Tag: water conservation

Categories
Call to Action Educational Event

Green Committee Participates in Rally to Protest Radioactive Water Dump in the Hudson

The Green Committee took part in the “Rally to Save the River” in Cortlandt on May 6. The rally was held to protest against plans of Holtec International “to discharge 1 million gallons of radioactive water into the Hudson River as part of its decommissioning process,” as noted by the Cortlandt Town Supervisor. In April, Holtec agreed to suspend, but not cancel, its plans. As stated by Food & Water watch, the waste “contains toxic contaminants, including tritium. Exposure to this radioactive isotope is linked to cancer, miscarriages, genetic defects and other adverse health effects. There is no safe dose of radiation and its harmful impacts are cumulative.” Holtec argues that the plant has carried out similar wastewater discharges since the 1960s, but, as Riverkeeper notes, “Just because these discharges have occurred for more than 40 years does not mean they are the best disposal method…The ideal situation is zero radiation entering the Hudson River.”

The Green Committee participated in the public comment period, noting that science has not made significant enough advances to credibly safely dispose of or alleviate the dangers of tritium. To dilute tritium by dumping it in with water from the Hudson river, subject to the forces of ebb and flow, would offer no guarantees as to where remnants wind up, how much marine or wildlife might be affected, how human consumption would be impacted, and over how long a time period these effects might last.

 The Green Committee also signed the petition to the governor to sign the Save the Hudson Bill and to implement a two-year moratorium on dumping or moving nuclear waste. Instead, the bill calls for storing radioactive tritium and continually monitoring storage casks.

Categories
Call to Action

Petition for a Feasibility Study to Consider Public Ownership of Rockland’s Water Supply

Did you know…?

  • According to the NY State Comptroller, Rockland County had one of the highest water rates in the state.
  • Rockland’s major water system has had chronic water quality problems – in addition to water pressure problems which have led to increased cost and even loss of life.
  • Suez Water NY, Rockland County’s major water supplier, is owned by a multinational corporation.
  • Suez is currently in the process of selling our water system to Veolia – an even larger multinational corporation.
  • Join Rockland County water advocates in asking our new Governor and other elected officials to order a feasibility study to consider whether it is in Rockland’s best interest to create an independent local public water authority rather than continuing private, corporate ownership of our water.

Link to sign the petition here.

Categories
Newsletter

What is Grasscycling?

By Judy Ryan

August 6, 2021

As environmentally conscious citizens, we dutifully carry our bins of plastic, glass, metal and paper to the curb each week.  In addition, many village residents drag to the curb heavy bags of grass clippings.

It turns out that’s a chore we can give up without guilt.  Grasscycling means leaving grass clippings in place to nourish our lawns with nitrogen and other organic nutrients. Clippings also hold in moisture, and if we add proper lawn watering techniques, we can significantly reduce water usage.  According to Planet Natural, the EPA “estimates that watering lawns accounts for 30-60% of water [usage] in summer.” 

I’ve gleaned my information from a myriad of excellent websites (listed below). Information is available from environmentally focused organizations, but also from businesses selling lawn products.  Some are geared to those obsessive about their lawns, and some are for the rest of us. Cornell Cooperative Extension offers three detailed pages of information about lawn care without pesticides.  Gardening Know How assures me that “you’re probably already [grasscycling] and just didn’t know.  Essentially, it is “mow and go.”

An old adage is that not removing grass clippings can lead to thatch (a mat of tangled grass), but grasscycling can actually prevent the growth of thatch.  Only if clippings settle in clumps is there a risk of thatch.  In that case, use a rake to spread out the clumps evenly over your lawn.

Here are some tips from Planet Natural:

  1. Don’t cut the lawn too short.  Cut no more than 1/3 of a blade.  Taller grass exposes more leaf surface to the sun, and also shades the soil from rapid evaporation.
  2. Make sure your mower blades are sharp, so as not to tear grass.
  3. Let grass clippings settle on their own – only take a rake to clumps.
  4. Water thoroughly but not often.  Thorough watering encourages deep root systems; it’s shallow roots that can lead to thatch.  And make sure grass is dry before you water.  It’s best to water in the early morning, when the air is cooler and water won’t evaporate too quickly. 
  5. It’s a good idea to add high quality organic fertilizer in the spring, but you’ll need less because of the nitrogen in the clippings. 
  6. It isn’t necessary to buy a mulching mower, but if you do, it can mulch leaves directly into your lawn in the fall.  This also contributes to a healthier lawn  … but more about that in the fall.
  7. We don’t see old-fashioned push mowers much any more, but the newer ones are lightweight, easy to maneuver, and their spinning blades are ideal for clipping grass.  You can skip your walk that day!

A blog on Lawnstarter’s website quotes Cassy Aoyagi, a landscaper in Los Angeles, where droughts are intensifying: “Grass is 80% water, so in essence you’re watering your lawn a bit by leaving clippings in place.”  According to Planet Natural, “Much of [our] money for lawn products goes to those that degrade the soil, pollute any water they reach, and pose … health threats to humans, … pets, and wildlife….” The writer states that “60-70 million birds die from pesticide poisoning each year in the US alone.” 

Yard waste in landfills is another major issue on a planet filled with garbage.  Since 1980 yard waste in landfills has been reduced from 27 million tons to 10.8 million tons according to the Lawnstarter blog.   Many states have passed laws limiting or banning yard clippings in their landfills.  Composting grass clippings has become common.  But leaving most of them in place remains the healthiest option for your lawn, as regular mowing and mulching “provide a barrier to weed seeds, preventing them from taking root.”

Since we’re heading into late summer, you may want to check the Cornell University Cooperative Extension website to learn how to prepare and plant your lawn in September, as the air cools.  Even us “mow and go” folks can follow some of its simple tips, like loosening soil compaction and incorporating topsoil, if needed, into the soil beneath.  Others can dig into its extensive information about a truly beautiful pesticide-free lawn.

Grasscyling is not a burden.  It makes lawn care easier, requiring only that we leave grass clippings in place, water with care, and fertilize organically only in spring. It turns out that the practice of leaving grass clippings on our lawns is a win for our lawns, a win for our environment, and a win for the health of everyone.    

http://www.lawnstarter.com/blog

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com

https://www.planetnatural.com

https://www.rocklandcce.org