September Chapter Meeting - Regenerative Economics for a Safe and Prosperous Future
2023-09-21 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | On Zoom
Effectively dealing with the climate crisis and other environmental crises will require us to rethink our fundamental assumptions about how humans relate to each other and the natural world, via our participation in the global economy. In this presentation, we will explore how our current “extractive” approach to generating products and services got us into this mess, and how we can get out of it by moving to a more “regenerative” economic model. Here in upstate New York, we are well positioned to lead this transition, beginning with some simple changes in how climate advocates talk about the journey ahead.

About Our Presenter
Abigail McHugh-Grifa was a founding member of the Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region and New York State’s first Mothers Out Front chapter. Her early climate advocacy work also included co-coordinating Rochester’s Citizens’ Climate Lobby chapter. She currently serves as the Accelerator’s Executive Director and is a member of New York State’s Climate Justice Working Group. Though she holds a Ph.D. in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music, she gave up her career in music to dedicate herself to climate advocacy work out of concern for her two young sons, whose futures depend on our collective efforts to maintain stable global temperatures.

This is a joint meeting with WNY Chapter

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Book Group Discussion - "The Heat Will Kill You First" by Jeff Goodell
2023-10-02 19:00 - 20:00 | On Zoom
Our Book Group Discussion will feature Jeff Goodell’s recent book, “The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet.”
From the Hachette Book Group website, “The Heat Will Kill You First is about the extreme ways in which our planet is already changing. It is about why spring is coming a few weeks earlier and fall is coming a few weeks later and the impact that will have on everything from our food supply to disease outbreaks. It is about what will happen to our lives and our communities when typical summer days in Chicago or Boston go from 90° F to 110°F. A heatwave, Goodell explains, is a predatory event— one that culls out the most vulnerable people. But that is changing. As heatwaves become more intense and more common, they will become more democratic…As an award-winning journalist who has been at the forefront of environmental journalism for decades, Goodell’s new book may be his most provocative yet, explaining how extreme heat will dramatically change the world as we know it. Masterfully reported, mixing the latest scientific insight with on-the-ground storytelling, Jeff Goodell tackles the big questions and uncovers how extreme heat is a force beyond anything we have reckoned with before.”
Francesca Rheannon interviewed Jeff Goodell earlier this year for her podcast, Writer’s Voice.
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October Chapter Meeting - Microclimatic studies for agrivoltaics and beyond
2023-10-12 19:00 - 20:30 | On Zoom
Solar energy is playing a critical role in mitigating the impact of global climate change. There are tremendous opportunities to create sustainability co-benefits at solar sites such as food production, carbon sequestration, pollinator habitats, and other ecosystem services in addition to renewable energy generation, thus creating vibrant, symbiotic communities that benefit from deep decarbonization efforts. However, current proposals for co-producing energy and agricultural products (broadly referred to as “agrivoltaics”) at solar sites are likely to result in increased costs, risks, and uncertainties to both solar developers and farmers, and eventually ratepayers. Cornell researchers will present their findings on microclimatic studies at solar farms to demonstrate the future relevancy of agrivoltaics in a changing climate and provide recommendations for sustainable solar farm development. Researchers aim to show the potential for agrivoltaics to play a major role in designing community-friendly solar farms and climate-resilient agriculture in the Northeastern United States.

About Our Presenters
Dr. Max Zhang is the Irving Porter Church Professor of Engineering at Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and currently serves as the Kathy Dwyer Marble and Curt Marble Faculty Director at the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability. Dr. Zhang’s research areas reside on the nexus of energy and environmental system engineering, driven by social impact, focusing on air pollution mitigation, renewable energy planning, and building systems.
Henry Williams is a third-year PhD student in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in Prof. K. Max Zhang’s Energy and the Environment Research Lab, where he leads a group of students in solar energy research evaluating the costs and benefits of agrivoltaics and ecosystem services in solar farms. Henry is also a member of the Green Technology Innovation Fellowship inaugural cohort in the SC Johnson School of Business and serves as a Graduate Resident Fellow in Flora Rose House.
Yipu Wang is a second-year MS student in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in Prof. K. Max Zhang’s Energy and the Environment Research Lab. Yipu’s research projects include IoT-based microclimate monitoring networks on solar farms and simulation of shading/irradiance conditions for agrivoltaic systems.
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NYS Coalition 5th Annual Retreat
2023-11-04 - 2023-11-05 | Ashokan Center, 477 Beaverkill Rd., Olivebridge, NY, 12461, United States
After a three-year Covid hiatus, the New York State Coalition is bringing back its annual in-person retreat at the beautiful Ashokan Center on November 4th and 5th!
Our main goal is in-person engagement opportunities (something many have suffered from lack of over the pandemic) and the benefits that can be enjoyed from networking with Chapter members from across the state. But we also have much wonderful work to report on and want to have the opportunity to hear from you and better plan for what’s to come.
During the pandemic, Climate Reality Project’s NY State Chapters Coalition has built up our reputation in many important areas, and we want to keep the momentum going into the new year and be able to thoughtfully take advantage of opportunities to grow: for example,The Climate Reality Project will be hosting a Winter 2024 training in New York, which is going to be fantastic, and we want to be ready to fully participate in it and welcome new members. We’ll have time to strategize for the NYS legislative session, and we have some terrific educational sessions planned as well. Don’t worry – there will also be campfire and s’mores time! And of course, there are beautiful trails to hike, and Woodstock is nearby – well worth the visit while you’re in the area.

