Climate Crisis is Our Third World War -- Requires a Bold Response

The climate crisis is our third world war. It needs a bold response

Joseph Stiglitz | June 4, 2019 | The Guardian

Critics of the Green New Deal ask if we can afford it. 
But we can’t afford not to: our civilization is at stake.


Advocates of the Green New Deal say there is great urgency in dealing with the climate crisis and highlight the scale and scope of what is required to combat it. They are right. They use the term “New Deal” to evoke the massive response by Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the United States government to the Great Depression. An even better analogy would be the country’s mobilization to fight World War II.

Critics ask, “Can we afford it?” and complain that Green New Deal proponents confound the fight to preserve the planet, to which all right-minded individuals should agree, with a more controversial agenda for societal transformation. On both accounts the critics are wrong.

Yes, we can afford it, with the right fiscal policies and collective will. But more importantly, we must afford it. The climate emergency is our third world war. Our lives and civilization as we know it are at stake, just as they were in the second world war.

When the US was attacked during the second world war no one asked, “Can we afford to fight the war?” It was an existential matter. We could not afford not to fight it. The same goes for the climate crisis. Here, we are already experiencing the direct costs of ignoring the issue – in recent years the country has lost almost 2% of GDP in weather-related disasters, which include floods, hurricanes, and forest fires. The cost to our health from climate-related diseases is just being tabulated, but it, too, will run into the tens of billions of dollars – not to mention the as-yet-uncounted number of lives lost. We will pay for climate breakdown one way or another, so it makes sense to spend money now to reduce emissions rather than wait until later to pay a lot more for the consequences – not just from weather but also from rising sea levels. It’s a cliche, but it’s true: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The war on the climate emergency, if correctly waged, would actually be good for the economy – just as the second world war set the stage for America’s golden economic era , with the fastest rate of growth in its history amidst shared prosperity. The Green New Deal would stimulate demand, ensuring that all available resources were used; and the transition to the green economy would likely usher in a new boom. Trump’s focus on the industries of the past, like coal, is strangling the much more sensible move to wind and solar power. More jobs by far will be created in renewable energy than will be lost in coal.

Read more at The Guardian

Joseph E Stiglitz is a university professor at Columbia, the 2001 recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics, a former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, a former chief economist of the World Bank and the author, most recently, of People, Power, and Profits: Progressive Capitalism for an Age of Discontent

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NY State Attorney General Speaks on Climate Change and Economic Justice in Buffalo

By David Kowalski

Eric Schneiderman    photo D.Kowalski

NYS Attorney General Eric Schneiderman visited Buffalo on April 21 and presented a talk to a full auditorium at the Frank E. Merriweather Library. The event was sponsored by the Climate Justice Coalition of WNY, NY Renews, Open Buffalo and PUSH Buffalo and was followed by a panel discussion led by Clarke Gocker.

Schneiderman's talk on climate change and economic justice is covered below. A subsequent story will cover another part of the talk about his office's investigations of fossil fuel industries responsible for the global warming pollution and their denial of the problem.

Eric Schneiderman spoke about the need to unite the campaigns that deal with the crisis of climate change with a campaign to deal with economic inequality. He said that the two have to go hand in hand if we are going to save the planet and if we’re going to be the country that we’re supposed to be. He added:

The movement that we have to build has got to go beyond the traditional environmental movement. We have to get everyone to understand that we are all in this together, and that we have to deal with the issue of the destruction of our planet while building a world that supports all families. We can do this. Because this does require a revamping of our energy sector, new jobs will be created. We have to make sure they are good, family-supporting jobs that go to the people that need them in every community.

We have to take action and we have to say what people don't say enough, which is, climate change is real, and it's happening now, and it's affecting us now.

It is undeniable that Earth is warming. Last month was the hottest March since humans began to use instruments to measure the temperature. The month before that was the hottest February ever, the month before that the hottest January ever, 2015 was the hottest year ever, 2014 was the second hottest.

Schneiderman said that the northeastern United States is seeing much more violent and much more frequent storm patterns. In 2011, Hurricane Irene dropped over 11 inches of rain in 24 hours causing catastrophic flooding in the Hudson River Valley and the Adirondacks. Thirty-one counties were declared disaster areas.

The following year, Superstorm Sandy hit New York Harbor with increased intensity because it passed over ocean water warmed by heat trapped by greenhouse gases and was 9°F warmer than it would have been in the past. Also, the sea level was over a foot higher than it was before the beginning of the 20th century, before burning of fossil fuels accelerated. Consequently, Sandy flooded an additional 80,000 people's homes that would have been had the water had been at the pre-industrial sea level.

"There is no responsible scientist who disputes the fact that burning fossil fuels is contributing to warming of the planet. There is no legitimate debate as to that," Schneiderman said.

