I hope everyone had Happy Holidays, and may the New Year bring you Peace and Joy with a lot less carbon in your lives.
Happy news out of Albany! The governor signed the Climate Change Superfund Act and expanded the fracking ban to include prohibiting the use of CO2. As other organizations have noted, the climate change fight will have to be fought at the local and state levels and there may be enough reasonable people left at the federal level to blunt some of the more outrageous proposals being thrown out.
Image provided by Roseann Lorefice
CCAA had another successful presentation at our December meeting at the Fayetteville Free Library — Sustainable Strategies in Architecture with 21 in-person attendees and seven Zoom-ins. Hope to see you at our January 14 presentation Clean Transportation Opportunities.
CCAA has submitted the paperwork for incorporating in NYS and is preparing for the 501c3 status at the federal level.
We should all be questioning Micron on their decision not to install solar panels on the many acres of roof on their buildings, as they have at their Singapore plant (36,000 of them). See Peter Wirth’s article on Micron.
CCAA is still looking for more participation from our newsletter readers. You may be exhausted after the election but after taking a break to reorient yourselves, hop on board the CCAA train headed for a better environment for future generations.
Announcements
Photo provided by Peter Wirth
On December 3, 2024, CCAA Vice President Peter Wirth responded to a request from a local girl scout troop and made a presentation to them on climate change. The 10 scouts told their group leader, Paula Noll, that they were concerned about climate change and wanted to know more. And all for good reason as they wanted to know the impact of climate change on their world and animals. The session took place at Jamesville Community Church and the girls were attentive and asked a lot of good questions.
December 14, 2024. marked the first CCAA Christmas party hosted by Peter Wirth, Vice President of CCAA and his wife Jane Tretler at their home. Approximately 25 people attended. As one of the guests said, “It was so nice to be with like-minded people who are concerned about climate change and working to make a difference.”
Happy New Year!
Photo provided by Peter Wirth
Global temperatures rose and extreme weather ramped up, but there were also some significant breakthroughs for the climate this year. Here are seven quiet wins that may have gone under your radar in 2024. TAKE A LOOK.
Your CCAA is asking you to step up and help!!! Are you a techie? Can you write? Edit? Are you ready to take the challenge this new year and work to keep the environmental movement on track? We need you!!! Contact our president, George Lorefice at loreficegj@gmail.com to volunteer.
Jimmy Carter: A Tribute
Submitted by Roseann Lorefice, CCAA Newsletter Editor
Image provided by the National Park Service
Peanut farmer, naval officer, submariner, governor, president….one more title needs to be added to his name: environmentalist. From his earliest encounters with the natural world growing up in rural Georgia, he was slowly building the foundation for a lifelong love, as well as forming an environmental ethic that would one day have a lasting influence on the nation. He proved to be one of the most conservation-oriented presidents.
Among his accomplishments were the preservation of wildlife acreage in Georgia and designation of additional state parks and recreation areas. As president, although most remembered for his installation of solar panels on the roof of the White House, he ambitiously expanded federal lands in Alaska. And now in retrospect, it appears he was very forward thinking when in 1979, in an address entitled “Crisis in Confidence,” he called out Americans for being so materialistic, believing that a sense thrift would stop some of the environmental degradation and dependence on foreign energy. Even out of office, he persisted in his efforts. The Carter family land in the heart of Plains, GA, has recently become home to 3800 solar panels which can power the electricity needs of half the town.
In his own words, Jimmy Carter reminded us that “Future generations of conservation leaders must remember that we are stewards of a precious gift, which is not an unpleasant duty but rather an exciting challenge. “We must safeguard our land so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy freshwater, clean air, scenic mountains and coasts, fertile agricultural lands, and healthy, safe places to live and thrive.”
SUCCESS!! During the final week of 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul signed several long-awaited environmental bills into law, forcing polluters to pay for climate destruction, expanding the state’s fracking ban to prohibit a new technique that uses carbon dioxide, and limiting new construction of schools within 500 feet of major highways.
“The Climate Change Superfund Act” requires companies responsible for greenhouse gas emissions to pay into a state fund for infrastructure projects intended to repair or avoid future damage from climate change.
Lawmakers approved this bill earlier this year to force big oil and gas companies to contribute to the cost of repairs after extreme weather events and resiliency projects such as coastal wetland restoration and upgrades to roads, bridges and water drainage systems.
