Norwegians are building boutique hotels for threatened Arctic birds

A changing ecosystem is driving nesting kittiwakes out of their habitat and into coastal Norwegian towns. Can “Kittiwake hotels” help these gulls and humans co-exist?

BY CHERYL KATZ, National Geographic

A traditional cliffside kittiwake nesting site before they moved to towns

TROMSØ, NORWAY Construction cranes tower stork-like over the skyline of this burgeoning burg 200-plus miles above the Arctic Circle. Spurred by a recent flood of adventurers chasing the northern lights and sightseers wanting a glimpse of the glaciers before they’re gone, this tourism hub on Norway’s north coast has been building hotels geared for an anticipated 2.3 million visitors a year.

While the human tourist boom is on hold for now, some visitors are still flocking in and looking for suitable places to stay. These guests are black-legged kittiwakes—the most seafaring member of the gull family, and one that is facing an uncertain future.

Black-legged kittiwakes set up house in a Norwegian town. A combination of factors is causing the gulls to leave their nesting cliffs and head to cities to raise families.
PHOTOGRAPH BY S.E. ARNDT, PICTURE PRESS/REDUX

Usually, kittiwakes nest in cliffs over the ocean and seldom venture inland. But in the past few years from March to September, that’s changed. Now, due to a warming ocean, increased storminess and other changes that are decimating chick production in their normal habitat, the birds have been setting up house in places such as shopping centers and office buildings in Tromsø and other towns along Norway’s north coast, where they are rankling locals with their noise and mess.

“There’s something going on in the bird cliffs that makes them struggle to raise chicks,” says Reiertsen. “The kittiwake cliffs are just being emptied.”

This unusual urban invasion may be a last chance for the region’s kittiwakes, whose numbers along the coast of Norway have plunged by three-quarters since the 1980s, says Tone Kristin Reiertsen, a seabird ecologist with the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research in Tromsø.

Taking a cue from the hotel construction around Tromsø, Reiertsen and a group of colleagues have hatched a plan to help save these iconic Arctic seabirds. They’re building boutique hotels just for kittiwakes, so the birds can raise their families in town without being a nuisance to people.

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New York creating an Office of Renewable Energy Siting to speed up clean energy projects

New York State Capitol

Matthew Mercure reports for Solar News

New York public authorities and agencies have passed legislation as part of the FY 2020-2021 state budget to speed up the siting and construction of clean energy projects to combat climate change and help the state’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 health crisis. 

The Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act will create a first in the nation Office of Renewable Energy Siting to improve and streamline the process for environmentally responsible and cost-effective siting of large-scale renewable energy projects across New York while delivering significant benefits to local communities. 

The act, which will be implemented by the New York State Department of State, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Department of Public Service, Department of Environmental Conservation, New York Power Authority and the Empire State Development Corp., will accelerate progress towards Governor Cuomo’s clean energy and climate goals – including the mandate to obtain 70% of the state’s electricity from renewable sources.

“While Governor Cuomo and New York work tirelessly to defeat COVID-19, we must continue to move forward and confront our climate crisis in order to protect New Yorkers from the dangerous consequences of a changing climate,” says Alicia Barton, president and CEO of NYSERDA.

“This new law will support a rapid transition to clean renewable energy sources and ensure that our enormous pipeline of large-scale renewable energy projects can be responsibly permitted, bolster the state’s economy and deliver health, environmental and economic benefits to all New Yorkers,” she adds.

This legislation developed and passed with significant stakeholder and community advocate support underscores the state’s commitment to efficiently develop renewable energy. By creating a new siting process specifically designed for renewable energy facilities, the act will accelerate new private investment and job growth in the green economy at a time New Yorkers need it most.

New York’s existing energy generation siting process was designed for siting fossil-fuel electric generating plants and was established prior to the adoption of New York’s clean energy and environmental mandates under its new climate law. As the state seeks solutions to getting the economy back on track after overcoming the COVID-19 crisis, restarting renewable energy construction will play a central role in the green economy. 

The new siting process will establish uniform environmental standards and conditions that will support expedited project development, bringing new jobs while combating climate change.

For more information about New York’s Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act, click here.

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And the band played on… even after police arrived

John Maldjian, 54, of Rumson, was charged Sunday with reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct and violating NJ Gov. Murphy’s coronavirus order prohibiting public gatherings

By Carly Baldwin, Patch Staff 

John Maldjian, 54, of Rumson, was charged Sunday with reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct and violating Gov. Murphy's executive order.
John Maldjian, 54, of Rumson, was charged Sunday with reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct and violating Gov. Murphy’s executive order. (Shutterstock)

RUMSON, NJ — The New Jersey Attorney General identified the Rumson man who police say hosted a gathering of about 30 people Saturday evening at his Blackpoint Road home, to listen to a live performance of Pink Floyd hits — at the height of the coronavirus epidemic, and when healthy adults are being urged to social distance and avoid large gatherings.

John Maldjian, 54, of Rumson, was charged Sunday by Rumson police with reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct and two separate charges related to violating Gov. Murphy’s emergency orders not to have social gatherings. All the charges are disorderly persons offenses. He has also been charged with violating two Rumson borough ordinances.

And that’s not all: Charges for certain members to who attended the party are forthcoming, warned the Attorney General. Several audience members were disorderly and refused to disperse when asked, said Rumson police.

As Patch initially reported, Rumson police say that at approximately 8:19 p.m. Saturday evening, April 3, they were called to Maldjian’s home for a report of a large party with a band. Police say when they arrived, they discovered the homeowner, Maldjian, together with another man, playing acoustic guitars on the front porch of the home.

