaner energy future. The richest countries are able to use wealth and technology to insulate themselves from climate hazards, while the poorest, which have done the least to cause the problem, are the most exposed.

From Kyoto to Cancun

Another conference took place in Cancún, Mexico, in late 2010, where the Cancun Agreements were drawn up.

The main objectives of the Agreement include:
-encouraging the participation of all countries in reducing emissions
- mobilize the funds to enable developing countries to take greater action
-assist particularly vulnerable regions of the world in adapting to inevitable climate change
- reduce human-generated greenhouse gas emissions to keep the global average temperature rise below two degrees
- establish institutions to ensure these objectives are met successfully

The agreement fell short of the drastic changes scientists say are needed to avoid dangerous climate change in coming decades. Yet, it laid the groundwork for stronger measures in the future. The Cancún conference ended in December 2010, with only modest achievements.

While warnings from the scientific community are becoming louder, doing anything with this information is on hold. Before a worldwide effort to reduce emissions can begin, technological, economic and political issues have to be resolved. In the face of a global economic struggle, this is not likely to commence anytime soon.

The United Nation Framework Convention of Climate Change website was updated on April 4, 2011. Participating nations met in Bangkok this month to follow up on promises made at the 2010 Convention in Cancun. UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres called on governments to tackle work agreed in 2010 and address shortfalls in climate action. Ms. Figueres said that governments have two main tasks before them in 2011.

The first task relates to the emission reductions which would allow the world to stay below the maximum two degree Celsius temperature rise. Secondly, the building of institutions to follow the progress of the Agreement will take place immediately, as will the delivery of funding and technology to help developing countries deal with climate change. The latter includes educating the people of those countries on sustainability.

Next Step: Bonn

By the end of this convention, an agenda was created to enact these changes on a timeline. Ms. Figueres calls this “a significant step.” The United Nation Framework Convention of Climate Change meets again in Bonn, Germany, on 6 June 2011.

Some fluctuations in the Earth's temperature are inevitable regardless of human activity, but centuries of rising temperatures and seas lie ahead if the release of emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation continues unabated, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The panel shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore for alerting the world to warming's risks.

Over the next decade, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to regulate sources of greenhouse gases, imposing efficiency and emissions requirements. Until the UNFCCC starts taking action on a global scale, it seems that countering global warming and climate change is up to the people’s smaller actions and lifestyle changes. Maybe then those with the greater power will see that we are prepared for much bigger, even drastic changes.

About the Author

Jessica Vasquez is a graduating Communication Arts major at Ramapo College of New Jersey with a concentration in Writing. She aspires to be a creative writer of screenplays and novels. Her academic experience includes journalism, film, screenplays, and short fiction.

Experiential Journal: Covering Environmental Stories in a Small Town

2011-04-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

By Courtney Leiva

During the last half of the semester, I had the great opportunity to dive into the realm of environmental reporting. Mahwah Patch, a town online news source, provides local news on a variety of topics and issues.

In April, I began reporting officially for the site. As a freelance reporter, I was allowed by my editor to report on issues that I wanted to cover on the site. Wanting to take what I have learned in this class and incorporate it in real life reporting, my editor and I decided that I would report on environmental stories in Mahwah.

On the Mahwah patch site, the month of April was dedicated to reporting environmental stories to correspond to Earth Day. My first assignment was reporting on Ramapo College’s green incentives.

My editor wanted me to write about the school's green policies as well as how students are making a greener difference at Ramapo.This article required a lot of research about the college policies as well as environmental groups on campus. I contacted Professor Ashwani Vasishth, Director of Master of Arts in Sustainability Education, at Ramapo College as well as 1Step members Noah Luogameno and Amanda Nesheiwat.

Reporting this story allowed me to see how Ramapo has incorporated green incentives in areas like student living and school curriculum. I learned also that Ramapo College works with Mahwah environmental groups such as M.E.V.O (Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Association) to help further their environmental cause.

The second article that I have reported for Patch thus far was about where the trash and recycling goes in Mahwah. For this assignment, I contacted the trash supplier for the town Suburban Disposal. After speaking with Suburban Disposal manager Danny Parisi, I learned that trash in Mahwah was sent to a plant called C& A Carbone Inc, on Western Highway, in Western Nyack, N.Y. In order to find out where Mahwah’s recycling goes, I contacted Mahwah Public Works Director Keith Hallissey. The story was a shorter piece, but still nonetheless gave me insight into reporting environmental stories.

The last story that I reported during the semester was a business-profile story but it was still an environmentally themed story. Give a Green Bag, run by Suzanne Lippe, is an online store, which offers green products. The store is a member of the Better Business Bureau and the Green Business Bureau; it is a fair-trade and ethical business practice that offers anything from biodegradable dog poop bags to hemp-made sponges. I have reported feature stories with Patch before, but this story allowed me to cover a profile of a business with an environmental message.

Although Earth month at Mahwah is officially over, I have learned a lot from the three environmental articles that I wrote for the site. I learned that despite how small the town, there are still environmental issues no matter where you go. By taking what I have learned in this class and incorporating it into actual reporting, I was able to see environmental reporting works. I will continue to report for Patch after the semester and will try to report on environmental issues whenever I can.

Experiential Journal: PowerShift 2011

2011-04-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

By Amanda Nesheiwat

Thousands of students gathered in Washington D.C’s convention center from April 15-18th to come together to talk about clean energy and our concern about the environment. Friday night was full of fun and energetic speakers such as Al Gore who urged us to heed the warnings that scientists have been telling us about climate change and how it is the youth’s responsibility to set things right for future generations as well as our own. There were a number of young people who also spoke, encouraging us to take a stand and that this is our moment to unite to set things right. The theme of the entire weekend seemed to be that “every generation needs a revolution.”

The crowd of incredibly inspiring students roared with each speaker, but Bill Mckibben’s address was special. Bill Mckibben, author and environmental activist, showed up on Saturday night with an important message for the youth. He said we have an incredible responsibility, but it is also a terrible burden. “Very few people can ever say that they are in the single most important place they could possibly be, doing the single most important thing they could possibly be doing,” he said ,“that’s you, here, now!” Looking around me, some people were holding back tears. He continued on to say, “You are the movement we need if we are going to win in the few years that we have.” His speech set a mood for the entire room. It was then we all realized just how important this weekend was, and how important the actions that we make from now on truly were.

The next morning, we were all split up by region into different halls to learn leadership skills and the skills we needed to organize so that we can take this back to our campuses and organizations. The whole idea of Powershift was to make sure that every person left with the inspiration, motivation, and skills that this movement calls for. I had the privilege of representing New Jersey and being the state facilitator for our state breakout session on Sunday evening. Many colleges and universities from the state showed up and I was responsible for facilitating an open discussion on how we can come up with the solutions and create the network that we desperately need. Creating a state network was my number one priority and we successfully achieved this. The state of NJ now has a facebook page called, New Jersey Sustainable Collegiate Partners, where colleges will be posting events from their schools and participating in discussions and giving advice to schools that need it. At the end of our session, Josh Fox, director of the documentary Gasland, joined us to speak about what our next steps should be to ensure that hydraulic fracturing does not happen in our state and to vote and rally against it.

Monday, the final day of Powershift, was the most incredible day of all. We gathered outside the Chamber of Commerce and chanted, “The U.S Chamber of Commerce, Doesn’t Speak For Me!” After a short skit that I, along with a few other students from Ramapo College took part in, We started the march, chanting and singing towards the B.P headquarters where we chanted, “Make B.P. pay, not the EPA!” We continued on through the streets of D.C. together and eventually made it to the White House. After performing the skit there once more, most of us continued onto the Department of Interior, where hundreds of students stormed in and infiltrated the building. Cops frantically tried to take control of things without much success. 21 people got arrested and were released the same day at 11:00pm after singing folk movement songs the entire time in their cells.

Among the brave people that walked with us were Bill Mckibben and Tim Dechristopher. Tim Dechristopher, a fearless man who, through his activism, has been sentenced to prison for 10 years. When he addressed the “powershifter’s”, he said “We are the generation that has the task of steering our civilization through the greatest period of change humanity has ever experienced.” He said “…we’re not going to meet it in a way that fits into our school schedules and we’re not going to meet it in way that we can avoid sacrifices.”

This line rang true through the audience. The severity of these issues calls for a time of urgency. We are going to need to make a lot of sacrifices for this movement to work. The definition of sacrifice means to give something up for something sacred. Just as the men and women of our history have sacrificed and fearlessly stood up for what they justifiably believed was right, we must do the same. They started our revolution, now it is time to start ours. PowerShift was an amazing experience that we will never forget. It was the event that brought the youth leaders in this country together and the catalyst of the social movement that is to come.

If you are interested in being a part of the New Jersey Sustainable Collegiate Partners FaceBook page, find us or e-mail me at amandanesheiwat@gmail.com.

Experiential Journal: The Symposium on the BP Oil Spill

2011-04-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

By Virginia DiBianca

On April 20, 2010, BP’s Horizon Deepwater oil well exploded pouring 2.5 million gallons of oil per day into the Gulf of Mexico. The massive oil eruption continued for six months, sparked a fire that took the lives of 11 workers, created the worst environmental disaster in the United States and destroyed the working life of many of the residents along the Gulf of Mexico. One year later, Ramapo College in conjunction with its School of Social Science and Human Services, Sustainability Studies Program and Dean’s Council presented a symposium on the aftermath of the spill entitled Spill Effects.

The symposium included panels of experts who represented various aspects of the spills impact, which were many and far reaching. As pointed out by Thomas Lueck, Ramapo faculty member, the Gulf oil spill dominated major news coverage more consistently than any other tragedy in recent years. Unlike similar disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti, which was newsworthy for about one month, the spill’s coverage was long term and included news on environmental, social, and economic impacts with a dose of government and corporate screw ups that, not unlike the sinking of the Titanic, continues to maintain a readership.

The first day was devoted mostly to the ecological damage. Dr. John H. Paul, a biological oceanographer from the University of South Florida, discussed his two toxicity tests in the Gulf region taken on separate occasions. Those performed in July of 2010 indicated a high concentration of oil had affected the plankton (drifting organisms that are the base of the food web in marine and fresh water). Follow up testing was performed in February 2011, which still showed sampling stations containing evidence of mutagenicity even though the appearance of the water on the surface showed no signs of this contamination.

Dr. Harry Allen, representing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Response Team emphasized that changes need to be made to the Oil Pollution Act to better define the jurisdiction between the two factors that govern an aquatic spill, the Coast Guard and the EPA., Additionally, a fast, efficient system of gathering and sharing information in the event of a catastrophe such as this one needs to be structured.

On the social impact, Mr. Thomas Costanza of Catholic Charities of New Orleans spoke on the loss of work on the Gulf fishermen. Hurricane Katrina, while it destroyed the homes and boats of those in the Gulf, did not come close to the devastation felt by those who lost their livelihood when the spilled oil contaminated their fisheries. Oyster beds have been ruined which take three years before they are re-established. Last summer’s harvest of brown shrimp from the gulf was one of the smallest seen in years. Juvenile crabs are in very small numbers. The national perception, whether true or not, is that the fish coming from the Gulf is tainted and not healthy to consume. Fishermen are suffering from depression that is leading to an increase in alcoholism. Claims from the fishing industry to BP go unpaid. The fishermen are asking for help to be re-trained in their profession, to reconstruct their oyster beds and fisheries. Their claims are within a pile of claims waiting to be satisfied.

On the second day, the symposium included a panel on the media’s perspective of the oil spill. Charles Schmidt, a freelance journalist, described the use of dispersants as complex and how their overall affect is unknown. He drew criticism from one or two members of the audience challenging his viewpoint of how the dispersants might have minimized the oil reaching the shores of Louisiana and that dispersants might be considered toxic to some species but maybe less so to another. Schmidt argued that his position was to report his findings accurately and not to satisfy any one group’s agenda.

Finally, David Barstow, who extensively covered the oil spill for The New York Times, talked about the state of investigative reporting. At the scene of the spill, he was participating in several meetings where the press was invited. In these sessions, reporters were outnumbered 100 to one by lawyers and public relations people who represented BP, Halliburton and other corporations attempting to spin the public’s perception in their favor. Barstow emphasized how independent journalism is weakening as a growing population of public relation professionals attempt to control the public’s image of events. The Internet, he added, is overwhelmed with bloggers who provide opinionated views that are unsupported and may or may not be factual. Investigative reporting he emphasized, approaches the topics with truisms and asks the questions of why things happen, how they happened and what can be done about it. They are the true heroes of the American people and need to be supported.

16th Annual Ramapo River Watershed Conference

2011-04-22T09:29:00.001-07:00

By Graig Mihok

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2011
Contact:
Geoff Welch
(845) 712 5220
geoffwelch@gmail.com

16th Annual Ramapo River Watershed Conference at Ramapo College

Mahwah, NJ – The 16th annual Ramapo River Watershed Conference will be held Friday, April 29th, at Ramapo College of New Jersey from 10am – 4pm in Student Center Room 136, 505 Ramapo Valley Road, also known as Route 202. The event, presented by the Ramapo River Committee and the Institute for Environmental Studies at Ramapo College, will feature an array of speakers on environmental topics pertaining to the Ramapo Valley in New York and New Jersey.

This year’s presentation will include a Ramapo River Watershed tour in photos and HD video; Visioning and Management Plan for Bergen County Ramapo Mountain Parklands; historic film of the building of Sterling Forest Gardens; drinking water and pollution accountability issues; Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Trail Update; water pollution analysis in New Jersey; revisiting the environmental effects of Mahwah’s closed Ford automobile plant; flood issues in Pompton Lakes; expert local knowledge on Lower Ramapo River; the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda Program; Geographic and hydrologic peculiarities of the Ramapo Watershed; and an presentation of an artist’s nature studies in Torn Valley during the 1870’s.

There will be coffee and bagels at 9:30am before the event starts.

The event is free but registration is requested at geoffwelch@gmail.com.

10:00 - Remarks: Ramapo College President Peter Mercer, Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef.

10:15 - "A New Ramapo River Watershed Tour 2011 in Photos and HD Video."

10:45 – Adam Strobel, Bergen County Planner, "Visioning and Management Plan for Bergen County Ramapo Mountain Parklands."

11:00 - Doc Bayne, Sterling Forest Historian: The Building of Sterling Forest Gardens: "Historic Film of Peat Wetlands Drained to Create Gardens."

11:30 - Rabbi Joel Mosbacher of Beth Haverim Shir Shalom Synagogue and co-founder of New Jersey Together; Joe Morris, lead Organizer of New Jersey Together: "Using The Tools of Citizens’ Organizing to Protect our Drinking Water and Hold Polluters Accountable."

12:00 Noon – 1:15 pm - LUNCH

1:15 PM - Janet Burnet, New York State Chair: "Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route - National Trail Update."

1:30 - Kevin Olsen, Passaic River Institute, Montclair State University: "Water Pollution Analysis in New Jersey, Employing the Cutting Edge Analytical Technology of 1876."

2:00 - Chuck Stead, Cornell Cooperative Extension Educator / Adjunct Professor, Ramapo College: The Saltbox Environmental Research Center," Ford Toxic Legacy Continues."

2:30 - Carl Padula, Chairman Flood Advisory Board, Pompton Lakes, "Flood Problems in Pompton Lakes."

