Campaign to Replace Off-Road Gas Engines

by Stanley Heller, Promoting Enduring Peace

Do you enjoy the smell of leaf blowers or lawnmowers in the afternoon? How about the sound which can equal the decibels at close range of jackhammers? If you don’t like it, think about the lawncare worker who has to put up with it for 6 or 8 hours a day.

Promoting Enduring Peace is working to get these machines replaced with electric versions. The two biggest reasons are their greenhouse gas emissions and the danger to the workers. The typical leaf blower uses a two-stroke engine and unlike an auto or truck has nothing on it to limit pollution. In 2011 the car company did a study and found that the “hydrocarbon emissions from a half-hour of yard work with the two-stroke leaf blower are about the same as a 3,900-mile drive from Texas to Alaska in a [Ford-150] Raptor.” Sounds crazy, but it hasn’t been refuted.

The biggest danger is to lawncare workers. They breathe in aerosolized fuel and other pollutants for hours a day, greatly increasing their chances of getting cancer. Most wear sound-protecting ear gear, but it’s unclear the amount of protection they give. The second danger is less immediate, but affects all of us, the carbon dioxide these machines send into the air. A study in 2015 by the EPA found that 4% of the CO2 the US sends off each year comes from these machines.

Electric-powered lawn equipment has been getting better and more powerful and can do the work of the fossil fuel-powered machines. We need legislators to propose measures to deal with the transition. It’s been done in California. The sale of off-road gas engines will be illegal there in 2024. There are local efforts in Stamford, New Haven and Hamden to ban the leaf blowers, but we need to think bigger.

One thing that could be done is to give away free electric-powered machines in exchange for the gas-powered relics. Rebates and incentives are part of the law about these engines in California.

To help out with this effort contact [email protected].

Tribute to Art Perlo

by Barbara Vereen, UNITE-HERE

On Dec. 11, New Haven organizer and activist Art Perlo was honored at the Connecticut People’s World Amistad Awards. On Dec. 18, after a long battle with cancer, he passed on. The PAR Planning Committee extends our condolences to his wife Joelle Fishman and all their family, friends, and comrades. The following is the tribute given to Art on Dec. 11 at the Amistad Awards. It is excerpted from the presentation by Barbara Vereen, staff director for UNITE-HERE in CT.

Since the inception of our union, the Communist Party has been a part of our growing, doing work in the community. Whether we’re fighting for immigrants’ rights, whether we’re fighting for worker rights, whether we’re organizing in the community in other unions, the Communist Party has been there.

 

I’d like to give a special thanks and acknowledgment to Art Perlo, who, when I first met him, was a part of the Yale Club, and then I was amazed – it was the Yale Club, the Winchester Club, the Harvard Club – everywhere you’d go they would be there.

 

A special recognition for Art Perlo for all the work he has done in the Communist Party and also all the unions here at Yale. One of the things that I have heard over the years is how Art was an M&P [Managerial & Professional classification at Yale], not even a part of the union, but he honored our picket line when we were forming our union. Not only did he honor our picket line, he also helped organize our workers so that we could become our union.

 

He sat on our first executive board and he wasn’t even a union member. Now Art sits on YURA, our retirement board for our retirees at Yale. I have to thank him for all the wisdom and knowledge he has bestowed upon me personally but also always being willing to give and educate people on the movement.

 

So, Art, I hope you get well, a speedy recovery.

Joelle and Edie, we love you!

For more about Art:

Art Perlo, Ward 24 co-chair and executive board member of the Yale Unions Retirees Association, passed away on Dec. 18 after a year-long battle with bladder cancer.   Art Perlo, 74 | New Haven Independent

Kensington Playground Holiday Celebration and Update

by Jane Comins, Friends of Kensington Playground

On Sunday afternoon, Dec. 12, 2021, Friends of Kensington Playground (FOKP) hosted a festive Holiday Celebration in Kensington Playground (KP). Kids, families, and neighbors gathered around a Christmas tree to drink hot chocolate, eat delicious cookies and clementines, create holiday ornaments, and decorate the tree. Kids chose free books compliments of New Haven Reads. At 4 p.m. when we turned on the lights, the park was filled with song as Tangled Up In Blue, Yale’s folk music group, led a carol sing. It was heartwarming to see so many residents using the playground.

