Don't want to see the Conhocton look like
the Colorado River shown above? Help our
local governments
address
gas drilling issues.
Consensus
The Steuben Greens and most other Green groups use consensus
process for our meetings.
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Green Party News
Steuben County Green Party Joins Call
for Gas Drilling Ban
See you at the Rally to Protect New York State from Natural Gas Drilling
in Albany, Jan. 25, 2010
Signs at DEC Hearing in Corning, Nov. 18,
2009. Photo by Eric Wenzel, Corning Leader.
Acting on our concerns about the extensive
environmental and health damages that
are likely to be caused by
drilling gas wells
in the Marcellus Shale if horizontal
drilling
and high pressure hydrofracturing are
allowed in New York State, the Steuben
County Green
Party adopted a resolution November 16,
2009, calling on the state legislature
to adopt a ban
on
permitting gas wells that use
these techniques. In
so doing, the party joins the Green Party
of New York and 70
other groups across New York State
calling for such a ban.
The resolution lists the reasons why the
party is calling for a ban:
Because of our concerns that environmental
and health damages lasting long beyond
our lifetimes will extend across New York
State if gas drilling is permitted using
horizontal drilling and high pressure hydrofracturing,
Because damaging economic consequences
to residential and commercial property
values, tourism, agriculture, forestry,
wineries, colleges and universities will
result from damaging health effects,
Because the infrastructure costs of building
and repairing roads, water treatment facilities,
and other public services needed by the
gas drilling industry will exceed the economic
benefit to local communities,
Because New York State has no laws restricting
industrial scale water withdrawals from
our rivers, lakes and aquifers,
Because the citizens of New York are not
protected from the toxic effects of oil
and gas drilling by Federal and New York
State environmental laws that apply to
other industries,
Because the subsidies granted to oil and
gas drilling promote the use of fossil
fuels and undermine the development of
conservation, efficiency, and renewable
energy sources, and
Because the global warming effects of
the methane in natural gas are many times
greater than the global warming effects
of carbon dioxide,
Be it resolved that the Steuben County
Green Party calls on the New York State
legislature to adopt a ban on permitting
gas wells that use horizontal drilling
and hydro-fracturing to release gas from
tight sand and shale formations.
Sign the Ban Petition
To sign the petition calling for a ban
on hydrofracking in New York State, go
to http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/NY-Statewide-Ban-On-Natural-Gas-Drilling
Recent Events
2009 Election Results
Green Party candidates in New York had
some of their best results ever this year.
Mary Jo Long who won re-election to a seat
on the Town Board of Afton in Chenango
County. Lynne Serpe, Howie Hawkins and
Joe Duffy had excellent showings
in their races for NYC Council, Syracuse
City Council and Mayor of the City of Hornell.
They won 44%, 41% and 34% of the vote in
their respective races. Click
here for non-offical returns for all NYS
Green Party Candidates.
Reconsidering the Property Tax, Thurs.,
June 18, Bath
A public forum considering whether taxes
based on property are the best way
to raise public money was held Thursday,
June 18. The forum is one of a series
of public programs on the local economy
sponsored by the Steuben County Green
Party. This year’s program, entitled “How
Property Tax Has Shaped Our Economy
(and look at the shape we’re in)," was
introduced by Susan Donderewicz, a
Green Party member from Savona. We discussed
problems inherent in the property tax
and alternatives to it. Click
here to read the text of Susan's remarks.
Presentation on Living Green
Suzanne Miller from Hornell spoke
about simple green lifestyle changes you
can make at the May 2009 meeting of the
Steuben County Green
Party. in Hornell.
She described simple lifestyle changes
you can make to
reduce your carbon foot print.
Presentation on Humanitarian Mission
to Gaza by Local Doctor
On March 16, 2009, the Steuben Greens
and the Hornell Alfred Unitarian Universalist
Society
sponsored
a presentation in Hornell by Dr. Ismail
Mehr about his recent humanitarian mission
to Gaza.
Dr. Mehr led
a team of 9 physicians
and 2 non-medical personnel on a ten day
medical mission to Gaza in February 2009.
Dr. Mehr is an
anesthesiologist at St. James Mercy Hospital
in Hornell. The trip was sponsored by the
Islamic Medical
Association of North America. It was the first
US medical mission to Gaza this year.
Photo from the Buffalo
News. For more
information about Dr. Mehr's
trip, visit www.ammgaza.com
Showing of Rural Impact
On Nov. 5, 2008, the Steuben Greens joined with the Bath Peace and Justice
Group to sponsor a showing of a documentary film on the impacts of horizontal
drilling and hydraulic fracturing in Colorado by Two Cent Films and Crestone
Media. The documentary features Dr. Theo Colborn, an environmental health
analyst who has studied the chemicals used by drilling companies in their
drilling and hydraulic fracturing fluids.
Dr. Colborn's website, http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/,
gives the results of her studies of the health effects of the products and chemicals
used in drilling, fracturing (frac'ing, or stimulation), recovery and delivery
of natural gas. She has analyzed chemicals used by gas drilling companies in
Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Washington and Wyoming. Her research provides
a glimpse at the patterns of possible health hazards for those living in proximity
to gas development.
Building Bath’s Local Economy
On Thursday, May 29, 2008,
the Steuben Greens sponsored a panel discussion on grassroots strategies
for building Bath’s local economy. Three Green Party members from
the Bath-Corning area, Susan Donderewicz, Darin Robbins and Rachel Treichler,
discussed how developing a more community-based, decentralized local
economy could change Bath. The speakers looked at Bath’s economy
today and showed how a micro-lending program, a local currency, local
food production, promotion of local businesses, removing regulatory barriers
and alternative healthcare,
schooling and transportation systems could create more sustainable ways
to live in Bath as the world economy changes.
Citizen Power Alliance
The Steuben Greens have joined the Citizen
Power Alliance. The Citizen Power Alliance is a coalition of independent
groups organized to promote sound energy and environmental policy.
The mission of CPA is to hold public officials and regulators accountable,
while seeking the protection of the public interest.
The group belives that ecological preservation requires fiscal responsibility
and viable technological solutions.
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