All, Health, Justice, Protection, Urban, Water

Truths about society in new book Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt

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Tim Knight shares a review of the book. Now I can’t wait to read it.

Excerpt from the preface

The ruthless hunt for profit creates a world where everything and everyone is expendable. Nothing is sacred. It has blighted inner cities, turned the majestic Appalachian Mountains into a blasted moonscape of poisoned water, soil, and air. It has forced workers into a downward spiral of falling wages and mounting debt until laborers in agricultural fields and sweatshops work in conditions that replicate slavery. It has impoverished our working class and ravaged the middle class. And it has enriched a tiny global elite that has no loyalty to the nation-state. These corporations, if we use the language of patriotism, are traitors.

Tim says,

I just finished Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt by Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco. It is superb, and I’ve spent a fair amount of time typing in passages from the book below in order to capture some of its theme.

The “me” of twenty years ago wouldn’t be caught dead reading a book like this. It is, after all, an unflinching assasination of our present capitalist system. As a younger person, I was wholeheartedly (and more than a little ignorantly) devoted to a dog-eat-dog, lassiez-faire capitalist system. And, in my adult life, I have lived that way, at least inasmuch as I created, built, and sold a successful business and have, before, during, and after that time, been a very active participant in the financial markets (both by way of trading as well as writing).

Experience and observation have moderated my views, however. At the outset I will say that I still regard capitalism as the most proper, natural, and constructive economic system, but I’m a much firmer believer in a modified version – – consistently-regulated with a distribution of wealth more akin to the 1970s than the present day – – than I ever imagined I would be.

and

There are several broad regions of the United States covered in the book, including the Indian reservations of South Dakota; the mean streets of Camden; the wretched lives of the produce-pickers in Southern Florida; and the “moonscape” of West Virginia’s coal country. It is this last area that includes a talk with Larry Gibson, an activist in West Virginia who grew up there, had to leave for a while due to family poverty, and has returned to try to fight for the region’s sake. He says the following, which is perhaps my favorite section of the entire book:

“Living here as a boy, I wasn’t any different than anybody else. First time I knew I was poor was when I went to Cleveland and went to school They taught me I was poor. I traded all this for a strip of green I saw when I walking the street. And I was poor? How ya gonna get a piece of green grass between the sidewalk and the street, and they gonna tell me I’m poor. I thought I was the luckiest kid in the world, with nature. I could walk through the forest. I could hear the animals. I could hear the woods talk to me. Everywhere I looked there was life. I could pick my own apples or cucumbers. I could eat the berries and pawpaws. I love pawpaws. And they gooseberries. Now there is no life there. Only dust. I had a pigeon and when I’d come out of the house, no matter where I went, he flew over my head or sat on my shoulder. I had a hawk I named Fred, I had a bobcat and a three-legged fox that got caught in a trap. I wouldn’t trade that childhood for all the fancy fire trucks and toys the other kids had.

Abuse of public trust, Health, Justice, Protection, Water

Terrible destruction: Appalachian mountaintop removal mining

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While residents of New Jersey and Pennsylvania deal with the health threat presented by fracking, people in the Appalachias continue to wage their long and mighty struggle to preserve their health and economy in the face of the ongoing destruction visited upon them by mountaintop mining, a practice scientists have called, “pervasive and irreversable.”

The New York times describes mountaintop removal as

…a radical form of strip mining that has left over 2,000 miles of streams buried and over 500 mountains destroyed. According to several recent studies, people living near surface mining sites have a 50 percent greater risk of fatal cancer and a 42 percent greater risk of birth defects than the general population.

Foto by Damon Winter/The New York Times
Ryan Massey, 7, shows his caps. Dentists near Charleston, W.Va., say pollutants in drinking water have damaged residents’ teeth. Nationwide, polluters have violated the Clean Water Act more than 500,000 times.

