Update Dec 15 2015. Jan. 13 State of the Climate

Sponsor State of the Climate, Wed. Jan. 13
Call Today to Have NY Divest Pension Funds from Fossil Fuels
Stop the Constitution Pipeline – Call Now
Renew NY Kick Off Meetings Wed. Dec. 16
Make REV Real – Thurs, Dec. 17 – Albany 9:30 AM
Resisting the AIM-Pipeline
NYC Going Slow on Off-Shore Wind at NYC Council Hearing
After Paris – Our real work Begins
New Deepwater Wind Proposal for South Fork on Long Island

Please Sponsor State of the Climate, Wed. Jan. 13 – State Capitol, Albany

We hope your group will co-sponsor the State of the Climate at the Capitol on Wed. Jan. 13, (send to dunleamark@aol.com). Initial sponsors include 100% Renewables Now NY campaign, PAUSE, Sane Energy Project, 350NYC (list in formation)

This event will take place in conjunction with the Governor’s annual State of the State and budget release. Climate change will be a major theme this year. As sponsor we would ask you to help build turnout for the event; at a minimum, include in info you send to your members and supporters. Donations to help with buses, etc. appreciated but not required.

This event is a big tent approach to climate change. Broad themes would include Rapid Climate Action / Justice, 100% renewables (without a target date), Good Jobs, Just Transition, Equity.

There will be speakers re 100% Renewables Now NY, No to Fossil Fuels / stop gas pipelines, divestment, no to coal and nukes, yes to off-shore wind, community solar, stop oil bomb trains, environmental justice, CCA, carbon tax, geothermal, etc. Sponsoring groups are not endorsing the specific positions of each speaker. Try to keep to 10 speakers, 2 minutes each.

We will start with an outdoor rally at the Capitol at 11. We also want to link with other social movements – such as the Fight for $15 an hour minimum wage – that will be there that day. Heavy focus on upbeat visuals – wind mills, solar panels, snow balls etc.

After the rally, we would march across the street to the convention center to have a presence (leaflet) as officials go to hear the Governor’s talk.. We are organizing a bus from NYC (contact 350.orgnyc@gmail.com or dunleamark@aol.com; suggested donation $20). Hopefully vans from Rochester and Buffalo.

Call Today to Have NY Divest Pension Funds from Fossil Fuels

After the Paris climate conference, it is time to make history here in New York. Currently, there’s a bill in the New York State Assembly and Senate that will divest the New York State pension funds from all fossil fuel companies, making New York the first state to divest from coal, oil and gas. As the Legislative Session begins, it’s a crucial moment to build support for a Fossil Free New York State. Call your Assembly Member and your Senator and ask them to cosponsor bill S5873/A8011a. (Click on the link to left to find existing co-sposnors;) (There will be a Jan. 20 legislative forum at the Capitol on divestment)

You can find your Senator here and Assembly Member here. Not sure who your representatives are? Find out who your Assembly Member and State Senator are.

See some recommended talking points below. And let us know how it went—we really appreciate your contribution to the campaign and would love to hear from you! Thanks for all that you do, and helping us to bring the energy of Paris to New York State. To join our campaign (and we need your help!), email fossilfreenys@gmail.com.

Script:  “Hello, my name is _______, and I’m a registered NYS voter and resident. (if applicable) I urge Assembly Member/Senator [________] to support A.8011a/S5873, a resolution for fossil fuel divestment. The time to act on climate change is now – it’s outrageous that New York State invests in the same fossil fuel companies that pollute our air and drive global climate change.

Fossil fuel divestment is financially responsible: Fossil fuel investments have performed poorly in recent years, and trends suggest they’ll do even worse as governments take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide as they are doing now at the Paris climate conference.

Please tell Assembly Member/Senator [_________] to cosponsor A. 8011a/S5873. Thank you for your time.”

 

Stop the Constitution Pipeline – Call Now

Call Cuomo! Why is it Urgent to Call Now? Tell Cuomo to “Deny the 401 Water Quality Certificate for the Constitution Pipeline” Give your zip code, and yer done! 877-235-6537

– The Constitution Pipeline Company recently told its investors it needs to start construction in January in order to be in operation next winter. If they don’t start soon, they may give up.

– NYS might try to grant a 401 water quality certificate (WQC) during the holidays, hoping people will be distracted. (States have the right to stop pipelines by denying a 401 WQC.)

– To stop construction. We can achieve this with your help by tell Governor Cuomo that you oppose the Constitution Pipeline.

Call right now! 877-235-6537

 

Renew NY Kick off Meetings Wed. Dec. 16

The new ALIGN / WFP climate Coalition – Renew NY – will kick off their campaign in NYC and Buffalo on Thursday Dec. 16. 6:00 PM. First Corinthian Baptist Church, 1912 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd, New York, NY (at 116th St, near 2/3 or B/C trains). And Tralf Music Hall 622 Main Street, Buffalo NY 14202. RSVP here.

The Monthly meeting (and holiday party) of 350NYC will take place on the 16th at 7 PM at the Society for Ethical Culture.

