CCFE PROGRAMS

Environmental Education

CCFE has a mission to help prepare the young people of our nation to be informed and involved citizens by providing better education about the environment.  CCFE has educational programs that work with youth and adults to inspire them to be better stewards of the earth.

CCFE receives many requests for staff members to speak at schools, universities, civic meetings and other public forums.  Staff members provide presentations on a wide variety of environmental topics. 

Mary Ellen Dour demonstrates CCFE’s three-dimensional interactive aquifer model in classrooms throughout Long Island

AQUIFER WORKS! Delighting and Inspiring Children
Teachers and students are enthusiastically responding to CCFE’s Aquifer Works! presentations.  Mary Ellen Dour, CCFE’s Educational Director, demonstrates a three-dimensional interactive aquifer model, created specifically to illustrate Long Island’s unique hydrological system, in classrooms throughout Long Island. The model illustrates the unique properties and vulnerabilities of Long Island’s groundwater system and how pollution moves through the ground. As part of this program, CCFE staff also educates teachers to increase their understanding of Long Island’s unique groundwater system. Teachers have incorporated lessons from the aquifer model into their curricula for English, science, and Civic classes.

Nassau County Environmental Bond
In November 2006, the public approved a $100 million bond act by a 77% margin.  The bond act money will protect open space, natural land, scenic places, and water quality, remediate brownfields, as well as expand and improve local parks in Nassau County.   All funds will be spent based on recommendations made by a nonpartisan citizens’ advisory committee, of which CCFE is a member.  CCFE conducted extensive public education on this critical referendum.

Bayshore MGP Taskforce
The Bayshore manufactured gas plant (MGP) produced gas mainly from coal. The gas was used for lighting, cooking, and heating homes and businesses.  The production of manufactured gas from coal created a legacy of waste byproducts and this pollution persists today.  MGP waste products include:

• Coal Tar:  Also called naphthalene, is a dense, oily liquid that would condense out of the gas at various stages during production, purification and distribution. 
• Volatile (BTEX) compounds:  This suite of chemicals includes Benzene, toluene, Ethyl benzene, and Xylene. These chemicals are known as Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs). 
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) compounds:  The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that some PAHs may reasonably be expected to be carcinogens. Exposure to PAHs can occur by breathing air contaminated by coal tar.

CCFE works closely with members of the Bayshore community to establish a public participation program, designed to inform the public and urge Keyspan and government agencies to clean up this site expeditiously and comprehensively.  CCFE helped the Bayshore community establish The Bayshore MGP Taskforce charged with achieving a comprehensive and expedited clean up.  To provide for adequate public participation, the BayShore MGP Task Force has established quarterly meetings with the New York State DEC, Department of Health, KeySpan and the Suffolk County Department of Health.

Meeting our Energy Needs without Broadwater Report
CCFE, with our sister organization, CCE, developed a comprehensive report documenting several major proposed or recently approved energy projects in the New York and Connecticut region.  The report illustrates that Broadwater is not needed for the region to meet our energy demands.  Our region’s energy needs can be met by projects including re-tooling of the Millennium Pipeline, an expansion of the Iroquois pipeline, a 660 MW Neptune Cable for Long Island, re-powering of Long Island based power plants, and over 900 MW of planned wind energy.

Energy Education

Fenner Wind Farm 5 year anniversary, Human Wind Turbine, Madison County, NY

Photo credit: Steven Sullivan

Many environmental problems-including acid rain, smog, mercury contamination, and global warming- are the result of our nation's energy policies.  Renewable energy, such as wind power, requires no fuel and produces zero harmful emissions.  In 2006, a number of wind projects came online or were being built across New York. 

CCFE staff has proactively worked to educate the public and policy makers about the environmental attributes associated with wind energy.  Additionally, CCFE continues to educate members of the public on the effects of climate change, both global and local, as well as climate change solutions.  CCFE urges members of the public to be part of the solution and offers ways to reduce individual and collective “carbon footprints” to help our society combat climate change by reducing energy consumption and increasing renewable energy production.

Wind Power Education Project
In 2006, CCFE launched the Wind Power Education Project (WPEP)—a collaborative effort with Pace Law School Energy Project and the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG).  With the goal of increasing the public’s access to accurate information about wind power, the collaboration issued a series of educational fact sheets, including “Myths and Facts”, “Wind & Wildlife”, “Wind and Agriculture”, and “Wind & Noise”.  Additionally, the WPEP collaborative created an interactive slide show presentation and CCFE was invited to present this information to over 10 events and organized an additional 5 public forums in Jefferson, Wyoming, Clinton, Otsego, and Erie counties featuring experts on wind power, municipal leaders, and wildlife experts to increase the public’s understanding of utility scale wind projects. 

CCE staff hands out educational wind materials throughout Long Island

Long Island Offshore WindPark
In April 2005, Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) and Florida Power and Light (FPL) officially filed an application with the Army Corps of Engineers to build a wind park, located 3-5 miles off the south shore of Long Island. The wind park will consist of 40 wind turbines, able to generate enough energy to power 44,000 homes. The project is anticipated to annually offset a substantial amount of air pollutants, including an estimated 235,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 489 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 221 tons of nitrogen oxides.

In 2006, CCFE staff members have been extremely active in tabling at various events, including the Counting Crows concert at Jones Beach, numerous showings of Al Gore’s movie, an Inconvenient Truth, and several festivals, on the benefits of wind energy. CCFE has disseminated over 25,000 pieces of educational material.