News stories tagged with "green"

(08/06/10) Last month, a group of veteran environmental activists announced that they are forming a new advocacy group called Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve.

Leaders of the organization were all let go recently by another newly-formed green group called Protect the Adirondacks.

All this change and turmoil comes at a time when the Adirondack's environmental community has struggled with a steep drop-off in fundraising.

Brian Mann spoke about the future of the Park's green movement with Dave Gibson, one of the founders of Adirondack Wild.

(03/08/10) Governor David Paterson has nominated businessman and environmental activist Peter Hornbeck to serve on the Adirondack Park Agency board. Hornbeck, a boatbuilder from Olmstedville, has the support of his local town board and supervisor. In a letter issued last week, Minerva town supervisor Sue Montgomery-Corey described Hornbeck as intelligent and thoughtful.

"We believe that he will represent the needs of Adirondack communities and businesses well," Corey wrote.

But Hornbeck's nomination has drawn fire from other local government groups in the Adirondacks and from state Senator Betty Little. They point to the fact that he serves on the board of Protect the Adirondacks, a group that is currently suing the APA. Last week, Senator Little predicted that Hornbeck wouldn't be confirmed by the state Senate.

Until now, Hornbeck himself has kept quiet about the uproar that has erupted around his candidacy. But on Friday he spoke in-depth with Brian Mann.

(03/03/10) Last week, a Canadian company called Transmission Developers Incorporated unveiled a $3.8-billion plan to lay high-power electric transmission lines under Lake Champlain and the Hudson River. The project would be part of the new "smart" electrical grid, designed to open the floodgates to new sources of green and renewable energy. The company has begun meeting with state regulators, environmentalists and historic preservation groups. As Brian Mann reports, the transmission line will be one of the most complicated power-grid projects in the country.

(01/18/10) When the banks failed and the recession hit last fall, lots of people predicted that the burgeoning green economy would get nipped in the bud. But that's not what happened. Julie Grant spoke with some business experts about the status of green companies. more

(04/24/09) The federal stimulus bill is funneling $5 billion to states to make drafty homes more energy efficient. That's more than quadruple the amount ever set aside at one time for weatherization. The Obama Administration says the money will create thousands of "green jobs". But right now, there aren't enough qualified contractors to fill those jobs. North Country Public Radio's David Sommerstein reports.

(05/27/08) A green technology popular on highways is now ready for the waterways just in time for summer. Only one catch: the world's first hybrid recreational boat could put a hole in your wallet. Tamara Keith reports.

(04/29/08) More people are hearing a green message when they go to their place of worship. Mark Brush reports major religious leaders are spreading a message of caring for the earth.

(03/18/08) Former Governor Eliot Spitzer will be remembered for his accomplishments cleaning up Wall Street. But Spitzer was also a national crusader for environmental causes. As Attorney General, he sued coal-burning power plants and pushed the Federal EPA to adopt stricter clean-air laws. In his first year as Governor, Spitzer approved a huge land purchase in the Adirondack Park and fought a controversial power corridor project. As Governor David Paterson takes office, environmental activists say he has big shoes to fill. But they also say the Harlem Democrat has a strong track record pushing alternative energy and other green causes. Brian Mann has our story.

(02/11/08) The Wild Center in Tupper Lake has won one of the country's top awards for green building design. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, known as LEEDs, required years of work. As Brian Mann reports, one of the key steps was to buy as many building materials as possible that were made in the Adirondacks.

(11/29/07) An environmental marketing firm wants shoppers to be a little more discerning this holiday season. They say a practice known as 'green-washing' is alive and well. That's when companies make false or misleading environmental claims about their products. Mark Brush has more.