FracTracker Alliance Community Sentinel Award for Environmental Stewardship
Do you know an extraordinary individual working to confront the harms of fossil fuels and injustice in their community? We’ve extended the deadline to nominate environmental advocates and community activists for the Community Sentinel Award for Environmental Stewardship until November 4, 2022.
FracTracker Alliance created the Community Sentinel Award for Environmental Stewardship to celebrate individuals whose noble actions exemplify the transformative power of committed and engaged people. This year, in collaboration with our sponsors and partners, the award will be presented to multiple recipients at a virtual reception on Thursday, December 8, 2022. Tickets for the virtual ceremony are available now!
FracTracker Alliance created the Community Sentinel Award for Environmental Stewardship to celebrate individuals whose noble actions exemplify the transformative power of committed and engaged activists and advocates. In collaboration with our sponsors and partners, the Sentinel Awards are presented to multiple recipients at a virtual reception before fellow activists, allies and conspirators, all of whom are working towards a healthier and more just future.
Each awardee receives $1,000 and is recognized at the 8th annual Community Sentinel Awards ceremony, to be held virtually on Thursday, December 8th, 2022. We also welcome our partners and community members to submit the names of activists who have passed away over the last year, so that we may honor their lives and their work during the Legacy of Heroes presentation during the awards ceremony.
Eligibility criteria and nominate an environmental justice hero for the 2022 Community Sentinel Award by November 4, 2022.
Environmental Blog – Interesting Articles / Looking for Authors
Submit Your Environmental Organization to the Global Database
Dimock Pennsylvania – Well by Well Review – Natural, Natural Gas Developing, Fracking or something else.
Forever Chemicals – Frac Fluid, but many other sources (PFOA)
Interesting Online Training Course
Modern Shale Gas Development –The course provides an overview of modern shale gas development, as well as a summary of federal, state, and local regulations applicable to the natural gas production industry, and describes environmental considerations related to shale gas development.
Pipelines – Public Awareness – Gas pipeline safety is critical – not just for your employees but for public safety as well. Therefore, it is imperative that gas operators have an effective awareness program to inform the public; public officials; emergency responders; as well as excavators as to the location and safe work practices around gas pipelines and what to do in an emergency.
Pike County Pennsylvania – Private Septic Systems Need Maintenance???
On September 19, 2019, the Pike County Conservation District hosted a 2-hour informational work and training session. The topic – Properly Maintaining Your On-Lot Septic System
To help Pike County residents keep local lakes and ponds clean, the Pike County Conservation District is hosting a free three-part workshop series titled “How your Backyard Activities Affect your Lake.”This is the third workshop in the series. It will be held at the Dingman Township Fire Hall, 680 Log Tavern Road. Presenter Brian Oram, a Professional Geologist with Water Research Center and B.F. Environmental Consultants Inc., will discuss the basic functionality of an on-lot system and best practices to help prevent water pollution.
During the session – Mr. Brian Oram promised to post a few items:
- Here is a color copy of the presentation septicsystemspresentation92019. Please note copyright terms and conditions.
- Here is a copy of a document the presenter found available on the local agency website on septic systems.
- The Keystone Clean Water Team on-line store, get a copy of our educational booklet, order a neighborhood hazard report, mail order water testing program, at-home water screening and more.
Other Training On Septic Systems (ONLINE)
1. EPA Onsite Wastewater Treatment: Systems Management
2. EPA Onsite Wastewater Treatment: Processes and Systems
Books
Wells and Septic Systems Paperback
The Septic System Owner’s Manual Paperback
Harvest the Rain, How to Enrich Your Life by seeing Every Storm as a Resource
Master Watershed Steward Program and Training in Watershed Management
The Keystone Clean Water Team has been involved in watershed training and citizen based science programs since the foundation of the organization. We have conducted rain barrel workshops, training sessions on low impact development and rural/urban landowner stormwater management, citizen science and stream and lake monitoring programs, education on conservation of water, resources, and energy, private well owner outreach, groundwater/watershed education, and stream and watershed assessments.
In June and July of 2019, we were asked by the Penn State Master Watershed Steward Program to conduct 2 training sessions for their education efforts.
