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☆ Robbi Mecus, Who Helped Foster L.G.B.T.Q. Climbing Community, Dies at 52
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Gaya Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Robbi Mecus, a New York State forest ranger who led search-and-rescue missions and became a prominent voice within the L.G.B.T.Q. climbing community, died after falling about 1,000 feet from a peak at Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska on Thursday. Her death was confirmed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, where she worked for 25 years. Ms. Mecus, who worked mostly in the Adirondacks, searched for and rescued lost and injured climbers facing hypothermia and other threats in the wilderness. She then worked to foster a supportive community for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning climbers in the North Country of New York.

Persons: Robbi, Mecus Organizations: New, and, New York State Department of Environmental Locations: New York State, Alaska, New York City, New York

☆ Authorities seize 750-pound alligator named Albert from New York home
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —An upstate New York man was forced to say “see you later, alligator” to his unusual pet after local authorities determined he was keeping the reptile illegally. Environmental Conservation police officers seized the 11-foot, 750-pound pet alligator from a Hamburg home on Wednesday, according to a Facebook post from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. “I’m Albert’s dad, that’s all there is to it,” his owner Tony Cavallaro told WKBW. “He’s like family to everybody.”Cavallaro told WKBW his license to own Albert had expired in 2021 and he tried unsuccessfully to renew it with the Department of Environmental Conservation. Owning any animal classified as a “dangerous animal” – including alligators – is illegal in New York unless the owner has a Dangerous Animal License from the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Persons: ”, Albert, that’s, Tony Cavallaro, WKBW, “, ” Cavallaro Organizations: CNN, Environmental Conservation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Facebook, WKBW, Department of Environmental Conservation, Environmental, “ Locations: upstate New York, Hamburg, Erie, New York, Erie County , New York, Buffalo

☆ Authorities Seize Alligator Being Held Illegally in Home Near Buffalo
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Claire Fahy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The alligator’s name was Albert Edward. He was 11 feet long, 750 pounds heavy and 34 years old, and until this week, he lived in a pool house attached to his owner’s home in Hamburg, N.Y., about 13 miles south of Buffalo. The alligator’s owner had built an addition to his house where Albert lived in an in-ground swimming pool, according to the department. It is illegal to own an alligator in New York unless you have a license, according to a statement from the department. But those licenses are only for “scientific, educational, exhibition, zoological or propagation purposes,” the department’s website said.

Persons: Albert Edward, Albert Organizations: New York State Department of Environmental Locations: Hamburg, N.Y, Buffalo, New York

HAMBURG, N.Y. (AP) — An ailing alligator was seized from an upstate New York home where it was being kept illegally, state officials said. Environmental conservation police officers seized the 750-pound (340-kilogram), 11-foot-long (3.4-meter-long) alligator on Wednesday from a home in Hamburg, south of Buffalo. The home's owner built an addition and installed an in-ground swimming pool for the 30-year-old alligator and allowed people, including children, to get into the water with the reptile, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Cavallaro said he treated the alligator like it was his kid and that he never put anyone in danger. Officials believe a lethargic 4-foot (1.2-meter) alligator found in Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn in February 2023 was likely an abandoned pet.

Persons: Tony Cavallaro, Albert, Cavallaro, ” Cavallaro, haven't Organizations: of Environmental Conservation, Associated Press Locations: HAMBURG, New York, Hamburg, Buffalo, Prospect Park Lake, Brooklyn

☆ Can Your Personal Medical Devices Be Recycled?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Ted Alcorn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Most of the plastic in your medicine cabinet is high-quality, medical grade — and devilishly difficult to safely dispose of, let alone recycle. Some at-home medical products, like needles that have come into contact with bodily fluids, should not even be relegated to household trash. They also sell special containers for shipping used, discarded needles and medical waste to sites for safe disposal. But when it comes to recycling plastic devices, from asthma inhalers to insulin and allergy pens, people may find themselves ping-ponging around without a solution. Some states recommend inquiring with local pharmacies, which in turn recommend checking with municipal recycling facilities.

