In the News
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Advocacy News (Includes how to reach your legislators) DEP Enforcement Actions In The Berkshire return to top |
Amphibian malformations and deformities |
GreenHouse Gas and Global Warming Solutions Act comment period For those of you interested in Greenhouse Gases, implementation of the Global Warming Solutions Act, and/or biomass policy, here are some opportunities to comment: Public Information Sessions & Hearing Notice for the Global Warming Solutions Act and Green Communities Act comment deadline June 1 PUBLIC HEARING DRAFT Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Level: 1990 Baseline and 2020 Business As Usual Projection |
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture - out of the Pioneer Valley - has a new video on Youtube |
MassWoods Conservation Organization Listings |
Battle of the Bags - Great Barrington On Thursday, May 28, from 6:30 8 PM, the Mason Library, Great Barrington will be showing a film entitled Battle of the Bags. This 40-minute Canadian documentary on the subject of plastic shopping bags and their environmental effect, is at once entertaining and informative, presenting many sides of this timely issue. Following the film, there will be opportunity for discussion of the topic, which will be led by members of Green for a Change, a local environmental group committed to decreasing the use of plastic bags. |
From Susan Olshuff, Lenox Events Planner On May 16, at 6:30 at EnlightenNext in Lenox, gourmet Executive Chef Katherine Miller will be offering a candlelit, sumptuous vegetarian dinner overflowing with the bounty of Berkshire County’s wild and cultivated veggies: wild ramps from our own forest, cattails and watercress from our protected wetlands, the first offerings from the EnlightenNext garden and local farmers, along with select organic wines. For more info or to reserve a spot, call 413-637-6021, or email kmiller@EnlightenNext.org to get in on this rare treat. Cost is $55/person plus gratuities. I’d also like to ask you to stay home on Memorial Day weekend. We are hosting here in Lenox Inside/Out – wellness for the individual, the community, and the planet. There are 8 events – and that’s all before the parade. It’s a great weekend to invite folks to visit the Berkshires. I’ll paste in below the brief outline of these events. I’d like to ask two favors: HELP SPREAD THE WORD! Please send this info to all your friends and colleagues whom you think might be interested. If there is a way to get the events into your bulletin or e-newsletter, that'd be so helpful! If you'd like posters, just let me know. Thanks! I’ve ventured into the facebook world, so become my friend! I have a page on Lenox events that has just begun, so become a fan! http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Lenox-Events/165276865503 Help me go viral! I’m also looking for volunteers to help run all these events, so if you think you might have time on Memorial Day weekend, let me know. Sorry to be so longwinded… but there’s lots going on. More details coming soon. Hope to see you somewhere soon! Susan Olshuff SAVE THE DATES! Inside/Out: Wellness for you, your community, the planet Wed, May 20, 7:30pm – Lenox Community Center - Move to Heal – A Workshop by Uli Nagel, Pilates Thurs, May 21, 7pm – Morris Elementary School, Lenox - Wellness in our Schools – A Dialogue Opening a discussion on how to make our schools truly healthy environments for learning and growth. - FREE Fri, May 22, 7:30pm – Tanglewood Room, Cranwell, Lenox - Four Voices on Health Sat, May 23, 10 to noon – Lilac Park, From Haybales to Tomatoes: The NO DIG Way ! - Mary Acton-Adams Sat, May 23, Noon to 6:00pm – Lenox Town Hall - Our Bright Future – Berkshires Extreme Green Expo - Put on by Volunteers for Change If you feel that simply changing your light bulbs doesn’t do justice to these remarkable times, this afternoon can help you find out more about what is possible, and connect to your own passion for change. - FREE Sat, May 23, 8:00pm to Midnight – Lenox Library Reading (and rocking!) Park - Bootleg, Nude Eel, and more Sun, May 24, 10am to noon – Family Hike and the Lorax - Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox Sun, May 24, 6 – 10pm – Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival Duffin Theater, Lenox High School , Prepare to be inspired, educated, and moved to action. Whatever your interests, these films will expose you to forward-thinking ideas and global awareness. - $8/person; $14 per family For Information: Susan Olshuff, 413-637-2643; events@lenox.org |
Midsummer 4s and 5s (4 classes) Class dates and times: Location: Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary These four-day sessions engage preschoolers in age-appropriate, hands-on, outdoor discovery activities and crafts that explore the wonders of nature during the summer season. Parents are welcome to leave their children for the program or stay. Instructions and Directions: Dress your child for the outdoors. Children should be between 3 1/2 and 5 years old. A snack is provided. |
Toxic Driveways? |
What's the Air Quality Like? Go to MassAir Online - from the Circuit Reader News MassDEP’s web site now has an exciting new feature: MassAir Online. MassAir Online provides the public with near real-time data from our statewide network of air quality monitors. It uses a familiar Google Maps® interface and color coding to display relative health risks from ozone, fine particles and other significant pollutants measured at 21 monitoring locations across the state. This is the first time that complete and up-to-date data will be available on-line from this strategic environmental monitoring program. http://public.dep.state.ma.us/MassAir/ return to top |
Global Warming Solutions Act Public Hearings |
Mount Greylock Roads Will Re-open Soon Saturday, May 02 |