FOKP thanks Dunkin Donuts at 1137 Chapel, Edge of the Woods Market, Four Flours Bakery, and New Haven Reads for their donations, and Tangled Up In Blue. We’d also like to thank students from Hillhouse High School. They helped children make ornaments and drew a beautiful Rudolf on the sidewalk in chalk.

The court rejected The Community Builders’ (TCB) latest motion to intervene as a party in the lawsuit, a victory for us. Our lawsuit is about the lack of democratic process by the City in deciding to give away our neighborhood’s only public playground.

The Park Commission tabled our motion to create a pro-playground policy, presented back in July. They continue to break the law by not posting minutes of their meetings.

We have asked the New Haven Public Schools to donate a playscape to Kensington Playground. They own one at the now-closed Strong School on Orchard Street. It appears to be abandoned and is covered with graffiti. If they are willing, we would then ask the Parks Department to move it to Kensington Playground and paint it.

We owe our lawyer $925. We would be grateful for contributions in any amount.

To get involved, donate, and sign our petition, please visit our website: KensingtonPlayground.org

Protecting Dwight’s only playground from sale and development is costly. Take a stand for democracy. Fight environmental injustice. Require our City, State and federal governments to follow the law.

Happy New Year!

People’s Action for Clean Energy News

Dear Friend,

We hope that you and your family remain well in these challenging times. While 2021 has been difficult on many fronts, there is also cause for hope. Our national leaders understand the urgency of the climate crisis and are now making historic investments in clean energy and resiliency. There is no turning back from this realization, and we must now apply this sense of urgency to rebuild our economy cleanly, efficiently and equitably.

2021 has been a watershed year for PACE. For the first time ever, we have a full-time employee, and we are thrilled to introduce to you Deb Roe, our new Program Manager. Deb joined us from her role as Executive Director of Northeast Storytelling and brings a wealth of experience, insights and energy to the team!

PACE’s core mission remains working with towns across the state to help them understand their energy usage and transition to 100% clean renewable energy. To this end, over the past year we have:

  • Conducted “HeatSmart” campaigns to promote energy efficiency and heat pumps in the towns of Branford, Guilford, Middletown, Bethel, and, soon West Hartford,
  • Completed a groundbreaking project to quantify the potential of solar energy on parking lots in the state and PACE is now working with Branford on a solar canopy campaign,
  • Published a Clean Energy Handbook for local clean energy advocates,
  • Built and analyzed unique databases of all buildings and vehicles in the state,
  • Enhanced the PACE energy model and created analyses for the towns of Brookfield and Stonington (a service we offer at no cost to any interested town),
  • Conducted six virtual gatherings of the CT Energy Network (along with Clean Water Action) on topics ranging from solar canopies and all-electric homes and cars to municipal leadership, DEEP and the future of renewable energy tariffs.

Please help us to engage your town with our programs; as residents you play a valuable role in connecting PACE’s 100PercentCT program to your town.

Thank you,

Mark Scully, President and Bernie Pelletier, Vice President
PACE. PO Box 134, West Simsbury, CT 06092
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (917) 843-7214, pacecleanenergy.org

2022 Organic Vegetable Gardening Series

Junyi Wang, Communications Specialist, Neighborhood Housing Services

Are you or a loved one a gardener who can’t wait for the ground to thaw? Prepare for Spring with our 6-class organic vegetable gardening series taught by Advanced Certified Master Gardener Rachel Ziesk! All classes are virtual and take place on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

For many New Haven residents, food security is elusive. We like to do our part in helping neighbors grow fresh, healthy organic produce, in soil that’s been tested for lead and other contaminants. That’s why every year we offer this series for free to New Haven community gardeners, and we offer a help-a-neighbor rate for those who would like to help us make additional scholarships available.