Organizations: New York state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, Walgreens, CVS Health Locations: New

It's part of a statewide program requiring larger businesses to donate edible food and, if they can, recycle remaining food scraps. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency announced a goal of 50% food waste reduction by 2030. California and Vermont have launched programs converting residents’ food waste into compost or energy, while Connecticut requires businesses, including larger food wholesalers and supermarkets, to recycle food waste. This is the problem.”Despite New York's success, advocates for food waste worry not enough is being done to meet the 2030 goal. “The best solution for food waste is to not have it in the first place,” Bender said.

Persons: —, Sean Rafferty, wasn't, Rafferty, ”, Emily Broad Leib, Broad Leib, we’re, Sally Rowland, Danielle Vasquez, Vasquez, Betsy Quiroa, Quiroa, Kathryn Bender, ” Bender, let's, ” ___ Casey Organizations: Harvard Food Law, Policy Clinic, The U.S, Harvard University, Food Law, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, District of Columbia, New York, New, New York State, Westchester, Carver, Port, Social Security, University of Delaware Locations: New York, ” New York, United States, U.S, California, Vermont, Connecticut, Farmers, Maryland, New, Rhode, Massachusetts, Westchester County, Port Chester's, Westchester, ., Boston

SAVANNAH, N.Y. (AP) — A man on a hunting trip was shot and killed in western New York on Saturday, the first day of the state's regular deer and bear hunting seasons, authorities said. The Wayne County Sheriff's Office said it responded at about 7 a.m. to a report that a hunter had been shot in Savannah, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Rochester. When deputies arrived, they found the man was fatally wounded during a hunting excursion, police said. The sheriff's office did not say how the man was shot and had not released his name as of late Saturday afternoon. Political Cartoons View All 1256 ImagesThe sheriff's office and state Department of Environmental Conservation police were investigating.

Organizations: Sheriff's, Audubon, of Environmental Conservation Locations: SAVANNAH, N.Y, New York, Wayne, Savannah, Rochester

“No company is too big to ensure that their products do not damage our environment and public health. All New Yorkers have a basic right to clean water, yet PepsiCo’s irresponsible packaging and marketing endanger Buffalo’s water supply, environment, and public health,” James said in a statement. PepsiCo is the single largest identifiable contributor to the plastic waste contaminating the Buffalo River, according to the lawsuit. Microplastics have also been found in fish species that are known to inhabit Lake Erie and the Buffalo River, as well as Buffalo's drinking water supply, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges that the opposite is happening, and that PepsiCo misled the public about its efforts to combat plastic pollution.

Persons: Letitia James, ” James, Microplastics, ”, Jill Jedlicka, James Organizations: — New York, PepsiCo Inc, PepsiCo, Frito, Lay Inc, Lay, America Inc, state’s Department of Environmental, Buffalo Niagara, Gatorade, Pepsi Locations: ALBANY, N.Y, Buffalo, “, Lake Erie, United States, New York

☆ NY wants to force Pepsi, Frito-Lay to clean up discarded plastic bottles and food wrappers, alleging that 'irresponsible packaging' is polluting river
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The lawsuit seeks to force Pepsi and Frito-Lay to clean up wrappers and bottles on the shores of the Buffalo River. Microplastics have been found in fish species and in Buffalo's drinking water supply, the lawsuit alleges. "No company is too big to ensure that their products do not damage our environment and public health. "We will not sit idly by as our waterways become polluted again, this time from ever-growing single-use plastic pollution." It also asks that the company take steps to prevent additional plastic pollution from entering the Buffalo River.

Persons: Letitia James, —, James, Microplastics, Jill Jedlicka Organizations: NY, PepsiCo, Pepsi, Frito, Service, New, PepsiCo Inc, Lay Inc, Lay, America Inc, state's Department of Environmental, Buffalo Niagara, Gatorade Locations: Buffalo, Lake Erie, United States, New York

Smoke from Canadian wildfires is expected to drift over the Northeast on Monday. “North winds will bring some smoke from the Canadian wildfires back into the region today,” the National Weather Service in New York posted on social media on Monday. “The impacts are projected to be mild, though New Yorkers will likely see hazy skies in the morning,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “Smoke at high altitudes may be visible,” he posted on social media. The event is not expected to be as severe as smoke was during the summer.

