[sustainable_tompkins-l] NEWS: Science-Based Climate Bill for New York State Introduced by Sen. Latimer and A.M. Rosenthal

[Maura Stephens]

Please share this with your networks.

Introducing a GOOD CLIMATE BILL for NEW YORK STATE:
the NYS CLIMATE RESPONSIBILITY ACT

Dear friends and colleagues,

The offices of Senator Latimer and Assembly Member Rosenthal and Advocates for 
Responsible Climate Action are pleased to share the introduction of the NYS 
Climate Responsibility Act 
 (S5557/A8299), per the 
media release pasted below. The bill was crafted with experts in the fields of 
science, economics, medical, and engineering. The bill and other materials are 
linked.

Cordially,

Maura Stephens
for ARCA and the legislators

Maura Stephens
founding member, Advocates for Responsible Climate Action
member, Society of Professional Journalists; Society of Environmental 
Journalists
associate director, Park Center for Independent Media (ret.)
independent journalist and educator
607-351-3766 mobile
607-589-7302 office

—
Advocates for Responsible Climate Action (ARCA)

MEDIA RELEASE

June 15, 2017

For Immediate Release

Contacts:   Bob Eklund, eklun...@hotmail.com , 
607-263-2375

 Dennis Higgins, higgi...@gmail.com 
, 607-988-9647

Science-Based State Climate Responsibility Act Unveiled

Albany, NY — Today State Senator George Latimer and Assembly Member Linda B. 
Rosenthal announced the introduction of a comprehensive bill to tackle the 
climate crisis. The science-based New York State Climate Responsibility Act 
(NYS CRA, A8299 /S5557 
) is designed to ensure 
that New York meets its greenhouse gas reduction goals. 

“Despite advances in renewables, New York is still heavily dependent on fossil 
fuels,” said Senator Latimer. “Altering that requires changing virtually every 
aspect of how we produce and consume energy. Any legislation seeking to 
facilitate that change must also acknowledge the technical challenges involved. 
Our bill does.” 

Developed with the support of individuals with expertise in engineering, 
economics, public health and social science, the NYSCRA identifies key actions 
that must occur and critical issues that must be addressed to slash greenhouse 
gas emissions and make the necessary transition to renewables.

“Preserving our planet for future generations demands nothing less than 
immediate action, and the Climate Responsibility Act is the vehicle to get the 
job done,” said Assemblywoman  Rosenthal. “With Trump withdrawing the U.S. from 
the Paris Climate Accord, it is more vital than ever that states take the lead 
on climate change. This bill charts a path forward that is both realistic and 
aggressive, and ensures that New York will lead on climate. I’m proud to 
sponsor this bill with Senator Latimer.”

Advocates of the bill point out that it is not enough to eliminate power plant 
emissions, which account for about a quarter of the state’s carbon footprint. 
New York will also have to phase out the use of fossil fuels for 
transportation, heating and other purposes. Bold action is needed in every 
arena. Simultaneous with this, the state must dramatically ramp up renewables 
as New Yorkers replace vehicles, equipment and appliances with technology that 
does not run on fossil fuels. 

“These complex processes must be carefully synchronized so that the lights stay 
on and people can still get to work,” explained Keith Schue, an engineer who 
helped prepare the bill. “Implementation must also occur at scale and on time 
to meet climate goals. That requires a robust plan.”

The NYSCRA ensures success by requiring all state agencies to work together in 
the development of rules, regulations, programs and policies to bring about the 
widespread transformation required. And it measures success with an 
unimpeachable statewide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions—something the 
state has long needed but does not have.

Among other contributors to the bill is renowned scientist Anthony R. 
Ingraffea, Ph.D., the Dwight C. Baum Professor of Engineering Emeritus and 
Weiss Presidential Teaching Fellow at Cornell University. 

“This bill would give legal authority to the most important management plan in 
New York history," said Ingraffea. "Our state must meet its obligation of 
substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions to address the clear and  
threat of climate change, while at the same time providing for an orderly and 
just transition to a renewable energy economy. This bill defines 
responsibilities and provides legal powers for managing and synchronizing this 
dual challenge.”

