One factor that can cause someone to ignore the climate crisis is the perception that it’s not affecting them. In fact, some people even reference a longer fall before any snow or cold moves in, warmer winter temperatures, etc. as a pleasant happening.
But research on several fronts shows that one place climate change is affecting people is in the pocketbook. Not only can effects of the changing climate increase the cost of all sorts of goods, costing consumers more for the largest home appliance to the smallest item of produce, additionally more of people’s tax money is being spent on the impacts of disasters related to changing weather.
One researcher, L. Beril Toktay of the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, has looked into the climate crisis’s impact on supply chain. We all became increasingly familiar with supply chain problems during the pandemic, as many goods that we wanted to buy, or the parts to make them, were unavailable for long stretches. Toktay, who also directs the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, finds climate change also disrupts supplies.
“An example of (this) would be that a buyer has a contract for an agricultural product, but its production volume dropped because of drought or excessive heat or flooding,” explains Toktay.
For the companies from which we buy food, such interruptions mean spending more for almonds to make your almond milk, or finding another source for grains to make bread and cereal products, or simply more storm-damaged fields of fruits and vegetables making them more expensive. And it’s not just production. She argues logistics also play into the economic impacts.
“An example … would be when a series of extreme weather events like hurricanes, delayed product delivery by air, rail or truck, or damage to a facility owned by the company or its suppliers,” adds Toktay.
The transportation disruptions increase costs, which are passed down to consumers. Further, she suggests companies warehouse more product to prepare for climate disruptions. And who pays those costs? You guessed it.
The costs of increasing climate-related natural disasters might amount to a more hidden burden to residents. There is increasing data to support how much is being asked of taxpayers to pay for the aftermath of such events. The last two years rank numbers 2 and 3 in US history when it comes to the most disasters that cost more than $1 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). These disasters range from fires to floods, hurricanes and tornadoes to heat waves. In 2022, cleanup and repair costs exceeded $160 Billion.
“These events included 1 drought event, 1 flooding event, 11 severe storm events, 3 tropical cyclone events, 1 wildfire event, and 1 winter storm event. Overall, these events resulted in the deaths of 474 people and had significant economic effects on the areas impacted,” writes NOAA.
Of course, no one can put a price tag on the deaths and myriad other personal losses and impacts.
While it’s hard to make a direct causal relationship from any particular event to climate change, such connections are increasingly clear. Organizations such as the US Geological Survey and the Environmental Defense Fund find heat waves and drought are intensified, and storms and hurricanes made stronger by measurable effects of a warming climate. One need look no further than the ‘atmospheric rivers’ of moisture that drowned western states recently, the back-to-back-to-back storms laden with moisture from warmer surface waters.
In areas such as Central New York it can be easy to believe the effects of the climate crisis do not pose many costs. Research in supply chain and natural disasters show different; those costs add to the price of many daily products and syphon off tax dollars.
Follow more environmental and local news at WAER.org.
Fully Funding the CLCPA
Submitted by Gavin Landless, CCAA Member
Image: money and gavel on scales, provided by FreeImages.com
New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act has been in the news quite a bit recently. While the bill was originally passed in 2019, with the primary goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, and by 85% by 2050, the final scoping plan with details on how to achieve that was only adopted in December 2022. While the plan itself is not legally enforceable, the CLCPA requires the Department of Environmental Conservation to adopt regulations so that the plan’s emissions mandates can be enforced. But in order to be successful, the plan must be fully funded.
CCAA’s President, Yvonne Chu, wrote about this in the December edition of the newsletter: “New York Renews Launches the Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package (CJJP),” but it is worth re-emphasizing. New York State must pass the Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package if the CLCPA’s mandates are to be realized. So what is in the package?
The CJJP is a collection of bills which together seek to achieve three goals:
1.Create a Climate and Community Protection Fund to hold the money needed for the CLCPA, and help direct how it is used.
2.With the creation of green union jobs, build out renewable energy for all.
3.Eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, and make the true polluters and ultra-rich pay what they owe.
NY Renews has an excellent breakdown of the package here.
How will this be passed? It’s complicated. Some components of the package may pass more easily than others. For instance, the Build Public Renewables Act, which would allow the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to build large-scale renewable plants more quickly than the private sector is meeting with opposition from NYPA leaders themselves. As with all politics, it is a numbers game. Elected officials must be constantly reminded that these bills are critically important to New York State residents so that they do the right thing in this 2023 legislative session.
Call, write or email to your representatives in Albany and urge them to sponsor and support the bills within the CJJP. Every additional voice makes a difference.
Should You Build Here?
Submitted by Sonia Y Kragh, M.D.
Map provided by Twin Ponds Housing, LLC as it appeared in the Eagle Bulletin, January 12, 2023.
