FORUM: NY State's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act

This Forum is a solutions focused discussion where the audience will hear from policymakers, businesses, social justice advocates, environmentalists, academics, thought leaders and others as they take a deeper dive into the new legislation and what it means to achieving climate neutrality.

  The event is on October 17th from 6-7:30pm at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in downtown Buffalo. Refreshments and a cash bar will be available at 5:30pm. 

 

Registration is mandatory. Please RSVP here:  

https://tinyurl.com/CLCPA2019 

More information can be found at:  

http://www.buffalo.edu/sustainability/keyinitiatives/CLCPA2019.html 

 

 

CLIMATE CHANGE - Who will Protect the People of the U.S.?

Ocasio-Cortez and progressive Dems' Green New Deal gains traction as Trump shrugs off dire warnings from climate scientists
While President Trump attributes his climate change skepticism to his “very high levels of intelligence,” a growing legion of lawmakers and young activists are taking heed of dire warnings being issued by experts and scientists about the catastrophic consequences of inaction.
 
Progressives, led by New York City’s own Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, are joining forces behind an ambitious plan to wean the U.S. off fossil fuels, boost renewable energy jobs and build a “smart” power grid.
 
The major push to make climate change a priority when Congress convenes in January got off to a high-profile start weeks ago when Ocasio-Cortez applauded young activists from the environmental advocacy group Sunrise Movement protesting at soon-to-be-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office on Capitol Hill.  

A damning federal government report about the economic and societal impacts of climate change released last week, which Trump openly dismissed, has only emboldened believers steeling for a showdown with mainline Democrats and added weight to their calls for a so-called “Green New Deal.”
NY Daily News - 12.02.2018: To read more, click here



VIDEO:  Solving Our Climate Crisis - A National Town Hall
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, environmental author & 350.org founder Bill McKibben, CNN commentator Van Jones, Union of Concerned Scientists Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel and climate activists
Now This - 12.03.2018: To view the video, click here

Free Film Showing: Story of the decline of the coal industry, the cost to people’s lives, and the need for a 'just transition' to a new energy future.

Special Showing of the New 

National Geographic Documentary Film 

FROM THE ASHES.

Thursday, June 22, 2017 at 7:00 PM,
North Presbyterian Church,
300 North Forest Rd., Williamsville, NY.

From The Ashes is a groundbreaking new documentary that goes beyond the rhetoric of the “War on Coal” to explore the energy transition emerging from the response to climate change. It is a compelling look at the lives and issues to include a heartbreaking look at stake for our economy, health and climate. 

Learn more about an industry on the edge and what it means for our future. WNY is a part of the coal story as witnessed locally in the closing of the NRG Huntley Plant and its impact on Tonawanda.

Please Join Us!

Free and Open to the Public ~ [Map]

The film will be followed by a discussion led by David Alicea, President of the Board of New York Interfaith Power and Light and organizer for the Sierra Club.

View the Film Trailer:

Sponsors: New York Interfaith Power and Light + North Presbyterian Church + Shir Shalom + Sierra Club + Western New York Environmental Alliance + Interfaith Climate Justice Community + WNY Land Conservancy + Climate Justice Coalition of WNY
 

NY State Support for Clean, Renewable Energy will Benefit Health, Climate and Economy

Renewable Energy will Benefit Everyone

By Robert M. Ciesielski

In August, the New York State Public Service Commission established the Clean Energy Standard, a procedure to enable 50 percent of the state’s electricity to be provided from renewable energy sources by 2030. The mechanism implements the 2015 New York State Energy Plan based on a four-year study of our state’s energy system.

New York’s goal is similar to the 50 percent renewable energy by 2030 law adopted by the California legislature last year and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. The Massachusetts legislature also passed an energy bill in 2016 ensuring that by 2030, 40 percent of the state’s electricity will be provided from renewable sources, while including a major commitment to offshore wind power.

New York, California and Massachusetts comprise 20 percent of our nation’s population. If these states were considered a country, they would comprise the fourth-largest economy of the world. These states are a beacon to the United States, showing the promise of a sustainable, clean, renewable energy economy. Development of renewable energy not only counters climate change and the adverse health effects of polluted water, air and land, but offers substantial economic benefits to

The future economy is already available to us. In December, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) announced the approval of a 90 megawatt wind farm off eastern Long Island. The project is supported by 85 percent of Long Island’s residents, including a bipartisan political coalition of workers, unions, environmentalists and business leaders. The wind project will supply electricity to some 50,000 homes. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has set a goal of 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind power by 2030, enough to power well over 1 million residences and provide for a healthy downstate economy.