When Robert Kennedy, Jr. came to Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey and spoke about his fight to halt this practice, my younger son, Ari, a high school junior and I were there to hear him. Kennedy is an environmental lawyer, and years ago he fought to stop mountaintop removal mining on the premise that it violates the Clean Water Act. Kennedy won his court battle, but lawyers for the opposition filed a lawsuit disputing the meaning of the word “fill” relative to the practice of dumping left-over sludge into streams and rivers in that region, claiming that the sludge did not “fill” up the waterways since there was still water in them after the dumping occurred, and got permission to resume their destruction of nature and of people’s lives.

The Obama Administration is working to improved the lives of Appalachia’s residents by establishing a ban on mountaintop mining, but, big monied interests have the sympathy of the courts. On July 31, a judge overthrew new protections put in place by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and ruled that mountaintop mining operations they had blocked, could resume. This type of favoritism is not new.

Robert Kennedy Jr.’s fight agains the devastation

The Appalachian Center reviews The Last Mountain, a documentary featuring Kennedy which addresses this issue

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – the best national advocate the anti-mountaintop removal movement has – is an effective narrator and driving force throughout the film. He puts the destruction and willful violation of laws meant to curb such environmental destruction into passionate, thoughtful words.

For instance, standing atop a “reclaimed” mountain with mine safety consultant Jack Spadaro, Kennedy looks around at a “forest” that is nothing but scrub grass and picks up a chunk of rock that’s supposed to count as topsoil. He says, “The extraordinary thing about this is how many lies they have to tell to make this whole fiction work. They have to say this is a forest. They have to say this is soil. And the amazing thing is how many people believe them.”

Kennedy was also powerful when addressing one of the key areas of conflict among the residents of Appalachia: the notion that protecting the environment must come at the sacrifice of jobs. As Kennedy says in a discussion with Coal Association President Bill Raney, most of the coal jobs in Appalachia have been lost to mechanization, not to environmental regulations. Coal companies are extracting as much coal as ever with a fraction of the work force.

His explanation of idea of “the commons” and how the notion that America’s water and environment are owned by us all has been eroded is also very compelling.

Congressional Bills and The Law

Congressman Steve Rothman wrote to me about bills in Congress on both sides of the mountaintop mining issue. Democrats want to stop it, but Republicans want to prohibit any regulations of the coal mining industry. When people tell you there’s no difference between Democrats and Republicans, remember this fact. Rothman writes,
Like you, I believe that communities need to be protected from hazardous emissions and destructive practices that jeopardize their health and that of the surrounding ecosystem. As you know, H.R. 5959 was introduced by Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) on June 19, 2012. If enacted, this legislation would require a study of the potential harm of mountaintop removal coal mining on the health of individuals in surrounding communities. If mountaintop mining is found to be harmful to health, a moratorium would be placed on mountaintop mining until it was deemed to be safe. This bill is currently pending before the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Energy and Commerce. The environment and the people of the Appalachians need to be protected from careless mining practices.

You may also be interested to know that, H.R. 3049, the so-called “Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act,” was introduced by Representative Bill Johnson (R-OH) on November 14, 2011. If enacted, this irresponsible bill would amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act to prohibit the Department of Interior from regulating the coal mining industry, overturning 35 years of established precedent and putting our health and waterways at risk. I strongly oppose H.R. 3049 and any other legislation that would work to weaken the ability of federal agencies to regulate polluting energy industries and toxic run off into our rivers and lakes. This legislation is pending before the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Environment, Health, Justice, New solutions, Protection, Sustainable communities

EPA’s pollution assessment tool in beta

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The EPA released a beta version of the new Community-Focused Exposure and Risk Screening Tool (C-FERST). It will increase the availability and accessibility of science and data for evaluating impacts of pollutants and local conditions, understanding the overall environmental health consequences of your community and ranking risks. The tool will enable communities to identify environmental health issues, rank and prioritize issues, make informed and cost-effective decisions to improve public health, and promote actions.

