The Adirondack Council Speaks Out On the Climate Crisis
By Dr. Chris A. Bolt
A group concerned with protecting the Adirondacks is also speaking out on how the climate crisis is affecting the park. The six-million-acre Adirondack Park is seeing its share of impacts from climate change, according to the Adirondack Council, as presented in their “State of the Park Report.” Conservation Director Jackie Bowen explains how the changes affect the economy and the wildlife.
“We’re seeing less ice cover, it’s coming in later and coming out earlier, which impacts the ice fishing industry, impacts folks that are trying to cross via snowmobile. … We’re starting to see changes in temperatures to our streams, thinking about native Brook Trout species, where waters have to be between 44 and 64 degrees for them to survive. And we’re also seeing growing seasons starting to lengthen for farmers, … but those warmer temperatures also mean that there are migrating pests and pathogens that are moving up from the south and impacting the health of crops and things like that.”
Stream temperatures that are now rising to 80-degrees drive out or even kill some types of trout. Effects are also being seen in the growth rate of trees and in air quality because of various emissions.
Adirondack Council officials praise actions at the state level to reduce emissions that cause climate change, noting the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The Climate Action Council is about to release its Climate Scoping Plan, which will spell out how the CLCPA will be implemented. But Council officials are calling for bolder steps, especially in a part of the New York Climate Action Council’s plans, and a program to preserve forested lands.
“So essentially pay landowners to keep their trees in the ground to protect the the carbon storage that is happening and the carbon sequestration that is happening there.”
Bowen described in a letter to state officials some ways the Adirondack’s ability to help sequester carbon could be enhanced.
Bowen noted that New York’s current property tax laws encourage active forest harvesting on private Adirondack forests (through tax incentives). Those abatement programs can unintentionally subsidize over-harvesting and should instead incentivize forest growth.
Her letter noted that “forest biomass gains in the Adirondacks are not currently in line with their potential to sequester carbon. Any discussions around forest tax law updates must acknowledge the unique role our Adirondack region plays in New York’s efforts to sequester carbon, and … unique provisions (should) be provided for the Adirondack region.”
Bowen also called for changes in the way the Adirondack Park Agency handles large, remote subdivision permit requests. Rather than allowing developers to spread homes evenly across a formerly wild landscape, new development should be clustered into appropriate locations, while the majority of the forest and wildlife habitat is conserved. Conversely, suburban-style sprawl increases automobile use, degrades forests and worsens climate impacts.
Adirondack Council Executive Director William Janeway emphasizes care for the forest should be the key concept.
“… because the best carbon is better forest management and continuing to grow trees and no place has better exemplified how to grow trees in the long term than the Adirondack Park, the millions of acres of forever wild forest (and) the forest preserve. So, doubling down on that is one of the big places where the Adirondack Park has … one of the foundation blocks for a successful state climate plan.”
Bowen and Janeway also urge New Yorkers to vote for the Environmental Bond Act this November that includes other climate change-fighting measures.
Janeway says bond act approval could add to measures in Congress and participation in the Paris Climate Accord.
“If that’s approved, that provides billions of dollars for green jobs, clean water for fighting climate change. And with (recent) action by Congress, we have more incentives, the more modern, more economic friendly incentives approach. … We need to go further, but I am, uh, I have not lowered my stress and concern, but there is an optimism that is climbing up to be close to it.”
More information about state efforts is at Climate.NY.Gov
Member Spotlight on: Rev. “Bud” Adams
In the 1950s, I was a child in s small Pennsylvania town. My mom, as with the other women in the neighborhood, did laundry with a wringer washer and hung it to dry on clotheslines. From time-to-time, one (or more) of the local factories would push a lot of soot through their smokestacks – and the soot particles would fall where they may, including on the still-wet laundry. Believe me, nobody was happy about that!
But it made me wonder about all that soot – like was it falling into the water we drank, were we breathing it, was it falling on the tomatoes in our garden? I never asked those questions and so I had no answers.
When I was in fifth grade, my teacher was talking about iron being produced from iron ore and that the ore is red because of oxygen, that it was like rust. She saw on my face that I had a question and I asked what becomes of all the rusted iron that is thrown out. Does it become ore again? The answer was, “No.” It seemed to not make sense to put all that work into making iron just to let it rust away to nothing.
