Dave, Thanks for this thoughtful discussion. You make really good points! --Sandy Podulka
At 05:40 PM 3/21/2017, Dave Nutter wrote: >If the goal is to reduce greenhouse gas production, then cutting down trees >is counterproductive when installing solar >panels. Also cutting trees down if they >are just along the edge of the array makes >little sense because the great majority >of solar energy is during the middle of the day, >not early morning nor late afternoon. > >Putting solar panels in places that are just >creating heat islands, not habitats, makes >lots of sense. Put them on rooftops. Put them >over parking lots. Put them on lawns >that were already getting mowed. That's why home >solar is great, but industrial scale >makes problems. Those fields that are being >replaced as solar "farms" (cute name) >will still get rain and have seeds blow in. How >will succession be blocked? Poisons? > >If Cornell first decided to put solar panels on >all its rooftops and over all its parking >lots, then over, say, the Ag Quad, and had run >out places where they could put solar >panels without being destructive, I'd be more >supportive. I think that grove is pretty >special, having seen several Long-eared Owls and >a Northern Saw-whet Owl there. > >--Dave Nutter > >On Mar 20, 2017, at 12:18 PM, marsha kardon ><<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]> wrote: > >>Please consider this in your efforts to >>minimize your contribution to climate change: >> >> >> >>Rearing cattle produces more greenhouse gases >>than driving cars, UN report warns >> >> >> >>[] >> >> >><http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?newsID=20772#>6.3KShare >> >> <http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?newsID=20772#>Print >> >>29 November 2006 Cattle-rearing generates >>more global warming greenhouse gasees, as >>measured in CO2 equivalent, than >>transportation, and smarter production methods, >>including improved animal diets to reduce >>enteric fermentation and consequent methane >>emissions, are urgently needed, >><http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html>according >>to a new United Nations report released today. >> >>âLivestock are one of the most significant >>contributors to todayâs most serious >>environmental problems,â senior UN Food and >>Agriculture Organization (FAO) official Henning >>Steinfeld said. âUrgent action is required to remedy the situation.â >> >>Cattle-rearing is also a major source of land >>and water degradation, according to the FAO >>report, >><http://www.virtualcentre.org/en/library/key_pub/longshad/A0701E00.htm>Livestockâs >> >>Long ShadowEnvironmental Issues and Options, >>of which Mr. Stteinfeld is the senior author. >> >>âThe environmental costs per unit of >>livestock production must be cut by one half, >>just to avoid the level of damage worsening >>beyond its present level,â it warns. >> >>When emissions from land use and land use >>change are included, the livestock sector >>accounts for 9 per cent of CO2 deriving from >>human-related activities, but produces a much >>larger share of even more harmful greenhouse >>gases. It generates 65 per cent of >>human-related nitrous oxide, which has 296 >>times the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of >>CO2. Most of this comes from manure. >> >>And it accounts for respectively 37 per cent of >>all human-induced methane (23 times as warming >>as CO2), which is largely produced by the >>digestive system of ruminants, and 64 per cent >>of ammonia, which contributes significantly to acid rain. >> >>With increased prosperity, people are consuming >>more meat and dairy products every year, the >>report notes. Global meat production is >>projected to more than double from 229 million >>tonnes in 1999/2001 to 465 million tonnes in >>2050, while milk output is set to climb from 580 to 1043 million tonnes. >> >>The global livestock sector is growing faster >>than any other agricultural sub-sector. It >>provides livelihoods to about 1.3 billion >>people and contributes about 40 per cent to >>global agricultural output. For many poor >>farmers in developing countries livestock are >>also a source of renewable energy for draft and >>an essential source of organic fertilizer for their crops. >> >>Livestock now use 30 per cent of the earthâs >>entire land surface, mostly permanent pasture >>but also including 33 per cent of the global >>arable land used to producing feed for >>livestock, the report notes. As forests are >>cleared to create new pastures, it is a major >>driver of deforestation, especially in Latin >>America where, for example, some 70 per cent of >>former forests in the Amazon have been turned over to grazing. >> >>At the same time herds cause wide-scale land >>degradation, with about 20 per cent of pastures >>considered degraded through overgrazing, >>compaction and erosion. This figure is even >>higher in the drylands where inappropriate >>policies and inadequate livestock management >>contribute to advancing desertification. >> >>The livestock business is among the most >>damaging sectors to the earthâs increasingly >>scarce water resources, contributing among >>other things to water pollution from animal >>wastes, antibiotics and hormones, chemicals >>from tanneries, fertilizers and the pesticides used to spray feed crops. >> >>Beyond improving animal diets, proposed >>remedies to the multiple problems include soil >>conservation methods together with