He pointed out that the argument against environmentalism is usually couched in terms of destroying jobs and hurting the economy. Schneiderman said:

You are the people who are going to build a movement that says we know that’s all a lie. We know the way to create good green family-supporting jobs is to lean in to the move to renewables. And the states that lean in early, are the states that are going to do better in this incredibly competitive Global market.

New York I'm proud to say is leaning in. But as most you know public officials do what their constituents make them do. And this is true of our friends as well as our enemies. We need to encourage our friends and give them support and we need to dissuade our enemies from opposing our efforts to re-establish equality and the state of the planet. It's not really much more complicated than that.

Webinar: NYS Clean Energy Standard - Tuesday, April 19th

Across New York, people like you are stepping up to make New York a leader on climate and build a bright future with a robust renewable energy economy.

Our work to secure an enforceable Clean Energy Standard is getting started and we need you with us every step of the way.

Grassroots pressure played a key role in getting Governor Cuomo to set the goal of 50 percent renewable energy by 2030, and now it's up to grassroots activists to hold Governor Cuomo and our state accountable to this goal by making sure the new Clean Energy Standard is enforceable.

Join us in a Webinar on Tuesday April 19th to learn more!

RSVP to a Webinar Invitation Here

Here are the details:

WHO: Sierra Club & Alliance for a Green Economy staff, and you!
WHAT: Clean Energy Standard Webinar
WHEN: 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 19
WHERE: Online! RSVP Here.

Questions? Contact David Alicea at david.alicea@sierraclub.org

New York is making progress towards being a climate leader and it's up to citizens like you and me to make sure this Standard isn't just for show, that it has real teeth. We must make sure it changes the way New Yorkers get our energy.

On the webinar we'll talk about Sierra Club's goals for the standard and how you can play a role in the upcoming months to help make that happen. If you already committed to attend a Clean Energy Standard Hearing, the webinar will be a good first step for preparing to attend.

See you on the webinar,
David Alicea
Organizing Representative
New York Beyond Coal

Renewable Energy NEWS

Investments in Renewables Herald ‘Paradigm Shift’

Amid rising concern about the role of fossil fuels in climate change, there was an unprecedented boom in renewables across the globe in 2014, suggesting that countries are already shifting toward more low-carbon energy as the cost to build solar and wind farms falls quickly.

In 2011, a record $279 billion in global renewables investments built wind and solar farms that were able to generate 70 gigawatts of renewable energy. Three years later, $270 billion built 95 gigawatts of solar and wind power generation worldwide — more than ever had been built before as costs fell.

All told, all forms of renewable energy, excluding large hydroelectric plants, contributed to 9.1 percent of global electric power generating capacity in 2014, up from 8.5 percent the year before, according to a new report by the United Nations and Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

“The numbers seem to be telling a story of an energy paradigm shift well underway,” said Eric Usher, head of the UN Environment Program finance initiative. “There is a climate story: Renewables definitely seem to be contributing to the stabilization of CO2 emissions.”

Read the full article at Climate Central and the UN-Bloomberg report here.


Sunny Side East: Solar Takes Off in Eastern U.S.

Though the Southeast is a tad bit less sunny than Southern California, the bullseye of solar power development in the U.S., utilities in the South are scrambling to capture their own rays of sunshine. In fact, North Carolina is leaping ahead of California for the amount of new utility-scale solar farms currently under development, a new SNL Energy report released Wednesday shows.

[Click image to enlarge]

The trend is occurring as the solar industry in the U.S. is coming off one of its best years ever. The number of solar installations connected to the electric power grid jumped about 140 percent between 2013 and 2014 nationwide, SNL Energy data show. More than 3.7 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity were installed across the U.S. in 2014, which closed out with more than 10 GW of utility-scale solar farms in operation, enough to power more than 2 million homes.

“The adoption of solar is spreading quickly nationwide — and nowhere is that more evident than in states like Texas, as well as Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina and Georgia,” Ken Johnson, vice-president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said.

Read the full article at Climate Central and the SNL Energy report here.


Wind, Solar Energy Driving Electricity Storage Technology

One of the biggest challenges facing utilities as they find more climate-friendly ways to produce electricity and integrate greenhouse gas-free solar and wind energy into the electric power grid is finding a way to keep the stream of electricity flowing when the wind stops blowing and the sun stops shining.

Last year, California became the first state to require utilities to store energy as a way to facilitate renewable energy production, mandating enough storage capacity — 1,325 megawatts — to power about 1 million homes by the end of the decade.

In addition to helping provide stability to the power grid, energy storage has another advantage: There’s a huge interest in how batteries can help cities and regions with resiliency, he said.

Resiliency is a term many cities are using to describe their efforts to withstand weather extremes that could be brought about or made worse by climate change, including hurricanes as severe as Hurricane Sandy, which knocked out power to millions in the New York City area in 2012.

Read the full article at Climate Central.


Wind, Solar Boosting Investment in Power Lines

Many of the new transmission lines are serving wind farms and solar power plants built in the past decade, providing a route for renewable energy to get onto the power grid.

