Campaign for 100% Clean Energy in NYS
gelfny.org, www.facebook.com/greenelfny
April 6, 2015
Endorsements Continue to Grow
We are now up to 64 organizational endorsements – as well as Bill McKibben (complete list). Our first labor unions – the Troy Area Labor Council – have endorsed. And the People’s Climate Mobilization NY adopted the goal of transforming NYC to 100% clean energy by 2030. Organizations can endorse here.
Climate Change Lobby Day – May 12 or 19th?
It looks like there will be a large climate change action day at the Capitol in June. But we want to do an initial lobby day in May around 100% clean energy, divestment of the state pension plan, and a carbon tax. Please take a quick poll. http://doodle.com/8m7punyfepu8iu3q
Campaign Events: Ithaca April 19; Syracuse April 20; Bronx April 30
Mark Dunlea is getting out around the state to educate people our the push for 100% clean energy – and to connect with all the great work that local activists are doing to promote renewables and oppose fossil fuels and nukes.
The Ithaca College Progressives are hosting us on Sunday April 19 at 7 PM. Klingenstein Lounge in the Campus Center of Ithaca College, 953 Danby Road, Ithaca, NY (map). We will be speaking at the Earth Day festival in Ithaca at 2:30 in the afternoon. RSVP here.
On Monday April 20 at 7 PM we will be at the ArtGage Galley, 505 Hawley Ave. Syracuse with: Howie Hawkins, recent Green Party candidate for Governor. on the Green New Deal; Jessica Azulay of AGREE, discussing the Reforming Energy Vision (REV) at the PSC and the need for energy democracy; Stacey Smith of Fossil Free and Go Green NY on the campaign to divest the state pension funds from fossil fuels. RSVP here.
On Thursday April 30 at 7 PM we will speaking at the monthly meeting of Bronx Climate Justice North. at St. Andrews Church.
Support Shared Renewables by April 7 with a letter
Sent a letter to Gov. Cuomo and the PSC to support the shared renewable campaign. Through the Vote Solar Initiative. Deadline April 7.
Send Letter To…
After Governor Cuomo committed to expanding access to renewable energy for more New Yorkers in his State of the State, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) has begun to make this a reality through a shared renewable energy program. The electric utilities are gearing up make their voices heard on this. The PSC needs to hear from the public and solar supporters in the next week with more force than the utilities can muster.
http://action.votesolar.org/page/speakout/shared-renewable-energy-straw?js=false
Give Us Feedback on the GELF webpage
We are in the process of building our campaign webpage at gelfny.org. We have a lot of the background pages up now – resources, Q and A, organizational endorsement. In the next month we will be adding information from the RPI students analysis of the Jacobson report.
But we would like your feedback on the background material that is already up. Suggestions of things to add – including links to great things that are already out there that we should now about.
And please like our facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/nygreenelf
Petition for 100% clean energy
We plan to launch a petition drive in the next week or so. Here is our present draft language. Send comments to dunleamark@aol.com
To Governor Cuomo and State Lawmakers:
Take action to curb climate change. We urge New York State to take immediate action to transition to 100% green energy by 2030 (carbon neutral, renewable, energy efficiency and conservation, no nukes, no fossil fuels). We also urge the state to end investments in fossil fuels and related infrastructure; enact a carbon tax; and divest the state pension funds from fossil fuels.
Status of legislative proposals
There are three bills that the campaign and our allies are in the process of drafting and finding co-sponsors: 100% clean energy by 2030; a state carbon tax; and directing the state pension funds to be divested from fossil fuels.
Need for Off-shore Wind
The Jacobson plan calls for 40% of NY’s energy needs to be met by off shore wind. At the moment, there are no off shore wind farms in NYS or anywhere in the country (though one in Block Island is close).
Many people involved in trying to stop the LNG facility proposed for Port Ambrose is pushing off shore wind as an alternative. As is the Beyond Coal Campaign.
PAUSE 100% Renewable Lawn Signs for Earth Day
People in Albany United for Safe Energy (PAUSE) have been leading the fight against the oil bomb trains at the Port of Albany.
For Earth Day, they will be having 100% clean energy lawn signs by 2030 sprouting across the Capital District. Some info about the local campaign here.
They are also organizing a bike ride on Earth Day to visit three local sites that have installed solar panels.
There are of course many great earth day events taking place across the state.
In NYC, many are supporting three days of action being coordinated by Rising Tide. From their facebook page. “On April 20th our comrades at Gulf South Rising have asked for a solidarity action in NYC to mark the 5th anniversary of the British Petroleum Oil Spill in the Gulf Coast. They will be doing an action in Houston at BP’s HQ there on the same day. We also are going to be working on an action to pressure Gov Cuomo to reject the Port Ambrose LNG. This action would be on April 21st. On April 22nd, Earth Day, we will support city-wide action around climate resiliency jobs. “