Manlius gets Serious about Solar, and other CCAA news
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Still Looking to the Positive
By George Lorefice
Photo by Carl Hunley Jr on Unsplash
I have written before about Project Drawdown, which presents the positive side to climate change by considering already available solutions. It is however getting harder and harder to see the positive side, with scientific evidence continuing to paint a bleak picture, but I’ll try.
Recent local events, one in Dewitt last year and the other in Manlius this year, have pointed out what can be done by governments on a small scale. DeWitt constructed a solar array that provides clean power to its town offices while utilizing an otherwise unproductive landfill area. Meanwhile in Manlius there was a recent controversial vote allowing the town to move forward with the construction of a solar array, also on an old landfill adjacent to DeWitt’s. This project is in keeping with the Town Board’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. Similar to DeWitt’s, it will save money for the town through a leasing arrangement and payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT), while producing clean electric power for town offices. It will also allow town residents access to the clean power through NYSERDA’s Community Solar program at a 10% savings. The land, which is not on the tax rolls, will be put to productive use for the residents of the town.
Other positive trends to reducing climate change are reflected in the number of electric vehicles (EV) coming on the market and the lowering of prices relative to gas vehicles. Along with the EVs, the availability of charging stations is spreading, thanks to state and federal efforts. There have been advances in battery technology, making electricity storage from solar and wind a more affordable option and the cost of solar panels is falling.
“Hope springs eternal,” wrote Alexander Pope. But actions are also needed in reducing our carbon footprint.
Green Measures in the New York State Budget
By WAER General Manager Chris Bolt
How much help will come from the recently adopted New York budget for the state’s climate goals and reductions in fossil fuel use? Well, it’s too simple to call it a ‘mixed bag’ but a more telling description might be, ‘it depends on who you ask.’
A number of policies and initiatives that can move New York toward lower energy use and lower emissions are included and funded in the budget plan, approved by the state legislature in early April. The amount of funding however, might limit the effectiveness of proposals for climate justice, programs to move green energy or transportation forward. IN addition, voters will get a say come November, because in state lawmakers also approved a $4.3 Billion environmental bold act that will be on the ballot come election day. The Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act has more than $1 Billion for climate change mitigation projects, and money for clean transportation, clean water and conservation projects. Since it involves the state taking on debt, voters have to approve it.
Reactions vary from different environmental and conservation groups around the state to the budget measures that address climate crisis areas. The Adirondack Council finds a number of things to like that align with their priorities.
The Forever Adirondacks Campaign, with support from the Adirondack Council, won approval for critical environmental priorities for the Adirondack Park, including: programs that will help protect the Park from acid rain and climate change; allowing the park to cope with its surging popularity among hikers by completing a formal visitor management framework similar to those in use in national parks, that addresses impacts of recreational overuse, protects wilderness areas and ensures fair access to New Yorkers; and enables Brooklyn’s Medgar Evers College to join forces with the state’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry to create a new Climate Careers Job Institute in the Adirondacks. (Source: Adirondackcouncil.org)
The budget funds a survey of climate and Adirondack Lake ecosystems. Aaron Mair, Director of the Adirondack Council’s Forever Adirondacks Campaign, told me that study will help bolster the science behind climate crisis-related regulation.
“How does that matter to somebody say in Onondaga County, Syracuse, Rochester or Buffalo or metropolitan New York City? And what makes this survey very important? It is some of the most critical benchmark climate data that we have on the conditions of water quality as it relates to climate change. Because remember, the Adirondacks is the northeastern uppermost point in which wind coming from the Ohio River Valley, which is a heavy fossil fuel driven, (brings) a lot of the sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, as well as the fine particulates as they come in the atmosphere,” said Mair.
He adds such data can be used by New York’s Attorney General in holding coal-burning states accountable for health and environmental damage.
“Everything from atmosphere to soil and the greater impacts of fossil fuel burning. This study is probably one of the most important studies that New York state is engaged in relative to climate and climate change,” added Mair.
Another conservation group, Catskill Mountainkeeper, found the budget coming up short in support for the state’s centerpiece climate crisis policy, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
“The budget woefully underfunds New York’s landmark climate law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). NYRenews, a coalition of over 300 environmental advocacy organizations, including Mountainkeeper, identified the need for a minimum commitment of $15 billion to begin addressing climate justice and climate solutions. Of the $226 billion budget, less than $5 billion was allocated to move New York closer to its climate goals. We stand with our allies at NYRenews and call on Governor Hochul and the State Legislature to fund the CLCPA and lead New York to a sustainable economy which prioritizes environmental justice,” the group said in a statement.
Environmental Advocates of New York had plenty to praise about the state budget and its support for a variety of environmental initiatives. Specific to the climate crisis, EANY Deputy Director Kate Kutera singled out one area of renewable energy.
