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Please send items of interest to kristen@thebeatnews.org
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http://www.ewg.org/Sunscreens-Get-Flunking-Grade-for-UVA-Protection
2011 Sunscreen Database Profiles 1,700 Products
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EPA to Hold Public Meeting to Gain Stakeholder Input on Sanitary Sewer Overflows and Peak Weather Discharges
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding a workshop to solicit stakeholder input on strengthening the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program’s approach to regulating sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and peak wet weather discharges at publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). The workshop will include a facilitated discussion with representatives of interested stakeholder groups, including those organizations that represent POTWs, state NPDES permitting authorities, and nonprofit environmental groups. Interested members of the public are invited to attend the workshop and offer verbal comments at designated times during the workshop or submit written comments to the Agency.
The workshop will be held on July 14, 2011, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and on July 15, 2011, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Horizon Ballroom, located at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Participants must pre-register to attend the workshop by July 6, 2011. For additional information and to register for the workshop, please visit EPA’s Sanitary Sewer Overflows and Peak Flows website at www.epa.gov/npdes/sso or contact Greg Schaner, Office of Water, Office of Wastewater Management by phone at: 202-564-0721 or via e-mail: schaner.greg@epa.gov.
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'Shocking' Oceans Report Warns Of Impending Mass Extinction
June 20, 2011
If the current actions contributing to a multifaceted degradation of the world's oceans aren't curbed, a mass extinction unlike anything human history has ever seen is coming, an expert panel of scientists warns in an alarming new report.
The preliminary report from the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) is the result of the first-ever interdisciplinary international workshop examining the combined impact of all of the stressors currently affecting the oceans, including pollution, warming, acidification, overfishing and hypoxia.
"The findings are shocking," Dr. Alex Rogers, IPSO's scientific director, said in a statement released by the group. "This is a very serious situation demanding unequivocal action at every level. We are looking at consequences for humankind that will impact in our lifetime, and worse, our children's and generations beyond that."
The scientific panel concluded that degeneration in the oceans is happening much faster than has been predicted, and that the combination of factors currently distressing the marine environment is contributing to the precise conditions that have been associated with all major extinctions in the Earth's history.
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Land Protection Successes
from Mass Audubon's Land Protection E-Newsletter
Four years into the experiment, the results are in—more than 15,000 acres have been protected within what have been designated as the ten most intact forested landscapes remaining in Massachusetts, the “Habitat Reserves.”
Of the many highlights within the flurry of conservation activity at these places, Mass Audubon is particularly proud of our recent acquisition of the 337-acre “Deep Woods” property within the Mount Tom/Holyoke Range Habitat Reserve which will be transferred to the state Department of Conservation & Recreation as an addition to Mt. Holyoke Range State Park.
Read more from Bob Wilber on Habitat Reserves and the benefits of public/private conservation partnerships
We applaud our state agency partners and also all of those who provide the private financial support that has played, and will continue to play, an equally essential role in protecting the “best of the best” remaining unprotected land in the commonwealth. To all of those who have supported our efforts, our hats are off to you!
Bob Wilber
Director of Land Protection
Mass Sudubon
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75 Percent of Nuclear Sites in US Have Leaked Tritium
Associated Press
http://www.gazettenet.com/2011/06/17/75-percent-of-nuke-sites-have-leaked-tritium
Radioactive tritium has leaked from three-quarters of U.S. commercial nuclear power sites, often into groundwater from corroded, buried piping, an Associated Press investigation shows.
The number and severity of the leaks has been escalating, even as federal regulators extend the licenses of more and more reactors across the nation.
Tritium, which is a radioactive form of hydrogen, has leaked from at least 48 of 65 sites, according to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission records reviewed as part of the AP's yearlong examination of safety issues at aging nuclear power plants. Leaks from at least 37 of those facilities contained concentrations exceeding the federal drinking water standard - sometimes at hundreds of times the limit. <MORE>
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Students Put the Ball in the Community's Court
from the Center for EcoTechnology
In conjunction with Green Action in Northampton Schools and GREEN Northampton, we worked on a project that started with school children, is expected to involve the entire community, and possibly even break a Guinness World Record. The project? A giant ball made entirely of single-use plastic bags tied together. Students collected a total of 18,079 single-use plastic bags that formed a rope approximately 6 miles long! The ball weighed approximately 270 pounds. It was pedaled down the streets of Northampton to the municipal park during Northampton's Earth Day Celebration.