November Informal Meeting
2023-11-09 19:00 - 20:00
No agenda. Join us for informal conversation and an opportunity to get to know your fellow Chapter members. Since we have the NYS Coalition Retreat this month, we will use our usual meeting time for an Informal Meeting – note that we have shifted to the 2nd Thursday of the month.
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Book Group Discussion - "The Parrot and the Igloo" by David Lipsky
2023-11-20 19:00 - 20:00 | On Zoom
Note from W.W. Norton’s website https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393866704:
The New York Times best-selling author explores how “anti-science” became so virulent in American life—through a history of climate denial and its consequences.

In 1956, the New York Times prophesied that once global warming really kicked in, we could see parrots in the Antarctic. In 2010, when science deniers had control of the climate story, Senator James Inhofe and his family built an igloo on the Washington Mall and plunked a sign on top: AL GORE’S NEW HOME: HONK IF YOU LOVE CLIMATE CHANGE. In The Parrot and the Igloo, best-selling author David Lipsky tells the astonishing story of how we moved from one extreme (the correct one) to the other.

With narrative sweep and a superb eye for character, Lipsky unfolds the dramatic narrative of the long, strange march of climate science. The story begins with a tale of three inventors—Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and Nikola Tesla—who made our technological world, not knowing what they had set into motion. Then there are the scientists who sounded the alarm once they identified carbon dioxide as the culprit of our warming planet. And we meet the hucksters, zealots, and crackpots who lied about that science and misled the public in ever more outrageous ways. Lipsky masterfully traces the evolution of climate denial, exposing how it grew out of early efforts to build a network of untruth about products like aspirin and cigarettes.

Featuring an indelible cast of heroes and villains, mavericks and swindlers, The Parrot and the Igloo delivers a real-life tragicomedy—one that captures the extraordinary dance of science, money, and the American character.

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December Chapter Meeting - EcoVillage at Ithaca: an Experiment in Living Lightly on the Planet
2023-12-14 19:00 - 20:30 | On Zoom
As one of the first ecovillages in the U.S., and one of a dozen of the most well-known ecovillages in the world, EcoVillage at Ithaca (EVI) is a bold experiment that has inspired many people. Co-founder Liz Walker will give an overview of the project’s many facets, including its innovative land use, three organic farms, and three cohousing neighborhoods. EVI’s third neighborhood, TREE, was completed in 2015, as a DOE award-winning, all-electric, housing development. Some of the TREE homes operate at Net Zero Energy. This neighborhood has been a teaching tool for regional energy engineers, architects, and planners, and has helped to inspire Ithaca’s Green Building Ordinance.
From the beginning, EVI was designed to be a working model of social and ecological sustainability. Residents have a carbon footprint of just a third of average U.S. citizens. They practice non-hierarchical decision-making, and strive to be a welcoming, inclusive community. Living in a tight-knit community is not necessarily easy, and over time they have developed ways to help resolve conflicts, and also ways to celebrate fun, community-building events. There is a lot to learn!
Liz Walker co-founded EcoVillage Ithaca (EVI) thirty years ago, and dedicated her full-time work for the next three decades to bring this internationally acclaimed project from vision to reality. She’s written two popular books: EcoVillage at Ithaca: Pioneering a Sustainable Culture, (2005, New Society Publishers) and Choosing a Sustainable Future: Ideas and Inspiration from Ithaca, New York, (October, 2010, New Society) which have been translated into several languages. Two years ago, Liz was interviewed about EVI for a YouTube video, which now has 1.8 million views. People are hungry for community! Liz lives with her husband at EcoVillage Ithaca. Whenever she gets a chance, she loves to go biking, or hiking in the beautiful gorges in the Finger Lakes region of NY.
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January Chapter Meeting – EV Charging Systems: Installing more systems for businesses and municipalities… and your EV questions answered.
2024-01-11 19:00 - 20:30 | On Zoom
As increasing numbers of people shift over to EVs, growth of a supporting charging infrastructure is needed. Also, many folks are waiting for more installations to be in place before taking the plunge to convert to EVs from traditional gasoline powered vehicles.
This month’s speaker, Chris Wallace is an Energy Advisor II at Franklin Energy. They have been contracted by NYSEG and RG&E to educate business owners about the “Make Ready” program. The main purpose of this program is to provide incentives to businesses in NYS to build out the publicly available EV charging station infrastructure to alleviate range anxiety and promote the transition to electric vehicles. The program was just recently updated and the incentives applying to Level 2 chargers and Level 3/ DC fast-chargers were both increased to quicken the transition. He also has information about NYSERDA’s “Charge Ready 2.0” program for municipalities, municipal utility districts (MUDs) and workplaces which can also be used in conjunction with the “Make Ready” program.
Although these programs don’t apply to individuals, Chris has a broad knowledge about EVs, battery technologies, and charging stations and is willing to answer your general questions.
Chris has worked with contractors & customers in planning and coordinating both Level 2 and DC Fast Charging projects throughout NY State. These have ranged from two port projects to a 135-port project on a wide variety of properties from sole proprietorships to multi-national companies.