3:00 - E. Durling Merrill, Environmental Officer Pompton Lakes: "Local Knowledge Based on Extensive Field Experience on the Lower Ramapo River."

3:15 - Don Steinmetz, HEnRI, Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda Program: "From Forest to Faucet."

3:45 - Howard Horowitz, Ramapo College: "Geographic and Hydrologic Peculiarities of the Ramapo Watershed."

4:00 - Geoff Welch, Ramapo River Committee: "David Johnson, An Artist’s Nature Studies in Torne Valley During the 1870’s."

4:30 - Wine and Cheese Reception

Experiential Journal: No Impact Man

2011-04-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

By Jessica Vasquez

Since the topic of global warming surfaced, innumerous sources have done their best to educate the public about what it is, how it is created, and how it can be slowed down. Books have been written by scientists and environmentalists, politicians have spotlighted it in campaigns, and celebrities have narrated films about it. With all these forms of delivery, messages are bound to get mixed up and this affects how the public responds. Some may write it off as a theory or something they cannot control. Others have done their best to do their research, alter their lifestyle, and spread the word.

One man who is doing his part to go green is blogger and non-fiction writer Colin Beavan. In 2007 he began a year long quest to make no net impact on the environment while living in New York City with his wife, Michelle, and two-year-old daughter, Isabella. He would no longer wait for the government or higher powers to lead the way for environmental change. He also needed material for his new book which went on to be titled “The adventures of a guilty liberal who attempts to save the planet, and the discoveries he makes about himself and our way of life in the process.” Documentarian and childhood friend of Michelle, Laura Gabbert captured Colin’s project with Justin Schein and they later premiered “No Impact Man” at the Sundance Film Festival of 2009.

It started out with converting to self propelled transportation. The experiment became a reality when the TV was removed from the house; wife Michelle had been a reality TV buff. Colin ruled that the family would buy no new products, such as clothing, only second-hand materials when needed; Michelle was a struggling shop-aholic when the experiment began. Also, they started a vegan diet and only consumed foods grown within 250 miles of their home to support local farmers and avoid the carbon emissions that result from the transportation of food outside of the radius. There is no locally grown coffee in New York City for Starbucks addict Michelle. To give back to the earth, the family volunteered in their community and planted trees. Things got extreme, and controversial, when the family rid the house of toilet paper and shut off their electricity.

When word spread of Beavan’s experiment, the media jumped on the story. Several TV news shows and newspapers wanted to get to the bottom of Beavan’s project. More than anything, the sources aimed to find the flaws in Beavan’s new lifestyle; ironic because the point of Beavan’s experiment and book was to highlight the flaws in the average American’s consumer lifestyle.

It was pointed out that even after shutting off the apartment’s electricity, Beavan continued to use his laptop to update the blog that was following his year, http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/. Michelle’s job at Business Week was not changing for the experiment. The film would be premiered in a movie theatre that would not be as eco-friendly as Beavan would like.The book would be printed on paper from cut down trees. To counter this, the book was printed on post-consumer paper.

All these comments and more could have broken Colin and Michelle down, but they held their heads high seeing that the changes they had made were already proving beneficial. Before the year long experiment began, Michelle was on the verge of being diabetic. The new diet changed all that. Together, the couple lost weight and were healthier in general. Also, by spending a great deal less on consumer products, they were able to give 10% of their savings to charities that benefited Colin’s message.

It’s understandable that mass consumers could be on the defense about the New York City family’s “No Impact” year because the whole project seemed backwards and highlights what is wrong with the average American lifestyle. It has had great outcome for Colin, Michelle, and their daughter Isabella who followed her parents’ journey with wonder and enthusiasm. It’s no wonder it wasn’t a struggle for the two-year-old because she hasn’t experienced enough to be swiped up into consumerism. While Colin and Michelle aren’t out to change the world in a year, they are out to make a change.

Personally, watching the documentary and reading up on it's effect, I have learned that being more eco-friendly isn't just about the little things. In fact, things such as using paper instead of plastic and carrying a reusable cup everywhere isn't making a big change. Instead, we should all take that extra step whereever and whenever possible. The positive outcomes will always outweigh the negative in this experiment. Since my research I have been more conscious of my contribution to the Earth and my consumer habits. Not only am I aware of the negative effects I may be having on the planet, but also on myself. I'll admit that it has left me feeling guilty time and time again, but that's Colin's goal, to make us all aware of our impact and our surroundings. I have already started spreading the word amongst my friends, navigating them to the No Impact Project website. Together we're doing what we can to lower our negative impact and raise our positive impact on the world we live in.

Colin still updates his blog to this day and travels the world (by mass transportation, not self propelled) to spread the word. He volunteers his time in an effort to make the world a greener place, and it seems to be catching on slowly but surely.

Pompton Lakes Residents Persist in Raising Health Concerns Over DuPont Contamination

2011-04-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

By Lorraine Metz

According to PomptonLakesHistory.com, DuPont’s local manufacturing plant was established in 1902 when it acquired a manufacturer of explosives. Some of the products included a spark-fired blasting cap filled with mercury fulminate, says the website. Due to the demands of World War I, DuPont acquired a large workforce to produce many items including hand and rifle grenades, detonating fuses and blasting caps. DuPont increased housing, including dormitory style buildings in Pompton Lakes to keep up with the increase of population boom caused by employees and families.

This manufacturing company continued its work well after the war and contributed military products for World War II as well, states the PomptonLakesHistory.com website. Despite the long-running stability of the company, the citizens in the area started taking note of environmental factors that seemed to have been caused by the company, which closed the local plant in 1994.

In an EPA document from 1999, it was determined that groundwater was “known or reasonably suspected to be ‘contaminated’ above appropriately protective ‘levels’." The document details that groundwater was first sampled at the site in 1981 and had continued to be sampled until the date that it was written. It also states that the ‘contaminated’ groundwater discharged into surface water bodies and that the discharge of the contaminated groundwater was significant. Despite the previous findings the EPA decided that the significant discharge of ‘contaminated’ groundwater was currently acceptable but monitoring would continue.

Despite efforts to help reduce contamination and cleanse the area, residents of Pompton Lakes have had continued disputes with DuPont including lawsuits. According to a March 2010 article in The Record by James O’Neill and Elaine D’Aurizio, titled “Pompton Lakes Residents Begin Suing DuPont Over Pollution,” residents from Pompton Lakes have sued DuPont many times over factors including mercury and lead content in the soil of backyards and the brooks that run along them. DuPont offered a $38.5-million settlement in 1997 to residents who in 1993 made claims about their health due to the contamination. The article says that ‘the highest award was $271,000 for a 13-year-old boy who had been suffering from lead poisoning. Nearly $10 million went to 117 children aged 7 to 17.”

After another lawsuit in 2003, DuPont agreed to provide lifetime medical monitoring to over a thousand residents. In 2010 residents of Pompton Lakes cried out again in complaints about DuPont asking for compensation for lost property value and once again for medical issues.

In December 2009 the state of New Jersey released an analysis of cancer incidences in the Pompton Lakes Neighborhood that had been impacted by the DuPont groundwater plume. According the analysis, all cancer types combined as well as 13 specific cancer types were evaluated during a period of 28 years that began in 1979. The findings concluded that while the overall cancer rates were not elevated, kidney cancer was higher than expected in females and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma was higher in males during the last 13 years. While the analysis is quick to mention that there are inconsistencies in the results between males and females, it does state that the contaminated groundwater contained the chemicals Trichloroethylene and Perchloroethylene that have been found to increase kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers.

Challenging and continued presence of the contamination caused by DuPont, residents have repeatedly taken initiative in standing up for their rights and well-being. While DuPont hasn’t fixed the issues, the citizens in the affected area have continued to keep this issue known and in the best interest of their health and continue to fight for a clean and sustainable neighborhood.

For more information:
http://www.pomptonlakeshistory.com/

Enhance Your Major with Environmental Training

2011-04-22T06:53:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

APRIL 25, 2011

Contact:
914-422-4077 or
info@ environmentalconsortium.org

Enhance Your Major with Environmental Training

NEW YORK, NY - On Monday April 25, The Environmental Consortium is holding the 6th annual Student Summit of the Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges and Universities. The event is from 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM in the Alfred Lerner Hall at Columbia University.

If you are an undergrad or graduate looking to add ‘environmentally aware’ to your resume, guest speakers such as Nilda Mesa, assistant vice president of Environmental Stewardship from Columbia University, and Tim Rairdon, executive director of the Environmental Consortium, will offer insight and advice.

Participants at third annual Environmental Consortium event source: environmentalconsortium.org

The event is open to all majors looking to put their green ideas to action.

Following the speakers, there will be a round table discussion and a break out session to co-mingle with other like minded and inspiring guests. Cost of the event and dinner is free. RSVP needed by April 18th and seats are limited but still open.

Following the event, Columbia University extends an invitation to “Special Post-Summit Event, separate from the Student Summit.”

“Students are also invited to attend Earth’s Caretaker: An Evening with NRDC Co-Founder John H. Adams and Patricia Adams. Taking place on Columbia’s campus, John and Patricia Adams will be interviewed by Andrew C. Revkin, The New York Times Dot Earth blogger, at 7:00pm,” the Environmental Consortium wrote.

The after-event will conclude with a book signing. “Co-Sponsored by Theodore Gordon Flyfishers and the Environmental Consortium. Proceeds benefit a regional scholarship fund. Student tickets only $10.”

Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges & Universities was established in 2004 to advance understanding of the cultural, social, political, economic, and natural factors affecting the Hudson River Watershed, and is headquartered within Pace University’s Academy for Applied Environmental Studies. The Consortium’s mission is to harness higher education’s intellectual and physical resources to advance regional, ecosystem-based environmental research, teaching, and learning through interdisciplinary, collaborative programs and information sharing.

Deanna Dunsmuir
ddunsmui@ramapo.edu

Nyack Hosts Earth Day Events

2011-04-21T08:38:00.001-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 15, 2011
Contact:
Marianne Olive
(845) 358-8540
oliveboss@aol.com

Nyack Hosts Earth Day Events

NYACK, NY – An Earth Day Celebration and Bee Green Event will be held Saturday, April 30. Rain date is May 1. Activities kick off with the Parade of All Beings at 10:30 am that will begin at Main Street and end at Memorial Park off Depew Ave.

Activities in the park will commence at 11 am and continue until 5 pm. They will include “green”-themed workshops, such as a beekeeping demonstration, composting, knitting, Capoeira, yoga, and qi gong class. There will be live music, as well as contests and games. The day will end with a drum circle.

We are seeking volunteers and renting booths to anyone who has an Earth Day activity that will add to the day’s events.

For more information: http://act.earthday.org/event/nyacks-earth-day-celebration-and-bee-green-fair

By Lindsey de Stefan

Montclair Sets Pace as Environmental Leader

2011-04-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release
April 19, 2011
Contact:
Virginia DiBianca
vdibianc@ramapo.edu

Montclair certainly has a lot to live up to this Earth Day. The town, along with Cherry Hill and Highland Park, has been chosen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a Climate Showcase Community in New Jersey. In gaining that distinction, the town established an organization called OurPowerMontclair that supports and promotes environmental efforts at the local government level.

As a Climate Showcase Community, Montclair is tasked with a leadership role in the way communities manage and reduce energy consumption. The town receives federal funding towards the project and has a timeline that spans from February 2010 to November 2012. The goal is for these municipalities to stand as models of efficiency for other communities on sustainable energy use and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging businesses and residents to be conscious of their energy consumption while implementing efforts to reduce their usage as a way of life.

Montclair is a town that takes pride in its role towards environmental awareness and has taken strong steps towards innovations in sustainability. It is one of the few towns that include an Environmental Coordinator, Gray Russell, on its fulltime staff. As the town supports sustainable programs, its appeal to solid, community minded residents can only benefit its future.

Other efforts towards greening include renovating old buildings that have obtained LEEDS certification. Robert Silver, a resident of Montclair found himself looking for an office in town when he came across an old rundown building that was previously home to an auto parts store. Commissioning a local LEED contractor, Jack Finn, to renovate the space, it was revealed during demolition that old etchings and artistic remnants of a prior brass works company were hidden behind the old walls. The salvaged pieces were recycled as decorative additions. Now, its hallways support a gallery of works by local artists.

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program is a national benchmark rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that certifies the design, construction and operation of building systems as high performance. It looks at five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

Mr. Silver proceeded to refurbish two other Montclair buildings that qualified for LEED Certification. One called GreenWorks was constructed with rooftop solar panels and insulation made from recycled paper. A plan is in the works for another building, Hillside Square, to include a charging station for electric cars in the parking lot.

Montclair has a website and a Facebook page devoted to their commitment to the Climate Showcase program. For more information:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/OurPowerMontclair/134430816608455
http://ourpowermontclair.org/background.html

Receding Glacial Boundaries Cause for International Alarm

2011-04-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEEASE
April 15th, 2011
John Clancey
Jclancey@ramapo.edu

A recent study conducted by Welsh scientist and Professor Neil Glasser and colleagues from Aberystwyth University, the University of Exeter, and Stockholm University,shows that the glaciers of Patagonia in South America are melting at a much faster rate than originally thought. The study found that since 1980 the rate of glacial melt has increased by over 100 times than that of the previous 320 year long-term average

Utilizing the spread of glacier debris and vegetation lines from bordering mountainsides, the researchers have been able to determining the amount of ice that has melted since the Little Ice Age ended nearly 350 years ago.

Glaciers have always been a wonder of the natural world. The romantic idea of these icy giants moving across great distances for thousands of years has continually astounded us. They exist as grand monuments who, over a million year pilgrimage, have redefined the landscape they traverse. They are among the last remaining reminders of a natural world that once was. However, despite the respect that these ancient giants command, recent changes in global temperatures have threatened them like never before.

The Patagonia Glaciers are located at in the southern hemisphere at a latitude equal to that of the Alps in the northern hemisphere. The team suggests that if they were to apply their finding there, as opposed to South America, the results would remain more or less the same.

"Previous estimates of sea-level contribution from mountain glaciers are based on very short timescales," commented Glasser of Aberystwyth University. "We took a different approach by using a new method that allows us to look at longer timescales,"

The study has concluded that since the Little Ice Age ended in Patagonia 350 years ago, the 270 glaciers that now cover an area of at least one square kilometer have lost 606 cubic kilometers of ice. While this study dose little else than pin down the rate of glacial lose, it does shed light on the alarming rate at witch the ice has retreated over the past thirty years.

This new method is a much needed break from the cascade of satellite imagery based studies that have previously served as the main visual proof of world climate change. By analyzing the glaciers of Patagonia over such a long period of time, researchers provided a much welcome perspective regarding the relationship between glacier melt and rising sea levels.

Glaciers are one of the world’s chief sources of fresh water. The slowing of receding ice boundaries remains paramount if we hope to reduce the rate of raising sea levels. However, with these new discoveries in mind, the team has been able to estimate sea level rises for more than three centuries.

For further Information see
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12950246
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/04/04/Rapid-glacier-melting-raises-sea-levels/UPI-44361301963893/
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-04-glaciers-faster-thought.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/glaciers-melting-at-fastest-rate-in-350-years-study-finds-2261414.html

How Ramapo College Implements its "Commitment To Sustainability"

2011-04-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

By Courtney Leiva

Many Ramapo students might be wondering, how green is Ramapo College?