Feedback is needed to finalize development, so please give C-FERST a test drive and share your experiences. More information here.

All, Environment

How to reduce your junk mail influx

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This is the information I’ve been waiting for all my life! Earth 911 shares 8 Ways To Reduce Your Junk Mail and tells us why we should:

Junk mail is not only a minor inconvenience in your daily life, but it also takes a toll on the environment.

Nearly 100 million trees are cut down annually to make junk mail in the U.S., according to the Bay Area Recycling Outreach Coalition, and ForestEthics found that junk mail’s carbon footprint is equal to the greenhouse gases released by 9 million cars or heating 13 million homes in the winter.

The Oregon Metro government website tells us, “More than 85 billion pieces of unsolicited mail get dropped in mail boxes around the country each year – about 100 pounds for every household.” and offers more good advice on how to help the environment by opting-out of receiving it:

Stop junk mail before it starts

  • Ask companies you’ve done business with, organizations you’ve donated to, and anyone who sends you a bill not to sell or exchange your address.
  • If you move, directly contact everyone yourself instead of submitting the post office change of address form. Otherwise, junk mail can follow you to your new address.
  • Don’t submit product registration cards.
  • Don’t use a store’s “buyer’s club” card when making purchases.
  • Avoid participating in sweepstakes or contests unless you are able to prevent your information from being shared. Look for disclosure notices in the sweepstakes and contest literature.
  • List only your telephone number in your local directory, or choose to be unlisted.

I already took the first step – cancelled the delivery of Yellow Book, an item that I never like to see show up on my front steps. It was easy! If you walk through these steps, let me know how you make out.

All, Energy, Environment, Justice, New solutions, Urban

Cap & Trade – an emissions reduction strategy

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The Environmental Defense Fund wrote the cap-and-trade approach to sulfur emissions into the 1990 Clean Air Act. A similar program has become law in California to limit carbon emissions, where implementation will begin in 2013. The cap part of the program is an incrementally rising cap on the legally allowable limits for carbon emissions factories produce. The trade portion allows companies that reduce their emissions to a lower level than the legal mandate to use the difference as a credit that a company exceeding the legal limit can buy to bring itself into the compliant range of emissions output.

The EDF explains the history of cap-and-trade, which started in 1990

Traditional, top-down government regulation would have simply directed every plant owner to cut pollution by a specific amount in a specific way. But this method, critics said, would cost too much, impede innovation and ignore the knowledge and initiative of local plant operators.

The way forward, EDF experts argued, was to harness the power of the marketplace. Our cap-and-trade approach, written into the 1990 Clean Air Act, required that overall sulfur emissions be cut in half, but let each company decide how to do it. And power plants that cut their pollution more than required could sell those extra allowances. A new commodities market was born.

Under this market-based plan, sulfur emissions have gone down faster than predicted and at one-fourth of the projected cost. By 2000, scientists were documenting decreased sulfates in Adirondack lakes, improved visibility in national parks and widespread benefits to human health. The Economist called it “the greatest green success story of the past decade.”

EDF explains that the California cap-and-trade market for greenhouse gases addresses is modeled after their plan.

In October 2011, the California Air Resources Board voted to create a cap-and-trade market for greenhouse gases, as required by AB32, the state’s landmark bipartisan 2006 climate bill, which EDF cosponsored and defended in court.

AB32 aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions in California, the world’s eighth largest economy, to 1990 levels by 2020, while generating one-third of its electricity from renewable sources like solar and wind.

The cap-and-trade market alone, which begins operating in 2013, will slash the state’s warming emissions by an amount equivalent to taking some 3.6 million cars off the road.

