Newsletters
January 2018 - ALQRRT Road, Billboards, SCBA Plan
WELCOME TO GREEN FUTURES!
JANUARY, 2018
“Distrust of government isn't baseless cynicism, it's realism.”
- Ben Shapiro
"There are very few people who are going to look into the mirror and say, 'That person I see is a savage monster;' instead, they make up some construction that justifies what they do."
- Noam Chomsky
ARTICLES AND NEWS ITEMS EMAILED IN FROM READERS
People starting to visit the new Katahdin Wood and Waters National Park. http://bangordailynews.com/2017/11/30/news/state/trips-to-new-maine-national-monument-quadruple-but-still-fall-far-short-of-visits-to-state-parks/
Trafficking in elvers. http://www.pressherald.com/2017/12/14/interagency-elver-trafficking-sting-yields-more-jail-sentences-another-guilty-plea/
Burning trees, releasing carbon. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/14/eu-must-not-burn-the-worlds-forests-for-renewable-energy and https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/24/protected-forests-in-europe-felled-to-meet-eu-renewable-targets-report
CLF discusses Trump. http://wamc.org/post/conservation-law-foundation-discusses-environmental-advocacy-during-trump-era
Cutting Bears Ears. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/08/climate/bears-ears-monument-trump.html
Views have changed. http://ripr.org/post/how-interior-secretary-ryan-zinkes-views-have-changed-under-trump#stream/0
The jellyfish are coming. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/01/listening-to-jellyfish/546542/
Erosion destroying Newtok. http://ripr.org/post/alaskan-coastal-village-erosion-hits-home#stream/0
Transforming the Planet. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/12/20/scientists-present-a-sweeping-new-estimate-of-how-much-humans-have-altered-the-planet/?utm_term=.7b6a80378083
Right whales in the wrong place. https://www.ecowatch.com/north-atlantic-right-whale-2520326598.html
Northeast states sue EPA. https://www.theweathernetwork.com/us/news/articles/us-weather/climate-environment-air-quality-pollution-new-york-midwest-epa-northeast-mid-atlantic-lawsuit-district-of-columbia-connecticut-delaware-maryland-massachusetts/92509
Zinke destroying Interior. https://www.summitdaily.com/opinion/grijalva-the-interior-department-is-being-destroyed-column/
National Wildlife Repository. https://www.fws.gov/wildliferepository/index.php
Can't get enough plastic. https://sciencetrends.com/180bn-invested-plastic-production-risks-irreversibly-damaging-environment/
Mister Mayor, STOP THE CHARADE!
What other community would destroy a 5 month old multi-use rail trail and linear park that taxpayers paid $8 million dollars to construct?”
In last month's newsletter: http://www.greenfutures.org/content=2hFpT1aWxhWU7rBC
The Mayor has now said numerous times, "If you don't want the path to be crossed by the road, then we'll not do it." Then don't do it. Take back the easement. Don't omit important information from you public statements.
Lies of omission are still lies.
Here is a recent “Our View” from The Herald News: http://www.heraldnews.com/opinion/20171222/our-view-fact-lawyers-are-joining-rail-trail-fight-is-worrisome-sign
The Alliance to Save the Trail, at this time, consists of us, Bike Fall River, Flint Neighborhood Association, Fall River Park Advocates, Niagara Neighborhood Association and the Friends of the Quequechan River Rail Trail.
The Alliance has retained the Boston environmental law firm of McGregor and Legere PC for advice and representation (www.mcgregorlaw.com). Funds are being raised to ensure their immediate and effective legal steps, and if necessary, court litigation. Your support is crucial to our efforts to save the trail.
We cannot save the Alfred J. Lima Quequechan River Rail Trail without everyone helping. The taxpayers of Massachusetts paid for this wonderful urban amenity. The taxpayers of Massachusetts, unfortunately, must now pay again to save it from unscrupulous politicians and their backers. Please help stop greed and political malfeasance from destroying our trail.
Whatever amount you can give, large or small, all donations sincerely appreciated. Please donate today and spread the word to family and friends.
Please send a check to Green Futures, P.O.B. 144, Fall River, MA 02724-0144 or go to www.greenfutures.org and make a donation instantly online. Thank you!