Persons: ”, Eric Adams Organizations: National Weather Service, York City, The New York State Department of Environmental Locations: New York, New York City, New, York, Canada, NY, New Jersey , Pennsylvania, Delaware

CNN —Charlotte Sena, the 9-year-old girl who went missing while on a camping trip at a New York state park two days ago, has been found safe and a suspect has been detained, authorities said Monday evening. “Charlotte Sena has been located and in good health,” New York State Police said in a news release Monday. Charlotte Sena was riding her bike in a state park when she disappared. Charlotte Sena went on a bike ride with her friends around dinnertime Saturday evening and never returned, police said. National Center For Missing and EndangeredMoreau Lake State Park said in a Facebook post it is closed until further notice.

Persons: Charlotte Sena, Charlotte, “ Charlotte Sena, “, ” Charlotte, Albany Charlotte, Kathy Hochul, Richard Mazzone, Mazzone, she’s, hasn’t, didn’t, Something’s, ”, John Miller, Amber, @nyspolice, ” Hochul Organizations: CNN, Police, ” New York State Police, Spectrum, Albany, New York Gov, New York State Police, ” CNN, Intelligence, Spectrum News Albany Police, Department of Environmental, National Locations: New York, Moreau Lake, Albany

☆ Did N.Y. Leaders Leave Residents Unprepared for the Air Quality Crisis?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Emma G. Fitzsimmons | Luis Ferré-Sadurní | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Tuesday afternoon, the governor’s office issued a news release announcing that the wildfires were creating hazy conditions in New York City and elsewhere, urging residents to limit exposure and saying state experts were monitoring the situation. On Wednesday morning, as many New Yorkers woke up to a thick blanket of haze, the governor spoke to reporters in Albany about the situation, saying it was “an emergency crisis” and warning it could last several days. Asked about the wisdom of declaring a state of emergency, Ms. Hochul said that it was unnecessary. “A state of emergency is a mechanism you use when there’s something you can do about it,” she said. “We don’t have a lot we can do about the circumstances for contaminated toxic air coming into our airspace, so there’s not a need for deploying resources or bringing money to the table.”

Persons: ”, Jay Varma, Bill de Blasio, Hochul, there’s Organizations: Cornell Center for Pandemic Prevention, Mexico City, state’s Department of Environmental Conservation Locations: Beijing, Mexico, New York City, Albany

daily record (2003) 35: E.P.A.’s safe daily levels 377: Wednesday in New York City Source: New York City Community Air Survey and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Data shows hourly concentrations of PM2.5 particles, measured in micrograms per cubic meter, for seven N.Y.C. The air in New York City on Wednesday wasn’t just bad by the city’s standards. It was historically bad, even compared with places around the world that generally experience much more air pollution. Wednesday’s daily average was the highest since recording in New York began in 1999. Wednesday’s pollution, of course, was not caused by a power plant or vehicles, but by major wildfires in Canada, mostly in Quebec.

Persons: San Francisco —, Eric James, James Organizations: New York City, New York City Community Air Survey, New York State Department of Environmental, Records, Protection Agency, state’s Department of Environmental, Environmental Protection Agency, University of Colorado, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Administration Locations: New York, Portland ,, San Francisco, New York City, Canada, Northern California, Quebec, North America

☆ Google tells employees in New York and along the East Coast to work from home as smoke fills the air
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

People ride bicycles at 6th Avenue as haze and smoke caused by wildfires in Canada blanket New York City, New York, June 7, 2023. Google is telling its East Coast employees to stay home as wildfire smoke fills the air in New York and other major cities. Company site leads in New York wrote in a memo to workers in the area that air quality in many parts of the region had reached "unhealthy" levels, citing the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation. In New York, most employees have been expected to work from physical offices at least three days a week. Google has set up a so-called "go" link that directs employees to internal documents and information about wildfires and air filtering.