Europe currently supplies much of its energy from wind and solar sources. Europeans supply over 10 gigawatts, or 10,000 megawatts, of electricity from offshore wind alone. The strength of the European economy is based in large part on the conscious decision of many of its countries to proceed with renewable energy development, stimulating investments in manufacturing and the installation of renewable energy sources.

Looking at the Earth, I am concerned about the detrimental effects of our current fossil fuel and nuclear based economy. The Paris Climate Agreement, signed by 194 countries, is a worldwide measure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to prevent the global climate from increasing beyond 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) with the aspirational goal of a no greater than 1.5 degrees Celsius increase.

We have at this time the ability to help create a sustainable energy system capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the life of humankind and all creatures. Let us use the means we have been given to help protect the Earth and our children.

Robert Ciesielski is chairman of the Energy Committee of the Atlantic Chapter of the Sierra Club.

This article above was originally published in The Buffalo News.

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CLEAN ENERGY: Economy & Jobs - Human Health - 100% Renewable is Doable - Goodbye Fossil Fuels

'Clean Energy 4 All' - Buffalo Rally, Sept. 2015     Photo: Nathan MacFarlane

Excerpts from News Reports:

Clean Energy Driving Economic Growth in States - Forbes 
Great news for good-paying jobs and for reducing carbon pollution that causes climate change

A growing number of states are embracing the promise of a low-carbon economy, both by setting ambitious renewable energy goals and expanding programs that encourage energy efficiency. In the states of California, Colorado, Hawaii and Minnesota, the largest utilities are sourcing 20 to 35 percent of their electricity from carbon-free wind, solar and other renewable sources.

This is obviously good news for reducing the carbon pollution that is causing climate change. But there’s another big plus stemming from state-driven efforts: tailwinds for their economies through good-paying jobs, stable energy costs and attracting new businesses.

Click Here to read more at Forbes.
A detailed report documenting clean energy jobs in New York is Here.



Energy and Human Health
Even Small Investments In Clean Energy Could Save Millions Of Lives

A new report from the International Energy Agency paints both a dreary and optimistic picture of the dangers of air pollution. On the one hand, air pollution is linked to an estimated 6.5 million deaths per year — a number that is expected to rise in coming decades. On the other hand, even small investments in technology could help curb the number of annual deaths attributed to air pollution.

The report states that reducing air pollution would help spur the transformation of the energy sector mandated by the Paris climate agreement, which requires countries to keep global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius. Industrial and power sector emissions standards, for instance, could help curb both particulate pollution and greenhouse gas pollution. Policies that support renewable forms of energy also help avoid both air pollution and greenhouse gas pollution — and this could be applied to both outdoor pollution, with solar electricity, and indoor pollution, with things like solar stoves. 

Click Here to read more at ThinkProgress.


Integration of 100% Renewable Energy into the Power Grid is Possible Without Natural Gas, Biofuels, Nuclear Power, or Stationary Batteries, Study Finds

This study addresses the greatest concern facing the large-scale conversion to 100% wind, water, and solar (WWS) power for all purposes (electricity, transportation, heating/cooling, and industry). This conversion is currently inhibited by a fear of grid instability and high cost due to the variability and uncertainty of wind and solar.

The study uses a new grid integration model and finds low-cost, no-load-loss, non-unique solutions to this problem on electrification of all U.S. energy sectors. Solutions are obtained by prioritizing storage for heat (in soil and water); cold (in ice and water); and electricity (in phase-change materials, pumped hydro, hydropower, and hydrogen), and using demand response.

Click Here to read more at the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Additional Information: Studies on Grid Reliability With High Penetrations of Wind, Water, and Sunlight (WWS) - Click Here


The World Is Nearing Peak Fossil Fuels (Especially The Developed World)
Oil, coal, and gas aren't running out. But they are going out of style as renewables get cheaper.

Worldwide use of fossil fuels will peak in 2025. Solar will be the least expensive form of electricity by 2030. And, by 2040, zero-emission forms of power will represent 60% of the global mix. Solar will account for 43% of all new generating capacity by 2040. These are some of the predictions of a new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).

 By 2040, BNEF expects EVs to make up a quarter of the global car fleet and to add a total of 8% to total electricity demand as a result. Better batteries for cars will in turn lead to better batteries for grid and household power storage, thus allowing us to use more of power generated by solar and wind.
One surprise is that natural gas plays a relatively small part of the picture. Despite the fracking boom, and talk of gas being a "bridge fuel," it makes up little more of the mix than it does now.

The report is good news for renewables, but not necessarily for climate change. It predicts a staggering $7.8 trillion of investment in clean energy by 2040. But it says another $5.3 trillion would be needed if the world is to stay within the two degree global warming limit deemed relatively safe by climate scientists.

Read more at FastCoExist.com
Click Here to read a press release on the new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Panel Discussion: How is Buffalo Niagara really doing?