With the new year, it’s a good time to consider getting an EV, if you haven’t done so already. Come to our meeting to learn more.
NYSEG – EV Make Ready Incentives
RG&E – EV Make Ready Incentives
NYSEG – EVMR Program Summary
NYSERDA Charge Ready 2.0 Overview

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Book Group - “Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons from Earth's Past Can Help us Survive the Climate Crisis” by Michael Mann
2024-01-22 19:00 - 20:00
Note from Hachette Book Group website:
In this sweeping work of science and history, the renowned climate scientist and author of The New Climate War shows us the conditions on Earth that allowed humans not only to exist but thrive, and how they are imperiled if we veer off course.

For the vast majority of its 4.54 billion years, Earth has proven it can manage just fine without human beings. Then came the first proto-humans, who emerged just a little more than 2 million years ago—a fleeting moment in geological time. What is it that made this benevolent moment of ours possible? Ironically, it’s the very same thing that now threatens us—climate change. The drying of the tropics during the Pleistocene period created a niche for early hominids, who could hunt prey as forests gave way to savannahs in the African tropics. The sudden cooling episode known as the “Younger Dryas” 13,000 years ago, which occurred just as Earth was thawing out of the last Ice Age, spurred the development of agriculture in the fertile crescent. The “Little Ice Age” cooling of the 16th-19th centuries led to famines and pestilence for much of Europe, yet it was a boon for the Dutch, who were able to take advantage of stronger winds to shorten their ocean voyages. The conditions that allowed humans to live on this earth are fragile, incredibly so. Climate variability has at times created new niches that humans or their ancestors could potentially exploit, and challenges that at times have spurred innovation. But there’s a relatively narrow envelope of climate variability within which human civilization remains viable. And our survival depends on conditions remaining within that range.

In this book, renowned climate scientist Michael Mann will arm readers with the knowledge necessary to appreciate the gravity of the unfolding climate crisis, while emboldening them—and others–to act before it truly does become too late.

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February Informal Meeting
2024-02-08 19:00 - 20:00 | On Zoom
No agenda. Join us for informal conversation and an opportunity to get to know your fellow Chapter members. Since we have the NYS Coalition Retreat this month, we will use our usual meeting time for an Informal Meeting – the 2nd Thursday of the month.
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February NYS Coalition Joint Chapters Meeting -Clean Path NY
2024-02-12 19:00 - 20:30 | On Zoom
Join us for our Quarterly Joint Chapters Meeting on Monday, February 8th @7:30p where we will hear from CleanPathNY (one of the largest renewable energy projects in New York spanning from upstate and Western New York to Hudson River communities to New York City). There will be time for Q&A, and a quick update about the first-ever NYC Training from our Northeast Regional Organizer, Sena Wazer!

Please register in advance here https://bit.ly/CRPwithCleanPathNY
(Hosted by Westchester Chapter)

Book Group - Under the Surface: Fracking, Fortunes and the Fate of the Marcellus Shale by Tom Wilber
2024-03-07 19:00 - 20:00 | On Zoom
“If you want to understand today you have to search yesterday.” Pearl S. Buck, American novelist (1892-1973)

A NY LLC calling itself Southern Tier Solutions, is proposing a project that would frack the Marcellus Shale in Broome and surrounding counties. The proposal replace high pressure hydrofracking (water) with CO2 fracking. The health and safety concerns remain the same and in some cases are more profound when CO2 is used. Additionally, there is very little data around the implications of the proposed process.

The Climate Reality Project, along with many other leading climate, environmental and justice organizations are allied in the effort to stop STS from fracking the Marcellus Shale in NY state. For those of us that are new to this journey and those who have traveled this way before, reviewing the past will inform the future.

Join us for a discussion about the events of the last effort to frack the Marcellus Shale. Tom Wilber was a reporter covering those events. In this book, he provides a balanced and enlightening account of the effort on both sides of the Pennsylvania and New York border.

Getting the book: There are some used copies out there for very low prices. There is an updated version of the book in paperback which has an additional chapter. Secure a copy of this if you can. If not, the hard copy will do. You can start your search at https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?kn=under%20the%20surface%20tom%20wilber&sts=t&cm_sp=SearchF-_-topnav-_-Results&ds=20&clickid=yPc2kM3pwxyPWqC0SGXw5XT7UkH1zNUBzS1TxM0&cm_mmc=aff-_-ir-_-10579-_-77416&ref=imprad10579&afn_sr=impact&ref_=aff_ir_10579_77416&im_rewards=1

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March Chapter Meeting - Chapter and Individual Goal-setting for 2024
2024-03-14 19:00 - 20:30 | On Zoom
Chapter and Individual Goal-setting for 2024
After a quick review of 2023 accomplishments, we will work through goal-setting and possible initiatives for the Chapter. This exercise will help the Leadership Committee put together our Strategic Plan for 2024.
Attendees are subdivided into breakout rooms where they brainstorm for goals or initiatives for the Chapter. After some time for discussion, the whole group reconvenes and ideas are posted (as virtual post-it notes) on a whiteboard.
The exercise is repeated, with the topic of individual goals and actions for this year, both within Chapter initiatives and on their own.
The final whiteboards from last year are included below. We went through this exercise last year and those who attended enjoyed it.
One change from last year – we will be using the whiteboard from Miro (https://miro.com/). It will save you time if you register for an account ahead of time. Account is free and you don’t have to use a work email when you sign up.

