Rob & Emilie Dyson cordially invite you to a reception and discussion in honor of Congressman John Hall and featuring Congressman Ed Markey, with special guest John Sebastian.

Hosts: Rob and Emilie Dyson
Date: Saturday, June 30
Time: 4-6 pm
Place: Spring Hill Farm, 3652 Route 82, Millbrook 12545
Special Guests: Performing artist, John Sebastian, and Congressman Ed Markey (see attached for more detail)
Minimum Contribution: $250
RSVP: www.johnhallforcongress.com/june30

Hudson Valley Progressive Democrats of America  continue their progressive film series this Saturday, April 21st at 7:30pm at John Jay Middle School with a special event Iraq War Veterans: The Untold Story, showing the film “When I Came Home“. 

Attend an evening of film and remarks by guest speakers that will draw attention to yet another human tragedy and cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan:  the problems faced by combat vets when they come home.

 

We’re showing the film When I Came Home.  Our lineup of speakers include:

- Dan Lohaus, creator and director of the film

- An Iraq war veteran

- Jim Murphy, Vietnam war veteran and member of Veterans for Peace

- Assemblyman Adam Bradley, member, N.Y. State Committee on Veterans Affairs

The award winning film has been acclaimed as “angry and urgent” (Variety) and “fiercely moving” (New York Magazine).  Filmmaker Dan Lohaus will be onhand to discuss his Tribeca Film Festival award winner.  Filmed primarily in the boroughs of New York City, the film reveals a failing system and a veteran’s struggle to survive after returning from the war.

This is not a political event nor an anti-war rally.  Anybody who supports the troops and cares about this country is encouraged to attend.

The evening’s program is part of a continuing series of films and discussions dealing with urgent issues facing society today.  Sponsored and paid for by Hudson Valley Progressive Democrats, a $5 donation is suggested to help defray costs.

Directions From I-684, Katonah Exit 6: Route 35 East, 4.5 miles to Cross River. Turn left at light onto Rte 121-North Salem Road (at Shell station). Go past shopping center and athletic field on left; turn left into John Jay Middle School driveway (40 North Salem Road ); at bottom of driveway, turn right at traffic circle; theatre entrance is 100 yds on the left.

The event is co-sponsored by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

Here are some photos from today’s Step It Up event at Bear Mountain Bridge. 

Tonight at 8 PM, Bill McKibbon will do a live webcast from the Step it Up web site – www.stepitup2007.org.   Try to “tune in”.

CARMEL, NY – Congressman John Hall will be continuing his “Community Congress” forums in the upcoming weeks, holding four more in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Dutchess counties respectively, beginning on April 21 in Mount Kisco. All of the forums will give Hall an opportunity to hear directly from the residents of his district.

     Future forums are scheduled for April 28 in Stony Point, May 5 in Carmel and May 12 in Fishkill. Information on forums as they are scheduled is available on Hall’s Congressional website at www.johnhall.house.gov.

April 21 at Mount Kisco Town Hall, 104 Main St.—11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
April 28 at Stony Point Town Hall, 74 East Main St.—11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
May 5 at Carmel Town Hall, 60 McAlpin Avenue, Mahopac—2:30 PM to 4:00PM
May 12 at Fishkill Town Hall, 807 Route 52—1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

The forums will open with an update from Congressman Hall on the work of Congress and specific activity that affects the Hudson Valley. Following these remarks, there will be an informal question-and-answer period with Congressman Hall so that he can hear the comments and concerns of residents of the 19th Congressional District.
    “It’s important for me to hear and understand what people are concerned about and what ideas they may have,” said Hall. “I’ve found all of our forums so far to have been extremely productive. My district staff attends these events as well, so we can follow up promptly on the ideas and requests of the people who attend.”
    Hall has held several “Community Congress” forums around the district already—in the Towns of Warwick, Chester and Yorktown, as well as an “issues” forum on wind energy in Beacon —and they have attracted more than 100 people on each occasion.
    “The responses we have received about Congressman Hall’s ‘Community Congresses’ have been very positive,” said Susan Spear, Hall’s district director. “People tell me that  they really appreciate the opportunity to talk with their Representative directly and hear what he has to say about all the issues.”
     Rep. Hall is a member of the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Veterans’ Affairs, and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. He is chairman of the Veterans Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
  The “Community Congress” forums are open to the public and all constituents are encouraged to attend.

A reminder that Step it Up 2007, a Climate Crisis call to action is this Saturday, April 14th.