February 12: Soils and Composting – The most important component for a successful garden is soil health. Learn how to make your own compost and everything else you need to keep your soil healthy for the most productive garden.

February 19: Garden Planning & Season Extenders – Ensure a long and productive growing year with row covers, organ-ic mulch, cold frames and more! Get the most out of even a small garden space.

February 26: Cool Weather Crops – Start your garden as soon as the soil thaws, even in mid-March! This class covers how and when to plant cool weather crops and manage their pests and diseases.

March 5: Warm Weather Crops – Learn how to make the best of our growing season including which warm-weather crops are best started indoors, which can be direct-seeded, what conditions and fertilizers each crop prefers and how to fight their pests and diseases organically.

March 12: Seed Starting – Start your own seedlings! Learn about when to start indoor seedlings, watering, using lights, and dealing with common problems. We will also review which crops can be planted directly outdoors and when.

March 19: Essential Flowers & Herbs for Vegetable Gardens — Flowers and herbs attract pollinators and beneficial insects to help keep your garden healthy and productive. Learn about the best flowers and herbs for your garden, how to plant them and the conditions they need to help you in your garden. Register at Virtual Gardening Series 2022, NHS of New Haven Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

Any questions? Contact Kathy Fay, (203) 562-0598 ext. 225, [email protected].

CitySeed Is Hiring!

Development Associate (Part-Time): CitySeed is seeking a detail-oriented, creative, and personable Development Associate to join our team (cityseed.org/who-we-are-2/employment). This role will best suit someone who is highly detailed, enjoys connecting with people, is a strong writer and storyteller, and is inspired by CitySeed’s mission. This role reports to the Executive Director and plays a critical role in ensuring that CitySeed’s supporters have a positive experience and feel connected with our organization’s mission.

This is a part-time position to start, with the goal of growing into a full-time role. New Haven residents and applicants with strong ties to New Haven are strongly encouraged to apply. Remote candidates will also be considered.

Sanctuary Kitchen is seeking interns for the spring 2022 and summer 2022 semesters. Interns are a valuable part of the Sanctuary Kitchen team and play a critical role in helping us achieve our mission.

Available internships include culinary operations intern, marketing intern, operations intern, sales and outreach intern. Sanctuary Kitchen is happy to work with your college or course instructors to fulfill credits or requirements.

CitySeed Farmers Market Intern: Seeking applicants who are enthusiastic about sustainable agriculture and food justice in New Haven, and want to learn while working at Farmers Markets. The position includes setting up and breaking down tables and tents, selling bread and tokens, handling money and credit/debit/SNAP cards and promoting market programs. To learn more about this opportunity or apply, please email [email protected] with your resume attached.

Volunteers are also always welcome and needed. Feel free visit our volunteer section and fill out an application at cityseed.org.

Become Part of the PAR Production Team!

You are reading this newsletter because two people each spend approximately 8 to 10 hours per issue on production. We review the articles that are sent in, edit if necessary, and put them in our newsletter format. We proofread and create the final version. Then the newsletter is printed and ready to be mailed out. We need help and can offer a stipend of $15 an hour.

We’d like to work with someone who is involved with the New Haven activist community. Often we have to check local organizations’ websites, media and Facebook pages to write articles from groups’ press releases.

We would prefer someone who is familiar with the print version PAR newsletter, is a good writer, knows layout and can work with photos and graphics.

The person has to prioritize time around the production time – due date till mailing date, depending on which tasks are taken on.

If you would like the full job description to be part of the production team or have questions about how you can help, please call Paula at 203-562-2798 or send an email to [email protected] and put PRODUCTION TEAM HELP in the subject line.

Thank you!

CT Green Energy News

Study: Business lobbying a major barrier to clean energy legislation in Connecticut
Energy News Network. Dec. 17, 2021

“Brown University researchers found that utility and business interests outspend environmental organizations on lobbying 8-to-1, though an industry group says the study overstates its spending and influence on energy…’Environmental groups and ordinary citizens will never have the money or resources to match what Ever-source and the CBIA spend to influence lawmakers. But broad majorities of Americans see climate change as a serious problem and are demanding action from their elected leaders. So the real power is at the polls.'”