State Senator Liz Krueger, a sponsor of the bill, remarked “The ClimateChange Superfund Act” is now law, and New York has fired a shot heard ‘round the world. Companies most responsible for the climate crisis will be held accountable.”
Editor’s Note: CCAA was one of the environmental groups that actively lobbied for passage of this bill.
Closing the ‘loophole’ in New York’s fracking ban.New York State’s decade-old ban on fracking now includes a new technique that uses carbon dioxide (CO2) instead of water to extract gas from below-ground. A 2014 study determined that the risks substantially outweigh any potential economic benefits, according to the DEC Commissioner at the time. Richard Schrader, New York government affairs director at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), said expanding the ban to explicitly outlaw CO2 fracking is “common sense.”
Building new schools away from highways. New York has more students in schools that fit these criteria than any other state in the country, according to the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), which co-wrote the legislation. This includes more than 250 schools near highways just in New York City, the majority of which serve predominately students of color.
“Today, New York took an enormous step towards dismantling the unjust system of environmental racism,” NYCLU’s Donna Lieberman said in a statement earlier this week. “School should be a place where kids learn and thrive, not a danger zone where they breathe toxic air.”
Among the other end-of-year bills signed by the governor: the Students Impacted by Gross Highways, or SIGH Act, which prohibits the construction of schools within 500 feet of major roadways.
Micron: Where Do Things Stand
Editor’s Note: Syracuse.com reporter Glenn Coin has been covering Micron since the plan was announced two years ago. The following is an update from him. CCAA representatives have had a seat at the table and will continue to follow developments to advocate that environmentally friendly policies are implemented.
Micron Technology’s plan to build a $100 billion microchip fabrication complex at White Pine Commerce Park in Clay took a major step forward this week. The Biden administration signed a final deal guaranteeing the company up to $4.6 billion from the federal CHIPS Act to build two chipmaking plants there. This grant was essential to the Clay project as Micron has said it wouldn’t build without heavy government subsidies.
Image provided by www.micron.com
There has been some concern about the project locally after both House Speaker Mike Johnson and President-elect Donald Trump spoke critically of the CHIPS bill before the election, but Senator Charles Schumer has assured the Micron deal is now “locked in” and that the new administration will have to honor contracts that have already been signed.
Of concern, however, is that the new administration could put up other obstacles including trying to change the regulations for the big investment tax credit. While those leaders have criticized the CHIPS Act, the law won bipartisan support and is funding projects around the country, including many in red states.
In terms of next step for the Clay project, the target of a November 2025 groundbreaking is aggressive given all that needs to happen before then. Micron needs to acquire a long list of approvals from local, state and federal agencies before it can start building. The first major step is the environmental review by state and federal agencies. Then Micron needs permits to fill in hundreds of acres of wetlands, cut down trees that harbor endangered bats, build a rail spur to bring in construction materials, and release chemicals in the air and water, etc.
It’s an aggressive schedule and there’s a lot of pressure to make it happen.
Submitted by Peter Wirth, CCAA Vice President (pwirth2@verizon.net)
Micron – The $100 Billion “Golden Apple” that has us all bewitched. We can’t take our eyes off its golden glaze. State and county officials along with the editorial board of the Syracuse Post Standard gave an “all speed ahead” stamp of approval in response to an announcement that $6.1 billion of federal tax dollars had been secured to begin construction of two Micron facilities in Onondaga County.
Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! We all agree we want decent paying jobs for families in CNY to address the issue of poverty facing so many families in the city of Syracuse! We all agree we want chip making capacity in the U.S. for national security reasons!
But we don’t have to repeat the mistakes made a 100 years ago? A hundred years ago Onondaga Lake was surrounded by factories that offered good paying jobs for that era. At the same time tons of mercury were poured into Onondaga Lake. We had the distinction of having one of the most polluted water bodies in the country. Will Micron be like the industry of a hundred years ago except that it will pour thousands of tons of greenhouse gases – the cause of climate change – into the atmosphere? We understand the dangers of burning fossil fuels and have the technology to address the problem. We just need to employ them.
