Our priorities evolve based on membership and the status of the environment. Recently, we have focused on energy, water, climate change, land use, and parks.
Energy
Traditional energy production (coal, big dams, natural gas, nuclear, and wood) has had major adverse environmental and health impacts on our region for centuries. These include air pollution, nuclear waste, acid rain, climate change and numerous public health and safety consequences. FMCE members have been studying, evaluating and advocating for more sustainable energy production systems. New sustainable energy systems (solar, wind, hydro, and other renewables) must greatly reduce negative environmental impacts of the entire development, production, transmission and waste disposal process. These energy systems must also fully protect public health and safety, provide transparency, substantially benefit the host communities, and start with robust energy conservation.
Traditional energy production (coal, big dams, natural gas, nuclear, and wood) has had major adverse environmental and health impacts on our region for centuries. These include air pollution, nuclear waste, acid rain, climate change and numerous public health and safety consequences. FMCE members have been studying, evaluating and advocating for more sustainable energy production systems. New sustainable energy systems (solar, wind, hydro, and other renewables) must greatly reduce negative environmental impacts of the entire development, production, transmission and waste disposal process. These energy systems must also fully protect public health and safety, provide transparency, substantially benefit the host communities, and start with robust energy conservation.
Water and Great Lakes
Monroe County is bounded to the north by Lake Ontario and within the county and region are multitudes of rivers, streams and aquifer that flow into this Great Lake. We all depend on these waters: from human health and the regional and continental ecological web to griculture, industry, tourism, shipping, boating, fishing. FMCE has promoted sustainable practices, restoration and monitoring that promote the "public trust" nature of these waters, maintaining the health, accessibility and affordability of regional water for the people and other creatures living in or passing through our region. FMCE members have hosted educational public forums and taken action on a multitude of water-quality related issues such as: invasive species, microplastics, persistent pollutants, waterfront planning, a healthy watershed ecology, and much more.
Monroe County is bounded to the north by Lake Ontario and within the county and region are multitudes of rivers, streams and aquifer that flow into this Great Lake. We all depend on these waters: from human health and the regional and continental ecological web to griculture, industry, tourism, shipping, boating, fishing. FMCE has promoted sustainable practices, restoration and monitoring that promote the "public trust" nature of these waters, maintaining the health, accessibility and affordability of regional water for the people and other creatures living in or passing through our region. FMCE members have hosted educational public forums and taken action on a multitude of water-quality related issues such as: invasive species, microplastics, persistent pollutants, waterfront planning, a healthy watershed ecology, and much more.
Climate Change
Concerns about climate change are accelerating on a daily basis. FMCE members are concerned about the ongoing negative impacts of a warming climate and are monitoring efforts to reduce the impact. We study and evaluate proposed plans to increase resiliency, improve energy efficiency and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Adequate plans must have long-term benefit to our communities, ecosystem and agriculture and conserve energy. Renewable energy production installations must be properly sized and sited in a way that will both reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and benefit our upstate communities.
Concerns about climate change are accelerating on a daily basis. FMCE members are concerned about the ongoing negative impacts of a warming climate and are monitoring efforts to reduce the impact. We study and evaluate proposed plans to increase resiliency, improve energy efficiency and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Adequate plans must have long-term benefit to our communities, ecosystem and agriculture and conserve energy. Renewable energy production installations must be properly sized and sited in a way that will both reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and benefit our upstate communities.
Land Use
FMCE was founded by people concerned about land use issues, including the loss of wildlife habitat and greenspace to urban sprawl. Recent concerns have included preservation of farmland, reuse of brownfields and abandoned commercial and industrial sites, and proper siting of solar and wind power projects. FMCE members have participated in numerous public comment periods for projects, provided critical input to the latest State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) regulations and regional sustainability planning. FMCE has also hosted educational public forums on land use issues
FMCE was founded by people concerned about land use issues, including the loss of wildlife habitat and greenspace to urban sprawl. Recent concerns have included preservation of farmland, reuse of brownfields and abandoned commercial and industrial sites, and proper siting of solar and wind power projects. FMCE members have participated in numerous public comment periods for projects, provided critical input to the latest State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) regulations and regional sustainability planning. FMCE has also hosted educational public forums on land use issues
Parks
Parks are repositories of natural environments in our city, county and state, and contribute to, not only the pleasure and mental well being of all people, but also the preservation of habitat and the remediation of atmospheric carbon that contributes to global warming. They, as open spaces, are vulnerable to exploitation in a number of ways – development, potentially damaging active recreation, commercialization and alienation. FMCE has been part of parks advocacy issues in the past, protecting parkland ecosystems, streams and viewscapes from encroachment of too many paved and built structures and adjacent properties, preserving footpaths and passive recreation from erosion and inappropriate uses.
Parks are repositories of natural environments in our city, county and state, and contribute to, not only the pleasure and mental well being of all people, but also the preservation of habitat and the remediation of atmospheric carbon that contributes to global warming. They, as open spaces, are vulnerable to exploitation in a number of ways – development, potentially damaging active recreation, commercialization and alienation. FMCE has been part of parks advocacy issues in the past, protecting parkland ecosystems, streams and viewscapes from encroachment of too many paved and built structures and adjacent properties, preserving footpaths and passive recreation from erosion and inappropriate uses.
Photo by Margaret Thurston. Artwork by Amy Miller at www.bluevinedesigns.com
