Update to Winnipesaukee speed limits

Two quick updates on my previous Winnipesaukee speed limit post.

First, here’s a slightly more detailed Associated Press story on the subject.

Secondly, a greater environmental impact of the legislation may involve emissions. The lack of a speed limit attracts large cigarette boats which are less efficient than traditional pleasure craft (and tend to produce larger wakes). Additionally, boats generally obtain better mileage at slower speeds, assuming the vessel has reached plane.

Winnipesaukee Speed Limit Bill Passes House

According to a Union Leader story, a two year trial speed limit bill for Lake Winnipesaukee passed the New Hampshire House of Representatives today. It now moves to the Senate.

If approved, the bill would set speed limits on the state’s largest lake at 45 miles per hour during the day and 25 miles per hour at night beginning in 2009, according to its text, found here. Since it is only a two year trial, the bill would expire in 2011.

Before I go further, I should state my family owns property on an island on Winnipesaukee and I have spent much of my summers there.

That said, a speed limit is desperately needed as there are too many boats traveling too fast. The Union Leader said the bill "has been opposed by boaters and fishermen who want to get from one spot to another quickly. They argue the greatest threats to safety are not speed, but operator inattention and violations of safety regulations."

While this latter statement is true, as a boater, I am more than happy to only travel 45 miles per hour. If one goes faster, he or she could not possibly enjoy the spectacular scenery. More importantly, there are countless rocks hidden just beneath the water that, could rip apart a boat’s hull. Since not all are marked by lighted buoys (or buoys at all), they pose an additional danger at night.

The environmental aspect in all of this is shoreline erosion. I have watched wave after wave pummel Winnipesaukee’s rocky shoreline, especially during weekends and holidays in July and August, from boats going faster than 45 miles per hour. These waves erode the soil, exposing tree and plant roots and clouding the water, a source of cleaning and drinking water for many island residents. While this would not eliminate all large wakes (many are caused by cabin cruisers traveling slowly), it would be a great step towards limiting erosion.

I was surprised this argument was not discussed in the Union Leader story, as it has often been voiced by islanders. Perhaps since this broke during the day, they will have an expanded story in tomorrow’s paper.

Widgets

The Washington Post has an interesting interactive web-based presidential primary election resource that greatly facilitates reading about candidate issues. Upon clicking on a candidate's headshot, users are presented with a list of issues. The font size and position of each issue is based upon the number of stories that contain the candidate and that issue.

This is somewhat misleading because even if one candidate has many hits on abortion, the story may examine how their standing is anti-abortion or be about another candidate and simply mention the initial candidate as their rival in an upcoming debate.

But, assuming users of the application take the time to sample some of the stories (which are pulled from news organizations around the country, not just Washington Post-affiliated sites) they will have a better understanding of the candidate's stance on each major issue.

This program, called a widget, takes what could be solely a text-based subject and transforms it into a visual journey. Yes, readers are still devouring text, but access to that text is through a user-friendly visual medium.

What makes this application really unique is it can be embedded on blogs and other Web sites instead of merely a link (see below). Of course as a user delves deeper into the application, it transfers them to the Post’s Web site for the remainder of the feature. After all, it would not make sense for a newspaper to offer this service if the widget did not link back to their site.



The Washington Post has several similar widgets relating to politics, entertainment, photojournalism and the Iraq War, all accessible from one page.

Environmentally, this has several applications. Much the same as the Post has done with election issues, a widget could be used to track specific environmental topics like land conservation or alternative energy. Or, it could be a map-based interface that transports users to various environmental hot spots in world, all from their own blog.

One unique example of an environmental widget, produced by http://www.co2stats.com/, supposedly offsets the amount of fossil fuels burned while browsing a site with the widget installed. More information on this is available at the Boston Herald’s Green World blog here.

Note: I accidentally published this post while in the process of writing it. So please ignore the previous version if it appears in an RSS reader.

Pay-as-you-throw Recycling Program Reviewed in R.I.

It’s an interesting concept: charge residents only for the trash they throw away while making recyclables free. And, according to a Providence Journal article, a statewide mandatory program was considered by the Rhode Island state legislature at a recent recycling summit. The summit was spurred by the fact that the Ocean State’s landfill is expected to need a $100 million expansion in two years if recycling rates do not increase.

