The Joint Climate Action Network regrouped at the Cazenovia Public Library on November 13 to participate in the fourth regional climate action leadership summit. (Kate Hill)
Cazenovia-On November 13, the United Climate Action Network (UCAN) hosted the fourth regional climate action leadership summit at the Cazenovia Public Library.
UCAN is a grassroots organization that advocates environmentally sustainable policies and actions in the 22nd Congressional District of New York. The group also cooperates with businesses, schools and other local community organizations to promote environmental literacy and sustainable practices.
The summit brought together various community leaders-from civil servants, farmers and educators to financial planners, industry experts and representatives of the Oneida Indian nation-to discuss the regional impact of climate change, understand local achievements, networks, and formulate 2022 The goal of the year.
The event was organized by the summit steering committee members Phil Rose, Mary Bartlett, Nancy Paolozzi, Jack Stevens, Laurie Feine-Dudley and Geoffrey Navias. It started with a speech by Dr. Philip Hofmeyer, who introduced the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) and Its implementation throughout the state.
Hofmeyer is Chairman of the Morrisville Department of Environment and Renewable Resources, Associate Professor of Renewable Energy, and Lecturer at the Renewable Energy Training Center at the State University of New York. He is also a certified solar photovoltaic (PV) inspector for the North American Council of Certified Energy Inspectors.
CLCPA was promulgated in 2019 as a comprehensive response to climate change, putting New York State on the path of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 85% by 2050; achieving 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040; 70 by 2030 % Of renewable energy; by 2035, offshore wind power installed capacity will reach 9,000 MW; by 2030, 3,000 MW of energy storage; by 2025, solar power generation will reach 6,000 MW; 22 million reductions through energy efficiency and electrification Tons of carbon.
"Since the passage of this bill, I would say that I receive ten or more calls from different communities every week, and they say,'No. Not here. This will never happen,'" Hofmeier said. . "These are jurisdictions that support this... People [don't understand] their request is a good example. I think it's important for us to step back and remind ourselves what we are really asking for. [We are talking about] greenhouse gas emissions. This is a serious matter. It requires a huge change in the way we look at life. So how do we implement such a thing?"
Hofmeyer pointed out that in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the state is encouraging the use of electric vehicles in the transportation sector and the use of electric heating and cooling systems in the residential sector.
Currently, New York State mainly generates electricity through natural gas, renewable energy and its largest source, nuclear energy.
According to Hofmeyer, the growing demand for electricity is putting pressure on the state’s nuclear and hydropower infrastructure, which is one of the country’s oldest.
Hofmeyer added that since the state has no plans to transform existing infrastructure and no one is willing to take the political risk of planning new nuclear facilities, he predicts that nuclear power generation will decline.
He said: "It can be said that our biggest power resource disappeared from the payroll, and we are getting a higher power footprint." "That is problematic. This brings us to natural gas and renewable energy. If we The goal is to reduce greenhouse gases. Natural gas is a kind of bridge fuel. It is abundant in New York State, and it will build a bridge for us in the next 15 to 20 years, but this does not mean that it is our backup plan. This is One way we can accelerate what has to happen is renewable energy. There is no other way... Our power generation is declining, while our demand for electricity is rising because it is clean. So we There is a divergence curve here. When you have different curves, you have to close the gap in some way. This is where renewable energy comes in."
Hofmeyer went on to explain that if the state is to achieve its CLCPA goals, rural areas like Fenner Town will continue to bear the pressure of energy system development (for example, renewable energy infrastructure, energy storage, etc.).
At the end of his speech, he emphasized that communities with stronger advanced planning are more likely to reduce unnecessary development impacts, while also supporting clean energy and CLCPA goals.
"If the planning committee knows what the developers are looking for, and have some discussion about the characteristics of the community, and you overlap the two, then all these projects will be much easier to move forward," he said. "... [We can't] bury our heads in the sand and say, "Not here. "This will not have to do with the country, because every community replicates this argument over and over again... Part of our work here is to start planning."
After Hofmeyer's speech, the leaders of the seven UCAN working groups reported on their achievements in the past year.
Ross, who leads the advocacy working group, dedicated his report to highlighting various local and statewide environmental initiatives.
He first cited the recent efforts of the town of Cazenovia, including the successful treatment of Eurasian aquatic plants in Lake Cazenovia last spring, the purchase of a solar weather station installed in a highway garage, and the approval of a 5 MW commercial Solar installations in New Woodstock, and the city's ongoing work to develop comprehensive regulations and guidelines for commercial solar projects.
Ross also praised Cazenovia’s lowest annual water consumption since 1987 last year, approved the sanitary sewer system assessment, and reduced electricity consumption due to its LED street light conversion project.
