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Tuesday, March 24th Community Church of NY 40 East 35th St. 6:30pm Join the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal NY State effort to put pressure on Cuomo this year to close the remaining coal plants in NY State while making sure the people who live in those towns are taken care of, and putting in place the first offshore wind turbines off Long Island.

If you're at the coop this weekend, why not stop at the workshop to help you write an effective letter to the DEC commenting on their proposed fracking regulations: Saturday, November 19: 2-4 pm Individual letters make a difference--the DEC is required to read every one, whereas form letters are merely counted. The deadline for submitting comments is December 12--fracking may start in early 2012 if we don't speak up. We will help you complete a letter at the workshop and mail it for you. Stop by at any point during the workshop sessions. One more session will be held right after Thanksgiving: Saturday, Nov. 26: 1–3 pm Bring friends—coop members and non-members are welcome! We are very, very lucky to have access to clean, drinkable tap water in New York. Let's not take it for granted and assume that this problem will go away or that someone else will take care of it. Everyone's help is needed.

The recent heatwave may have convinced more naysayers that global warming is real. Those of us already convinced will be glad to hear of more energy efficient options, especially on a large scale. A recent CNN article reported that two-thirds of the one million rooftops in New York City are suitable for solar power. Right now, the city only gets a small amount of it's energy from solar. Increasing our solar energy use would not only decrease the amount of pollution our energy use generates, but reduce the stress on our energy grid, which is always a worry, especially in times of extreme heat. Consider also that once the initial installation of solar panels is made, the energy itself is free. Solar panels can be used on individual homes as well as larger buildings. Learn more about solar energy options for New York City.