“A $500 million climate investment in offshore wind will speed up the development of the offshore wind industry and help meet the State’s climate mandates,” said Kutera in a release.
She also referenced wetlands protection, an important natural way to store carbon, as well as funding to help convert to electric school buses.
Currently the state is in the middle of a public comment period for the CLCPA’s scoping plan, during which people can make comments. Before it is finalized and adopted, it might be tough to determine how current funding supports New York’s climate goals.
Share Your Climate Concerns
By Jan Kublick
Photo by Maximilian Simson on Unsplash
School Board elections are coming in May 17th, and it’s important to find out what those running for election understand about climate and its implications for the schools they want to lead.
Climate presents both challenges and opportunities for schools. For example, there is grant money to convert the bus fleet to renewable energy. The grant covers the higher cost of acquisition, and the installation of charging stations. The school avoids the cost of fossil fuel, and electric engines lower maintenance costs significantly. School bus routes are short loops returning to the school, ideal for recharging. With a grant, the school will realize savings in operation and maintenance and shrink its carbon footprint.
In addition to buses, schools can focus on lowering heating costs, and seek transition to renewable energy whenever possible. Every capital project should be reviewed with climate issues in mind, including resiliency in the face of changing weather, such as the severe storms, higher winds, more rain, and more heat that are undeniably here already. There are opportunities as well to install solar panels to produce electricity on those flat school roofs, and to install LED lighting inside and out.
School Board members also have the opportunity to see how climate is taught. They can look into how the state curriculum on climate change is handled in the classrooms. They can look into whether students are being prepared for the challenges of a changed climate, and the vocational opportunities presented by a green economy.
School Board elections are the most intimate and transparent ballot experiences we have as voters. The petitions, the short time before elections, and the relatively small community sizes allow voters to find out easily which candidates share their climate concerns. I encourage you to find out, and then to share that information, and those concerns, with your friends and family, and also to encourage them to vote.
People seeking your vote should be ready to listen to your climate concerns, to answer your questions about their climate understanding, and how they think the school board should be addressing these issues.
Finally, I wanted to follow up on our trip to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans. Despite an extensive and very well done exhibit on the Amazon River and its rain forest, there was virtually nothing about climate even though there may be no more important region to our climate survival. The same lack of climate information was true of the exhibit on the Gulf of Mexico, sponsored by the major fossil fuel companies so influential in the region. We sent a letter to the aquarium to point out this omission.
The next posts will be from the road. Kim and I will be on a six-week trip around the country. It will give us a chance to look for climate impacts, climate concerns, and climate messaging along the way, including in the ten national parks we hope to visit. We will share our climate concerns wherever we can. We encourage you to do the same.
The Problem with Meat
By Ally Farnand
Photo: FreeImages.com/sh0dan
Meat has been flipped off the grills and into the spotlight for fiery debate in recent years, especially in high meat-consuming countries like the United States. According to a 2017 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture the average American munched up around 144 pounds of meat. That boils down to a daily 0.40 pounds of meat – almost equal to two quarter pounders from McDonald’s.
It’s no question that the world has an obsession with meat. Humans have done an excellent job of growing the meat industry in order to meet rising demand; 60% of the mammals on earth are livestock while only 6% of mammals are wild, with the remaining 34% being humans. Although meat provides an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, meat composes only 15% of global caloric intake while occupying 77% of the land utilized for agriculture. We continue to eat higher up on the trophic level despite environmental and ethical concerns pointing the other way.
Before one brushes off this issue with a statement about cow farts, the problem with meat paints a complicated picture beyond the release of methane. Land conversion, the necessary resources, transportation, and the animals themselves all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and ergo exacerbate climate change.
The buildup of greenhouse gasses is counteracted by the absorption of carbon dioxide from trees photosynthesizing. However, the forest-to-pasture transformation involves the deforestation of valuable trees and a burning of the remaining vegetation. In turn, this releases billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year and depletes the number of available trees, or carbon sinks. The quality of the soil also becomes depleted with exposure to the sun and a lack of nutrients, as the incredible root structures of trees that once prevented erosion and provided nutrient-rich soil are cleared. Moreover, biodiversity declines due to deforestation, as many species lose their habitats. Due to the demand for low-cost beef, crop fields and pastures have replaced forests, especially in the Amazon. Over the last couple of decades, around 18% of the Amazon has been destroyed – around 70% of that deforested land has been utilized for cattle ranching. The effects don’t stop at the edge of the Amazon; 41% of land in the U.S. is used for pastures or grazing land.