In addition, he also discussed environmental efforts in Nelson Township—such as installing LED lighting in city halls, highway garages, and street lighting districts—and the town of Fenner, where the town council passed local laws regulating small and large commercial solar projects and cities The planning committee heard suggestions for two large wind turbines.
At the end of the report, Ross mentioned some achievements at the state level, including the passage of the Environmental Rights Amendment, which is a supplement to the New York State Constitutional Bill of Rights, which states: "Everyone should have the right to clean air and water, and Healthy environment."
Roger Saltman, spokesperson for the Agriculture Working Group, focused his report on the organization's efforts to develop a soil carbon sequestration toolkit for use in Madison County.
Saltman describes soil carbon sequestration as the process of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in a soil carbon pool. This process is mainly mediated by plants through photosynthesis, and carbon is stored in the form of soil organic carbon.
According to Saltman, the team’s field test kit can check the following soil health indicators: topsoil depth, soil aggregates, soil hardness, amount of earthwork, water infiltration, and soil surface biology.
"If you want to measure the carbon content in the soil, you can borrow this toolkit," Saltman said. "It is located in the [Madison County Cornell Cooperative Expansion] office... There is a methodology that we can help you complete [it], or there is a [form] that can guide you through the whole process very well... I think We barely touched the surface of [all potential] opportunities, but now we have a system and tools to continue this project next year."
The agricultural task force is currently looking for more volunteers. For more information, please contact Saltman at [email protected].
Kyle Reger, a councillor from the town of Cazenovia, reported that since its inception, the recycling team has distributed hundreds of reusable shopping bags and discussed with the local restaurant owner that straws should only be provided on request. It also provided better signs at transfer stations and schools indicating which items can be recycled, added recycling information on the UCAN website, and created and displayed information about recycling pizza boxes.
In addition, the student members of the group have been working hard to educate their peers about recycling.
The working group has also been working on a list of targets.
According to Reger, the members plan to continue to organize garbage cleanup. The next clean-up event is scheduled to be held at 10 a.m. on November 20
The team also aims to initiate the following initiatives: start auditing the community’s waste to determine the areas of most concern, organize city open days, visit county waste facilities, develop a series of creative waste reuse methods, and produce information on waste products made from recycled materials. Information sheets for articles, educate the public about the environmental impact of certain types of packaging, and cooperate with regional manufacturers to develop new plant-based packaging materials.
Dave Porter, trustee and sustainability coordinator of Cazenovia Village, explained that in the past year, the Renewable Energy Working Group has focused on providing guidance to homeowners interested in installing residential solar photovoltaic systems.
As a result of the team’s work, various resources on residential solar—including information about local regulatory requirements and permits, descriptions of basic residential solar photovoltaic system components, links to New York State Energy Research and Development Agency guidelines, and related solar photovoltaic contracting Trader-now available on the UCAN website.
According to Porter, the working group is now shifting its focus from residential-scale installations to community-scale solar projects.
"We met three weeks ago and we tried to propose a direction that will have a greater impact, because residential solar only serves one family," Porter said. "... We are willing to assist the local government planning committee to develop their own solar photovoltaic installation guidelines. This will include zoning and fallback requirements, as well as the use of GIS [(Geographic Information System)] mapping to depict acceptable locations for solar arrays.[ We will also] look for ways to assist in the formulation of local land use regulations related to solar photovoltaics."
The Renewable Energy Working Group is looking for new members. To participate, please send an email [email protection]
Feine-Dudley of the Report Tree Working Group highlighted the completion of the 220 tree project, a two-year collaborative effort through which a total of 266 tree seedlings were planted in Stone Quarry Hill Art Park (SQHAP).
Feine-Dudley said: “We completed the initial order before we actually had a place to plant.” “Fortunately, Geoff Navias helped us find a location in the art park, and then Matt Potteiger and his ESF landscape design for the State University of New York Ban showed several designs to the Art Park. In the end, [SQHAP CEO] Emily Zaengle and her staff chose the final design."
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, SQHAP access was restricted. As a result, the volunteer team of the project was unable to help plant trees.
In late spring 2020, SQHAP landscape manager Eric Jerabek Feine-Dudley and her husband Kevin Dudley planted their own saplings.
Once visitors were allowed to enter the park again, the students and other volunteers of Project CAFÉ began to help care for the young trees.
"We have a lot of people to cover," Feine-Dudley said. "We also have a group of volunteers watering in the summer, and we found that watering is a very difficult thing because it [finished] in a very large space."
In April 2021, to celebrate Earth Day, we planted more trees to complete the ESF student design. In addition, any trees damaged during the winter are replaced.
Fifty volunteers, including individuals from Cazenovia Academy, UCAN and other local groups, planted trees in less than two hours.
After planting, several people helped take care of the trees. For example, Jimmy Golub, a local farmer, town councillor, and UCAN member, helped build a sprinkler, and Chad Jaconski, associate lecturer at Cazenovia College, covered the planting area with his biology class.