When the local glass factory conducted glass collection drives for their reprocessing efforts, I was involved with doing collections in my neighborhood. As a scout, I collected old newspapers for their money-raising paper drives.
Those moments provided the founding of my life-long interest in the health of our environment. In 1970, when I was in college at The Ohio State University, a graduate student was responsible for getting Columbus’ first recycling effort underway. After finding markets for used bottles and cans, huge dumpsters were placed on a huge underused grocery store parking lot to collect those items. I volunteered to work there on week-ends. In the years since, I’ve volunteered at recycling centers almost every place I’ve lived – and I have moved 25 times.
But in the 1980s, when I began reading about global warming and its causes and effects, I realized that recycling alone is not going to solve that problem. As a pastor in Central Square, I often had small pieces in our church’s monthly newsletter with advice on various ways to conserve water. This was especially important during spans of dry weather when wells were running dry. Those pieces of advice always included a comment about the added benefit of saving money – either on water bills for those without wells and for emergency measures for those with wells. Many expressed thanks for those helpful hints.
Today, in our single-story ranch in Fayetteville, we have 32 roof-based solar panels with produce enough electricity to give us two to three months per year of no electricity supply charges from National Grid. Over the span of nine years, we have leased three Nissan Leaf electric vehicles. All this is to say that, although the causes and impacts of global warming are beyond any one person’s reach, each person can do their part. I believe I can – and should – do more than I currently am.
After all, we all are in this together.Nobody gets by unscathed.
Spending Your Tax Dollars . . . Environmentally!
By Allyson Farnand
Image provided by robertsrob on iStock
As a product of your hard-earned tax dollars, the Onondaga Office of Environment has been allocated $1,011,011 to carry out its administrative duties – $250,000 being local dollars from Onondaga County residents. There is a justified curiosity of where exactly the money goes and where we’re seeing the benefits. So, what has the Office of Environment been doing with local, state, and federal dollars? Where exactly does your compiled $250,000 end up?
Although it was challenging to reach him, Travis Glazier, the Director for the Office of Environment, has provided a breakdown of the department’s finances. The deer management program, created to better balance the growing population of deer in the county, costs around $100,000 annually. Similarly, a $100,000 chunk goes to controlling the growth of water chestnuts; the office has received an additional $40,000 local grant to assist in the removal of this non-native, aggressive species that has contributed to several homeowners’ issues in the past. Tick management consumes around $50,000 of the annual budget, which involves the encouragement and education of county residents to use protective measures against lyme disease. Approximately $157,000 covers the two salaries in the office.
Glazier also mentioned initiatives for renewable energy in county vehicles to ameliorate climate issues. He stated the office was planning to apply for grants to establish 28 charging stations for government use. However, a level 2 charging station – each with two ports – costs around $8,500. Upgrading the county fleet, including plow trucks and police vehicles, also poses a financial challenge. Due to backorder in China, the equipment needed for heavier electric engines, and implementation of the new technology adds up to another necessary chunk in the office’s budget.
Another major action that the Office of Environment has taken in the name of climate issues includes the Climate Action Plan. The Climate Action Plan (CAP) records the major emitters of greenhouse gas emissions in the county and makes recommendations for how to significantly reduce those numbers. Created in 2012 and updated annually until 2017, the CAP established a goal of 25% reduced emissions in 25 years, which extends the timeline to 2037. Surprisingly, Glazier affirms that this goal has already been met: in 2022, currently 36% of emissions have been reduced.
Some of the major proponents allowing the CAP to succeed so quickly involved the installation of 15 megawatts of solar energy and the increased efficiency of the Water Environment Program, which is the largest consumer of energy in the county. Through a $70 million investment, the county has greatly reduced the sector’s energy consumption (and therefore, greenhouse gas emissions) by installing more efficient pumps and utilizing energy-efficient windows.
An example of daily life in which your tax dollars come to life is the recent expansion and improvement of county trails. According to Glazier, public trails have increased from 6 miles to around 9.5 miles – especially around the Northeastern side of Onondaga Lake. Not only do the trails encourage greener methods of transportation, but it also visibly increases the number of residents walking and biking for personal enjoyment. Glazier mentions how the trails support “bringing communities together,” as some trails in the west side of Syracuse are now connected to other parts of the city with a recently constructed bridge.
