How to get free publicity for your environmental event

In the next few weeks, the following events will take place in New Jersey and Pennsylvania:

  • Marcellus Shale Coalition’s Transportation Safety Day
  • NJ Conservation Foundation’s Sounds of the Night at the Meadows
  • Book Club Discussion: Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”   
  • ANJR: Recycling Tonnage Reporting Workshop
  • …and many more (new events added daily)

Each has appeared in our Enviro-Events Calendar—an online listing that attracts more than a thousand environmental-minded viewers every week.

The calendar contains dates, times, locations and summaries of what to expect at a host of upcoming environmental seminars, forums, webinars and educational, social, and networking opportunities, too.

We focus on New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware–but you’ll also find some events of particular value that are held in other states–even other countries!

Use our calendar to publicize your upcoming environmental event

If you want to place your upcoming event before a receptive audience, email your information about it to: editor@enviropolitics.com.

We’ll list is without charge. Yes, for free. 



Tips for successful event listings

Tip #1: Please follow our style to get your listing posted extra fast. The more we have to re-type or re-format, the less motivated we get.

Tip #2: Before you schedule an event, check our calendar to see if someone else in your location or area of interest is holding their event on or near the same date.No sense in competing if you don’t have to.

Tip #3: Federal, state and local government agencies–and trade associations, too–will find our calendar to be a great way to spread the word about regularly scheduled meetings. But please let us know when you need to cancel or postpone an event. 

Tip #4: Tell your friends, colleagues and PR staff about this great service. They’ll think you’re a genius.


Stay on top of all upcoming events with free email alerts 

Hop on over to Enviro-Events Calendar and sign up for free email alerts.
 
You’ll also find a form to use if you want our updates to appear in your Google Reader, or any other web reader that you may be using.

Questions?  Comments?  We’d love to hear from you.Please use the response box below.

How to get free publicity for your environmental event Read More »

NJ Pinelands Alliance sees enviro-protections weakening

An environmental watchdog sees environmental protections weakening overall in New Jersey but gives good grades to some initiatives in the state’s Pinelands region.

In it annual State of the Pines Report, the Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA) sees “growing public
concern that, while much of the Pinelands’ forests, streams and wetlands are
surviving the pressures of sprawl, government agencies are not doing enough to
save the Pine Barrens over the long term..” 

The report focuses on the state of
Pinelands preservation and on how specific actions of government agencies
have either helped or harmed the Pinelands during the past twelve months. It rates the actions of government agencies that include the Governor, the
Pinelands Commission, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP),
New Jersey State Legislature, local government, and other governmental
agencies. 

“Since the fate of the Pinelands rests primarily with decisions by
government, the public needs a way to hold these agencies accountable for their
performance through an annual report. PPA believes there is real cause for
concern in the actions of government agencies responsible for safeguarding the
Pinelands,” the PPA says.

The group’s executive director, Carleton Montgomery asserted: 

The Pinelands Commission has lost its leadership position in recent years, instead succumbing to political pressures that confine its efforts to case-by-case waivers for developments that violate the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan. The Commission now has the perfect opportunity through its fourth Plan Review to reassert its role as guardian of the Pinelands by adopting reforms that experience shows are needed to protect Pinelands resources.”

The report was not entirely negative. It found that…

Despite challenging
economic times, Governor Christie kept funding for the Pinelands Commission
relatively stable for the coming fiscal year. The annual Pinelands Short Course
sponsored by the Commission and Burlington County College continues to grow in
popularity. Since its inception the Short Course has provided a wonderful
opportunity for people to learn more about unique natural, historic, and
cultural aspects of the Pine Barrens. 


It also saluted Buena Vista’s Township Committee for discontinuing efforts to build a package sewage treatment plant, recognized  steps taken by the Evesham Township to
protect the Black Run Preserve through a new Open
Space Plan, and gave high marks to
GreenFaith, a national interfaith environmental organization based in New
Jersey for launching a new program to encourage houses of worship to conserve
water at its facilities, to preserve water quality on its grounds, and to
encourage its members to conserve water at home.

Read the full PPA report here 

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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 
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Most recent posts:

Pa’s voter registration slips 3 percent in presidential year

The GAO weighs in on fracking’s rewards and risks

Recyclers in NJ meet for 32nd education & awards event
Enviros claim victory over NJ carbon sequestration plant  
For Pa Gov. Corbett, some are more equal than others   
Marcellus Shale deposits deeper and cheaper to drill  

.  

NJ Pinelands Alliance sees enviro-protections weakening Read More »

Pa’s voter registration slips 3 percent in presidential year

Pennsylvania is approaching the Nov. 6
presidential election with 3 percent fewer registered voters than in
fall 2008, an unusual slip that political analysts blame on a drop in
voter enthusiasm across the country, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review‘s Adam Smeltz reports today.
Democrats especially experienced a slump,
bleeding 229,396 registered voters in Pennsylvania since the last
presidential race, state data show. Republicans are down 112,796
registrants, but voters unconnected to either major party grew by 7
percent, or 73,043, according to Pennsylvania Department of State
figures.

As of Monday the state had 8,487,093 voters, down from
8,755,588 in November 2008, despite a 2 percent population gain.
Democrats still hold a 50-37 percentage registration edge over
Republicans, down one point from 2008.

What’s the reason? Tell us what you think in the comment box below. Signed comments are appreciated but we also accept submissions from you, Mr., Mrs.
or Ms. Anonymous.

