| New York is one of our largest states, and home | | | | devastate agriculture, raise food prices and cause |
| to the cultural capital of the world, New York City. | | | | untold ecological damage. New York has faced a |
| Some of our nation's oldest and most | | | | wave of new invasive species detected of late, |
| accomplished environmental organizations were | | | | none more serious than the Emerald Ash Borer. |
| founded in New York. Recycling-not the least of | | | | A small beetle, the Emerald Ash Borer (also EAB) |
| which would be auto recycling and salvage-and | | | | is deadly to all varieties of ash trees; there are |
| other environmental projects are big in the Empire | | | | over 900 million ash trees in the State of New |
| State. Here is the latest New York environmental | | | | York. This follows on the detection of yet another |
| and recycling news. | | | | invasive beetle species, the Asian Longhorned |
| Water Bottle Deposits Still on Hold | | | | Beetle, which feeds on ash trees as well (along |
| New York government has been buffeted by | | | | with other hardwood species). The invasion of the |
| endemic budget problems, committed spending | | | | EAB has been foreseen for some time, having |
| draining all available revenue and then some. Our | | | | caused untold damage in neighboring Northeastern |
| current economic downturn has affected New | | | | states. |
| York's budget like it has everyone else's. One | | | | In order to stem the spread to other states, the |
| creative move undertaken by the state has been | | | | New York Department of Environmental |
| to order a new five cent a bottle deposit | | | | Conservation is stepping up regulation of firewood |
| collected for plastic water bottles. Increasingly | | | | coming into and leaving the state. |
| under fire for their creation of unnecessary litter | | | | Utica Harbor Cleanup Commences |
| and for their expansion of corporate control of | | | | Utica--the central New York town on the Erie |
| water, water bottles have ended up in many | | | | Canal--is home to Harbor Point, a peninsula on the |
| environmentalist's sights. | | | | canal that has seen better days. For years lined |
| However New York's recycling oriented revenue | | | | with factories and put to industrial use, and used |
| scheme has hit an impasse, halted by a Federal | | | | as a dumping ground for sediment and other |
| District Court Judge. He delayed implementation of | | | | waste, cleaning up Harbor Point has been a |
| the program until next spring, and struck down a | | | | priority for local officials for years, seen as vital to |
| provision which would have hindered interstate | | | | any redevelopment efforts. |
| commerce. While this is bad news for revenue | | | | Now that cleanup has come. A partnership of |
| generation, it still preserves the recycling program | | | | state environmental agencies, local government |
| for the future. | | | | and the Canal Corporation is engaged to |
| New York Faces Rise in Invasive Pest Species | | | | thoroughly clean Harbor Point of its toxins. The |
| As global warming ticks up and agriculture is | | | | effort is expected to be finished this year; local |
| increasingly globalized, the introduction and | | | | officials plan to redevelop the site as part of a |
| migration of new invasive species occurs more | | | | revitalization of the state's Mohawk Valley. |
| frequently. These weed and pest species can | | | | |