Step It Up 2007

All photos (C) Justin Serpico 2007

The first annual "Day of Climate Action" swept across the nation on April 14th, with over 1350 rallies to urge congress to enact sweeping changes to reduce carbon emissions 80% by 2050.

While the rally was aimed at affecting national policy change, there was a tremendous emphasis on micro change. Farmers and activist spoke about the benefits of buying food grown by local farmers and ranchers.

It's well known that people don't feel like they have an individual impact on reversing global climate change, and Step It Up 2007 was aimed at changing this feeling.

Little things like switching from incandescent light bulbs, insulating a house properly, switching to alternative energy to at least partially power a house, buying locally grown produce and meats are all ways to reduce carbon emissions.

While in urban areas completely powering a house using green energy might be impossible, it is possible to reduce carbon consumption. Using solar energy to heat the homes hot water supply is a simple and prove approach. In some areas entire housing communities are using geothermic hot water. This water still needs to be heated but it is already much warmer coming up from the ground then traditional incoming water. This reduces energy cost and carbon emissions.

The future of home energy consumption, which puts more carbon into the air then an SUV per year, is reducing grid obtained energy and making each home more energy efficient so that each little bit of energy the homeowner can produce, whether it be solar, wind, geothermal, or other sources will have a greater impact.

Food is another example of carbon pollution with a simple fix. The fact that it takes 36 calories of fossil fuel to transport 1 calorie of lettuce across the US is an example of how much carbon is emitted to feed this country. Most people probably never considered the impact of buying foods trucked in from far away on global warming.

Buying local foods reduces the amount of fossil fuels required to transport food, as well as supporting local growers, and keeping open space in your region.

The majority of our foods are trucked in from central locations, or from places with long growing seasons like California or Florida. Small farmers in the northeast are under extreme pressure to sell their land for development, while the nation has moved to more of a big box food supply economy.

In a push to show the quality and diversity of local foods, the Honest Weight Food Co-op of Albany, sponsored a free picnic in Washington Park prior to the march to the New York State capitol. The picnic was a showcase of local growers, with everything from free range BBQ chicken and tofu, to local produce and dairy available.

Following the march to the capitol local farmers, politicians and activist spoke about the individuals role in global climate change while pushing for national policy change.

JS

technorati tags:Step It Up 2007, Step It Up, global warming, climate, climate change, Albany, NY, state capitol, farming, local produce, local, agriculture, CO2, carbon, emissions, pollution, green

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A World Without Cell Service....Is It Such A Bad Thing!!!

The APA has set regulations to keep the area within the Blue Line free from the eyesores of radio towers. The height of towers cannont exceed 38 ft which is the average height of trees in the region. Recently there have been several victories that have allowed "Franken Pine" like cell phone towers on land on the park edges, primarily in the Lake George area.


Franken Pine

The problem I have with this is that cell phone coverage is not a right. As a matter of fact I dare say, not everyone in the world even owns a cell phone. And while these dead spots along the Northway are known dead spots, there are millions of similar dead spots in the US. Vermont, which is littered with radio towers has spoty cell service with Verizon which is by far the best service in Vermont. NH, has similar issues, even along I-93. Worse on the secondary roads.

This is certainly an inconvenience but to make it seem to be more than that is absurd. We've simply become too dependent on a connection to the outside world. Anytime that is broken we feel there is a problem.

Personally, I'm adamantly opposed to violating APA regulations for cell towers. If cell service can be delivered without large towers I am not opposed to it. However, cell companies are unwilling to foot the cost for this because smaller towers require more towers. Quite simply they could use the existing phone structures (there is a phone every 1 mile on the Northway) and place mini towers, also put short towers at the rest areas. Would there still be dead spots? Yes. Are there dead spots in Manhattan? Yes.

One of the great things about the Adirondacks, different from Vermont and New Hampshire. Is the lack of towers, satelites, and other man made eyesores from the summits.

JS



Environmental groups back temporary towers

By MAURY THOMPSON
thompson@poststar.com
Wednesday, February 28, 2007 1:55 AM EST

It's debatable:

Should the state invest time and taxpayer dollars in setting up temporary cell phone coverage in the Adirondacks, or should it devote its efforts solely to a permanent solution?


The issue of poor cellular phone service along portions of the Northway has received prominent attention since Alfred Langner of Brooklyn died in late January while trapped in his vehicle, which left the Northway, hit a culvert, became airborne and landed in an area where the vehicle was difficult to see from the highway.

Langner and his wife, who survived, were trapped in their vehicle and were unable to get cellular service at the accident site for more than 24 hours, according to State Police.

Other organizations in the coalition are The Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, Citizens Campaign for the Environment and the Sierra Club's Atlantic Chapter.

In a press release, the group called for the state to fund a cellular phone plan that does not require suspending Adirondack Park Agency and other environmental regulations.

The organizations wanted to show they are united in support of a plan proposed several years ago to erect about 30 cellular phone service polls, about 38 feet in height, along the Northway between the Pottersville and Peru exits, said Sheehan, of the Adirondack Council.

"The environmental community is just as anxious to get service out there as everyone else," he said.

Little said Tuesday it may be possible to modify the original proposal to include a few towers taller than 38 feet, either disguised as trees or placed at rest stops.

"There's room for compromise here," she said.

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Mountain Visions