Persons: Googlers, Eric Adams Organizations: Google, East Coast, New, of Environmental, CNBC, NBC, D.C, Waterloo . New York Locations: Canada, New York City , New York, New York, Detroit, Washington, Reston , Virginia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Durham , North Carolina, Ontario, Toronto, Waterloo . New, California, LaGuardia

☆ New York City tops world's worst air pollution list from Canada wildfire smoke
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires blankets New York City affecting air quality on June 7th, 2023. A man sits at the bus stop with a mask on his face in New York City, June 6, 2023. Selcuk Acar | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesMillions of people in the Midwest are experiencing dangerous air quality conditions, with air quality advisories in effect in southeastern Minnesota, parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and areas in Wisconsin. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of global wildfires and air pollution from wildfire smoke is also growing worse. Last year, Stanford researchers found millions of Americans are routinely exposed to wildfire smoke pollution at levels rarely seen only a decade ago.

Persons: Leslie Josephs, Kathy Hochul, Hochul, Eric Adams, Adams, Gary Hershorn, Selcuk Organizations: Federal Aviation Administration, New York's, Newark Liberty International, CNBC New York Gov, Wednesday, Health, CIRA, NOAA, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Quality Health, Corbis, Getty, Canada, Anadolu Agency, of, National Weather Service, Stanford Locations: New York City, Northeastern U.S, Kist, York, Canada, York City, Quebec, New York, Herald Square, Manhattan , New York, Minnesota, of Michigan, Wisconsin, Air, New England

☆ Canadian wildfire smoke creates hazy skies and unhealthy air quality in New York City
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The sun is shrouded as it rises in a hazy, smoky sky behind the Empire State Building, One Vanderbilt and the Chrysler Building in New York City, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey, June 6, 2023. New York City has some of the worst air quality in the country this week because of smoke that has drifted south from wildfires burning in Canada. The ratings for air quality levels across the five boroughs reached into the 150s Tuesday, according to the U.S. government online platform AirNow. Officials warned residents to limit time outdoors and emphasized people with respiratory illnesses or heart disease are especially vulnerable to the dangerous air quality conditions. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an air quality health advisory Tuesday for New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens and Richmond counties and the surrounding suburbs.

Organizations: Vanderbilt, Chrysler, World Health Organization, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Locations: New York City, Jersey City , New Jersey, Canada, New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond

In Ontario, a layer of haze blanketed parts of Ottawa and Toronto, where Canadian officials warned residents about the poor air quality, as smoke floated over portions of New York State and Vermont. All of New York City was under an air quality alert on Tuesday because of the smoke; by the afternoon, the Manhattan skyline was obscured by hazy skies. In eastern Canada, Quebec was most affected by wildfires as of early Tuesday afternoon, with more than 150 active blazes across the area, according to the fire agency. Weather officials warned that people more sensitive to poor air quality, such as people with lung disease and heart disease, children and older adults, should limit certain activities outdoors. Air quality alerts were also in place in New York City and in multiple counties in upstate New York through midnight.

Persons: Jiménez, Derrick Bryson Taylor, Bill Blair, ” Mr, Blair, Eric Adams Organizations: New York, New, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, Residents, U.S . National Weather Service, Weather Service, Weather, Twitter, New York State Department of Environmental Locations: United States, Canada, Minnesota, Massachusetts, In Ontario, Ottawa, Toronto, New, New York State, Vermont, New York City, Manhattan, Quebec, Lake Superior, New York, “, Connecticut , Massachusetts

☆ 3 New York teens arrested in connection with killing and ‘consuming’ beloved village swan, police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Zenebou Sylla | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Three teenagers have been arrested in connection with killing and “consuming” a beloved swan in a Syracuse, New York, suburb, and stealing four young swans this week, police said. A mature female swan named Faye and her four young swans, also known as cygnets, were reported missing from the swan pond Monday, police in the village of Manlius said. The three friends, who attend the same high school, hopped over the fence surrounding the swan pond in the middle of the night, Hatter said. We will continue to have swans,” Whorrall said. The swans have been in Manlius since 1905, according to Whorrall, and the village cares for and feeds them.