Program 1: “Earth- Was Not Always a Big Blue Ball”
Program 2: “Pennsylvania – Balancing Natural Gas/Development/ Groundwater and the Environment ”
If you are looking for other resources on these topics, please consider the following:
Educational Booklet on Drinking Water In Pennsylvania
Know Your H20 Store – Neighborhood Hazard Reports (Nationwide) and Water Testing Services
Interesting Reading: The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water
Training Courses
Natural Gas and Fracking – Environmental Consequences
Stream Restoration (Course 1 of 6)
Stream Monitoring Program – Use our Surface Water Quality Index Calculator (give your stream or surface water a Grade)
You can find information on the Penn State Master Watershed Steward program was established to educate and empower volunteers to protect environmental resources. Training and volunteer service are coordinated at the county level by extension staff, partners, or trained volunteers. Generally 15-20 people are selected for the program each year. Those accepted to the program attend training classes that focus on a broad range of water resource topics, including groundwater, stream ecology, wetlands, invasive plants, water recreation and stormwater management. There is a one-time registration cost to those accepted into the program. This is to cover the cost of the manual, name tag, and cost of the meeting facilities. Master Watershed Stewards work with the community to improve the health of our streams, rivers and other natural resources.
Example projects
- Organizing educational events such as rain barrel building workshops and seminars on backyard stormwater management.
- Participating in stream restoration projects.
- Sampling water quality and stream assessments.
- Coordinating and conducting stream clean-ups.
- Working with municipal officials on stormwater.
- Planning and carrying out habitat improvement projects.
- Teaching adults and children about the environment.
On Climate, I do recommend:
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change (The Politically Incorrect Guides)
Global Warming-Alarmists, Skeptics and Deniers: A Geoscientist Looks at the Science of Climate Change Paperback – Illustrated, January 20, 2012.
The New Year Has Started, and We Need to Change How We Address Water Issues.
Riparian Buffer Zones – A Critical Element to In Stream Water Quality
Article by Pike County Conservation District: By Rachel Posavetz, Watershed Specialist.
“Riparian buffer is the term for an area of vegetation that grows along a waterway to help prevent substances from reaching the water. The fact that this type of area has its own term should be telling of its importance. As water flows across the land, or the watershed region, it carries with it a whole slew of pollutants: sediment, chemicals, nutrients, bacteria, litter, etc. These pollutants are filtered and absorbed by the plants and soils growing in riparian buffers, and therefore prevented from entering the water.
Riparian buffers provide flood water storage and help to prevent soil erosion during high rain events and along high motion waters such as streams and lake shores. They also provide cooling shade which helps heat-sensitive aquatic organisms survive (such as brook trout), and control algal growth by blocking sunlight.
Where do we need riparian buffers? Every stream, lake, wetland, and pond will benefit from these helper plants filtering out harmful substances, holding in the soil, and allowing excess water to infiltrate into the ground water system. These plants are most crucial along the waterway edge, and the greater the riparian buffer width, the better.
What makes a good riparian plant? Almost anything with roots, and preferably native species that are tolerant to wet conditions. Trees and shrubs, grasses and forbs (wildflowers), and sedges and rushes, have strong root systems that lock in the soil and are adapted for surviving in our seasonal weather changes. Trees are the most beneficial because they establish long-term roots, continue to grow over time, and provide the most shade, food and shelter proportional to the space they occupy. A healthy riparian buffer mimics the natural the habitat for the area in which it is located, whether it be a forest or a meadow, with a diversity of plant types and heights. Sod, or mowed grass, has leaves too short to aid in filtering, and roots too shallow to aid in erosion protection.
Reference: Riparian Rights
What else do they do? Riparian buffers add to the available habitat and food sources for wildlife such as birds, pollinators, mammals, and other critters, including aquatic ones. Did you know “trees feed trout”? The aquatic insects at the bottom of the food chain, like caddisflies, munch on the tree leaves and their biofilm (algae and bacteria) that have fallen into the streams. Trunks and branches that fall into the stream create aquatic habitat variety as well.
Who can make a riparian buffer? You can! If your property borders a waterway, you can enjoy designing a grow zone that suits your liking. Though it will require some maintenance until the new plants establish, you can enjoy the beauty of the flowers right away. Check the links below to learn more.