Author’s Note:This begins a series regarding human decision-making with regard to choice of building locations. Should we leave the land as it is or restore it to what it was meant to be? Instead of building, can we choose to protect the land and waters as part of the 30% by 2030 and 50% by 2050 preservation goals?
This has been on my mind as I read about the building of Micron facilities, watch neighboring communities jumpstart plans for residential building to accommodate Micron workers, and follow discussions of municipal plans already on the desks of planning and zoning committees. I am starting with risk of flooding, which overlaps with building on potential or known seasonal or permanent wetlands, which are important to our environment as a carbon sink and filter of fresh water, as well as a natural habitat. I chose the wording of potential wetlands intentionally, as in the 26 years that I have lived in Dewitt, I have watched the areas along Bridge Street and Dewitt Town Hall flood with increasing frequency and severity. I am sure many of you know of similar situations. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has a wetlands mapper (https://www.dec.ny.gov/about/76070.html)
which also includes federal data, and is updated based on input from communities, educators, naturalists, advisory conservation commissions and others, as well as DEC staff. The DEC tries to be up to date, but by their own admission, are hampered by inadequate “boots on the ground” assessment of seasonal and permanent wetland habitats, hence their reliance on input from professional and interested/educated community members as listed. 100 Year Flood Zones are mapped on the Environmental Protection Agency website using a special Environmental Justice mapping tool with many different descriptors to consider.
(Here is how to access the mapping data:
https://ejscreen.epa.gov/mapper/;launch mapping tool ;left hand tool bar climate change data/100 year floodplain; locate area of interest)
The map shows the access road traverses a narrow strip of land adjacent to two bodies of water (ponds), and there are restrictions to building on 55 acres of the site because of ponds and severe slopes. The EPA EJ screen shows a 100 year flood plain east of the two ponds extending to route 257, meaning that the proposed units might experience a flood right to their back door. The DEC wetlands map shows that site contains an existing freshwater forested/shrub wetland with Bishop and Limestone Creeks (with a joining riverine tributary) adjacent to or within its borders. The floodplain follows Limestone Creek which becomes Chittenango Creek which enters Oneida Lake. Decisions made by the Manlius Planning Board to alter the natural water pathways of Bishop and Limestone creeks will impact not only Manlius, but communities downstream all the way to Oneida Lake.
Based on this information, Manlius might consider protecting this land for conservation, rather than approving a building site which already has serious risk of flooding. The local decisions that we make affect our neighbors, adjacent communities, and the public at large.
What can we do as members of CCAA? Form or Join a municipal advisory conservation commission (https://nysacc.org/), attend local planning and zoning and town board meetings, talk to friends and neighbors, get familiar with the information available on the DEC and EPA websites, and most importantly, consider the question to preserve and conserve and not take for granted that building is “ok”.
To be continued: Next up:The Micron building site as an example of “should you build here?” Details of the White Pine Commerce Park site are found at
Letters to the editor and op-eds are an effective way to impact public opinion on an issue. The editorial page is one of the most highly read parts of a paper. Letters do make a difference!
Politicians often use newspapers as a “barometer” on an issue. A sense of where public opinion is on an issue can help shape public policy. A healthy debate on an issue is also a sign of a functioning democracy. We shouldn’t shy away from sharing our opinion even if we feel it is a minority opinion.
In the coming months the battle for the “hearts and minds” of the public on the necessity of transitioning away from fossil fuels will increase in intensity as people start to understand what is being asked of them. Americans don’t do well with limitations. Our culture is focused on consumption with no limits and an emphasis on individual freedom almost to an extreme. Why build a 4,000 sq. ft. home when you can build an 10,000 sq. ft. home or even larger.
Individual freedom is often the goal without consideration for the impacts on others. My freedom to use natural gas for heating and cooking is more important than the impact on society.
The scientific community is clear that each year we wait, more damage is done. Along with education and incentives like tax rebates and grants, mandates will be increasingly used. We must frame the debate that personal responsibility should be considered along with freedom of choice. It is a balancing act. Please consider writing a letter to the editor.
Letters to the editor for the Post Standard should be sent to letters@syracuse.com.
NOTE: Several members of CCAA have recently sent letters to the Eagle Bulletin expressing their opinions on climate-related issues. Check them out:
Sonia Kragh: January 25, 2023 edition of the Eagle Bulletin. TOPIC: Protect Conservation Land.
Peter Wirth: January 18, 2023 edition of the Eagle Bulletin. TOPIC: A Breath of Fresh Air.
ADVOCACY: This Is How You Do It!!
Submitted by Peter Wirth, CCAA Vice President
Images provided by unsplash.com
Editor’s Note: Have an issue you’re passionate about? Follow Peter’s example; write a letter and submit it to a local newspaper. He recently submitted this to the Eagle Bulletin.
