URGENT: Support NYS Senate Passage of Important Climate Bill

IMPORTANT - TAKE ACTION TODAY!

The NY State Climate and Community Protection Act [1] passed the State Assembly, and it now has Bipartisan support of a Majority in the State Senate. 

We need to move this important bill to the floor for a vote [2].   

ACT NOW to show your support!  It's Easy! 

To send a form letter to your Senator or write your own, CLICK HERE.

New Yorkers deserve good jobs and healthy communities powered by clean, renewable energy!

1. NY State Climate and Community Protection Act(A.10342/S.8005) 
2. EDITORIAL: Senate Must Act on Climate - Albany TimesUnion - June 15, 2016

 Sponsors: Climate Justice Coalition of WNY, Sierra Club Niagara Group, and NY Renews

STATE CAPITOL RALLY: Stand Together for Climate, Jobs, and Justice

Join us to Rally for 
100% Clean Renewable Energy in NY State!

The Climate Justice Coalition of WNY and the Sierra Club Niagara Group need YOU in Albany to tell our lawmakers that we demand a Clean Energy Economy with Good Jobs, Healthy Communities, a Livable Climate and Justice for ALL!

The shift to renewable energy will cut global warming pollution, create new jobs and must include policies that ensure equity and justice for our communities and workers.

Fortunately, the NYS Assembly recently introduced a new bill, The Climate and Community Protection Act (A10342), that addresses all of the above concerns. But the bill will not become law without Strong Public Support. That's why we need YOU at the State Capitol!

Rally with us on June 1st to make your voice heard and let New York State legislators know that We Stand United for a clean energy economy and renewable energy future for all!

Get your BUS Tickets here: Buffalo Bus To Albany

Renewables Are Doable!

For more information visit New Yorkers for Clean Power

Public Supports County Ban of Fracking and Drilling Waste

By David Kowalski  .

The Erie County Legislature is examining a proposed law to ban fracking on county-owned land, and to prohibit treating, disposal and road spreading of fracking and drilling wastes, which contain toxic and radioactive materials. 

About 75 people packed the Erie County Legislature Chambers for the final public hearing on the

                                             Photos / WNY Drilling Defense

proposed legislation.

Many of those in attendance signed up to speak and all who spoke were opposed to fracking and its waste. 

Erie County legislators said that throughout all of the meetings they've had about banning fracking on county land, no one has ever showed up to speak in favor of the fracking industry.

A box of petitions with 3,845 signatures of Erie County residents who support the proposed legislation was presented by Rita Yelda, organizer for New Yorkers Against Fracking and WNY Drilling Defense.

The Erie County Legislature will vote on the proposal on December 12th. Legislators Betty Jean Grant and Timothy Hogues cosponsored the legislation and said that they have five of the six votes needed for

County Legislators Betty Jean Grant and Timothy Hogues

it to pass.

"Nearly 15 counties across New York have stepped up to protect their residents against the dangers posed by fracking and fracking waste," Grant said. "Now it's Erie County's turn to take a stand and say that we will not allow fracking on our county land and we will now allow drilling waste to be stored or disposed of on county land."

Grant, however, noted that a ban would alleviate concerns over health issues related to fracking.
"This protects us from being exposed to the hundreds of dangerous chemicals used in the fracking process and from being exposed to the radioactive fracking waste," she said.

Below is a brief video (provided by WGRZ) that gives an overview of the proceedings:

If you are unable to view the video on your device, Click Here to view it at the WGRZ website.

Business Gets Green: October 15th

Thursday, October 15, 2009
5:30pm to 7:30pm

Frank E. Merriweather Jr. Branch Library

1324 Jefferson Ave, Corner of Jefferson and East Utica [ Map ]

Lots of Free Parking - 25 spaces in the library lot - and ample on-street parking. Now that it's getting dark earlier, we will provide accompaniment to your car after the meeting if you'd like.

Agenda for the 15 minute featured presentations:

• Benjamin Rand - Insyte Consulting & NYS Pollution Prevention Institute - See the VIDEO here
  
• Katie Duggan-Haas - Resource Recyling Systems - See the VIDEO here.
  
• Joseph Murray - Ace Energy, Inc. - See the VIDEO here
  
• Donna Chapman - WNYCOSH Staff Coordinator - On the recently passed Green Homes/Green New York bill - See the VIDEO here
  

Descriptions of the businesses in the featured presentations are here.

The Format for Business Gets Green includes 1/2 hour of 30 second Introductions by businesses, organizations and individuals. See the VIDEO here.