Wind and solar power, in addition to population shifts in cities in the West and South, are helping to drive major new investment in electric power transmission lines in the U.S., according to a new U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) report.

After a three-decade decline, the U.S. saw a fivefold increase in investments in electric power transmission lines between 1997 and 2012, the report says. Investments increased to $14.1 billion by 2012 from $2.7 billion in 1997.

Renewables such as wind and solar are being developed partly as climate-friendly alternatives to coal-fired power plants, which are among the most significant emitters of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

All the new wind farms in the U.S. required new transmission lines mainly because most of the solar and wind farms exist far from where people use the electricity generated there, according to the EIA.

Read the full article at Climate Central and the EIA report here.


Time to get serious about renewable energy

Maple Ridge Wind Farm, at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, can serve as model for Western New York

Bill Burke, a fifth-generation dairy farmer who has wind towers on his property, offered a tour last summer of Maple Ridge from its visitor center kiosk. Discussion of the wind farm proposal started in 1999, he said, and there was very little opposition. He compared it to his grandfather’s times, when electricity came to the county and a few holdouts weren’t sure they wanted to give up kerosene lanterns for posts and wires along the roads.

After community hearings and discussion, 92 landowners in the Lowville area (pronounced to rhyme, aptly, with “Cowville”) leased portions of their land to the project, and by 2006, 195 wind towers were up and running, making Maple Ridge the largest wind farm in New York State and the second-largest east of the Mississippi.

Each tower has a footprint of less than half an acre, and Burke pointed out that the landowners operate their farm equipment right up and around the towers, much as they do with trees. Cows graze calmly around them, and whatever sound comes from the blades is drowned out by the wind itself.

Read the excellent article by Ellen Banks at BuffaloNews.com

[Click image to enlarge]

Public Hearing on Replacing Coal with Gas in Power Plants

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (PSC) HEARING

ON PROPOSAL TO REPOWER DUNKIRK AND CAYUGA

COAL FIRED POWER PLANTS WITH GAS

Come and Give Testimony

Come and Support those Giving Testimony with your Presence

Monday, July 15, 2013

SUNY Fredonia, Multi-Purpose Room at the William Center

Fredonia, NY

Public Testimony starts at 7 pm

Administrative Law Judge Presiding

The Public Service Commission (PSC) is currently deciding whether to repower the Dunkirk and Cayuga coal-fired power plants with natural gas or to opt for more environmental and cost effective transmission system upgrades, efficiency, and renewables. There will be presentations by NRG and National Grid with Q&Q from 6-7. Public testimony will follow at 7 pm.

There is so much agreement that natural gas is the wrong choice (for environmental, fracking, cost, consumer benefit reasons) that the Business Council, the Sierra Club, and seven other environmental organizations submitted joint comments to the PSC urging the transmission upgrades, efficiency, and renewables over natural gas, Needless to say, the Business Council and enviros rarely issue joint statements. 

Senators Maziarz, Young, and Nozzolio quickly requested a public hearing in Fredonia which the PSC granted. The Sierra Club -- and others -- have submitted about 2,000 public comments opposing the natural gas conversion.

We need a strong presence at the Fredonia hearing so that Senators Young and Maziarz will hear our voices in support of cost-effective and more environmentally friendly options like renewables, infrastructure, and efficiency. This hearing can set the stage for future victories and give a public victory to fracktivists and renewable energy activists. 

SUNY Fredonia Location:  Building #21 on Campus Map.
Map to SUNY Fredonia is Here

Sierra Club Launches Statewide Renewable Energy Campaign

Event in Buffalo kicks off Renewable Energy Week Asking Governor Cuomo: “Let’s Turn, Not Burn.” 

Buffalo, NY: On Tuesday, April 16, the Sierra Club Niagara Group will join with Western New York Council on Occupational Safety & Health, WNY Drilling Defense, WNY Peace Center, Clean Air Coalition of Western New York, PUSH Buffalo, Re-ENERGIZE Buffalo, Riverside-Salem United Church of Christ, Wind Action Group, and Residents for Responsible Government to hold a press conference on the Buffalo waterfront at Dug’s Dive to launch the “Let’s Turn, Not Burn” campaign. It kicks off Sierra Club’s Renewable Energy Week, which includes events across the state and a robust advertising campaign in Buffalo, Rochester, Binghamton, Auburn and Albany calling on Governor Cuomo to take administrative action to create jobs and grow the economy with renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.