Students collected the bags, counted them and tied them together. Teachers used the project as an educational opportunity. For example, kindergarteners and first graders used them to count 10s and 100s, while the older grades figured out how many bags are used by an average family. Students learned about the non-renewable resources required to make plastic bags and the benefits of replacing them with cloth and other reusable bags. The ball is now being displayed at local schools as an educational tool. At the same time signatures are being collected for a petition which will be submitted to the City Council, to get Northampton to become a "bring your own bag shopping district". Contact Laura Biddulph in the Valley or Simeon Bittman in the Berkshires for more information about our outreach services.
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Smart Building Toward Energy Codes and Beyond
from the Center for EcoTechnology
For the second year in a row, CET is working with the Department of Energy Resources and Conservation Services Group on the Smart Building: High Performance Homes workshop series. A total of 40 sessions will be offered across the state with the goal of providing those in the residential building and design industries techniques that will allow for new construction that is more efficient and has lower operating costs. These techniques improve comfort while also complying with the new Stretch Energy Code that 87 towns have adopted as of May 16, 2011.
Using case studies that illustrate proven methods for building cost effective, high performance homes, the workshop starts from the foundation up describing techniques and practices that will show attendees how to apply a house-as-a-system approach, using the interaction between different components and materials that will avoid moisture problems, improve indoor air quality, ensure combustion safety, prevent ice dams and other expensive callbacks and reduce energy consumption and cost for the homeowner.
Lisa Karlinat 413-586-7350 ext. 240.
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Junior Ranger Program for Ages 8-12 at Mount Greylock.
LANESBOROUGH- Mount Greylock State Reservation announces the Junior Ranger program for children ages 8-12. The program is FREE, begins on July 7 and held every Thursday, from 10:00am to noon, for seven weeks through August 18. Space is limited to twenty five participants. Parents or guardians must register children by Friday, July 5.
Led by state park interpreters Steve Linscott and Eric Socha, Junior Ranger activities promote outdoor recreation and appreciation of the natural world through fun activities. Easy hikes to various locations on Mount Greylock explore water, geology, climate, plants and animals. Children must wear appropriate clothing for the weather. Sturdy walking shoes, water, a snack, sun screen and bug spray are recommended. Parents and guardians are encouraged to come and participate.
For the first session on July 7 participants are requested to bring a T-shirt to decorate with tracking prints to be used as a Junior Ranger uniform. Certificates and patches to awarded to those who attend 5 sessions, or show outstanding participation. Sessions meet at the Visitor Center at 30 Rockwell Road in Lanesborough.
The Mount Greylock Visitor Center is located on the Rockwell Road, 1.5 miles from North Main Street and Route 7 in Lanesborough. Sponsored by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Registration forms are available at the Visitor Center in Lanesborough or call (413) 499-4262 or visit www.massparks.org.
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New Report: Setting Up Farmer Microloans in Three States
The Carrot Project is pleased to announce its most recent report, Setting Up Farmer Microloans in Three States. It describes farmer microloan programs in Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont and shares what The Carrot Project has learned in its first two years as we’ve set up and operated the programs. This report was made possible through a 2009 Sustainable Community Grant from the Northeast SARE.
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The MAC Summer Graduate Course & Summer Workshops on the Farm Start in One Week.
Join us for one or more of our Summer Workshops on the farm or sign up for our Three Graduate Credit Summer Course and attend eight workshops this summer. Forward this e-mail to a friend and help us spread the word!
Summer Graduate Course
Summer Workshops on the Farm
Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar
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Apply for a TURI Community Grant, Deadline for Proposals is July 29, 2011
Please help us spread the word by forwarding this email to your colleagues in Massachusetts.
TURI to Award Grants up to $25K for Statewide/Regional Projects in Massachusetts
 Do you work for a Massachusetts community organization, municipal department, small business, trade association or regional/state-wide organization interested in creating healthier communities throughout the Commonwealth? If so, we encourage you to partner with other groups and submit a proposal for a TURI Community Grant. The maximum award amount is $25,000. We expect to fund three to four projects. The deadline for submissions is July 29, 2011 at Noon.