Plastic Bag Bills There are 2 bills pertaining to plastic carryout bags in the Massachusetts legislature this year. One version bans retail stores from providing them to customers. Compostable plastic bags are exempt as are plastic bags intended for produce, baked goods, candies, bulk foods, and loose hardware. The bag ban bill in the House is H798. The Senate version is S395. House bill H719 is a variation of this. It states that supermarkets shall provide only recyclable paper bags, compostable plastic bags, or reusable bags to customers. These bills were referred to the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. The second version of the bag bill levies an excise tax on plastic carryout bags. There is no tax on compostable plastic bags, reusable bags (plastic or cloth) and plastic bags provided instore for bulk goods. H2686 levies a 5c excise tax on supermarkets for every plastic bag provided to customers at checkout. The Senate version of this bill, S1284, levies the tax on retail stores grossing more than $1M / yr. It starts with a 2c excise tax per bag with annual increases that reach 15c in 2016. Sen. Downing is a co-sponsor. These bills were referred to the Joint Committee on Revenue. More info can be found on the Mass Legislature website Bill texts are at |
Bisphenol A (BPA) Campaign Let's be heard! Please sign a pledge to participate in our Call-In Day on May 12th. Call the Governor on May 12th. But please don't stop there, use the Tell-A-Friend form to forward information about the call-in day and a link to the pledge to your friends. Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow needs all the help we can get! More about the campaigns Bisphenol A (BPA) is a toxic chemical found in polycarbonate plastic that is widely used to make baby bottles, sippy cups, teethers, toys, pacifiers, and utensils as well as being in the epoxy resins of cans of baby formula and other foods. The DPH has the legal power to ban the sale of toxic household products and can insist that the products on our store shelves are safer. Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow is calling on the governor to support the DPH to ban the sale of all products containing Bisphenol A (BPA), intended for use by children 3 years of age and under, that may be mouthed or ingested, and also to issue a consumer warning to avoid products containing BPA directed to pregnant women, woman planning to become pregnant, and those undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. The Safer Alternatives Bill The Safer Alternatives Bill, An Act for a Competitive Economy Through Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals, is sponsored by Representative Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington) and Senator Steven Tolman (D-Brighton). It will create a pragmatic and flexible program in Massachusetts to replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives, wherever feasible. In this economy, the bill is needed more than ever. The Safer Alternatives program will help Massachusetts businesses stay competitive on the global market which is rapidly moving towards a demand for safer products and services. The program will is funded by a fee on toxic chemicals brought into the state primarily by out-of-state firms. We can act now to begin a positive pragmatic program that will create healthy residents and a healthy economy. |
EPA Promotes American Wetlands Month, 2009: Learn! Explore! Take Action! Other highlights include EPA's Science Notebook focus on wetlands that will highlight the diversity of wetlands and wetland research being undertaken by EPA across the country using assorted multi-media tools such as blogs, podcasts, interviews, and photo diaries http://www.epa.gov/sciencenotebook and a National Webcast "Wetlands–Re-connecting Youth with Nature" on May 28th" that will explore the unique role wetlands can play in connecting young people with nature http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/webcasts EPA regional activities planned for the month of May include educational displays, discussions, presentations, special feature articles, wetland walks and celebrations, and an array of other outreach and communication events. Information on national, regional, and local activities planned for May will be updated and posted throughout the month on Feel free to contact Kathleen Kutschenreuter |
EPA Region 8 Video “Wetlands and Wonder: Reconnecting Children with Nearby Nature” Wins International Award A wetlands education video produced by the Ecosystems Protection Program in Region 8 has won a Merit Award from the International Wildlife FilmFestival. http://www.wildlifefilms.org As the recipient of a merit award, EPA is found in the company of other winners such as BBC, Disney Nature, and Animal. Key Region 8 staff involved in producing the video included Darcy Campbell, Gene Reetz (now retired) and Julia McCarthy. The video, which includes an interview with Richard Louv, internationally acclaimed author of Last Child in the Woods, was also chosen by EPA’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds to be a focus for American Wetlands Month in May. The film will be screened at the Festival in Missoula, Montana on May 12, 2009. return to top |
New Local Website for Gardeners and Farmers |
East New Lenox Rd. Garden Club |
How Green is my Town? Grassroots Environmental Education, a New York-based non-profit, is pleased to announce the launch of a new comprehensive, science-based greenweb, www.HowGreenIsMyTown.org. Our 200-plus page online initiative draws together resources from government agencies and non-profits across America to address the issues of climate change, sustainability and environmental health in one user-friendly site. It’s designed to give local citizens and decision makers the tools they need to bring about meaningful and lasting change. Michael Crowley - |