Vineyard Conservation Almanac

GO TO ALMANAC HOME PAGE

In This Issue:

Local News:
Mark London, Executive Director of the MVC, Juggles Views;
VCS Spring ’07 Newsletter: Climate change is real.

Feature:
Outsourcing U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions

Calendar:
Treasures of the Play Pen;
Sustainability Book Club;
Fisheries Talk;
More...

Announcement:
Live at Felix Neck – Barn Owls

CAI NPR Station Update:
The Point: with Mindy Todd

Climate Change Update:
Scientist sees accelerated global warming

Energy Update:
Congress Turns to Energy, and Lobbyists Arrive

Sustainability Update:
RPI grads look to mushrooms for their eco-building material

Water Update:
Breach at Norton Point Beach Wreaks Havoc on Harbor Tides

LOCAL NEWS

Mark London, Executive Director of the MVC, Juggles Views
By Marnie Stanton, Vineyard Conservation Almanac

Mark London has the unique perspective of living with dual nationalities, he is Canadian and his wife, Linda Thompson, is from the United States. He was born and lived most of his life in Canada. He worked for thirty years in Montreal as an architect and city planner, with hands-on experience in the city’s push for urban redevelopment and waterfront restoration. When he first met his wife in Montreal, they made a pact to work and live in Canada for most of the year, but in deference to Linda, to summer in the States. They used an atlas to find the ocean beach closest to Montreal that had water warm enough for swimming without a wetsuit.

Go the Environmental Education section for the rest of the story.

VCS Spring ’07 Newsletter: Climate change is real.

Its consequences are potentially catastrophic.
We must take action now to minimize future harm.

That’s the message of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of 600 scientists studying this result of human activity that threatens the well-being of our entire planet. And how might this affect Martha’s Vineyard? Consider the images above. According to the panel’s report, “sea level rises of up to one meter by 2100 cannot be ruled out if ice sheets continue to melt as temperature rises.”

Before

After

Go to Environmental Education section for the rest of the article.

Feature

Outsourcing U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions

The U.S. exports greenhouse-gas emissions to China and its other trading partners.

In the past decade, the U.S. has witnessed a steady increase in its imports relative to its exports. This growing trade deficit has alarmed many economists and lawmakers because of related domestic job losses and wage reductions in the U.S. A new study published today on ES&T’s website (doi: ES0629110) introduces more reasons to worry. This paper illustrates that the boost in imports and associated consumption by the U.S. has added significantly to the greenhouse-gas emissions of its trading partners, especially those with poorly enforced environmental regulations, like China. The findings reinforce the need to account for the trade-related emissions in climate change policies.

http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/
esthag-w/2007/june/policy/rc_greenhouse.html

Energy Tip
The habit of chucking unused medication. When we flush meds down drains or send them to landfills, they make their way into rivers and even drinking water. Proper disposal is just what the doctor ordered.

Calendar

Treasures of the Play Pen

Tues, June 19, 2007, 10am – 11am
Polly Hill Arboretum
Polly’s Play Pen is where Polly Hill experimented with her most precious plants under the protection of a huge wire cage. This special tour of a favorite Arboretum destination will highlight a range of plant treasures from rhododendrons and North Tisbury azaleas to species peonies and shade-loving plants like twinleaf and Oconee bells. Long-time staff members Suzy Zell and Nancy Weaver will guide the group through this extraordinary garden sharing their experiences, stories, and plant knowledge along the way. $5/free to PHA members. 508-693-9426.

Sustainability Book Club

Wed, June 20, 2007, 7 pm
Polly Hill Arboretum, State Rd., West Tisbury
Laura Coit of PHA discusses Laurie Lisle's "Four Tenths of an Acre: Reflections on a Gardening Life." Free. 508-693-9426.

Fisheries Talk

Thurs, June 21, 2007, 5 pm
Chilmark Library, South Rd.
Warren Doty: "Fisheries Management or Mismanagement." Free. 508-645-3360.

Preview Gala for Beauty and the Best Art Exhibition and Sale

Fri, June 22, 2007, 5 - 8 pm
Old Mill in West Tisbury
With floral arrangement interpretations by the Martha's Vineyard Garden Club members. Admission is $20 and includes the art show and cocktail buffet and wine reception. For details, call 508-696-5901.

Bird Walk with Robert Culbert

Sat, June 23, 2007, 8 - 11 am
Meets at the high school parking lot. Cost is $10 per person to enjoy bird identification, ecology and behavior. For details, call 508-693-4908. Every Saturday.

Gardening: Small Fruits

Sat, June 23, 2007, 11 am
Vineyard Gardens Nursery, Up-Island on State Road in West Tisbury
When to plant and how to care for strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and grapes. For details, call 508-693-8511.