The LA Times reports

Environmental justice groups oppose aspects of the program, arguing that cap-and-trade’s market allows refineries, power plants and other large-scale facilities to continue polluting poor neighborhoods as long as they purchase credits or offsets ..

and gives details about how the carbon cap-and-trade program will work in California

Emissions caps were established by collecting three years of emissions data from the state’s largest industries. Those businesses were grouped into sectors and assigned an average emissions benchmark. Businesses are allowed to emit up to 90% of that amount in the first year. Companies that operate efficiently under the cap may sell their excess carbon allowance on the market; companies whose emissions are above the benchmark must either reduce their carbon output or purchase credits or offsets.

Offsets are a way of turning carbon “savings” into tradable equities. For instance, a forestry company may change its practices so that its forests store more carbon. That increase in carbon storage can be turned into a marketable credit. An independent entity would verify that the carbon savings are real. That additional storage must be maintained for at least 100 years. No carbon offsets may be purchased from non-U.S. sources.

Abuse of public trust, All, Food, Health, Justice, Protection

Diabetes kills. Support NYC’s huge sugar drinks ban.

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I’m really happy Mayor Bloomberg is pushing to ban on huge sugary drinks in New York City. Publicity about this alone will increase consciousness about just HOW bad these drinks are. They’re killing people! Stress on the body’s insulin producing system and being overweight are important factors contributing to the onset of Type 2 diabetes and sugary drinks are big contributors to obesity and exaggerated sugar consumption.

Although designer healthy food is annoyingly expensive and the elitist marketing scheme around it totally disgusts me, don’t let the marketers fool you: deals for good food can be found, or made, with a little effort. Growing some of your own fruits and veggies is one way to go. My family has a community garden plot that gives us fresh veggies all summer long, and we are learning to can and pickle extra produce to see us through colder months. A friend of ours grows edible plants in the windows of his home. A truly healthy diet is a low-cost diet too, since the ingredients for slow-cooked meals costs relatively little compared to processed foods, which anyway are unhealthy from the get-go. We think that we’re in such a big rush to get (where exactly?) that we have no time to cook and good food. Let’s not be rushing off to an early grave. We can dial down the speed of our lives, eat well in the company of friends, family and work colleagues: and change our habits, lives, health and futures, forever.

As one Facebook friend pointed out today, there are plenty of yummy foods out there. Making healthy choices means getting used to different tastes, not less delicious ones.

Diabetes today is an epidemic in poor urban neighborhoods

Harvard professor Frank Hu writes for the American Diabetes Association

… studies and randomized clinical trials show that type 2 diabetes is largely preventable through diet and lifestyle modifications. Translating these findings into practice, however, requires fundamental changes in public policies, the food and built environments, and health systems. To curb the escalating diabetes epidemic, primary prevention through promotion of a healthy diet and lifestyle should be a global public policy priority.

CBS news reports, “Since 1980, obesity in children has almost tripled to more than 12 million … Only 17 percent of students get the recommended one hour of moderately vigorous physical activity a day.” And the Daily News tells us, a “study published … in the (medical journal) Pediatrics, found that the percentage of adolescents age 12 to 19 with Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes nearly tripled from 9% in 1999 to 23% in 2008.”

And it’s an intentionally created epidemic

Are there unscrupulous businessmen out there planning to make sure children get less exercise and worse food in school, who are looking at the best ways to addict our kids to fat-making fast food and insulin blowing/tooth rotting sugary drinks so they will become diabetics at an early age? You can bet your bottom dollar those people are out there en force; and also that they’re extremely good at their jobs. The goal? To make very rich the pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies selling the medicines and paraphernalia diabetics need: monitoring supplies, leg stockings, wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, special shoes and hospital beds. The market is vast, and we haven’t yet considered the revenue this disease produces for the medical professionals and institutions who treat it.

In These Times author Susan J. Douglas writes

Type 2 diabetes is caused by excess weight, lack of exercise and poor diet, and is directly related to poverty … Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and kidney failure in the country; it often leads to amputation. It’s the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and costs us $132 billion a year. And it’s preventable, save for the enormous financial interests involved in its preservation. “Bad Blood” brought together three American scandals–poverty, our morally bankrupt for-profit health care system and the practices of our nation’s fast food joints.