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NYS Coalition Pre-training Meet-and-Greet
2024-04-05 18:00 - 19:00 | On Zoom
The NYS Coalition is holding a virtual Meet and Greet on Friday, April 5 from 6-7 p.m to introduce the New Yorkers participating in the NYC Training to our Coalition and to the Local Chapters. After a general overview, we will be going into breakout rooms by chapter and current Chapter members will have an opportunity to meet informally with those joining from the training.
Please attend to help us welcome our potential new members. Register to attend here.

Climate Reality Leaders Training - NYC
2024-04-12 - 2024-04-14
On April 12-14, 2024, join former Vice President Al Gore and an all-star lineup of thought leaders, experts, and organizers in New York City for a Climate Reality Leadership training exploring the climate crisis today and the road to a sustainable tomorrow.
Join us in New York for incredible conversations, skill sessions, and networking opportunities. You’ll learn what climate change means for you and get the know-how and tools to make a real difference. A preliminary agenda can be viewed here.
With chapters driving change across the US, you’ll also join a global network of 3.5 million.
The training is free to attend. American Sign Language interpreting services will be provided and Spanish simultaneous interpretation will be available for some sessions. Habrá interpretación simultánea en español en algunas sesiones.

FLGR-NY April Chapter Meeting - "CO2 fracking and other false solutions to our climate emergency" – Irene Weiser, Fossil Free Tompkins
2024-04-18 19:00 - 20:30 | On Zoom
This past fall, a company with the awkward name of “Southern Tier Carbon Dioxide (CO2) to Clean Energy Solutions” (STS for short) sent a mailing to 6500 land-owning residents in Broome, Tioga and Chemung counties in NY, soliciting leases for their participation in a project to provide “an environmentally and economically compatible solution for cooperatively capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide while generating clean and reliable energy” from the shale formations underlying their land.
In this presentation, Irene Weiser will examine the STS proposal, and discuss how, far from being a climate solution, it is an environmentally destructive, unsustainable experiment, full of costly false solutions that will perpetuate reliance on polluting fossil fuels. Although the NYS Legislature passed a bill which bans CO2 fracking this session (awaiting the Governor’s signature), the false solutions being proposed by STS are being proposed elsewhere in the country too. Join us to learn more about these false solutions and the federal subsidies that are supporting them!
Irene Weiser is a retired veterinarian and current renewable energy activist. For the past 10 years she has been the coordinator of Fossil Free Tompkins, working to effect local and state energy policy to get us off fossil fuels and bring about the affordable, equitable transition to renewable energy. In addition, she was elected to 3 terms as council member in the Town of Caroline, serving from 2012 – 2020.

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Finger Lakes Book Group Meeting - Not Too Late
2024-04-29 19:00 - 20:00 | On Zoom
“Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility” – Edited by Rebecca Solnit & Thelma Young Lutunatabua
Website for the book. Rebecca Solnit talks about the book.

From the Study Guide:
Climate is an issue that touches everything. As a subject of study, it involves almost everything, too: history, culture, eco- nomics, law and justice issues, race and gender politics, and so many branches of science—plus, the state of the climate movement, the shift to renewables, and the policy issues being decided and/or implemented at every level from local to global. No one knows everything about climate. There are great specialists and great generalists, and there are newcomers trying to find a point of entry. Where should someone start with climate?
We at Not Too Late try to strike a balance between defeatism (it’s too late, we don’t have the solutions) and overconfi- dence (the amazing movements and technologies will make it all fall into place somehow). We think people should know a bit about
the science—notably, that the single greatest cause of global warming is the burning of fossil fuel, and how that emits carbon that goes up into the upper atmosphere, thickening the insulating layer that holds heat, unleashing climate chaos. . .
and technology—with wind and solar, we have the capacity to leave the age of fossil fuels behind. . .
and complexity and intersectionality—fossil fuel isn’t the only problem, and renewables aren’t the only solution. We need to think about how climate is connect- ed with racial justice, gender justice, decolonial movements, and more. How we produce and consume food and durable goods, design our communities and transportation, protect wild places and wildlife are among the many other things that matter.
so does culture—because, for the great majority of us to do what the climate needs, we have to understand the situation and care about the big picture—collective well-being, long-term thriving, our inseparability from nature—so, rethinking what constitutes wealth, health, and security also matters, which is a cultural ques- tion, and, of course, culture also gives rise to—
politics, which also matters immensely—because, right now, the main obstacles to do- ing what the climate needs for a stable future are po- litical: a small percentage of humanity is slowing and stop- ping what the great majority of humanity wants: a healthy, thriving planet for us all, now and for the long- term future. That small (but wealthy!) percentage includes fossil fuel investors, owners, shareholders, and other beneficiaries including oil companies and oil-rich nations, along with politicians and other de- cisionmakers who are either directly benefiting or can’t imagine the scale of the crisis and the possibilities. And the crisis has impacted the
emotional life of many—which is why Not Too Late brought in wise voices to talk about that impact and the tools to address it.