TEDxHartford

In this 17 minute video, Connecticut’s own Leticia Colon de Mejias talks about her journey from unawareness to alarm about the dangers of climate change. Her overall message is one of hope and a call to action: climate change is solvable.

3 of 5 ex-utility officials guilty of theft in lavish trips

AP News. “Five former utility officials were found not guilty Friday on a charge of conspiracy, while the same federal jury found three guilty of theft stemming from lavish trips they took to the Kentucky Derby and a luxury golf resort. The junkets had been arranged by the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative for dozens of top staff, board members, family members and others from 2013 to 2016.”

Public Utilities Regulatory Authority 101
Tuesday, January 18, 2022 12:30 p.m.

Who oversees public utilities? How are rates determined? How are decisions about energy sources made? The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) has regulatory oversight of public utilities in Connecticut, including electric, natural gas, and water. Join the discussion about utility regulation with PURA Chair Marissa Gillett. Look for this article online at par-newhaven.org for the link to register for this webinar.

CT Green Energy News is brought to you by People’s Action for Clean Energy (PACE) and Eastern CT Green Action. It features news and events for advocates of clean energy, energy efficiency, and climate action at the state and local levels. To subscribe, email [email protected].

Chastening Chase ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

by Melinda Tuhus, PAR reader and environmental activist

Local activists undertook a weekly protest of Chase Bank during the month of December, sometimes outside the bank on Church/Wall streets, and sometimes at other venues with lots of people, like the Christmas tree lighting on the Green and the Wooster Square farmers’ market. We reached a lot of people with our flyer explaining that Chase has invested $317 billion in fossil fuel projects in the past five years, 29% more than the next leading bank, and that it must stop doing so. Customers said they would share the information with bank employees, and a few said they were canceling their accounts and moving their money elsewhere (the Connex credit union is a block away). The branch manager said he would share the letter we gave him with his higher-ups. We’re hoping CEO Jamie Dimon hears about it. (This is part of a national campaign targeting Chase.) More information is at StoptheMoneyPipeline.org and www.bankingonclimatechaos.org.

To help, please contact me at [email protected]. Put CHASE in CAPS in the subject line.

Here are some of the songs we sang outside of Chase Bank:

O Come on Chase Bank (to the tune of O, Come All Ye Faithful)
O Come on Chase Ba-ank,
Di-vest from the pipelines.
Come, be responsible: respect
Treaty rights!
Why don’t you bankers finance
Cleaner energy?
You could invest in solar.
You should invest in solar.
You must invest in solar
And Di-vest from oil!

Jingle Bells
Jingle Bells, Something smells…
Another oi-l spill.
Bank of Chase, You’ve gotta know
That dirty oi-l kills. HEY!
Jingle Bells, come on Chase,
Make a New Year’s vow:
Use your might and do what’s right
Stop funding fossils now!

Bankers need to know
That we are not okay
With ramming pipelines through,
Spilling all the way.
So, Bank of Chase rethink
Your thoughtless policy.
People before Profits
Is a better strategy, HEY!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Clean power we need, not dirty Fracked gas
Clean power for climate and a happy Workforce!

Chorus

Oh Chase Bank please stop investing
Oh, Chase Bank please stop investing
Oh, Chase Bank please stop investing
In Dirty Energy.

Public Utilities Regulatory Authority 101 Zoom call — Jan. 18, 2022

Tuesday, January 18, 2022 12:30 PM

Beyond paying our monthly utility bill, many of us don’t pay much attention to who oversees public  utilities, how rates are determined, or how decisions about energy sources are made. Navigating the world of public utilities can feel technical and confusing — but it doesn’t have to!

The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) has regulatory oversight of public utilities in Connecticut, including electric, natural gas, and water.

Join PURA Chair Marissa Gillett as we pull back the curtain on utility regulation and empower you with knowledge to engage. Register here or visit https://tinyurl.com/pura101.

