Sept. 17 Update

100% Renewables Now NYS
Update – Sept. 17, 2015
www.gelfny.org

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Updates

Shared Renewables coming to LI – Coalition sign on letter
Greenpeace Outlines a Path to 100% Clean Energy
Feds Give NYS Grant for Off-Shore Wind Regional Coordination
US Senate Democrats to Offer Climate Change Bill
Massachusetts Lost $500M on pension fossil fuel investment; CA lost $5 B
DiCaprio, UN Climate Chief Joins Divestment Movement, now at $2.6 Trillion
Holding Exxon Accountable for Lying for Decades About Climate Change
Sept. 24th events in NYC around climate change
Sept. 26 – Carbon Tax in New Paltz
Sept. 27 Climate Teachins in NYC
Tues. Oct. 6 – Pipeline Forum in Albany NY

Shared Renewables coming to LI – Coalition sign on letter

PSEG-LI and LIPA may be moving towards adoption of a shared renewables program for Long Island. In addition, there are signs that they will likely increase the net metering cap for PSEG so that more Long Islanders can install renewable energy for their electricity needs. We may see movement on these as soon as October.

This is great news, but we need to do our job to make sure that these initiatives move forward and that they get the rules right. Vote Solar is working in partnership with Sierra Club Beyond Coal and Renewable Energy Long Island to generate support. Please find attached, a sign-on letter that we hope you will consider joining on to. Sign-ons may be directed to Gordian Raacke at Renewable Energy Long Island, Gordian@renewableenergylongisland.org.

Greenpeace Outlines a Path to 100% Clean Energy

Greenpeace has released a new report showing how to go to 100% renewable energy worldwide by 2050 – and 85% by 2030. They note that fossil fuels still provide 81.2% of the world’s primary energy supply. In 2014, for the first time in 40 years, global energy-related cO2 emissions remained stable in spite of continued economic growth, thanks mainly to declining coal consumption in China, But the transition to renewables needs to happen more quickly. (Summary)

 

Feds Give NYS Grant for Off-Shore Wind Regional Coordination

The US Department of Energy last week gave $592,683 to New York to work with Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island in planning to boost offshore wind projects. The New York State Energy Research Development Authority will work the Clean Energy States Alliance and neighboring states to boost the region’s installed offshore wind capacity by 860 megawatts.

 

Senate Democrats to Offer Climate Change Bill

US Senate Democrats will submit a bill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2 percent each year through 2025 — a somewhat larger cut larger than the target set by the Obama administration. buff.ly/1KsDOFM It fails to propose a carbon tax however.

 

Massachusetts Lost $500M on pension fossil fuel investment; CA lost $5 B

Massachusetts lost $521 million last year in their pension fund investments in fossil fuels. California lost $5 billion. Neither Tom DiNapoli nor Scott Stringer have disclosed yet how much NYS and NYC lost. But they still claim it is their fiduciary responsibility it to continue the risky investments in fossil fuels that are driving climate change.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/09/22/3703882/massachusetts-pension-plan-lost-521-million-in-fossil-fuel-investments/

 

Leonard DiCaprio, UN Climate Chief Joins Divestment Movement, now at $2.6 Trillion

 

Leonardo DiCaprio and over 2000 individuals and 400 institutions are now committed to pulling their money from fossil fuel companies, together representing a remarkable $2.6tn of investments. A new report, by Arabella Advisors, shows that the number of institutions committed to fossil fuel divestment has soared from 181 in September 2014 to 436 today. These institutions, which include local government, health and education bodies, represent more than 646 million individuals around the world.  The campaign, now active in 43 countries, was backed on Tuesday by the UN’s climate chief, who will lead negotiations for a global climate deal in Paris in December. (News article)  (video)

 

Holding Exxon Accountable for Lying for Decades about Climate Change

Groups are starting to call upon law enforcement officials to prosecute Exxon for their climate change cover-up.(Petition by Climate Hawks Vote). State Comptroller DiNapoli should sue them to recover the damages from Exxon. A Senior VP CEO asked his summer intern to give his some projections in 1979 re climate change. Knisely projected that unless fossil fuel use was constrained, there would be “noticeable temperature changes” and 400 parts per million of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air by 2010, up from about 280 ppm before the Industrial Revolution. Through 1989 Exxon scientists objectively analyzed climate change data – then a cover-up.  Knisely even concluded that the fossil fuel industry might need to leave 80 percent of its recoverable reserves in the ground to avoid doubling CO2concentrations, a notion now known as the carbon budget. In 2013, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change formally endorsed the idea. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/18092015/exxon-confirmed-global-warming-consensus-in-1982-with-in-house-climate-models

 

Sept. 24th events in NYC around climate change

The Pope will arrive in NYC on Sept. 24 before speaking the next day at the UN. There will be a multifaith Prayer Service at 4:30; civil society rally at 6:00. Both events at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. Meet the 350NYC contingent at the NE corner of 47th St. and 2nd Ave.,

That morning at 7:30 AM, , join Sane Energy Project and the Sierra Club as they call on NY’s top energy officials to stop bailing out coal and invest instead in a just transition to clean energy. On Sept. 24th, all of Cuomo’s top energy officials will be at the New York Midtown Hilton for a conference on Reforming the Energy Vision (REV), New York Midtown Hilton, 1335 6th Ave., New York.

 

Sat. Sept. 26, Environmental Advocacy + Carbon Tax. Saturday, 9-4 pm. Lecture Center 102, SUNY New Paltz. Join us as long-time New York based environmental advocates discuss their experience with speaking up for a better planet.  Special attention will be given to a proposed carbon tax for New York State, which would charge polluters for carbon dioxide spewed into the atmosphere.  A light breakfast and lunch will be served.

350 is organizing several climate teach in in NYC on Sunday Sept. 27th. The one Manhattan, organized by 350NYC, focuses on the lead up to the Paris summit and getting OFF of Fossil Fuels and ON to Renewables. From 1:30 – 6:30pm, Goddard Riverside Community Center, 593 Columbus Avenue (@ W 88th St,) Register and more info on Eventbrite:   http://climate-community.eventbrite.com

350Brooklyn Sun Sept 27, 4 to 7 PM. The teach-in will feature New York State Assemblymember Felix Ortiz explaining how his Fossil Fuel Divestment Act will effectively and responsibly remove fossil fuel holdings from state employee pension funds, and free up funds for investment in clean energy. Mark Dunlea, President of the Green Legal Fund, will explain the technology that makes a transition to 100% clean energy by 2030 in New York State not only feasible, but also great for the local economy. Kim Fraczek, co-director of the Sane Energy Project, will describe their campaign against planned fossil fuel infrastructure in New York State, Camp Friendship in Park Slope, 339 8th Street, Brooklyn.

Tues. Oct. 6 – Pipeline Forum in Albany NY

FORUM ABOUT Northeast Energy Direct (NED):PROPOSED FRACKED GAS PIPELINE through Knox, Berne, New Scotland and Bethlehem. Tuesday, October 6 at 7 pm, First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, 405 Washington Ave . Albany, NY

The founders of Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline (Becky Meier and Bob Connors) will give a PowerPoint presentation about the pipeline, the process for its being permitted, why the gas is not needed, the dangers such a pipeline presents and what citizens can do to try to stop it. Questions and answers will follow.
www.stopnypipeline.org, https://www.facebook.com/stopnyfrackedgaspipeline, Bob Connors: 518-781-4686, raconnors@yahoo.com