November & December 2014
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* Join us for our annual Holiday Party on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at Seafarers & International House, 123 East 15th St., corner of Irving Place, Manhattan. Doors open 6:30 for refreshments. Please RSVP to hungryhiker@aol.com or phone 718-638-3533 to reserve your spot.
* A new issue of City Sierran is on its way or read it online now. Besides the election material, the issue contains two items on the Climate March, an article critical of the tall buildings going up south on 57th St. along with articles on NYC Gardens and Parks, Food Waste, and the challenge of population and climate change. You can see the new issue online here.
* Sierra Club Members: Vote in NYC ExCom Election Now in Progress The NYC Group is in the process of holding its annual election for Executive Committee (EXCOM) officers, with 5 of 9 positions open. You must be a member to vote. The City Sierran, with a ballot on the front page and voting instructions on the second page, is in the mail. The mailing also contains an envelope for returning the ballot. For the second year, we are enabling members to vote online: To vote online, you will need unique identifiers, which are on the envelope included with the City Sierran. You can find information about voting online, including candidate statements, at http://nyc.sierraclub.org/2014-excom/. It also includes instructions about how to get your online id number (two for couples) if you have misplaced it.
* The need to label Genetically Modified Foods was the subject of the November 12th Sustainability Series meeting. Bill Duesing, radio host and Connecticut organic food advocate, and Stacie Orell, GMO Free NY Campaign Corrdinator for the NY GE Food Labeling Campaign (left and right in the picture with Bonnie Lane Webber) spoke eloquently about the struggle to label GMO foods. Four states in the Northeast have now passed labeling laws, with Maine’s contingent on approval by five states. Stacie Orell, who directs the advocacy effort in New York State spoke about the political struggle in New York State to pass a similar bill.
* NYC ExCom demands an environmental Impact Statement for proposed Brooklyn Bridge Park towers. Two additional towers, at the right in the picture, are proposed for Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, in addition to the apartment building already there at the left in the picture. Under the original plans, apartment buildings were to be built only to provide funds to support the Park. The current ones already do that, making these new buildings financially unnecessary. They are also environmentally undesirable and in the November NYC Group ExCom meeting, a resolution passed calling on the Park authority to commission an environmental impact statement for the new buildings.
Also, check out these recent posts on our Blog; NYC’s COMMUNITY GARDENS AND PARKS NEED OUR HELP and Bridging Gowanus Proposal – A Bridge Too Short. Also, check out the Upcoming Events Widget on all pages of our site for events of interest to environmentalists in and around New York City.
Note: For anyone following the campaign to save the Coney Island Board Walk Community Garden: We were finally advised of the date for the court hearing. Please join us for a rally outside the Court House in Brooklyn at 360 Adams St on Dec 15 at 11 AM.
If you would like to work on the Group's social networking - our website, Facebook page, Twitter feed, and this e-Newsletter - email Gary Nickerson at gary@gwntec.com.