The Introductions are followed by 4 - 15 minute feature presentations on businesses or issues that are of special interest, usually with Powerpoint slides.

If you would like to give one of the 15 minute presentations, please contact Bill Nowak with a 2-3 paragraph description of your presentation and dates (3rd Thursdays) you can be available to present.

As usual, this session will be filmed for LCTV and YouTube. Thanks Jon Allen!

Videos from the Sept. 24th Business Gets Green session are on the Web:

Dan Conable - NYS BioMass Energy Alliance
Creighton Randall - Buffalo Car Share
Dave Majewski - R.E.D. is the new Green
Short Introductions

Save the Date: Senator Thompson wants you to know that we are scheduling the 2010 Green Expo for Saturday, April 17th. Please save this date, and if it represents a conflict with something you know is being planned, please let us know right away so we can seek some accommodations.

In the NEWS

The Buffalo News endorsed Senate passage and Obama signing of a climate change bill, stating that the House bill which passed is not perfect, the Senate version could be improved, and the version that the president signs could be better still. See the Editorial below.

Action on climate change -- 7/02/2009
House passage of an emissions bill starts nation toward global solutions
"This time, we’re all going to the moon. The climate change bill that narrowly passed the House of Representatives Friday recalls nothing so much as President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 call for the United States to send a man to the moon within a decade."
"But we need a bill passed and signed, or we will never get this mission launched." Read the full Editorial in The Buffalo News.

Video interview on the climate change bill - 7/01/2009
Buffalo native Jason Kowalski, Policy Analyst at 1Sky.org in Washington DC, favored strengthening the recently-passed House climate change bill in support of renewable energy, green jobs and a global emissions agreement in a TV news interview.

Obama pressures Senate to pass climate change bill -- 6/28/2009
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hailing the House, President Obama put pressure on senators Saturday to follow its lead and pass legislation to limit greenhouse gas emissions, helping usher the U. S. into a new age of energy efficiency.
“Now my call to every senator, as well as to every American, is this: We cannot be afraid of the future. And we must not be prisoners of the past,” the president said in his weekly radio and Internet address. “Don’t believe the misinformation out there that suggests there is somehow a contradiction between investing in clean energy and economic growth. It’s just not true.” Read the full Associated Press report in The Buffalo News.

White House says global warming is already here and getting worse -- 6/17/2009 WASHINGTON (AP) — Rising sea levels, sweltering temperatures, longer droughts and heavier downpours — global warming’s serious effects are already here and getting worse, the Obama administration warned Tuesday in the grimmest, most urgent language on climate change ever to come out of any White House.
But scientists and government officials seemed to go out of their way to soften the message. It is still not too late to prevent some of the worst consequences, they said, by acting aggressively to reduce world emissions of heat-trapping gases, primarily carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels. Read the full Associated Press report in The Buffalo News.

Hurray, Yahoo! -- 7/03/2009
Hope for boost to ‘new economy’ helps justify costly incentives
Yahoo! is coming to Western NY. The NY Power Authority, urged by Gov. Paterson, is selling Yahoo! discounted hydropower, a subsidy of $33,000 to $54,000 per job, per year, for jobs that pay $65,000 to $75,000 plus benefits. That's more than four times the average annual per-job power discount of $12,446. Read the full Editorial in The Buffalo News.

Solar panel maker gets low-cost electricity -- 7/01/2009
Sunworks pledges to create 175 jobs
"The state Power Authority has awarded a large block of low-cost hydropower to a fledgling California company that plans to build a plant in Western New York to manufacture solar panels."
"Sunworks Solar plans to spend $200 million to build a plant that would employ 175. The New York Power Authority on Tuesday agreed to allocate five megawatts of hydropower, which it will sell to the San Francisco-based company for about one-quarter the market rate." Read the full report by James Heaney in The Buffalo News.

Clean Energy and Climate Bill Passes House

The House of Representatives passed key legislation on Friday to move the nation towards a clean energy economy that will put Americans back to work, protect our environment and help preserve national security. The bill is a landmark first step by Congress to curb climate change by limiting emissions of the heat-trapping gases which cause global warming.

The "American Clean Energy and Security Act" passed by a simple majority, 219-212 (3 members did not vote). Western New York Congress members Higgins (D-Buffalo, NY-27) and Slaughter (D-Fairport, NY-28) voted for passage, while Lee (R-Clarence, NY-26) and Massa (D-Corning, NY-29) voted against the bill.