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For
thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and
regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 
***********************************************************************************************************

Most recent posts:

The GAO weighs in on fracking’s rewards and risks

Recyclers in NJ meet for 32nd education & awards event
Enviros claim victory over NJ carbon sequestration plant  
For Pa Gov. Corbett, some are more equal than others   
Marcellus Shale deposits deeper and cheaper to drill 
 

Pa’s voter registration slips 3 percent in presidential year Read More »

The GAO weighs in on fracking’s rewards and risks


New-found shale gas deposits are being touted as the next economic tidal wave that will carry the country to prosperity. True?

  The Government Accountability Office examines the controversial issue and reports:

 “Oil and gas development, whether conventional or shale oil and gas, pose inherent environmental and public health risks, but the extent of these risks associated with shale oil and gas development is unknown, in part, because the studies GAO reviewed do not generally take into account the potential long-term, cumulative effects.” 

EnergyBiz reminds us that: 

When Duke University reviewed groundwater systems in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania and the Utica Shale in New York, it found that methane was detected in all watersheds, regardless of whether fracking had occurred. However, those levels were “substantially higher” closer to the shale gas wells, although the analysts cautioned that the source of the contamination could not be determined and that they found no evidence of fracking fluids.

According to the GAO, 

“Regulatory officials we met with from eight states — Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas — told us that, based on state investigations, the hydraulic fracturing process has not been identified as a cause of groundwater contamination within their states.”   

The problem, according to Ken Silverstein of EnergyBiz is that “the baseline info of where things started is missing, making it difficult to determine if such drilling is having a notable effect. Any degradation could be part of a natural occurrence, or it could be tied to fracking.” 


It sounds like the debate will continue until more detailed and long-term studies are performed and evaluated. In the meanwhile, neither fracking’s advocates nor opponents can lay claim to the whole truth on its risks.

See the full EnergyBiz story here.  

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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 
***********************************************************************************************************

Most recent posts:
Recyclers in NJ meet for 32nd education & awards event
Enviros claim victory over NJ carbon sequestration plant  
For Pa Gov. Corbett, some are more equal than others   
Marcellus Shale deposits deeper and cheaper to drill    
Barnegat Blitz: As many pick up, Sierra Club puts down  
Pa’s top court hears shale-drilling vs. local zoning appeal 

  

The GAO weighs in on fracking’s rewards and risks Read More »

Recyclers in NJ meet for 32nd education & awards event

The Association of New Jersey Recyclers (ANJR) brought the state’s recycling community–public and private–together on Oct 17, 2012 for a morning of education, recognition of outstanding performers, and a chance to meet with vendors offering the latest in recycling equipment and services.

EnviroPolitics chatted with several of the participants, including a national magazine editor, a former NJDEP chief of staff, a man whose ‘app’ will tell your smart phone all it needs to know about what you can put at the curb on recycling day, a woman who has plans for your empty juice carton, and a pair of adorable fifth grade poets.

Meet them all in the video below. (Click arrow at center screen to start the show)

In an upcoming post and video, we’ll list those who were honored by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for outstanding contributions to recycling over
the past year.

We’ll also meet Paul DeCosimo, the man who supplies recycling containers used
in hundreds of local businesses, schools and parks–including Yankee Stadium.

Finally, we’ll look inside Sims Recycling’s Recyclarium, a traveling classroom that
is bringing the lessons of recycling to hundreds of New York school children.

Disclosure: Our sister business, Brill Public Affairs, is a proud provider of consulting
services to ANJR

Related environmental stories: 
After 25 years, how’s recycling doing in NJ? – Part 1
After 25 years, how’s recycling doing in NJ? – Part 2   
NJ celebrates 25 years of recycling with levels on the rise 
New Jersey DEP to release e-waste recycling rules

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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 
***********************************************************************************************************

Most recent posts:
Enviros claim victory over NJ carbon sequestration plant  
For Pa Gov. Corbett, some are more equal than others   
Marcellus Shale deposits deeper and cheaper to drill    
Barnegat Blitz: As many pick up, Sierra Club puts down  
Pa’s top court hears shale-drilling vs. local zoning appeal  

Recyclers in NJ meet for 32nd education & awards event Read More »

Enviros claim victory over NJ carbon sequestration plant

** Updated at 5:05 p.m. to add related environmental news story**

A group of 37 environmental and social groups known as the Stop PurGen Coalition have announced that their fight to defeat a proposed coal and carbon sequestration power plant in Linden, NJ is over.


Since 2009, the activists fought the construction of PurGen One, a proposed 750 MW coal and carbon sequestration plant that would have used a 140-mile long pipeline through New Jersey’s coastal waters to pump liquefied carbon dioxide one mile below the Earth’s surface.

The group discovered an announcement on the Massachusetts-based company SCS Energy’s website that stated, “PurGen One is no longer under active development.”

According to the coalition, SCS Energy’s contract with the city of Linden expires this year.


For three years coalition members from Cape May up to New York City canvassed door-to-door educating the residents on the proposal and alerting them to speak out at public hearings and meetings. The group also lobbied with municipalities and counties around the state to pass resolutions in opposition to the plant.

Read more at:
SCE Energy scraps plans for controversial coal-fired plant 
Coalition Claims Victory In Fight Against Linden Coal Plant

Related environmental news stories: 
‘Carbon Sequestration’ coming to NJ & PA? 
PA’s big stake in carbon sequestration tests
Feds’ $2.4B to ‘stimulate’ carbon capture projects  
Forbes takes a look at burying carbon at sea

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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 
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Enviros claim victory over NJ carbon sequestration plant Read More »