WHAT:  Press conference to launch Renewable Energy Week in New York State

WHO:

• Prof. Robert Howarth of Cornell University
• Mayor Paul Dyster of Niagara Falls
• Bob Ciesielski Energy Committee Chair, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter and Niagara Group
• Erin Heaney, Director, Clean Air Coalition of Western New York
• Lynda Schneekloth, Chair of Sierra Club Niagara Group

WHEN: Tuesday, April 16 at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE:  Buffalo waterfront at Dug’s Dive, 1111 Fuhrmann Boulevard, Buffalo, New York 14203

VISUALS: Fully operational wind turbines visible from the location, banners, people with signs

Background:

At a time when the state’s remaining coal plants are increasingly uneconomical, the “Let’s Turn, Not Burn” campaign is asking the Governor use his administrative power to bring job-creating renewable energy online to replace outdated coal, gas and nuclear plants, and meet and extend the state’s renewable energy goals. Upstate New York is well positioned to benefit from a renewable energy economy because of its potential for both wind and solar power and ready work force. Developing these sources would cut dangerous pollution and fulfill the Governor’s commitment to economic development in upstate.

Update 4.16.2013, 1pm:  Click here to see photos of event and full page Buffalo News ad.

HOMEOWNERS: Cut Electricity Bills and Pollution by Leasing Solar Panels

Solar panel leasing is new alternative to purchasing that has recently become available to homeowners in New York State. Leasing will make the transition to clean, renewable electricity possible and affordable for many more homeowners. 

Favorable incentives offered by the federal and state governments now make leasing a home solar-electric system possible.
 
With leasing, there are no up-front purchase costs and no additional charges for installation, maintenance and insurance.

Savings over previous electric bills are guaranteed. At the same time, the solar homeowner will lower their carbon footprint and help stabilize the climate. It's a win-win for people and the planet.

It's also a win for our local economy since solar system installation creates new, local jobs -- green jobs. 

To get a Free Quote to see if leasing solar panels will work for you, Click Here, and get $500.00 back if you lease.

Originally posted on 4/21/2012

Green Solutions to Fix a Broken Economy

Video: "The Story of Broke" with Annie Leonard

The United States isn't broke. But the truth is, our economy is broken, producing more pollution, greenhouse gasses and garbage than any other country. But rather than invest in something better, we continue to keep this 'dinosaur economy' on life support with hundreds of billions of dollars of our tax money.  

"The Story of Broke" calls for a shift in government spending toward investments in clean, green solutions—renewable energy, safer chemicals, zero waste and more—that can deliver jobs AND a healthier environment. 

It's time to rebuild the American Dream; but this time, let's build it better. Watch this Video:
 

PUSH creating Green Jobs in Buffalo

National organization, Green for All, is partnering with PUSH Buffalo

Green for All, is partnering with People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH) to develop a "Green Jobs for Buffalo" Program. Green For All, headed by Green Jobs champion, Van Jones, J.D., up until March 2009, has continued to thrive under the leadership of Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO.

"When we talk about a green economy, no place is pushing us more clearly forward in the right direction, than Buffalo", said Ellis-Lamkins.

PUSH has focused its efforts in establishing a Green Development Zone to create a national model of urban revitalization by concentrating strategic investments in green-design housing rehabilitation, environmental sustainability projects on vacant land, community gardens, and other urban agriculture projects.

The Massachusetts Avenue Project is partnering with PUSH to provide local economic opportunities, access to healthy food, and social-change education.

Green Jobs for Buffalo will address community development needs and yield positive results for people, for the planet, and for profits. It will promote equitable opportunities and benefits, environmental restoration and protection, and economic growth and prosperity.

Green for All will work with PUSH to maximize opportunities for public investment in Green Jobs for Buffalo. Watch this terrific video from Green for All, feel the Buffalo pride, and support PUSH and its partners:



Visit Green for All to see: In Buffalo, Green For All Launches a Policy Proposal to Green the Community Reinvestment Act

Earlier posts about PUSH Buffalo are here.

In the NEWS

Lancaster ecology firm sets stage for rewards from ‘green economy’

Kevin Neumaier sees nothing but opportunity in the budding “green economy,” but the president of Ecology & Environment also says the Lancaster environmental services firm may have to wait a little while to reap its full rewards.

Between rising interest in wind-energy projects, efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and a push to make buildings more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, Neumaier believes that E&E will have plenty of chances to find work in the coming years.

Neumaier believes that some of that growth will come from efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, easing one of the main causes of global warming. That could lead to increased spending on renewable energy projects, such as wind farms, as an alternative to power plants that run on fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas.

E&E already is working on dozens of wind projects, which has led to E&E’s wind project revenues to jump from almost nothing in 2004 to nearly $8 million last year. Neumaier believes that offshore wind farms will be a fast-growing part of that business in the coming years, despite questions about the affordability of electricity generated by those projects.

E&E also expects more work from efforts to make buildings greener. The company this week was named by the General Services Administration as one of 18 contractors nationally to work on efforts to make federal buildings more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. While it’s not clear how much work that will bring E&E, company officials said that it could average about $5 million to $7 million a year over the next few years.

Read the report by David Robinson in The Buffalo News.


Montante, Chinese sign solar power deal

An industrial park under development in the Town of Tonawanda has been rebranded as New York’s first “solar ready” commercial development, as its owners Monday celebrated the signing of a deal expected to bring Chinese know-how and investment to the site.