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May Informal Meeting
2024-05-09 19:00 - 20:00 | On Zoom
No agenda. Join us for informal conversation and an opportunity to get to know your fellow Chapter members. Since we have the NYS Coalition Joint Meeting on May 18, we will use our usual meeting time for an Informal Meeting – the 2nd Thursday of the month.
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Climate Reality NYS Coalition Meetup at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake
2024-05-18 10:00 - 17:00 | The Wild Center, 45 Museum Drive, Tupper Lake, NY, 12986, United States
Registration and more info.
Join Climate Reality Leaders from across New York State for a day of learning and fun at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake. The Wild Center is a 115-acre Adirondack museum and park dedicated to sparking “an enduring passion for nature that inspires action to ensure a thriving natural world. We are committed to a future where people and the natural world thrive together.”
The Climate Reality Project is picking up the tab for registration at the Wild Center. We need to let them know how many people will be attending in various age brackets. Please fill in that information below.

You’ll see from the schedule below that we’ll also have an informal gathering at 6:00 p.m. at Raquette River Brewing. We’ve also included information in case you’d like to stay overnight in the spectacular Adirondacks!

If you are interested in sharing a ride to the Wild Center, you can check https://511nyrideshare.org/ to see if other Climate Reality colleagues are also looking to share transportation.

Please contact Laura Faulk with any questions: lauraefaulk@gmail.com

We look forward to seeing you all there!

SCHEDULE

10:00 – 11:00 a.m. arrival/check in (welcome to look around, grab coffee from the coffee bar)

11:00 a.m. – Welcome in the Great Hall, main Museum Building
11:15 a.m. – Overview of The Wild Center’s Climate Program
12:00 p.m. – Science of Sphere/Creatures on Climate Change
12:30 p.m. – Climate Solutions Exhibit
1:00 p.m . – Lunch (You can buy your own in the cafe or bring a lunch with you.)
2:00 p.m. – Film & Discussion
3:00 p.m. Exploration of The Wild Center. We can visit the Wild Walk, Forest Museum, Stickworks art installation, and explore the trails down to the River.
6:00 p.m. Gathering at Raquette River Brewing, for those who plan to stay later. (While The Climate Reality Project is covering the cost of programming, we’ll be covering our own dinners and lodging.)
If you’re thinking of staying over, here are some links to help you find the lodging you prefer:
https://www.tupperlake.com/lodging https://www.saranaclake.com/stay https://www.lakeplacid.com/lodging
https://newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com/, https://staytrailhead.com/

Finger Lakes Book Group Meeting - The Story of More
2024-06-05 19:00 - 20:00 | On Zoom
“The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here” – by Hope Jahren.
From Goodreads: Hope Jahren is an award-winning geobiologist, a brilliant writer, and one of the seven billion people with whom we share this earth. The Story of More is her impassioned open letter to humanity as we stand at the crossroads of survival and extinction. Jahren celebrates the long history of our enterprising spirit–which has tamed wild crops, cured diseases, and sent us to the moon–but also shows how that spirit has created excesses that are quickly warming our planet to dangerous levels. In short, highly readable chapters, she takes us through the science behind the key inventions–from electric power to large-scale farming and automobiles–that, even as they help us, release untenable amounts of carbon dioxide. She explains the current and projected consequences of greenhouse gases–from superstorms to rising sea levels–and the science-based tools that could help us fight back. At once an explainer on the mechanisms of warming and a capsule history of human development, The Story of More illuminates the link between our consumption habits and our endangered earth, showing us how we can use less and share more. It is the essential pocket primer on climate change that will leave an indelible impact on everyone who reads it.

Excerpt from the book (publisher’s website):
“Right now, I see the country of my birth moving backward. It has dumped the Paris Agreement, it’s close to dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency, and the United States Department of Agriculture is in very bad shape. The United States Department of Energy, which funded my lab for more than a decade to study greenhouse gases, has shut down most of its work on climate change, and NASA is under pressure to do the same. I left the United States in 2016 and moved to Norway because I believe that my laboratory will have more support here and because I am worried about the future of science in America.

“All of this has convinced me that it’s time to bring global change out of my classroom and into this book. Not because I am a scientist who thinks she’s right, but because I am an author who loves both words and numbers and a teacher who has something to say.

“So if you’ll listen, I’ll tell you what happened to my world, to your world—to our world. It changed.”

Here are a couple of links from Northwestern University which might be useful to you as you read the book: Book discussion guide; The Block Museum of Art collection.