Buffalo Niagara: How Are We Really Doing?

A panel of local experts will answer this question. The panel will be hosted by Larry Brooks, author of the new book Buffalo Niagara: Diagnosis and Prescription for Change.

The panel includes:

• Philip Haberstro, Executive Director, Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo & WNY
• Jay Burney, Founder and Chair, Friends of Times Beach Nature Preserve
• Sam Magavern, Co-director, Partnership for the Public Good
• Marlies Wesolowski, Executive director, Lt. Col Matt Urban Human Services Center

COMMUNITY FORUM: Regional Vision and Values - Where Do We Want to Go?

Please join us and our partners as we launch One Region Forward, a new effort seeking to coordinate our region’s efforts towards creating a more sustainable economy, environment and community.
The creative contribution and informed support of the citizens of the Buffalo Niagara region is critical and we need to hear your voices as we chart this course.                                                                                                         

To learn how you can get involved and share your thoughts on the vision and values that should guide this effort, please join us at one of our two “Community Congress” meetings scheduled over the next few weeks.

If you are interested, please sign up to participate for one of the two events listed below:
*January 29^th, 7-9pm, Asbury Church
http://www.oneregionforward.org/event/community-congress-1-erie-county/
*February 2^nd, 2-4pm, Niagara Falls Conference Center
http://www.oneregionforward.org/event/community-congress-2-niagara-county/

To learn more about the project, check out our website at www.oneregionforward.org.

President Obama visits Buffalo

"Buffalo LOVES Obama" was the message conveyed by a red,white, and blue sign on a Liberty cab roof when President Obama came to town on May 13th.

The purpose of the president's visit was to talk about jobs and the effect his administration is having on the economy, as well as to hear from Buffalonians, according to White House deputy press secretary and Buffalo native, Bill Burton, as described in an article in The Buffalo News.

The president also held a private meeting with several representatives of the Families of Flight 3407. Obama thanked the families of Flight 3407 for their efforts to boost aviation safety in wake of the plane crash that claimed their loved ones, according to Burton.

Previous stops on on his "White House to Main Street Tour" have included a visit to a local restaurant. Obama and his entourage did stop to buy something to eat, and the prez ordered Buffalo chicken wings. So where did they go? Anchor Bar, home of the Original Buffalo Wings? Nope. They went to Duff's Famous Wings, also an excellent choice.

It was the Buffalo wings stop at Duff's, and in particular something that a local resident said to the president there, that received the most media attention. According to The Buffalo News article, "Obama stories, blog put reader where action was", by Margaret Sullivan, readers of BuffaloNews.com heard about it first, thanks to News Washington Bureau Chief Jerry Zremski, who was with the president almost every step of the way.

Below is the electronic message that appeared on the Buffalo News live blog:
1:23 p.m.: Louann Haley, of Chaffee, greeted the president with the words: "You're a hottie with a smokin' little body." Obama's response: He hugged her. --JZ

Oh, yes, and about jobs and the economy...

Obama did meet with workers at Industrial Support Inc., where he offered a vigorous defense of his economic policies, saying they are creating jobs to boost the economy, according to live blogger, JZ.

Industrial Support Company officials spent about 45 minutes with Obama, introducing him to employees and giving him a tour of the plant, which manufactures a variety of products, from aeronautical parts to salad bars for the grocery industry, as stated in The Buffalo News article, 'President's visit makes impression at Industrial Support', by Jay Rey and Jay Tokasz.

David Sullivan, founder and president of Industrial Support, told Obama that 15 years ago he was in a shoe-box of an office, struggling to meet payroll. Today, he was shaking hands with the president. "That's the American dream," Obama told Sullivan, as he gave him a big hug.

Although Obama was in Buffalo ostensibly to talk about small business and jobs, the national media attention on the president's visit focused on the stop for Buffalo wings and and the "hottie" quote, not on small business matters. This, together with the decision to have the president give his wing business to Duffs, not the Anchor Bar, prompted an editorial cartoon, below, by Adam Zyglis.

[Click image to enlarge]

Talk: Building New York's Solar Economy

The WNY Sustainable Energy Association presents

Building New York's Solar Economy

Where We Are, Where We Need to Go, and How to Get There

A talk by

Ron Kamen

President, New York Solar Energy Industries Association

Senior Vice-President, EarthKind Solar

7:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 6th

Room 202 Schenk Hall

Daemen College

4380 Main Street, Amherst

Schenk Hall is across from the Wick Campus Center.  See Campus Map for location and free parking on campus.