Importantly, implementation of the NYSCRA will benefit all New Yorkers, 
including environmental justice communities who currently suffer most from the 
negative impacts of fossil fuel use.

“Increasing renewables as we wean off of fossil fuels will save New York 
billions in healthcare costs and protect 

[sustainable_tompkins-l] Experienced gardening help needed, short-term

[Maura Stephens]

Overstretched nonprofit organization leaders looking for short-term gardening 
help (with possibility for longer-term arrangement).

Experience needed for weeding, planting, transplanting, digging; moving dirt, 
compost, mulch; the gardening basics. Somewhat physically demanding. Must be 
able to tell a beneficial plant from a pesky weed and a beneficial insect from 
a pest. 

Good hourly pay. Lunch provided (if desired). 

References required. 

Located in Spencer, Tioga County (18 miles south of Ithaca). Must have own 
transportation; will compensate for up to one hour of travel daily. 

Total of 20-30 hours work in short term; if mutally beneficial, perhaps we 
would arrange something longer-term.

Please share with others who might be interested. 

Please contact: Maura Stephens, 607-351-3766 (text or WhatsApp); 
maurastephe...@gmail.com

Many thanks,

Maura Stephens

Maura Stephens
Cofounder, Coalition to Protect New York 

Board member, Ithaca Fringe Festival 
Founding member, Bad Dog! Productions
Founding member, Advocates for Responsible Climate Action
607-351-3766 mobile/text
607-589-7302 office/voice






For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please 
visit:  http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
If you have questions about this list please contact the list manager, Tom 
Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.

[sustainable_tompkins-l] Uniting for a Just and Sustainable Food System

[Sasha Paris]

Article at
https://sustainabletompkins.org/signs-of-sustainability/tompkins-weekly-column/uniting-for-a-just-and-sustainable-food-system/



*Uniting for a Just and Sustainable Food System*



Tompkins Weekly 6-12-17



By Kate Cardona



As farmer and educator Damon Brangman reflected last fall on the many food
and agriculture conferences he has attended around the country, he realized
that Ithaca, with its abundant farmland, fresh food, and community members
interested in the connection between food and social justice would be an
ideal place to host a conference.



Through conversations between Brangman, staff members of *Groundswell
Center for Local Food & Farming*  and
Cornell Professor Rachel Bezner-Kerr, a collaborative vision for the Farm
to Plate Conference was born.



This May, that vision came to life as more than 300 people gathered in
Ithaca for three days to “Educate, Celebrate and Create a Just and
Sustainable Food System.” One of the underlying questions throughout the
conference was: What makes a food system both sustainable AND just?



The many powerful keynote speakers and panel presenters had lots of
valuable experience and insight to help answer this question. The
conference kicked off at Cornell’s Africana Center with a speaker panel of
four Black farmers and food activists of: Rafael Aponte, Jamila Simon,
Karen Washington and Malik Yakini.



The panelists each spoke about the work they do for food sovereignty, or
“the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced
through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to
define their own food and agriculture systems.”



Each panelist works within an organizations that support Black community
members to grow their own food on their own terms. They grounded the
discussion of their efforts in the history of racism in the U.S. food
system, including the genocide of the indigenous peoples of this continent,
the reality of slavery and exploitation as the economic backbone of this
country, the food desert neighborhoods decimated through racist zoning and
housing policies, and the ongoing exploitation of immigrant farm and food
workers. Yet, as each panelist made clear, as long as these unjust policies
have existed, so too has resistance. People of color have long been at the
forefront of movement for food justice, land access and healthy, fresh food
for all. This work continues around the country today.



The second day began at The Space at GreenStar, with a panel of farmers and
academic agroecologists thinking through the meaning and importance of
agroecology on both a local and a global scale. Agroecology is “an approach
that seeks to integrate ecological science with other disciplines (such as
agronomy, sociology, history, etc.) and knowledge systems (such as local,
indigenous, etc.) to guide research and actions towards the sustainable
transformation of our current agrifood system.”