Health In Conversation: Vaccine Hesitancy & Misinformation with Heidi J. Larson

Health In Conversation: Vaccine Hesitancy & Misinformation with Heidi J. Larson

Tuesday, Dec. 21 @ Noon on Zoom & Facebook Live

Heidi J. Larson, PhD, is Professor of Anthropology, Risk and Decision Science and is the Founding Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She is also Clinical Professor of Health Metrics Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA, and Guest Professor at the University of Antwerp, Belgium.

https://nhfpl.libnet.info/event/5884306

Fighting for Climate Justice, in the Streets and in the Court

by Melinda Tuhus, PAR reader and environmental activist

I was one of 15 elders arrested back in June for sitting in rocking chairs in the street for about a half-hour in front of JP Morgan Chase’s credit card headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware. It’s an impressive building, with an impressive sculpture of an eagle with outstretched wings flying from a tall pedestal – a perfect spot for two of us to unfurl a big banner calling on President Joe Biden and Chase Bank to do the right thing and stop investing in fossil fuel projects. Chase is by far the biggest investor in such planet- and people-killing practices.

In our trial for disorderly conduct that took place on November 12 – the last scheduled day of the COP 26 global climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland – Judge Kerry Taylor allowed the 11 pro se defendants (acting without a lawyer) to submit reports about the climate crisis and the role of banks in funding it.

We pursued a “choice of evils” strategy, which under Dela-ware law allows someone to break the law to prevent a greater “imminent” harm. The prosecutor, who was the arresting officer, kept asking defendants who took the witness stand how their blocking the road prevented “imminent” harm that would justify the inconvenience to motorists who were delayed for a short time. Defendants testified to the drastic “imminent” harms already occurring due to climate change, like the fact that on the day of the protest, temperatures reached 108 degrees in the Northwest, part of a multi-day heatwave that killed at least 600 humans and a billion sea creatures.

Getting this documentation into the record was historic, as judges almost never allow a choice of evils defense – also known as a necessity defense. It was part of our carefully crafted four-prong strategy: presenting the science; present-ing an expert witness who talked about the health impacts of the climate crisis; presenting documentation about the role of banks and Chase Bank in particular in funding the crisis; and presenting another expert witness who testified about the success of taking nonviolent direct action in winning climate concessions from a different bank.
After all that, Judge Taylor found us guilty.

I am more committed than ever to having a regular presence outside the Chase Bank branch in downtown New Haven in the month of December to continue putting pressure on the bank to stop funding fossil fuel projects, as part of a national campaign. Please contact me at [email protected]. Put CHASE in CAPS in the subject line if you would like to help.

For the full story in the New Haven Independent: www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/why_we_rocked_for_climate_justice

Dangers of Tweed Airport Expansion

by Rachel Heerema, 10,000 Hawks

10,000 Hawks is an all-volunteer group of neighbors and concerned citizens working together for a high quality of life for all in East Haven and New Haven. We have many shared concerns and wishes for our families and future generations.

Right now, the most significant impact on our lives is the proposed Tweed expansion. Go to www.10000hawks.org to review primary documents and news articles.

Here are the bare bones of our concerns with the Tweed Airport 5-year Master Plan:

  • Six gates in a new terminal sited on extant wetlands with harmful impacts on wildlife and water
  • 15-16 flights a day with +3,000 cars a day on residential streets
  • Noise and air pollution in a 5-mile radius
  • Tweed floodplain will be underwater by 2050, due to estimated sea level rise of 20′
  • East Haven and New Haven home values will drop, and long-time residents may leave
  • The recommendation that the main runway should be extended to 7,600′ within the next 20 years

Additionally, the 43-year lease agreement contains language that supports eminent domain procedures and cargo flight approval processes.

Join us. Here are two email addresses to know. 1) [email protected] to sign up for weekly updates and join weekly advocacy calls. 2) [email protected] to make a public comment on the Environmental Assessment currently underway.

The best comments to make ask questions that the Assessment should investigate and consider.  Contact Rachel Heerema at [email protected] with questions.

1 … 22 23 24 25 26 … 100