This is a fun little video about consumerism in 7 short chapters. BEAT had nothing to do with its creation; we just saw it, liked it, and decided to pass it on. (If you don’t see it right away, give it a minute. It will appear.)
Chapter 1
18
Oct
Wetland Replication: “But it’s just as good as the one I broke.”
Posted by - Bruce Winn : Category - WetlandsEveryone agrees that wetlands are valuable, and most people agree that we should take all reasonable steps to preserve our remaining wetlands. But sometimes, a wetland seems to be in just the wrong place; right in the path of a proposed development project. Often in this type of situation, “wetland replication” or “wetland mitigation” is proposed as the solution. This is an interesting concept that we can actually watch work (or not) right here in our own backyard.
The Berkshire Environmental Action Team was formed about 6 years ago in response to the problems caused by an ineffective Pittsfield Conservation Commission. Actually, we felt at the time that the commission was working to circumvent the Wetlands Protection Act so that favored projects would be allowed to proceed. One of the solutions implemented by BEAT was to bring television cameras into the commission’s meetings and to file in rapid succession a number of requests for information under Massachusetts’ freedom of information act (Public Records Law) that made it clear that we were paying attention. For a while, all went well (relatively). But recently, BEAT has noticed a change in the meetings of the conservation commission; basically, if you blink, you miss them. Commission meetings, which begin at 6:00, used to go until 10pm or later. Now they are often over in less than an hour. We have reason to believe that the shortened meetings are a result of the commission choosing not to review projects in their jurisdiction. Read more…
In some communities, public wetlands have been protected as community parks, riverfront areas, or other natural areas for enjoyment by everyone. These areas often become regional or even national attractions. Boston, Baltimore, and even Manhattan have all benefited by setting aside their natural waterfronts and wetlands for the public. In the matter of the expansion of the Pittsfield airport, the City of Pittsfield seems to be expressing a different concept; wetlands are “development opportunities” for a privileged few.