Sustainable Long Island
August 2012  
Sustainable Long Island Newsletter
The one-stop-shop...
For all Sustainable Long Island news! 
In This Issue
High School Fellowship
National Farmers' Market Week
Offshore Wind Conference
Sustainability Online Resource Center
Partnership for Sustainable Communities
Position Openings
Donate today!
Board of Directors

Ruth Negr
n-Gaines: President
---------------  

Kevin McDonald: Vice President

The Nature Conservancy   
---------------  

Charlotte Biblow, Esq: Secretary

Farrell Fritz, P.C.
--------------- 
   

Lauren Furst: Treasurer   

---------------   

Russ Albanese

Albanese Organization Inc.
---------------  

Lennard Axinn

Island Estates   

---------------

Robert Bernard

Capital One Bank 

---------------
Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III
SUNY College at Old Westbury    

---------------   

Dr. Miriam K. Deitsch

Farmingdale State College, State University of New York 

---------------  

Pat Edwards

Citi Community Development     
---------------
Amy Hagedorn
Hagedorn Foundation   

---------------   

Jeff Kraut

North Shore - LIJ Health System

---------------   

Mitchell H. Pally

Long Island Builders Institute

---------------   

Ron Shiffman

Pratt Institute

---------------  

Robert Wieboldt  

---------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join Our Mailing List
Reading this newsletter, but not on our mailing list?
Join Today!

The 4th Annual High School Fellowship
Introducing the class of 2012-2013

From left to right: Glen Farquharson, Jr; Kayla Bomani; Quanah Bennett; Lauren Birck

For year four of the High School Fellowship program, Sustainable Long Island hired four junior and senior high school students interested in issues of sustainability, community planning and development, and civic engagement. These students will participate in community planning processes, engage other young adults in planning for the future, and learn about water issues, brownfield redevelopment, environmental justice, and local and regional food systems. This program was generously funded by the Levitt Foundation and participants include those from Bethpage, Westbury, and Roosevelt.   

 

For more information on past, present, and future fellows and program participants, visit the High School Fellowship webpage today.

 

Celebrate National Farmers' Market Week
August 5th - August 11th  

 

NCFM1

Through August 11th, residents and farmers' markets across Long Island, and the nation, are celebrating the 13th Annual National Farmers Market Week. Since the USDA began declaring National Farmers Market Week in 2000, the number of farmers' markets has grown 150%, from 2,863 markets to 7,864 in 2012. These numbers have continued to rise in 2012 as farmers markets become fresh food mainstays for shoppers from all different backgrounds. 

 

In 2010 Sustainable Long Island partnered with the Long Island Farm Bureau and numerous community partners to launch community-based, youth-staffed farmers' markets in low income communities; where locally grown produce is delivered directly from the farm to the market during the day of operations. It has been a huge success and today the markets following this youth-staffed, direct-to-consumer model are located within Roosevelt, Bellport, Flanders, New Cassel, and Wyandanch - with Sustainable Long Island continuing to provide technical assistance to all.

 

Market  

Three of these markets have received funding through Governor Andrew Cuomo's Fresh Connect program: New Cassel (2011), and Flanders and Shiloh (in Wyandanch) in 2012. The Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) has been a tremendous component of the project as well - all five mentioned markets and their participating farmers are enrolled in the FMNP.

  • In the first year (2010), more than 65% of total combined sales at Roosevelt and Bellport were through FMNP checks
  • In 2011, nearly 40% of sales at the Flanders Market were paid for with FMNP checks
  • And at the Greater Bellport market, FMNP and EBT as a percent of total sales increased from 33% to 47% between 2010 and 2011

In a 2011 survey of market consumers, 61% of respondents said the markets had increased how often they eat fruit and vegetables and 78% of respondents feel the markets had increased their connection to the community. These survey results speak to the benefits these markets provide, in addition to bolstering local economies, improving community health, and bringing diverse groups of people together through a shared social space.

 

During this week, Sustainable Long Island encourages you to visit these markets and those across Long Island in celebration of healthy food, economic value, and community importance.
Market 

 

Offshore Wind Conference 2012
Forum pushes for offshore wind off Long Island

 

Sustainable Long Island recently attended Long Island's first ever Offshore Wind Conference. The conference addressed the need to increase renewable energy, job creation and economic development from offshore wind deployment, offshore planning initiatives, and existing proposals for Long Island offshore wind development.

 

Read more about the conference in the Long Island Business News, excerpts below:

 

The waters off of Long Island remain among the most promising for wind power, but obstacles such as choosing the proper site, technology and cost remain, those gathered at the Offshore Wind in 2012 forum said at a July 31 conference. 

 

The Melville conference brought together about 100 people, including environmentalists and offshore wind proponents, who called it a practical alternative energy resource, not just for Long Island, but nationwide.


Although no project has yet to be built in the United States, offshore wind is being successfully harnessed in Europe. A project off of Cape Cod in Massachusetts has been approved and the federal government is handling permits for many more offshore proposals.