Persons: Faye, Tina Stanton, Stanton, Ken Hatter, Hatter, ”, Manlius Mayor Paul Whorrall, Faye’s, Manny –, Whorrall, ” Whorrall, “ We’ll, Manlius, old’s, ” Hatter Organizations: CNN, Police, Manlius Mayor, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation Locations: Syracuse , New York, Manlius, New York

☆ Recycling plastic can be a little confusing. Here's what the numbers inside the recycling symbol mean
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Lindsey Jacobson | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Plastics labeled with a number 1 are about 20.9% likely to be reprocessed, according to the Greenpeace report. It is still important to know the difference between the types of plastics, since municipalities handle each type of plastic differently. This type of plastic film is often collected separately from plastics labeled 1 and 2. Polystyrene, or PS, is labeled number 6 and can be used to make takeaway containers, coffee cups, insulation and disposable coolers. Finally, plastics labeled number 7 are a mixture of various types of plastics.

☆ Aiming to cut emissions, New York to collect over $1 billion with big polluter permits
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 10 (Reuters) - New York will implement a program that sets an annual cap on pollution throughout its economy to lower emissions while aiming to bring in more than $1 billion a year, Governor Kathy Hochul said as part of her 2023 State of the State address on Tuesday. "Big emitters will have to purchase permits to sell polluting fuels. New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks during a campaign rally with other New York Democrats, in Yonkers, New York, U.S., November 6, 2022. New York is among the 12 northeastern states participating in a cap-and-invest style program, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, since 2005, which has helped halve power plant emissions and raised nearly $6 billion, it said. Reporting by Deep Vakil in Bengaluru; Editing by Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ New York is the first state to ban certain types of crypto mining—here's what to know
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

New York just became the first state to ban certain types of cryptocurrency mining in an effort to address environmental worries over the energy-intensive process. The new law temporarily freezes the issuance and renewal of air permits to companies that have transformed some of the state's oldest fossil fuel plants into cryptocurrency mining hubs. Mining crypto can produce harmful emissions by generating electricity through burning coal, natural gas and other fossil fuels. However, as companies flocked to the region, climate advocates began ringing the alarm over crypto mining's potential environmental harm. On a national level, U.S. crypto mining produced about 25 to 50 million metric tons of carbon pollution according to a White House report.

☆ A new children’s book about glaciers aims to make activism second nature
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN: What do you think might surprise young readers to learn about glaciers in the book? Sanchez: To keep it relevant to young readers, I keep bringing the focus back to the animals that depend on glaciers. CNN: What are some of the tools your book gives young readers to take action to save the glaciers? CNN: What’s the most important message you hope young readers will take away from your book? They really need to be active, and there are so many things they can do.

☆ Nearly half of bald and golden eagles in the US have chronic lead poisoning, most likely from bullet fragments
▼ + stars: | 2022-02-17 | by ( Aria Bendix | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Nearly half of bald and golden eagles in the US have chronic lead poisoning, a study found. Of that sample, 47% of bald eagles and 46% of golden eagles had signs of chronic lead poisoning. The researchers estimated that lead poisoning slowed the annual population growth of bald eagles by 4% and golden eagles by 1%. Neither golden eagles nor bald eagles are endangered species. Up to 33% of bald eagles and up to 35% of golden eagles in the study showed signs of acute lead poisoning.

Persons: —, Todd Katzner, Mike McTee What's, Katzner, hadn't, Vince Slabe, Slabe Organizations: Eagles, Service, Geological Survey, Raptor Center, University of Minnesota, Conservation Science, California Department of Fish, New York Department of Environmental, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Locations: Alaska, Florida, Maine, California, New York Department of Environmental Conservation

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