Archive for October 11, 2012

Long Beach Drinking Water Meeting

if you like fresh water to come out of your faucet, you need to know about this.

“This is the most serious problem in the city’s history”- Harvey Weisenberg, Long Beach, NY State Assemblyman.

A major environmental issue you should know about of related interest to our local followers.

if you want drinkable water to keep coming out of your faucet, you need to see the story- click here at my personal local blog Making My Point-Point Lookout NY Blog.

thanks,

george

Poll : Long Islanders Back Renewable Energy

The results of a recent Sierra Club Poll are in:

Long Island is ready for renewable energy.  

 

Long solar panel array at Point Lookout Clean Energy Park

Looking down the road: A new poll shows the overwhelming majority of Long Islanders want Renewable Energy for their electricity needs.

 

In light of LIPA’s looming (and hopefully not “dooming”) decisions on what they are going to do about generating our electricity in the future, some important answers emerge about what Long Islanders – LIPA’s customers – think and want.

The questions show an overwhelming majority of Long Islanders, in the 77-90% range depending on the question, are on board with changing over to renewable energy. 

The Poll By the Numbers:

87%- believe New York State should honor it’s commitment to using 30% renewable Energy by 2015 (we’re way behind!)

85% support offshore wind power 12 to 15 miles off the coast of Long Island

78% prefer that New York utilities build new renewable energy infrastructure instead of additional fossil fuel plants

78% think the Cuomo Administration should prioritize clean, renewable energy resources ahead of fossil fuels

79%  the majority want it, even if it costs more-only 16% wouldnt pay more!

89% – say we should meet our renewable energy goals using clean energy from projects built in New York State – (as opposed to “outsourcing” our renewable energy opportunities to another state to develop, deliver and profit from.)

You can find the poll and results for yourself here:

https://docs.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/file/d/0B8V_FuEIYqCVYXNhMXlmZzJEaUU/edit?pli=1

It would seem Long Islanders are ready, we just need to let LIPA and National Grid know they need to move in this direction NOW.

So, what are we waiting for Long Island?  Let’s Do It!

Jamaica Bay Oil Spill This Weekend

National Grid has had an accident, spilling 1100 gallons of mostly oil, with gas and other chemicals that are mixed with natural gas into Jamaica Bay, NY as they repaired/fixed an old gas main. (?)

You can follow the story by clicking here at

http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2012/09/oil-spill-brooklyn-national-grid/trackback/ Sheepshead Bites  “Sheepshead Bay’s Only Independent Newsblog”.

According to officials, this happened at 1:30 am Saturday Morning, but some reports are saying Thursday night/Friday Morning, which means this was going on for over 24 hours? whats the real story?
that brings up some great questions…

Is 1:30am on a Friday night/Saturday morning the “preferred” time to be doing this work? or was it

  • an emergency?
  • a secret?
  • something else?

Although 1100 gallons is not a “big” spill, it is devastating to the immediate area.

It also brings to the front questions about the pipleine National Grid are bringing through that area (amongst all the nationwide pipleine fights with leaky pipelines everywhere- Enbridge, and other tar sands fails!!) As well as the Long Beach Pipeline / Liquid Natural Gas(LNG) Port Pipeline that gets shot down annually.

See this New York Times Blogs article: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/29/proposed-gas-pipeline-endorsed-by-the-city-draws-criticism/
just published a few weeks ago.

Just another reason we need to tell LIPA and National Grid that although we believe they are trying to do the right thing, the “right thing” is Renewable Energy. The old days are done and we should know better by now!

They need to be leading and pursuing CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY NOW – it can easily be done, it’s just deciding they want to do it, instead of potential “disasters waiting to happen”.

(?) – very sketchy