Earlier this fall, Feine-Dudley and Julie Poplaski replaced eight trees that did not survive.
The completed installation can be seen in the lower field of the SQHAP exit drive.
Feine-Dudley pointed out that these trees need continuous maintenance in the form of watering and pruning. The tree pipe may be removed in about two years, after which it no longer needs to be watered.
"What we want is a QR code so that people can pick up their phones and get all kinds of information about the tree project-about the design, the types of trees we plant, carbon sequestration and climate change," Feiner-Dade Lee said. "That hasn't happened yet. This has to be done by the Art Park. They may become the ultimate arbiter."
Anne Saltman, who has a background in environmental planning, introduced the Water Working Group. She explained that it focuses on all aspects of water resources, including watershed land use, rainwater runoff, groundwater pollution, precipitation rates, and possible flooding.
Then she introduced the volunteer-based water quality monitoring program recently launched by the organization.
"[It] involves the participation of various organizations, including universities, high schools, the Izaak Walton League, homeowners, the Boy Scouts, and the Cazenovia Lake Association," Annie said. "The task force provides [supplies] and training, and volunteers go out for on-site testing."
According to Anne, the plan provides two options for water quality testing of regional streams and drainage channels.
The first option is for volunteers to conduct chloride tests in intermittent streams or drains on or near their property during/after a snowmelt or heavy rain event. Such tests will provide information on whether/how road salinity affects local streams, ponds, lakes and groundwater.
The second monitoring option involves more detailed agreements, which are mainly carried out on streams with continuous, year-round water flow. Volunteers were asked to test water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, phosphate and nitrate four times a year.
Annie also highlighted the team's record of long-term local climate trends.
"We are studying various factors, such as temperature, water temperature of Lake Cazenovia, precipitation and snowfall, drought periods and storm frequency," she said. "...We are very grateful to the town of Cazenovia; they recently purchased a weather station that will be installed in the highway garage. This will allow us to continue to monitor many of these parameters in the coming months and years."
At the end of the report, Annie mentioned that her work group was conducting a culvert inventory, which involved checking the erosion of the culvert outlets around the lake.
"This is important because [erosion] can prevent the migration pathways of certain aquatic organisms," she said.
The Water Resources Working Group meeting is open to anyone interested in water resources. To participate, please send an email [email protection]
Senior students Hannora Race and Emma Steinberg of Cazenovia High School gave their speeches in video format.
According to the head of the task force, the group’s goals include educating students, teachers, cleaners, and faculty about the school’s recycling system; debunking the misunderstandings that prevent people from recycling; and providing resources to help people understand the importance of recycling and the lack of action. Adverse environmental impact; redesign the school’s recycling system, increase the number of containers, and work with student groups to strengthen the separation of garbage and recyclables.
The students reported that one of the priorities of the Youth Task Force this year is to launch a new student volunteer program.
Race and Steinberg explained that in each class, students will team up to monitor the recycling bins. At the beginning of this period, they will inspect the container. At the end of the term, they will remind the class to recycle, and they will re-check the trash can to ensure that the items are properly separated.
According to Race, if the student's performance is acceptable, the teacher and supervisor will sign the community service time.
The Youth Task Force also took the lead in efforts to obtain large recycling bins for the cafeteria.
"As students, we often feel powerless, without strong political influence, and [we] usually only create temporary changes." Steinberg said. "However, with UCAN's support, we are capable of making lasting changes to achieve our goals in schools and communities."
The seven lectures were followed by a group “group discussion” during which the working group was able to brainstorm on potential climate action projects in 2022.
After a 45-minute working meeting, each group reported on its proposed actions.
According to Ross, the UCAN steering committee will produce a summit report in the coming weeks to document the climate action projects/objectives proposed by each group.
The summit ended with a closing speech by Ron Patterson (Wolf Clan), Manager of Oneida Heritage Center, who discussed the importance of seeing the present as a "moment for action".
UCAN organized the first climate summit in March 2019 to develop a strategic five-year plan. The event brought together 42 knowledgeable stakeholders and leaders to help identify the most critical environmental issues in the region. A follow-up summit was held three months later to celebrate the group’s achievements, evaluate its plans and develop a strategic working group. The third summit was held on November 14, 2020 through Zoom.
To learn more about UCAN and get involved, please visit Unitedclimateaction.org or the United Climate Action Network Facebook page.
Kate Hill joined Eagle News in February 2019 as a community news reporter. She reported for the Cazenovia Republican Party and Eagle Bulletin newspapers. Hill is a lifelong resident of Cazenovia and graduated from Hamilton College, where she studied archeology. She has held writing positions at ESF, State University of New York and Cazenovia Public Library.
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