As evidenced in countless stories across the country, community investment in projects like the Kingston Greenline can spark exciting new life in neglected neighborhoods. RUPCO’s proposal represents an opportunity to leverage the Kingston Greenline to accomplish just such a transformation for the area. We look forward to an ongoing dialogue with RUPCO to build awareness of the Kingston Greenline and to apply the principles behind the Greenline — greater mobility, connectivity and sustainability — to strengthen their proposal.
Andi Turco-Levin, chair, Kingston Land Trust
Save the arctic, save ourselves
I’m writing to shed light on yet another government shortfall and corporate ambition to risk destruction of the environment and acceleration of climate change for profit from resource exploitation. As you read this, Shell’s drilling rig is currently in Seattle awaiting warm temperatures, as the ice recedes, to start drilling in the Arctic Ocean this summer. The United States Department of Interior has approved Shell’s Oil drilling lease for the Chukchi Sea in the Alaskan Arctic. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council: “The Interior Department itself predicts a 75 percent chance of a major oil spill in the Arctic Ocean if oil development moves forward there. And the harsh conditions and extreme remoteness of the Arctic would make such an oil spill all but impossible to clean up.”
Greenpeace and other organizations, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Alaska Wilderness League, Indigenous Environmental Network, and 350.org, among others, are trying to stop this exploitation of the Arctic. Here is what you can do to prevent this disaster of global magnitude:
1) Tell your friends, write letters to the editor and to your congressman to raise awareness and to let your voice be heard.
2) Join the “Save the Arctic” campaign on the Greenpeace website, Greenpeace.org, and sign on to the letter addressing President Obama to reconsider his decision to permit drilling in the Arctic waters.
3) Boycott Shell.
4) Support the organizations that are fighting this battle.
Honestly, in the big picture, we must end our addiction to oil so that drilling for oil simply ceases to become so profitable. As individuals, we must graduate, as we are able to, to hybrid cars, and solar and wind energy for our homes. But right now, at this very moment, the Arctic needs our help, and to buy ourselves more time to get things right here on our blue planet, we need to help the Arctic. Please take a moment to add your voice to this cause.
Shannah White, Kingston
The Greenline and Greenline Center will certainly help revitalize Midtown. I look forward to their coming!
Connecting the Greenline to it’s origin, its clear presence and now its very clear effect on the mindset of the city…
I have go say that when the Kingston Land Trust was formed, it was quite a surprise: a Land Trust? In Kingston? That was a huge shift in how the city could be viewed, and the talent and work that has been applied is outstanding.
I further would credit the public nature of it, the non profit, citizen staffed: this kind of talent and creativity and perseverance cannot be bought….
Kington Land Trust brought in a new view of Kingston, wanted and needed. Thank you!
However the Kingston Land Trust’s letter was meant to be interpreted, using the RUPCO proposal (the Greenline Center) for the opportunity to tout the Greenline Rail Trail, comes across as support to me. The KLT’s mission is charged in protecting open space. It hasn’t any business using a proposed housing project to project the Greenline’s success. On the subject of protecting things, where were they during the Niagara proposal? Absent. As I wrote earlier in the week to staff – perhaps we should work to rename the Cooper Lake reservoir as the Greenline reservoir. Maybe then, the public outcry would get their attention. Having worked so hard and intimately at the KLT, I’m disappointed that they have stayed quiet on the subject. I’m all for rail trails. But without clean water in our community, there is nothing at all. Affordable housing garners their attention at this early phase as a land trust? Why not our water supply – and now, in working towards a referendum to include the public? Both are perhaps a stretch – but given the choice, the latter is certainly more in line with their mission. Thanks to the Woodstock Land Conservancy for being a partner. The stakes are raised for them, too – but they were able to identify how critical the proposal was and took a step in.
Hey Reb, just wanted to point out that the letter does not endorse the project, though it sounds exciting at this early stage. There’s a good process that will unfold from here, as the project moves through the planning board and as RUPCO works out the kinks. I think we can all agree that they do what they do very well. As for Niagara, I think you’re right – if we renamed the reservoir, maybe there would be a role for the KLT! 🙂 Sort of being facetious, but my point is that I commend the KLT for the degree of focus they demonstrate. We all recognize how important it is to protect our water, but Kingston’s lucky to have you and many others working on that. Right now, the KLT’s focus is on connectivity, and it’s a big bite to chew!