090710Clearwaterismoving.mp3

After 40 years of advocating, educating, and sailing on the Hudson River, Clearwater is just getting started. In our largest effort yet to encourage sustainability, education, and green jobs in the Hudson Valley, Clearwater has launched the Next Generation Legacy Project.

In three phases, Clearwater will open an environmental action center in Beacon, NY; establish green jobs that develop connections to our waterfronts up and down the river; and initiate new education programs focused on giving youth access to education programs. Together we can deliver for the river!

090709Tonkainthetrawl.mp3

On an education sail on the Clearwater, students use an otter-trawl net to catch fish, crabs, and eels. The Hudson is known for its biodiversity, but it also contains items that were never intended for the river. Litter that once clogged the shores ends up underwater, and occasionally resurfaces in Clearwater's net.

090708Bottomoftheharbor.mp3

Born in North Carolina in 1908,  Joseph Mitchell became famous as a reporter for The New Yorker whose writing focused on the lesser-known characters and corners of New York City, in particular its waterfront. Mitchell was a much-admired writer and founder of the South Street Seaport Museum, but was much more proud of placing third in a clam-eating contest by eating 84 clams.

In The Bottom of the Harbor, Mitchell describes in vivid detail the "oily dirty germy" sludge that once covered the bottom of New York Harbor, which occasionally released gas-filled "sludge bubbles" into the air.

While the sludge problem has come a long way since 1951, there is still work to be done. The sludge below the Hudson's waters is now contaminated with PCBs, toxic waste dumped by General Electric from two manufacturing plants on the River.  Clearwater has been fighting for over 30 years alongside other organizations and individuals to address the PCB problem.  In May 2009 dredging of the Hudson finally began.

090707Tlakeonthequad.mp3

DEC Naturalist Tom Lake has been observing the Hudson River for decades. He has a unique skill for noticing the environmental signals of an ecosystem, and has published the Hudson River Almanac for years.

Lake is also a professor of Anthropology and Archaeology, with a special focus on the Native American History of the American Northeast.

090706Risksofgreenjobs.mp3

Converting to green living is not always a simple proposition. Green technology is often cutting-edge, requiring specialized skills and training, and can be more costly than traditional alternatives.
 

But living green requires a different outlook. Upfront costs can be higher, but sustainable resources will often outlast other products, and redistribute revenue to a local level. 


 

photo: Robert Rodriguez, Jr.