The Bear Mountain Bridge event has a slight change in location for the first part of the program:

There has been a change in location for the “Park” portion of our Bridge event.

We will gather at Bear Mountain State Park (at “The Horseshoe”) at 10 AM. You will still need to park in the main parking lot near the Inn.

You get to the Horseshoe by exiting the parking lot on the Bear Mountain Inn side – walk past the Inn and keep the Lake on your left, after about 500 feet you will see a horseshoe shaped structure on your right, which is where we will meet for music and a press conference/rally.

Other than this location change, the event is the same as before. Music at 10 AM, the group photo at 11 AM, followed immediately by the press conference. We will then march to the Bridge.

If you can’t make it to Bear Mountain are many other Step It Up happenings in the area: Bedford, Mount Kisco, Pawling, Warwick, Poughkeepsie, and many more…

Congressman John Hall hosted a forum on wind energy yesterday.   He began the forum, which will be the first in a series on the issue of renewable energy, by pointing out the issue wasn’t just about energy independence, but independence;  independence from depending on countries in volatile areas for oil or countries with questionable human rights records for loans to pay for that oil. 

Congressman Hall’s home gets the first 1500 kW hours of energy from a wind farm in Atlantic City, NJ.   He was apologetic to the New York home town panelists for not using something in-state, but recounted that he signed up when he had been invited to the opening of the farm to sing his song Power (title of this post is the relevant lyric). 

Between the expertise of the speakers and the questions posed by the audience, the forum was comprehensive — covering the basics of wind energy, wind turbines in industrial contexts, smaller scale wind farms, issues to farmers, state and federal tax incentives, municipal ownership issues, resistance to wind farms, job creation and more. Lots of information can be found at the New York State Energy Resource and Development Authority’s Wind Energy Tool Kit and PowerNaturally.org.

One of the comments in the Times Herald Record online article before the forum:

“the biggest reason companies invest in wind turbines is becuase of the tax incentives”

Well, duh.  People don’t seem to realize that all energy programs are subsidized by the government.  Now we give $14 billion dollars to oil companies, that the congress voted to re-directed instead at renewable energies that won’t destroy our earth.  The way that government encourages development of anything that people deem important is to incentivize it, to reduce the initial hump before the market naturally reduces prices.  And yes people, not just “left wing nut jobs”, have declared reducing carbon output as a worthwhile effort.

New York has a goal of 25% of electricity should generated by renewable resources by 2013.  Right now 1% comes from wind.  At 2 megawatts per turbine, for a goal of 3330 megawatts, 1500 turbines are needed.  Right now there are 370 megawatts generated from 234 turbines (at 5 farms).   20 megawatts provides energy for 6000 homes. 

One of the major areas of resistance to wind farms is the visual impact — Paul Curran of BQEnergy put this into the proper perspective.   Would you rather see this:

or this:

Congressman Hall pointed out the reality that every energy production has some sort of environmental impact.  The question becomes what sort of impact would you prefer.

The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, to which Rep. Hall has been appointed, will hold its first meeting next week. 

Climate Crisis Call to Action

Saturday, April 14th, 2007

Hudson Valley Residents Take a Stand on Bear Mountain Bridge

Step It Up, Congress! Cut Carbon 80% by 2050

Friends of keep19 and the John Hall campaign (see the long list further down) have organized this local event as part of a national call to action on climate change. Gathering starts at 10am at Bear Mountain State Park in the main parking lot near the inn. A press conference at 11am will include John Hall, as well as Westchester County Exec Andy Spano, County Legistlator Mike Kaplowitz, Riverkeeper’s Lisa Rainwater, and others (Welcome by keep19’s own Connie Hogarth). After people head to the bridge to walking through the tunnel and zoo. Participants are urged to bring signs. (Parking costs $6)

On Saturday, April 14, 2007 at high noon, Hudson Valley residents, politicians, religious and community leaders will link hands across the Bear Mountain Bridge to demand that Congress step up their leadership around the climate crisis. The group will be calling for the United States to legislate its commitment to make a meaningful difference in stemming uncontrolled global warming by requiring an 80 percent cut in carbon emissions by 2050.

