Upcoming
Events
The Finger Lakes Group generally meets once a month. We meet in person—often in Montour Falls—or by conference call. Please check with us to confirm the date and location or phone number of our next meeting.
Tues., May 1, Living Downstream Film, Glen Theater, Watkins Glen, 7:00 pm
Living Downstream Film Showing, May 1, Watkins Glen
Local Groups Will Host Film and Discussion on Responsible Planning at Glen Theater on Tuesday, May 1st at 7PM
Community leaders and residents are invited to a special event screening and Watkins Glen premiere of Living Downstream, a documentary film based on the acclaimed book by Trumansburg author, ecologist and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D. She has taught biology at Columbia College in Chicago, held visiting fellowships at the University of Illinois, Radcliffe/Harvard, and Northeastern University, and served on President Clinton’s National Action Plan on Breast Cancer. Dr. Steingraber is currently Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Ithaca College in Ithaca. At the May 1st event she will be giving a talk and be available for book signing.
With Schuyler County and surrounding towns reviewing their comprehensive plans, many local citizen groups are asking community decision-makers and citizens to be mindful of the impact heavy industry will have on the Finger Lakes region. The Finger Lakes Sierra Club Group and Gas Free Seneca are co-sponsoring an event with Finger Lakes Bioneers to foster learning and communication within the region regarding heavy industry and what it means to be "Living Downstream."
The film is being shown as part of a regional film series organized by Finger Lakes Bioneers, a program of Sustainable Tompkins. "We've been partnering with local groups since last fall," said Nick Vaczek, the series coordinator, "and we've found that people really enjoy watching films on challenging issues and innovative solutions, especially when that's followed by a chance to discuss how that connects to hometown endeavors." More details about the film series are at www.wemakeourfuture.org.
Dr. Steingraber has a strong bond with Watkins Glen. Her son, Elijah, was born in Seneca Lake water. Steingraber will attend the screening and make a short presentation, answer questions, and do a book signing. Community leaders and decision-makers throughout the region have been personally invited to attend.
“Our region faces economic and environmental challenges. The area is being considered for hydrofracking, gas storage and transport, and frack-related industry. We need to be informed, to learn together, and to work together to formulate a vision for the future of the region,” said Yvonne Taylor, co-founder of Gas Free Seneca. “Our goal is to provide an opportunity for the community to engage in a respectful, open dialogue about the connection between the health of our bodies and the health of our air, land, and water.”
For more information about Dr. Steingraber go to: http://steingraber.com/bio
For more information contact Nick@SustainableTompkins.org or visit www.wemakeourfuture.org.
Winter 2011 Newsletter
Organic and Robotic: An Alternative to Dairy Farm CAFOs by Patrick Brown
Liquid Fear: Creative Non-Fiction by Naomi Burnett
Empowered Documentary by Annie Koreman
Pipe Dreams? by Gene Stolfi
Overlooked Dangers of Drilling, by Gene Stolfi
Sierrans Have More Fun! by Jim Trondsen
2011 Group Elections
Four candidates were elected to the Finger Lakes Group Executive Committee in the 2011 group elections:
Kate Bartholomew, Montour Falls, Schuyler County
Susanne Brown, Hornell, Steuben County
Annie Koreman, Trumansburg, Tompkins County
Frank Potter, Big Flats, Chemung County
Recent Events
Film showing: Empowered: Power from the People
Tompkins County, NY is one of the cloudiest, least windy places in the country, and yet its residents are proving that we can meet our energy needs through totally renewable resources. From solar and wind to veggie oil and geothermal, "Empowered" is an independent feature-length documentary teling the story of Ithaca's role in the energy independence revolution. The film was directed by Shira Golding Evergreen and produced by Suzanne McMannis. It features the home of Annie Koreman, Vice Chair of the Sierra Club Finger Lakes Group, and the group co-sponsored a showing of the film in Ithaca on Dec. 7, 2011. Learn more and empower yourself at: http://empoweredthemovie.com
District Office Lobby Day
The Finger Lakes Group participated in the state Sierra Club's district office lobby days in 2011 and 2010. In 2011 we met with Assemblymen Chris Friend and Phil Palmesano. In 2010 we met with Assemblyman Jim Bacalles, with Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton and with the staff of Assemblyman Tom O'Mara.
Group Picnic
On September 20, 2009, we met for a picnic at the home of Annie Koreman, Group Energy Chair, in Trumansburg. We did planning for the next few months and took a tour of Annie's solar panels, electric tractor, and geothermal HVAC system.
