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.

The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law unleashed a clean energy manufacturing and deployment boom that has attracted hundreds of billions of dollars in private sector investment, created hundreds of thousands of new clean energy jobs, and lowered energy costs for families while delivering cleaner air and water for communities across the country. 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. We fought like hell, holding off the worst of his attempts to gut bedrock environmental protections. Now we have to defend our progress again, and fight each fight as it comes up. We are fortunate to be in New York State which has announced its resolve to protect the state from future threats to our climate, and we must remain focused on advancing the commitments the state has made for environmental protection. We will fight to make sure those commitments are upheld.

On the brighter side, the CNNY Group has had a very successful year addressing our local issues. One of our projects was to educate about the importance of replacing the abhorrent diesel buses, which spew forth carcinogens that sicken our children and drivers, with electric buses. Each year there is a vote in each school district to replace old buses and it is our goal to have on every school budget an inclusion of electric school buses. Right now there are financial incentives to make these buses
reasonably priced. This has to be taken advantage now before the new administration cuts all environmental funding. The Group as well has been studying and a committee is working on studying and commenting on large scale renewable projects. Since it is imperative that we replace fossil fuels with renewable energy, large scale solar and wind farms must be considered. But…we must make sure that thesefarms adhere to our stringent environmental standards.

The construction and operation of the proposed Micron facility, with its many environmental challenges, has taken up much of our energy and time. We are in coalitions who with us are working on issues such as the large consumption of water, massive use of energy, destruction of wetlands, use of hazardous chemicals, etc. Central New York needs a major industry, but we have to be a force to make it as environmentally sound as we can. We now are at a point where we must continue our work, despite the despair of what is going on in the country. Our group needs your help – our membership is our army to defend our priorities.

Please consider joining one of our committees, or start your own! This is your club and we want you to participate. We have eleven outstanding members of our Executive Committee but the challenge is greater than we can handle on our own. I am asking you, as a member, what would be your priorities be? Would you be willing to join a committee to work on accomplishing your priorities?

These are some issues our Sierra Club group can work on – perhaps you would like to add to that list. I am reaching out to you requesting that you send me (rjezer@gmail.com) what you prioritize. Please send me your top three selections:

• Clean transportation
• Large Scale Renewables
• Keeping our water and lakes clean and safe
• Protecting our inner city from pollution
• Working on the political and legislative issues
• Nuclear energy
• Endangered species
• Forests
• Other

The only way we are going to get through the next four years is if everyone pitches in. I hope working with our Sierra Club Group will be a priority for you. We would appreciate hearing from you and your interests.

On another matter, each year you are given the opportunity to elect members to serve both on our statewide executive committee as well as our CNNY group executive committee - there is more information in the Sierra Club Election Statements article.

PLEASE VOTE. You will be receiving a newsletter from the Atlantic Chapter which includes a ballot for the statewide election as well as a drop down to vote electronically for our group election. Although there is not much choice for our group election, we really want to have our members participate in voting.

I would like to thank our very hard working Executive Committee members for all their work this past year. They all join me wishing you good holidays holding your friends and family close. We hope to see you and hear from you in the near future. Just remember, we will overcome the viciousness and ugliness we are now seeing only by resolving to fight together to protect our world and its inhabitants.