Leaders of TM Montante Development, the owners of the newly renamed Riverview Solar Technology Park, and the Shanghai New Energy Industry Association held a ceremonial signing of a memorandum of understanding Monday morning at the offices of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership in downtown Buffalo.

The text of the memo was not made public, but it was described by leaders of both parties as a promise and plan to link the renewable energy industries of China, where 35 percent of the world’s solar energy modules are made, and Western New York, where solar and other renewable energy sources are seen as an environmentally responsible route to economic renewal.

State economic development officials announced recently that the state had awarded a $1 million grant to the Town of Tonawanda for its Riverwalk East Park Connector project to build roads and utility services for the Montante project and for the town-owned North Youngmann Commerce Center nearby.

Read the report by George Pyle in The Buffalo News.


Senate, House panels approve `net metering' bills

A bill aimed at utility customers who install renewable power sources such as wind turbines is seriously flawed and would hurt Indiana's renewable energy movement, clean energy advocates told a state Senate committee Thursday.

The bill would expand the number of customers who can send excess power from wind, solar and other renewable energy systems back into the electric grid - an option currently limited to schools and homeowners.

But before the Senate Utilities and Technology Committee approved the bill 8-3 and sent it to the full Senate, it endorsed changes that drew strong criticism from supporters of efforts to expand Indiana's "net metering" rules.

The amended bill bars customers generating more than 10 kilowatts from carrying over excess power credit on to future bills. "You will kill net metering if you do not allow customers to roll over credit," said Laura Arnold, president of Indiana Distributed Energy Advocates.

Read the AP report in The Buffalo News.

In the NEWS

Steel Winds project will add six windmills
Six new windmills will be built on the old Bethlehem Steel site this year. According to First Wind spokesman John Lamontagne, the new towers will be about 240 feet tall, and with the blades, the windmills will be about 400 feet tall, the same as the eight turbines that the company operates along the Lackawanna shoreline.

The Thruway Authority will seek proposals from the wind turbine industry to assess the feasibility of constructing smaller windmills at six Thruway sites in Western NY: Batavia, Eden-Angola, Silver Creek, Dunkirk, Westfield and Ripley.

The plan is part of Gov. Paterson’s objective of meeting 45% of NY electricity needs through energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Read the report in The Buffalo News.


Water-focused group tries to steer government money to clean up Buffalo

BUFFALO, New York – When the state of New York and this post-industrial city don’t have the resources to seek government funding for water preservation projects, Julie Barrett O’Neill’s staff step in.

“There is a lack of capacity at the state and city level,” said the executive director of nonprofit group Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, which works to promote, preserve and protect the environments of the Buffalo and Niagara rivers. “There’s not a lot of infrastructure so we have to step in.”

So far the 20 or so staff at Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper have brought up to $12 million in funding to Buffalo, with another $50 million to come over the next two years.

The group is now looking at ways to access some of the $475 million set aside by the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama as part of the Great Lakes Initiative, aimed at restoring the Great Lakes. Together the Great Lakes contain 22 percent of the world’s fresh water.

Read the full report at Reuters.com.


Report finds region ripe for green economic future

Buffalo Niagara Enterprise on Tuesday rolled out what it called “third-party validation” that the alternative energy industry can hold the key to turning this part of the Rust Belt green.

“With its diverse manufacturing heritage and skilled work force, the region can become a key asset in U. S. efforts to expand its competitive presence in emerging green industries and technologies,” wrote consultant Keith W. Rabin, president of KWR International.

The 162-page report, commissioned by Buffalo Niagara Enterprise and funded by a grant from the electric utility National Grid, argued that such factors as idled industrial facilities, skilled work force, varied educational institutions and strategic location should position the region to respond to the nation’s call for renewable, secure and environmentally friendly energy sources.

Beyond the idled factories and the underemployed worker base, Rabin said, Western New York offers the climate and resources necessary to generate wind, solar and water power, plus the transportation network necessary to ship products that could be manufactured here.

Read the report by George Pyle in The Buffalo News.

For a Buffalo Niagara Enterprise Summary Report on the green economy and Western New York’s alternative-energy manufacturing potential, click here.


US Department of Labor announces $150 million in ‘Pathways Out of Poverty’ training grants for green jobs
WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced $150 million in green jobs training grants, as authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The "Pathways Out of Poverty" grants — as the group of funding awards is known — will support programs that help disadvantaged populations find ways out of poverty and into economic self-sufficiency through employment in energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.

"These Pathways Out of Poverty grants will help workers in disadvantaged communities gain access to the good, safe and prosperous jobs of the 21st century green economy,"said Secretary Solis. "Green jobs present tremendous opportunities for people who have the core skills and competencies needed in such well-paying and rapidly growing industries as energy efficiency and renewable energy."

Through the 38 grants awards announced today, targeted populations will receive recruitment and referral services; basic skills, work-readiness and occupational skills training; supportive services to help overcome barriers to employment; and other services at times and locations that are easily accessible. Through these programs, participants will receive certifications and on-the-job training that will lead to employment.