controlled >>livestock exclusion from sensitive areas; >>setting up biogas plant initiatives to recycle >>manure; improving efficiency of irrigation >>systems; and introducing full-cost pricing for >>water together with taxes to discourage >>large-scale livestock concentration close to cities. >> >>On Mon, Mar 20, 2017 at 11:55 AM, Martha >>Fischer <<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]> wrote: >>Dear All - >> >>Please make a commitment to USE LESS ENERGY. >> >> Turn off lights that are not being used. >> >> Reduce your use of the clothes dryer and other conveniences. >> >> Accept inconvenience. >> >>And then let¹s have this discussion. >> >>Take care, >> >>Martha Fischer >>Town of Enfield >> >>On 3/20/17, 9:48 AM, >>"<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected] >> >>on behalf >>of Nari Mistry" >><<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected] >> >>on behalf of >><mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >There is urgent need for lovers of birds and wildlife along Dodge Rd. to >> >be aware of imminent developments along Dodge Rd. >> > >> >The massive industrial scale solar farm proposed in all the Cornell >> >owned fields along Dodge Rd and Stevenson Rd (as well as Turkey Hill >> >Rd.) is planning to start construction in a few weeks. There was a >> >hearing in Dryden last Thursday at which many residents spoke out >> >against the massive scale of the project which will devastate wildlife >> >habitat. >> > >> >We have just learned this morning from a member of the Dryden >> >Conservation Board that they are proposing to cut down the Spruce Woods >> >bordering the WEST side of Dodge Rd. because they will shadow the panels >> >slated to go right along the very edge of Dodge R. next to a >> >(barbed-wire topped) fence! >> > >> >If you are concerned about this assault and the effect of replacing all >> >the grassland in the fields with sod under the panels (and >> >herbicides???), please write immediately to the Dryden Town Board and >> >ATTEND THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING scheduled on THIS Thursday March 23, >> >at 7pm at the Dryden Town Hall on Main Street. >> > >> >Please express your opinion that may help reduce the scale of this >> >commercial operation that will devastate wildlife in this favorite >> >location for viewing wildlife! >> > >> > Nari & Gin Mistry >> > >> > Ellis Hollow rd. >> > >> > >> > >> > >> >-- >> > >> >Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> ><http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWE >> LCOME>http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME >> >http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES >> ><http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSu >> bscribeConfigurationLeave.htm>http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm >> > >> >ARCHIVES: >> >1) >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html>http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html >> >2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds >> >3) >> <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html>http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html >> > >> >Please submit your observations to eBird: >> ><http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ >> > >> >-- >> >> >>-- >> >>Cayugabirds-L List Info: >><http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME>http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME >>http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES >><http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm>http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm >> >>ARCHIVES: >>1) >><http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html>http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html >>2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds >>3) >><http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html>http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html >> >>Please submit your observations to eBird: >><http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ >> >>-- >> >> >>-- >>Cayugabirds-L List Info: >><http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME>Welcome and Basics >><http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES>Rules and Information >><http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm>Subscribe, >> >>Configuration and Leave >>Archives: >><http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html>The >>Mail Archive >><http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds>Surfbirds >><http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html>BirdingOnThe.Net >>Please submit your observations to <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>eBird! >>-- >-- >Cayugabirds-L List Info: ><http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME>Welcome and Basics ><http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES>Rules and Information ><http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm>Subscribe, > >Configuration and Leave >Archives: ><http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html>The >Mail Archive ><http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds>Surfbirds ><http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html>BirdingOnThe.Net >Please submit your observations to <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>eBird! >-- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