A Delta Sonic with 36 gas pumps will be built four miles away from Micron, the cutting-edge chip manufacturing plant, heralds the Business Section of the Sunday Post Standard.
How ironic!
If there are any chargers for electric cars being planned at the Delta Sonic it was deemed not worth mentioning in the article. Why is Onondaga County and the County Executive not thinking forward with new technology? We are putting in gas stations which increasingly will be obsolete in a few decades when what we really need are electric car charging stations throughout Onondaga County.
California is phasing out fossil fuel gas cars by 2035 and NYS is expected follow suit along with Washington, Massachusetts, Oregon and Vermont. Electric cars are here now and are the wave of the future. More than one in five new cars sold in California are rechargeable. All-electric car sales reached a new record of nearly 68,000 – up 61% year-over-year.
NYS recently released its “scoping plan” which is the nuts and bolts of how we are to achieve the goals set forth in the NYS Climate Leadership Community Protection Act passed in 2019 to address climate change. In regard to transportation this plan calls for a transition to zero emission vehicles by 2035.
I hope Micron will inspire Onondaga County leaders to be forward looking in building out the infrastructure we need to deal with climate change and support the goals set forth in the CLCPA.
We need to start the transition away from fossil fuels now!
…And So Is This!
Recently, CCAA Member Alice Massa sent a letter to Fayetteville-Manlius School Superintendent Craig Tice and to East Syracuse-Minoa Superintendent Donna DeSiato expressing her concerns and interest in the school district being aware of incentives to purchase electric school buses as well as questions relating to implementation, and the need to put propositions relating to this before the voting public.She included information on cost saving incentives , federal and state grants and leasing /training options available for electric schools before the 2027 and 2035 New York State deadlines
We fully encourage efforts such as this which show how much the general public wants its opinions known and implemented. In the spirit of advocacy for environmental objectives, we actively and wholeheartedly ask our members to bring issues of importance to them to those in a position to make needed change.
Share Your Climate Concerns
Submitted by Jan Kublick
Image provided by youtube.com
I attended the Annual Meeting of the Energy and Environmental Section of the State Bar Association in New York last week. I have been a member of the Section’s Executive Committee for almost forty years. In that time I have never seen as many changes to environmental law, regulations and new programs as I have over the last three years. A principal topic this year was the recently adopted Climate Action Plan (CAP) which is the roadmap for the State to achieve the ambitious climate goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). A Draft Scoping Plan was presented for public comment last year and received hundreds of thousands of pages of comments. Senator May chaired a public hearing on the Draft at ESF. Now that the final CAP is approved, DEC and all other state agencies must review and modify their regulations and programs to comply with the CAP by the end of the year.
The CAP arrived as the State continued many other efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change and to increase the resiliency to its effects: the Green Amendment to the Constitution, amendments to SEQRA to focus on climate and greenhouse gas impacts, legislation to streamline the siting and approval of renewable energy projects including the creation of an Office of Renewable Energy Siting. The election brought strong statewide support for the Environmental Quality Bond Act. All are ambitious steps aimed at least in part at climate change. New York is in fact leading the nation in fighting climate change.
My articles for prior Newsletters have and will continue to urge all of us to “Share our Climate Concerns”. One way to do this is to share your support for the actions that this state and the federal government are taking, including those under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Act to encourage renewable energy, build resiliency, eliminate methane emissions, and curtail other greenhouse gasses.
In so many ways, climate advocacy in this state is now able to turn from complaint and opposition to support and enthusiasm. Renewable energy and electrification also need support at the school and municipal level. For example, is your city, town or village reviewing its comprehensive plan, building code, zoning and planning laws to comply with the CPA? It isn’t only state agencies which have to comply with the CAP. What is your school district doing concerning the climate? Is it, for example taking advantage of available grants to electrify its bus fleet?
There is of course still much to do and it is urgent to move forward on all fronts. Climate change is still the single greatest threat to civilization. Our state has become the nation’s leader in meeting that threat. We should all learn what that means for us and our communities. Perhaps most importantly though, we should feel good to be New Yorkers and we should share that enthusiasm as widely as we can. After all, these actions address climate change, but they also lower energy costs, create jobs, reduce pollution from greenhouse gases, advance environmental justice, and make the state safer and more resilient.
Finally, we all have new representatives in Washington, and some of us have new representatives in Albany as well. It is important to learn what those representatives are saying and doing, and how they are voting on matters important to our environmental and climate concerns.
SUSTAINABILITY TIP
Windowsill Vegetables
Submitted by Dr. Sonia Kragh
Photos provided by Dr. Kragh
Do you like gardening, but it’s snowing outside?
Want a simple no mess project?