The press release is here.

NOTE: A search of grant recipient cities in upstate NY found Rochester and Syracuse, but not Buffalo.

Buffalo First! Coupon Books & Office Needs

Get Discounts at Local Businesses with

Buffalo First! Coupon Books

Individuals, Schools and Businesses can now order books with the click of a button. Wholesale and Retail. If you are an individual buying books PLEASE consider buying from one of our great local businesses first (below). Your support helps them.

You can page through an electronic version of the coupon book here.


Buffalo First Director, Amy Kedron, was recently interviewed by Reuters:
Buffalo groups seek ways to help local businesses

Amy Kedron is also working to promote local businesses. She is the co-founder and director of Buffalo First, which sells books of coupons for local businesses.

Kedron is a former academic and has spent a lot of time thinking about what she does. A chart in her latest coupon book – she has the proofs with her when we meet – shows how for every $100 spent at a non locally-owned business, $57 leaves the community, whereas that figure is only $32 if you spend it at a locally-owned business.

“In a way I feel sorry for CEOs of big corporations,” she said. “They are legally obliged to maximize shareholder value and cannot do a lot for communities like this because they would be breaking the law.”

“We have forgotten in this country that there is so much more to capitalism than just the exchange of goods and services,” Kedron added. “It’s about community and local businesses are the best at building communities because their owners are in it to make a living, not a killing.”

Read the full report by Nick Carey at Reuters.com

We're Seeking Office Donations

We have recently moved into our new office space above Hyatt's All Things Creative! Currently our 'wish list' of necessary items contains a microwave and minifridge. If you or your business have these items, or other general office supply needs which you are not using, think of Buffalo First!
Don't forget, all donations are tax-deductable!
We are excited to continue establishing our new space, and we thank you for helping us reduce, reuse, and recycle!

Thank you for supporting Buffalo First's mission to create a more local, green and fair economy in WNY. We look forward to hearing from you!

Always Local,
The Buffalo First Team

Buffalo First! Building a Local, Green and Fair Economy

Buffalo First Inc., 910 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14202 E-mail

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.

JOBS: Buffalo's Blues, DC's Green Hope

Buffalo, the third-poorest city in the nation, has the blue-collar blues, due to more lost jobs as described in today's Buffalo News commentary and business reports below.

However, there is hope for Buffalo and other cities willing to invest in going Green and taking bold steps towards creating a clean energy economy. Hope springs from Washington DC, as conveyed by Van Jones, White House Special Advisor on Green Jobs, in a video interview below.

GM’s decline is sobering at the corner bar - 6/7/2009
"I stopped in to chat about the GM bankruptcy—the Tonawanda plant was saved, but layoffs will hack the work force to barely 600. It is a skeletal remnant of the 4,350 who toiled there 20 years ago, overspilling into neighborhood bars and businesses.", writes Don Esmond. "Technology and cheap Third World labor and miserable management and outdated union rules hacked away the plant’s jobs and buckled the neighborhood businesses that fed off of the behemoth. The left-behind feeling lingers like a bad aftertaste. Around here, GM’s bankruptcy merely confirmed the obvious." Read the full commentary in The Buffalo News.

Economy’s new math doesn’t add up - 6/7/2009
We're losing Old Economy jobs faster than we're gaining New Economy jobs
"The news that bankrupt General Motors Corp. would cut upwards of 260 jobs at its Tonawanda Engine Plant—as much as 30 percent of its remaining work force—was further evidence that the loss of 20th Century jobs continues unabated.", writes David Robinson. "We’ve lost 2 percent of our service jobs over the last year, while 4.5 percent of our factory jobs have vanished. That equates to losing an average of 50 manufacturing jobs a week over the last year." Read the full report in The Buffalo News.

Local auto parts suppliers shift gears - 6/7/2009
Parts makers are cutting back, trying to find new customers
"The General Motors Corp. bankruptcy filing last week sent shock waves through the web of Western New York companies that supply the auto maker with parts and services.", writes Matt Glynn. Some 75-85 % of every GM automobile consists of components made by company suppliers, and these suppliers are equally dependent on GM. Read the full report in The Buffalo News.

Got Hope?
The writing is on the wall, and it is carved in stone. It is time for a permanent change in the way we do business...a Big Change, a Transformation.

We can manufacture fuel-efficient vehicles, hybrid cars and future electric cars here in America. We can manufacture parts for wind turbines, solar panels, geothermal systems and we can install these power sources to provide clean, renewable energy. We can upgrade our long-neglected railroad infrastructure (high-speed rail to NYC?). We can construct and retrofit homes and buildings to be more energy efficient. We can waste less, and save money. We can pollute less, and protect public health and the planet. Doing all of this will require new jobs that are good for both the economy and the environment, spark innovation, lift people out of poverty and put Americans back to work.