Recycling is one of the few steps homeowners can take to protect the environment without assuming much (if any) costs. One must simply be knowledgeable about what can be recycled and make the effort to separate those items from regular household trash. There are no expensive solar panels to install or light bulbs to replace; just a little time and reading

The pay-as-you-throw plan is one excellent way to encourage recycling since financial savings is probably one of the best motivational tools, especially in a weak economy. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection even has a Web site devoted to the program. It has been implemented successfully in many towns in New England, while others like Whitman, Mass. are considering creating a program.

But encouraging residential recycling is only part of the problem. In Rhode Island, business and government have worse recycling rates than residences (4 percent, according to the same Journal story).

While this rate is abysmal, the business/government rate is shocking as they manage much larger recyclable volumes of waste than a homeowner does. Therefore, it should be more cost effective for them to sort trash and recycle as much as possible.

Clearly, with rates that low, there has been no incentive or mandate for them to improve recycling standards. At the same recycling summit – the first in state history – experts from environmental and waste disposal agencies advised lawmakers to enact stricter standards and improve enforcement of existing ones.

Only time will tell if additional commercial and residential recycling programs are implemented or more and more trash continues to pile up at landfills.

Economic Development vs. Conservation in Maine’s Moosehead Lake Region

It is a question that arises anytime a new subdivision is proposed. But, New England has probably not seen something like Plum Creek Timber’s proposal to build close to 1,000 houses and several resort hotels near Maine’s Moosehead Lake, arguably the gateway to the state’s – and New England’s – last major swath of forestland.

Proponents have argued the area needs more development to boost the economy and lower the tax burden. While, even some environmentalists will admit development is needed, shouldn’t the region look to industry to decrease taxes and create jobs?

As opponents have pointed out, a housing development of this magnitude will overwhelm the region’s schools, fire, police, hospitals and other infrastructure, more than likely, causing tax increases for residents.

Industry could include alternative energy plants, environmentally-friendly product manufacturers, sustainable forestry or a haven for scientific research. These are establishments that could enhance schools and add to Moosehead Lake’s distinctive character.

For more of this argument see these Portland Press Herald articles here and here.

Under the proposal, the developer will make around 400,000 acres conservation land. But, one must always examine this with skepticism. Is that land even buildable in the first place? Is it contiguous and/or connected to already conserved land or fragmented by new neighborhoods?

This potential conservation land has been the subject of contention even within environmental circles. Though residential development would be prohibited, the land could still be used for logging, skiing and hiking huts, communications towers and wind farms, all of which could destroy additional wildlife habitat.

In regards to wind power, forests are not ideal locations for major wind farms, as their construction would destroy valuable wildlife habitat. Instead, planners should look to already developed areas (like Hull, Mass. and Boston, as I described in a previous post.)

Another concern for environmentalists is the precedent approving such a massive development would set. Certainly, other companies may step forward with ambitions similar to Plum Creek Timber’s in other sections of Maine’s vast northern woods. Once one is approved, does it open the floodgates for others?

Whether the proposal is struck down or approved, the public has had ample time to express their thoughts as a series of four public hearing recently concluded. Now the fate of a region rests in the hands of the state’s Land Use Regulation Commission.

Geographic News

Today, I am departing from this blog’s overall environmental theme to focus on a new web journalism development the Union Leader experimented with over the weekend. The New Hampshire-based paper used Google Maps to visually plot the locations of all the news stories the newspaper covered this weekend.

Additionally, symbols represented various types of stories (ex. accident, politics, etc). This is an excellent way to visually show the news and a tremendous tool for readers, especially those unfamiliar with the Granite State who may have been directed to a Union Leader story from an external Web site.


Of course, other news organizations have already utilized this. The Boston Globe has used Google Maps to mark campaign contributions and Boston homicides. CBS News has an download for Google Earth that maps all the station’s news stories each day (depicted above). And many television stations use satellite images on the air, especially if they are covering breaking news and do not have any video from the scene.



Traditionally, news has been organized predominately by what an editor judges is most important and then by region/state. Now, readers (and viewers) can obtain the day’s news solely based on geography.

Obviously the age-old practice of news judgment is still essential and how most – if not all – people generally obtain their news. But integrating mapping sites and programs to the fullest extent possible will increase news organization’s Web site’s visibility and readership and eventually become a staple on-line reporting technique.