As I write this, the temperature in mid-December is heading toward 50 degrees. It’s a radical departure from past winters that anyone who lived Central New York in the 60’s and 70’s can testify to. This is the type of climate change that should happen in geologic time – thousands of years not decades. Our environment is in a state of disequilibrium, and every year gets more unbalanced.
2024 will be designated the hottest year on record. Climate change is here now and is radically changing the environment we live in. More extreme weather events, more forest fires, more droughts, more floods, and stronger hurricanes are the present and is our future.
Micron will use electricity equal to the state of Vermont and New Hampshire and will be a significant local factor in contributing to the acceleration of climate change unless it uses renewable, non-fossil fuel energy.
To date we have “promises but no plans” for renewable energy. The one thing Micron has been clear about is that unlike its chip manufacturing plants in Asia that are covered with solar panels on the roof, the Micron facility in Onondaga county WILL NOT have roof top solar.
Where will all the renewable energy – two states worth – come from? What is the mix? Will it be solar, wind, hydro….? Will there be enough transmission capacity to get the electricity to the chip plants? Will they need back up battery storage? The good news is the technology exists, but it is complicated with many moving parts.
Will the plant use electric heat pump technology for heating and cooling the facility or continue to use 100-year-old fossil fuel technology. Will the cafeteria for its thousands of employees be cutting edge electric? Will its parking lot have electric chargers for the employee parking lot? So many unanswered important questions.
We need our state and county officials to make renewable energy part of the conversation along with local media so that renewable energy becomes part of the planning process. Micron needs to start sharing its plans for where all the renewable energy will come from and its plans for non-fossil fuel energy use in the building.
If you ask, every state, county and Micron official will tell you they care about the next generation. The question is do they care enough to make sure Micron allocates the funds and has the commitment to use the technologies to ensure that Micron is part of the solution and not part of the problem?
Editor’s Note: Peter has submitted this letter to the Post Standard. We encourage all CCAA members to make their voices heard and write to the newspaper.
COP29
Submitted by Roseann Lorefice, CCAA Newsletter Editor
Expectations were high for COP 29 which took place November 11 – 22, 2024 in Azerbaijan. Developing nations were intent in their efforts to convince the world’s leading nations to help finance their efforts to control the emission of greenhouse gases. And there was intense diplomacy in play as that and other issues were brought to the fore.
In a year of geopolitical fragmentation and in an atmosphere where the specter of a new American administration led to too many unknowns, here were the key results:
Developed countries took the lead on mobilizing at least $300 billion a year for developing countries by 2035. Note that this was far less than was requested.
Delegates approved a controversial set of rules on carbon markets with the goal of settling on a system for climate financing that had been a part of the Paris agreement. This allowed nations or businesses to buy carbon credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions.
Participants continued negotiation on the Fund for Loss and Damage which involved distributing money in 2025 to small island states impacted by carbon challenges.
The official declaration at the end of the conference noted that the meeting had “…changed the global financial architecture and taken a significant step towards delivering the means to deliver a pathway to 1.5C. The year ahead will not be easy. Science shows that the challenges will only grow. Our ability to work together will be tested.”
Board Highlights
Elected new Secretary. Congratulations to Reena Tretler
Ongoing discussion of possible new Treasurer
Review of scheduled monthly member meetings and search for more presenters
Discussion of co-presenting with other environmental groups
Brainstorming of ways to have more member engagement
Continued progress on incorporation
Committee reports
Report on NY Renews
Interest shown in obtaining grants for our organization
Clarification of officer duties with focus on responsibility for use of social media
ORGANIZATION: Citizens’ Action of NY and Climate Lobby CNY
EVENT: Cap and Invest 101: Funding Climate Solutions
A teach-in for climate activists on the important, relevant and complicated system.
WHEN: January 7, 2025
TIME: 6 p.m.
LOCATION: Central Library’s Community Room, 447 S. Salina St., Syracuse
Representatives from local environmental groups met on December 2, 2024, to discuss effective ways to work together to further action on climate change legislation. Here is a LINK to a summary of that meeting. Ethan Gormley, local organizer for Citizens Action NY, mentored the event.
What is the albedo effect related to climate change? The world has been warming faster than expected and scientists now think they know why. A new study published in the journal Science says it has identified the missing part of the puzzle: clouds. To be more specific, the rapid surge in warming was supercharged by a dearth of low-lying clouds over the oceans, according to the research — findings which may have alarming implications for future warming.
