South Fork Wind Farm

The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) has committed to purchasing power generated by an offshore wind farm built by the Rhode Island firm Deepwater Wind. 

The South Fork Wind Farm is expected to provide 90 megawatts of electricity to the South Fork, where demand is projected to increase sharply. 

The facility is scheduled for completion in December 2022. Cable connecting off shore wind generators to LIPAs electric grid will be buried under Gardiners Bay in East Hampton. Long time proponents of off shore wind farms are enthusiastic but local fishermen are concerned over the impact on sea life and their operations. 

At a League of Women Voters seminar Monday evening April 17 at Southampton's Rogers Memorial Library, Sustainable East End's host Francesca Rheannon spoke to key players in the project.

Listen here

More information on this project:

East Hampton Star: Fishermen Skeptical as Wind Fans Rejoice

27east.com: Critics Take Aim at Offshore Turbine Plans

Block Island Wind Farm - 1st to go on line in US

South Fork Wind Farm

The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) has committed to purchasing power generated by an offshore wind farm built by the Rhode Island firm Deepwater Wind. 

The South Fork Wind Farm is expected to provide 90 megawatts of electricity to the South Fork, where demand is projected to increase sharply. 

The facility is scheduled for completion in December 2022. Cable connecting off shore wind generators to LIPAs electric grid will be buried under Gardiners Bay in East Hampton. Long time proponents of off shore wind farms are enthusiastic but local fishermen are concerned over the impact on sea life and their operations. 

At a League of Women Voters seminar Monday evening April 17 at Southampton's Rogers Memorial Library, Sustainable East End's host Francesca Rheannon spoke to key players in the project.

Listen here

More information on this project:

East Hampton Star: Fishermen Skeptical as Wind Fans Rejoice

27east.com: Critics Take Aim at Offshore Turbine Plans

Block Island Wind Farm - 1st to go on line in US

Threats to Coastlines and Coastal waters

Today on Sustainable East End, we talk about threats to our coastlines and coastal waters and what can be done about them. 

First, we speak with Larry Swanson, interim dean of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University. 

He recently consulted with leaders in two North Shore villages, Nissequogue and Head of the Harbor, about how sea level rise threatens their coastal properties and harbors, such as Stony Brook harbor. 

Then we talk with Kelly Dennis of the Shinnecock Nation about the tribe’s Coastal Habitat Restoration Project. 

Listen here:

Here is some more information about today's topics:

Threat to North Shore Long Island coastline

Shoreline restoration project on the Shinnecock Reservation 

Threats to Coastlines and Coastal waters

Today on Sustainable East End, we talk about threats to our coastlines and coastal waters and what can be done about them. 

First, we speak with Larry Swanson, interim dean of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University. 

He recently consulted with leaders in two North Shore villages, Nissequogue and Head of the Harbor, about how sea level rise threatens their coastal properties and harbors, such as Stony Brook harbor. 

Then we talk with Kelly Dennis of the Shinnecock Nation about the tribe’s Coastal Habitat Restoration Project. 

Listen here:

Here is some more information about today's topics:

Threat to North Shore Long Island coastline

Shoreline restoration project on the Shinnecock Reservation 

Ecological Culture Initiative

The Ecological Culture Initiative, is a new organization devoted to restoring the components of the Hampton Bays community in a sustainable way. 

The group wants to serve as a model for an alternative to what they call destructive land use practices and growth-based development, damaging the health of the local aquifer, soil, and waterways.

They have several projects underway including a seed-sharing program what will launch this spring at the local library and the screening of a film about seeds Thursday evening January 19. 

Francesca Rheannon and Tony Ernst talked with Marc Fasanella, director of the Ecological Culture Initiativelast week. 

Information about all their projects is available at their web site eciny.org

Listen here

Ecological Culture Initiative

The Ecological Culture Initiative, is a new organization devoted to restoring the components of the Hampton Bays community in a sustainable way. 

The group wants to serve as a model for an alternative to what they call destructive land use practices and growth-based development, damaging the health of the local aquifer, soil, and waterways.

They have several projects underway including a seed-sharing program what will launch this spring at the local library and the screening of a film about seeds Thursday evening January 19. 

Francesca Rheannon and Tony Ernst talked with Marc Fasanella, director of the Ecological Culture Initiative last week. 

Information about all their projects is available at their web site eciny.org

Listen here

Farming and Climate Change

In November 2016 farmers along with environmental and agricultural scientists met in Riverhead at a conference on The Impact of Climate on Farms & Landscapes.

The conference was organized by the Cornell Cooperative Extension in partnership with several national and local groups including the American Farmland Trust, the Peconic Land Trust, and the Long Island Farm Bureau.

The conference included sessions on preparing for extreme weather, weather forecasting and modeling, and speaking out on climate change.

At the conference Francesca Rheannon spoke with Becky Wiseman of the Cornell Cooperative Extension and Mike Hoffmann of the Cornell Institute for Climate SmartSolutions.    

Listen here

More info:

The Riverhead Times-Review: Climate change creating new challenges for North Fork farmers

Sustainability at Cornell University

Cornell Institute for Climate Smart Solutions