Combined, they make up an illness-industrial complex, in which big players in the food industry, insurance industry and medical establishment profit wildly. But they need more raw materials to keep them going, more fodder for their assembly lines. Poor people of color are that fodder, and very few of the rest of America seems to care.

All, Food

First tomatoes of the 2012 season

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2012 tomatoesThis year my family’s going to be blessed with lots of tomatoes in several different shapes and sizes. All red though – next year I hope we plant some of those cooky purple, yellow and striped varieties. Ivan Wei, my son and future urban farmer, is our community garden plot’s keeper and with the good help he’s getting from little brothers Youssef and Ari, I know everything they produce is going to be delicious and nutritious! These are the first harvest of tomatoes from this year – aren’t they beautiful? And believe me, they taste just as good as they look. The small ones even taste “cute”.

All, At Green Drinks, Events

Green Drinks Hackensack July 2012 Announcement

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¡Espanõl parlantes siempre bienvenidos! Visite http://greendrinks3.org para mayor información.

UPCOMING GREEN DRINKS 3
Newark | 1st Mondays @ 7-9pm | (06 August)
Hackensack | 2nd Mondays @ 7-9pm | (09 July)
Paterson/Clifton | 3rd Tuesdays @ 7-9pm | (17 July)
(complete details at http://greendrinks3.org)

Green Drinks Hackensack | Mon 09 JULY @ 7-9pm
Victor’s Maywood Inn
122 W. Pleasant Avenue, Maywood, NJ
Find us in the lounge area or call 862-203-8814

DISCUSSION THEMES THIS MONTH
How are residents supported by the municipal and county government? What’s the role of trees, biking and walking in a healthy community? How can we eliminate raw sewage from ending up in our rivers and streams?

GREEN DRINKS GATHERINGS ARE
Not about drinks: they’re about the environment!
Admission: Always free
Food: Pay only for food and drinks you order
Parking: free on site and on street
Public transit: check http://njtransit.com
Want to carpool? Let us know mailto:kimi@thewei.com

GREEN DRINKS ARE COMPLETELY OPEN
New and old friends gather at Green Drinks for an hour or two to exchange information and share company. Some drop by briefly to impart a bit of interesting news. Join us and be part of building a friendly sustainable community one person at a time. Green professionals and local residents always especially welcome.

WHAT WE DO AT GREEN DRINKS
Green Drinks is a relaxed social event where serious issues are discussed, like protecting the ENVIRONMENT and practicing SUSTAINABILITY. We talk about alternative energy, the emerging green economy and jobs, healthy food and gardening, conserving culture, celebrating arts, environmental and social justice . . . Communities with safe walking and biking routes (aka Complete Streets), good quality air and water, healthy local economies . . . and happiness.

Cheers,
Kimi , Yulie, Sally, Angenett and Jorge Ivan

CONTACT US
Ivan 201-688-0036
Kimi 862-203-8814
kimi@thewei.com
@greenwei
http://greendrinks3.org

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ACTIONS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
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99% SPRING GROUP MEMBERS
You are welcome at any Green Drinks meeting. We are always ready to discuss plans for actions and volunteer opportunities.

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Help Protect National Forests

America’s national forests provide essential habitat for lynx, grizzlies and other wildlife — and clean water for millions of Americans. Yet new rules could threaten the sanctity of these special places, paving the way for more logging and more destructive development on our national forests. Help protect these special places. Sign the petition online at: http://dfnd.us/vYt93D

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Irvington Youth Save Our Schools
NEW DATE TBA @ 6-7:30pm
Irvington Public Library
5 Civic Square, Irvington, NJ

Join the next strategy session on how Irvington high school students can become leaders of transformation and positive change in both their communities and their own lives. Parents, residents, those able to contribute as mentors or collaborators – and especially, Irvington High School students are welcome to attend.