The biggest gap between government activity and the public’s eyes comes arguably from the lack of transparency and knowledge. That $250,000 doesn’t seem too bad now, does it? Although taxes aren’t fun, they’re still ultimately necessary for departments to operate. The pill definitely becomes easier to swallow once we know that our tax dollars are being responsibly spent. By analyzing how our contributions are being utilized, we hold the power as citizens to hold our governments accountable for how they exactly choose to govern us.
Policies, decisions, and especially budgets, are all choices that governments make and who exactly they choose to prioritize. Let’s be certain that at the end of the day, the values we stand for (including the environment) are the ones at the top of that list.
It’s Personal: How You can Take Advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act!
Summarized by Roseann Lorefice
REBATES…
•Up to $8000 for installing high energy heat pumps
•Up to $1750 for installing a heat pump water heater
•Up to $840 to offset the cost of a high energy pump clothes dryer or high energy induction range
•Up to $4000 to upgrade electric services and panel upgrades
•Up to $2500 for wiring upgrades for heating and cooling equipment and appliances and EV charging
•Up to $1600 for air sealing and insulation improvements
•Up to $7500 for purchasing an EV
Mercury Thermometers And Thermostats Drop-Off Event
Mercury can be harmful to humans and wildlife if improperly handled. Participating residents will receive a Lowe’s gift card worth $10 when they turn in a mercury containing thermostat or thermometer. Residents dropping off a mercury containing thermometer will also receive a mercury-free (digital) thermometer!*
Webinar Recording: What is the IRA and how does it affect EV tax credits?
The new EV tax credit has spurred confusion among interested consumers. This webinar helps answer what the IRA means for EV consumers over coming days, weeks and months. Link to webinar recording.
Voting!
We can’t emphasize enough how important it is to vote on November 8. Previous issues of this newsletter have encouraged you to vote for the candidate who supports climate issues. Take advantage of early voting if it fits your schedule. VOTE!
Please remember to “like” and “comment” on our Facebook and Instagram pages as often as possible. “Share” our posts with your friends and neighbors. You will be helping us to reach a wider audience and make our work more impactful.
PLANT SHARING
If you are interested in any iris, day lilies, lily of the valley or berry plants, please contact Peter Wirth at pwirth2@verizon.net. If you have flowers you would like to share with others send your name, email address and list of plants to Peter.
§ArtRage Gallery in Syracuse, NY, hosted a reception for the painting exhibition “Without Courage There Are No Other Virtues” by Robert Shetterly as well as for photographs taken by local photographer Marilu Lopez-Fretts on September 10.
WE ARE PLEASED AND PROUD TO ANNOUNCE that our CCAA president, Yvonne Chu and one of our charter members, Kitty Burns, were selected to have their photographs in the window photograph exhibit. The exhibit runs from September 10 to October 29. ArtRage Gallery is located at 505 Hawley Ave in Syracuse. For more details, click here.
§Ithaca will help property owners swap natural gas appliances for electric. Check it out here.
§Interested in an induction stove? What is the true cost? Click here.
§Meet a scientist who’s optimistic about climate change! Just click here!!!!
§The Psychology That Unlocks Climate Action. Read it HERE.
§FROM CCAA: How to Help Prevent Climate Change IN YOUR OWN WAYS
oConserve Water. Turn off faucets when not in use, take shorter showers, avoid unnecessary water consumption.
oReduce Waste: Practice regular recycling, buy recycled goods, buy less or in bulk to lessen packaging waste.
oSave Energy: Turn off appliances when not in use, switch to energy-saving light bulbs, invest in energy-saving appliances/objects.
oUse Clean Energy: Install solar panels or support community solar. Check with utility companies for renewable energy resourced options.
Attend the next Monthly CCAA Meeting When: Tuesday, October 11 at 6:00 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. Register here.
Annual Fayetteville Festival
When: September 17, 1 p.m – dusk
Location : 505 Lincoln Ave (Beard Park) , Fayetteville
Food, Live Music, Family Fun, and Fireworks
Tully Community Day
When: September 17, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Location: 20 State St. (Elementary School), Tully
GreeningUSA Newsletter To subscribe to a comprehensive list of climate change and sustainability events, and to publicize an event you are organizing, email GreeningUSA: info@GreeningUSA.org.
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 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!
We encourage you to follow our social media accounts to support CCAA and stay up to date on other environmental news.