Along with land-use, the resources invested into maintaining livestock and their feed is extremely environmentally taxing. Harvesting beef, in particular, is far more resource-intensive than other meat sources. A study from Bard College, the Weizmann Institute of Science and Yale University found that cows require 28 times more land, six times more fertilizer, and eleven times more water than pork, chicken, and egg-laying hens. Beef also has poor nutrient use efficiency – or in other words, the ratio of biomass gained throughout an organism’s life to their nutrient requirement. This essentially points to how cows require an enormous amount of resources in order to be packaged and processed into the beef products we buy from store shelves.
The more commonly known issue with meat production is the release of harmful greenhouse gasses from the animals themselves. Cows receive most of the blame for their four-stomach system and the release of methane, as one of their stomachs allows them to store partially digested food and allow it to ferment. Methane, a gas almost thirty times as potent to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, is produced as a result of this fermentation and escapes from the cow by belching or farting. This potent greenhouse gas is also released as manure decays, which is significant, as beef cows can excrete around sixty pounds in a day. In total, the meat and dairy industries account for 14.5% of total global greenhouse gas emissions.
As consumers, we have the ability to vote with our dollars. Many responses to the issues with meat consumption are along the lines of eating less meat, eating no meat at all, buying locally, or switching from one meat to another. However, individual choices will ultimately not make a dent in the effect of meat production on climate change. A more effective solution to consider involves adding external costs into the market price of a product. This means paying extra for the various environmental impacts of meat consumption, such as the loss of resources or the increase in waste or pollution. By paying more for sustainable practices, we encourage companies to adopt more environmentally friendly policies. Consumers should also demand these policies if businesses are not enacting them. In terms of the meat industry, this could mean utilizing effective, organic fertilizers to preserve soil quality and reduce excessive runoff.
Ultimately, companies should honor sustainable practices and take responsibility for their products. At the same time, the public should increase awareness about the problems with meat and push for a shift in consumer choice. As infatuated as the world has become with meat, conjoined action between both companies and the public has the potential to make tangible differences. With this, we may see fewer meat products being bought at the supermarket, more environmentally sustainable practices in the meat industry, and perhaps a much-needed slackening of the world’s obsession with meat.
Manlius gets Serious about Solar, and other CCAA news
By Gavin Landless
On the 23rd of March, a large crowd assembled in the East Syracuse Minoa High School auditorium to attend a public hearing on whether to adopt a new solar code. After a long and at times contentious debate, with passionate speakers on both sides, the Town Board voted unanimously to support the new solar code which allows the Town Board—rather than the Planning Board—to approve site plans for solar projects on town-owned land. This clears the way forwards for the proposed Bowman Road array to be built on the town’s capped landfill, turning the site from a public expense to a net revenue generator. CCAA, led by its Vice President, Pete Wirth, was a key campaigner in support of this legislative change.
In his spare time, Pete found time to conduct a virtual tour of his home in the Village of Fayetteville, an event co-sponsored by HeatSmart CNY and Sustainable Manlius. With Mike Grabowski from Breathe Easy of CNY on hand for some of the more technical details, Pete outlined the various energy-saving upgrades to his property, including solar panels and an air source heat pump.
Finally, the newsletter team and CCAA leadership wish to thank Jacob Stewart for his outstanding contributions to the monthly newsletter over the last 15 months. It is largely down to Jacob’s handiwork that your favorite newsletter reaches your mailbox every month. Jacob will be graduating in mid-May with a B.S. in Environmental Science from LeMoyne College, and has already accepted a job offer with the Montpelier Police as soon as he graduates. He hopes that this will position to pursue his larger goal of Environmental Law Enforcement as a Fish and Game Warden. Massive congratulations, Jacob, and all the best in your burgeoning career!
At the same time, we are delighted and excited to have two new interns on the newsletter team: Dan Levine and Ally Farnand. Welcome aboard!
Urgent Climate Action: CLCPA Draft Scoping Plan
Syracuse’s public comment hearing for the Climate Action Council’s Draft Scoping Plan takes place on Tuesday, April 26, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Gateway Center, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210. This CAC public hearing is perhaps the most influential public hearing on mitigating and adapting to climate change we will ever have here in Syracuse. We need to show up in big numbers to show that we, the people of New York, want to implement the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) in a rapid and just manner.
Investor-owned utilities and fossil fuel industries are doing all they can to slow down the phase-out of fossil fuels. They have launched a well-funded propaganda campaign to shake policymakers’ confidence in the feasibility of the steps that need to be taken to bring down greenhouse gas emissions. We cannot allow the fossil fuel industry and utilities to supersede the voices of thousands of New Yorkers who are demanding urgent climate action.
Please sign up to speak at the Syracuse hearing on April 26th, and please recruit your friends and allies to join us.
AGREE will be hosting a special prep session geared toward the broader Central New York region on Wednesday, April 20th from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Please RSVP here to receive the Zoom link on the 20th. Please invite your friends, family, and climate and environmental justice allies to the training session and to register to provide a comment in Syracuse on the 26th. For the folks attending the Syracuse hearing on the 26th, we be tabling out front to welcome you, and we are planning to wear green for a green future!
