Welcome to the Sierra Club Central-Northern NY Group
The purpose of this site is to enhance communication and participation of Sierra Club members and concerned citizens in preserving our environment.
A Message from the Chair
November 2024
I have been trying to remain positive despite an overwhelming feeling of despair after the elections. Many of you, I know, feel the same way. Every hour, however, is bringing new astoundingly troubling news. We were blessed in the past four years because our country had the most ambitious climate, conservation, clean energy, and environmental justice agenda in history. We took advantage of the “Investing in America” agenda, which included securing the largest ever investment in climate and clean energy.
From the Chair
October 2024
Those of us who were born in the United States, tend to take democracy for granted. People who emigrated to our shores from many other countries around the world, who lived under other types of governments, often take the preservation of our democracy even more seriously than we do because they have experienced what happens if we don’t elect the right people. This year our election is the most crucial it ever has been. At risk is democracy at its core, the planet as we know it, and the health and protection of our bodies.
From the Chair
March 2024
Sierra Club is the most historic grassroots environmental organization in the country. For more than 130 years, we’ve gathered millions of activists and volunteers to fight for the places, people, and planet we all love. The CNNY (Central & Northern New York) Group encompasses seven counties and has about 2500 members. Our board of eleven people work diligently to follow the particular environmental issues affecting our region, such as protecting our water, lakes, open space, forests, air quality, pollution from fossil fuels, and environmental justice issues.
Join us to help protect our planet! It is educational, fun and inspiring to work with our group. We are currently focusing on of such issues as promotion of electric school buses, holding Micron accountable to build and run its new chips plant with as little harm to the environment as possible, solar farm projects and several other pressing issues. Want to help as well as learn about what interests you? Write to rjezer@gmail and tell us your ideas and interests.
Why We Need to Transition to Electric School Buses
There is evidence that children are particularly susceptible to the negative health impacts of diesel exhaust [1]. The exhaust from diesel-burning school buses puts students and the bus drivers at risk for lasting serious conditions such as asthma and cancer, as well as negative cognitive development impacts [2]. This effects the 25 million children in our country who travel on school buses over four billion miles each year [3]. Diesel-burning school buses emit high levels of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, directly contributing to climate change that increasingly threatens our children’s future. It is important to note that communities of color face higher on road air pollution, and students from Black and Latino households, low-income students, and students with disabilities are all more likely to ride the school bus than their counterparts and are therefore at more risk [4].
Large Scale Renewable Energy Siting
Renewable energy is no longer considered “alternative energy” More and more people are looking for sources like wind and solar to power their homes and businesses. The demand for clean energy is strong and growing. Although the cost for new renewable energy development is currently more than delivering dirty fossil fuel energy, it’s because the fossil fuel industry has an established infrastructure that was created at mass scale many years ago, partially through government subsidies. (1)
Sierra Club Election Statements
A Force Of Nature Defending Our Communities and Our Planet From Trump
Donald Trump has been declared the winner of the US presidential election. During Trump’s first term, the Sierra Club played a critical role in defending against his administration’s attacks on climate progress and clean air and water. The Sierra Club legal team filed more than 300 lawsuits against his administration, holding off the worst of his attempts to gut bedrock environmental protections, as well as watch-dogging Trump’s political appointees and bringing to light their ties to polluting industries through FOIA requests and litigation. The Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign also continued to be successful in driving the transition from coal to clean energy in spite of Trump, retiring coal plants at an even faster pace than under the Obama administration.
Gov. Hochul Pushes New Nuclear Power Plants. Citizens Say No!
by Don Hughes
On Sept 5th 2024, NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research & Development Agency, held a major energy summit in downtown Syracuse. Governor Hochul came to announce that the state was worried about meeting electrical demand while meeting the schedule in the state’s Climate law (CLCPA). Her solution? Build new nuclear power plants using new designs. That same day, the state released its draft “Blueprint-for-Consideration-of-Advanced-Nuclear-Technologies,” which was more like a term paper discussing the current state of nuclear technology, hardly a blueprint.
Want to get more involved with the CNNY Group?
If you are interested in becoming involved in our group, please reach out to us! We welcome volunteers interested in helping in some way. Email us your interest here.