“At Ramapo College there are three levels of sustainability; facility, level of operation, and education. We are currently working at all three levels to keep Ramapo green," says Ashwani Vasishth, Director of Master of Arts in Sustanaibility Education Program at Ramapo College.

Ramapo College began its commitment to sustainability in the year 1969. Although Ramapo has continued to grow both in size and student population, the college has not failed in honoring its sustainable promise as new eco-dorms now appear on campus.

In 2010, the college launched Sustainable living facilities, which decreases energy costs and allows students to engage in the college's sustainable mission. Also, the Sharp Sustainability Center, one of Ramapo's greenest accomplishments, was completed in 2009.

According to the college website, the center makes use of natural daylight and recycled and environmentally friendly materials. The center also provides heating and cooling through a environmentally friendly geothermal system.

"The Sharp Sustainability Center is a demonstration project tht shows that buildings can be greener. We are using the lessons we have learned through this project to help build greener buildings on campus," Vasisth says.

Along with its many green policies, the college does not stop short at recycling.
Each classroom on campus must be equipped with two bins for trash. A blue container is meant for paper products. All other trash is to be placed into another container which is usually gray, black, or brown.

The college is still working to make these guidelines effective.

"You have students throw the waste trash away in the wrong container, so we are working to make these guidelines more effective, particularly through education. At freshman orientation we introduce the incoming students to concepts such as recycling and sustainability," Vasishth adds.

Not only has college administration tried to make Ramapo College more sustainable. Student led organizations such as 1Step have worked to take green matters into their own hands.

"In November of 2007, President Mercer signed the American Colleges and Universities Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). This is a commitment that over 600 other colleges and universities have signed on in order to go green," says 1Step president Noah Luogameno.

"With the signing, the president also created the Climate Commitment Task Force, which is faculty and administrators tasked with getting Ramapo to 'Carbon Neutrality.' Carbon Neutral means that the college will be mitigating or offsetting more carbon dioxide than it produces through energy savings and other green initiatives."

Once the Climate Commitment Task Force was initiated, soon came the creation of Ramapo's own 1Step organization.

"Along with the Climate Commitment Task Force, 1Step (Students Together for Environmental Progress) was created to act as the student working group of the sustainability initiative. 1Step has been leading the charge at Ramapo to raise awareness about environmental sustainability, as well as developing and implementing green projects, programs, and events," added Luogameno.

Over the years the student-led-organization has accomplished many green incentives. In 2008, the organization sponsored monthly late night dining which introduced the use of all biodegradable materials including utensils such as cups and plates in the campus dining hall.

More recently the club is taking new actions like composting and getting involved with local environmental organizations.

"We are incorporating composting on campus. We might be getting an industrial size composter called rocket compost. We are also involved with MEVO (Mahwah Environmental Volunteer Organization), in which we do clean ups and spread the word about recycling" in the town, said 1Step member Amanda Nesheiwat.

"It is 1Step's vision to see Ramapo as the leader in sustainability education and practice among New Jersey higher education. Ramapo is already ahead of the game with the first Sustainability Studies Masters Program in the state, and the Sharp Sustainability Education Center; a highly efficient and green structure used for teaching classes," Luogameno said.

Ramapo is considering a cool roof program might allow the installation of solar panel roofs on the campus's academic buildings.

"There have been talks of replacing roofs of the academic wings on campus (A-E) with solar panels. This would reduce dependence on energy and reduces heat load on buildings, which decreases the use of air-conditioning in the summer," Vasishth adds.

Ramapo College's upcoming Earth Week promises lots of green activities. Among other activities, 1Step is hosting a special dinner. The dinner, open to all students is opportunity for students to learn how to keep the environment and campus clean. The dinner will be held on Tuesday, April 19th at from 4-7 p.m.

For more information: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=104827749602420&ref=mf

"Earth week is coming up and there are tons of events going on to raise awareness of environmental issues as well as fundraising for the club," Nesheiwat says.

More information on Ramapo's green initiatives can be found at ramapo.edu/ramapogreen.

This article also appeared in Mahwah Patch

Bedbugs, Malaria, and DDT

2011-04-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

By Graig Mihok

It has been thirty-nine years since William D. Ruckelshaus, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, gave the order to stop the production of DDT, making it illegal in the United States. Ruckelshaus acted in the wake of the growing concern about DDT's effects on the environment and public health. Since then, there have been many discussions about whether the ban of DDT has been good for the world, or bad. Since DDT targets insects - most notably Malaria-carrying mosquitoes – it is possible that the ban of DDT could be having both a negative and positive impact where it has been used and where it currently could be used.

The first thing to consider is the argument to bring DDT back. There are numerous campaigns for DDT's revival and not all for the same reason. Closest to home would be to combat the growing bedbug population in most major cities around the U.S. Although most lists do not appear to have a consistent order of infested cities, certain cities appear on multiple lists and most seem to agree that New York City takes the number one spot.

The fact there is no consistent list for bedbug infestation means the problem is much larger than it appears and is growing. A friend of mine has found bedbugs in several different apartments in Buffalo, a city that did not make any of the lists on a Google search. His problem is most likely the common one; infestation throughout the entire building where some residents actively try to rid themselves of the pests, meanwhile, other residents do nothing and help contribute to the growing infestation.

Many claim that rubbing alcohol and steam will kill the bugs on contact, but in cases where the infestation is too widespread, in walls or under or inside furniture and appliances, the exterminator is usually called in. And thus, the cry for the return of DDT gets louder. The powerful pesticide is responsible for nearly wiping out bedbugs out in the1940's, but now they've returned, many with resistance to pesticides, including DDT.

In Africa, malaria is still a major issue that has had an interesting development over the years. Those who have called out for the return of DDT for the sake of Africa's malaria problem seem to ignore that the amount of annual malaria-related deaths has decreased significantly since the ban on DDT. In 1972, annual malaria deaths were at a staggering two million. Yet, by 2000, that number had been cut in half. Currently, malaria-related deaths are under 900,000, marking the lower number of malaria deaths ever recorded. Insecticide treated nets and other pesticides like pyrethoids are the current popular alternatives to DDT in Africa.

Death from an easily-prevented illness like malaria is still a revolting notion, but seeing the annual death count being more than cut in half in thirty-nine years shows the incredible progress that has been made. Would bringing DDT back into the picture really help in this case? Bill Gates is working on eradicating malaria around the world, but he has not mentioned the use of DDT in any of his efforts.

So where do we go from here? Bring back the pesticide that bedbugs have shown a strong resistance to in an attempt to eradicate them? Of course, all while not poisoning ourselves and the environment again. And what about malaria? The problem seems to be receiving more attention than it ever has before, and with the annual death-toll at a record low, would it be a good idea to reintroduce DDT to the planet again? Misinformation seems like the biggest bug that deserves a squashing, yet it always scurries away only to show up a little later.

DDT advertisement from the 1940's:

Source: www.Mindfully.org

For more information:
http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/ddt/01.htm
http://timpanogos.wordpress.com/tag/rachel-carson/
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/08/16/2010-08-16_untitled__bedbugs16m.html#ixzz0wozNm31h

Earth Day 2011 Set to Commence on April 16 in Monmouth County

2011-04-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2011
Contact:
Brittany Shann
bshann@ramapo.edu

Earth Day 2011 Set to Commence on April 16 in Monmouth County

Monmouth County, NJ – Earth Day celebrations will commence starting on April 16, 2011. The Monmouth County Parks System will hold events for children and adults for the weekend, ending on April 17, 2011. Events will start at noon on the 16 and proceed until 5 pm at the Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center,331 Georgia Tavern Road, Howell, NJ.

On Saturday, April 16, activities include arts and crafts, family-friendly nature activities, an invertebrate study, and a “how-to” event on gardening in a cup. There will also be representatives from environmental organizations such as Monmouth County Audubon Society, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, and the NJ Beekeepers Association.

The event will move to Huber Woods, located at 25 Brown's Dock Road, Middletown, NJ on Sunday from noon to 5 pm. There will be games made from recycled items, various animal shows, and volleyball played over a recycled net made from 6-pack plastic rings. There will be lacrosse using plastic and cardboard as equipment. The Naturalist Corner will teach participants the basics of birding and how to use recycled materials to make useable things. There will be wagon rides offered to the Frog Pond Outpost where participants can try to capture live frogs.

This is a fun way to engage children and families in Earth Day events and inform them about ways to conduct environmentally-friendly lifestyles while having an enjoyable time.

There is no admission or parking fees but some activities may require a small fee.

For more information, visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com, call the Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center at (732) 751-9453 or the Huber Woods Environmental Center at (732) 872-2670.

Will Proposed Waivers Overrule Highlands Plan?

2011-04-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

By Graig Mihok

Environmentalists are up in arms about a recently proposed waiver that would allow the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to circumvent its own rules to approve development plans. The waiver rule is part of Governor Christie's “Common Sense Principles” designed to minimize bureaucracy while maintaining environmental protection. Environmentalists believe this can only be bad for New Jersey's protected areas and serve as a platform for builders to set their sights on protected lands that until recently they have been restricted from building on.

The Common Sense Principles stem from the Governor's Executive Order No. 2 - a rule that would allow homeowners and developers to ask for exemptions from the DEP rules – outlined last year, and were put into place to help mediate the conflicting rules between existing state agencies that have been coined as “unduly burdensome” regulations.

The exemption requests are to be looked over on a case by case basis instead of in clear-cut regulatory style. Environmentalists see the proposed wavier rule as an empowering device for the DEP that would allow them to bypass existing environmental laws. They are afraid the term “unduly burdensome” is too subjective and open to such interpretation that would allow any exemption request to be passed despite its impact on the environment. Protected areas like the Highlands and Pinelands would be subject to the waiver rules as well, according to the DEP.

Still, there is some protection that appears to have been spared from the proposed waiver's jurisdiction. Federal and state environmental regulations written specifically into law, like air and water quality laws, would be unaffected by the DEP's proposal.

Yet if the vote to pass the waiver is successful, one should wonder how the DEP with its shrinking budget and smaller staff will be able to handle the increased workload they would be bound to experience.

Critics of the plan believe the wavier rule would not only empower the DEP but also take the power out of the hands of the community. “If the agency believes that some of the provisions of its rules are too burdensome with too little public benefit, it would be more intellectually honest to identify those provisions and propose specific revisions,” stated Michael Catania, former Deputy Commissioner of the New Jersey DEP. “This would allow all stakeholders -- the regulated community as well as the public -- an opportunity to weigh in on the advantages or disadvantages of these specific rule changes.”

For more information:

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0318/0143/

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/nj_proposes_waiver_rule_allowi.html

Ramapo Fault Possible Threat to Indian Point Energy Center; a New Concern

2011-04-15T05:55:00.001-07:00

By John Clancey

Nuclear energy has long held a place at the boundaries of man’s imagination. The raw destruction and overwhelming energy produced by nuclear fission does not come without its risks. Tragedies such as the bombing of Hiroshima and the disaster at Chernobyl remain painful reminders of the awesome power held within atomic energy. Recently, safety regulations regarding nuclear facilities the world over have been called into question. The recent Japanese nuclear crisis, where reactors teetered on the verge of meltdown, has sent up warning flags regarding atomic facilities both at home and abroad. The possibility of meltdown via natural disasters is a chilling prospect that has more than a few Americans’ losing sleep.

The Indian Point nuclear power plant, located thirty eight miles north of New York City, remains a top concern for residents of New York and New Jersey. For years the plant has operated with little notoriety, providing thirty percent of the power diverted to New York City and Westchester County. Owned and operated by Entergy Nuclear Northeast, the plant utilizes two operating reactors built between 1974 and 1976.The reactors, designated Indian Point 2 and Indian Point 3, produce 2000 megawatts and employ 1,683 workers in their operation. However, despite the facilities uneventful history, recent discoveries regarding fault lines gives officials’ new reason for concern.

Researchers from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have located a previously active seismic zone running from Connecticut, into the Hudson Valley, and under the plant. The fault, appropriately dubbed “The Ramapo Fault” proves a serious concern regarding the possibility of nuclear catastrophe. If such an incident was to occur along this fault, the consequences would be horrific. "Frankly, that was surprising to me," stated New York’s Governor Cuomo. "One normally doesn't think of earthquakes and New York in the same breath."

Officials at the plant stress that speculations of these kinds are completely ungrounded. "… only if a tsunami could make its way up New York Harbor and the Hudson River, somehow avoid New York City, and drench our plant," said Jim Streets, director of communications at Entergy Nuclear Northeast. "It just doesn't seem very realistic to me," continued Streets, who claimed the chances of a rector failing in this manner are minuscule at best. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which regulates the plants, reassures citizens that the facility is built to withstand an earthquake measuring a 6.1, larger than any quake ever recorded in the area.

Still, despite reassuring words from plant officials, the risk of nuclear fallout in one of the densest areas of the nation is more than enough to keep citizens on their toes. "It should be closed,” Gov. Cuomo continued. “This plant in this proximity to the city was never a good risk." Supporters of the plants closing may be in luck as the NRC announced recently that the plants operating licenses are up for review in 2013 and 2015. "We're going to do a systematic and methodical review of the information,” stated an NRC spokesperson. “If we need to make changes to our program, we'll make changes."

Eco-Center Planned for Morristown

2011-04-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

By Courtney Leiva

Morristown is full of good food, eclectic stores, and lots of history. But now the trendy New Jersey town might be able add sustainable to that list.

In March it was reported in an excellent article at MorristownGreen.com that the township of Morristown announced the possibility that the old Mini-Cooper dealership on Bank Street would be converted into a 20,000-square feet green facility.

Plans for the center include “an organic restaurant, commercial kitchen, rooftop greenhouses (which will supply some of the food for the restaurant), retail stores, and a place for arts, educational, and cultural events,” according to MorristownGreen.com.

The project will be a joint venture with building owner Jack McDonald, the Sustainable Business Incubator of New Jersey, and community investors, as reported by Ecomotown.com

The project was met with praise, especially by Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty.

“It’s a very interesting concept, especially the idea of an organic restaurant. I think that would be well received by the community. So would the gardens, and the class space. And it would still be a tax-paying entity. I look forward to another meeting with them,” Dougherty said to MorristownGreen.com.

However, the project still needs public support according to one of the project’s creators’ Jonathan Cloud.

“The most important thing for us right now is to consult with the community and see if there is enough public support to move forward,” said Cloud, senior fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Enterprise at Fairleigh Dickinson University, to MorristownGreen.com

Morristown has had green incentives in the past.

According to the article, Mayor Dougherty hired Jonathan Rose Companies as town planners. Jonathan Rose Companies is a green real estate policy, planning, development, and civic development and investment firm.

The Mayor was also reported in the article to have created the Office of Sustainability with funding from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation in February of 2009 The town’s efforts have earned it a seal of approval from Sustainable Jersey as Morristown Memorial Hospital and the Hyatt Morristown perform large-scale recycling of food wastes.

Although the project is recycling a building, renovations of the Mini Cooper dealership are expected to cost anywhere near $1 and $2 million.

The project is still in its earliest planning stages, but creators hope that the project will soon come into fruition.

The Continuing Legacy of Agent Orange

2011-04-12T08:29:00.001-07:00

By Lindsey de Stefan

Agent Orange was used during the Vietnam War from the early 1960s to early 1970s as a form of herbicidal warfare. The immediate goal of this chemical was to deforest many areas of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, depriving those utilizing the guerilla warfare tactic of effective hiding places. But during its decade-long use, Agent Orange had a devastating effect that the United States military could not have predicted.