Make REV Real – Thurs, Dec. 17 – Albany 9:30 AM

Movement Wide Gathering in Albany on the 1 year Anniversary of New York State’s Ban on High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing (frack drilling). We got a long way to go to shut down the rest of the fracking infrastructure that continues to be built and the nuclear infrastructure that continues to be supported. We are gathering for a 9:30am Press conference & visibility action. At 10am, we will proceed to the Public Service Commission meeting to reiterate our goals around making REV REAL: Renewable – Equitable – Accountable – Local. https://www.facebook.com/events/1041043879251543/

Resisting the AIM-Pipeline

Sign the Pledge of Resistance. Spectra has proposed a 42 inch, high pressure shale gas pipeline that would run within 100 feet of Indian Point nuclear facilities. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has continually ignored the calls of citizens and elected officials for independent health and safety assessments of the massive Algonquin Pipeline Expansion – giving Spectra Energy notice to proceed with construction, while blocking attempts by citizens to reverse their decision.

Spectra has faced massive resistance to their poorly conceived plan to enlarge the Algonquin Pipeline system to export fracked gas to overseas markets, with 75 arrests so far in NY, CT, RI, and MA. Those arrests include nine arrested on November 11th in Montrose, NY for blockading the entrance to the Spectra construction.

Nancy Vann of Peekskill, President of Safe Energy Rights Group (SEnRG) a non-profit formed to fight the expansion project voiced safety concerns. “The race to get this pipeline completed as quickly as possible increases the already substantial risks,” said Vann, referencing recent allegations from former Spectra employees of safety regulations being ignored to speed up the project. Concerns include the route of the pipeline near sensitive areas. In addition to running adjacent to Indian Point, in nearby Verplanck, NY the proposed route would put the 42” high-pressure pipeline only 400ft from Buchanan-Verplanck Elementary School.

Mayor de Blasio Going Slow on Offshore Wind at NYC Hearing on OneNYC

The NYC Council sponsored a hearing yesterday on OneNYC, the new version of the city’s plan for sustainability. (Our testimony here.) PCM NY and others are pushing to convert OneNYC into a real climate action plan, with timelines, benchmarks and detailed action steps. There was support from City Council members both for more details and for providing for public input, something the city has resisted (while claiming it has occurred).

Besides pushing the City to go to 100% clean energy by 2030, we also made the point that the city’s goal of 80% reduction in greenhouse emissions by 2050 needs to be overhauled in light of the Paris call to shift the target to cap global warming from 2 degrees to 1.5 degrees centigrade. The latter requires annual reduction in emissions of 7%, compared to 3.5% to get to 2 degrees.

Unfortunately, the City sounded like the Governor’s staff when it came to offshore wind. Supportive of the concept, concerned about the cost, needs a lot more steps to take place first (e.g., map the ocean floor), etc looking at 3 years or more.

Before the City Council hearing, the Progressive Caucus of the City Council had endorsed Climate Works for All, particularly the call to mandate energy retrofits for buildings (which account for 75% of the city’s carbon footprints) and solarize school buildings. CM Brad Lander repeatedly asked Nilda Mesa of the Mayor that we are willing to support your present voluntary approach to energy retrofits but if you can’t tell me that you have any hope that it will ever work, let’s save time and just go to mandatory (the city has been trying voluntary for 6 years). At least 4 times Mesa was unable to say she believes voluntary will work.

After Paris – Our Real Work Begins

While the target of 1.5 degrees was movement in the correct direction, many other provisions fell far short – not binding; voluntary emission reduction proposals (many of which are just vague goals) are way short of even 2 degrees; inadequate funding by rich polluting nations to developing world, etc. But with the politicians claiming historic progress, this provides an opening to demand better action at the local level. On why the Paris agreement was an epic fail; and why bioenergy carbon is not the solution. A photo album from the 350 NYC/Brooklyn / NY’s draw a red line in the sand event at the Statue of Liberty. A 350.org video from the march in Paris.

 

New Offshore Wind Proposal for Long Island

Deepwater Wind last week announced a new proposal for an offshore wind farm and two battery operated storage systems in East Hampton as part of a request for proposals by PSEG Long Island seeking a solution to the South Fork’s growing need for energy sources. The 90-megawatt, 15-turbine wind farm pitched by the Rhode Island developer would be located 30 miles southeast of Montauk, Deepwater is the company building the OSW project on Block Island (article) (news release

Deepwater previously submitted a proposal for an offshore wind farm to the Long Island Power Authority in 2014 after LIPA said it wanted to add 280 megawatts of renewable energy to the utility’s resources. However, the plan, which looked to render 210 megawatts of energy, was rejected last December (on the same day Cuomo agreed to halt fracking).

Local editorial in support. Consumption of electricity on the South Fork is expected to continue to grow, outpacing population increases, with most of the demand — as much as 60 percent — coming from residential summertime air-conditioning. If there are no new local sources, new high-voltage transmission lines would be required.