 

But the waters off Long Island, with relatively low ocean depths, high winds, proximity to a large population and high electric bills, could turn the region into one rich in wind power, although most of the nation's wind turbines today spin in landlocked regions of the Midwest.

 

The Long Island Power Authority is considering two offshore wind projects for the area - a 700 megawatt wind farm that is a joint venture between LIPA, the New York Power Authority and Consolidated Edison and Deepwater Wind's proposal for a 900-megawatt wind farm 30 miles east of Montauk.

 

While wind power would provide savings due to the wind as a sort of free fuel, large projects are facing obstacles of cost, which can reach the billions of dollars, and difficulties in finding the proper location.

Still, proponents say improvements in technology will make the turbines, if built, cheaper and more efficient.

Sustainability Online Resource Center
Offering Long Island sustainability-related information

Sustainable Long Island has launched an Online Resource Center - a comprehensive source of information on issues, events, projects, and how-to's in regard to sustainability with a general focus on Long Island. This Sustainability Online Resource Center provides visitors to our website and all Long Islanders with the tools and guidance they need to quickly find specific sustainability-related information they are looking for.  

 

When you visit the Resource Center you can find a multitude of information ranging from sustainability courses offered through Long Island Universities and Colleges or details on where and why to compost food. 

 

Take a look at some of the highlights below and on the page itself and let us know if you'd like to see something added to an existing category or create a new category all together by emailing [email protected].

 

The Long Island Green Guide, released by Renewable Energy Long Island, is a RELIable consumer guide and directory of businesses offering green products and services. It's available free online and in print. The third and latest edition of the guide features:

  • Useful "How to" content providing consumers with the tools to evaluate and questions to ask when they are ready to buy green.
  • The LIGreenGuide Directory - an online list of businesses and professionals offering green products and services.
  • The LIGreenGuide Advertising and Sponsorships - Make sure your customers can see you in this sea of green.

 

The New York State DEC's Division of Environmental Remediation is committed to informing and involving the public during the investigation and cleanup of contaminated sites being addressed under the State's various remedial programs. As a listserv member, you can periodically receive site-related information/announcements for all contaminated sites in the counties you select. DEC invites you to receive site information by email by signing up at the appropriate county listserv(s) identified on their website. It's quick, it's free, and it will help keep you better informed.  

 

 

The Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass is a digital resource which highlights USDA investments in local food systems, local food success stories, and an interactive map. The 2.0 version of the map is searchable by keyword or zip code, is easier to use and has thousands of new data points (including USDA-funded local food projects in all 50 states, farmers markets, food hubs, wholesale markets, meat processing facilities, and other critical infrastructure). USDA has also updated its Food Environmental Analysis visualization, which provides a range of data including store and restaurant availability, food prices, food and nutrition assistance programs, local foods, health, and community characteristics.  

 

Partnership for Sustainable Communities
Vital partnership's funding in jeopardy

Towns and cities across America want to develop into better places for their residents, businesses and visitors. It can be hard, though, for a small town or a struggling city do the long-term planning or the large-scale project that this type of work often requires. 


That's where the federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities comes in. A joint effort between the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Partnership programs coordinate federal projects in smarter ways, streamline spending and help regions understand the true cost of long-term decisions on where development should occur.

 

Over the next several months, Congress will negotiate next year's funding for each of these programs. You can find out more information about the Partnership for Sustainable Communities' future at http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org

 

Sustainable LI Position Openings
Now is the time for you to make a difference 


At Sustainable Long Island, we work every day to better Long Island for all residents, now and for future generations. We do it because we care and more importantly, because you care about the future of Long Island. We have worked across the region for over a dozen years and now is your chance to make a difference.

Sustainable Long Island has new position openings posted online, including Director of Programs. Find out more information about the opportunities and apply today!

Want Your Logo Here?
Become a Sustainable LI Enewsletter Advertiser  

Reach thousands of sustainability advocates, professionals, community members, elected officials, businesses, nonprofits and Long Islanders by becoming the feature advertiser for an upcoming Sustainable Long Island newsletter. We accept orders on a first-come, first-served basis. Logo, small overview, and a link to organizational website included.  

 

Rate: $100/issue  

Click here to bring the next newsletter to

thousands of subscribers and readers!

 

Together we can build a more
sustainable Long Island

 

These challenging economic times have magnified the problems we Long Islanders face each and every day. With our leaders warning us of tougher times to come, thinking regionally and acting locally is urgent. It is in all of our best interests to stay engaged and do what we can together to build a more sustainable Long Island.

 

Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to Sustainable Long Island that will help support our ongoing, and future work within your Long Island communities; while helping advance economic development, environmental health, and social equity!

Want community updates on various planning projects? Exciting tidbits on events, meetings, and engagements in your neighborhood? Exclusive information and the latest feedback about everything Long Island?


Real-time updates on all the news you've read today! What are you waiting for? Join us, like us, follow us, and stay informed!

 

Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Visit our blog

Sincerely,

The Board and Staff of Sustainable Long Island