Submitted by George Lorefice (loreficegj@gmail.com)
Image provided by Roseann Lorefice
Are you suffering from climate anxiety? It’s not surprising since it’s getting harder to see any hope with the current climate news and political maneuvering. But let’s try!
If you participated in some way in the Earth Day celebrations, that should be a salve for your anxiety. CCAA participated in six tabling events over the course of the celebrations, engaging many people and promoting an awareness of the changing climate and its causes.
If you want a dose of inspiration, try viewing www.drawdown.org and www.regeneration.org for some views on what can be done to reduce humanity’s carbon footprint.
How about the Biden administration’s Infrastructure Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act taking a big crack at addressing the issue. Start looking around at all the EV charging stations that are popping up around your area. I encountered another ray of hope at the Seattle airport where the only plastics I saw were the lids on paper cups.
Doing something to address climate change eases that anxiety. A fun adventure to pursue is the newly revised “CCAA Carbon Challenge” to get you going. It’s a beginning to assess your carbon footprint, and then the process helps you take steps to reduce it. With that information you can pass on the challenge to family and friends. Another biggie is casting your vote for candidates that support your views on the climate. It is another very active way to address the issue and one that will be of particular significance this year. Go ahead! Take the challenge!
So don’t sit there and fret, get on the web for Drawdown.org, take the “Carbon Challenge”, come to one of our meetings and most of all vote in the primaries and the election.
“Man’s attitude toward nature is today critically important simply because we have now acquired a fateful power to alter and destroy nature. But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself. [We are] challenged as mankind has never been challenged before to prove our maturity and our mastery not of nature, but of ourselves”, — Rachel Carson as quoted from a 1964 CBS documentary of Silent Spring
Announcements
Election Day, May 21. Vote!! Residents across New York State (except in cities like Syracuse) will go to the polls to approve school budgets, choose school board members, and decide propositions that may include opportunities for climate action. CCAA urges you to do your homework.
Review the budget and items related to sustainability and climate action.
Check the qualifications and policies of those running for school board to see how they align with sustainability and climate action.
Review the proposition related to school bus purchases. The State Board of Education has mandated transition to new purchase non-fossil fuel buses by 2027. Don’t just vote for diesel buses. Insist that the district present evidence that this is necessary.
Review any proposition related to infrastructure policy such as HVAC, solar, sidewalks, etc. Will these positively affect the school related to sustainability and climate action or are they merely window dressing?
Tough questions to answer. VOTE!!
Are you suffering from Acute Climate Anxiety or ACA? ACA is a common ailment of civic minded citizens that exhibits itself with sleepless nights and hand wringing. CCAA has developed a remedy that can be applied to your ACA. The remedy is not in pill form or injection but in an easy-to-use online exercise called The Carbon Challenge.
The Carbon Challenge has been shown to be effective in relieving your ACA through nonclinical trials. Ask your local CCAA representative for more information on ACA and what The Carbon Challenge can do for you.
Do not take The Carbon Challenge if you are allergic to it or are a climate denier. Serious reactions can occur if your carbon footprint is excessive, you own a Hum-vee or you have limited capacity for change. CCAA can offer help for those unable to navigate The Carbon Challenge. No prescription is necessary.
CCAA was there…for local Earth Day celebrations….at SUNY Morrisville, Clark Reservation, Party for the Planet at the Zoo, Earth Day in Pompey, and the American Legion in Cazenovia and most recently at the Town of Manlius Earth Fest on May 4. We successfully tabled at those events, keeping to our mission of providing valuable environmental updates to the public.
HELP! EnergySmartCNY needs your help. We are conducting a survey to better understand the energy challenges and needs facing Central New Yorkers, as well as peoples’ understanding of the variety of programs that exist to help people of all income levels.
Results from the survey will shape our outreach, education, and assistance to folks throughout CNY. This survey is anonymous but has options for survey respondents to receive follow-up assistance from our team of energy advisors as well as enter to win one of six $50 VISA gift cards. Published results will also be anonymous. TAKE THE SURVEY!
CCAA is looking for a Treasurer! FYI, the treasurer is a member of the CCAA board which meets via Zoom on the first Sunday of the month. A valued member of our team, this person keeps track of our finances, records income and expenditures and maintains our relationship with a local bank. If interested, please contact our president George Lorefice at loreficegj@gmail.com
SUNY Morrisville Hosts Yvonne Chu for Earth Day
Submitted by Roseann Lorefice, CCAA Newsletter Editor
(loreficer@gmail.com)
Image provided by George Lorefice
CCAA is proud to acknowledge that our former president and current office manager of Onondaga Earth Corps, Yvonne Chu, was the featured speaker at SUNY Morrisville’s Earth Day celebration on April 19.