Lastly, riparian buffers can serve as a reminder to us that water levels fluctuate within the floodplain, and we should keep development a safe distance from the water’s edge.” (Article link)
Our thoughts on riparian buffer zones:
1. Overall we agree, we should protect and restrict encroachment on stream channel, floodway, floodplain, wetland, and hydric soil boundary.
2. This should not be a one-size fits all “safe distance”, but based on site-specific information and conditions.
3. Most beneficial chemical reactions happen at this critical transition zone – if you want to protect streams from nitrogen impact from nitrate – maintain the anoxic zone and transition zones between uplands and streams.
4. Featured Training Course: Stream Restoration – Corridor Processes
Take the first step to get back to zero : Harvest the Rain, How to Enrich Your Life by seeing Every Storm as a Resource
UDRBC Seminar Next Week; Water Quality and Legislative Update
Next Thursday, May 2, the Upper Delaware River Basin Citizens or UDRBC will be holding a seminar in Lookout, Pennsylvania to talk landowner rights and more.
Be there! The UDRBC, lead by Ned Lang and a large group of Upper Delaware River citizens will be conducting an in-depth discussion of natural gas exploration and development. The Upper Delaware River Basin Citizens (‘UDRBC’) has announced the topic of its Spring Seminar scheduled for Thursday, May2, 2019 at the Lookout Fire Hall, 2625 Hancock Highway, Equinunk, Pennsylvania.
The seminar will be held from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM, with lunch provided and will feature numerous speakers. Registration is online at https://udrbc.com under “EVENTS” and space is limited.
UDRBC Seminar Speakers- May 2, 2019
Major speakers will include:
BRIAN ORAM: Brian is a Professional Geologist and Soil Scientist for B.F Environmental Consultants. He is also a Private Well Owner Educator at PACleanwater and Managing the Keystone Clean Water Team. Water quality education is both and expertise with this entertaining expert. He knows Northeastern Pennsylvania water and geology like no one else.Brian’s specialties include well migration issues, natural gas, hydrogeology, carbon sequestering, brine water treatment and water reuse. He will address the relationship between natural gas development and water quality.
During this presentation, we will discuss water quality, groundwater, environmental issues with natural gas development, and activities that landowners/royalty owners can do to protect themselves, their community, and the environment. We will announce the free phone App that is available from the Keystone Clean Water Team on Baseline Water Testing and encourage citizens to participate in a citizen based groundwater assessment using their baseline data. (Slide Presentation – pdf version baselinetestingwaynecounty2019slide )
NOTE: Please consider supporting the Keystone Clean Water Team (501C3) in PA – some of our PSAs.
PAT HENDERSON: Pat has over 20 years experience in legislative and executive branches of government, and with leading nationally-recognized energy advocacy trade organizations. Pat is currently employed at the Marcellus Shale Foundation. He is an expert on Marcellus Shale development policy and knows government inside and outside. Pat will address the latest shale gas issues from the perspectives of both industry and policymakers.
JEFF BELARDI: Attorney Jeffrey Belardi practices out of Scranton, PA and has been licensed for 25 years. He attended Widener University and handles cases in Corporate & Incorporation, Criminal Defense, State, Local And Municipal Law, Litigation. Jeff is also one of three attorneys handling the Wayne Land and Mineral Group lawsuit against the DRBC and in defense of landowner rights.
It is important to Learn, Diagnose, and Test. Public outreach is part of the Mission of the Keystone Clean Water Team. To learn more about this Organization and support their efforts, please go to http://www.pacleanwater.org
Other Items:
- Training Programs:
Modern Shale Gas Development
Mud Logging Sensors
Shale Gas and the Global Market
Introduction to Groundwater Contamination
Groundwater Hydrology
Petrochemical Training for Engineers - Learn about the facts and not the fear – Scare Pollution (must read):
- A book on climate and climate change – a must read:
Please Get Your Water Tested – At a minimum, an comprehensive Informational Water Quality Test to at least determine your general well water quality and learn about the hazards in your community. This is not certified baseline testing, but it is a low cost means of evaluating your drinking water source. It is important to KNOW Your H20! Get Your Water Tested and order a Neighboorhood Hazard Reports for your Home.
UDRBC Seminar on Natural Gas Exploration and Development on May 17
Looking to Build Website Traffic (Sponsor)
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Next Thursday, May 17, the Upper Delaware River Basin Citizens or UDRBC will be holding an event in Narrowsburg, NY to talk natural gas industry progress.