This initiative is being led by Kimi Wei, Sustainable Community Consultant, and Jordan Geffrard, Irvington High School graduate and is being sponsored by Green Drinks Newark http://greendrinks3.org. We look forward to hearing your ideas and learning how you are able to lend a hand

Read more at http://greenwei.com/blog/coalition-to-empower-irvington-high-students-meets-517/

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#140edu conference on impact of real time web on education
and the state of education today.
Curated by Jeff Pulver, the creator of Vonage

Tues 31 July 2012 @ 8am-5pm and
Wed 01 Aug 2012 @ 8am-5pm
92nd Street Y on Lexington Avenue
New York City, NY

STEM and other educators pay only $1.40 – apply for the special rate at http://edu2012.stateofnow.com/educator

With 5% OFF promo code XORUM1IF
Students and parents pay only $13.30
General public pays only $133.00

Using the promotion code gives you 5% off and sends a gift to Green Drinks 3. http://www.amiando.com/140edu12.html?discountCode=XORUM1IF

Learn more at http://140edu.com
See it on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/155798231222705/

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Coalition to Save Our Homes
MEETING EVERY MONDAY NIGHT @ 7pm
Irvington Public Library
5 Civic Square, Irvington, NJ

AND, MARCH ON SATURDAY JULY 21 2012 @ 11:30
Gather in Civic Square, Irvington

Join this group’s weekly meetings to learn about how banks are taking unfair advantage of people’s ignorance of the law and financial transactions to collect on mortgages that they may not own. Mortgage payments often don’t get credited to homeowners’ accounts and people are losing their homes despite paying. Help bring these issues into the light and advocate for proper legal enforcement of laws that protect Americans against this type of abuse.

March to protest what makes the abuse possible:
End Robo signing
Reduce principal to current value
Prosecute predatory lenders
Make banks follow rule of law

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The People’s Organization for Progress (POP) Daily Protest for Jobs, Peace, Equality, and Justice ends on July 11. Join POP and endorsing organizations for the rally and march to celebrate 381 days of continuous protest.

Daily Location: @ intersection of Springfield Avenue
& West Market Street (by the Lincoln Monument)
WEDNESDAY 11 JULY
4pm RALLY and 5pm MARCH to Newark City Hall

Daily rallies are held through 11 July. Feel free to join any day
4:30pm-6pm Monday-Friday and 2pm-3pm Sunday @ Lincoln Monument
12noon-2pm Saturday @ corner of Broad & Market Streets

For more information
(973) 801-0001 mailto:info@njpop.org  or http://www.njpop.org

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Tell the EPA to clean up Ford’s mess in Ringwood!

Journalist Jan Barry started the research on the tragic and intentional pollution of a housing development which was home to members of a tribe of Ramapough Indians in Ringwood, NJ, and collaborated with HBO to create Mann v. Ford, a moving documentary about the crushing impact this has had on the health of tribe members as well as the water source for the entire region.

The site was prematurely de-listed by the EPA from its Superfund cleanup status, and several years later became the first site to be listed for a second time. Ford has resisted taking responsibility for the poisonous effects on tribe members of the toxic paint sludge it trucked in under cover of nightfall every day for many years, and has also resisted funding the cost of cleanup.

Make sure the EPA knows you support the clean-up of the Ramapough Indian’s by (Action 1) signing the Change.org petition and (Action 2) sending a letter to the EPA. Petition and sample letter available at

Tell the EPA to clean up Ford’s mess in Ringwood

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OUR SPONSOR

Eco Galleria at the Historic Oradell Train Station
400 Maple Avenue, Oradell, NJ
201-447-GIFT (4438)
http://www.ecogalleria.com

Eco Galleria carries both fun and fine items handcrafted by artists from throughout the Americas in many shapes and price ranges. We carry eco-friendly jewelry, pottery, glass, wood, fiber, watches, bags and more – and are the perfect gift source for the men, women and children in your life. Call ahead to have your gift boxed, wrapped and ready for pick-up.
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Interested in sponsoring Green Drinks too? We communicate with about 6000 north Jersey residents each month. Contact Kimi for information and rates mailto:kimi@thewei.com 862-203-8814

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Justice, New solutions, Sustainable communities

President Obama defines sustainable economy

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In his public address to the nation about the momentous decision by SCOTUS to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA), President Obama urged America to get to the work of, “… creating an economy which ensures that when Americans work hard, they will get ahead.”