Addressing a predominantly student audience, she began by citing her initial experiencing of the climate crisis growing up in Orange County, California. There, wildfires were the norm and coping with air quality was required. That firmly established her survival mode approach to dealing with climate. She quickly identified the stress we all associate with addressing climate change as physical, emotional, and social and noted that all need to be dealt with.
However, after citing the gloom and doom usually identified with efforts to mitigate the crisis, she quickly accented the positive efforts currently undertaken. These include strong efforts by New York State to reduce greenhouse gases with significant legislation; community organizations supported by the state with expertise to educate and assist the public in energy, economic development, etc; and innovative technology being developed in places such as Morrisville.
However, after citing the gloom and doom usually identified with efforts to mitigate the crisis, she quickly accented the positive efforts currently undertaken. These include strong efforts by New York State to reduce greenhouse gases with significant legislation; community organizations supported by the state with expertise to educate and assist the public in energy, economic development, etc; and innovative technology being developed in places such as Morrisville.
But she cautioned that all opportunities are wasted unless policy changes are put into practice, and she advised and encouraged the audience to celebrate success to further make advances more real.
Her final topic was an assignment to all there to dialogue with others on what positive steps they were taking and intended to do to help resolve the climate crisis. Progress only happens when all take responsibility to contribute to the efforts.
Great job, Yvonne!
Earth Emergency Concludes Film Series
Submitted by George Lorefice, CCAA President
(loreficegj@gmail.com)
Image provided by George Lorefice
Earth Emergency, the third “film” in our series was shown on April 14 at Holly Greenberg’s historic home in Fayetteville. This concluded the meeting/film series with 22 people attending.
The film was well done but as you would expect not particularly uplifting. It did, however, provide insight into the ongoing climate crisis, with plenty of information to motivate people into spreading the word and getting more citizens involved.
The discussion session that followed was lively and informative. When asked about the film’s impact some of the initial reactions from the viewers were: “Urgency”, “Depression”, “Anger”, “Duped by money influences”, “Frustration”, “Confusion on solutions”.
In the ensuring talk about solutions, some of the topics were on wetland and forest protection; micron’s impact on the environment; NY Heat Act; activism on climate change; pushing the NYS Legislature on climate change issues; making changes starting with ourselves, moving on to village, towns and state initiatives; Rotary sponsored “Micro-Forest”, and more. The attendees were obviously citizens concerned about climate change and its impact on humanity.
Many thanks to Peter Wirth for organizing the events and Holly Greenberg and her family for hosting. We plan on future meetings/presentations in the coming months. Check the schedule for member meetings
Legislative Update
Submitted by Jan Kublick, CCAA Legislative Committee Chairperson (jan.kublick@gmail.com)
Image from googleimages.com
Hydraulic fracking was put on indefinite hold in New York quite a while ago. The fossil fuel industry is back with newer supposedly better CO2 fracking. Solid majorities in both chambers of the legislature have passed legislature to ban it and it is on Governor Hochul’s desk. We should join other environmental groups urging the Governor to sign it.
The boundary between legislation, politics and climate is particularly thin. Our current senator, John Mannion, who will likely face a primary challenge from Sarah Klee Hood to replace Brandon Williams in CD 22, has not signed on to the Packaging Reduction Act a bill stalled in both Senate and Assembly Committees. We should urge him to add his name to the many already on it. The bills have enough sponsors to approve it, if only it can clear both committees.
Senator Mannion needs to know that we support the bill. As the primary approaches, he needs to signal his commitment to combatting climate change, and CCAA should also urge the Speaker and the Majority Leader to bring those bills to their floors. HERE is a link to the Memorandum of Support for the Packaging Reduction Act:
Continuing, I think that many of you share my belief that climate is on the ballot in November. This is the election that strongly makes clear which candidate represents addressing climate change and which will accelerate it. CCAA should focus on bringing those choices to the electorate. I previously mentioned that Environmental Voter Project has targeted the NY-22 and six other New York CDs and is doing an information program on May 7th. HERE is a link to it. I hope to have EVP do a virtual presentation to CCAA later this summer.
There is one other bill of note. The Bigger Better Bottle Bill (See link to more information here). Again, Senator Mannion has NOT added his name to this bill.
