Hudson Mohawk Magazine

NY state lawmakers once again failed to approve single-payer health care despite having a majority of sponsors in both houses. Ursula Rozum of the Campaign for NY Health discusses ongoing challenges and next steps with Mark Dunlea of the Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

RPI student Josephine Tonias interviews Academic Counselor, David Milford about issues college students face, and how he is trained to help them.

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine:

We begin with an interview about the EPA’s order for much stricter PFOS and PFOA water standards.

Then, we have a plastics story on greenwashing and artificial turf.

Later on, we hear some speakers from a rally in reaction to the overturn of Roe v Wade.

After that, we speak with Salem Art Works Executive Director about the exhibition coming up to showcase work from current artists in residents.

Finally, we get our weekly dose of weather with meteorologist Hugh Johnson who will talk about summer clouds.

Three voices from the 6/24/22 rally in Albany protesting the overturn of Roe v. Wade. (1) A member of New York State Nurses Association provides historic perspective on when abortion became illegal. (2) Nathaniel Gray, director of the Pride Center (capital pridecenter.org) calls for men to be involved in the battle. (3) A pharmacy student warns of the impact on access to contraceptives. Produced by Brea Barthel, who regrets occasional sound challenges due to wind.

image: Poster says "Why is my uterus more regulated than your gun?" Photo by Mark Dixon from Pittsburgh, PA CC2.0

Salem Art Works supports emerging and established artists through residencies, workshops, and access to facilities for glass blowing, blacksmithing, wood working, ceramics and much more. SAW Executive Director Pearl Cafritz spoke with Sina Basila Hickey about what they offer and their upcoming exhibition.

The NY / VT Artist Reception is on Friday, July 1, 2022 and will showcase the artwork created by the NY / VT Artist Residents during their stay at SAW.

www.salemartworks.org/

On Thursday, the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission over greenwashing claims made by manufacturers of artificial turf. Greenwashing is a term that refers to when a polluting practices is advertised as environmentally sustainable.

The complaint catalogs examples of marketing pitches that removed artificial turf is recyclable and is being sent to domestic recycling facilities. This not true because:

There are no turf recycling plants in the U.S.;

Used turf is not being exported to the two known recycling plants in Europe; and

Artificial turf is extremely difficult and expensive to recycle since all the different plastics, rubber, and other materials used must be separated from each other.

“Artificial turf makers and vendors use recycling claims as a promotional ploy to portray this product as an environmentally responsible alternative to traditional grass fields – but it is not,” stated PEER Science Policy Director Kyla Bennett, a scientist and attorney formerly with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “The recycling claim for turf is illegal greenwashing.”

Each synthetic field usually covers about 80,000 square feet with roughly 400,000 pounds of infill (often shredded tires). These fields typically have a design life of eight to ten years. There are an estimated 13,000 syn-turf fields in the U.S. Hundreds of fields installed in past decade are at or beyond their life spans, with that total growing each month.

When removed, the old turf is sent to a landfill or, as often appears, is illegally dumped.

Plastic turf fields contribute pollution through runoff of microplastics and toxic chemicals like PFAS, as well as off-gassing toxic emissions. They can also become heat islands, with surface temperatures in excess of 180 degrees Fahrenheit on sunny days. This puts players, especially children, at risk of heat stroke and injury.

PEER is hosting an online info meeting on artificial turf in New York on Tuesday, June 28 at 12pm ET. You can register here: https://www.citizenscampaign.org/whats-new-at-cce/2022/6/9/what-are-the-problems-with-artificial-turf-you-have-questions-we-have-answers

To learn more about Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, visit PEER.org

Image: Discarded Artifical Turf (Rome Sentinel)

Hudson Mohawk Magazine producer Blaise Bryant spoke with retired Meteorologist Hugh Johnson about the different types of clouds. They also talk about a general summer forecast and what to expect this week.

Last weekend, the Spina Bifida Association of New York State celebrated their name change and new space. Hudson Mohawk Magazine producer Blaise Bryant brings us part two of his conversation with their Executive Director Julia Duff. When Blaise and Julia spoke last month, they were still called the Spina Bifida Association of Northeastern New York.

On June 15, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released significantly reduced lifetime drinking water health advisory levels for PFOA and PFOS forever chemicals. These toxic contaminants were the center of the water controversy in Hoosick Falls and at the Norlite hazardous waste incinerator in Cohoes. Rob Hayes, clean water director at Environmental Advocates, discusses the impact of the changes with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

When it comes to help for those facing a major illness or stressful life change, support groups can prove to be a beneficial resource. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, or DBSA, is a leading national organization that has a network of support groups across the United States for those struggling with mood disorders. Hudson Mohawk Magazine producer John Wallace interviewed local DBSA support group facilitator Sarah L about the group, advocacy, and overall mental health.