Innumerable American soldiers, Vietnamese, Laotians, and others living in that part of Asia at the time were severely impacted by the unrestricted spraying of Agent Orange. A contaminant in Agent Orange, dioxin, as we now know, is extremely toxic and detrimental to the health of humans who come in contact with it. This can include but is not limited to: those who got the chemical on their skin, those who consumed food or water contaminated with the chemical, and those who breathe in the herbicide.

The effects of Agent Orange are vast, as stated in a report by the BBC in the 1990s. In children born to parents exposed to the herbicide, it can cause deformation, mental disabilities, extra fingers and toes, hernias, and cleft palate. Adults exposed to the chemical may experience cancer, nerve, skin, digestive, respiratory disorders, and even death.

The United States government has yet to truly compensate those impacted by the widespread and prolonged use to this potentially fatal chemical, particularly our own veterans. The effects are still being felt today. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, grandchildren of Vietnam War veterans can continue to experience the above listed medical problems, such as extra appendages, because of indirect Agent Orange exposure. It is a crying shame that those who served so dutifully for our country cannot receive the appropriate care and consideration they deserve from their own government.

Agent Orange's Reach to the Next Generation

2011-04-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

By Virginia DiBianca

During the1960s and early 1970s, if a boy was not going to college, he was going to Vietnam. The war was not very popular at home and this Asian country was a far cry from the more appealing images of World War II Europe or the beaches of the South Pacific. Vietnam, for many Americans, was a name and land as unheard of as the herbicide Agent Orange that was meant to destroy the foliage the enemy hid behind.

Vietnam has a tropical climate where a monsoon rainy season lasts from May to September creating forestry foliage. The Vietcong took advantage of their natural habitat and hid from their adversaries, the Americans and South Vietnamese. In an attempt to destroy this natural cover, the American military sprayed an abundant amount of the herbicide labeled Agent Orange, which included the highly toxin chemical, dioxin. This powerful herbicide was mixed, transported and sprayed by the servicemen from 1962 to 1971. It was not until after the war ended and reports of serious illnesses were recorded that many war veterans made the connection to Agent Orange.

In August of 2010, the veterans’ organization Vietnam Veterans of America held a conference in Orlando, Florida where the key topic was the exposure of Agent Orange to Vietnam Veterans and its effects on the children of these veterans. While the connection seems obvious, in the medical community, there is still disagreement as to whether dioxin is responsible for the mental and physical disabilities on future generations. Arnold Schecter, a professor of environmental and occupational health science at the University of Texas School of Public Health claims the relationship between Agent Orange and the health problems of the children of those exposed is unsubstantiated even though fathers and mothers who had direct contact with the herbicide have children with serious diseases and disabilities.

Betty Mekdeci, executive director of Birth Defect Research for Children, of Celebration, Florida disagrees and contends that the research is gaining strength towards proving the relationship. Mekdeci, who created a national birth defect registry, feels that the reason the relationship has not been confirmed is that reliable testing is costly and not available in any more than three labs in the world. As reported in The VVA Veteran magazine, children of Vietnam vets are beginning to come forward to report their health problems.

The conference organizers hope to bring more awareness to the health issues associated with Agent Orange through a series of town hall meetings, which were scheduled to start in October 2010 in California. Educating the public, they hope, will be a major boost to supporting the effort of recognizing that the toxic power of Agent Orange not only killed the foliage but also left its mark on the future of even the strongest soldiers who fought in Vietnam.

For further information:
The Agent Orange News site:
http://agent-orange-news.newslib.com/story/3980-3247651/

Veterans Not Only Ones Worrying About Agent Orange Side Effects

2011-04-08T06:44:00.001-07:00

By Brittany Shann

Veterans of the Vietnam War have been unfortunately known to have side effects as a result of Agent Orange exposure, but others have reported suffering the same side effects – hydro workers from Manitoulin in Ontario, Canada.

Last month, the Manitoulin Expositor reported that these hydro workers had jobs that consisted of spraying the power transmission lines with chemicals to kill the vegetation. Their job was similar to that of soldiers in Vietnam who sprayed the same chemical herbicides in order to leave the enemy at the disadvantage of having no place to hide. Unfortunately, these workers were not told of the danger behind chemical exposure. They weren’t even given any protective clothing to wear – just goggles, which they often removed if it got too hot. Additionally, they often sprayed each other with the mist, in order to cool off, because of the high temperatures in the summer. They were being directly exposed to these chemicals with no warning or guidance about the dangerous effects that could potentially occur.

"We knew we were using a chemical but we were told then that it was safe," said Ron Towns of Little Current, whose 39-year career with Ontario Hydro commenced in 1951. "When I first started with a spraying crew, there was no protective clothing except for a hard hat, and when it got hot you took your shirt off. If it got real warm, you'd spray each other a little bit."

Later on in life, many of these men began experiencing health problems like heart and kidney problems, thyroid problems, infertility, and cancer. Nobody acknowledged these problems as a side effect of Agent Orange exposure. None of the workers even made a connection that their jobs as young adults wreaked havoc on their golden years.

As news stories about Agent Orange health issues caught their attention, they began to make the correlation between the chemical exposure and the abundant health problems. Unfortunately, at that point, nothing could be done. Some had already died from cancer – before they even hit 55.

The soldiers who fought in the war also experienced severe side effects later in their lives, but those who were doing simple jobs in Canadian forests were also forced to surrender to the exposure. Those incidents were also covered up or hidden from the workers – just like those in the war. In fact, the hydro workers were never even given a fair warning.

Perhaps the effects of Agent Orange were unknown to those using it, which is why so many people were unsafely exposed to it. Perhaps those involved didn’t think the “little people” needed to know that these chemicals could eventually kill them. Whichever it was, many of those involved in the war effort – on any level – have contracted incurable diseases or have spent their lives battling various health problems. They deserve to know what happened and they deserve to know why it was so well hidden from them.

For more information:
http://www.manitoulin.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=615:agent-orange-debate-concerns-retired-island-hydro-foresters-&catid=34:stories
or
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/03/09/agent-orange-debate-concerns-retired-island-hydro-foresters/

Bistate River Commission Bill Aims to Sort out Flood Problems Once and For All

2011-04-08T04:55:00.000-07:00

By John Clancey

In the wake of this past month’s floods, local officials have called for new legislation regarding water management. On March 7 New Jersey Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee approved bipartisan legislation that would create a Bistate River Commission for coordinated flood management with communities within Rockland County. The newly created commission would not only look for new ways to prevent flood damage but protect the rivers and streams as well.

"We have been fighting flooding problems along our streams and reservoirs for years," stated Assembly Republican Charlotte Vandervalk(Hillsdale), one of the bills prime sponsors. "While we respect geographic boundaries, overflowing water does not."

The legislation proposes to create an 18-member Commission dedicated to the cooperation of governments in both New Jersey and New York. This commission, selected by elected officials of both parties and states, would protect streams flowing south from Rockland County into Bergen County. These waterways include the Hackensack River, Sparkill Brook, Saddle River, Ramapo River as well as their tributaries and flood prone communities.

The bill’s other primary supporter, Assembly Republican Bob Schroeder (Township of Washington), stated, “Now, our communities can work together to resolve flooding issues in an inclusive, holistic way."

The much needed bill comes as a great relief to local residents who for years have been at the mercy of flash floods and crippling water damage. Stories of residents catching trout in their basement, while farfetched, are not uncommon. Storms like Hurricane Floyd have ravaged the area in the past, turning local parking lots into sizable watering holes. With this bill in place, supporters suggest resident can look forward to a day when all those things are just a product of the past.

Perhaps even more interesting is the committee’s proposed Commission’s focus on environmental protection. In a region that is marked with the constant development of new housing, local water ways have indeed suffered. For towns to battle this ongoing pollution it is key to collaborate cleanup efforts in order to void redundant re pollution. "It makes no sense for a community to desilt and desnag its streams only to have an upstream neighbor literally 'muddy the waters',” stated Vandervalk. “What happens upstream in New York affects us downstream here in New Jersey.”

The bill looks to usher in a new age of collaboration and environmental responsibility for both states. It marks a turning point in both waterway management and social responsibility. "Stream management and flooding mitigation are ongoing problems that require ongoing efforts," concluded Schroeder. “We need a regional approach if we are truly going to get a handle on the problem. This bill will put us a long way toward that goal."

Veterans Seek Justice to Agent Orange

2011-04-08T04:07:00.000-07:00

By Deanna Dunsmuir

More than 19 million barrels of the herbicidal chemical Agent Orange was sprayed throughout the four military points during the Vietnam War under operation Ranch Hand. The spraying of the herbicide was used as a military tactic to level the land, in order to eliminate guerilla warfare by the Vietnamese.

PHOTO SOURCE: FFRD.ORG
U.S. Military Planes spraying Agent Orange during operation Ranch Hand

Although the tactic may have worked in the U.S.’s favor, the effects have proven to produce cancers, birth defects, and types of lymphoma, among other diseases. As a result, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has agreed to compensate qualifying veterans for their illnesses.

In order to qualify a veteran must have, “visited Vietnam even briefly anytime between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975.”

This includes, “Brown Water Veterans: Navy and Coast Guard Veterans who served aboard smaller river patrol and swift boats that operated on the inland waterways of Vietnam anytime between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975,” according to the VA’s website.

Although the dangerous herbicide was used into the 70’s, Peter Schuck, author of Agent Orange on Trial: Mass Toxic Disasters in Courts, wrote, “ Internal memoranda revealed Monsanto Corporation (a manufacturer of 2,4,5-T) had informed the U.S. government as early as 1952 that 2,4,5-T was contaminated with a toxic chemical.”

Even though it has been almost 40 years since the spraying of Agent Orange in Vietnam, new side effects continue to surface.

On February 20, Sheree Evans, a widow of a Vietnam veteran, finally succeeded on her promise to her husband to link brain cancer, Glioblastoma Multiforme (GM), to the dangerous war chemical. Her husband passed away from GM just shy of the ruling. Although not officially added to the list of diseases, the court ruled in the favor of Evans due to enough evidence to offer benefit of the doubt to the jurors.

As veterans strive for connections and answers to the once widely used spray, blogs are exploding with stories of sicknesses; such blogs include “Cold War Veterans Blog” and "Voices for Agent Orange Victims". Still, U.S. war veterans who had come in contact with the chemical are searching for answers to not just their own illnesses, but their grand children’s as well.

PHOTO SOURCE: FOXRIVERWATCH.COM
Agent Orange effects passed on to children of U.S. Vietnam War veterans

In 2010 it was ruled by Secretary Eric Shinseki that “Parkinson’s Disease, Hairy Cell and other Chronic B-Cell Leukemia, and Ischemic Heart Disease[‘s]” have enough evidence to be linked to agent orange as well, according to whitehouse.gov.

Shinseki also added that, “As many as 150,000 Veterans may submit Agent Orange claims in the next 12 to 18 months. Additionally, VA will review approximately 90,000 previously denied claims from Vietnam Veterans for service connection for these three new diseases.”

Adding that, “This rule is long overdue. It delivers justice to those who have suffered from Agent Orange’s toxic effects for 40 years.”

Decades later the VA is taking steps to compensate the victims. The VA currently offers health care benefits, an Agent Orange health examination, and disability compensation, along with home loans, rehabilitation and even education scholarships for those that qualify. Children of survivors with diseases such as spina bifida or other birth defects linked to the chemical are eligible for benefits as well.

NJ Environmental Federation's 25th Anniversary Conference

2011-04-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:
Jenny Vickers
New Jersey Environmental Federation
1002 Ocean Avenue
Belmar, NJ 07719
732-280-8988

NJ Environmental Federation’s 25th Anniversary Conference

Newark, NJ- May 14, 2011- Smart, Green & Clean: Practical Environmental Solutions in the 21st Century is this year’s theme which will emphasize smart, green, and clean policies that reduce toxins in the atmosphere, prevent pollution of water and air, and promote green jobs and innovative technology.

Those in attendance will include established environmentalists such as the President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, Dr. Arjun Makhijani. Community members can learn how to bring their town into the 21st century green movement by sitting in on workshops, interacting with vendors, and meeting those new to the policies and those perfecting the practice.

There are eight workshops scheduled for the day. At the “Sustainable Landscapes” workshop, those in attendance will learn how to keep public places pesticide free, why we should use low impact fertilizer, and the benefits of building rain gardens in the community. “Solar in the City and More: New Jersey’s Sustainable Energy Future” introduces solar projects including the challenges and successes of those already implemented in Newark. “SAFER Chemicals, Healthy Families” is a workshop that brings light to the harmful effects of toxic consumer products and the alternatives that are already being adopted across the United States.
Register before April 30th for only $25; this includes breakfast, lunch, workshops, and the reception.

NJ Environmental Federation (NJEF), the NJ chapter of Clean Water Action, is a non-profit, action-oriented organization with nearly 100,000 individual members and over 100 environmental, community, religious, labor and student member groups. The organization educates, trains, and advocates cleaning the earth, water, and air and keeping it clean.

By Jessica Vasquez
###

Stop Mahwah Mall or Stop Mahwah Council?

2011-04-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

By Jessica Vasquez

For some weeks now, there has been a group dedicated to spreading the word on talk of a new development in Mahwah, NJ. They call themselves "Stop Mahwah Mall" and the name says it all. While the idea may have teens and mall workers anxious, this plan is rubbing Mahwah residents the wrong way.

From afar, building a new mall in these times seems like an easy decision. More stores in the area means more money going back into the economy, right? Unfortunately, that is a very small point and not proven at all. Instead, the greatest concern is the negative effects such a building would bring to Mahwah.

The site for the plan is located at an intersection of Route 17 and Route 287. Other than a mall, the space would also be developed into office spaces. What does this mean for the area? More traffic, more pollution, and the speculation of more crime. Also, the site is flood prone; resident know this for certain as they have experienced it firsthand. Mahwah residents argue that this plan would decrease the value of their homes, as well. In these times, we can use all the value we can get.

The representative of Mahwah Council were voted by the people, but in this case, they are not giving the people what they want. At a council meeting on Thursday, March 31 over 400 concerned residents were in attendance. When the floor was open to comments and questions, a line wrapped around the already crowded room. Several reasons were given to vote against the building plan. Those at the deciding table were urge to "do the right thing."

Councilmen declare that the project will give back to the community down the road and it will take some patience and sacrifice in the meantime. Residents are not having it, though. They are looking into the instant, not the distant, possible future.

When it came down to it, the plan was approved 4-2. It's no surprise that this surprised the residents. They shouted their disgust, and questioned their representatives. There was mention of hiring a lawyer to file a lawsuit against the township.

This story can be followed on the protesting group's webpage which is updated periodically:
no-mall-in-mahwah.webs.com

Nature's Voice - Rachel Carson

2011-04-07T18:22:00.001-07:00

By Virginia DiBianca

Wars are waged in countries over land that opponents seek to conquer and possess but there is none so great a war than the one man has waged against himself. Taking liberties with the gifts of nature, humans have created an environment of pollution and danger that has not only destroyed the environment around them but has put their own lives in jeopardy. Agencies meant to protect the average citizen appeared to be ineffective. It was Rachel Carson, writer, scientist and ecologist who, with her 1962 book Silent Spring, came to the rescue of humans and their indiscriminate use of chemicals.