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FLGR-NY June Chapter Meeting – “Using the power of food to confront climate change” – Mike Hoffmann
2024-06-13 19:00 - 20:30 | On Zoom
Food is essential for life, it is emotive, it is personal, and it is deeply imbedded in our cultures and family histories. Let’s face it, we love it. However, not enough people know that climate change is changing the flavors, aromas, nutritional quality, and prices of the foods we love and need. Food is the ideal messenger for the climate change story and one that can make climate change relevant to everyone — we all eat. Regardless of political affiliation most people are interested in learning more about climate change impacts on their food — an audience awaits. We also talk a lot about food but far less about climate change yet talking about climate change is the first step in tackling it. It is time to meld these conversations. Everyone can tap the power of food to confront climate change and keep our favorites on the menu. And coincidentally, keep the planet livable.
Mike Hoffmann is dedicating his life to confronting the grand challenge of climate change by helping people understand and appreciate what is happening through the foods we all love and need. He has published climate change articles in the popular press – The Hill, Fortune, Medium, and USA Today and is lead author of Our changing menu: Climate change and the foods we love and need (Cornell Press 2021). He has also done a TEDx Talk – Climate change: It’s time to raise our voices and given >150 climate change – related talks. Mike’s life’s experiences include growing up on a one-cow dairy farm and serving in the Marines during the Vietnam War. He has held multiple leadership roles in Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He received his BS Degree from the University Wisconsin, MS from the University of Arizona, and PhD from the University of California, Davis. He now holds the title of Professor Emeritus. He will tell the climate change story until he no longer can.

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FLGR-NY July Chapter Meeting – “We need climate accountability from Cornell” – bethany ojalehto mays & Fenya Bartram
2024-07-11 19:00 - 20:30 | On Zoom
Cornell on Fire is a campus-climate movement calling on Cornell to confront the climate emergency. As climate disruption intensifies and our window of action narrows, our independent research finds that Cornell University is failing to deliver on its pledged greenhouse gas emissions reductions or report that fact, while relying on inadequate strategies for future emissions reductions. Our research brings together insights from experts, insiders, public data, and climate research to outline what Cornell is doing, can, and must do. We believe that as a world leader in science and education, Cornell’s adoption of genuine climate leadership would have positive implications for Ithaca’s community and ecosystem, for regional climate policy, and for universities as global norm-setting institutions whose role is to communicate science for the public interest — and to act on that science.

Authors:
Cornell on Fire, a campus-climate movement

Presenters:
bethany ojalehto mays | Cornell Alum & Former Assistant Professor | Mothers Out Front Tompkins
Fenya Bertram | Cornell undergraduate in Environmental Engineering | Sunrise Movement Ithaca

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Meeting ID: 844 3420 2708

Finger Lakes Book Group Meeting – Our Changing Menu: Climate Change and the Foods We Love and Need
2024-07-22 19:00 - 20:00 | On Zoom
Mike Hoffmann, primary author, will attend our meeting to contribute to our discussion of the book. Those purchasing from Cornell University Press may use this code to get a 33% discount: 09SAVE. Note that Amazon also has the book available at a significant discount.
From Cornell University Press website:
Our Changing Menu unpacks the increasingly complex relationships between food and climate change. Whether you’re a chef, baker, distiller, restaurateur, or someone who simply enjoys a good pizza or drink, it’s time to come to terms with how climate change is affecting our diverse and interwoven food system.
Michael P. Hoffmann, Carrie Koplinka-Loehr, and Danielle L. Eiseman offer an eye-opening journey through a complete menu of before-dinner drinks and salads; main courses and sides; and coffee and dessert. Along the way they examine the escalating changes occurring to the flavors of spices and teas, the yields of wheat, the vitamins in rice, and the price of vanilla. Their story is rounded out with a primer on the global food system, the causes and impacts of climate change, and what we can all do. Our Changing Menu is a celebration of food and a call to action—encouraging readers to join with others from the common ground of food to help tackle the greatest challenge of our time.
This webinar presentation at Cornell on the book’s release date may be of interest. It provides a nice overview of the book’s overall structure. You hear from each of the authors about their contribution to the book.
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Meeting ID: 926 2795 7489
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FLGR-NY August Chapter Meeting – The NYS Energy Transition Is Happening Now!
2024-08-08 19:00 - 20:30 | On Zoom
Join our next Climate Reality Project, Finger Lakes Greater Region NY Chapter meeting on Thursday, August 8 at 7-8:30 pm (EDT)! We’ll discuss how our Chapter members and others are supporting the transition!

You will hear from:

· Chapter members will share their experiences spreading the word about the benefits of electrifying homes and switching to EV’s and, the federal and New York State incentives available to assist individuals in making changes!
· A NYSERDA Energy Hub representative will present their substantial efforts to communicate the benefits of the energy transition including clean energy careers, home improvements and rebates for businesses and personal transportation.

· Representatives of the Climate Reality Project Climate Business Working Group will share the materials they have developed to support for-profit businesses and non-profits in electrification!

