Environment
Spotted Lanternfly has Finger Lakes on Edge
Grape vines infested with spotted lanternfly. (Heather Leach) ITHACA, NY — The Spotted Lanternfly is raising alarm bells in the Finger Lakes. The invasive pest is a threat to the region’s wine industry with a serious appetite for grapes. The lanternfly has devastated vineyards in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, but it also poses a larger ecological…
Read MoreCayuga Lake’s HABs Season is Booming, Health Department Issues Warning
A harmful algal bloom that occurred on the southwest shores of Cayuga Lake on July 13th, 2019. (Community Science Institute) ITHACA, NY — Cayuga Lake is leading New York state in Harmful Algal Blooms this season, prompting a call for caution at the Tompkins County Health Department. Cayuga Lake has had over two dozen toxic blooms…
Read MoreNew York Bans Pesticides Containing Nervous System Damaging Chlorpyrifos
Farmer in Watsonville, California spraying crops with pesticides. (EPA) ITHACA, NY — Pesticide products containing the active ingredient chlorpyrifos are completely prohibited in New York State. Governor Cuomo made the announcement Wednesday. Research has shown that chlorpyrifos can harm nervous system development in infants and young children. The pesticide can also kill insect pollinators, which…
Read MoreConverting CO2 to Jet Fuel, Ithaca Area Economic Development Invests in Green Tech Startup
Dimensional Energy’s solar-to-fuels reactor in Gillette, Wyoming (Dimensional Energy) ITHACA, NY — Ithaca Area Economic Development, or IAED, is investing in the startup company, Dimensional Energy. They aim to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into jet fuel through what’s known as “artificial photosynthesis.” Artificial photosynthesis aims to do what plants and bacteria have been doing for…
Read MoreSevere Flooding in Watkins Glen
Flooding in the Village of Watkins Glen on Tuesday, July 20th, 2021. (Watkins Glen Police) WATKINS GLEN, NY — Watkins Glen has been hit with severe flooding. The village was suffered a flash flood catalyzed by a severe thunderstorm and heavy downpour last night. Watkins Glen Police report that some parts of the Village were…
Read MoreLawsuit Seeks to Stop Cargill’s Salt Mining Beneath Cayuga Lake Until the DEC takes a ‘Hard Look’ at the Risks
Inside the Cargill’s Cayuga Salt Mine in Lansing, New York. (DEC) ITHACA, NY — Cargill and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are being challenged in court over a modified mining permit the DEC issued the company. Cargill operates a salt mine of over 3,000 acres beneath Cayuga Lake. The lawsuit alleges that…
Read MoreKelles Takes to Task DEC’s Study on Phosphorus and HABs
A harmful algal bloom that occurred on the southwest shores of Cayuga Lake on July 13th, 2019. (Community Science Institute) ITHACA, NY — New York State Assemblymember Anna Kelles has raised concerns about a report calculating the maximum amounts of phosphorus allowed in Cayuga Lake. Limiting phosphorus pollution is vital to protecting the lake from…
Read MoreIthaca Seeks a Sustainability Specialist to Work on Green New Deal
Dan Burgevin’s Mural, “Sunrise on the Green New Deal,” located on the corner of West Buffalo Street and North Fulton Street in downtown Ithaca, NY. (Ithaca Murals) ITHACA, NY — The City of Ithaca is seeking to hire a Sustainability Specialist to help implement the City’s Green New Deal. The ambitious plan, adopted in June…
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