You can “plant” the base of romaine lettuce, celery, onions, carrots and probably other vegetables (maybe garlic?) in glasses of water to grow additional leaves and stalks. These are nutritious and delicious in salads and soups. All that is needed is the vegetable, a clear glass or jar or vase, and water. Put the base of the vegetable in the glass, add enough water to cover the base, put it in a window that gets some sun, or under a grow light (helps mood during those dark days of winter too!). Every few days, check your vegetable base for roots growing, and to see if you need to add water. Remember to enjoy eating the outer leaves and stalks, as the new growth will be from the top or inner part of the vegetable stalk (celery and romaine lettuce). Pick the new growth of leaves as needed for soup and salads or a snack.
I’m not sure how much oxygen these vegetable starts generate, but more than if we put them in the compost! It’s also really easy and inexpensive to grow alfalfa or other sprouts. You will want to purchase seed starter supplies, either premade or a mason jar with a seed sprouting lid, and the alfalfa or other seeds. (You can check for supplies here.) Add water which is changed a few times a day and watch them grow over just a few days. Yummy!
Have fun!
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SAVE THESE DATES:
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2023
The CNY Youth Summit Conference will be held at SUNY ESF, Gateway
Hall. This is the 6th Annual Summit directed to students in grades 7 – 12
along with middle and high school teachers. It runs concurrently with lunch
From 12 p.m. – 1:20 p.m. For more information or questions:
cnyclimatesummit@gmail.com
******TUESDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2023.
Deadline for CCAA members interested in running for office to submit their name to Nominating Committee Chairperson George Lorefice at loreficegj@gmail.com. Positions available include President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasure. Step up and help direct our environmental efforts!!
Another note regarding CCAA Membership. We are still updating our membership information. Of special importance is adding zip codes and level of interest of involvement. Go to https://www.climatechange-action.com/volunteer to make any additions and/or corrections.
SATURDAY MARCH 11, 202310 AM – 1 PM
UCAN ANNUAL CLIMATE SUMMIT
CAZENOVIA PUBLIC LIBRARY
TOPIC: Experts will speak about resources available on the federal, state and local levels to help combat climate change. Planning will take place for local projects in 2023.
AND THIS:
APRIL 29, 2023.
EARTH FEST, CANAL LANDING PARK, FAYETTEVILLE, NY
There will be demos and rides in the new electric buses. More information to follow in future newsletters.
Alliance for a Green Economy (AGREE), headquartered in Syracuse, NY within the unceded territory of the Onondaga Nation and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, works to bring about a just transition to 100% renewable electricity, heating, and transportation.
We are excited to announce that our organization is growing, and we are looking for new team members. These positions will support the new CNY Energy Hub and there are also openings for staff positions. We seek passionate, intelligent, and kind people who work well both independently and as part of a team, and who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get stuff done. Read the job descriptions and apply via our website here.
Climate Change Update:Did you know that the oceans were the hottest ever recorded in 2022. Warmer fresh waters were a factor in the snow storm that hit Buffalo recently and killed 39 people. Wind blowing across an unfrozen lake picks up moisture which drops as snow when it hits land and conditions are right. Warmer waters mean the lake freezes over less and later.
Four Agency Transportation Plan Gets Rolling: The Biden administration launched a multi-agency effort to decarbonize the transportation sector by 2050 on Tuesday. The first-of-its-kind plan, developed by DOE, DOT, HUD, and EPA, seeks to implement funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and bipartisan infrastructure law so as to both encourage the transition from ICE-powered cars to EVs as well as reduce Americans’ dependence on cars by making communities more walkable and bikeable and by improving the availability, convenience, and efficiency of public transportation. (Washington Post $, E&E $, Politico Pro $, The Hill,
EPA Seeks Applications For $100 Million In EJ Grants:The EPA on Tuesday announced $100 million is now available for environmental justice grants, with $30 million available to community-based nonprofits and $70 million available to state, local, and tribal governments. The EPA is hosting “pre-application” webinars on January 24 and 26 to aid applicants in the application process. (E&E News, Bloomberg Law, AP, Washington Post $, The Hill, Politico Pro $)Utility Dive)
Interested in calculating the carbon footprint of your home ?
Easy to do !! You can calculate your carbon footprint from your heating and electricity bills. Just find the most recent ones and follow the guidance in this article:
Attention homeowners and renters : You may be eligible for discounts and credits for energy upgrades. We all have a role to play in the transition off of fossil fuel. CCAA’s mission is education and ACTION. Action on the policy front and also personal responsibility as we all contribute to climate change. If you have been thinking of replacing your air conditioning unit, buying an electric heat pump, upgrading your electric panel, go to this link:
Attend the next Monthly CCAA Meeting When: Tuesday, February 21st, 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.
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.