Post World War II America accepted the theory put forth by government agencies that the appropriate means of controlling pests was to spray chemicals to destroy their existence. Spraying with the chemical DDT was frequently applied in areas where crops grew, in suburbs where children played and at sites near rivers and streams. In 1956, under the direction of the United States Department of Agriculture and the New York Department of Agriculture an area of Long Island became the site of an annual campaign to eliminate the gypsy moth population through a blanket spray campaign. DDT planes indiscriminately showered above dairy farms, fishponds and home gardens. Animals, fish, birds and insects of value were killed. Plant life was destroyed. As Ms Carson stated in Silent Spring, there was an attempt to stop further blanket spraying when Long Island citizens led by a famous ornithologist protested the use of DDT in court. While the case was brought up to as far as the Supreme Court, it was denied a hearing.

Another government agency, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established relaxed rules on foods that were contaminated by agricultural spraying. The FDA set a tolerance level allowing “maximum permissible limits of contamination” in foods. The agency’s ruling did not take into consideration that although individual parts of a meal might not be a threat, the entire meal made a plate of tainted products. This type of ruling led the public into a false sense of comfort.

While the public is not fully aware of the dangers of insecticides or pesticides, government agencies exist for the protection of their citizens. Assumed to be experts in their field, they are meant to provide guidelines and rulings that uphold the safety of the public. Fortunately, the common sense of the average citizen seems to prevail over the actions of government officials.

Rachel Carson not only had that common sense but the biological education and love of nature that challenged the theory that insecticides, particularly DDT and mass spraying of insecticides is safe. She courageously stood up for the safety of mankind against government agencies and chemical companies who attempted to discredit her findings. We celebrate her words with an appreciation of the poetry of nature as she wrote it.

Silent Spring: A Book That Saved Lives

2011-04-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

By Lindsey de Stefan

Silent Spring, the 1962 book by marine biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson, was one of the first steps toward an environmental movement in our nation. Carson was one of the first to explore the effects of many man-made materials on humans, plants, animal life, and ecosystems. She was the first to alert the masses that there was a serious problem that, if not rectified, could have huge consequences for us and the planet we inhabit.

Carson’s main concern was the widespread and largely uncontrolled use of pesticides in many areas of the country, particularly DDT. In the 1960s, these chemicals, some of which were discovered as effective insect killers during World War II, were falsely thought to be harmful only to bugs, not to humans, plant life, or animals. Carson proved this to be false, citing many cases of accidental death due to exposure to these highly hazardous chemicals.

Carson also explained the scary truth that nearly everyone could be exposed to and potentially harmed by these chemicals, even if they had been nowhere near them, if they leak into our surface and ground water. Once these chemicals are in the water, there is apparently no effective way to get them out. And as many of us know, if you contaminate water in just one tiny area, it can spread through a far greater expanse.

Carson’s research and Silent Spring were certainly important to our current environmental and "green" movement. She pointed out the real dangers that pesticides hold which, for some decades before her work, had gone totally unnoticed. It is probably true that, had Carson not done what she did, someone eventually would have seen the hazards of these pesticides and their unrestricted use. But how many more people would have died? How damaged would our ecosystems have been by that point? How many fish would be floating dead in streams and ponds, and birds falling from the sky?

Carson was truly an instrumental individual in the movement that has largely rid our society of many, but not all of these hazards. Silent Spring could potentially be the savior of innumerable Americans who could have died if these dangers had not been brought to the attention of our nation.

The Highlands Conservation Act in 2011

2011-04-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

By Lorraine Metz

Since June of 2008 the New Jersey Highlands Regional Master Plan has been in effect. It is part of a larger, four-state effort to protect water supply areas in Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania, as well. It’s an important act that will help conserve the land and resources of the Highlands Region. According to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, this region spans a 3.5 million-acre area that is important in the well-being of our environment and directly impacts our communities to save and keep our drinking water clean. Because of legislation that President Bush signed in 2004, $10 million per-fiscal year between 2005 and 2014 are to be appropriated by the Secretary of Interior to help preserve land in the Highlands, according to the NJ highlands Council.

In New Jersey the Highlands Region includes an 859,358 acre area encompassing88 municipalities. Information provided by the NJ Highlands Council also includes a well researched assessment of the land including surface and ground water, open space, farmland and recreation. In New Jersey we depend on the Highlands to supply 65% of our drinking water which serves 5.4 million residents.

While focus on the streams, rivers, lakes and reservoirs are crucial, the Highlands Act also addresses other aspects of the region including forests which help with surface water filtration as well as habitats for animal and plant species. Due to urbanization as well as commercial and residential building there has been a loss of agricultural lands. The Farmland preservation program has helped the Highlands region by preserving acres of land useful in the ecology of the region.

Since the Highlands Act now includes a Master Plan, we can count on our communities to be protected restored and nourished. Not all Highlands communities have agreed to the plan and New Jersey is offering benefits to those communities that will become a part of the act. New Jersey promises legal benefits including legal representations and help with town ordinances as well as their local zoning decisions. The state also provides grants to help with the process.

At the end of 2010, New Jersey released a letter stating that four more towns and a county were approved for conformance with the Highlands Plan. These communities, all approved on December 16th, were Mahwah Township, Bethlehem Township, Califon Borough and Glen Gardner Borough. Also recently approved were Byram Township, Chester Township, Hampton Borough and Lebanon Borough. After these groups in December were approved, the number of municipalities involved in the program rose to 59 of the 88 municipalities in the region. There are still many areas in New Jersey that have yet to conform to the Highlands Plan including most of Morris County, which is the center of the Highlands region.

While there are still municipalities that have yet to submit a plan to conform local zoning to the regional master plan, the Highlands Council is hopeful that eventually all 88 municipalities will approve of the act and allow the Highlands Regional Master Plan to take total effect in helping protect our water supply land.

For more information:

If your community is not yet involved in the Highlands Regional Master Plan more information on your area as well as petitions are available at - http://www.highlands.state.nj.us/njhighlands/planconformance/index_municipal.html

For a look at the tracking sheet of ongoing projects in the Highlands Region -http://www.highlands.state.nj.us/njhighlands/projectreview/pr_tracking_sheet.pdf

Pepsi Goes Green

2011-04-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

By Courtney Leiva

Pepsi made the decision to create a plastic drinking bottle made from entirely plant based materials.

According to ABC news, the popular beverage company is going to develop its first plastic bottle made of nothing but renewable materials such as corn husks, switch grass, and pine bark. The company also plans to use its own food by products such as orange and potato peels from their other business such as Tropicana and Frito Lay Chips.

Pepsi’s decision is no doubt a greener one, as plant based products are proven to have fewer effects on the environment.

In a 2010 study conducted by the University of Pittsburg, bottles made with plant based plastics were found to be less toxic and more biodegradable in comparison to bottles made with petroleum.

Although Pepsi’s announcement seems to be a groundbreaking one, Pepsi’s rival company, Coca-Cola once made a plant based drinking bottle launched in the year 2009.

Production process was described by Coke as “an innovative process that turns sugar cane and molasses, a by product of sugar production, into a key component for PET(polyethylene terephtalate) plastic.” Coke’s “PlantBottle” was made from only 30 percent plant based materials.

In comparison and nearly a year later, Pepsi’s bottle which will be made from 100 per cent plant based materials. In a recently released statement by the company, Coke was still years away from a 100 percent plant based bottle.

Pepsi’s own plant based PET bottle looks and feels like the structure of petroleum based bottles even though it does not use or deplete the natural resource.

Although this does mean that Pepsi is trying to reduce their carbon footprint, the issue of the continued use and waste of PET plastic consumption is still at large.

Over the years plastic bottle production has had a harmful effect on our environment. Most plastic drinking bottles are made from petroleum, a non renewable resource. Plastic bottle production depletes these fossil fuels as it requires lots of energy just to make one single plastic bottle.

In 2001, the World Wide Nature Fund reported that roughly 1.5 million tons of plastic were used in the production of bottling about 89 billion liters of water each year. That was only ten years ago. Imagine what this figure is like now in 2011!

Pepsi’s newest bottle will be recyclable but not compostable or biodegradable. Unfortunately this means that bottle, like most plastic bottles, will probably end up in a landfill somewhere.

Pepsi’s greener efforts however, should not be ignored.

Pepsi’s decision has received much praise as Allen Hershkowitz from the Natural Resources Defense council said, “It was the beginning of the end for petroleum-based plastic bottles.”

Pepsi has also developed other green food products. Frito-Lay, for example, launched the very first compostable Sun Chips bag according to USA Today.

In 2009, Naked Juice, changed its original packaging to create ‘reNEWabottles’, which are made from 100 percent post consumer recycled PET resin.

Look for Pepsi’s plant bottles are expected to hit stores sometime in 2012.

Climate Change Vs. Global Warming – What’s Happening to our Planet?

2011-04-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

To the editor:

While looking at our thermostats and the weather outside our windows, I think it’s most important that we remember the difference between climate change and global warming. While Al Gore and many other influential members of our society have declared that our rising temperatures and impressive storms are caused by global warming, it’s much easier to prove that our planet is in fact being affected by climate change.

After taking a course at Rowan University on the topic of climate change, it has come to my attention that global warming seems to be a much more used and common term than climate change and it’s important for people to know the differences between the two. Global warming is often associated with human causes for heat-related impacts including pollution and the ever-popular green house gasses. Climate change is more associated with natural occurrences of our Earth including ranging impacts such as hot summers, freezing winters and other extreme natural occurrences.

Throughout the Earth’s history, it has experienced climate change a number of times. The United States Environmental Protection Agency notes on their website three examples of climate change in the past 2,000 years. This includes The Medieval Climate Anomaly that took place between 900 and 1300 AD. Historical accounts document that Europe, Greenland and Asia experienced relative warmth while the Western region had unusually dry conditions. The Little Ice Age between 1500 and 1850 experienced temperatures that were on average two degrees colder than today. The Industrial Era has erupted in the last 100 years and it has been a warm period. There have been substantial increases in greenhouse gasses during this time, so it is possible for some of our problems to be caused by global warming, but to disregard the possibility of climate change is absurd.

I believe it important that people are aware that global warming itself cannot be proven as it is a current theory. While it is important for the people of the world to be involved with current and relevant issues, alarmist mentalities and false information won’t help. It’s discouraging that news sources, politicians and other people of influence use propaganda (remember those ever so popular photographs of polar bears on tiny sheets of ice) to get their point across. With information that isn’t 100 percent reliable or accurate, the population must remember to do their own research and reach their own conclusions. It’s the responsibility of journalists to feed information to the public without bias or misrepresentation.

Our planet has certainly experienced climate changes as well as horrific and extreme weather conditions such as tsunamis, earthquakes and floods. Despite my cry for people to not jump to conclusions on global warming, I do believe that we should all be taking our own personal steps to help keep our planet safe and as green as possible. We all have a responsibility to keep our home environment as clean and safe as we can.

Lorraine Metz

Rachel Carson: Strong Environmentalist, Despite Controversy

2011-04-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

By Brittany Shann

Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring is an environmental work that not only empowered the environmental movement but caused much controversy around the very organizations that Carson was demonizing. In my opinion, the best works are the ones that cause the most controversy. Of course, there was a tremendous uproar around those whose legitimacy was threatened – the pesticide companies and the chemical industry in general. Silent Spring held these entities responsible and brought light onto what it was they did and the problems they caused.

Though a capitalist would say that Carson’s crucifixion of the chemical companies would threaten productivity and success, a believer in democracy would say it’s Carson’s right to criticize her enemies. I may or may not agree with Carson and the outcomes of Silent Spring, but the process of writing the book, publishing it, and generating a reaction is the most admirable and respectable aspect. Carson was not afraid of what would happen upon the success of her book; she just simply hoped it would garner some type of attention and potentially action among her constituents.

Additionally, Carson faced criticism with poise and composure, earning her more respect in my eyes as well as her fans’ eyes. She set herself up to be criticized and picked apart but she was prepared to counter any accusations about her credibility from the media or from the chemical companies themselves.

When someone is fearless enough to publish something that attacks the corporations that fuel our farming industry, it shows that they are devoted to their beliefs. Carson didn’t falter under pressure or criticism; in fact, she stayed true to her cause and what she believed in.

Whether or not the reader agrees with what the writer is saying is irrelevant; what’s important is the impact the writer had on the public and how the writer handled any backlash or criticism. Since Carson was successful in generating a reaction – both positive and negative – she was successful in her mission, which makes her and the book both admirable and respectable.

College Life's No Impact Challenge

2011-04-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

By Jessica Vasquez

In 2007, a small family carried out a year-long experiment to make no net impact on the environment. It would be one thing if the family lived in the country side, but here comes the punch: Colin Beavan, wife Michelle, and 2-year-old daughter Isabella live in the heart of New York City! Where carbon emissions are at their highest, Colin initiated the challenge as a way of putting his money where his mouth is. People talk about the actions that must be taken to change global warming or what is now referred to as climate change. Colin was done with talk and waiting for higher powers such as government to lead the way. What started gradually as using only self-propelled transportation, cutting meat out of their diet, and turning off the electricity in their home for a year has become a lifestyle for the family.

Since then, Colin Beavan has blogged his “no impact man” journey (http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/), written a book, and starred in a documentary that premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2009. In sharing his story, Colin encourages others to do what they can, understanding that not everyone will go months without toilet paper as the family eventually did.

April marks the month of Earth Day, a time when people educate themselves on the environment and give back to Mother Earth. While it may seem like a challenge that will defeat us, it is in the best interest of the human race that we each change our habits for the better of the environment. Each step we take today has a grand effect tomorrow, and by tomorrow I mean years from now. It is scary to think that at one time, environmentalists and scientists thought that no immediate effect meant no effect, end of story. Some horrible things happen months or years after the cause and the best we can do is to learn from our mistakes and adjust our ways now.

As a resident at Ramapo College of New Jersey, I am living in an established dormitory, on a campus that is secluded from grocery stores and other material shops, the closest being about 10 miles away. Changing some habits can be difficult here, but with multiple student- run organizations working towards a “green” community, it is not impossible. Below are just a few tips towards going green while living on campus, in an off-campus apartment, or commuting.

Turn Off and Unplug

Colin’s family rid their house of television, and months into the experiment they shut off their home’s electricity. If you are not ready to read in the dark or you can’t live without your favorite television series just yet, here are some tips that won’t jeopardize your eye sight or pop culture knowledge.

When not using something, turn these things off. If this device is plugged into a wall, unplug it while it is not in use. This includes lights and faucets, radios and television sets in the dorm room, and laptops used in a dorm or around campus. This also applies to electrical device chargers. You can make the most of your device’s battery life by charging it only after the battery has died. Keeping something plugged in while it is in turned off still consumes electricity. Turning off and unplugging not only conserves electricity and water, but cuts down on utilities bills and conserves your battery or light bulb life.

Transporting the Message

The first day of the “no impact man” challenge cut out transportation that relies on electricity or that releases carbon emissions into the air. This had the family walking to work, and only using stairs to travel within buildings. Self-propelled transportation produces no carbon emissions and even gives you a work out.