Van Jones has Hope about new jobs. He is now the White House Special Advisor on Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Jones' hope is supported by President Obama's promise to create 5 million Green-collar jobs over the next 10 years, pledging $60 billion from the $800 billion stimulus package to invest in clean energy and research for environmentally-friendly technologies, $5 billion to weatherize homes and save energy, and $500 million for green-job training.
Watch and listen to a video interview with Van Jones about Green Jobs that was aired recently on PBS:

In the NEWS

Power Authority pushes $1 billion lakeside wind farm - 4/23/2009
Potential to develop local industry called 'extraordinary'
The state took its first step Wednesday to promote the construction of a large wind farm off the shores of Lake Erie or Lake Ontario that would cost an estimated $1 billion to develop. The goal is to erect a cluster of turbines — 25 to 40, depending on their generating capacity—and nurture an industry to manufacture and assemble windmills for projects taking root around the Great Lakes.

“The potential for wind [power] in the Great Lakes is extraordinary,” said Richard M. Kessel, president and chief executive officer of the New York Power Authority, who announced the undertaking at Buffalo’s Erie Basin Marina. “This is going to happen. This is workable. This is feasible,” Kessel said. Read the full report by James Heaney in The Buffalo News.

Last year, a report from the University at Buffalo urged New York State to develop a comprehensive plan for production of wind power offshore from Lakes Erie and Ontario. The report was prepared by Robert Berger and Dwight Kanyuck and is posted here.

Building the American clean energy economy - 4/22/2009
Earth Day
For decades, while Americans across the country have worked to make a difference in their communities, politicians in both parties in Washington have ignored the energy crisis, imperiling our economy, our security and our planet. Now, we have a unique opportunity to attack the energy crisis head-on and create a comprehensive energy policy that will bolster our economy, end our dependence on foreign oil and reduce the threat of deadly pollution that is devastating our planet.

We have an enormous, urgent environmental and economic task ahead of us, and it is one that we have ignored for far too long. See the Another Voice article, by Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy, and Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor, in The Buffalo News.

Cities urged to take lead on fighting global warming - 4/19/2009
Cities, including Buffalo, must address the growing problem of climate change
Finally we have a president who understands global warming and climate change and is committed to addressing this very serious problem. The importance of this sea change cannot be underestimated. It’s cause for real hope and celebration this Earth Day.

The bad news, of course, is that we still aren’t doing enough about climate change and we’ve lost a lot of time. Success depends on implementing completely new energy policies and practices on all levels of our society. Fortunately, despite a lack of initiative here in Western New York, a large number of U. S. cities have made serious commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by cutting back on fossil fuel use. Read the Viewpoints article by Walter Simpson in The Buffalo News.

Reduced energy consumption helps users and utilities - 4/23/09
How can corporations, including energy companies like ours, act responsibly and make a real impact on the environment? How can individuals and companies alike make Earth Day a year-round commitment?

Realistically we are stuck with carbon-based energy for the time being, and must continue to inflict some damage on both our health and the environment. But we can try to control our collective addiction and take the right steps to minimize that damage every day. Read the Another Voice article by Jeffrey Mayer, president and chief executive officer of MXenergy, a retail natural gas and electricity supplier, in The Buffalo News.

Watt’s the big deal? ‘Vampire power’ - 4/22/2009
Home electricity getting drained by lots of gadgets, even when they’re off
Some estimates suggest that electronic devices account for 10 to 15 percent of all home electricity use. A sizable piece of this energy use is known as “phantom power” or “vampire power” because it occurs while the devices are turned off or not in active use.

“It’s one of those things with electronics; it’s a couple watts here and a couple watts there, and pretty soon it adds up to a lot of watts — and real money,” said John T. Thompson, a Buffalo State College associate professor of computer information systems. See the article by Stephen T. Watson in The Buffalo News.

Political Candidates discuss Sustainability

Candidates confirmed to attend are Jerry Schad , Sam Hoyt,
Alice Kryzan and Joe Mesi.

MAP to Allen Hall is HERE.

This event is sponsored by the student-led
UB Environmental Network

For more on Sustainability, and an informative and clever video, click here.

Business Gets Green: Session III

The third session of Business Gets Green was held on July 17th at the Buffalo Museum of Science. Bill Nowak, meeting organizer and Executive Director of Green Gold Development Corp., said:

"At this session we started focusing on synergies - the ways that businesses can use each other's products and services. Premium Services and Indoor Air Professionals each had great examples of partnerships they've developed as a result of Business Gets Green sessions. Personally, I had Jeff Ingersoll from Ingersoll Painting & Construction over to give me an estimate of a solar hot water heating system as a result of hearing him at Business Gets Green."

Dave Majeski of Premium Services listed numerous examples of the synergies arising as a result of Business Gets Green sessions, as shown in this video.

