Our First Earth Day Maypole (40 ribbons - over 30 feet tall)



New London Earth Day is no more. Over the past several years, we did a few good things (three successful Earth Day celebrations, advocating for preservation of city parks, organizing a public forum and high-level press conference to oppose the Broadwater Liquified Natural Gas barge in Long Island Sound and proposing the creation of a New London Sustainable Community Initiative committee to the City Council. When the Council approved our proposal, we then recruited qualified New London residents to be members of this important citizen task force. The City Council has officially appointed our candidates and they are now working to make New London, CT a more environmentally sustainable community.

After our small committee (at last count we numbered only six) did all the hard work of getting this initiative off the ground, somehow our sails were left luffing in the wind and we all eventually moved on to other things. The wake for this organization will be joyously celebrated at some local pub in the near future for all past members of New London Earth Day.

Another friend has died. Richard Goodwin, 1910 - 2007. Noted environmentalist, botanist and philanthroper. His obituary and picture were published in the New York Times, the LA Times, the Boston Globe and many, many others.



I remember his kindness, his thoughtfulness, his carefully chosen words, his passion and his generosity. For several summers, a friend and I organized an annual poetry reading, where folks just came together and read their favorite poems. Dick was always there, enthusiastically reading, not only some of the classics, but a few of his own poems from years ago.

His book, A Botanist's Window on the Twentieth Century is a jewel and a delight to read.

As is said too infrequently, "they threw away the mold when Dick was born."

Memorial service is this Saturday, July 28th, at All Souls Unitarian Universalist in New London, CT. Some of us in the choir will be singing John Rutter's For the Beauty of the Earth.

Well, our small, but very active environmental action group (New London Earth Day) has been working very hard for some time on a proposal aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions for New London County (Connecticut, USA). Tonight, we finally make our formal presentation to the New London City Council (though we have already been trying to grease the skids by meeting one-on-one with most of the Council members and the City Manager).


(among other things, I created and maintain the New London Earth Day website)

This morning, the New London Day printed a good article about our efforts. We're pretty psyched about the Council meeting tonight. Stay tuned for details at 11!

( text of article is here (behind the cut) )

The New London Day printed my Letter to the Editor today.

United States Needs To Take New Energy Path
To The Editor Of The Day:

On Jan. 9, I attended the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) public hearing on the proposed Broadwater liquefied natural-gas barge in Long Island Sound. I am very concerned about the path that our nation is taking with respect to energy. The driving force behind these new proposals is economic profit instead of what we, as individuals and as a nation, must do to save our environment.

On Tuesday night, the few industry folks who favored the proposal emphasized that increasing the “supply” would be good for the economy, ignoring the possibility of lowering the “demand” by reducing our enormous energy waste. We, the consumers, are the only people who can examine our own lifestyles, particularly the way we each take energy resources for granted. On the other hand, the highest priority of “energy regulation” should be to mitigate the devastating impact that this waste will have on future generations. FERC further encourages this gluttony by approving ever more power sources.

Our government should be steering our nation onto a path of conservation, increased efficiency of machines and vehicles, and, most important, in developing universally available, affordable and, yes, profitable sources of sustainable/renewable energy.

I am only one small voice against this unchecked feeding of the energy monster that we have all unwittingly created. I know, however, that I am not alone and that the tide is, indeed, turning. I implore our elected officials to listen to the people they represent and to lead the way to a more rational energy plan.

Douglas Wray
Yantic

If you scroll down (November 28, 2006 entry), you'll see a television news report of me holding up a protest sign in front of one of our local power plants (though the link is probably broken by now). Our group was small, but we represented about half a dozen different local, state and New England environmental action groups. There is at least apparent power in coalitions (if not the actual power of large numbers).

Yesterday, I didn't find the following news item in any of the local papers, but, instead, as just a short, unaired blurb on one of the television websites (Channel 3 in Hartford). It was reaffirming to get the nod in the last line.


MONTVILLE -- NRG Energy Company in Montville scrapped plans to use coal technology at the site. The New Jersey- based company said it is moving ahead with a conventional gas-fired plant instead. Officials said they couldn't get permits to use coal in time to receive state incentives. Environmental groups had argued that a coal plant would pollute too much.

(Hartford Courant Photo)

Last night's hearing concerning the proposed Broadwater Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) barge for Long Island Sound was attended by about 200 people. I finally got to put in my incoherent two-cents after 10 pm (the red warning sign at two minutes threw my five minute talk into chaos - the original talk-time limit was 5 minutes, but because of the larger than expected crowd, they cut it down to 4 minutes and then after the break they cut it down to 3 minutes ... I was not amused). There were also quite a few folks from the industry and teamsters who were in favor of the project (it was interesting that they all were wearing the same suit and tie. To a man, they talked about the need to increase the "Supply," but none of them had ever heard of the concept of reducing the "Demand" through conservation, sustainable/renewable energy and increase efficiency (let alone re-examining our meaningless Lifestyles)). On the other hand, some of the short talks against the project were very inspiring and quite moving.

I think I'll send off a Letter to the Editor of the Day right now.

( Anyhow, here are some links to some of the coverage: )

This morning, I sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as a public statement of my opposition to the Broadwater Liquified Natural Gas barge proposed for Long Island Sound.

( Here's the letter )

(I'm the tree-hugging geek with the sign)

Television coverage (probably up for only a day or two):

WFSB (Hartford - ch. 3)
WTNH (New Haven - ch. 8)

( Newspaper coverage )