John McBride (R) did not respond to survey requests.
| Climate Action Survey Questions | Irene Workman (D) |
| The science behind climate change goes back to 1862 when John Tyndall discovered that CO2 in the atmosphere radiates heat back to the earth and causes the earth to heat. In 1896 a Swedish scientist, Svante Arrhenius, was the first to claim that the burning of fossil fuel would lead to enhanced global warming. Do you accept the scientific consensus behind climate change? | Yes. Eighteen Scientific Associations are in agreement that climate change is a result of greenhouse gasses emitted by humans. 97 % of scientists have consensus on this issue. Multiple numbers of scientific journals and news outlets have reported in this issue. Our rain amounts have increased by 6-7 inches since 1950. One need only to pay attention and listen to the reports of super hurricanes, catastrophic flooding and massive fires and make these conclusions. |
| Since the industrial Revolution, the CO2 concentration has increased from 280 parts per million to 415 PPM today. Do you accept the scientific consensus this increase in CO2 is primarily due to burning fossil fuels? | Yes. Even in primarily uninhabited areas the CO2 evidence is remarkable. The Arctic circle is reporting over 400 parts per million and the core samples of the ice in the Antarctic reveals close to 400 parts per million. |
| Will you commit to expanding the County’s Climate Action Plan to include community-wide emissions and not just emissions from County operations? For emissions that are difficult to eliminate entirely, such as process emissions from waste water treatment plants, the County can implement other mitigation measures such as tree planting. | Yes. I have been campaigning on what we can do both short term and for longer term solutions for our county. The county wastes money on pet and vanity projects rather than focusing on immediate solutions to our environment. As the county was recently fined for 95 million gallons of raw sewage spilling into Onondaga Lake in 1917 from which the still have not made the recommended upgrades to the sewage treatment facility. Let’s swap out old light bulbs for LED bulbs in all county spaces and provide additional charging stations for electric cars. |
| Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan recently signed an executive order committing to 100% renewable energy by 2030. The Dewitt Town Board unanimously approved a resolution pledging to work towards a goal of achieving 10% regionally sourced, clean energy consumption for municipal operations by 2020 and 100% regionally sourced energy across all sectors by 2035. Do you support the concept of committing to 100% renewable energy for all municipal operations for Onondaga County? | Yes. I am so excited about the commitment these communities have made and look forward to consulting with both after I am elected in order to develop a comprehensive plan for Onondaga County. |
| Do you support installing electric vehicle charging stations at County-owned buildings and facilities, for use by County employees and by the general public ( for example Rosamond Gifford Zoo, NBT Bank Stadium, Regional Market, Western Shore Loop the Lake parking lot, Long Branch Park parking lot, Jamesville Beach parking lot, County libraries…). | Yes. I mentioned this above as one of the short term projects we couldimplement quickly. |
| Do you support passage of a local law to join the Energy Improvement Corporation (EIC), ( www.energizeny.org/commercial/eny-open-pace ) a statewide local development corporation that administers the “Open C-PACE” (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) finance program to make it easier for commercial buildings to make their property more efficient? | Yes. I believe that one of the major deterrents for businesses to move forward with green energy improvement is the initial monetary layout. This public/private sector partnership with banks can help finance these projects at 100% as I understand it. The competitive nature of the financing from the approved financial institutions can help insure that interest rates will remain low and not impose an excessive burden to the borrower. There are also NY State guidelines that must be adhered to regarding maintaining the quality of work. Automatic transfer of the loan eases the transition after a sale. Although I still have a few questions I would need to clear up, I would consider this a priority and would want to move quickly to pass such a law. |
| Next year the Climate and Community Investment Act in NYS will probably be introduced that will establish a carbon fee/tax of $35 per ton of carbon-dioxide equivalent and would raise $7 billion per year for clean energy investments. Do you support the concept of a fee on carbon dioxide? | Yes. A Carbon tax could encourage the consumer to reduce use of fossil fuels while also incentivizing the movement toward clean energy. When a carbon tax is combined with joining the Energy Improvement Corporation, the cons frequently associated with a carbon tax are minimized. |
| Do you support enacting a requirement that all new County buildings reach “net zero energy” status? | Yes. I was pleased to see that the new library in Jamesville has solar panels. However, I only see it defined as eco-friendly and am not certain that it is a Net Zero building. What it does reveal, though is that is is considerably more efficient and effective to achieve a Net Zero building starting at the planning phase. |
| Do you support earning certification for Onondaga County as a Climate Smart Community from the NYS DEC ( https://climatesmart.ny.gov/ )? | Yes. This is an issue that I have been focussing on since I started my campaign and speak to it as I go door to door. Becoming a Climate Smart Community should provide us with information and guidance to create a local climate plan as well as ways to making our existing buildings more energy efficient. There are counties and towns in our area that have created their plans and are making progress toward a more sustainable environment. Certainly we could also consult with how these communities have overcome obstacles. Becoming a Climate Smart Community also opens up the availability of grant money to pursue our goals. |
| Other actions you support to mitigate the effects of climate change in CNY. | Working in concert with the newly passed NYS Climate Bill will insure a more corroborative approach across the state. Also, as we proceed with projects toward becoming a climate smart community, we need to make sure that we are also staying true to other values we hold. I would like to see local unionized businesses used as much as possible and that we are also working toward our goal of economic justice by recruiting and training our unemployed and underemployed citizens and allowing them first access to available jobs. Another concern that needs attention that as we see our summers become hotter and our winters colder that we are looking out for our most financially vulnerable citizens by not only providing HEAP assistance but also assistance for the summers. |