The Blog

OPINION / COMMENTARY

The following excerpt is from an article published in The Buffalo News, written by Walter Simpson.  A retired University Energy Officer for 26 years and former director of the UB Green Office at the SUNY University at Buffalo, Simpson organized and leads a 20 group coalition, the Clean Energy for Jamestown Campaign, which is opposed to the construction of a new coal-burning power plant in Jamestown, NY, and in favor of an efficiency-based energy plan.  The article was published as a "Viewpoints" essay on Earth Day, April 22, 2012, and can be read in its entirety on Simpson's website Energy Really Matters.

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Environmental Stakes Are High In the Upcoming Presidential Election

Obama’s record is mixed bag but Republican victory would reverse environmental progress

Earth Day is more than celebrating the little things we do to protect the environment.  It’s time to look more broadly at environmental policy and take our planet’s pulse.

Are we doing enough to protect nature and endangered species and reduce air and water pollution?  Are we maximizing the green jobs and public health benefits of environmental protection?  Are we rapidly developing new green technologies to compete with global green export leaders like China and Germany?

Daring to answer these questions honestly is difficult.  We all have our own priorities and problems.  We are endlessly distracted by cell phones, computers, video games, hundreds of TV channels, advertising and shopping. We lead busy lives, detached from nature.

On June 6, local residents are invited to join the Buffalo Recycling Alliance to help increase recycling and reduce waste in Buffalo - saving money, protecting the environment and creating jobs.

Recycling every day, at home, at work and at play, is easy.  So why doesn't everyone do it?  That's the big question.  So enter the Buffalo Recycling Alliance to turn up the volume, push the pedal to the medal and get Buffalo's recycling into high gear.

Riding the success of the City of Buffalo's increased recycling rate, the newly-formed Buffalo Recycling Alliance is ready to help city residents and businesses do more with their newspaper comics, tuna fish cans, and laundry soap jugs.

Kudos to city residents for doubling their recycling rate from 8 to 16 percent, but we all know we can do better. The challenge, according to the Alliance, is to raise the city's recycling rate to the national average (34%) within a year. Who knows, maybe after that we might take the title away from San Francisco, which has the top rate of 72 percent.  Sounds like two great goals to shoot for.

PUSH Buffalo is accepting housing applications for the 11-unit Massachusetts Avenue Development (MAD) Apartments in Buffalo.  The new homes, located along Massachusetts Avenue, will include five 1-bedroom units, three 2-bedroom units and three 3-bedroom units.

The apartments will include the following amenities:

• Hardwood floors
• Bright and spacious rooms
• ENERGY STAR© stove and refrigerator
• Cable and Internet ready
• Laundry hook-ups
• Energy efficient designs

Lynne Cherry, a children's author, illustrator and filmmaker, visited Windermere and Smallwood Elementary Schools this week to interact with the children and encourage them to explore Nature through observation, drawing and writing.

Cherry also gave an evening presentation which I attended at Smallwood Elementary School.  She spoke while showing slides and film clips from her "Young Voices for the Planet" project.  She encouraged children and parents to enjoy Nature more (and TV less) and to protect our environment.  She introduced them to clean energy sources through images of wind turbines and solar panels, as well as through group participation in a song featuring Pete Seeger in a music video called "SolarTopia!"