Be there! The UDRBC, lead by Ned Lang and a large group of Upper Delaware River citizens frustrated with the DRBC’s unjust denial of economic opportunity to the region will be conducting an in-depth discussion of natural gas exploration and development. It will feature three speakers including, not only me, but, far more importantly, two very exciting industry leaders who will provide fascinating insights on what’s happening. It will take place from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM at the Narrowsburg Inn, Narrowsburg, NY, will include a buffet lunch and it’s free!
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Natural Gas Exploration and Development – The Industry Today, will feature three sessions discussing the progress of the industry today and the outlook for natural gas. The seminar will be held from 9:30 AM to 2 PM and will feature the following subjects;
- Regional and Global Impacts from Shale
- Perspectives on Regional Shale Development
- Legal/Political Implications Concerning Shale (Especially in the DRBC region)
Learn More about this Event
Online Training In Energy and the Environment
Engineers – Needed PHDs
Careers in Energy
Fracking – Environmental Consequences
Workforce Development
I love audiobooks – check this out.
Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks
Free Workshop: Build Your Home Energy Toolbox
Learn the latest tools and online resources, to help manage home energy costs and shop for electricity. Save money by learning how your home uses and loses energy. Explore an overview of the benefits and limitations of renewable and nonrenewable fueled systems, including mini-split heat pumps and on-demand hot water systems. What is the latest and greatest heating technology? What do you buy if your hot water tank fails?
Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance, PPL and SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education and Development Support) will present this workshop to help you build the tools needed to make wiser choices about your home’s energy use. Attendees will receive an overview of subzero air source heat pumps, air source hot water heaters and on demand hot water systems. This workshop is geared for residential electric and heating fuel customers. Learn what to shop for and what rebates are available. Computers will be available for demonstration of some of the online tools and resources available. Or bring your own a personal smart phone/tablet. Free WIFI is available. If you are a PPL customer, bring a current bill.
Presenters include PPL Electric Utilities’s Regional Affairs Director Alana Roberts, and Michael Touey, Key Accounts Manager, also Larry Reeger, Green Building Associate Professor at SUNY Sullivan.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED as space is limited.
Click HERE to register or call: (570) 245 – 1245
Or visit www.seedsgroup.net for more info
All registrants will be provided with information about any changes that weather may impose.
This event is free and open to the general public. Light refreshments will be served. Donations are appreciated.
Other Training
Residential Energy Audits
Commercial Energy Audits
SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education and Development Support) is a non-profit organization that promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable living. Click HERE to join the SEEDS newsletter.
Water Treatment – “The Salt Free Water Softener”
The Keystone Clean Water Team is a 501c3 and the main goal of the organization is to educate and inform the public on issues related to watershed management, water quality, groundwater, conservation, and the links between the environment, economy, and living within a community. As a group, we provide educational outreach via are webportals, workshops, and other training programs. During the past year, one of the most common questions we get ask is: “What do you think of the “Salt Free Water Softener”, my normal answer is “It depends”.
For some “salt free water treatment” systems by most common answer is quackery. I will not mention these systems, but I will refer you to a great website so we do not have to worry about liability (H20.com). Of the softener and “salt-free” systems we have been able to seen the field the ones that appear interesting would include the following:
Water Softener (Conventional and With A Twist)
In general water softeners reduce the level of total hardness in the water and when this hardness is removed it is replaced with ions of sodium or potassium. The total hardness can include elements like calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, and other divalent/or mulivalent cations, i.e., ions that have a positive charge of more than one. These ions are replaced by ions with a positive charge of one. The system requires an internal resign that acts as the treatment area and a brine tank that is used to backwash and recharge the resin. These have a long-history of use, but can increase the level of sodium and potassium in the water. These systems can be vulnerable to bacterial regrowth, chlorine interaction, and in some cases “Iron Out” needs to be added to the brine tank. A water softener can add in dealing with issues related to more significant scale formation and problems with iron and manganese. If you are considering this treatment system, we recommend that you conduct a comprehensive water quality test and seek the advice of a local expert. If you are a DIY, get your water tested and please visit this portal (Whole House Water Softener / Alternative No-salt Softener (just reduces hardness- Using a Crystal Eagle Anti-scale media ) ). For the record, we have seen problems when a water softener is added to an older home and system. In these cases, we have seen that water softener was typically removing too much of the water hardness. When this softened water was introduced to the system, the system experience elevated levels of lead, copper, and other trace metals and because the line was not properly shock disinfected intermittent water quality problems with “dirty and discolored water” (PS: this is Flint Michigan in a nutshell).