Ron Kamen, President of the New York Solar Energy Industries Association, NYSEIA, is senior VP of EarthKind Solar, the leading solar thermal energy company in New York.  Ron began his career as an energy policy expert in the 1980s when he worked to create Demand Side Management programs that gave the utility industry a financial incentive to invest in energy efficiency, spurring New York's current multi-billion dollar efficiency programs. In the 1990s, Ron developed energy efficiency projects with Fortune 1000 companies and government entities, and from 2000 - 2006 he played a key role in creating NY's wind power market, helping propel growth from 50 MWs to over 1,000 MWs of wind energy today.

For more information, e-mail Walter Simpson or phone (716) 839-0062. Event co-sponsored by the WNY Climate Action Coalition.

Congressional Testimony on Green Jobs

Van Jones, J.D., and President of Green For All, testified recently about Green Jobs before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. He spoke about how the twin crises facing our nation, the economic catastrophe and climate change, are linked and could undermine our nation's security. He believes that creating green jobs will rescue the American economy, save energy and money, and help fight poverty and global warming pollution at the same time. A video containing portions of his testimony is here.

In his written testimony, Van Jones referred to the Green Recovery report which showed how $100 billion of smartly invested and leveraged federal dollars can create two million new jobs in the next two years. The report also showed that the same amount of money invested in energy efficiency and renewable energy actually creates FOUR TIMES as many jobs as the same money invested in the oil industry.

His written testimony states, "Furthermore, investments in renewable energy will help create economies of scale, which will drive down the price of these technologies – and they will level the playing field with the subsidized fossil fuel industry. In the long run, smart policy and investment will drive down prices for clean, renewable, homegrown energy sources. But if we cling to the old, carbon-intensive energy technologies, then the price we all pay – in volatile economic costs, in climate disruption and in threats to our national security – will continue to climb. And the poor will be hit – first and worst – by every one of those rising costs. A well thought out shift to a clean energy economy offers more work, more wealth and better health to disadvantaged communities than does any plausible, business-as-usual scenario."

Congress failed to appropriate the funds necessary for the Green Jobs Act of 2007 that would have made money available for green job training across the country. Jones' testimony states, "When it comes to rhetoric about green jobs, we are experiencing a bubble. But when it comes to advancing meaningful, federal legislation for green jobs, we are still in a bowl. As someone who gives a lot of speeches, myself, let me say: messages and inspiration are important. But the American people cannot eat political sound-bites. They cannot take shelter under slogans. People need real job training, real service opportunities and real jobs – right now, desperately. As you consider the upcoming economic recovery package, I urge you and your colleagues to seek full funding – and more – for the Green Jobs Act."

Van Jones also urged Congress to go beyond the Green Jobs Act and create something bolder: a Clean Energy Corps to retrofit millions of buildings, to give community service opportunities, job training and employment to hundreds of thousands of people. His Green For All organization and others are developing a proposal for that initiative which will be submitted for the Congressional committee’s review.

The full written testimony by Van Jones is here, and the Green Recovery report is here.

NEW SERIES: Business Gets Green

Business Gets Green is a new monthly series, sponsored by Buffalo's Green Gold Development Corporation, where businesses get to talk with each other, showcasing and discovering green products, services and initiatives. Come hear what the leading businesses and thinkers in our region are doing!

Business Gets Green will be held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Buffalo Museum of Science. Sessions will include an opening half hour where the first 20 businesses to register each get a quick minute to introduce themselves and what they do, followed by lively 15 minute presentations by 2 businesses, a local environmental organization, and a public official. The sessions will last no more than 2 hours and will close with the presenters fielding questions. If you want to become part of this emerging sector of our economy, want to network with other businesspeople who are 'getting green', or are curious about how you might fit in, Business Gets Green is the place for you.

If you would like a chance to introduce your business at the beginning of the session, please be sure to pre-register by contacting Bill Nowak, Green Gold Executive Director, at bill.nowak2@verizon.net . The introduction slots will be on a first come, first served basis, and will be cut off at 20.

Admission to this session will be free! Please arrive before 5:30 so we can start on time.

Guest post by Bill Nowak

.........................................................................................................................

The first session of Business Gets Green is set for Thursday, May 15th from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Buffalo Museum of Science with the following lineup:

• Michael Gainer, Executive Director, Buffalo ReUse, Inc.
• Julie Barrett O'Neill, Exec. Director, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper
• Earl Aragona, Vice President, Ecology & Environment, Inc.
• Brian Reilly, Buffalo's recently hired Chief Economic Development Officer

For a printable flyer, click here.

GROWING BUFFALO'S GREEN ECONOMY

NY State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt

hosts a

Green Economy Summit

featuring Empire State Development Upstate Chairman

DAN GUNDERSEN

April 12, 9AM at Buffalo State College

To download a Conversation Starter for a Green Economy, click here

To visit the Green Economy Summit Wikispace, click here