All the best,
Andra
Communications & Outreach Director
Alliance for a Green Economy
315-677-7824 (texting is great!)
Another Way to Get Involved with the CLCPA Draft Scoping Plan
NY Renews’ latest public commenting tool is here! This week, NY Renews is asking you to submit a public comment on the Agriculture and Forestry Section of the Climate Action Council’s Draft Scoping Plan.
They have already driven over two thousand public comments on Buildings, Power Generation, Waste, and Transportation to NY State. Let’s hit 3,000 comments by submitting a letter on Agriculture and Forestry today!
What date will the upcoming School Board elections be on?
*See the “Follow Us” section at the bottom of this newsletter for details on how to enter.
Attend the next Monthly CCAA Meeting
When: Tuesday, May 10th, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Each month, CCAA invites you to join us, in-person or over Zoom. Come meet people who are committed to working towards fossil-free communities. The meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The room opens at 5:45 p.m. for socializing.
Party for the Planet (GreeningUSA email has details)
When: Saturday April 23rd, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Where: Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Syracuse
GreeningUSA’s Sustainability Academy and The Friends of Rosamond Gifford Zoo are joining forces to present Party for the Planet and celebrate Earth Day, 2022. CCAA will be there, rain or shine (or snow or hail).
Come and enjoy sustainability-related activities as you walk around and visit the animals.
Earth Week Cazenovia: Heat Pumps as a Climate Solution
When: Saturday April 23rd, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Where: Cazenovia Village Hall, 90 Albany St, Cazenovia, NY
Heating & cooling buildings contributes 1/3 of NY’s carbon emissions. In this workshop, HeatSmart CNY Campaign Director, Lindsay Speer, will discuss how we can decarbonize the building sector. Learn how heat pumps can make your home more energy efficient and comfortable, and what grants and rebates are available to make it possible. Featuring a panel discussion with expert installers and Cazenovia area homeowners
Where: Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St, Fayetteville, NY 13066
The Town of Manlius and surrounding villages welcome you to Earth Fest, an outdoor festival with live music, children’s activities and more. The focus this year is on electric vehicles, with approximately 27 EV displays with owners answering questions.
Near Net Zero with Geothermal (Open House in Madison Co.)
When: Saturday April 30th, 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Where: 3506 Hall Rd, Erieville, NY 13061
Located in Erieville between Cazenovia and Hamilton, Shelly Kempton’s 2,700 sq. ft. house is an excellent local example of a near net zero home. When she built the house in 2020, she wanted it to be an educational example of a sustainable, low-carbon producing home. Shelly opted for horizontal geothermal, a heat pump water heater, closed- and open-cell blown-in insulation, and solar. Come check out how cozy and earth-friendly her home is at this free, in-person open house on April 30th.
Masks are required. Registration is required. Allergy heads-up, a dog and two cats live in the house.
Pompey Earth Day
When: Saturday April 30th, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Where: Pompey Town Hall
Join us for a day of stewardship of our beautiful town! Sponsored by the Pompey Environmental Conservation Commission, Town of Pompey, and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.
Start with roadside cleanup—free disposal of what you collect. Then pick up your five free seedlings, (white spruce or red pine) and pollinator seed packets, while supplies last! Plus free paper shredding, scrap metal drop-off, info on green solutions and more!
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.
CCAA Internships and Other Volunteering Opportunities
If you are interested in volunteering with CCAA in any capacity, please contact us at newsletter@climatechange-action.com or call 315-308-0846. Don’t worry about your skill level. We are all learning. We need people who can:
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 email Zasu Scott at zasu@nyrenews.org so we can get more info about your interests and experiences (it’s not competitive). We would love to hear from you!
We encourage you to follow our social media accounts to support CCAA and stay up to date on other environmental news.
*Monthly Quiz Please email your answer to newsletter@climatechange-action.com within 14 days of this newsletter’s publication date to be entered into a random drawing for a small prize (typically under $5 value). For fairness, no more than one entry per reader, please. CCAA will respond to the randomly selected winners by reply email in order to send out prizes. CCAA may recognize winners by first name only in the next newsletter, so please let us know if you do not want a mention. Strictly no other personal information will ever be shared or used for any other reason. CCAA reserves the right to not select winners or distribute prizes in the event of any difficulties, or if the quiz stops being fun. CCAA’s only goals are to encourage readership, build the community and hear directly from like-minded individuals. No purchase necessary because this newsletter is free to you. Thank you!
Newsletter Committee Staff Writers: Jacob Stewart, Dan Levine, Allyson Farnand Publishing and Design: Yvonne Chu, Annalena Davis Editor: Gavin Landless