Through lessons learned from local farmers Thor Oechsner and Erica Frenay,
to insights gained from the international research of professors Hannah
Wittman, V. Ernesto Mendez and writer and activist Raj Patel, the
importance of taking a holistic, transdisciplinary approach to agriculture
– looking not only at its ecological implications but also its social,
political, and economic impacts – rose to the forefront.



Patel continued digging into these topics in his keynote talk – titled
“Reparation Ecology” – later that day, asking the audience to consider how
European colonialism and capitalism combined to create our current food
system. While the local food movement provides part of an answer to the
imbalances and injustices these systems have created, it does not fully
address the underlying issues of patriarchy, racism, or climate change. To
truly transform our food system, Patel advocates for first, a recognition
of this history, leading to reparation, redistribution, reimagination and
finally, recreation.



Conference participants applied many of these themes during the second
day’s afternoon session, through facilitated roundtable discussions on the
topics of food movements, urban gardening, school food, food policy and
more.



The roundtables enabled people to connect to existing efforts and resources
as well as brainstorm new ideas for strengthening our Finger Lakes food
system. The afternoon also offered tours of many regional farms including
Kingbird Farm, Wellspring Forest Farm, Interbrook Farm, Farmer Ground Flour
and Groundswell Center’s Incubator Farm, and gave participants insight into
some of the innovative practices employed by the sustainable farmers of the
Finger Lakes.



The second day concluded at Beverly J. Martin Elementary School, with a
fundraiser dinner for Brangman’s project – Roots Rising Farm – plus an
awards ceremony honoring several key individuals who have contributed to
the vibrant Finger Lakes food and farm community. The evening was

[sustainable_tompkins-l] Tompkins County Courthouse adds Public Space Recycling Station

[Geoff Dunn]

ITHACA, NY – Tompkins County’s Department of Recycling and Materials Management 
recently installed a public space recycling station  in front of the County 
Courthouse  building on North Tioga Street in Ithaca. It features receptacles 
for both trash and common single-stream recyclable items like cans, plastic and 
glass bottles and newspapers.



Serviced on a regular basis by Casella Waste Systems, the station is monitored 
frequently by TCRMM staff to guard against contamination of either the waste or 
recycling streams.



“We installed our first public space recycling bin almost two years ago,” said 
Nancy Webster, a Waste Reduction and Recycling Specialist for Tompkins County. 
“We have found an increasing number of communities are focused on expanding 
recycling opportunities to public settings such as streetscapes and parks, with 
the most successful offering options for both trash and recycling.”



In addition to the Courthouse location, public space recycling stations can be 
found next to the Public Library on East Green Street in Ithaca, in front of 
the County Human Services Building, on Main Street in Trumansburg, and along 
the Cayuga Waterfront Trail in Stewart Park.



Tompkins County Director of Facilities Arel LeMaro has been an enthusiastic 
supporter of the initiative. “These units are not only aesthetically pleasing 
and serve an important function in helping reduce instances of litter,” he 
said. “but it’s especially significant, in the case of the County Courthouse, 
that we highlight this program in front of one of our most prominent and 
historical buildings.”



At least two more public space recycling stations are expected to be installed 
in 2017, according to TCRMM’s Webster.



###



Contact: Nancy Webster, Waste Reduction and Recycling Specialist, 273-6632





Geoff Dunn

Communications and Administrative Coordinator

Tompkins County Recycling and Materials Management

122 Commercial Ave.

Ithaca, NY 14850

(607) 273-6632

http://www.recycletompkins.org

For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please 
visit:  http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
If you have questions about this list please contact the list manager, Tom 
Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.

[sustainable_tompkins-l] TONIGHT! 6/15: GO SOLAR-TRUMANSBURG! Last Public Workshop!

[Sandra J. Repp]

Last Chance to Learn About Benefits of the Go Solar Campaign!
You could save thousand$, but enrollment ends soon!