Beauty and the Best Art Exhibition and Sale

Sat, June 23 and 24, 2007, 10 am - 5 pm
Old Mill in West Tisbury
With floral arrangement interpretations by the Martha's Vineyard Garden Club members at the Old Mill in West Tisbury is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5, children under 12 are free. For details, call 508-696-5901.

Gardening Class

Sun, June 24, 2007, 1 - 3 pm
Native Earth Teaching Farm, 94 North Rd., Chilmark
Rebecca Gilbert, herb growing. $15 per class; $200 season. 508-645-3304.

Announcement

Live at Felix Neck – Barn Owls

See the resident barn owl family at Felix Neck.

Who’s hoo at Felix Neck? It is the barn owls and now you can see them in real time. Felix Neck has a new owl cam at our nature center! As part of the improvements to the nature center, Mass Audubon at Felix Neck has installed a live barn owl cam in the owl’s nest. Come see our resident pair of nesting barn owls and their 5 owlets. Watch them preen, eat, and sleep through the eye of our camera.

The Nature Center at Felix Neck is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 – 4:30, Saturdays, 9:30 – 4:30 and Sundays, 10 –3. Admission to the Sanctuary is $4 for nonmembers adults, $3 nonmember children and free to members.

CAI NPR Station Update

The Point: with Mindy Todd

June 5, 2007: Mark Robinson, Executive Director of the Cape Cod Compact of Conservation Trusts, Brendan O'Neill, Executive Director of Vineyard Conservation Society and Jim Lentowski, Executive Director of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation discuss land trusts and a new law expanding tax incentives.

You can listen to the program by clicking on this link:
http://streams.wgbh.org/online/play.php?
xml=cape2/thepoint/point_060507.xml&template=cainan

Climate Change Update

Scientist sees accelerated global warming
By Gloria S. Redlich
Block Island Times

Island resident and climate change specialist has worries

Although he has been spending summers at his island home for the last 30 years, this year Dr. Michael Oppenheimer will return here only sporadically; he's too deeply involved in his work on climate change to find much time to vacation.

http://www.blockislandtimes.com/news/
2007/0609/Front_Page/003.html

Energy Update

Congress Turns to Energy, and Lobbyists Arrive
Published: June 12, 2007
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
NY Times

WASHINGTON, June 11 — Having tried and failed to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws last week, Congress begins what some say is an even more divisive project this week: taming America’s thirst for oil. With gasoline prices hovering near all-time highs, the Senate on Monday began debating a sprawling energy bill that has already kicked off an epic lobbying war by huge industries, some of them in conflict with one another: car companies, oil companies, electric utilities, coal producers and corn farmers, to name a few.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/12/
washington/12energy.html?th&emc=th

Sustainability Update

RPI grads look to mushrooms for their eco-building material
June 9, 2007
By JESSICA M. PASKO
Associated Press Writer

TROY, N.Y. -- Eben Bayer grew up on a farm in Vermont learning the intricacies of mushroom harvesting with his father. Now the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduate is using that experience to create an organic insulation made from mushrooms.

More at home on a pizza, this certainly isn't a typical building material, but Bayer thought it just might work when given the assignment two years to create a sustainable insulation. Combining his agricultural knowledge with colleague Gavin McIntyre's interest in sustainable technology, the two created their patented "Greensulate" formula, an organic, fire-retardant board made of water, flour, oyster mushroom spores and perlite, a mineral blend found in potting soil. They're hoping the invention will soon be part of the growing market for eco-friendly products.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/
newyork/ny-bc-ny--mushroominsulatio
0609jun09,0,2229632.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork

Water Update

Breach at Norton Point Beach Wreaks Havoc on Harbor Tides
By MARK ALAN LOVEWELL
Vineyard Gazette

Mariners beware. Tides and currents have changed dramatically in Edgartown harbor since the breach of Norton Point beach in April and the federal government has no plans to establish new tide or current tables soon. The power of the current in Edgartown Harbor is not only three times faster at Chappaquiddick Point, nobody yet knows with certainty when high or low tide takes place.

http://www.mvgazette.com/news/
2007/06/15/edgartown_tides.php

Email Subscription Information
The Almanac is provided as a public service by the Vineyard Conservation Society with the intent of providing quick and easy access to the Island's government process and environmental community.

You are recieving this free email service because you have subscribed to the Vineyard Conservation Almanac. More information about island conservation issues, meetings and events can be viewed at http://almanac.vcsmv.org.

If you do not wish to continue receiving these emails please click here to unsubscribe.

Thank you for subscribing to the Almanac!

Have ideas for content for the Almanac? Please send them along to:
marticamv@aol.com