SOUTH COAST BIKEWAY ALLIANCE LOST IN THE WOODS – Can't find their way from Providence to Provincetown
For background on this issue go here. Second article, down. http://www.greenfutures.org/content=2hFpT1aWxhWU7rBC
The past month two members of the South Coast Bikeway Alliance came to meet with us and explain their plan. Another emailed their version of their plan to us.
Although all their plans involved running a bike trail through the southern half of the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve, none of them understood the Bioreserve's mission, or if they did, they seemed to think ...or wish ...their destructive proposal could somehow be compatible with it.
That one can, right now, ride a mountain bike on numerous trails and wood roads through the Bioreserve apparently doesn't matter to them. That most mountain bike riders want a single track trail and topographical features to challenge them apparently is beyond their understanding.
After speaking with them, what is apparent is that they really don't know what they want, other than they want something. They all mention a “feasibility study” ...but they are really not seeking a study to see if a plan is feasible or not. Anyone can immediately see that in a bioreserve it would not be. What they are really looking for is a “feasibility” study that tells them how to make it feasible.
The South Coast Bikeway Alliance was originally created to work together, as an alliance of biking advocates from area towns, to build a transportation, intermodal trail from Providence, Rhode Island to Provincetown, Massachusetts. If they had been working on that for the past half dozen years they well could be on their way to making the local connection between Fall River and New Bedford ...making that Providence to Provincetown route a reality.
Instead, they are calling their sketchy off-road plan a Scenic Greenway, yet their latest map route iteration shows their “scenic greenway” following particularly unscenic electrical and gas utility corridors.
Should the South Coast Bikeway Alliance return to its original mission of working to have a transportation, intermodal trail along the rail line that is the shortest route between Fall River and New Bedford and is flat and scenic too ...we would enthusiastically endorse and support their plan.
BLIGHT CITY – Fall River changes its name once again
The size of these proposed digital billboards is quite amazing. These opening sentences from an article by Jo C. Goode, in Fall River's The Herald News, gives a good idea of the monstrous size of these digital billboards should the city administration succeed with their plan to blight the city with these things.
By Jo C. Good
Herald News Staff Reporter
FALL RIVER -- So how high is a 70 foot billboard?
Imagine an eight-story building and add about 6 more feet.
That’s the height of eight proposed 50-foot-wide digital billboards Mayor Jasiel Correia’s administration wants to establish on leased city-owned property around Interstate 195 and 24 as an additional source of income.
For more info on digital billboards go here. http://www.scenic.org/billboards-a-sign-control
If you're a Fall River resident attend this meeting. It is your city and your city needs your help.
Public Hearing on ill-advised proposal to erect 70' tall by 50' wide digital billboards in environmental justice, inner city neighborhoods and along the Quequechan River. Hey, none proposed for the Highlands, Maplewood Neighborhood, North End, Sandy Beach, Steep Brook, etc.? How come?
The Fall River Zoning Board of Appeals will be holding a Public Hearing on THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018, 6 pm. in the FIRST FLOOR HEARING ROOM, ONE GOVERNMENT CENTER, FALL RIVER, MA in order to hear the following petitions. ALL PERSONS PRESENTING BEFORE THE BOARD, INCLUDING PETITIONERS AND ABUTTERS, SHALL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
JANUARY – First full month of winter and the coldest in the Northern Hemisphere. Go south of the equator and January is the warmest
Some folks grumble about the cold and occasional snow and complain their way through a New England winter. Don't be one of those folks. Get outdoors and embrace the season. Some winter days are positively mild and balmy.
Keep moving on those sunny days. Each day is now getting longer and if there is snow on the ground cross-country skis are the perfect tool to explore the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve or one of the many nature sanctuaries in surrounding towns.
No snow? Take a walk on a winter beach and see if you can spot a snowy owl. Don't forget your binoculars.
When's the last time you ice skated outdoors on a local pond? Get some friends and do it. Stay active outdoors and note the signs of the changing season. Before you know it, next month, the weather prognosticating groundhog will emerge from its burrow to tell us whether spring will come early or late this year.
To every season. Enjoy!
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