At school, take the stairs those couple of flights when moving between floors. Do your best to use elevators only when you have a big load to carry. Walk or ride (use a bicycle, skate board, roller blades, or a scooter) to and from campus. When these ways of transportation are not an option (in the case of a long journey) carpool or use mass-transit to cut back on the carbon emissions released into the atmosphere as well as traffic on the roads.

Ramapo College offers a shuttle bus to the nearby shopping centers and train station. The bus to and from New York City also makes daily trips from campus. Just as well, there are several taxi services in the area that are available when the shuttle is not.

When driving your car somewhere, plan out your route. Take into consideration the time, weather conditions, and road construction to avoid traffic and detours. Taking the shortest route means less time your car is releasing emissions, means less gas used, means the longer you can use that tank before filling up again. It also means no rushing which will in turn keep you a safe and cautious driver. If you are commuting to school, think of the class time schedules. Arriving just as classes are getting out means fewer time idling or driving in circles and a more ideal opportunity to find a space sooner, saving you from running to class for that exam or presentation. At Ramapo College, the last thing you want to do is run to the academics building when the pathways are icy or even on a hot day when the journey uphill from the parking lot is twice as exhausting!

Balance Your Impact

The key word in the “no impact man” experiment is no net impact. Balancing negative actions with positive actions results in zero net impact. During the initial year experiment, Colin and his family gave back to the Earth by cleaning beaches and planting trees. You can do these same things and more in your own community by contacting your local environmental activist group.

Ramapo College has two ways of going about this. The first is contacting the Community Services Center. This will inform you of the ways you can give back to your community, and some of these projects contribute to the environment. The college also has an organization called 1STEP: Students Together for Environmental Progress. According to the club description “1STEP works to make positive, measurable changes on the Ramapo College campus by promoting a sustainable environment. We take small steps that turn into big results in reducing carbon emissions, college costs and preserving the environment.” Since the founding in 2009, this student run group still hosts residence area competitions to bring residents together in conserving energy, picks up recycling in the residence areas to sort these items properly, and has rid plastic bags at the campus convenience stores to encourage the use of reusable bags.

Reuse, Reduce

Big-time consumer Michelle faced a big challenge when, as part of the no impact project, she gave up buying anything new. Also, the couple adjusted their diet to exclude meats and seafood. They only purchased locally produced food and beverages. This was to support local farmers and cut back on the emissions contributed to the atmosphere when transporting foods over a long distance. Yet, even at the Farmers’ Market, where they bought their groceries, Colin found something that did not suit his mission: unnecessary individual packaging that would only become waste.

While it can be difficult to come by a locally produced diet at college, there are options aside from cafeteria food. If you live on campus, research where your nearest farmers’ market is located whether this be an outdoor street fair set up every weekend, or a shop that is open daily. Such foods can be prepared at home or in residence hall kitchens. Most schools provide a microwave in the dining area to support “brown bagging” a portable lunch.

Still haven’t mastered crafting that caramel latte that you can only find on campus? No need to give it up to save from adding another paper cup to a landfill. Instead, invest in a thermos. The Ramapo College book store sells these and reusable cups complete with straws and lids for cold beverages as well. These cups are a great asset for sporting events, too, whether you are a spectator or an athlete keeping warm or hydrated.

Starting the Trend

These are just a few steps to consider when beginning your green transition during your college years. Attempting the no net impact challenge is just that, a challenge, no matter where you live, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try to reduce or contribute in a positive way. Although you may think that what you are doing is small, it is that fact that you are doing something that counts most. If your school does not have a group on campus to educate others about a green college environment, talk to your clubs and organizations committee to pioneer the first one! There’s no better time to start the change for a greener tomorrow than today!

Silent Spring Echoes Reach 2011

2011-04-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

By Deanna Dunsmuir

Rachel Carson begins her story “Silent Spring” with a cautionary tale of a suburban area turned to a land of destroyed life and resources.

“The countryside that once looked so pretty now looked dry and withered,” she wrote.

“People noticed a fine, white dust had settled all over the leaves and in the gutters of their houses. The problem with this land didn’t come from witchcraft, but from the people themselves.”

Carson’s words send a chill to the reader with a scene reminiscent of Requiem for a Dream’s conclusion to drug abuse. However, if such a desolate effect is not enough to motivate readers to pay attention to dangerous chemicals, than the rest of the book will surely sway their minds.

PHOTO SOURCE: rachelcarson.org

Chemicals mentioned include Strontium 90 and DDT, among many others. Such chemicals, she points out, cannot be removed from the Earth once they are put in it.

Turning a blind eye to such disastrous chemicals in the present may seem all too easy; however, seeing the repercussions will come at a time when it is all too late.

Insecticides or biocides, nuclear chemicals, and arsenic are mentioned to be used in a plethora of ways during the time of the author’s publication. Such chemicals were ingredients in weight loss drugs, government approved insecticide sprays and used during World War II.

Scarily, the effects of some of these chemicals are still yet to be known; as measuring how much is contaminated can only come through time.

“This problem of synthetic chemicals being released into the environment and then being transformed into other chemicals by the natural processes of air, light, and water on them is far reaching,” Carson writes, of the 2,4-D found in some farmer’s wells.

If the author’s point seems like an exaggerated account one only has to look to the Pompton Lakes area and the Dupont cleanup to see her words are right on the money. As of early March 50 residents filed a suit against Dupont claiming illness and unrest over the toxic chemicals leaked back in the 1920’s from E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company’s toxic waste.

PHOTO SOURCE: DAVID BERGELAND staff photographer of The Record

Aside from presenting scientific research and projections the author also discusses alternatives to using dangerous chemicals.

“Another long-term solution would be to use a variety of trees instead of planting only one kind. That way, if something attacks one variety, it will be unlikely to wipe out all the landscaping trees of a town or city,” the author writes, as a strategy for limiting chemical spray affects.

As a first time reader of Silent Spring I can honestly say that I am deeply grateful for Carson and this stories’ publication. If nothing else is learned from this story citizens must realize that government does not typically set guidelines and regulations on themselves-it is done by force of the people.

The case Carson presents and the current case of DuPont/ Pompton Lakes residents calling for clean up of the dangerous chemical vapors seeping through their homes, connect in that chemicals were said to be safe by government until proven otherwise by side effects.

Thinking about what that time period must have been like, and if I were reading this book in 1962, I would have been terrified to have been a pioneer in the fight for chemical regulations.

Environmental Reporting: Tips from an Editor

2011-04-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

By Courtney Leiva

As a student-journalist approaching graduation, I often wonder what happens when we enter the next phase of life that most call the real world.

For some of us, that real world might be writing on the latest styles and fashions, while for others it might tackling top political stories. One can only hope for some jobswith the direction that this job market has been going recently.

Last Friday, I got a strong whiff of the real world of working as an environmental reporter. Our sharp tongued, witty, guest speaker, Claude Deltieure, an assignment editor at The Record, gave us the nuts and the bolts of environmental journalism.

As we all know, the environment is more important now than ever I learned that environmental journalism is not just about life, death, and our natural world, but also about making a difference, understanding empathy, and the importance of critical thinking.

And our guest speaker didn’t hold back, as one of the first things he told us was that big corporations that pollute don’t care who they hurt or who they kill as long as they make a profit.

He also told us that many reporters like ourselves didn’t use critical thinking like we should. He said one reporter in his newsroom couldn’t subtract 14 from 100. That point I knew the pressure was on.

But in all hindsight, everything that he was saying was true as environmental reporters have a very important role in journalism because making a difference is what good journalism is all about.

Mr. Deliteure said there were differences made because of The Record’s environmental reporting. For example, the paper broke the story of toxic chromium found in a woman’s apartment walls. It also uncovered devious actions by a town that resulted in saving an historic site that once belonged to the Native Americans. The land was then blessed by Lenape Indians, one of the last Native American tribes in New Jersey, who were driven out to Oklahoma.

He noted the persistent efforts of our professor who made a difference in reporting the wrongdoings of the Ford vehicle plant and how their toxic paint afflicted the residents of a Native American community. Our teacher was up for the Pulitzer Prize. That was something also I had no idea about.

Overall, my eyes were open last Friday morning as I got a big dose of reality of the world of a environmental reporter and learned most of all that good reporting isn’t telling the top stories but telling what is going to happen next because of those top stories.

Here are some tips I picked up from last Friday’s guest speaker.

•Always think critically. Break down your story. Ask yourself if this is so what can it be? Did the government do its job?

•Learn the law and always think of the law when dealing with environmentally related stores.

•Avoid narrative journalism, instead of reporting what happened last night, report on what happens tomorrow because of last night.

•Always use common sense and try to see the bigger picture when it comes to reporting.

•Localize your story. It helps readers relate to the topic as well as helping them visualize how this story affects them.

Ramapo College Students Take Charge at Gearing Up For Power Shift 2011

2011-03-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amanda Nesheiwat,
amandanesheiwat@gmail.com

Ramapo College students are mobilizing to attend Power Shift, a national conference that will teach over 10,000 young activists from across the country about the solutions to climate change and how we can put those solutions into practice. Power Shift is aiming to be this year’s largest youth gathering for environmental training in American history and it's happening in Washington, D.C. April 15-18th at the city’s convention center. It is an opportunity for the students of America to show our nation and national leaders how serious we are about a clean energy economy.

Power Shift’s agenda includes a mixture of issue briefings, trainings on organizing and advocacy, an “opportunities fair” featuring some of the country’s leading environmental employers, and built-in networking opportunities for attendees. So far, Environmental Protection Agency head, Lisa Jackson, Al Gore, our former vice president, and Bill Mckibben, author and environmentalist, have confirmed their attendance as speakers.

Ramapo College students will have an opportunity to meet with like-minded students from more than 350 other colleges to become empowered and to work towards a clean energy future. Fossil fuels are proving to be a dirty source of energy. Dangerous hydraulic fracturing, aka “hydrofracking”, is becoming more popular with false claims of its “environmentally friendly” usage and extraction. America’s energy consumption, energy waste, and energy sources are unsustainable. Clean energy is our future, if we want to have one. It’s up to the youth of America to stand up for what we believe is the best for our future. Every living creature on the planet is depending on us to set things right and stand together to show how much leadership the youth of America can offer.

Ramapo College students understand that a happy and healthy community begins with a healthy environment. Thousands of students at hundreds of colleges and universities want to show support for the environmental movement and want to see federal regulations strengthened. This will be a life changing event that will go down in history. Be part of the change and register at: http://powershift2011.org/register

Luckily, Ramapo College is taking care of our registration fee and also providing transportation, so if you’re a student at Ramapo, sign up today!

For more information, feel free to contact me at amandanesheiwat@gmail.com.
For more information about Power Shift:
www.powershift2011.org

Highlands Council Adds 100,000 Acres Under Master Plan

2011-03-30T11:14:00.001-07:00

By Brittany Shann

Town by town, a regional plan to protect water supply areas in Northern New Jersey is solidifying. On February 17, the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council announced they will more than double the amount of acreage that will be under the protection of the Highlands Regional Master Plan. They gained approval to mesh local and regional planning from three sprawling municipalities – West Milford, Rockaway Township, and Tewksbury. These approvals bring another 101,545 acres into conformance, with 83,106 in the Preservation area and 18,439 in the Planning area.

Including these newly acquired ones, the Highlands Council has approved petitions from sixteen municipalities across the New Jersey Highlands region. West Milford conformed for 51,848 acres, all in the Preservation Area; Rockaway Township conformed for 17,789 acres in the Preservation Area and 11,582 in the Planning Area; and Tewksbury conformed for 13,469 in the Preservation Area and 6,857 in the Planning Area.

There are currently 59 municipalities representing 97% of the Preservation Area and 34% of the Planning area that have submitted documents to the Highlands Council to conform local zoning with the regional master plan. Sixteen others have submitted a notice with intent to conform but have not filed a formal petition, which means they will not be granted approval until they do so. They still continue to work with the Highlands Council.

“We now have approved petitions for over one-third of the Preservation Area, which is a tremendous start to the Plan Conformance process,” Highlands Council Executive Director Eileen Swan said. “But we’re also seeing more interest from municipalities with lands in the Planning Area. To date, 10 of the 13 municipalities with Planning Area lands have voluntarily opted into conformance, including two municipalities entirely in the Planning Area. We continue to work to ensure protection of New Jersey’s critical water supplies while collaborating with municipalities to plan for a sustainable future. The fact that more municipalities are voluntarily coming into conformance shows that the program is working.”

The plans do not become effective until ten days after Governor Christie had time to read and review the minutes.

For more information, visit the Highlands Council Website at http://www.highlands.state.nj.us

Funds For Highlands Protection Running Dry

2011-03-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

By Lindsey de Stefan

Protecting the Highlands of New Jersey was established in the 2004 Highlands Act. According to the New Jersey Highlands Council website, this beautiful, spacious and bountiful area consists of some 860,000 acres spread across seven counties and 88 municipalities within the state. But this land required not only protection, but rehabilitation and revamping. Like many other precious areas of open land in our state, dedicated individuals set out to save it and were rather successful in their attempts. Various means were undergone to conserve the Highlands.

One of the most important measures was the creation of a Highlands Council. The Highlands Council was assigned the key responsibility of creating a Regional Master Plan to which all of the municipalities within the Preservation Area would be required to adhere to. A Regional Master Plan was recognized as being crucial to the protection of this critical area of our state. Eventually, in July of 2008, a plan was adopted.

Conforming to meet the standards required to conserve this area properly is costly, however. The state has promised to provide funding to assist participating municipalities in their necessary endeavors to conform to Highlands Regional Master Plan standards. This includes the cost of professional services needed to perform technical work. Up until this point, this has been more or less of a success with a 95% cooperation rate of all municipalities within the Preservation Area, according to the Highlands Council site.

But now there is a problem. New Jersey Governor Christie’s administration is seeking to cut the funding for the protection of the Highlands. This would inhibit the implementation of long term initiatives, such as improving the quality of the drinking water, since this region is a huge supplier of our water, and repairing environmental degradation in some areas of this vast expanse of nature. Without funding, however, all of these things will become impossible.

For more information: http://www.state.nj.us/njhighlands/

Living In Wayne

2011-03-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

By Virginia DiBianca

I have never known of a U.S. town that has reached media attention as distant as Australia other than Wayne, NJ. While the town can be proud of many things, its notoriety is in the flooding that takes place during torrential rainstorms that cause the Passaic River and its tributaries to overflow into the homes of those on its banks. While the winter of 2011 produced record snowfalls followed by a quick thaw, followed by a series of sever rain storms, there are man-made factors that have influenced the flooding problem and, in recent years, made it worse.

The area of Wayne that consistently gets flooded is adjacent to Willowbrook Mall and includes a nearby neighborhood called Hoffman Grove and a street called Fayette Avenue. Many of these homes are visible from Willowbrook Boulevard in Willowbrook Mall. Others are just out of sight near commercial strips along Route 23. Severe flooding like this winter’s also spreads into the mall and closes sections of Routes 23 and 46 to traffic.

Originally, the homes, built more than 50 years ago, prior to the building of the mall, were used as part-time vacation homes for out-of-towners who wanted a touch of country living on the weekend. Somewhere along the way, the homes were sold as full time residences. As development took place, the areas where water would have laid in the soggy ground found its way towards these homes along the Pompton and Passaic Rivers. Additionally, in 2007 the Army Corp of Engineers built a floodgates in a dam along the Ramapo River to hold back flood waters that were flooding the town of Oakland. Consequently, Wayne along with neighboring towns has become inundate with water from the floodgates that surges down the Pompton River to the Passaic River.