Videos of the featured presentations:

• Nathan Rizzo, Solar Liberty Energy Systems, Inc., Solar Energy Installation in Buffalo
• Paul Pfieffer, Buffalo Niagara Enterprise (BNE), Director of Investor and Public Relations, BNE and Renewable Energy
  
• John Beckinghausen, HSBC Bank's North American Director for Sustainability, Greening of HSBC
  
• Cheryl Zanghi, Director, Buffalo's Green Hospitality Initiative, Greening the Convention and Hospitality Industry.

Videos of short presentations are here.

Videos are courtesy of LCTV and videographer Jon Allen.
Check back later for more videos.

Business Gets Green is sponsored by the Green Gold Development Corporation.

Business Gets Green: Session II

The second session of Business Gets Green was held on June 19th at the Buffalo Museum of Science. When asked for his thoughts on the session, Bill Nowak, meeting organizer and Executive Director of Green Gold Development Corp., said:

"When we got 80 folks to the first Business Gets Green session, I was impressed. At the 2nd one there were 90 folks, the featured speakers were truly excellent, the 20 businesses that introduced themselves were fascinating, and the networking was enthusiastic and extensive."

Eric Posa, President of DocuSyst, said that the session was "...one of the best events that I have been to in a long time. It was very refreshing to learn about the projects and services in the Buffalo area that are helping to bring positive change."

Dave Majewski, President of Premium Services Inc. and a featured speaker, was highly enthusiastic about the session. He said "WOW on last night it was @#$%&$ WOW! How interesting and educational." As a direct result of his presentation and networking following the session, he will be partnering or working with three business as well as with UB, ECC and Daemen College. WOW!

Videos of the featured presentations:

• Gilad Amozeg, VP-M&A and Corporate Development, Globe Specialty Metals, Inc., New Silicon Plant in Niagara Falls

• Paul Dyster, Mayor of Niagara Falls, What does it mean to be a 'green city'?
  

• Tracie Hall, Executive Director, U.S. Green Building Council NY Upstate Chapter, What is the LEED Building Standard?

• Dave Majewski, President, Premier Services, Truly Green Landscaping

Green Shorts: Videos of the short presentations:

• Part 1
• Part 2
  

A list of participating Businesses with contact information is here.

Videos of presentations are courtesy of LCTV and videographer Jon Allen.

Analysis of featured presentations by James Heaney of the Buffalo News is here.

Business Gets Green is sponsored by the Green Gold Development Corporation. Save the date for the next Session on July 17, featuring John Beckinghausen, HSBC's North American Director for Sustainability.
Reminds me of an earlier blog I wrote on sustainability that links to an informative and cute video (5 stars).

BUSINESS: Green Jobs Workshop - June 20

Friday, June 20th - 1:00 to 6:00 PM

BUSINESS to BUSINESS - A Green Jobs Workshop
Daemen College, Wick Center, 4380 Main St., Amherst NY
Admission $15 - Waived if you register by Friday, June 13
Register with Katie Chadwick at 716-852-4191 or at klc27@cornell.edu

PROGRAM AGENDA

• 1:00 -1:10: Introductions & Welcome – Arthur Wheaton, Cornell University ILR School

• 1:10 -1:30: Introductory Remarks – Honorable Antoine Thompson, Ranking Minority Member, Environmental Conservation Committee, New York State Senate

TOPICS & SPEAKERS

• 1:30 - 2:00: Parts and Services Required for Wind Energy Facilities - Bill Nowak - Wind Action Group

• 2:00 - 2:30: Landfill with Methane Capture - John Lembach - Director of Research IBEW Local 86 Rochester, NY

• 3:00 - 3:15: Break – Beverages & Cookies

• 3:15 - 3:45: Opportunities Created by the Reopening of the Highland Avenue Plant in Niagara Falls - Speaker to be determined - Globe Specialty Metals Inc.

• 3:45 - 4:15: New York’s Efforts to Capitalize on the Green Economy - Diego Sirianni - Empire State Development Corporation

• 4:15 - 5:00: Where to Get Help on Breaking into the Renewable Energy Economy - Panel Discussion Moderator: Robert E. Knoer, Esq. - The Knoer Group, PLLC

• 5:00 - 6:00: Social Networking Hour

For a printable flyer, click here.

Business Gets Green meets June 19th

The Second Session of Business Gets Green meets on Thursday, June 19th from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Buffalo Museum of Science. Free Event.

Featured speakers and Topics will include:

• Gilad Amozeg, VP-M&A and Corporate Development, Globe Specialty Metals, Inc., New Silicon Plant in Niagara Falls

• Tracie Hall, Executive Director, U.S. Green Building Council NY Upstate Chapter, The LEED Standard

• Dave Majewski, President, Premier Services, Truly Green Landscaping
  

Businesses that want to give a 1 minute introduction need to pre-register.
Questions? Contact Bill Nowak at bill.nowak2@verizon.net

Videos, Reports, and Business Contacts from the May 15th Session are available here.

Business Gets Green is sponsored by Green Gold Development Corp.