From the beginning of the CARE process, all members of the Rochester CARE Collaborative Working Group agreed that it should continue indefinitely as an important collection of diverse interests that identify and address unmet needs regarding toxics in Greater Rochester.
The CARE Collaborative hopes to improve Greater Rochester's understanding of, attention to, and reduction of multiple toxics through continued research and activity of the group. The Collaborative will design and assist the advancement of new initiatives and programs to address selected toxics issues, and increase wider community knowledge of and action on toxics.
In January 2007, after identifying five under-attended risks as the highest priority (fossil fuel pollution, pesticides, mercury, outdoor burning and indoor air pollution), the Collaborative was ready to select action plans to launch this year. Of 33 innovative action plan proposals, two were selected for implementation: Idling-Reduction at Schools and Energy Conservation Website.
Idling-Reduction at Schools
The first program launcheed a campaign to reduce idling by all vehicles visiting schools, including buses, trucks and passenger vehicles. This effort will reduce lung-damaging particulate pollution (especially PM2.5) and carcinogenic pollutants such as benzene, toluene and formaldehyde around area schools. Even though school buses are required by New York State law to limit idling, there is still a lot of opportunity to reduce pollution by ALL of the vehicles visiting schools. Every minute a truck or your car is turned off instead of idling reduces airborne toxics and saves money, too! We are very pleased to announce that the Rush-Henrietta School District is participating in the idling-reduction pilot, and has agreed to be the role model and assist in the education and promotion of this concept to other school districts.
The Idling-Reduction program was recommended to the Collaborative by another Rochester CARE project team - the group studying mobile air toxics in the greater Rochester area. Similar programs, such as the St. Louis, MO have shown that by adding signage, increasing awareness and changing habits, this program can make a significant improvement in air quality around schools.
Energy Conservation Website
The Energy Conservation Website project selected by the Collaborative will involve the entire Rochester area - including you! The Collaborative will be designing a website (on ceinfo.org) to promote local energy conservation efforts made by organizations, households and businesses. The website will provide educational information on the benefits various actions you and your group can take and a place to pledge your actions. For example, if you eliminate your two-cycle string trimmer, replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, or reduce your driving, you will reduce a measurable amount of ozone-producing particulate matter, carcinogenic pollutants and greenhouse gases.
We're especially excited to have school groups, youth groups and neighborhood groups participate because these organizations can participate as a team and generate a little friendly competition to invigorate the effort. Not connected to the Web? Don't worry - we'll have paper forms to allow you to participate, too.
March Collaborative Meeting
The CARE Air Toxics Research Group has been studying area air toxics with the goal of reducing mobile sources of air toxics countywide. On Tuesday, March 20, 2007 from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. at CEI, Margit Brazda Poirier will report the findings, as well as the group's recommendations for the most important program initiatives and policy changes, at the March Collaborative meeting. The clear understanding of these mobile air toxics findings will help community organizations and our legislators to make well-informed, strategically targeted decisions to improve our air quality.
April Collaborative Meeting
Ted Murray of Action for a Better Community, Inc., has been conducting educational seminars for neighborhood and parents groups all over Rochester as the CARE program's Neighborhood Toxic Educator. These workshops, on common indoor air quality problems and toxics risks in your home, are reaching and helping real people with real health problems. The attendees are making real changes where it counts - at their homes. At many workshops, people have requested in-home visits, and ABC has arranged for that to happen, and has even helped residents with severe asthma quickly find a way out of the mold exposure they've endured.
Ted will present his Household Air Quality educational program at the April 17, 2007 Collaborative meeting at CEI.
Is this Your Cup of Tea? Want to Participate?
For more information on the CARE Collborative or if you or your group is interested in helping with, donating funds to, or participating in any of the pilot projects or the meetings, please contact:
Evan Lowenstein
CARE Collaborative Coordinator
C/O Center for Environmental Information
55 St. Paul St., Rochester NY 14604
Tel. 585-507-2112
Email:
evanlowe@ yahoo.com