The bill proposes to save billions of dollars in energy costs, cutting waste for consumers and businesses through investment in energy efficiency for vehicles, buildings, appliances and industrial processes. Consumer rebates allow the majority of Americans to achieve energy cost savings, and clean energy investments will reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Incentives for clean energy technology will spur innovation, create new jobs and ultimately reduce carbon emissions.

The bill proposes a cap-and-trade system to limit emissions of global warming pollution and allows the emitting industries to trade pollution permits. The emission cap would be lowered over time, increasing the cost and moving industries towards clean energy sources or new technology.

Opposition to the bill focused on fear of the possibilities that it would lead to higher energy prices for consumers as well as loss of jobs. However, independent studies from the Pew Charitable Trust and the Union of Concerned Scientists showed that the clean energy proposal would result in cost savings and job growth. Also another analysis from the Congressional Budget Office showed that the bill would reduce budget deficits, or increase future surpluses, by about $24 billion over the 2010-2019 period.

President Obama also expressed a very different view from that of the opposition. He said, "Instead of increasing the deficit, it is paid for by the polluters who currently emit dangerous carbon emissions. It provides assistance to businesses and families as they make the gradual transition to clean energy technologies. It gives rural communities and farmers the opportunity to participate in climate solutions and generate new income. And above all, it will protect consumers from the costs of this transition, so that in a decade, the price to the average American will be just about a postage stamp a day."

A video of the President's address on the bill's passage, a link to the transcript, and a U.S. map showing how Congress members voted are here.

Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope said, "This bill sets the stage for the dawn of the clean energy future. While imperfect, it sets forth a set of goals America must achieve—and exceed”.

Next, the bill will move on to the Senate for further consideration.

Climate bill survives with narrow passage - 06/27/09
House accepts plan to limit emissions
WASHINGTON — For the first time ever, the House on Friday passed a plan to combat climate change, a top priority of President Obama’s that Rep. Brian Higgins said could rescue the Western New York economy. Read the full article by Jerry Zremski, News Washington Bureau Chief, in The Buffalo News.

Event: Climate Change and Policy

The Heat is On -- Climate Change and Emerging Policies

Speaker: Mary G. Wilson, National President, League of Women Voters

This special event honors Taffy Tarbell, an accomplished League of Women Voters leader and tireless advocate.

• More Information

• Registration Form -- Reservations due by April 15.

Burchfield Penney Art Center,1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo [Map]

Earth Hour 2009 - Curb Climate Change

Global ‘lights-out’ presses for climate change
AP -- March 29, 2009

CHICAGO — From an Antarctic research base and the Great Pyramids of Egypt to the Empire State Building in New York, illuminated patches of the globe went dark Saturday for Earth Hour, a campaign to highlight the threat of climate change.

Time zone by time zone, nearly 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries joined the event sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund to dim nonessential lights from 8:30 p. m. to 9:30 p. m. The campaign began in Australia in 2007 and last year grew to 400 cities worldwide.

Organizers initially worried that enthusiasm this year would wane with the world focused on economics, said Earth Hour executive director Andy Ridley. But he said it apparently had the opposite effect.

In New York, the Empire State Building and the U. N. building were among the city landmarks that shut off their lights.

In Buffalo, Mayor Byron Brown said City Hall extinguished all non-essential lights for the entire evening. The Electric Tower also went dark for an hour, then was bathed in green light. Read the full story in The Buffalo News.

UPDATE, March, 30: Check out these fantastic photos from around the world at Boston.com.

VIDEO:

Business Gets Green: February 19th

Business Gets Green is a monthly networking series for green businesses and businesses that want to explore going green. All are welcome and admission is Free. The next session will be held on Thursday, February 19th, from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the Buffalo Museum of Science [Map]. Please arrive early. Business Gets Green sessions start promptly at 5:30 and close at 7:30, leaving time for networking.

Agenda:

• 5:30-5:45pm: Senator Antoine Thompson, Chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, will discuss environmental initiatives in the NY State legislature. UPDATE: Video of the presentation
  

• 5:45-7:00pm: Suggestions from the floor for legislation in support of greening businesses and improving environmental quality in New York State: 4 minutes each. Please send written copies of your remarks or legislative proposals to Bill Nowak. The entire community - business people, environmentalists, citizens - is invited to participate.
  

• 7:15-7:30pm: Green Businesses that haven't spoken on proposed legislation will introduce themselves - 30 seconds each.

Questions? Please contact Bill Nowak, newly-appointed Director of Policy Research for NYS Sen.Thompson, at wnowak@senate.state.ny.us