There were approximately 30 people, between the ages of 40 and 50, gathered on Maldjian’s front lawn and the adjoining street watching the performance, said police. Some had lawn chairs and alcoholic beverages.Subscribe

The concert, with two guitarists with microphones and amplifiers, also was being broadcast live on Facebook, police said.

“Despite the fact that police were on scene with flashing lights attempting to disperse the crowd, the band continued playing,” said the AG’s office in a statement. “It was not until a Rumson officer directly approached Maldjian that he stopped singing and playing. Maldjian then told his Facebook Live audience (he was streaming his performance) that he had to stop playing.”

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NJ enviro coalition calls for halt on hearings for large development projects during Covid-19 crisis

Amanda Oglesby, Asbury Park Press

A coalition of environmentalists and community advocates is calling for Gov. Phil Murphy to stop proceedings for large development projects.

The reason, they argue, is that people are unable to easily give their input on project applications because of government limits on gatherings in response to the growing COVID-19 epidemic.

The group Empower NJ, a coalition of more than 60 environmental organizations, called for Murphy to temporarily halt all state and municipal meetings on permits and applications for projects like transportation infrastructure and gas pipeline construction.

“Some governmental actions are undermining the public’s right to participate in government decision-making on consequential projects, policies, and regulations,” Empower NJ wrote in a letter to the governor on Friday.

Representatives of the governor’s office did not immediately return emails from the Asbury Park Press for comment on Monday.

Empower NJ groups say that projects are currently being heard without easily  accessible public hearings. These projects — which include a gas power plant and numerous contentious proposals — could harm New Jersey’s environment, exacerbate flooding, and be decided without public input, the organizations argue.

“In a time of a health emergency, the government at the state or local level should not use this as a way to hide projects from the public,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, an environmental advocacy group. “The government still has to function as an open government. However, there are still major projects moving forward where the public does not have access to participate in.” 

Construction is one of the business activities excluded from the governor’s prohibition on gatherings, retail and most non-essential business.

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New Jersey now has 917 coronavirus deaths and 37,505 cases. Another 3K positive tests reported.

By Matt Arco | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

New Jersey now has 917 deaths from the coronavirus with 37,505 cases statewide, another increase of 3,482 positive tests, according to the latest numbers released Sunday.

The update includes 71 additional deaths. A total of 44,661 have tested negative for the coronavirus.

Here is the latest county-by-county breakdown of confirmed coronavirus cases and fatalities as of Sunday afternoon, according to the state tracking website:

  • Bergen County: 6,187 with 189 deaths
  • Essex County: 4,082 with 172 deaths
  • Hudson County: 3,924 with 87 deaths
  • Passaic County: 3,227 with 42 deaths
  • Union County: 3,216 with 71 deaths
  • Middlesex County: 2,950 with 80 deaths
  • Monmouth County: 2,354 with 58 deaths
  • Ocean County: 2,177 with 62 deaths
  • Morris County: 1,800 with 55 deaths
  • Somerset County: 833 with 26 deaths
  • Mercer County: 654 with 16 deaths
  • Camden County: 556 with 8 deaths
  • Burlington County: 547 with 11 deaths
  • Sussex County: 267 with 9 deaths
  • Gloucester County: 248 with 3 deaths
  • Warren County: 195 with 6 deaths
  • Hunterdon County: 189 with 2 deaths
  • Atlantic County: 121 with 1 death
  • Cape May County: 77 with 2 deaths
  • Cumberland County: 54 with 2 deaths
  • Salem County: 26 with 2 deaths

Another 3,935 positive tests and 14 deaths are under investigation to determine where the person resides.

Coronavirus cases as of Sunday, April 5

LOCATIONCASESDEATHS
New Jersey37,505917
New York State122,0314,159
New York City67,5512,200
Pennsylvania11,510150
Philadelphia3,18943
United States321,7629,132
Worldwide1,237,42067,260

Note: Data includes confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 reported by the CDC, state health officials and other health agencies since Jan. 21. Updated: April 5 at 1:15 p.m.Table: Len Melisurgo | NJ Advance Media  Source: Johns Hopkins Univ., NBC4 New York, FOX29 Philadelphia, State Health Departments in NJ, NY, PAGet the dataCreated with Datawrapper

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Philly officials issue new dates for recycling by neighborhood

Residents to hold onto recyclables “during these unprecedented times”

By Brian X. McCrone for TV 10 Philadelphia

Bloomberg

Recycling collection in Philadelphia is decreasing to every other week as city officials grapple with how to maintain services during the coronavirus outbreak.

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Starting Monday, April 6, the city Streets Department is changing its collection during the COVID-19 pandemic. No recycling will be collected in the entire city from April 6 through Saturday, April 11.

Recycling collections will resume Monday, April 13 and run every other week through at least May 15, according to the Streets Department.

Trash collection will continue with regularly scheduled pickups, or as close to regular pickups as possible, the city said.

“Residents should expect some delays as the health crisis continues to have an impact on employee attendance,” the city said in a statement. “There will be no trash collections on Friday, April 10th in honor of the Good Friday holiday.”

The city also urged residents to only put out their recyclables on the day of the scheduled pickups.

Recycling will be collected at the regular pick up site. Residents are urged to use lids for recycling bins to prevent debris from blowing away. Lids for City-issued recycling bins can be picked up from the Sanitation Convenience Centers. Sanitation Convenience Centers will remain open on the following modified schedule for residents to dispose of items from Tuesday through Saturday, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

The schedule below reflects the new changes in recycling operations:
Week of Collection Type

  • April 6-11: Trash Collections only
  • Friday, April 10th: No collections – Good Friday Holiday
  • April 13-17: Trash & Recycling Collections
  • April 20-24: Trash Collections only
  • April 27-May 1: Trash & Recycling Collections
  • May 4-8: Trash Collections Only
  • May 11-15: Trash & Recycling Collections

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