Hudson Valley participants—people from all walks of life who are coming out to call for change—are joining thousands of Americans who are staging rallies in over one thousand locations in all 50 states. Groups are organized around a common understanding that the climate crisis has been caused by human activities that burn large quantities of coal, oil and gas, releasing carbon dioxide and trapping the sun’s radiation in our atmosphere—resulting in an increase in the earth’s temperature beyond that seen in human history. The results of this “global scorching” are projected by the February report of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to be disastrous for human communities, the economy and public health. IPCC scientists forecast, among other effects, more intense hurricanes and typhoons, droughts in some areas and flooding in others with rising sea levels.

Organizers of the local Bear Mountain Bridge Call for Action are working with a sense of urgency. The escalation of global warming will be uncontrollable if we continue to burn fossil fuels at our current rate. Yet organizers are optimistic that the runaway effects of rising temperatures can be curbed if we act decisively now. They are expressing hope as the new Congress works on various legislative initiatives to control carbon emissions and to stimulate markets for carbon-cutting technologies and alternative energy.

The efforts that local groups are investing in Step It Up activities around the country and the groundswell of support for an 80 percent cut in carbon emissions by mid-century are providing a beacon of hope to those who have been warning that we must take action now if we are to protect and preserve life on earth.

People of all ages are encouraged to participate. Organizers are urging as many people as possible to sign up for the event right away, and take a stand with your community! To join the Bear Mountain Bridge action, go to http://events.stepitup2007.org/ events/show/531 or call 917-273-0808.

Join Philipstown for Democracy, Mid Hudson Progressive Alliance, Beacon Sloop Club, Hudson Highlands Land Trust, Lower Hudson Sierra Club, Garrison Institute, Riverkeeper, Rockland Coalition for the Future, WESPAC, Connie Hogarth Center for Social Action, Clearwater, Climate Keepers, Fishkill Democratic Committee, Philipstown Democratic Club, Orange County Peace & Justice, Rockland Sierra Club, and Rockland FUSE on this day of action.

Over eleven thirteen hundred events planned in 50 States: Step It Up 2007

To Sign up go to http://events.stepitup2007.org/events/show/531

or call 917-273-0808

Rep. John Hall Announces Series of Forums on Energy Independence

Wind Energy Featured at First Event on April 9th in Beacon

CARMEL, NY — U.S. Rep. John Hall (NY-19), a longtime advocate of renewable energy, has announced that he will be hosting a series of public forums in the 19th Congressional District focused on accelerating the development and widespread use of alternative energy sources.
    “Our country must greatly increase the adoption of alternative energy sources if we are ever going to achieve energy independence,” said Hall. “By hosting these forums, it is my hope that the Hudson Valley becomes a significant leader in the production and use of all kinds of renewable energy.”
    The first forum, “Harvesting Wind Power for the Hudson Valley,” will take place Monday, April 9th, from 7-9 p.m. at the Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main Street, Beacon.  Future alternative energy forums hosted by Rep. Hall will focus on other alternative sources such as solar power, hydropower, biofuels and geothermal energy.
    Hall, who purchases wind-generated electricity for his home in Dover Plains, is a member of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming of the U.S. House of Representatives.
    “Wind energy is slowly gaining greater acceptance because it is clean, renewable and, where weather conditions are right, it is abundant,” said Hall. “Wind turbines also are an opportunity for farmers and others to generate additional revenue.  I want to find ways to overcome obstacles to the wider use of wind power so businesses, families and governments can purchase wind energy more readily.”
    The public event will open with a report from Rep. Hall on Congressional efforts to promote renewable energy, especially wind power, and the work of the new Select Committee. The moderator for the event will be Bob Elliott, executive director of the New York Planning Federation. After Congressman Hall’s remarks, four wind energy experts will speak, followed by a question-and-answer period with the audience.

The guest speakers and topics will include:

Paul Curran, BQ Energy LLC:  “The Potential for Wind Energy in New York State and the Hudson Valley”

Keith Christensen, EarthKind Energy: “How You Can Purchase Wind Energy for Your Home, Business or Community”

Marion Trieste, GEOS Global, LLC.:  “Building Community Support for Wind Power in Your Town”

Peter Barton, Barton Orchards and Cornell Cooperative Extension Service:  “Wind Power: Farmers’ Next Cash Crop?”

Bob Elliot is a former mayor of Croton-on-Hudson. 

The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming is charged with “recommending to the Congress policies, strategies, technologies and other innovations to reduce the dependence of the United States on foreign sources of energy and prevent global warming.” 

Despite world-wide consensus on the issue, some Republicans, including the minority members appointed to the Select Committee, still deny the occurence of climate change.  Katrina Vanden Heuvel of the Nation provides a Wish list for the Committee.