In 2007 with $11 million in state and federal funding the township began to buy the homes affected by the flooding. As reported in July, 2010 in The Record Newspaper, 71 of the 100 homes have been destroyed. Last spring, when the waters of the river once again flooded these sections of Wayne, Governor Christie toured the affected areas stating that the buyout of homes along the river will continue. He defended state officials for allowing development to take place on flood prone land by claiming that local officials approved the plans first.

Last year, Governor Christie established the Passaic River Basin Flood Advisory Board with former Wayne mayor Scott Rumana as lead. The board is examining ways to solve the flooding problem or at least minimize the impact. Their options include:

1. Buyouts of flood-prone homes. The state already has $31 million reserved for such purposes.

2. Creation of new riverside wetlands.

3. Fine-tuning the Pompton Lake Dam floodgates to end episodes of downstream flooding.

4. Dredging and clearing of debris.

5. Streamlining state regulations on flood relief projects.

6. Improving effectiveness of emergency response, water flow readings and public information.

7. Studying the basin as a whole — its topography and historical river patterns — in concert with local and state planners and the Army Corps of Engineers to come up with long term solutions.

Wayne is a town with many enclaves of vibrant communities on ridges and hills that offer a good place to live. According to the U.S. Census, the average income for Wayne is $97,048 as compared to the United States average of $51,025. In September of 2010, NJ Monthly ranked Wayne’s two high school number 51 and 63 out of 322 New Jersey schools. The town boasts of several lake communities offering swimming, boating and recreational activities that promote healthy, family living. Beyond the presence of the flooding rivers, the town is considered an upper-middle class suburban oasis. Citizens of the town actively participate in making the town what it is. They deserve a solution to this never ending flooding that presents an unflattering view of Wayne to the rest of the world.

For more information:
www.northjersey.com/news/042410_Christie_commits_to_solving_Passaic_River
_basin_flooding.html

Mayor Speaks of Regional Plan

2011-03-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

By Deanna Dunsmuir

The mayor of West Milford, Bettina Bieri, published an opinion piece on Friday entitled, "Why the Highlands Act is Good for Our Town," in the Daily Record. The Passiac county town is one of five municipalities that fall completely under the Highlands preservation region regulations in the New Jersey Highlands Regional Master Plan.

Bieri’s argument was directed at “any town considering conformance” to the regional master plan.

The mayor feels that keeping out big businesses and housing developments with the restrictions that are part of the Highlands protection act will help preserve the scenery and recreational areas that the town residents see as an asset.

PHOTO/Courtesy of NJ.gov
The Highlands Regional Master Plan acts to preserve land such as this in West Milfod.

“The burden of a large number of new housing units in the township would place a significant strain on our limited infrastructure and require the expansion of our schools and municipal services,” Bieri wrote.

The mayor would like to keep property taxes down by acting to halt the typical trend of increasing school sizes and a bigger municipal building; that comes along with new housing developments.

Milford is a rural township that hosts forested watersheds for reservoirs that provide drinking water to millions of residents in northern New Jersey.

How much of the region will be subjected to tight restrictions on development is still being resolved. About half of the region is in a core preservation area; the outer half is in a planning area with fewer restrictions on development. The Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council submitted an addendum to the regional plan in 2010. The amendment redefines “acreage of the Highlands Region in municipalities and counties,” the report said.

The new report is said to be a more accurate account of what land falls under the planning and preservation areas. The new data was provided by the New Jersey Office of Information Technology.

The Highland Regional master plan, developed in 2008, was designed to protect the best watersheds in the northern part of New Jersey, along with protecting ecosystems and air quality.

Although the plan will certainly protect the towns like West Milford from big businesses and housing developers, Bieri wrote that it also places some restrictions on her town’s needs.

“The act needs to provide for exemptions to allow necessary municipal projects,” she says, hoping to be able to provide emergency service buildings and libraries at the town’s will.

“The act also needs to provide a mechanism for revenue generation in an effort to bring fairness and equity to the developmentally restricted Preservation Areas that have been mandated to protect New Jersey's drinking water," she added. "A nominal water surcharge imposed upon the end user would accomplish equity without placing a burden on any New Jersey resident or family.”

The Highlands Regional Plan can be found at this website.

Earth Day is Everyday in Kinnelon,NJ

2011-03-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

By Jessica Vasquez

April is the month of Earth Day, four weeks when human impact on our planet is most highlighted. One town that is doing their part is Kinnelon, New Jersey. But April is not the only time that this community comes together to educate themselves and act upon their new knowledge.

Kinnelon Conserve is a grassroots environmental awareness group of Northern New Jersey founded in 2006 by Avery Hart, a mental health practitioner and author of childrens’ books. Hart worked with Jo Sippie-Gora and Belinda Hull, two concerned citizens, to form the organization. These women got the word out that Kinnelon citizens could do their part by making a commitment to form new environmental and economy friendly habits. Kinnelon Conserve founders went to schools, government members, libraries, faith leaders, and various residents for support. A pledge, called “The 1,000 Ton Challenge” was signed by those who resolve to do what they could change in their daily lives to have a positive impact on the Earth.

In November of 2008, Kinnelon Conserves was recognized at the 21st Annual Morris County Recycling Awards. The group received the N.E. Morris County Conservation is Good Conservation Award. Since the group’s founding, they had participated in nine public events by this time. At each event, participants were asked to sign the pledge, the first part of which reads “I pledge to become more aware about my use of energy and natural resources. I will do my best to replace wasteful habits with wise ones, to conserve energy and natural resources, and take action to prevent 5000 pounds of unnecessary pollution.”

Avery Hart describes the group: “Our goal is to start with ourselves, by boosting awareness.” The group’s homepage ( http://www.kinnelonconserves.com/} is their greatest resource for residents. The subtitle “A Community Energy Reduction Initiative” says it all; the goal is conservative habits. A compilation of links to websites full of useful information and innovation is designed for adults and kids. Not only are viewers informed on why they should be practicing sustainable living, but also how to gradually make the transition.

Links on the homepage educate residents on what purchases they can cut back on at the grocery store such as Styrofoam cups and plastic utensils which are not biodegradable. Beneath each listed item are reason not to buy them, as well as alternatives to these purchases. The Kid’s section of the page is “where kids of all ages explore, play & learn.” It leads to websites that give children and young adults the tools to make their community, such as school and places of worship, safer and healthier environments not only for those attending these places, but for the world around them. Such a site is hosted by the Natural Resources Defense Council and referred to as “the green squad.”

Kinnelon Conserves will host their 5th Annual Earth Day Fair on Saturday, April 9 at Pearl Miller School, 117 Kiel Avenue. The event will take place rain or shine as entertainment takes place both indoors and outdoors. Activities include live music, films, and vendors. Programs will be promoted and “green” products will be available to purchase. Eco-vendors, performers, and volunteers are still needed for this event. For more information about the fair, sustainable living, or starting your own grassroots conservation group go to http://www.kinnelonconserves.com/ or email kinnconserves@optonline.net.

Eco-Friendly Toys Promote Fun and Recycling

2011-03-16T09:00:00.001-07:00

By Courtney Leiva

In the past few years popular toy retailers have been recalling their products left and right due to lead and other toxic chemicals found in the paint. Although this has left many parents unsure and uneasy as to where they can purchase their toys, these recalls have paved the way for the emergence of eco-friendly and green toy companies.

According to the New York Times, in 2007, toy retailer Mattel, the maker of popular children’s toys such as Barbie and Hot Wheels-recalled over one million of toys. The recall was based on the discovery of lead in the paint on some the company’s most popular products such as Dora the Explorer related toys.

With recalls like these many parents are turning to alternative places to purchase children’s toys. Websites like greentoys.com pledge to make their products from environmentally friendly, recycled materials such as recycled plastic and recycled milk jugs. Packaging of these products also comes from recycled and sustainable materials. The products are also toxin free as they contain no BPA or phthalates which is harmful to human health.

By going eco-friendly, the company has also reduced their carbon footprint. By implementing environmentally friendly materials in their products this reduces the use of fossil fuel as well as reduces green house gas emissions and improves human health as well as the health of the planet.

But how much energy does a green retailer like Green Toys save? The company states that on average every pound of recycled milk jugs used in the making of green toys saves energy equal to 3,000 AAA batteries, saves enough electricity to power a television set for 3 whole weeks, as well as saving enough electricity to keep a laptop computer running for a month.

Not only is eco-friendly toys fun but they also teaching our children about the world around us as they promote recycling-and saving energy. These toys are also more affordable than an average toy found on toy store shelves. Certain green toymakers also donate proceeds of purchases to charities. Karito Kids, a doll retailer for girls, donates 3 percent of the toys retail price to a charity of a child’s choice.

Although solar powered doll houses won’t out shine X-box video gaming systems any time soon, green toys did relatively well last Christmas (2010) season, as the prices for these products are relatively cheaper. Eco-friendly toys also had their own pavilion at the annual toy fair in New York last year, and sustainability is the theme coming up for Germany’s big toy fair this year.

Even though the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 banned lead and phthalates from children’s products, many parents do not want to take a risk. That is why many eco friendly toys are now emerging into more mainstream toy retailers such as Toys R Us.

On the company’s website, a specially designated eco-friendly section offers green toys ranging from puzzles, doll houses made from recycled cardboard, as well as eco-friendly play washing machines. Mainstream online retailers such as Amazon.com sell lots of eco-friendly toys made from materials such as organic fabrics and dyes made from vegetable based paints.

Dupont: Pompton Lakes Revisited

2011-03-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

By Graig Mihok

It has been almost a year since the toxic tort unit of Weitz and Luxenberg filed their cases for the residents of Pompton Lakes against DuPont. Decades of pollution from DuPont's now closed plant in Pompton Lakes has seeped into the soil, water, and recently with the vapor intrusion reports, the air.

Residents have been down this road with DuPont in 2003 and 2004 in an attempt to right the wrongs. After settlements and waivers, DuPont now claims that the residents signed their rights away to seek any further damages, meanwhile accepting no responsibility for wrong doings. The residents newest cases against DuPont are the first since 2008 based on new information about the cancer-causing agents that have vaporized through the soil into neighborhood basements.

DuPont has been doing everything they can, including a motion to the U.S. District Court in Newark, to release the claims of about 100 residents who had settled years ago. Through their lawyers, the residents are trying to make the case that the releases should not apply because the older settlements were based around lead and mercury contamination and not the newer vapor issue. Only fewer than a dozen of the 400 residents involved in the new case filed personal injury claims, arguing their illnesses come from the vaporized solvents.

Meanwhile, the community has been taking action in regards to the illnesses it feels were caused from the vapor intrusion. Pompton Lakes Community Advisory Group for Health Member Lisa Riggiola has requested a list of chemicals related to the DuPont site and the health implications of these chemicals to human organs. An updated cancer incidence analysis will take place in late March for the Barbara Drive area specifically, scanning for brain cancer and tumors.

The newer case centers around TCE and PCE, two solvents that DuPont used heavily during the 20th century at the former munitions plant in Pompton Lakes. At some point the solvents made their way into the groundwater beneath about 450 homes in the area. TCE and PCE have been linked to both kidney cancer and non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Weitz and Luxenberg argues that “DuPont was a major manufacturer of PCE between the 1930's and and at least the mid 1980's. As such, DuPont was expert in the characteristics and handling of PCE and chemicals with similar properties, and knew or should have known of the then developing science relating to such.”

DuPont claims that its procedures complied with “state-of-the-art knowledge in waste disposal remediation practices,“ and that these practices complied with federal state and local regulation. $35.8 million was offered by DuPont in 1997 to claim filing residents near Acid Brook, but ended up only paying between $70,000 and $80,000 to those who settled.

An illustration of vapor intrusion in homes:

Source: White River Toxic Action Committee

Can Salad Oil Fix a Toxic Mess?

2011-03-11T09:10:00.001-08:00

By Brittany Shann

About 450 homes in Pompton Lakes have been affected by the spread of cancer-causing solvents from a nearby munitions factory. These solvents have contaminated groundwater underneath the homes with tetrachlorothene and trichlorothene and have been vaporizing into the households. These solvents have been correlated with kidney cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and elevated levels of these cancers were found in residents of a neighborhood near the former DuPont manufacturing plant.

As a way to potentially solve this problem, scientists have discovered that the injection of vegetable oil into the ground may help to break down the toxins that have been linked with cancer. According to northjersey.com, "The oil acts as food for a type of organism, called halo-respiring bacteria that naturally occur in the soil. Adding the oil gives them more nutrients and enables them to become more active, which spurs them to break down the solvents in the groundwater." The process is called enhanced anaerobic bioremediation, which is not too well-known but is most commonly used among environmental scientists and cleanup experts during the past few years.

Since it is a generally new process, rates of success are still mainly unknown. Scientists will most likely use soybean oil because it is the most cost-effective and it will still do the intended job. This project should begin within the next few months and if it is successful, it will be spread to a greater portion of the neighborhood by 2012. However, the contamination will most likely not be cleaned up for years.

The test will begin at the area where the toxins are most concentrated, which is at Barbara Drive at the intersection with Schulyer Avenue. The bioremediation materials will be injected into the soil periodically underneath Barbara Drive.

DuPont will submit a report on the success of the tests by June of 2012.

Pollution Taints the Ramapo River

2011-03-11T09:08:00.001-08:00

By Lorraine Metz

The Ramapo River, a small stream on the edge of the Ramapo College campus, is a major contributor to regional public drinking water supplies.

According to NJWaters, the Ramapo River “flows from New York into Bergen County and enters the Pequannock River to form the Pompton River in Wayne Township.” The website also states that “Phosphorous and bacteria are elevated. Sodium and copper may be of concern here and should be watched.” Pollution in the area should be monitored closely to protect the cleanliness and purity of the water supplied to the public in the surrounding areas, the website added.

“Runoff from housing and road construction sites, and runoff from urban surfaces and storm sewers, has contributed significantly to the pollution in the waterways. The construction of Interstate 287 has had a significant impact upon the Ramapo. Habitat loss in this river has been expanded and intensified by local dredging and channelization. The fisheries in the Ramapo are also considered threatened by agricultural activity in the watershed.”

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the major water quality concerns in the watershed include that storm water runoff is affected by abundant urbanization, suburbanization, and commercial development. Also municipal and residential wastewater discharges are high due to the high population of the area.

There are many concerns with the Ramapo River since it helps provide water for the large population in northern New Jersey as well as Rockland County in New York. Many factors have affected the levels of pollution in the river. One instance was when fish in the Ramapo River were found to be tainted due to chemicals left over from the former Ford plant in Mahwah. The dumped paint sludge and irresponsible removal and dumping of chemicals is affected the wildlife in the water and most certainly the water itself as well, according to the New York State DEC.

An EPA document warns that, “The Ramapo River Basin Aquifer Systems are unconfined, or water-table aquifers, which makes them vulnerable to contamination. In addition, much of the soil overlying the valley fill aquifer in the Ramapo and Mahwah Rivers valleys is highly permeable.” The document continues, “Incidents of contamination have already occurred in the Ramapo River Basin.”

These incidents include findings of water contaminated by volatile organic compounds and heavy metals. Other findings included methyl chloroform in the water supply system in Suffern, New York.