Finally, consider following Bill McKibben through his wonderful weekly Blog, The Crucial Years (https://billmckibben.substack.com) and through his 350.org spin off, Third Act. This week The Crucial Years is focused on New York’s consideration of a ‘polluter pays’ law, applying a concept found in superfund legislation. It would provide a solid legal foundation for seeking compensation from fossil fuel companies for climate damages. It would force those who caused the problem, worked to deny and hide it, and continue to refuse to help, fix their mess
Meet Ethan Gormley
Ethan Gormley (egormley@citizenactionny.org)
Image provided by Ethan Gormley
My name is Ethan Gormley, and I’ve recently joined Citizen Action of New York as a regional climate organizer. Based in Liverpool, I am working to connect with as many local climate groups and activists in Central New York as possible.
As you know, there’s so much at stake and so much work to do. Together, we can have the greatest impact when it comes to climate policy in New York State and beyond. Now, possibly more than ever before, we need to take serious climate action.
Citizen Action works closely with New York Renews and other statewide climate coalitions to organize mass mobilizations in Albany, local meetings with state legislators, educational events, and other means of grassroots activism across New York State. We can really amplify this work in Central New York with your help, and I intend to do everything I can to support the existing local climate and environmental actions and initiatives however I can.
If you would like to learn more about Citizen Action, New York Renews, or would just like to talk more about upcoming events or actions, let me know! I’m always available at egormley@citizenactionny.org.
I look forward to working with CCAA to amplify the voices across CNY in this important fight for a cleaner, healthier future for all.
Harmful Algal Blooms Invade Onondaga County
Image from googleimages.com
According to a report issued by the Department of Environmental Conservation, in 2023 there were 43 reported cases of harmful algal blooms (algae that release toxins called cyanotoxins) in Onondaga County. Of the 116 reported cases in Skaneateles Lake over the past four years, 19 occurred in 2023. Skaneateles Lake is the primary source of drinking water for the city of Syracuse.
Drinking or swimming in waters containing cyanotoxins can cause a range of health problems, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During the years of 2016-2018, 389 Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)-associated illnesses were documented, ranging from cardiopulmonary to gastrointestinal symptoms.
With increasing rainfall and temperatures caused by climate change, the potential for the growth of HABs increases, impacting bodies of water across the country. As a result, entities like the CDC and the Department of Environmental Conservation have increased reporting and prevention measures.
An outbreak in 2017 was the first reported case of HABs in Skaneateles Lake, introducing a new concern into the community. “…this made a lot of people aware that we really need to focus on this issue,” said Syracuse Department of Water’s Watershed Quality Manager Richard Abbott. The Department is working on new technologies to mitigate HAB outbreaks through what Abbott called “a system of trial and error.” “Advancing technology is the key to suppressing [the blooms],” Abbott said.
The Skaneateles Lake Association (SLA) has also contributed to the prevention efforts. Neil Murphy, a member of the committee and President Emeritus of SUNY ESF, has been investigating using two naturally occurring elements to stop the phosphorus and nitrogen production that can cause HABs. Murphy’s idea is to put zeolite, a clay that can be used to remove phosphorus, and biochar, a carbon source that is a good absorber of nitrogen, into burlap bags that will be placed in stream reservoirs of Skaneateles Lake. However, the project’s timeline is dependent on the allocation of funds from the state and county.
“It’s very difficult when you have a lake like Skaneateles Lake that is so pristine and 95% of the time that you’re out on the lake you can see down, see the bottom very clearly. It’s very tough to educate people that this is a problem,” Murphy said.
Heat Pumps: Department of Energy Study
Submitted by Peter Wirth, CCAA Vice President
(pwirth2@verizon.net)
CCAA took the lead in a Department of Energy study headed by Ian Shapiro, engineering professor at Syracuse University and founder of Tatem Engineering in Ithaca, NY. The focus of the study was to increase the efficiency of electric heat pumps.
In my Fayetteville home I had an electric heat pump added to my natural gas furnace and now have a hybrid heating system. When I heard about the study, I contacted Professor Shapiro and volunteered to be one of the 30 participants. I was the first home they visited. Four graduate students and Professor Shapiro spent three hours asking me questions and taking measurements of my system. At the end, I asked Dr. Shapiro if he had any suggestions on how to improve the efficiency of my system. Air sealing of the plenum and insulating the tubing coming from my heat pump was his response. With a role of tape and some eight ft. insulated tubing, the job could be easily tackled by any homeowner.