This sounds to me like the exact definition of a sustainable economy. Getting ahead: having a future and having a good life, is what sustainable living and economics are all about.

All, Nature, Plants, Pests, Rescue

Found a baby bird orphan?

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Whew, baby animals are so hard to take care of! Their little stomachs are delicate and small, so we need to be careful what we feed them and feed them often (as often as every 15 minutes if they’re weak). Baby birds are the most delicate of all wildlife we might find orphaned, because birds are so different from us we can’t even imagine what they should be eating or how to give them liquids without drowning them. We definitely need the advice of experts to make sure we’re helping – not harming – them.

Experts share advice through websites and you can reach out to avian rehabilitators in your area too. Some will agree to look at a photo of your foundling and then share personalized handling and feeding tips with you by phone. If your bird is lucky, it will be identified as something fairly exotic and a wildlife rescue individual or agency will offer to take it in and raise it to adulthood. Otherwise, you will need to care for that little guy yourself. Avian rehabilitators are all situated in rural areas, too, so be prepared to drive 1/2 hour to 3 hours to get your little friend to an expert caretaker, if handing her over seems to be the best or legally indicated course of action for you.

Most important tips are:

  • Keep the baby bird warm, but don’t overheat it
  • Keep body supported – as they’re too easily breakable
  • Feed every 30-60 minutes during daylight hours (15 min. intervals for very weak birds).

The Smithsonian National Zoo gives these instructions on caring for nestling baby songbirds

Babies with no feathers, a little fuzz, or pinfeathers need a soft, snug, cup-shaped nest of tissue in a small container—don’t use cotton, grass, or existing bird nests. The cup shape is necessary to support their bodies, sprawling may cause them injury. Plastic berry containers make an excellent framework for a tissue nest and are easily cleaned. Warm chilled nestlings in your hands, then put them in the tissue-nest container and put it on a heating pad (low setting) or hot water bottle or under a light. Never put them in direct sunlight—they may overheat. Put the nest (and pad) in a larger box for safety. Handle the birds only when necessary. They should always feel warm to the touch.

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Birds/Facts/FactSheets/emergencycare.cfm

The Animal Rehabilitators Alliance of New Jersey says:

If you find a baby bird/birds which have fallen out of the nest that are not injured and you can reach the nest, you can gently put them back into the nest and the mother will accept them. You can wear gloves to do this, but if you do touch them, it is fine. It is a wives tale that the mother will not come back.

If the nest is destroyed, but was in a reachable location, you can tie a basket (open weave) to a tree branch near the area where the original nest was located. Put the old nest in the basket for the babies to sit in. Watch the nest for about 20 minutes to be sure a parent has found the babies and will take care of them.

http://animalra.com/animal-emergency-rescue-information/birds

Jim Six writes in a nj.com article:

You could, without a permit, hand raise a starling or a house sparrow, neither of which is native … It’s messy and noisy and a 16-hour-a-day job. Parent birds feed their babies more or less constantly during daylight hours, for the few weeks it takes to do the job. Most humans have other things to do.

Here are starting points for finding an Avian rehabilitator in New Jersey. Always remember to ask anyone you have the chance to speak with if they know of someone closer to your geographical region. Do not attempt to drop off birds or other wildlife anywhere without making prior arrangements.

Let me know if this information was timely and helpful, and good luck!