In the realm of environmental journalism, this has some obvious applications from displaying the location of a potential new piece of conservation land to visually depicting endangered species population figures. A reporter working on a story about migratory birds could utilize maps to show the bird’s annual flight south.

Google Earth already has some environmental content, including a depiction of mountain top removal in the Appalachian Mountains and satellite photos showing the growth of cities and deforestation. However, much of this comes from environmental organizations like the Worldwide Fund for Nature and United Nations Environment Programme rather than the traditional media.

This is a resource just waiting to be fully tapped into by newspapers, television stations and on-line news sites.

A Tale of Two Wind Projects

While perusing the Boston Globe I was surprised to read that if a proposed wind farm off the Hull, Mass. coast is approved, the town of more than 11,000 could generate all its power through wind. What a remarkable achievement that would be for a community in a world that is just beginning to realize it must break free from its dependence on nonrenewable energy sources.

A more widely known Massachusetts wind proposal is Cape Wind’s goal of erecting 140 turbines in Nantucket Sound, a plan that has garnered strong opposition from people concerned about its impact on tourism, fish and potential damage to the region’s famed beaches.

Below is an excerpt from a Cape Cod Commission meeting last October that highlights some of the debate.



While this debate rages, residents in Hull are living with two turbines, one perched at the terminus of the town’s peninsula in what the Globe calls a “photogenic locale against the backdrop of Boston Harbor and its islands.” Instead of worrying about spoiled views, the town has embraced its windmills, using them as an educational tool for their children.

It even attracts out-of-towners (I visited the location last fall.) and tourists. Having an entire town powered by wind would only increase its ecotourism appeal.

While some lobstermen have spoken against the plan, they appear to understand the necessity for alternative energy and may be willing to compromise.

Of course, Cape Wind’s proposal is on a much larger scale and raises some serious concerns about ecological damage both at sea and with additional facilities needed on land. But, if global warming continues to cause rising ocean levels, much of the Cape could be flooded in the future. And rising ocean temperatures could eliminate fishing grounds on their own, without assistance from a wind turbine.

The U.S. Minerals Management Service recently released a report stating construction of 130 turbines would cause minimal environmental impact. But, there is still a public comment window for new concerns to arise.

However the debate concludes, it needs to happen quickly so the region can find another alternative energy source if wind is not politically or environmentally feasible.

Finally, on the lighter side, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino recently discussed adding a wind turbine atop City Hall. There certainly should not be many people concerned about the turbine destroying a view, as City Hall is probably one of the ugliest buildings in Beantown.

Introduction

This is a blog for the Reinventing the News journalism class at Northeastern University in Boston. As someone who has been concerned and fascinated by New England's constantly changing environment I will primarily be commenting on issues impacting the region and their coverage in the media.

Take, for example, a story in today's Boston Globe about the ocean eating away at beachfront property in Chatham, Mass. Storms, particularly Nor’easters, carve out large chunks of sand, creating breaches in sandbars that had previously protected homes.

These homeowners, many of whom may have rebuilt several times in the past, suddenly find their vacation properties in jeopardy. Some, like Fred Truelove, who the Globe profiled, are forced to demolish their homes before the sea does it for them.

While sand is carried away, the Atlantic simultaneously deposits new sediment in other locations. The problem, of course, is this influx and outflow of sand typically does not occur where it would be most convenient for humans.

So this raises the debate, should people be allowed to build close to the ocean? And should municipalities spend money trying to protect those homes or let nature run its course?

Certainly insurance companies have spoken on the issue, often refusing to cover threatened properties like Truelove’s. But, after storms, federal and state governments contribute tax payer’s dollars to helping these homeowners rebuild time and time again.

And as sea level rises from melting glaciers, many of these properties will be increasingly encroached upon by the Atlantic, regardless of how storms impact them.

Rather than repeatedly rebuilding, perhaps oceanfront homeowners should be forced to demolish their homes and donate the land to preserves and national parks like Cape Cod National Seashore. City, state and federal officials should convene to craft a standard regulating coastal development that ensures diverse coastal habitats are protected and available for public enjoyment.

As an aside, the Globe story examined in some detail how previous storms have altered Chatham’s coastline. This could have been enhanced on-line - especially for readers who are unfamiliar with the area - if the paper had utilized Google Maps or a similar satellite mapping program to visually show how the shoreline evolved overtime.