The document concludes by saying that “there are no economically feasible alternative drinking water sources that could replace the Ramapo River Basin Aquifer Systems” With this in mind it’s crucial for the residents of the area to be conscious of pollution and the impacts that could influence their drinking water.

For more information :
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/watershedmgt/DOCS/TMDL/june2006/Northeast%20FC.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/region2/water/aquifer/ramapo/ramapo.htm
http://www.environmentnewjersey.org/html/njwaters/index.html

Trail Blazers

2011-03-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

By John Clancey

Nature is everywhere. From the hedges that line people’s property lines, to the boulders pushed here by glaciers millions of years ago, we are defined by this natural world. We maintain the illusion of society, but really we are an island cast adrift amongst a sea of forests. Still, every day we look to strengthen this divide, we removing ourselves more and more from what is truly our birthright. Thankfully, however, we need not fear this societal shift away from the natural world. The truth remains that no matter how estranged we may become, we will always be able reconnect through our national parks.

The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is an organization dedicated to the conservation and development of the two states already sterling network of parks and trails. Together with the support of volunteers, the NY-NJ Trail Conference builds trails, promotes environmental stewardship, supports activists and land conservation, promotes responsible trail use, educates citizens, and brings communities closer. Through the efforts of volunteers, The NY-NJ Trail Conference assures the development and sanctuary of over 1,700 miles of public trail.

Still, it takes more than a coalition of volunteers to protect such vast tracks of open land. No matter how secure protected areas may appear, in an age of industrial pollution and space aged plastics, the dangers of environmental erosion have never been more real. Land development of all types presents the biggest threat. Large scale housing projects and power line extensions intrude on traditionally scenic areas, damaging already struggling environments. Things like interstate pipelines threaten state owned preserves and parks. In New Jersey, unregulated ATV use causes massive damage to trails and paths originally only designed to support foot traffic. Fluctuations in state funding and understaffing amongst preserves also present potential threats to the areas remaining wilderness.

With these threats in mind, it’s important for citizens both young and old to look up and take notice of what’s happening to the world around them. The NY-NJ Trial Conference presents citizens the information they need to make a stand. Concerned parties can volunteer, make donations, or simply make use of the facilities available to them. The patronage of state parks and trails is not only beneficial to the patron, but to the parks themselves. Volunteering to maintain and develop new trails is essential to expanding the capabilities of our state parks.

In a world that has become the definition of hyper development, it is important to remember what our roots are. As humanity moves into the next phase of a global community, the impotents of national parks continues to grow and grow. Not only do they offer the next generation a chance to connect with a time long lost, but provide a convenient escape for anyone within driving distance. By associating with the NY-NJ trail Conference, you not only strengthen the quality of life, but invest in the future of your community.

Tending to the Chalice of Life

2011-03-10T23:33:00.000-08:00

By John Clancey

Examples of our planets maternal splendors can be found everywhere. Whatever world we have made for ourselves is nothing compared to the wealth of life that is our environment. It is this sprit that communities must embrace if they hope to maintain the life-sustaining resources that perpetuate their environment. Among the most important of these fragile catalysts of life is the fundamental cornerstone of society that is the regional natural watershed.

Look no further than Mahwah, New Jersey. There, lying amongst the foothills of the Ramapo Mountain, exists a watershed that has supported communities along its river banks for more than three hundred years. The Ramapo River Watershed encases over 925 square miles, during which it traverses as well as defines the landscapes of one of our most spectacular regions. Existing in both northern New Jersey and southeastern New York, this extraordinary water system drains into over thirty five lakes and ponds. These communal life springs play host to kayakers, fishermen, and wildlife alike as well as beautifying the entire region.

The importance of natural watersheds cannot be understated. Water is a limited resource. To squander water is to squander life. However, despite the attention important issues like the watershed deserve, they are largely overlooked and remain in constant danger. Waste deposits from large populations, the growing demand for urbanization, these things provide a constant threat to the healthy existence of struggling watersheds. Nowhere is this truer than along the Ramapo River. Increased storm runoff and the expansion of suburbia have begun to uproot areas traditionally essential to the natural life cycle of the Ramapo River. Even major road ways such as the New York Thruway and Route 287 discharge massive amounts of pollution draining directly into the river. Motor oil, tire fragments, broken glass, assorted litter, all of it swept up by passing rain storms and added to the besieged currents.

Thankfully there are many steps that we as citizens can take to protect local water sources. Adopting sections of the river, doing cleanups, even recycling cardboard and other potential litter can improve the condition of local waterways. Preventing mud at construction sites is particularly important as soil runoff can be damaging to the sandy surfaces of brooks. Planting grass to curtail soil erosion and even trees to provide shade can do wonders for small eco-populations.

Societies have always needed watersheds, no matter what period. The Egyptians, Sumerians, the Greek city states, all relied on major waterways to sustain their way of life. Without a self-sustainable water shed, we not only cheapen our experience, but risk it for the generations to come. Unless steps are taken to defend the existence of the Ramapo water shed, the haunting charm surrounding these hills could be lost forever.

Industrial Responsibility and Residents’ Worries

2011-03-10T23:31:00.000-08:00

By John Clancey

Industries are a funny thing; often times it brings a community to life, gives people a reason to come together. However, the industry that makes a town can often break a town; such is the dilemma with Pompton lakes NJ. After two decades of cleanups, residents have expressed concerns over health issues and property values.

Since 1902, DuPont, a munitions manufacture, has operated amongst the scenic foot hills of the Ramapo Mountains of New Jersey. Pompton Lakes, where DuPont located their munitions factory, saw much growth throughout both world wars one and two. Gradually, DuPont become one of the strongest and most successful companies in the world. However, like many other industrial powerhouses, DuPont has had its fair share of experience when it comes to improperly disposing of hazardous materials.

The materials left over from the DuPont munitions factory have infiltrated the town’s already complicated system of ground water. Chemicals such as PCE and TCE were found in contaminated residential areas, both chemicals being linked to cancer. These heavy sediments entered private residences via fumes from the basements. In 1993, the industrial scares ran as deep as to instigate over 400 residents to file a lawsuit against DuPont for health and propriety damages. In 1997 DuPont settled out of court for 38.5 million dollars.

It’s a terrifying thought, to be afraid of the very air you breathe. To worry that your young child is risking brain damage by playing with Lego’s in the den. When heavy sediments of that type settle into the ground, they spread across the region’s ground water, contaminating the area.

Recently, DuPont has called for all residents of Pompton Lakes living in contaminated areas to install filters in their basement with the hopes of removing dangerous chemicals that are still left over from their promised cleanup that was started twenty years earlier. The idea of filters doesn’t sit very well with residents, as many of them are concerned about what the negative connotation will do to their property values. "I love the town.” said resident Jim Curran, “We both grew up here, but I wouldn’t have bought this house if I knew then what I know now."

Can Soybean Oil Help Dupont's Vapor Contamination?

2011-03-10T20:37:00.000-08:00

By Amanda Nesheiwat

DuPont has permission from the state to use soybean oil to get rid of contaminants in groundwater in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey.Groundwater under a large part of the town has been contaminated by carcinogenic chemicals by DuPont, a chemical using company. DuPont plans to inject soybean oil into the soil to be a catalyst for microbes that would consume the chemicals.

According to NorthJersey.com news,hazardous chemicals such as tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene have been vaporizing into about 450 homes near Dupont’s explosive-manufacturing plant. A bioremediation specialist affiliated with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has come up with what he believes would be a good solution for the contamination. He proposed that DuPont should inject soybean oil deep underground in an area of the neighborhood to test the outcome. The oil will serve as food and nutrients for microbes that naturally occur in the soil called halo-respiring bacteria. The oil will help excite these microbes which will alter the geochemistry of the groundwater allowing the microbes to eat the contaminants and release them as non-toxic byproducts.This method is deemed environmentally friendly and is cheaper than extracting, pump-and-treat or using other difficult measures to clean the contaminated groundwater.

An even cheaper and environmentally friendly way of keeping a community clean would have been to realize the effects of a chemical industry on groundwater and taken prevention measures. DuPont would not have had to get state approval to conduct experimental clean-up projects if the state of New Jersey would have monitored the operations of this company.

Some experts warned that even if injecting the oil does work, it will take many years for the groundwater to be clean. Others have warned that this kind of project has been done before in different soil and landscape and that there haven’t been enough studies done to see what the effect of this will be in Pompton Lakes. DuPont and affiliations to the EPA should recognize that Pompton Lakes has wetlands and oil can be dangerous to such a vital system.

They will begin the test area in a few months and from the results will figure out if it is an appropriate method for the rest of the neighborhood. It is unclear how many years this will take or how effective soybean oil can be. Meanwhile, Dupont is still operating a pump-and-treat system at the former plant site that was designed to reduce the level of contamination over time.

Here is a picture of how the process will look.

Source: The Record of Bergen County

Bee Colony Collapse: What's the Answer?

2011-03-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

By Courtney Leiva

Albert Einstein once said “If bees disappear from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live. No more bees, no more population, no more men.” In the past few years numerous of bee colonies throughout America have been threatened by colony collapse disorder, which could greatly jeopardize one third of our food supply.

Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD is a mysterious disease affecting bee populations without any real explanation as to what is causing it. Some suspects include mites, viruses, and chemical exposure. When a hive is infected with CCD, the bees abandon their hive and die. The effects of CCD have been affecting bee colonies throughout the nation, as reports state that more than 35 states across the country have seen this problem.

Humans greatly rely on honey bees as these bees pollinate to crop crops including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

According to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, New Jersey’s 10,000 bee colonies are valued at $250 per colony, represent a $2.5 million honey industry for the state and contribute to successful production of nearly $200 million worth of fruits and vegetables.

“Personally, I don’t believe I know any bee keepers that have been affected. We all get occasional colony death for one reason or another but it has always been that way. In my view, the beekeepers that are most affected are the ‘big’ guys that, at least in the past, have treated bees roughly,” says Leonard Klinker a representative from the New Jersey Bee Keeper’s Association says in an email.

“One of the things that they are doing now that seems to be helping, is make sure that bees are treated more gently and given extra food supplements to help keep them strong. That helps the bees deal with exotic diseases and parasites that have been accidently brought here by other parts of the globe. The big business of a commercial pollination is extremely stressful for both the bees of and the beekeeper,” Klinker adds.

However, there is work being done to address this problem. Ice cream retailer Haaigen Daz, for instance is donating money to help fund honey bee research. Every time customers buy a carton of bee related flavors such as strawberry, proceeds go to research.

In addition to these efforts, the company also teamed up with University of California at Davis University to create a bee haven. The Bee Haven is a half-acre garden next to the Harry Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility on Bee Biology Road, UC Davis.

The haven was planted in the fall of 2009 and the grand opening celebration took place last September. The haven aims to provide bees with a year round source of food, to raise public awareness about the honey bees, as well as encouraging visitors to create and plant bee-friendly gardens at home.

Pompton Lakes Getting Attention in Washington

2011-03-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

By Virginia DiBianca

It has become too familiar of a story. A major manufacturer decides on setting up a plant in a town and hires workers. The town becomes a “company town” where the town's people work for the plant and build a life. They live in the community together, develop friendships with fellow workers, and see their children go to the same school. One day, usually due to cost cutting and restructuring, the plant closes down. The town is left with a void where once a vital industry stood. In the case of Pompton Lakes and the Dupont Company, however, the void was left with the residue of contamination that has stricken many of the residents with serious health issues and deteriorating property values.

Dupont moved into Pompton Lakes in 1902 and began manufacturing gunpowder. At the onset of WWI, the workforce was over 7,000 people and the town experienced a housing boom where it became known as a “company town”. The production level continued to escalate with World War II, when Dupont further increased the staff to an additional 3,000 employees. Development and expansion continued through the 1950s; however, downsizing began in the 80s. In April of 1994, the plant closed its doors.

It was around the 1980s, when an increase number of reports of kidney cancer and lymphoma began coming from residents residing in a concentrated area of Pompton Lakes. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that a section in Pompton Lakes near where Dupont’s plant stood showed evidence of groundwater contamination of chemicals used as cleaners and degreasers called tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), which infiltrated over 400 homes built in close proximity of the infected area, via vapors from an underground concentration of chemicals called “the plume.”

While it has taken over 30 years, government officials have lately been taking a solid interest in addressing the contamination. In March of 2010, New Jersey Representative Bill Pascrell committed to Pompton Lakes to bring their concerns to Washington. In May 2010, a meeting was held where Pascrell and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson (who was a former head of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection) met with residents of Pompton Lakes and a high ranking Dupont official in Washington to determine what steps needed to be made to satisfy the residents and take steps to remediate the contamination. Concerns among the residents included depreciating home values and increasing reports of cancer.

While Dupont has stated they are committed to remedy the situaion, there have been debates as to the best means of containing the toxic fumes. Dupont’s latest claim is that they would conduct tests on groundwater remediation methods and to determine what the best option would be by the summer of 2011. They would also expand the list of contractors from two to ten that perform sub-slab testing that residents could use to test their home.

In January 2011, a spokesman for Dupont reported that they can see progress over the years since installing a pump-and-treat system to stop the further spread of chemicals He stated that historical data shows that, "concentrations of contaminants in the aquifer across the off-site Plume area have been going down by as much as 10 times of what they were originally measured. It is believed this reduction is the result of a combination of re-injected treated water flushing the aquifer and the natural biologic and abiotic remediation process occurring in the aquifer."

It was also reported that a bioremediation test will be conducted that consist of introducing nutrients or bacteria, "which are necessary to stimulate or accelerate biodegradation of the contaminants”.

Residents of Pompton Lakes have formed a committee called Citizens for a Clean Pompton Lakes (CCPL), where they are questioning whether the clean up efforts will be effective. According to a Mahwah “hazmat” consultant, Tom Darmin, “PCE and TCE are chlorinated solvents. EVERYBODY used them to 'degrease' (clean) metal parts and products (going several decades back). They were cheap and very efficient de-greasers”.

Chlorinated solvents are also known as 'sinkers' because they are heavier than water and 'sink' through the water table. Therefore, PCE and TCE can migrate deep down into the aquifer and tend to be well pollutants. When they hit an impervious layer such as bedrock or a solid layer of clay, they can migrate horizontally and sometime very quickly especially if they get into fissures where they flow with ground water within those fissures.

The PCE and TCE that collects in the 'shallow' aquifers and subsurface soils will de-gas. It is the degassing in the shallow subsurface that is one of the human health and safety concerns, as this 'off-gassing' can infiltrate through building slabs and cracks in building foundations or where sewer lines enter buildings.

Remediation? There are thoughts that an impervious vapor liner would be effective - but how to install it under established structures? The method that Dupont is currently offering residents is similar to the way radon is mitigated from basements by collecting the gases at the sub slab with a vacuum system and venting to the outside.

For more information:

History of Pompton Lakes and the Dupont plant: http://www.pomptonlakeshistory.com/places/dupont.htm

Pompton Lakes residents begin suing DuPont over pollution
Thursday, March 4, 2010
http://www.northjersey.com/news/crime_courts/030410_Pompton_Lakes_residents_begin_suing_DuPont_over_pollution.html

Pompton Lakes want answers before bioremediation project
for DuPont contamination begins
Sunday, January 30, 2011

http://www.northjersey.com/news/environment/114914874_Residents_incredulous_of_Plume_s_bioremediation_.html