VOLUME II, Issue 5
http://www.GreenForNewEngland.org
MARCH 7, 2001
In this "snowbound" issue:
1 - Playing Our Favorite Board Game
2 - Reviewing Our Finances
3 - Planning Our Summer
4 - Learning How Not To Get Lost
5 - Surfing the Internet
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The title of this week's newsletter is "How We
Spent Our Snow Day(s)"
1 – Playing Our Favorite
Board Game
Many of us New Englanders were forced indoors during the snowstorm that
enveloped the region over the past two days. Surely, some of us dusted off
an old copy of Candyland or Monopoly to pass the time. Until a few weeks
ago, the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) was involved in its own version
of Monopoly. After a year and a half of contested hearings, throughout which
CLF provided key testimony, the Vermont Public Service Board supported
CLF’s position and rejected the proposed sale of the Vermont Yankee
Nuclear Power Plant to AmerGen Energy Company. The Board found that the
proposed sale was not in the public interest as it contained
anti-competitive items that would have protected the plant from the emerging
competitive electric market. Additionally, the Board concluded that the
agreement would have cost taxpayers more than $100 million in excess power
costs. The decision is a highlight of CLF’s New England-wide effort to
foster cleaner technology through energy deregulation. For additional
information on other CLF energy projects, call (617) 350-0990 or visit www.clf.org.
2 - Reviewing Our Finances
Maybe instead of playing board games, you did your
taxes. This, whether you owe or you will get a refund, probably made you
rethink your budget. The Environmental League of MA (ELM) is also budgeting
recently releasing its "Green Budget 2002," a document detailing
proposed additions to the Commonwealth's current environmental spending. ELM
hopes to bring attention to what it terms the "Environmental
Deficit," the shortfall in the environmental operational budget from
1991 to 2001. This year, ELM is calling for an additional $13,610,000 in
spending for environmental programs, a 6 percent increase over what will be
spent in fiscal year 2001. In the Governor's proposed 2002 budget,
environmental spending will actually decrease by 1 percent. ELM has
published its report on the group's website at www.environmentalleague.org.
3 - Planning Our Summer
When it is miserable outside is there anything
more fun than to dream about what you are going to do this summer? If the
Northeast Resource Recovery Association's 20th Annual Recycling Conference
and Exposition is not on your calendar yet, why not? This year's
extravaganza will be in Hyannis, Massachusetts, on June 11-13 and promises
to be a fun and informative couple of days. You will be able to network with
professionals in the field and find out where the hot jobs are and who is
getting them. There will be plenty of opportunities to learn about new
materials and markets, how to increase recycling, composting strategies, and
how others have solved their waste problems. For fun you can try your luck
in the Golf Tournament, go for a stroll along the Cape's beaches, or take in
the Skid Steer Rodeo. For information on how to register or to become an
exhibitor, contact NRRA at (603) 798-5777.
4 - Learning How Not To Get Lost
As most of you probably noticed, visibility
severely declines when the snow is falling. If you sign up for the
Connecticut Forest and Park Association's "Orienteering Workshop,"
you may not figure out how to navigate blindly in the snow, but you will
learn how to find your way through the trees. Join CFPA on Saturday, March
24 at the Wadsworth Falls State Park in Middletown, CT, and you will
discover the fundamentals of orienteering using a compass and topographic
maps. If you are ready to plan for spring, be sure to mark the "Vernal
Pools and Amphibians" program on your calendar for April 7 at CFPA
headquarters. There will be a slide show presentation as well as a guided
walk to see what spring critters you can discover. For information on both
programs, contact CFPA at (860) 346-2372 or visit www.ctwoodlands.org.
5 - Surfing the Internet
As the snow fell outside, many people found that
the gentle humming of their personal computers kept them company. Why not?
Where else do you have news, information, and lots of shopping…all at your
fingertips? However, could you buy a forest? The Society for the Protection
of New Hampshire Forests recently purchased 120 acres along the Lamprey
River in Epping, NH. The property, which includes one and a half miles of
river frontage, will become a permanent Society reservation known as the
"Lamprey River Forest." The Lamprey River is one of only two
nationally designated "Wild and Scenic Rivers" in New Hampshire
and provides important habitat for declining species of frogs, salamanders,
and the state-endangered brook floater mussel. The Society expects to
continue to allow pedestrian access on the existing trail system as well as
hunting and fishing. For more information, contact SPNHF at (603) 224-9945.
Assuming All the Snow Has Melted By Then…
Earth Day is April 22. In preparation for our
Earth Day Online celebration (www.EarthDayOnline.org),
we are still compiling information on events throughout New England for our
"Calendar" section. If you know of an activity planned in your
area, send us an e-mail at info@EarthDayOnline.org.