GO SOLAR-TRUMANSBURG!
Thursday, June 15, 6:00-8:00pm
@ Trumansburg Fire Hall, 74 W. Main St., Trumansburg 14886

Enrollment in the Go Solar Campaign has been extended, but only through the end 
of JUNE. Join us for this last, free community event of the Go Solar campaign 
to:
*   Learn all about the new options that make going solar affordable and easy 
for everyone,
*   Have your questions answered,
*   Learn from others who have gone solar,
*   Meet our 4 partner installers who have cut their prices 10-15% for this 
program, and,
*   Sign up for a free no-obligation site assessment to see if solar will work 
for you!

There are now more options available than ever before, incentives have just 
been extended, and solar panels are at an all-time low price. There's no better 
time than now to Go Solar!
Learn how at this free community event, or visit 
www.GoSolarTompkins.org to learn more and 
enroll.

Go Solar is a community-led, Cornell Cooperative Extension-run campaign to help 
bring low-cost solar to everyone in Tompkins County. All events are free and 
everyone is welcome!  For more information or to enroll in the program, visit 
www.GoSolarTompkins.org , go to our Facebook 
page at 
www.facebook.com/GoSolarTompkinsCounty
 , or contact Guillermo Metz at g...@cornell.edu or 
(607) 272-2292 for more information.


For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please 
visit:  http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
If you have questions about this list please contact the list manager, Tom 
Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.

[sustainable_tompkins-l] Harvey Wasserman: "Donald Trump & Andrew Cuomo Are Brothers in Reactor Disaster"

[Maura Stephens]

> in Reader Supported News:
> 

> Harvey Wasserman | Donald Trump & Andrew Cuomo Are Brothers in Reactor 
> Disaster 
> 
>  
> Harvey Wasserman, Reader Supported News 
> Wasserman writes: "Donald Trump and New York governor Andrew Cuomo have 
> joined forces in destroying our economy and environment." 
> READ MORE 
> 

For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please 
visit:  http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
If you have questions about this list please contact the list manager, Tom 
Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.

[sustainable_tompkins-l] Farming the Forest: June 23 - 25

[Steve Gabriel]

*Still some spots left! Join us for this unique course.  *





*Farming the Forest *

*JUNE 23 – 25 in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of New York*



Discover the possibilities of growing a range of food and medicine in
marginal woodlands, hedgerows, and wet places. Explore growing edible
mushrooms, elderberry, perennial vegetables, berries, and nuts in temperate
woodlands on both a homestead and farm scale.



This course is facilitated by Steve Gabriel of Wellspring Forest Farm
, along with Sean Dembrosky of Edible
Acres . Both have over a decade experience in
managing productive small scale agroforestry systems and share their land
projects with participants as a living classroom.



This course is designed for woodland owners, farmers, extension
professionals, permaculturists, and homesteaders who want to gain a better
understanding of the intricacies of forest management and build their
skills in the management of productive woodlands.



$300 includes lunch each day

$50 to camp onsite, or book our spacious yurt on the farm





*Schedule:*



*Friday*

Forest Ecology

Tour of Wellspring Forest Farm systems
Hands-on: Ecosystem mapping

LOCAL FARM LUNCH

Tour of Edible Acres systems

Polycultures

Hands On: Planning & Planting Polycultures

Building Soil health & Succession

Mixing Perennial & Annual production





*Saturday*

@ Wellspring



Working with Water & Wet Places

Elderberry & Willow Planting

Hands On: Planting in Wet Places

Animals in Woodlands

LOCAL FARM LUNCH

Tree Saps & Syrups

Mushrooms, Foraging & Cultivating

Hands On Inoculations





*Sunday*

@ Edible Acres


Setting up a Small Nursery

Low Tech Propagation Methods for Trees and Plants

Potting Mixes

LOCAL FARM LUNCH

Soil Health

BioChar

Cover cropping

Support plants; comfrey, sorrel

Passive strategies for deer and other Critters





Register at: events.wellspringforestfarm.com


-- 
*Steve Gabriel*
farmer - teacher - author - consultant
stevegabrielfar...@gmail.com


*Wellspring Forest Farm & School*
*www.WellspringForestFarm.com *

*Farming the Woods (1st book)*
*www.FarmingtheWoods.com *

*Working on my second book!*
*www.SilvopastureBook.com* 


For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please 
visit:  http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
If you have questions about this list please contact the list manager, Tom 
Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.