Aquios Systems (Aquios FS-220) (Salt Free)
The Aquios technology uses a polyphosphate/silicate additive in the media to bind or sequester the hardness as a mineral form. The media is known as Siliphos Data Sheet. Rather than feeding a polyphosphate chemical into the water like is done for corrosion control and sequestering for some municipal water sources, this is accomplished using a point of entry or use treatment system. The filter has a fixed capacity for hardness reduction, so it is critical to get a detailed water quality test so the system can be properly sized. In addition, the system normally included prefiltration to reduce or remove sediment and chlorine.
This systems uses a chelatin approach to reducing the total hardness of the water. Therefore, the hardness is bound and sequestered within the media, which is very similar to the Aquios approach, but they use CitraCharge. CitraCharge appears to be an additive that includes citric acid, which is a weak organic acid. From the companies website, “The chelant in CitraCharge creates a ring structure to bind the ions to the CitraCharge instead of to other ions, which is what typically causes scale and hard-water deposits.”
Other Products
Lemi Shine Natural Dishwasher Cleaner – Citric Acid Cleaner (Dishwasher, etc)
Citic Acid based cleaner-Food Grade Citric Acid Powder Natural Cleaner & Descaler
Please make sure to get your water quality tested. For this problem we would recommend, the following for Well Water or City Water.
Geologists uncover Antarctica’s fossil forests
“Prehistoric polar forests were built for survival, but were not hardy enough to live in ultra-high concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide. A geologist is studying the tree fossil record in Antarctica from a mass extinction 250 million years ago, looking for clues to how greenhouse gases affected plants — then and now.”
By the trip’s end, the geologists had found fossil fragments of 13 trees. The discovered fossils reveal that the trees are over 260 million years old, meaning that this forest grew at the end of the Permian Period, before the first dinosaurs.
“People have known about the fossils in Antarctica since the 1910-12 Robert Falcon Scott expedition,” said Gulbranson, a paleoecologist and visiting assistant professor in UWM’s Department of Geosciences. “However, most of Antarctica is still unexplored. Sometimes, you might be the first person to ever climb a particular mountain.”
Learn More – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee- Erik Gulbranson,
Featured Course – Restoring Urban Ecosystems
“The geologic record shows us the beginning, middle and end of climate change events,” Gulbranson said. “With further study, we can better understand how greenhouse gases and climate change affect life on Earth.” (Question- Does his statement put the cart before the horse?)
Earth’s Magnetic Poles Swapping ??
“The Earth’s magnetic field” surrounds our planet like an invisible force field – protecting life from harmful solar radiation by deflecting charged particles away. Far from being constant, this field is continuously changing. Indeed, our planet’s history includes at least several hundred global magnetic reversals, where north and south magnetic poles swap places. So when’s the next one happening and how will it affect life on Earth?
During a reversal the magnetic field won’t be zero, but will assume a weaker and more complex form. It may fall to 10% of the present-day strength and have magnetic poles at the equator or even the simultaneous existence of multiple “north” and “south” magnetic poles.
Geomagnetic reversals occur a few times every million years on average. However, the interval between reversals is very irregular and can range up to tens of millions of years.
There can also be temporary and incomplete reversals, known as events and excursions, in which the magnetic poles move away from the geographic poles – perhaps even crossing the equator – before returning back to their original locations. The last full reversal, the Brunhes-Matuyama, occurred around 780,000 years ago. A temporary reversal, the Laschamp event, occurred around 41,000 years ago. It lasted less than 1,000 years with the actual change of polarity lasting around 250 years.
Power cut or mass extinction? (Read More)
For the climate group – “The difficulties of predicting the weather beyond a few days are widely known, despite us living within and directly observing the atmosphere. Yet predicting the Earth’s core is a far more difficult prospect, principally because it is buried beneath 3,000km of rock such that our observations are scant and indirect”
Training Profile – “Tracking Carbon“?