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Meeting ID: 958 6631 3240
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Finger Lakes Book Group Meeting – The Climate Optimist Handbook by Anne Therese Gennari
2024-08-26 19:30 - 20:30 | On Zoom
Anne Therese Gennari will be attending our meeting to contribute to our discussion of her book, “The Climate Optimist Handbook: How to shift the narrative on climate change and find the courage to choose change.” The author is making discounted copies available until July 31. Please go to her website to order.
About The Book:
The Climate Optimist Handbook is here to help shift the narrative on climate change so that you can act from a place of courage and excitement, not fear.
It will take you on a journey of empowered awareness, teaching you the basics of climate psychology and the science of optimism, as well as how to gain agency in your actions and turn your life into one of meaning and hope!
We have to recognize that the future is truly up to us and that right now, we have so much to win if we only find the courage to act. This book will help you build that courage. Are you ready?
TEDx Oneonta Presentation: From Angry Activist to Climate Optimist
The Climate Optimist Newsletter on LinkedIn.

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Meeting ID: 926 2795 7489
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NYS Chapters Coalition September Joint Meeting - Climate Anxiety: A Panel Discussion
2024-09-12 19:00 - 20:30 | On Zoom
Please join the Western New York and Finger Lakes Chapters for the September Coalition meeting on climate anxiety, a growing concern for many climate activists, especially younger activists joining climate movements looking for change and positive action. The panelist will discuss the psychological and social effects of climate anxiety and how cross-generational and global connections can provide increasing levels of support. The panel features Dr. Jennifer Fendya of the WNY Chapter, Dr. Divya Gupta of Binghamton University, and Lauren Kim, co-chair of the Climate Reality NYU campus chapter, with Len Luka moderating. The panelists’ biographies are included below. Together, we’ll explore how to transform climate anxiety into action and support each other as we continue to build a sustainable future.
Meet our panelists
Jennifer Fendya, PhD, is a licensed Psychologist and registered Sandplay practitioner in Buffalo, NY. A certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide, she leads Forest Bathing walks throughout the Eastern US and last year traveled to Japan to experience Shinrin Yoku at its origin. She currently is working on the “Forest Bathing” entry for the online resource Ecopsychepedia and is studying to become an ANFT-certified Trails, Spaces & Places Consultant. A Master Gardener, Jennifer leads the Therapeutic Gardening Initiative at Grassroots Gardens, and recently taught her first Miksang contemplative photography class for Roswell Park’s Young Adult Cancer Support Program through Buffalo’s Center for Exploratory & Perceptual Arts. Jennifer is on the Climate Cafe facilitator training team for the Climate Psychology Alliance – North America and co-facilitates in-person Climate Cafes locally and online through Healing Circles Global.
Divya Gupta, PhD, is an environmental social scientist. Her research and teaching focus on international environmental policies and politics. She is especially interested in understanding and exploring the roles of diverse state and non-state actors in local-level governance, development, and justice. Divya has been conducting empirical research in India and Nepal, looking at the community-based response to changes like climate and the pandemic. She is also working with her network of collaborators to study the implementation of contemporary decentralization and rights-based approaches in forest management in the global south. She is also the co-host of the In Common Podcast, the official podcast of the International Association for the Study of the Commons.
Lauren Kim is a rising sophomore at NYU and the co-chair of the Climate Reality NYU Campus Chapter. Lauren is considering majors in environmental studies and data science.
Len Luka is the Renewables Outreach Coordinator for New Yorkers for Clean Power (NYCP). Before joining NYCP, Len enjoyed many years of teaching and research at a small liberal arts college and later moved to Binghamton University as an academic advisor. A deep concern for the success and well-being of younger generations motivates Len to build a healthy, fossil-free future for all.
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Meeting ID: 958 6631 3240
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Finger Lakes Book Group Meeting – "No Miracles Needed," Mark Z. Jacobson, Part 1 (Part 2 on Oct 28)
2024-10-07 19:00 - 20:00 | On Zoom
The Finger Lakes Book Group will meet on Monday, October 7, 2024 at 7 pm. We will be reading:“No Miracles Needed: How today’s technology can save our climate and clean our air” – Mark Z. Jacobson (Stanford University), Cambridge University Press, 2023. We will break the discussion into 2 parts. Part 1 (Oct. 7) Beginning through Chapter 7; Part 2 (Oct. 28) Chapter 8 through the end. We hope that the revised schedule will allow more folks to read a part of the book during this busy period (upcoming election and Climate Reality Leadership training).

Book description from Cambridge University Press:

The world needs to turn away from fossil fuels and use clean, renewable sources of energy as soon as we can. Failure to do so will cause catastrophic climate damage sooner than you might think, leading to loss of biodiversity and economic and political instability. But all is not lost! We still have time to save the planet without resorting to ‘miracle’ technologies. We need to wave goodbye to outdated technologies, such as natural gas and carbon capture, and repurpose the technologies that we already have at our disposal. We can use existing technologies to harness, store, and transmit energy from wind, water, and solar sources to ensure reliable electricity, heat supplies, and energy security. Find out what you can do to improve the health, climate, and economic state of our planet. Together, we can solve the climate crisis, eliminate air pollution and safely secure energy supplies for everyone.