Hammond Hill State Forest Hike
Lead by Virgil Shields.
Forum on the Effects of Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling on Local Water Sources
On June 22, 2009, the Finger Lakes Group of the Sierra Club joined with the Steuben County Environmental Management Council, the League of Women Voters of Steuben County, the League of Women Voters of Chemung County, and the Bath Peace and Justice Group to sponsor a public forum on the Effects of Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling on Local Water Sources. The program was held at the Fire Hall in Bath and was attended by 114 people. The remarks of the three outstanding speakers at the forum were taped by Wilton Vought of True Colors Video and are posted on his website, http://essentialdissent.blogspot.com/2009/06/marcellus-shale-gas-drilling-and-water.html The speakers were:
Ron Bishop, lecturer in chemistry and biochemistry at SUNY Oneonta, gave an overview of natural gas extraction technology and explained how water contamination can occur during the gas drilling process.
Steve Penningroth, Executive Director of the state-certified water testing laboratory at the Community Science Institute in Ithaca, described how to test private and municipal water wells so that landowners and municipal officials can discover problems and have solid scientific baseline water data that will stand up in court should contamination occur.
Andrew Beyers, a farmer/botanist from Newfield who has been studying gas drilling issues, talked about the work of the Shaleshock Citizens Action Alliance, and described how community members can take action on gas drilling issues.
Earth Day Survey
An informal survey on environmental issues was conducted by Gene Stolfi, Katie Stroman, Robin Stroman, and Jim Trondsen at our Sierra Club Finger Lakes Group table at Corning Community College's Earth Day event on Wed., April 22, 2009. Robin De Lill Stroman, our FLG Zero Waste Chair, designed the survey and compiled the results. Interestingly, while most people think global warming is real and are worried about the harm human activity is causing the planet, most people also believe that the United States is doing enough to confront the problem and believe that global warming can be reversed. Click here for the detailed results.
District Office Lobby Day
The Finger Lakes Group participated in the Sierra Club's District Office Lobby Day on Fri., Mar. 6, 2009. We met with staff members of Senator George Winner and Assemblymember Tom O'Mara in Elmira, and with Assemblymember Barbara Lifton in Ithaca. We have a follow-up meeting scheduled with Assemblymember Lifton in May to discuss restoring authority to local governments to regulate oil and gas drilling in New York by repealing the 1981 amendments to the Environmental Conservation Law removing that authority.
Photograph
by
Sue
Heavenrich
Forum on New Gas Drilling Techniques
On Sun., Feb. 1, 2009, the Finger Lakes Group sponsored a public forum on the health and environmental impacts of new gas drilling techniques in Corning. For more information about the forum, click here.
Winter 2008 Newsletter
Many thanks to our newsletter team of Annie Koreman and Kate Bartholomew for an excellent new issue of the Finger Lakes Sierran, and to our authors:
Our New Geothermal
Heating and Cooling System by
Annie Koreman, Energy Committee Chair
Is New York Ready for
Zero Waste? by
Robin De Lill Stroman, Zero Waste Committee
Chair
Marcellus
Shale Formation—Are You Being "Fracked"? by
Gene Stolfi, ExCom
Who Wants to Save Money, Reduce Housecleaning Chores and Feel Good? by
Gene Stolfi
The Continued "Wasting" of
Rural New York by Erin Riddle
Photos of Finger Lakes Water Day, Champlin Beach, Hammondsport, June 1, 2008
Photographs by Jim Trondsen
Zero Waste Forum in Elmira, Dec. 12, 2007
The Finger Lakes Group held a very successful forum on zero waste with Lynne Pledger, a member of the national Sierra Club's Zero Waste Committee from Hardwick, Massachusetts, on December 12, 2007, at the Steele Memorial Library, in Elmira. Almost 70 people turned out on a cold winter evening to learn about the role our production/disposal cycle is playing in the Global Warming crisis, how other communities are moving forward with Zero Waste, and what we can and must do to implement Zero Waste initiatives in our area. For more information contact Robin De Lill Stroman, Finger Lakes Group Zero Waste Committee Chair at (607)529-3510 or stromanhome at earthlink.net
Chemung River Fest, Elmira - June 9, 2007
Photographs by Rich Hurley
Steuben Water Day, Hammondsport - June 3, 2007
Cohocton Paddle, Bath - June 2, 2007