In simple terms, fewer bright, low clouds mean the planet “has darkened,” allowing it to absorb more sunlight, said Helge Goessling, a report author and climate physicist at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany This phenomenon is called “albedo” and refers to the ability of surfaces to reflect the sun’s energy back into space. You can learn more about this phenomenon if you click THIS LINK.
How the climate movement is changing tactics after Trump’s win. Activists are changing tactics and pushing a message of hope. The message is to work on the local and state levels. Good advice on how to do this is HERE..
Climate change and insurance: a growing fustercluck! In THIS PODCAST, a look at the insurance industry and their acknowledgement of climate change. Unlike many other industries and institutions, the insurance industry cannot simply pretend that climate change doesn’t exist. Its entire business model is to price risk. If it gets risk wrong, it loses money.And now, as predicted, the industry is sending up warning flares one after another.
We’re Doing Net-Zero All Wrong, Scientists Say!Ever since the historic Paris Climate Accords in 2015, the phrase “net zero” has been on the lips of every corporation, industry lobbyist, and politician, all promising they are working hard to do their part to avoid turning the planet we live on into a burnt cinder. But what does the phrase even mean? CHECK THIS OUT!!
The Adirondack Parkfaces numerous challenges – to water, plant and animal life, and to the lifestyle for those who live and work there. Climate change and the heavy storms that it creates further threaten many aspects of the park, making areas uninhabitable for certain species or damaging infrastructure people rely upon.
HERE is an episode of Deeper Shade of Green, in which Adirondack CouncilExecutive Director Rocky Aguirre details some of the threats, while also discussing initiatives to help protect the Adirondacks, getting people more interested in preservation, and suggesting how diversity and smart development can help.
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!
January 5, 2025
CCAA Board Meeting
Lorefice Home
7:00-8:00 p.m.
January 14, 2025
Clean Transportation Opportunities
Fayetteville Library
6:00-7:30 p.m.
February 2, 2025
CCAA Board Meeting
Virtual
7:00-8:00 p.m.
February 11, 2025
Biofuel: The Willow Project
Fayetteville Library
6:00-7:30 p.m.
March 2, 2025
CCAA Board Meeting
Virtual
7:00-8:00 p.m.
March 11, 2025
All About Heat Pumps
Zoom Meeting
6:00-8:30 p.m.
April 6, 2025
CCAA Board Meeting
Virtual
7:00-8:30 p.m.
APRIL IS EARTH MONTH!
ATTEND AN EVENT!
May 4, 2025
CCAA Board Meeting
Virtual
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Member Meetings
DECEMBER: The Fayetteville Library was the setting on December 10 when Professor Brian Kelly from SUNY Morrisville presented an in depth talk on the carbon footprint left by building design, construction and construction materials. In addition, he highlighted landscaping techniques that can help mitigate loss of heat in homes and tips for designing more sustainable homes. You can access his presentation BY CLICKING THIS BUTTON.
And use this passcode: @?wkuWQ6
JANUARY: Transportation? How can we address ways to influence the effects of climate change? Come consider the options as Barry Carr, Coalition Director of Clean Communities of CNY tackles this issue head-on with his presentation “Clean Transportation Opportunities.”
Barry has been working with major utilities and fleets to develop alternative fuel infrastructure. Once again, we meet at the Fayetteville Library. Mark your calendars for January 14th at 6:00 p.m.
FEBRUARY:Do you know that shrub willow is a potential fuel? Willow systems can be multifunctional and produce sustainable energy along with other value-added benefits to ecosystems and communities.
On February 11 at 6:00 p.m. at the Community Room of Fayetteville Library, come hear Dr. Timothy Volk from SUNY ESF who will discuss his research working with university, private and public partners to develop shrub willow for renewable energy and environmental applications.
MARCH: Want to know All About Heat Pumps? Register for our virtual meeting (info will be sent) on March 11, 2025, when Dr. Ian Shapiro of Syracuse University will address the topic. Dr. Shapiro has designed heat pumps for production for the Carrier Corporation, consulted for several heat pump manufacturers, and authored original heat pump theory. He holds several patents and has done research on multiple types of heat pumps among other endeavors. Registration instructions will be sent to members.
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!