To learn more about the project go to THIS SITE, or contact me.
Earth Day was Monday. How did it make you feel? From a climate perspective, there is a lot of concerning news, and, while it doesn’t receive the same coverage as the bad news, there is some good news too. For a nice summary of the latter, look at Bill McKibben’s Earth Day post in his blog The Crucial Years. It is essential to keep the good news in our minds. Climate action is about lower cost energy, more and better jobs, and far less pollution. It’s about lessening the influence of petrostates and the fossil industry. These are positive reasons to support action on climate. There are many more.
The election this fall will determine whether our country, the largest economy in the world, continues working to slow climate change, or deliberately seeks to accelerate it as one party is unapologetically promising to do. If you care about global climate change, that fact cannot be ignored, and it is true up and down the ballot.
Governor Hochul and the leaders of the Legislature have agreed on a budget package, and it does not include some legislation CCAA supports. The New York HEAT Act, which directs the PSC to better align the state’s utilities with the goals of the CLCPA; the Climate Change Superfund Act, which requires the major oil companies to bear the costs of climate damage; and the Just Energy Transition Act among others. There is still time to support the passage of these measures.
In the last newsletter, I mentioned that on May 7th at 8 p.m., the Environmental Voter Project (EVP)will host an open, virtual presentation concerning its efforts here in New York to find low propensity voters and encourage them to vote this year. Whether you can attend the meeting or not I encourage you to visit THE EVP SITE and learn more about this organization.
Finally, I wanted to share a phrase that accompanies emails from a friend. “If you are concerned about Climate, do these three things: Change, Vote, and Advocate.
CUT COSTS, NOISE and EMISSIONS when you go All-Electric. Whether moving the lawn, taking care of leaves, or clearing a path in the snow, yard work is year-round. The outdoor power equipment – lawn mowers, leaf blowers, snow blowers and the like that used to do the job are becoming increasing electric. To learn more, CHECK HERE.
EV INFO: Many people are concerned that adding EVS to the power grid will drive up electric rates. But the opposite is proving to be true. Utilities need to have enough power generators to meet peak electricity demand during the day but much of that equipment sits idle at night. Most EVs are recharged at night when there is excess generating capacity. While the utilities end up selling more electricity, the overall operating costs are reduced. National Grid and other utilities even offer Volunteer Time of Use (VTOU) to EV owners, cheaper electric rates for charging up between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. If you heat your home with a heat pump, you get to run it at the cheaper electric rates on those cold nights when it works the hardest. Having an EV and signing up for VTOU results in a lower cost to hear your home. LEARN ABOUT IT HERE.
Save the species or save the planet? Environmentalists are among those blocking the clean-energy transition. It’s all in THIS ARTICLE.
Mass bleaching hits coral reefs in warming oceans . Climate change is called “the biggest threat to coral reefs worldwide.” Check this information out HERE.
Utilities Public Education Series: As part of 350.org‘s new National U.S. Utilities Campaign, we’re launching an education series where we’ll dig deep into how utilities are blocking the renewable transition across the country while raising rates on working families. This series is open to the public . The series will take place on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. ET. Check out the schedule and RSVP here!
Albania, Bhutan, Nepal, Paraguay, Iceland, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo generate over 99.7% of their electricity from geothermal, hydro, solar, or wind power. The U.S. generates just over 20% of their electricity from renewable sources. You can follow this story HERE.
CCAA members are encouraged to attend the monthly member meetings, either in person or via Zoom. Below is a schedule of upcoming presentations. Be sure to mark your calendars and plan to attend!
14 May 2024
COP28: Gateway to the Future
Fayetteville Library
6:00-7:30
11 June 2024
The Carbon Challenge
Manlius Library
6:00-7:30
TBA
Sustainability in Architecture
Manlius Library
6:00-7:30
Feel like saving the world?Why not donate a few dollars to CCAA? Maybe it won’t be quite enough to save the whole planet, but it will help keep us going, and that’s the next best thing! We appreciate your support.
Within NY Renews, the Youth Committee is a space mostly for high school and college age individuals. We’re moving towards bi-weekly trainings followed by community organizing to support our campaigns. Joining the youth committee is a great opportunity to level up your organizing, learn about campaigning, and get involved in the climate justice movement.
We meet every other week with additional time on projects for those interested. If you are interested, please fill out the sign-up form so we can get more info about your interests and experiences (it’s not competitive). We would love to hear from you!
