Categories for GreenPost

Nov 2

2012

Hyundai, Kia lose a few miles per gallon

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The EPA has discovered that Hyundai and Kia inflated the miles per gallon on many of the 2012 and 2013 models, prompting the car maker to modify the numbers. The cars with the inflated MPG numbers — more than 11 models — will get new window stickers that show the corrected estimates. Most vehicles  will see reductions of one and two MPGs. The biggest offender is the Kia Soul with six highway MPGs above what the EPA found in its tests. “Consumers rely on the window sticker to help make informed choices about the cars they buy,’ said Gina McCarthy,[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Oct 31

2012

Sandy and the global warming connection

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Usually a hurricane loses intensity as it moves north over colder water — unless it’s the  “Frankenstorm.” Sandy’s getting a lot of media attention for its size and intensity, but not so much attention is being made to its connection to global warming. “This is a beyond-strange situation. It’s unprecedented and bizarre,” wrote The Weather Channel’s hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross on his Facebook page. The fact of the matter is that the Atlantic Ocean isn’t as cold as it used to be. The water is 5 degrees higher than average and that translates into stronger storms farther north. Warmer water[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Oct 26

2012

The 800 pound gorilla: ultrafine particles

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Al Carlacci, the regional air pollutant control engineer for the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said he doesn’t need a meter or an air quality monitor to tell him that there’s some dirty air in the West Side near the Peace Bridge, where studies have shown high levels of asthma. “The more cars you have the more ultrafine particles you have,” he said during a presentation Wednesday night at the Niagara Street Library hosted by the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York. “The problem is what’s enough? “Any health person would tell you, and I am the same way, if[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Oct 26

2012

Mr. Buffalo River

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A retrospective on Stanley P. Spisiak, who played a huge role in improving national environmental standards. He was a beacon of hope for restoring the Buffalo and Niagara rivers and Lake Erie. His niece, Jill Spisiak-Jedlicka, is the executive director of Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, which is in charge of remediation of the Buffalo River.

Posted 12 years ago

Oct 23

2012

Anti-frackers continue pressure on Cuomo

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A new ad airing today in the Binghamton and Elmira markets has people from Pennsylvania talking about the damages they have witnessed from hydrofracking and it urges Governor Cuomo not to approve the natural gas drilling procedure. Those markets are the focus because Cuomo has mentioned a pilot program for hydrofracking in five southern tier counties. The ad from New Yorkers Against Fracking leads with a frame of Gov. Cuomo and a voiceover saying that the governor is considering opening New York State to fracking — a decision the governor has certainly been very slow to make and one New Yorkers[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Oct 18

2012

Long draws laughter on hydrofracking comments

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U.S. Senate hopeful Wendy Long didn’t shy away from her strong support of hydrofracking during Wednesday night’s debate hosted by YNN at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. In fact, she was quite bold about her opinions. The hydrofracking portion of the debate begins at about the 50:30 mark of the video on YNN’s website. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said drilling for natural gas presents a significant economic opportunity and can be a potential clean source of energy. However, she wants more study of the chemical concentrations used in hydrofracking and what, if any, health impacts they have. The senator said there[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Oct 16

2012

Protecting the Great Lakes becomes university project

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The University at Buffalo announced yesterday that it is teaming up with 20 other universities to create a series of white papers on policy and research priorities to protect the Great Lakes basin. The team will address how the watershed can be better managed and what the environmental, social, economic and political impacts would be if those management plans were put into effect, according to a release from UB. Kathryn Friedman, director of cross-border and international research and research professor of law and policy at the UB Regional Institute in the UB School of Architecture and Planning, is the U.S. lead[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Oct 15

2012

EPA reports fire is out at Hillcrest Industries

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The EPA reports there are no detectable levels of volatile organic compounds near Hillcrest Industries in Attica, where a huge pile of unprocessed recyclable glass and plastic caught fire. The fire was officially extinguished Sunday, according to an EPA press release. Now, the EPA is reducing the size of the 40-foot, 50,000-ton pile into more manageable piles. The EPA will monitor the temperature of the pile until the material is either used or removed from the property. The fire was discovered in May after residents started reporting an odor coming from the property. The state Department of Environmental Conservation and the EPA have been working[...]

Posted 12 years ago
Investigative Post