Here is a recording of Prof. Jacobson discussing the book with Ken Cook of Environmental Working Group and the following discussion (webinar starts 14:40 minutes into the recording).

Note also that the book can serve as a reference – use the Table of Contents to find the topic of interest and go directly there.

For those interested in learning more about the nuclear power option, here is a TED debate from February 2010 with Prof. Jacobson and Stewart Brand, “Does the world need nuclear energy?”

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Meeting ID: 926 2795 7489
Passcode: [REDACTED]

FLGR-NY October Chapter Meeting: Student Advocacy in the Community - Sunrise Ithaca and Justice 50
2024-10-10 19:00 - 20:30 | On Zoom
February 2024 Justice50 Community Meeting, photo by Aaron Fernando
In 2019, a small group of Ithaca College students with a powerful vision for a more sustainable and equitable future joined together to form Sunrise Ithaca. They quickly built partnerships, support, and enthusiasm around the idea of a climate just future, and less than six months later, the Ithaca Common Council adopted the Ithaca Green New Deal (IGND).
In the five years since then, Sunrise Ithaca has continued to be an active participant in implementing the IGND. Most recently, Sunrise Ithaca made a push to involve the Ithaca community in understanding and supporting the IGND and Justice50. They hosted two community meetings, in which they presented the details of Justice50, gathered feedback, and provided people with information about how to get involved. Ultimately, the City of Ithaca passed Justice50 unanimously in May of 2024, becoming the first city in the nation to operationalize climate justice.
The featured presenters for this month’s meeting are Ace Dufrense, a junior at Ithaca High School and the leader of Sunrise Ithaca, and Siobhan Hull, a spring graduate of Cornell, Sunrise Ithaca member, and member of the City’s Sustainability and Climate Justice Commission.
Ace and Siobhan will give a brief overview of the Sunrise Movement in Ithaca, including the key role in creating the IGND and the push for equity through Justice50. They will also discuss other initiatives that Sunrise Ithaca is involved in and opportunities for continuing to work within the community.

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Meeting ID: 958 6631 3240
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Finger Lakes Book Group Meeting – “No Miracles Needed,” Mark Z. Jacobson, Part 2
2024-10-28 19:00 - 20:00 | On Zoom
The Finger Lakes Book Group will meet on Monday, October 28, 2024 at 7 pm. This will be the second session for “No Miracles Needed: How today’s technology can save our climate and clean our air” – Mark Z. Jacobson (Stanford University), Cambridge University Press, 2023. Part 1 covered the beginning through Chapter 7; Part 2 (this session) will cover Chapter 8 through the end. We hope that the revised schedule is allowing more folks to read a part of the book during this busy period (upcoming election and Climate Reality Leadership training).

Book description from Cambridge University Press:

The world needs to turn away from fossil fuels and use clean, renewable sources of energy as soon as we can. Failure to do so will cause catastrophic climate damage sooner than you might think, leading to loss of biodiversity and economic and political instability. But all is not lost! We still have time to save the planet without resorting to ‘miracle’ technologies. We need to wave goodbye to outdated technologies, such as natural gas and carbon capture, and repurpose the technologies that we already have at our disposal. We can use existing technologies to harness, store, and transmit energy from wind, water, and solar sources to ensure reliable electricity, heat supplies, and energy security. Find out what you can do to improve the health, climate, and economic state of our planet. Together, we can solve the climate crisis, eliminate air pollution and safely secure energy supplies for everyone.

Here is a recording of Prof. Jacobson discussing the book with Ken Cook of Environmental Working Group and the following discussion (webinar starts 14:40 minutes into the recording).

Note also that the book can serve as a reference – use the Table of Contents to find the topic of interest and go directly there.

For those interested in learning more about the nuclear power option, here is a TED debate from February 2010 with Prof. Jacobson and Stewart Brand, “Does the world need nuclear energy?”

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 926 2795 7489
Passcode: [REDACTED]

FLGR-NY November Chapter Meeting - The Dryden Miracle: Climate Change, The Energy Transition, and Local Municipalities
2024-11-12 19:00 - 20:30 | On Zoom
Dan Lamb, Deputy Supervisor for the Town of Dryden, will be presenting elements of what could be called “The Dryden Miracle.” This small town located east of Ithaca completed several noteworthy accomplishments. Dryden was the first town in New York State to ban fracking. It has also been successful in building community solar, multi-town rail trails and municipal broadband. It is a Bronze level Climate Smart Community. In its permitting process, the town has managed to discourage any new commercial gas hookups over the past 8 years. Most recently Dryden passed a moratorium on cryptomining and data centers. Dan will provide an overview of how the Town of Dryden has implemented these changes, thus providing a model for other local municipalities.

In addition to his Deputy Supervisor position, Dan is a senior lecturer at Cornell’s Brooks School of Public Policy and a member of the steering committee for Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative (TCCPI). More info about Dan can be found on the Cornell Brooks Public Policy website.

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Meeting ID: 831 3844 2680