What type of organizations and projects does TURI fund?
We are accepting applications from organizations that will implement projects that educate and encourage people to reduce toxic chemical use. Partners should share the same topic of interest and have the capability to reach people in a region of Massachusetts or the entire state. Examples of organizations and topics include (but are not limited to):
- Youth organizations (such as YMCA or Boys & Girls Club) partnering across the state to educate the public on toxics found in personal care products and promote safer alternatives.
 Boards of health partnering to develop toxics use reduction guidance for hair and nail salons and provide samples of less-toxic alternative materials. - Chamber of commerce and boards of health working with local auto shops to reduce their use of solvents.
- School districts partnering with each other and green cleaning experts to develop and implement green cleaning practices.
 Municipal water departments partnering within their watershed to educate homeowners and professional landscapers about organic lawn care practices to reduce the use of pesticides. - Housing authorities partnering together and with integrated pest management experts to create guidance and workshops state-wide on how to reduce the use of pesticides in their buildings.
Why the regional focus?
 Our vision is to expand successful projects to more areas throughout Massachusetts so that more people will learn proven ways to reduce toxics in their lives. For example, boards of health and a regional chamber of commerce could leverage successful strategies that the Boston Public Health Commission used to help auto repair and body shops in Boston switch to safer products. By expanding a winning strategy - the Boston Public Health Commission used the grant money to purchase water-based and safer products so that auto shop owners and employees could make sure the products worked just as well as the toxic products - you can reach more people throughout the state and make a positive impact on public health and the environment.
Are you still funding individual projects?
Yes, but applications from individuals or individual community organizations will be given lower priority and awarded a lower dollar amount.
How can I get help finding partners or generating ideas?
Contact Rachel Massey, 978-934-3124, to discuss your grant ideas and potential partnerships. Also be sure to visit the TURI web site which is a great resource for generating ideas. You'll find descriptions of current projects, past projects, topic ideas and this year's application packet (in box on right).
We would very much appreciate it if you would forward this call for proposals to your Massachusetts colleagues who are interested in applying for funding to reduce toxic chemical use.
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Position Announcement: Bird Conservation Coordinator
The Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE), under the aegis of the International Bicknell's Thrush Conservation Group (IBTCG), seeks a highly motivated individual to coordinate on-the-ground bird conservation activities on Hispaniola and other Greater Antillean islands. Primary emphasis will be on networking with local partners and facilitating conservation actions for Bicknell's Thrush and montane forest habitats on each island, following recommendations in IBTCG's 2010 Conservation Action Plan for Bicknell's Thrush http://www.bicknellsthrush.org/conservation.html. Overall objectives for the position include (1) strengthening collaborative partnerships throughout the Greater Antilles and in North America; (2) developing and implementing conservation projects that include land protection, habitat management and restoration, monitoring and scientific research, local capacity building, and outreach; and (3) coordinating overall communication within the IBTCG and its partner groups relative to wintering Bicknell's Thrush conservation issues and activities in the Greater Antilles. A detailed description of job responsibilities and qualifications is available at http://www.vtecostudies.org/PDF/coordinator.pdf.
The successful candidate will have: (1) a B.S. or higher in conservation biology, ecology, social sciences, or natural resource management; (2) a minimum of 3 years on-the-ground experience in conservation biology or a related field; (3) prior work in Latin America and/or the Caribbean; (4) spoken and written fluency in Spanish and English (working knowledge of French and/or Creole is desirable); (5) excellent oral and written communications skills; (6) demonstrated strong human relations and networking abilities; (7) experience raising funds and a willingness to assist in fundraising efforts targeted at the Caribbean; (8) facility on computers (a working knowledge of GIS is desirable); and (9) a willingness to travel extensively to and within the Dominican Republic and Haiti, as well as to other Greater Antillean islands, and Vermont. Compensation will be commensurate with education and experience, and the position will be eligible for VCE benefits.
Qualified candidates should submit a curriculum vitae and letter of interest, including names and contact information of 3 references to: Chris Rimmer, Vermont Center for Ecostudies, P.O. Box 420, Norwich, VT 05055 USA, or by e-mail to crimmer@vtecostudies.org. Deadline for applications is July 15, 2011 and the anticipated starting date is October 15.
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